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Noreaster 2004 AAR, Game 1
DB-Maus, 'The Mighty Maus'
Jim Torkelson: Russian Attackers
Kedge Johnson: German Defenders
This DftB late war heavy metal monstrosity is a semi-hypothetical scenario in which the Russian Guards Tank army overruns the proving grounds where the two prototype Maus super-heavy tanks are working up. The Germans have a screen of infantry dregs, a mix of conscripts, second line, and first line squads with an ELR of 2. These guys have a HMG, two MMG, a couple of PSK, and lots of PF. There are three FlaK towers, one with an 88L and two with 37L[12] guns at second level. On northern bd 19, the Germans have a 170L ART and a 120mm mortar, the firing range. For vehicular toys, there are the two Maus, a Jagdtiger, a Jagdpanther, a PzJg III/IV Nashorn, a StuPz IV Brummbaer, and a Flamm Hetzer. For reinforcements, the Germans have a group of SS with a King Tiger and a Panther, plus some real troops. Most of the German defenders are on the central overlay 6 end of bd 10, but some are also guarding the southern woods flank of bd 5.
The Russians are the dream OB, 24 458 squads, six 628 assault engineers that are fanatic when they have a DC or FT, three IS-3, six IS-2m, four ISU-122, three ISU-152, and three SU-100s. By the way, there are also two late model OT-34 flame tanks, with a bow SA of underlined 32. For SW, there are two 50 cal HMG, two dismantled 82mm mortars, several LMGs, four DCs, and two FTs. Six GAZ trucks are there to help the infantry move up. Leading off the battle is a module of 200mm ROBA with automatic access, plus a module of 120mm tube OBA with plentiful ammo.
While most of the buildings on the overlay are factories, there is one Admin building with a level two. That building plus the FlaK towers watch over most of the open ground.
This game was a rematch from our previous meeting, two years ago at the Noreaster 2002. In that game, the initial ROBA drifted far out into the firing range, causing lots of shellholes but no harm to the Germans. Eventually, after one fire phase where the 88L killed three Sov tanks, the Germans triumphed.
Kedge's defense was dispersed, as it has to be with the 200mm hammer of the gods. There were two vehicles on the firing range, one almost certainly the Nashorn. The FlaK towers had the 88L in the front, the two 37L[12]s in the back. The two Maus had to set up in the factories. There was infantry watching the woodsline on my (Russian) left. Other infantry were on the bd 10/19 seam, as well as in the buildings on the overlay. One concealed vehicle was next to the 37L Flak tower on the hexrow of doom (it runs right down the middle of the board...). Another two vehicles were concealed in the German backfield, probably the StuPz IV and the Flamm Hetzer.
My Russian plan was to avoid the firing range, instead attack down the center. A small force would head onto bd 5, but not a major thrust. There is a blaze problem in this scenario. As in, it is just too easy for half the map to catch on fire! If the ROBA drifts into the forest, then the flames will cause a major block. The Russians can't plan on bd 5 being open. The IS-2m's would lead along with the ISU-122s. The IS-3s, the ISU-152s, and the prime asset, the OT-34s, would remain offboard until the situation developed. The engineers would also remain offboard, ready to leap into battle from the back of the trucks. The 82mm mortars would enter, each with an 8-0 leader to help carry, planning on reaching the woodline where they can smoke the Flak towers. The 10-2 would assist the dismantled 50cal HMGs (probably an error). Otherwise the infantry would race forward, some squads on the back of the ISUs.
Rus T1A. With the troops setup offboard, the hammer falls. The ROBA has automatic access, and the offboard observers treat the Flak towers as unconcealed. I place the AR adjacent to the far right 37L FlaK, on top of the concealed vehicle, 10oZ9. The vital ROBA drift is only one hex, to Y10! The 36FP shots shock the Jagdpanther, break the crew of the 37L FlaK, cause one flame in 19H10, and ELR one 447. A number of empty hexes have shellholes, which means they received KIA results... Three boxcar DRs didn't help my cause. The tube OBA calls down a SR in the same area, drifting slightly south.
The Russian move on board. The 88L gets one shot, misses. One rider squad has to bail out after pinning, but is fine. By avoiding the firing range, that takes a couple of German weapons out of the mix. Three IS-2m's get onto the road, taking advantage of the shocked JgPanther.
Ger T1B. The 37L Flak crew self-rallies in the face of 200mm rockets! The shocked Jagdpanther recovers as well. That vehicle fires, bounces off the front armor of the IS-2m, intensive fires, misses. The front 88L has only vehicles with armor of 18 or 26 in his LOS. A light mortar, 50mm, gets a Critical hit on a CE ISU-122 with rider. The crew gets the CH, only to pass a 3MC! The mobile Maus moved into the hexrow of doom, and my IS-2m's fail their motion attempts. This Maus has the German 9-2 armor leader to go with the 128L gun... A 467 tries to get out of his foxhole to escape the ISUs, but eats a 122mm HE round for a K/4. CR and ELR. The rockets come down for their second try, missing the Jadgpanther, missing the 37L Flak, rubbling one wooden building, and reducing a conscript. The tube OBA adjusts his SR to near the Maus, with some drift. The IS-2m's that failed their motion rolls kill the Jadgpanther. The 50cal HMGs are assembled, with the 10-2 supervising. The Maus missed an IS-2m.
Rus 2A. I jumped straight into my rally & prep, forgetting to put my reinforcements off board. Duh! The tube OBA lays down a smoke FFE, just covering the Maus in 10W8. Despite the smoke, when the acquired IS-2m starts, the 9-2 AL gets a hit. Fortunately, it was a hull hit, and my IS-2m survives the possible shock (snakes on the TC), succeeding in getting out of LOS. The infantry move forward, up to row K-I on bd 10, and up to row T on bd 5. A 447 tries a long range PF shot, boxcarring the shot for a CR. The 88L fires on infantry with rate, hitting a 458 for a 3MC and a 1MC. I passed the first, boxcarred the second. The German SAN was activated on the passed 3MC, reaching out and fatally wounding the hero, just missing the 10-2. In the advancing fire phase, the phalanx of IS-2ms on hexrow O fire at the 88L FlaK, getting acquisition.
Ger 2B. The 37L Flak fire their IFE. One 12FP+2 breaks one 458, pins a second, and berserks the third! The 88L kills a broken halfsquad. The Nashorn starts on the firing range, and moves up to 19S5 where it can see the side of a line of five IS-2m's. One IS-2m turns, fires, and gets a Low Ammo marker. The Maus, with no one in LOS and in smoke, tries to start. It fails its Mechanical Reliability DR!! Immobilized. Key roll. The phalanx of IS-2m's fire at the 88L. All miss, plus I malfed the CMG on a IS-2m. The 10-2/HMG stack fire on the 88L crew, breaking the 228. On the southern woodline, a 237 gets hit by a 122, and only pins on the 4MC! The MMG 467 squad eats two 122s, a 2MC and 4MC, passing both! Stalwart folks. The Nashorn misses his advancing fire, and the flame in H10 turns to a blaze. The 467 with the MMG that passed those harsh morale checks, decides to voluntarily break...
Rus 3A. This time I remember to place my units on board. The Germans in the southern bd 5 woods are in disarray, so I plan on trucking the assault engineers on that flank. The IS-3s are planned for the center, along with the ISU-152s. All of the SU-100s enter on my northern flank, to deal with the Nashorn. A 458 self-rallies, and a 458 broken by a 37L Flak also rallies. The 88L gun crew fails to rally. The 120mm OBA draws a black card, and puts a drifting SR off three hexes from the back flak tower. The smoke FFE was flipped to its dispersed side. My 82mm mortars are assembled, 10H0 and 10M2. My IS-2m with the bead on the Nashorn fires, hits, and burns it. Very fragile! My first move is the berserk 458, who thinks he should charge the 37L, only 500 metes away. First shot is a 2MC, boxcars. Dead squad. Then the omelet IS-2, with the malfed CMG, moves onto the hexrow of doom and approaches the Maus. Two hexes away in U7, a conscript squad puts a PF into its turret (snakes TK) to burn it. Another IS-2m moves two hexes from a conscript in a building. PF shot, DR is 1,2. Turret hit, burns! The conscript is reduced and broken by the backblast, and the Russian SAN kills the broken 88L crew. This puts a nice smoke hindrance into the center of the key hexrow. Other moves have the loaded trucks bringing their passengers up to 5P4 and that area to unload. It was risky putting FT in those flammable woods, but I was hoping to not have to use the FT. My advancing fire reduces the broken MMG 467. For vehicles, there is one ISU-122 and one IS-3 following the bd 5 woods-road. The other vehicles are aligned towards 10U3. Since the SU-100s didn't have to risk bd 19, they are along the bd seam. One OT-34 is on the bd 5/10 seam, the other is near the 10Q7 building.
We stopped for the night here, we've only been playing for ten hours...
Ger 3B. The Rus rally one squad. The Flak 37L, thorn in my side, get a K/3 on a 458. This draws the Russian sniper, who breaks a 237 on the bd 5 woodsline. Very acceptable trade for me. The Jadgtiger starts up on the firing range, moves over to the 10W10 area. There are several of my AFVs that can't touch this sucker from the front, but they are also facing the right FlaK crew with acq. I decide the acq is more important, so stand fast. A group of Germans, some concealed and some not, move up two hexes from an IS-2m on 10U8 factory rowhouse. The IS-2m swivels its turret and fires. Snakes! The random selection picks the unconcealed unit, and the subsequent dr is a 1 for an improbable hit on the concealed guy! The 36FP-3/12FP+3 is a KIA on a 467, no effect on the concealed. My assault engineers break three German MMCs in the bd 5 woods, no need to use the FT. The J-Tiger just misses its BFF shot. The Russians declare no quarter, refusing to accept the disrupted conscripts in the woods. A 237 also dies FTR. The other Germans skulk back to the woodsline.
Rus 4A. Things are getting messy. The Russians rally one squad, while the 37L flak crew almost self-rallies. The German MMG halfsquad in the bd 5 woods rallies. The last of the smoke FFE goes away. I try for some smoke to cover, one ISU fired its last smoke round, but missed. One of the 82mm mortars had no smoke at all. I call in my OBA, correcting and converting to HE concentration. It scatters but lands on top of the Jadgtiger. No effect though, rolling snakes on an empty hex. Other prep fire fails badly. On to movement. One 458 gets into the first factory hex! But then the Maus fires its 128L MA to hit and break that 458. Over on the woods, the assault engineers move against the stack of broken Germans, an 8-0, and a 237/MMG. I place a DC there, while the FPFing 237 breaks. Moving other troops up the road, my 8-0 scouts and finds a stack of dummies. The road is clear up to 5I4! The OT-34 on my left moves up and flames some conscripts in the 10V3 building, then ends in motion. The Maus intensive fires at the other OT34, missing, as it moves up to flame another 436 in 10V6. This OT34 ends up in bypass in motion of those wooden buildings. The Jadgtiger is a pain, so I send one SU-100 around through the firing range, hoping to hit it from the side. The 170L tries to fire, but only has AP6 so no shot. The HE gets a hit but no effect on the 11 armor. A PSK tries a shot, Xing out. The SU-100 uses ESB to stop in 19K9, rolling snakes. Good engine! The Jadgtiger declares a gun duel, turns VCA, misses. The SU-100 also misses. The Jadgtiger intensive fires, hits, burns! Another SU-100 tries the same thing, moving around through bd 19. Other vehicles move up, lots of infantry moving as well. The infantry made it to T5. One ISU-152 is on the hexrow of doom, behind the burning wreck, in T6. The ISU-122 gets up the road to 5G3, with the IS-3 in H3. In defensive fire, a pinned 8-0 finds a PF but just misses! An ISU-122 malfs its MA in advancing fire, turning into a very heavy M113. The Germans move their sniper over into their backfield instead of near the mortar crews. More advancing fire malfs a LMG. The placed DC goes off, killing the MMG broken 237, reducing both 436s. In the Advance Phase, the Russians take factory 10U8 and go into CC in 10V3 with a pinned 436. Other Russian infantry get onto the bd 5 woodline, 5I2/I3/J1. Despite the +2 ambush for pinned and lax, no ambush. And despite the 2:1 attack, the Russians miss.
Ger T4B. German reinforcements! The Flak 37 crew fails to self-rally, in spite of my error in failing to keep it DM. The German 7-0 rolls boxcars on its rally, wounding. But two conscript halfsquads rally. Prep. The Jadgtiger fires at the other SU-100, misses. Intensive fire. Malf! Then a PF is fired at the SU-100, long range, but hits and burns! This draws the Russian sniper, who breaks a frontline 447 in 10X1 factory. That squad then fires another PF at an IS-2m, hit! But in the hull, and it bounces off that tough Russian steel. The Maus then kills the ISU-152 in T6, another burning wreck! The 37L on the left has a nasty run of rate, breaking two 458s, ELRing one, then after five shots breaks a fanatic 628/FT. The King Tiger, with a 9-1 armor leader, entered on the west side of bd 5. He tries a BFF shot on the ISU-122 in 5G3, but misses. The SS infantry enter, one stack on bd 5 into the woods, turns out to have a PSK. The balance enter on the center of bd 10. The Panther also goes onto bd 10. In defensive fire, the 120mm OBA scatters towards the Russians, lands on top of the Maus for no effect. The IS-3 on bd 5 fires at the King Tiger, gets a hit in the low armor turret. Kill! One IS-2m gets an ATT hit on the southern 37L flak tower, but rolls boxcars on the 12FP+3. The Germans advance some skulkers back to the front line. The melee in 10V3 continues!
Rus T5A. The Jadgtiger tries to repair its MA. A 6! The 128L is disabled! The Russians manage to fix an LMG. The Russians rally a 458, and a 447 HoB/BH back up to 458. For the OBA, a new chit draw is black. The present FFE is cancelled, and a new AR is placed back to the rear. No point in ordnance smoke. The mortars fire, no rate, no effect. Nothing else shoots. The AFVs start moving, hoping to draw the Germans out of concealment around 10Z2. One IS-2m gets onto the back road, finds the StuPzIV in 10AA4. A 248 starts running up the center/left, but is killed by FPF from a 436. The ISU on bd 5 starts up, just missed by the SS PSK. It ends up next to the 37L Flak tower. On the Russian right, an ISU-122 moves up past the toothless Jadgtiger. A 436 fires a PF and gets a turret hit to burn, but the backblask was a K/1 and the MC DR was boxcars to remove the conscript from the map. Several 458s try to set up for close combat against the immobilized Maus. One 458 is fired at with the 128L adjacent, hit, 3MC for an ELR. Another 458 moves adjacent, pinned by the CMG in a factory. A third 458, in open ground to the front, eats an intensive fire ITT shot. Base 8TH, with a net -3 despite the intensive fire! Hit, but not a critical, the 458 breaks. Then the right OT-34, in motion already, stops, reverses back into the street, stops, forward! It squirts at the Maus for a kill!!!!! Blazing wreck. The other OT34 tries to roast a 447 on the left flank, but the squad passes the 2MC. Multiple tanks rush into the German rear areas. Several tanks pass the Jadgtiger by, ending up near the AA10 Flak tower. One 467 is in a foxhole in J10, probably going to be trouble. Other tanks are in the 10Y hexrow, also Z1. The StuPz is facing the front of IS type tanks, unable to do anything to the frontal armor. In the Advancing fire phase, the German Sniper is activated. He heads for the melee in V3. Random selection is a 6 yahtzee! Kedge picks the 9-1 to die, and a second effects dr is also a 1, breaking the 628. He will have to withdraw from melee. In Rout, a 436 dies for FTR. The Russians advance into another factory, with infantry all through the X hexrow. Melee. The V3 melee has the 436 getting killed by a 458. Finally. VP Count: One dead Maus for 2VP, three factories for total of 5VP. The Germans are very short on infantry at this point.
Ger T5B. The Russians rally three squads, including the FT/628 on bd 5. Prep. A PF hits a ISU152 around 10Y8, burns. The next PF shot from the 467 in the woods is boxcars, CRing him. The next PF shot from a conscript HS is also boxcars, eliminating him. A fourth PF shot hits the front hull of an IS-2m, dud! Another 467 has a dr of 6 on PF check, pins. A second try, another 6 for a break. A last PF shot from a 436 is another boxcars, CRing! MPh. The recalled Jagdtiger leaves. The Flamm Hetzer moves up, stops, and easily wins the gun duel against an IS-2m for the squirt and blazing kill. Another IS-2m fires, needs about an 8 for a hit, rolls a ten. The Flamm Hetzer goes into reverse, but can't get out of sight, and stays in motion. An SS 658 squad runs up with a DC, and places it on a fired IS-2m. The Brummbaer starts up and is immediately killed by an IS-2m. In defensive fire, the IS-3 on the left breaks the back left 37L flak crew. An IS-2m fires at a pointblank range foxhole, snakes for a 3KIA! The DC is resolved, optimally placed, aerial AF of 4, burns the IS-2m. The crew of the 170L, which abandoned their gun, fires a PF and gets a critical hit on the rear of a SU-100! TK of 62, armor of 5... Burns!
After the advance phase, the Germans evaluate their situation. Despite killing four Russian AFV this player turn, the Russians still have a number of vehicles left. The Germans are critically short on good order infantry, maybe four squads or so. The Russian infantry are basically intact, with both FT tanks and both manpack FTs as well. The Germans do still have their original immobilized Maus, plus the Panther and Flamm Hetzer. However, the Panther is vulnerable in my next MPh to three different FT. Kedge concedes. Wow.
German Vehicle Losses:
mobile Maus (9-2AL) to FT on OT-34
Jagdtiger recalled
Jagdpanther to IS-2m
Nashorn to IS-2m
StuPz to IS-2m
King Tiger to IS-3
Russian Vehicle Losses
IS-2m [two to PF, one to Flamm Hetzer, one to DC]
ISU-122 [one to PF]
ISU-152 [one to Maus, one to PF]
SU-100 [two to PF, and one to Jagdtiger]
Final Stats: The Germans fired 22 PF!
We finished up around 5PM on Saturday, total playing time about 18 hours.
That was fun!
DB-Maus, 'The Mighty Maus'
Jim Torkelson: Russian Attackers
Kedge Johnson: German Defenders
This DftB late war heavy metal monstrosity is a semi-hypothetical scenario in which the Russian Guards Tank army overruns the proving grounds where the two prototype Maus super-heavy tanks are working up. The Germans have a screen of infantry dregs, a mix of conscripts, second line, and first line squads with an ELR of 2. These guys have a HMG, two MMG, a couple of PSK, and lots of PF. There are three FlaK towers, one with an 88L and two with 37L[12] guns at second level. On northern bd 19, the Germans have a 170L ART and a 120mm mortar, the firing range. For vehicular toys, there are the two Maus, a Jagdtiger, a Jagdpanther, a PzJg III/IV Nashorn, a StuPz IV Brummbaer, and a Flamm Hetzer. For reinforcements, the Germans have a group of SS with a King Tiger and a Panther, plus some real troops. Most of the German defenders are on the central overlay 6 end of bd 10, but some are also guarding the southern woods flank of bd 5.
The Russians are the dream OB, 24 458 squads, six 628 assault engineers that are fanatic when they have a DC or FT, three IS-3, six IS-2m, four ISU-122, three ISU-152, and three SU-100s. By the way, there are also two late model OT-34 flame tanks, with a bow SA of underlined 32. For SW, there are two 50 cal HMG, two dismantled 82mm mortars, several LMGs, four DCs, and two FTs. Six GAZ trucks are there to help the infantry move up. Leading off the battle is a module of 200mm ROBA with automatic access, plus a module of 120mm tube OBA with plentiful ammo.
While most of the buildings on the overlay are factories, there is one Admin building with a level two. That building plus the FlaK towers watch over most of the open ground.
This game was a rematch from our previous meeting, two years ago at the Noreaster 2002. In that game, the initial ROBA drifted far out into the firing range, causing lots of shellholes but no harm to the Germans. Eventually, after one fire phase where the 88L killed three Sov tanks, the Germans triumphed.
Kedge's defense was dispersed, as it has to be with the 200mm hammer of the gods. There were two vehicles on the firing range, one almost certainly the Nashorn. The FlaK towers had the 88L in the front, the two 37L[12]s in the back. The two Maus had to set up in the factories. There was infantry watching the woodsline on my (Russian) left. Other infantry were on the bd 10/19 seam, as well as in the buildings on the overlay. One concealed vehicle was next to the 37L Flak tower on the hexrow of doom (it runs right down the middle of the board...). Another two vehicles were concealed in the German backfield, probably the StuPz IV and the Flamm Hetzer.
My Russian plan was to avoid the firing range, instead attack down the center. A small force would head onto bd 5, but not a major thrust. There is a blaze problem in this scenario. As in, it is just too easy for half the map to catch on fire! If the ROBA drifts into the forest, then the flames will cause a major block. The Russians can't plan on bd 5 being open. The IS-2m's would lead along with the ISU-122s. The IS-3s, the ISU-152s, and the prime asset, the OT-34s, would remain offboard until the situation developed. The engineers would also remain offboard, ready to leap into battle from the back of the trucks. The 82mm mortars would enter, each with an 8-0 leader to help carry, planning on reaching the woodline where they can smoke the Flak towers. The 10-2 would assist the dismantled 50cal HMGs (probably an error). Otherwise the infantry would race forward, some squads on the back of the ISUs.
Rus T1A. With the troops setup offboard, the hammer falls. The ROBA has automatic access, and the offboard observers treat the Flak towers as unconcealed. I place the AR adjacent to the far right 37L FlaK, on top of the concealed vehicle, 10oZ9. The vital ROBA drift is only one hex, to Y10! The 36FP shots shock the Jagdpanther, break the crew of the 37L FlaK, cause one flame in 19H10, and ELR one 447. A number of empty hexes have shellholes, which means they received KIA results... Three boxcar DRs didn't help my cause. The tube OBA calls down a SR in the same area, drifting slightly south.
The Russian move on board. The 88L gets one shot, misses. One rider squad has to bail out after pinning, but is fine. By avoiding the firing range, that takes a couple of German weapons out of the mix. Three IS-2m's get onto the road, taking advantage of the shocked JgPanther.
Ger T1B. The 37L Flak crew self-rallies in the face of 200mm rockets! The shocked Jagdpanther recovers as well. That vehicle fires, bounces off the front armor of the IS-2m, intensive fires, misses. The front 88L has only vehicles with armor of 18 or 26 in his LOS. A light mortar, 50mm, gets a Critical hit on a CE ISU-122 with rider. The crew gets the CH, only to pass a 3MC! The mobile Maus moved into the hexrow of doom, and my IS-2m's fail their motion attempts. This Maus has the German 9-2 armor leader to go with the 128L gun... A 467 tries to get out of his foxhole to escape the ISUs, but eats a 122mm HE round for a K/4. CR and ELR. The rockets come down for their second try, missing the Jadgpanther, missing the 37L Flak, rubbling one wooden building, and reducing a conscript. The tube OBA adjusts his SR to near the Maus, with some drift. The IS-2m's that failed their motion rolls kill the Jadgpanther. The 50cal HMGs are assembled, with the 10-2 supervising. The Maus missed an IS-2m.
Rus 2A. I jumped straight into my rally & prep, forgetting to put my reinforcements off board. Duh! The tube OBA lays down a smoke FFE, just covering the Maus in 10W8. Despite the smoke, when the acquired IS-2m starts, the 9-2 AL gets a hit. Fortunately, it was a hull hit, and my IS-2m survives the possible shock (snakes on the TC), succeeding in getting out of LOS. The infantry move forward, up to row K-I on bd 10, and up to row T on bd 5. A 447 tries a long range PF shot, boxcarring the shot for a CR. The 88L fires on infantry with rate, hitting a 458 for a 3MC and a 1MC. I passed the first, boxcarred the second. The German SAN was activated on the passed 3MC, reaching out and fatally wounding the hero, just missing the 10-2. In the advancing fire phase, the phalanx of IS-2ms on hexrow O fire at the 88L FlaK, getting acquisition.
Ger 2B. The 37L Flak fire their IFE. One 12FP+2 breaks one 458, pins a second, and berserks the third! The 88L kills a broken halfsquad. The Nashorn starts on the firing range, and moves up to 19S5 where it can see the side of a line of five IS-2m's. One IS-2m turns, fires, and gets a Low Ammo marker. The Maus, with no one in LOS and in smoke, tries to start. It fails its Mechanical Reliability DR!! Immobilized. Key roll. The phalanx of IS-2m's fire at the 88L. All miss, plus I malfed the CMG on a IS-2m. The 10-2/HMG stack fire on the 88L crew, breaking the 228. On the southern woodline, a 237 gets hit by a 122, and only pins on the 4MC! The MMG 467 squad eats two 122s, a 2MC and 4MC, passing both! Stalwart folks. The Nashorn misses his advancing fire, and the flame in H10 turns to a blaze. The 467 with the MMG that passed those harsh morale checks, decides to voluntarily break...
Rus 3A. This time I remember to place my units on board. The Germans in the southern bd 5 woods are in disarray, so I plan on trucking the assault engineers on that flank. The IS-3s are planned for the center, along with the ISU-152s. All of the SU-100s enter on my northern flank, to deal with the Nashorn. A 458 self-rallies, and a 458 broken by a 37L Flak also rallies. The 88L gun crew fails to rally. The 120mm OBA draws a black card, and puts a drifting SR off three hexes from the back flak tower. The smoke FFE was flipped to its dispersed side. My 82mm mortars are assembled, 10H0 and 10M2. My IS-2m with the bead on the Nashorn fires, hits, and burns it. Very fragile! My first move is the berserk 458, who thinks he should charge the 37L, only 500 metes away. First shot is a 2MC, boxcars. Dead squad. Then the omelet IS-2, with the malfed CMG, moves onto the hexrow of doom and approaches the Maus. Two hexes away in U7, a conscript squad puts a PF into its turret (snakes TK) to burn it. Another IS-2m moves two hexes from a conscript in a building. PF shot, DR is 1,2. Turret hit, burns! The conscript is reduced and broken by the backblast, and the Russian SAN kills the broken 88L crew. This puts a nice smoke hindrance into the center of the key hexrow. Other moves have the loaded trucks bringing their passengers up to 5P4 and that area to unload. It was risky putting FT in those flammable woods, but I was hoping to not have to use the FT. My advancing fire reduces the broken MMG 467. For vehicles, there is one ISU-122 and one IS-3 following the bd 5 woods-road. The other vehicles are aligned towards 10U3. Since the SU-100s didn't have to risk bd 19, they are along the bd seam. One OT-34 is on the bd 5/10 seam, the other is near the 10Q7 building.
We stopped for the night here, we've only been playing for ten hours...
Ger 3B. The Rus rally one squad. The Flak 37L, thorn in my side, get a K/3 on a 458. This draws the Russian sniper, who breaks a 237 on the bd 5 woodsline. Very acceptable trade for me. The Jadgtiger starts up on the firing range, moves over to the 10W10 area. There are several of my AFVs that can't touch this sucker from the front, but they are also facing the right FlaK crew with acq. I decide the acq is more important, so stand fast. A group of Germans, some concealed and some not, move up two hexes from an IS-2m on 10U8 factory rowhouse. The IS-2m swivels its turret and fires. Snakes! The random selection picks the unconcealed unit, and the subsequent dr is a 1 for an improbable hit on the concealed guy! The 36FP-3/12FP+3 is a KIA on a 467, no effect on the concealed. My assault engineers break three German MMCs in the bd 5 woods, no need to use the FT. The J-Tiger just misses its BFF shot. The Russians declare no quarter, refusing to accept the disrupted conscripts in the woods. A 237 also dies FTR. The other Germans skulk back to the woodsline.
Rus 4A. Things are getting messy. The Russians rally one squad, while the 37L flak crew almost self-rallies. The German MMG halfsquad in the bd 5 woods rallies. The last of the smoke FFE goes away. I try for some smoke to cover, one ISU fired its last smoke round, but missed. One of the 82mm mortars had no smoke at all. I call in my OBA, correcting and converting to HE concentration. It scatters but lands on top of the Jadgtiger. No effect though, rolling snakes on an empty hex. Other prep fire fails badly. On to movement. One 458 gets into the first factory hex! But then the Maus fires its 128L MA to hit and break that 458. Over on the woods, the assault engineers move against the stack of broken Germans, an 8-0, and a 237/MMG. I place a DC there, while the FPFing 237 breaks. Moving other troops up the road, my 8-0 scouts and finds a stack of dummies. The road is clear up to 5I4! The OT-34 on my left moves up and flames some conscripts in the 10V3 building, then ends in motion. The Maus intensive fires at the other OT34, missing, as it moves up to flame another 436 in 10V6. This OT34 ends up in bypass in motion of those wooden buildings. The Jadgtiger is a pain, so I send one SU-100 around through the firing range, hoping to hit it from the side. The 170L tries to fire, but only has AP6 so no shot. The HE gets a hit but no effect on the 11 armor. A PSK tries a shot, Xing out. The SU-100 uses ESB to stop in 19K9, rolling snakes. Good engine! The Jadgtiger declares a gun duel, turns VCA, misses. The SU-100 also misses. The Jadgtiger intensive fires, hits, burns! Another SU-100 tries the same thing, moving around through bd 19. Other vehicles move up, lots of infantry moving as well. The infantry made it to T5. One ISU-152 is on the hexrow of doom, behind the burning wreck, in T6. The ISU-122 gets up the road to 5G3, with the IS-3 in H3. In defensive fire, a pinned 8-0 finds a PF but just misses! An ISU-122 malfs its MA in advancing fire, turning into a very heavy M113. The Germans move their sniper over into their backfield instead of near the mortar crews. More advancing fire malfs a LMG. The placed DC goes off, killing the MMG broken 237, reducing both 436s. In the Advance Phase, the Russians take factory 10U8 and go into CC in 10V3 with a pinned 436. Other Russian infantry get onto the bd 5 woodline, 5I2/I3/J1. Despite the +2 ambush for pinned and lax, no ambush. And despite the 2:1 attack, the Russians miss.
Ger T4B. German reinforcements! The Flak 37 crew fails to self-rally, in spite of my error in failing to keep it DM. The German 7-0 rolls boxcars on its rally, wounding. But two conscript halfsquads rally. Prep. The Jadgtiger fires at the other SU-100, misses. Intensive fire. Malf! Then a PF is fired at the SU-100, long range, but hits and burns! This draws the Russian sniper, who breaks a frontline 447 in 10X1 factory. That squad then fires another PF at an IS-2m, hit! But in the hull, and it bounces off that tough Russian steel. The Maus then kills the ISU-152 in T6, another burning wreck! The 37L on the left has a nasty run of rate, breaking two 458s, ELRing one, then after five shots breaks a fanatic 628/FT. The King Tiger, with a 9-1 armor leader, entered on the west side of bd 5. He tries a BFF shot on the ISU-122 in 5G3, but misses. The SS infantry enter, one stack on bd 5 into the woods, turns out to have a PSK. The balance enter on the center of bd 10. The Panther also goes onto bd 10. In defensive fire, the 120mm OBA scatters towards the Russians, lands on top of the Maus for no effect. The IS-3 on bd 5 fires at the King Tiger, gets a hit in the low armor turret. Kill! One IS-2m gets an ATT hit on the southern 37L flak tower, but rolls boxcars on the 12FP+3. The Germans advance some skulkers back to the front line. The melee in 10V3 continues!
Rus T5A. The Jadgtiger tries to repair its MA. A 6! The 128L is disabled! The Russians manage to fix an LMG. The Russians rally a 458, and a 447 HoB/BH back up to 458. For the OBA, a new chit draw is black. The present FFE is cancelled, and a new AR is placed back to the rear. No point in ordnance smoke. The mortars fire, no rate, no effect. Nothing else shoots. The AFVs start moving, hoping to draw the Germans out of concealment around 10Z2. One IS-2m gets onto the back road, finds the StuPzIV in 10AA4. A 248 starts running up the center/left, but is killed by FPF from a 436. The ISU on bd 5 starts up, just missed by the SS PSK. It ends up next to the 37L Flak tower. On the Russian right, an ISU-122 moves up past the toothless Jadgtiger. A 436 fires a PF and gets a turret hit to burn, but the backblask was a K/1 and the MC DR was boxcars to remove the conscript from the map. Several 458s try to set up for close combat against the immobilized Maus. One 458 is fired at with the 128L adjacent, hit, 3MC for an ELR. Another 458 moves adjacent, pinned by the CMG in a factory. A third 458, in open ground to the front, eats an intensive fire ITT shot. Base 8TH, with a net -3 despite the intensive fire! Hit, but not a critical, the 458 breaks. Then the right OT-34, in motion already, stops, reverses back into the street, stops, forward! It squirts at the Maus for a kill!!!!! Blazing wreck. The other OT34 tries to roast a 447 on the left flank, but the squad passes the 2MC. Multiple tanks rush into the German rear areas. Several tanks pass the Jadgtiger by, ending up near the AA10 Flak tower. One 467 is in a foxhole in J10, probably going to be trouble. Other tanks are in the 10Y hexrow, also Z1. The StuPz is facing the front of IS type tanks, unable to do anything to the frontal armor. In the Advancing fire phase, the German Sniper is activated. He heads for the melee in V3. Random selection is a 6 yahtzee! Kedge picks the 9-1 to die, and a second effects dr is also a 1, breaking the 628. He will have to withdraw from melee. In Rout, a 436 dies for FTR. The Russians advance into another factory, with infantry all through the X hexrow. Melee. The V3 melee has the 436 getting killed by a 458. Finally. VP Count: One dead Maus for 2VP, three factories for total of 5VP. The Germans are very short on infantry at this point.
Ger T5B. The Russians rally three squads, including the FT/628 on bd 5. Prep. A PF hits a ISU152 around 10Y8, burns. The next PF shot from the 467 in the woods is boxcars, CRing him. The next PF shot from a conscript HS is also boxcars, eliminating him. A fourth PF shot hits the front hull of an IS-2m, dud! Another 467 has a dr of 6 on PF check, pins. A second try, another 6 for a break. A last PF shot from a 436 is another boxcars, CRing! MPh. The recalled Jagdtiger leaves. The Flamm Hetzer moves up, stops, and easily wins the gun duel against an IS-2m for the squirt and blazing kill. Another IS-2m fires, needs about an 8 for a hit, rolls a ten. The Flamm Hetzer goes into reverse, but can't get out of sight, and stays in motion. An SS 658 squad runs up with a DC, and places it on a fired IS-2m. The Brummbaer starts up and is immediately killed by an IS-2m. In defensive fire, the IS-3 on the left breaks the back left 37L flak crew. An IS-2m fires at a pointblank range foxhole, snakes for a 3KIA! The DC is resolved, optimally placed, aerial AF of 4, burns the IS-2m. The crew of the 170L, which abandoned their gun, fires a PF and gets a critical hit on the rear of a SU-100! TK of 62, armor of 5... Burns!
After the advance phase, the Germans evaluate their situation. Despite killing four Russian AFV this player turn, the Russians still have a number of vehicles left. The Germans are critically short on good order infantry, maybe four squads or so. The Russian infantry are basically intact, with both FT tanks and both manpack FTs as well. The Germans do still have their original immobilized Maus, plus the Panther and Flamm Hetzer. However, the Panther is vulnerable in my next MPh to three different FT. Kedge concedes. Wow.
German Vehicle Losses:
mobile Maus (9-2AL) to FT on OT-34
Jagdtiger recalled
Jagdpanther to IS-2m
Nashorn to IS-2m
StuPz to IS-2m
King Tiger to IS-3
Russian Vehicle Losses
IS-2m [two to PF, one to Flamm Hetzer, one to DC]
ISU-122 [one to PF]
ISU-152 [one to Maus, one to PF]
SU-100 [two to PF, and one to Jagdtiger]
Final Stats: The Germans fired 22 PF!
We finished up around 5PM on Saturday, total playing time about 18 hours.
That was fun!