East Front Update - Western Gate

Wayne was victorious in the East Front II game we have been playing by email. I played the Poles, trying to break through a smaller but very stubborn German defence force across some low hills and forest tracks, with bits of marsh and swamp scattered around the open fields. Despite initial success with my infantry, I couldn't crack the doughty SS defenders. Their machine guns picked my troops off as they advanced out of the mist. Before long, I was juggling my companies around to try and keep up the momentum as german guns created disruption amongst my thinning ranks.

Just when it appeared that I was going to struggle through in my main centre attack, and sieze a Southern objective in one of flanking diversions, my two crap tanks took hits from hidden infantry and reinforcements arrived on field for the German. It seemed that I was now facing a battalion of German armour, and an endless truck conveyor belt feeding German machineguns into the battle zone.

In several turns, my meagre and hard won gains in the central zone were wound back and I was pushed out of the orchards and off the hill. In the South, my infantry managed to hold the objective until concentrated german fire swept them out in the final turn. Lucky for me there was lots of woods and marsh scattered around, it gave my decimated forces somewhere to hide as the German tanks and infantry annihilated anyone still in range.

It was a major german victory for wayne - I think I managed to end up on about -600 points, with no objectives. Makes you feel sorry for the Poles.

We've started the next one in our series of games, "Long Walk Home". I am the Finns trying to delay or halt the russian advance through the icy forests of the Karelian peninsula. Wayne is the Russian.