The attached screenshot shows the attack that I generated. However, note that the Axis unit had 100% readiness and 150% supply. The Soviet units had 60% readiness and 70% supply - in addition to the huge shock differential (1.25/.8 = 1.56). (I don't know if that's the same as what you were using - it's not clear in your post). As a result, note that the combat odds were 34:5 - less than 7:1. Considering that the fortified status gives a bonus of 8:1 to the defender, the net odds were actually less than one. And the attacker armor strengths were about 24, total, so that ratio was even worse.
But shouldn't anti-armor values also be taken in account? In that case, the bonus from the fortified status is less for the flamepanzers.
Nevertheless, my results weren't quite as bad as yours, although I never could dislodge the defender.
I think the expected result from 2 strong armored divisions attacking a flamepanzer battalion would be to dislodge it, causing serious damage.
I next tried adding the adjacent mech unit to the attack (second screenshot). That should get the odds at least into positive territory, plus it guarantees a flanking bonus.
That attack usually successfully dislodged the defender, as shown in the third screenshot. That makes me suspect that the first attack was not getting the flanking bonus that can be generated from the unit being too small. Apparently, it was big enough for a 10km hex.
Which is all wrong in my opinion. 21 flamepanzers plus a few supporting equipment cannot defend a 10Km front, whatever the circumstances. The ratio is 1 flamepanzer per 500 meters! And the attacking force is 200 T-34's, 50 KV-I's, and 30 KV-II's. The defenders should retreat before combat, but even if this isn't the case, the actual battle should be fairly easy for the attacker. Instead, what usually happens is that many rounds will be burnt, perhaps the defender even managing to hold the hex for many turns against all odds.
I did a few tests of my own in DNO v3.7, involving that flamepanzer battalion and a strong Soviet tank division. Shock was 105% German vs 100% Soviet. Supply and readiness was 100% for the Germans and 50% for the Soviet Mech Corps. Terrain was open. No artillery or air support. The defenders were fortified. I attacked on ignore losses with one Soviet tank division (4td), which had 88 T-34's, 48 KV-I's, 15 KV-II's, 200 B%-7's and 15 T-26's.
Test 1:
1st attack:
failure
Axis losses - 7% (2 flampanzers)
Soviet losses - 12% (36rs, 11 tanks)
used 60% of the turn
2nd attack:
success
Axis losses - 5% (1 flamepanzer)
Soviet losses - 2% (3 tanks, 3 rs)
turn ends
Test 2:
1st attack:
failure
Axis losses - 0%
Soviet losses - 2% (12rs)
used 10% of the turn
2nd attack:
failure
Axis losses - 12% (a few trucks, hmg scouts and tractors)
Soviet losses - 10% (40 rs, 7 tanks)
turn ends
Test 3:
1st attack:
failure
Axis losses -4% (a few trucks, tractors etc)
Soviet losses - 100% (!!!!!)
30% of the turn used
Test 4:
The flamepanzer battalion retreats before combat!
To summarize, from the 10 tests I did:
- in 1 test the tank division evaporated!
- in 3 tests, the flamepanzer battalion held its ground, burning my turn and causing serious casualties to the attacker while suffering minimal damage.
- in 3 tests, the flamepanzer battalion held its ground, causing moderate damage to the attacker and suffering near 0 damage. No combat rounds burned.
- in 2 tests, the flamepanzer battalion retreated, after many rounds and causing serious damage to the attacker.
- in 1 test, the flamepanzer battalion retreated before combat.
I loaded the game in -toawlog mode. I am in no way an expert in reading these files, but I have a few observations:
- when the armor combat begins, only a percentage of the attacking tanks engage in combat. Is this correct?
- in contrast, all of the flamepanzers participated in the combat
- the average effective accuracy of the attacker was 7-12%, but actually only a very few successful hits were possible.