2018 Winter Offensive, Round 2: Expendable Allies

J. R. Tracy

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I bounced out of one mini and right into another, joining a second iteration of the 'big' mini on Friday morning.

Opponent

Ed Fritz Jr, my Poles vs his Germans

Situation

A very strong German combined arms force counterattacks in 1945 against a Polish element of the Red Army. The Germans win by taking one of three victory buildings by turn two or all three by game end, as long as they score more CVP than the Poles. One building is up front, two are in the back, but one of those two is vulnerable to a large German reinforcing group arriving on turn two. The Poles get a slew of 447s, some leadership and SWs, a Commissar (!), and two each of T-34/85s, ISU-152s, and IS-2s. However, four of the six vehicles must be secretly designated as having inexperienced crews. Ed’s Germans had a mixed bag of first and second liners, three PzVIHs and two Panthers, plus a 75* SPW 251/9 and three SPW 251/1s. The reinforcements included a pair of StuGs and a JgPz IV, along with yet more infantry.


Strong up front

Plan

I decided to nut up in the forward building, leaving just enough on the left flank to greet the T2 German reinforcements. My hope was to win by holding the third building with the reinforcements plus the survivors of the forward defense.

Early Going

Ed came on like gangbusters at the front building, getting the Panthers hulldown behind a wall just in front, supported by copious infantry. He sent two PzIVs down his right to envelop my defense, but my T-34 on that side killed the first and waited for the second. The third PzIV went down his left, along with the 251/9, supporting a coup de main by the fully loaded SPW platoon as it dashed for my backfield. One SPW snuck through but an LMG killed the second and an ISU vaporized the third.


Feeling the heat

Uh-Oh!

Ed’s surviving SPW got to my back building, buttoning up to avoid infantry fire. My local 8-0 jumped into street fighting when the SPW stopped to unload but 12’d himself to the land of wind and ghosts. Ed was in the building and ready to interdict my reinforcements! I still held the building but life just got complicated.

Big Moment

My forward T-34, bearing two -2 Acqs from the Panthers, killed Ed’s second flanking PzIVH with snakes on an Intensive Fire shot. An ISU killed the last PzIV and the SPW 251/9, so with no flankers, my forward defenders were able to flee the up front building


The art of random selection

Endgame

The German attack on the left flank building was an utter disaster for Ed. The defending T-34 killed a StuG before malfunctioning its MA on an IF shot. Ed couldn’t win an adjacent close combat, so the T-34 drove off the board, saving six CVPs I had already written off in my head. Ed then rolled boxcars in another CC, allowing two squads to escape while the bravest 6+1 in the army held the Germans in melee. On the other flank, Ed picked the perfect spot for his SPW to interdict my reinforcements, so I had one IS-2 squat on the halftrack while a truckful of infantry zoomed by. An ATR/447 ran up to stun the SPW and then burned it in CC, just like I drew it up. Ed had to scramble at that point, and with the loss of the JgPzIV and a Panther, he was too far behind the curve to catch up and sill take the final building.

Lessons Learned

Inexperienced crews aren’t too bad – they’re just as mobile but fight poorly in CC as well as being lousy shooters


Viking funeral

Things I’d Do Differently

I liked my defense generally, but I should’ve fled the up front building earlier.

Scenario Impressions

I like the decisions forced by the victory conditions but I am sure I had the favored side as printed. The CVP requirement for the Germans is too onerous as they just get hammered throughout the game, and have a lot of cheap CVPs (SPWs) in play. We suggested they limit the CVP clause to the initial sudden death VC.

1-0 in the new mini, 1-0 in the main event, 1-1 overall.
 
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