It was time for another game of WW2 Bolt Action. In this 1930's scenario, Art's Soviets were battling my Chinese warlord for control of Chinese border town. At the start of the game, the Soviets had a sniper and forward observer in the town, while I had a sniper and two teams of guerillas lurking about.
Round 1:
From the southwest, the Chinese warlord's retinue arrived, along with some cavalry, a big sword squad, and a T-26 tank.
They were countered by a large amount of Soviet infantry, mostly inexperienced.
In the north, Soviet infantry arrived by truck, with a supporting armored car and flamethrower T-26. Chinese cavalry rode to meet them, with infantry, an SDKF 222, and a junior command team not far behind. The Soviet armored car inflicted casualties on the cavalry, but did not break their resolve.
Round 2:
The Chinese warlord activated the majority of the troops in his sector, with the tank firing down the roadway at the Soviet tank, and the big sword squad moving through the rubble.
The Chinese cavalry circled around the buildings and destroyed a Soviet truck carrying NKVD, with the surviving troops stumbling into the street.
Additional Soviet troops headed north trying to rescue them.
At the southern edge of town, a Soviet flamethrower team disembarked from a transport and attempted to burn out one of the Chinese guerilla cells, but failed to hit its target.
The guerillas counterattacked, killing the flamethrower team and destroying their truck.
In the center of town, another guerilla cell ambushed a second NKVD transport and burned it to the ground.
At the home next door, a Soviet transport pulled up to the garden wall, and troops climbed over into the courtyard.
Across the main street, Chinese levies took up a position in the local restaurant.
In the north, Chinese infantry and the SDKF 222 tried to take pressure off the cavalry, but the Soviet's refused to switch targets. The Chinese cavalry was shot down before they could engage.
Round 3:
The Soviet forward observer called in an artillery bombardment on the warlord and the surrounding squads. However, luck was with the Chinese and there were no deaths.
On the other side of the building, the Chinese cavalry eliminated the NKVD, but at significant cost. They turned south in preparation for two squads of advancing Soviet infantry.
The Chinese big sword squad exited the rubble onto the main street and provided covering fire for the cavalry.
However, a lucky shot by a Soviet mortar team managed to eliminate the squad in one strike.
The Chinese cavalry were now on their own.
In the center of town, the surviving NKVD engaged in hand to hand combat with the guerillas, killing all but two of the them. The guerillas were forced to retreat.
From the safety of the ruined warehouse, a Soviet anti-tank team fired on the Chinese T-26, but did no damage.
Up north, the flamethrower tank failed in its attack on the Chinese infantry. They attempted a counter attack with anti-tank grenades, but were also unsuccessful. The SDKF was immobilized by the Soviet armored car, and its counterfire was ineffective.
Soviet infantry drove the Chinese away from the tank with a significant number of kills.
Round 4:
The southern Chinese guerilla cell opened fire on the Soviet infantry, hoping to protect the isolated cavalry.
The warlord's retinue also joined the fray, but did not perform well. All except the warlord were killed off, and he abandoned the battlefield and his troops.
The other southern squad of Soviet infantry FUBARed their attempted attack on the cavalry and fled, but the the forward observer team hidden in the building managed to kill all but one of the Chinese.
Back at the warehouse, the Soviet anti-tank team scored a successful hit and jammed the turret of the Chinese tank.
The NKVD then rushed in and finished the job with anti-tank grenades.
The Soviet sniper and the Chinese levies engaged in a gun battle, with the sniper picking off the Chinese NCO.
Back in the north, the Chinese infantry launched a punishing attack on the Soviets, but were eventually burned to death by the flamethrower tank.
Soviet troops also finished off the immobilized 222.
Round 5:
Soviet infantry stormed the ruins hiding the Chinese guerillas and eliminated them.
In the center of town, a vicious melee broke out between the Chinese levies and a squad of inexperienced Soviets. The Chinese were victorious, but most every combatant was dead at the end.
After destroying the Chinese tank last round, the NKVD located the Chinese sniper team and finished them off.
Soviet infantry charged the building holding the remaining Chinese command team, and though initially successful, the remaining guerillas pushed them back.
The Soviets then sent the flamethrower tank against the guerillas and killed one of them.
Knowing the town was lost, the remaining guerilla commandeered a car and fled. The surviving levies hit the road as well, and the town was fully under Soviet control.
Despite a relatively promising start, luck was not with the Chinese and the Soviets tore them apart through the second half of the game. I was really hoping that troop quality would win over quantity, but it was not the case. And though I love the visual appeal of cavalry on the table, they have proven to be be mostly ineffective during my WW2 games, which I guess is to be expected (or a sign of my poor battleplans). That said, it was still a fun game and I enjoyed the opportunity to finally use my Chinese terrain.
