ASL Scenario E - Hill 621

[Dale m]

I am revisiting my very early days of Squad Leader (no Advanced then) from when I was still in primary school (1979?). A replay of the first scenario I ever played against my first opponent. This time I am playing the Russians.

For those who have not played it, it involves an initial group of 6 (possibly broken) German squads on board 4 with some OBA trying to stop 48 (yep 48) Russian squads (equal numbers of 447 and 527) from moving from board 3 occupying 5 of the 7 level 3 hexes on Hill 621 on venerable (like me) board 2. Both sides recieve dribs and drabs of armour and motorised/mechanised infantry support over the course of the battle.

Following is the situation at the end of German Turn 3 (The scenario is 10 turns long with Germans moving first).

View attachment 39916

At this point, the Germans have lost (killed or captured) 4 of their initial OB squads, their 8-1 leader, a created 7-0 leader and have one of their PzIV immobilised and abandoned. The German 9-2 is wounded (and has abandoned his radio) and broken, both remaining squads are broken as is the AT gun crew on the hill and the AT gun is still being towed. The Germans have on their feet, the tank crew and a wounded hero, 3 PzIV and a HT. The Russians have lost an 8-0 leader, a total of 6 squads and have a further 6 broken - 3.5 of those probably for the duration, leaving 42 squads, an 8-1 and an 8-0 and 6 T34s, one with a malfed MA.

Highlights to date:
German Turn 1

• boring

Russian Turn 1:

• Massive Human Wave on the Russian left (these are always cool!) - extended too far to the middle and caused the loss of 2 squads that probably should have been more prudent.
• Russian hero created in the centre

Geman Turn 2:

• German tanks entered on the Russian left
• BFF kills Russian 8-0 (with 3 leaders for 48 squads the Russians are prett brittle) and breaks the 2 squads with him. Part of a string of 5 German rolls that included 4 off 1,1!
• German ATG crew breaks due to long range MMG fire while trying to unhook their gun
• Exterme stupidity by the Russian player. Firing on broken german squads caused 2 to rally and create a hero and a 7-0 respectively! Some of these shots were against units that would have surrendered (idiot!)

Russian Turn 2:

• Russian armour swung into action and covered themselves with glory. BFF imobilizes a PzIV and a CH kills the newly created 7-0 and the squad he came from.
• Russian infantry ran the tank gauntlet in the centreand are poised near the foot of the hill

German Turn 3

• Aggressive tank manouvering by the German as he tries to hunt down my 2 remaining leaders (I think)

Russian thoughts
I am well pleased. From an initial squad ratio of 48:6, I now have 42:2.5 (counting the vehicle crew) or for unbroken equivalents 36:0.5.

I see a tide of brown infantry moving up Hill 621 over the next 2 turns and digging in on the near-side reverse slope (I can advance in to win on Turn 10 so he hs to come at me)

I will send 2 T34 behind the stone wall near the board 4 2 storey house to bring the 2 PzIV under fire and allow the squads to try and CC them. I will be overstacked but HD and hve a better than even money chance in a stand up fight.

The 2 T34 on the right will go behind Hill 621 to brink the German assault engineer HT entry hexes under their guns.

The T34 with the malf gun will NOT try to repair it, he can move up the front of the hill and bring his MG to bear on the Level 3 hexes. If he is still alive at the end he can (under the VC) occupy a Level 3 hill hex.

That leaves 1 tank which will probably swing to the left, or maybe the rear.

Further updates as the battle behind Minsk unfolds.

 

[John_McDiarmid]

Did the Germans not setup on the Hill and do long range fire at the Russian?

They should never be in range to be shot by Russians except maybe a 8 hexes barring the odd MG shot until much later than Turn 3.

Looking ugly for the poor German despite how few leader the Russians still have.

 

[Dale m]

My thoughts exactly. They can't actually set up on the hill as they must set up on board 4 but they were way too close IMO.

That said, the dice have been running hot for both of us which is going to help the bigger side more than the smaller because we make more rolls!

We have been playing a lot of short range city grinds and I don't think he adjusted his thinking. Anyway, as Napolean said, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

 

[witchbottles]

This is a "tailor - made" setup for interlocking FLs from the German MGs. set them up along the Bd 4 board edge with interlocking fields of fire. My experience over 11 playings is roughly 1/2 of them will suffer from the SSR forced MC; the others will remain in place and active. This allows the Germans to open up on T1a with laid FLs across most of the open access hexes of Bd 4; and keeps their rifle fire for anyone managing to manuever around the FLs thanks to the holes that will exist from the SSR MC. The spotter calls in his SR on DFPh1a.

Gt1a, the MGs and their manning inf run for the hilltops. to stay on Bd 4 is death incarnate, covered by the entering Pz's and the OBa which is capable of flipping over to FFE in PFPh ( if it does so or not is dependent on the threat. a good spread of russians and a harrassing fire FFE might even work well in this scen.) Regardless, once the FFE1 is down , the ldr will vol brk and run for the hill; letting the FFE2 occur on its own. followed by the Pz's making a fighting withdrawal. Standing on Bd 4 is suicide.

KRL,
Jon H

 

[Dale m]

We played the Russian turn 3 last night. Here is the situation.

View attachment 40053

A relatively quick and uneventfal turn. The brown tide rushed forward and has a strong beachhead on the hill.

The Russians had 3 squads broken, 2 by tank fire while trying to move to CC a tank and one by the sniper (this makes 3 squad breaks and a sniper kill for the German sniper - the most effective unit on the map!).

Another German squad was induced by the good treatment the Russians give to prisoners into surrendering and the hero was KIA. This leaves him with the 9-2 (wounded & broken), 1 elite squad (broken), 1 tank crew (broken), 1 gun crew (OK but with their gun still being towed in the next hex), 1 HT (towing the aforesaid gun), 1 PzIV (fully-functional), 1PzIV (immobilized and abandoned), 1 PzIV (MA malf), 1 PzIV (immobilized and in CC).

The Russian squad who immobilized the PzIV are being recommended for the Order of Lenin, but if they don't destroy it in the next 2 payer turns they will be sent to Siberia for fraternizing wth he enemy. That's the way it goes in Stalin's USSR.

The German commander has conceded that things look grim; but with Hitler's stand fast order in his back pocket he is determined to see it through to the end. He feels that any other course of action would be sensible and therefore out of character for a Nazi. The Russian general admires the German's determination and has therefore decided to grind him into the ashes of his own defeat and then gloat mercilessly.

To be continued ...

 

[Helmseye]

Great aar

 

[Dale m]

Russian and German Turn 4 complete

View attachment 40143

German Turn 4

The German assaut engineers have got themselves into the woods at the back of the hill and sent their half-tracks onto the hillock to the Russian left. Buggered if I know why.

The German tank with the disabled MA was taken out in the DFF and the last of the German's initial OB entered captivity.

The Russian squad in melee with the immobilised tank was broken and interdicted to death. The Orders of Lenin will now be posthumous.

Russian Turn 4

As predicted the Russian tide has swarmed up Hill 621 and captured 3 (of the 5 needed) Level 3 hexes and have the other 2 right next door. The initial squads have dug in on some of the adjacent Level 2 hexes awaiting the German counterattack. With what, I don't know; but when the Russian soldier stops moving he digs.

One Russian tank impudently went within PF range to take out a HT. One HT done in but the Nazi got a 3 on his to hit at a 2 hex range against a motion target and that's all she wrote.

The Russian 8-0 is heading to the left to rally the troops and the 9-1 is moving up the centre in anticipation of some damage from the 8-3-8s.

Another brave Russian squad took on the immobilised tank and - immobilised it! The tank's CC was a 12 so the Russian, deciding that as discretion is the better part of valour, and cowardice is the better part of discretion, decided to withdraw.

More reinforcements for both sides next turn - should be interesting.

I think the game is finely balanced; it may end before the German's are anialated!

Next stop, Berlin!

 

[Bad Dice]

This is my favorite scenario. Keep it coming.


BD

 

[Paul S NJ]

Nice aar, don't the Germans start with 8 squads?

Paul

 

[Dale m]

End German Turn 5

Here is the situation

View attachment 40255

This is almost completely unchanged even though it was a very busy turn with bullets and shells flying madly in all directions. However, almost everyone had been to the Star Wars Imperial Stormtrooper School of Gunnery which meant they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn best 2 out of 3!

German prep fire broke a 527 (with a prisoner) on the crest of the hill. Apart from a DFPh Pin on a German squad that wasn't doing anything anyway, that was the only effective fire from both sides!

German half tracks raced down the hill on the Russian left to attack Russian squads that could only reach the hill now by a miracle even if they were left alone. The German commander appears to be out for revenge rather than victory. The Russian scared the HT with some MG ordinance hits but only dented the panels.

The German reinforcements came on at the right and took some ineffective shots at the Russian tanks. The Russian tanks went motion.

The German prisoner squad passed his TC against the guard and failed to hurt him. The other Russian squad needed a 9 or less to damage the prisoner and rolled a 10! Hence the melee on the top of the hill.

I can feel a prisoner masacre coming on!

My SUs and Guards infantry come on next turn and the plan is for my T34s to smash the HTs and join with them to rout the German Assault Guns later. The infantry will look to grab the other 2 hexes, shoot up the AT gun that he finally got unhooked and try to get into CC with the pioneers and/or dig in even deeper.

 

[Dale m]

Nice aar, don't the Germans start with 8 squads?

Paul

Yes they do. Seems like I'm a better commander than even I thought I was! That is only IMHO though.

 

[Dale m]

Double post

 

[Dave Olie]

Very entertaining AAR, Dale. I've never seen the Russian dominate this scenario so much as in this game. BTW, I first played "621" in its original form about the same time as you, 1978.

One other little thing: You have mis-spelled Napoléon's name in your sig.

 

[Dale m]

Very entertaining AAR, Dale. I've never seen the Russian dominate this scenario so much as in this game

The German player is my regular opponent and he has freely admits that he f**ked up the set-up. I think that by playing on VASL he couldn't eyeball just how tall the Russian stacks of squads are and therefore failed to appreciate that his initial OB cannot go toe-to-toe with them. I was more than willing to trade squads at a 2 for 1 rate because I felt that our reinforcements would more or less neutralize each other. With so many squads pushing forward his troops were simply overwhelmed when I cut rout paths and forced surrenders.

When we turn the board around, I hope to learn from his mistakes ... and make a whole bunch of my own!

 

[Bob Miller]

Thanks for sharing the AAR. Not many scenarios are better than ol 621. I was able to get in a one day playing of this 2 weeks ago. We were prompted to play it based on seeing your AAR here in the forums. I played it once at ASLOK and just lost as the Russians. "Why not play a Classic that REALLY REALLY REALLY captures the feel of east front WWII combat." No reason not to, so we did. Much more so than 98% of scenarios published in the last 5 years or so. Again, thanks for sharing and posting pictures.

 

[Dale m]

Situation at the end of Turn 5

View attachment 41332

Been a while since we have played and this effort started with by worthy German opponent failing his personal morale check, but he rallied when faced with the duanting prospect of choosing another scenario!

The Russians squared away the 5 Level 3 hexes they need but the 8-3-8s are still lurking within striking distance!

A T-34 had a moment of insanity and climbed the hill to go toe-to-toe with a Stug with predictably suicidal results. Another T-34 maneuvered for a side shot and it was then that we learned that we were playing on different versions of the VASL maps!. A LOS that was clearly open on mine was clearly blocked on his! We resolved this good old A6.1 die roll tie breaker with the result of a clear LOS and a wrecked assault gun.

The half-squad in the German HT went for a PF but, thanks to this forum, I pointed out that as passengers they were not infantry and so ineligible for PF. I expect to burn this HT next turn.

My reinforcements moved up unmolested and the brown stain has spread out over the hill. His SR went long and out of LOS - good thing too because with one leader on the hill the Russians are extremely brittle.

The escaped German prisoners killed their guard in CC and were reduced by the other Russian squad (a 9!). This unarmed squad has done more for the German's than many of his armed companions.

Well the hill is mine now, if he wants it back, he will have to come and get it!

 

[Dale m]

The situation after German Turn 6 (first player turn)

View attachment 41615

The situation after Russian Turn 7

View attachment 41614

Comrades, I am forced to do something extremely difficult ... admit that I have made a BIG mistake! I should have accepted the German surrender when it was offered a few turns ago!

One of the beauties of a long scenario is how the pendulum can swing and it has swung with a vengeance. I still like my chances more than my oponent's but I am not nearly so optimistic as I was.

A brief summary of the action

• The Russian infantry are not so much entrenching as mining - if I could have rolled as well on the IFT as I have for entrenching there would be no Germans left.
• The German artillery has been dropping spotting rounds all over Mother Russia, mostly out of the LOS of the observer. No FFE at all.
• AFV of both sides have been careering all over the map and blowing each other up. 2 T34 blasted off the hill and 1 recalled. 1 ISU smashed after an ill-advised gun duel with the 75L Pak - which has subsequently malfunctioned. 1 Stug swarmed under and 4 HT and the 50L Pak gone west. 2 of the HT succumbing to sequential MMG TK
• The escaped German finally succumbed in Melee against the 527 after a ridiculously long time.
• I am putting the 10-3 on a war crimes list for being way too awesome. Before it left the recalled T34 gave a 2+1 squirt against him and 2 838 rolling a snake eyes! Net result a fanatic 838 and a hero - a -4 fire group! A streak of 9 ROF with the HMG turned 4 Russian squads in different hexes into 1 broken half squad.

The eastern part of the top of the hill is untenable for anyone. The Germans can put 24-4 on it, the Russians 36-1, this is without ordinance!

What scares me is that the Germans only need to take back one of the 5 I control.if he puts OBA SMOKE up there then massive FP counts for nothing and it could come down to a melee at the end of Turn 10.

What makes me happy is that I have several turns where I can try and smash his 838s with 120 and 150mm guns. Stay tuned.

 

[Dale m]

Hill 621 becomes an armour graveyard

This just in from our correspondent on the Russian front. The battle for Minsk heats up as German and Russian troops engage in hand-to-hand combat while armoured vehicles are shattered all around them! Aerial images of the evolving battle show the carnage below!

End German Turn 8
View attachment 41879

End Russian Turn 8
View attachment 41880

End German Turn 9
View attachment 41878

My troops continue to die for holy mother Russia but, more importantly, so do the Germans!

The overall status at the moment has the Russians controlling 4 of the needed 5 Level 3 hills but I am confident that we will prevail.

The German's are reduced to:

• 2 PzIV both immobile, 1 with a malfunctioned gun and the other with no LOS to the Hill
• 1 HT, under Recall but in a melee hex giving me first shot next CC phase
• 1 Crew with an unpossesed 75L in a Smoke filled Hex
• 1 Squad with a MMG next to the crew
• 1 squad with a MMG on the back side of the hill - why I do not know
• 1 8-0 with a radio who has a bad relationship with the artillary
• 1 squad, hero and 10-3 in melee with the Russians

On the other hand we have bags of infantry and armour in position to make a difference!

As a side note, we worked out that over the course of this scenario, not counting MG, the Russians have malfd 6 guns and repaired 2 (both on the next turn) the Germans have malfd 2 and repaired 1 - is this some sort of a record?

 

[Helmseye]

Great AAR thank you

 

[Dale m]

A Great Soviet Victory!

End of Russian Turn 9 - The German commander bows to the inevitable - earns an all expenses paid, no return trip to Siberia!

View attachment 42023

The Russians have recaptured 5 hexes of the Hill 621 Level 3 and with only 1 squad and a crew on the wrong peak and 1 squad, a hero and a 10-3 locked in a never-ending melee (everyone rolled appallingly), there is no prospect that the Germans can take back any hex on the other side of the saddle or, if he did, the Russians would just grab the hex he vacated.

Russian rifle/SMG fire from the hill broke the last remaining 838 and the SPA with the busted gun locked the 8-0 with a VBM sleeze. This allowed the Russians to eliminate the squad for FTR and CC the 8-0 to death. The Russians poured troops and commanders into the melee to give them a 3:2 -2 shot (the recalled HT still being there made it sequential) - they blew it! But the 838/hero/10-3 with a 1:1 -4(!) shot at glory blew that as well.

The remaining 838 was hemmed in by Russian armour which again suffered a gun malfunction! The first of 3(!) sequential(!) boxcars in the Russian AFPh! I called it quits on firing anything after that! The few surviving Russian tankers are going to send a delegation to the gun factory to have a word with the so-called patriotic workers there. They will be borrowing some guns from the infantry because theirs don't bloody work!

For those who are interested in the morbid details:

German survivors:

1 crew with 75L ATG shrouded in smoke & encircled
1 838 w/- MMG surrounded but defiant
1 Fanatic 838 w/- HMG, 1 Hero & 1 10-3 in Melee (with 2 237, 1 447, 1 628, 1 wounded hero and 1 9-1) and surrounded
2 PzIV both immobile and irrelevant and 1 with a malfed MA

Russian survivors
28 of their original 48 squad OB, 6 broken - 5 of these since about Turn 1. 2 of their 3 at start leaders. 1 wounded hero.
All 8 of their Guard squad reinforcements plus their 9-2.
2 T34 (of 6) 1 with malfed MA, 1 with malfed BMG
1 ISU-152 with malfed MA
1 ISU-122 (amazingly intact)
1 ISU-122 immobilized.

Stay tuned for deep and inaccurate analysis!