I decided to play through the Skirmish Campaign scenario book 41 Drive on Minsk using the IABSM 3 rule set. An article by Tom Ballou on converting the OOB can be found on the Toofatlardies Yahoo Group.

The Skirmish Campaign books are easily converted to most platoon or company level rules. Each scenario can be played out on its own or as a linked campaign. A base force is given to each side and variable attachments are diced for, giving a different game each time you play out a scenario.

The first scenario in Drive on Minsk is Armour Clash which sees elements of the 3rd Panzer Division bumping into advancing elements of the Soviet 22nd Tank Division.

German Orders: Exit at least four AFVs off the eastern board edge.

Soviet Orders: Exit at least two AFVs off the western board edge.

Game length: 10 Turns.

German Force:

Five Big Men
Motorcycle Platoon: Three squads of eight men each.
Recon Squad: Eight men in an Sdkfz 251.
Panzer Zug 1: Four Panzer II
Panzer Zug 2: Two Panzer III
Armoured Car Platoon: Two Sdkfz 231

Russian Force:

One Big Man
Infantry Platoon: Three squads of ten men each.
Two Tank Platoons: each three T26
Armoured Car Platoon: Two BA10
Anti-Tank Gun: 45mm ATG

The Game

Start lines and the plan

The Soviet infantry make great progress and reach the cover of the gully on the Soviet right

German slow start and Soviet great spotting

The Panzer III platoon moves down to the gully

Just in time to see the Russian's deploying their anti-tank gun on the hill, they open fire

The truck is hit! Get that gun into action quick.

The Panzer IIIs clock two platoons of T-26s moving into hull down positions.

Russian infantry reach the edge of the wood as the Germans top the hill.

With no Big Men to rally them the T26s tactics are to hold their position and fire from hull down positions.

With their first shot first blood!

Taking a chance when the recce bonus card comes up, they make a dash through the Russian infantry lines. Should have had them on overwatch. Just hoping the armoured car comes up before Tea Break.

With the Russians in their superior position the armoured duel is going against the Germans.

Ivan gets the gun in position.

The Soviet armoured cars turn up & make a flanking move down the left (6,6,5 for movement). They then take no further part in the battle, a transfer to the penal battalion for whoever's in charge.

Those damn T26s are so hard to hit hiding behind that ridge.

The German Recce armoured cars break loose in the Russian rear.

Overview of the battle

German Company CO tries to restart the stalled attack.

Skulking at the edge of the woods

Those Russian armoured cars threaten the German right (keen observers will notice they are not BA10s. I don't have any: these are standing in).

German recce turns back to fire on the rear of the Russian tanks.

One final salvo from the Russians takes out two Panzer IIs

One T26 knocked out, two abandoned, one with a damaged gun and one immobilised. One PzIII and three PzIIs knocked out and one PzIII immobilised.

Russian infantry surrendering (should have had more photos of the infantry battle).

T26s panic with Germans front and rear.

A German victory, but a costly one. Only one T26 was knocked out, but their low morale and only one big man eventually took it's toll on them. The battle could have turned out very different if the Russian armoured cars card had come up a few times.

Tony Hobbz

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AAR 1941 Eastern Front Armour Clash by Tony Hobbz