BFP-97 Renewed Pressure - AAR

von Marwitz

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BFP-97 Renewed Pressure - AAR:

My opponent proposed this scenario that has seen quite some play over the years. ROAR has it 31:20 pro German (Jan. 2018) with a rather high Exitement Rating of 6.95 out of 9. I have played it before back in 2012 as the Germans and lost. This time, I would have the attacking Russians.

The Russians must take a number of building VP of which the two multi-hex buildings count 5 VP each while the other buildings count 1 VP each. So the two multi-hex buildings are of special significance. Both sides have strong infantry forces and both sides do receive crack elite units including Assault Engineers as reinforcements. An FT and DCs on both sides add tools to keep one at ones toes.

Situation at Game Start:

AAR Start.jpg

The initial problem for the Russians is to gain a foothold in the village. This is tricky, because they will have to move ADJACENT in Open Ground while the Germans have their share of MGs and a HIP squad equivalent plus SMC/SW stacked with it. Inevitably, the Russians will receive some punishment in the attempt. With quite a number of buildings to be captured and the Germans moving last - and thus with the option to grab some back - the Russians cannot afford to lose too much time to recover after receiving their bashing. Furthermore, there is the question where to enter the Russian reinforcements. I selected the Northern flank with the objective to capture the isolated 5VP building close to the board edge. Thus, the Germans would likely be unable to ignore it for its value, it would slow their reinforcements down and they would probably have to commit their Assault Engineers to take it as their first group of reinforcements might prove too weak. If they committed their Assault Engineers to the isolated 5VP building, though, these would themselves be somewhat isolated after eventually taking it and conceivably less of a threat there than elsewhere. Some other Russians from the northern flank would filter into the village through the orchards. On the southern flank, my Russians would push West (upwards) in the general direction of the second 5VP building. This group would have the option to either push further West or North later in the game.

As was to be expected, making progress on my Russian left flank was not easy. Many squads got broken and the Russian MMGs were a PITA to lug around and into positions in the village buildings. This took longer that I had hoped, and I had the word "time" beginning to nag in the back of my head. Getting into the village on the right flank and to secure the isolated 5VP building there worked well enough, but then, the German defence in some buildings there crystallized.

Situation Start of Russian Turn 4:

AAR Start R4.jpg

By the start of Russian Turn 4, I had finally secured the batch of buildings on the Russian left flank in force but was not yet regrouped to strike further upwards across the road to to the left across the road. The German Turn 2 reinforcements had successfully moved up into the 5VP building on that flank. On the Russian right flank I had, with some difficulty, closed in to the main point of German resistance. But cracking it up did not appear to be an easy task. The German reinforcements of Turn 3 - the Assault Engineers - had entered toward the isolated 5VP building as anticipated. Lady Luck kissed and kicked both of us around that building. I was able to kill one of the German 8-3-8 squads (CR&Multiple Casualties on boxcars) and his FT was to whiff out on the 2nd shot. On the other hand, my rather strong forces there were all broken and trapped soon. Due to a glitch in his APh, I was not forced to surrender with everyone and the survivors improbably rallied, dished out for a last bite before going down. The delay of this might have cost the Germans later.

Pushing out of the patch of buildings on the Russian left proved troublesome. When I finally had everyone in position, the German 467+LMG made a Spraying Fire Attack vs. P6 and P7, rolling a 3 and breaking 3 Russian squads and pinning at least one more. I was getting really concerned about time. Thankfully, I did manage to take out this German block and was then able to flood into the central village. Pushing further upward, I was kind of lucky gaining the Foxhole on the road and surviving there unbroken, which left the defending Germans in the incomfortable postion to have a Russian 458+LMG & 8-1 sitting ADJACENT. On the Russian right flank, I was able to break the resistance but could not prevent all German units to rout away. For once in many games, the FT worked very well several times including snakes once. I always used it for long-range fire. The Germans from that part of the village had fled to the graveyard. Maybe a bad omen for them, but some of them rallied.

While the German Prep Fire in his Turn 5 brought my Russian in the center of the village close to a collapse, the Russian defensive fire was vicioulsy effective in its vital attacks. The 7-0 & 467+LMG in the N4 building were killed and thus a Russian conscript squad that had manage to sneak in before, gained Control pushing the Russians up to 27VP. As there was only one Good Order German HS left in that upper part of the village, the German defences were broken before the upcoming next Russian turn. The Germans in the graveyard were all broken or despatched by the FT snakeeyes followed by a good 12 +2 shot. Two 338 Assault Engineer HS with a DC and an accompanying 8-1 were either pinned or broken while closing in attempting to reinforce the central village. This finally broke the back of my opponent's defence and he conceded.

Situation at the End of the Game (Start RPh German Turn 5):


AAR End.jpg

A very nice and recommendable scenario. The lesser experienced player should probably take the Germans.


von Marwitz
 
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