The day after Thanksgiving my group had our annual Tanksgiving slugfest. We played a battle based around the day after the Battle of Prokhorovka, part of the Battle of Kursk.

The Germans had three missions, as did the Soviets. The Germans needed to maintain their hold on the tip of the ridge and the bridge in the village they controlled, both in the top of the first picture, and take the bridge in the village in the upper right of the second picture. The Russians had to hold their bridge and take the hill and German bridge. I was playing down by the Soviet village so I didn’t end up with many pictures on the other side of the table.

The Soviets rolled in in force to try and crush the Germans.

The Soviets had some lucky shooting early in on my side of the table which made it difficult for the Germans to launch an attack. I didn’t help they were quickly surrounded due to the deployment rules either! Still, I think with another hour of play time we would have had enough forces left to push into the village and take the bridge. Still, you have the time you have but it makes a fun what if?! On the other side of the table the Soviets were able to push the Germans off the ridge, but due to a timely counter attack by massed Panzers the ridge was retaken. That side of the field was a total slaughter of the Soviet attackers, but it was a close run thing! I think if we had used our two Tigers to force the village on my flank we still would have held out on the far side of the board, but that’s a debate for the pub after the game!

-Wachtmeister