Korean Hamburger Hill - Marines vs. USSR 1950 PBEM

[Shan]

The first PBEM game for both opponents - smithc63 and me - turned out to be a long, bloody fight with a surprising result! We decided to play Marines vs. USSR on the Korean peninsula - so far, so good.

I normally prefer quantity over quality, and I like to use armeored units, but for my first battle I decided to use some 1950s Soviet strategy - meaning: 2 companies of 'cannon-fodder' reservists for the initial contact, and an Elite naval infantry company + support units , which were to be committed only after achieving contact with the enemy main force. I also had a company of T-54s with only 2 platoons - they proved to be the battle-winner! Finally, I had an anti-tank reserve of a platoon SU-100s and a 3 85mm guns.

The whole force would have strong artillery support - a battalion 152mm, a section 180mm and a battery of on-map Katyushas + ammo trucks. I did not waste my purchase points on air strikes, assuming the Americans would have air superiority, and quite frankly out of experience I thought I don't want these Shturmoviks bomb my own troops ;-).

The initial bombardment along the whole front line showed at least 3 burning trucks and a destroyed mortar.

On the first pic you can see my tanks + anti-tank guns near the central objective, waiting for an enemy push...