FB CG-III "City Of Eternal Heroes"

[ivankent]

Festung Budapest CG-III – “City Of Eternal Heroes”
7th February 1945 – Session 58
Axis Turn 2

The proposed breakout is behind schedule, an encirclement is imminent and not just A7.7!

RPh
No wind changes. No Axis aircraft arrive .
Soviet 50mm mortar repaired in SS15, but HMG breaks permanently. 458/7-0 rally in WW12.

PFPh
OBA – one mission draws red, other has SR fall in to WW11, a key area of Soviet force concentration.
Some prep to try to disturb Soviets fails, except ammo shortage reduces 348 to 238 in PP6.

MPh
Attempts to skulk with remaining troops. However fighter bombers swoop in, but then Axis sniper DMs mortar crew that had rallied in SS15!
Another FB swoops in on moving PzIV, but misses. Axis sniper gets CR on broken squad.
Everyone else retreats in stone locations.
There are now 3 distinct areas of resistance remaining; centred on BBB9, WW4, and PP4 – but they are in different states of sanity.

DFPh
Mortar crew on rooftop in SS3 is broken. 537 broken in TT9. Broken crew in LL1 eliminated. 348 eliminated in YY10.
Broken 537 in UU9 battlehardens to fanatic – carrying a flame thrower. But then sniper kills accompanying the 537 in UU9!!
548 in EEE10 broken.
Final FB comes in and drops bomb on PzIV destroying it in NN2.

AFPh
1 flame blows out but another one is created in FFF34.

RtPh
ZZ11 – 2x227 eliminated FTR.
Other units manage to rout backwards, all the time the frontline is weakening.

APh
Axis advances are really retreats again, but also tries to spread out - hmmm!

CCPh
EEE11: Axis 658 eliminated.
OO7: Axis 237 eliminated.


Soviet: 13 (40) 228, 348, 8-0, PzIV(crew survives), 227x2, 658, 237
Axis: 1 (15) 237
Net Stone Locations: tbd - claimed (0) + potential (0) (8 + 1)

 

[ivankent]

Festung Budapest CG-III – “City Of Eternal Heroes”
7th February 1945 – Session 59 & 60
Soviet Turn 3

The Soviet machine pushes through the remaining weak lines of defence!

RPh
No wind changes.
Soviet CMG disabled on T34 in field of dreams, LMG breaks permanently in AAA12 and in OO7.
328 becomes fanatic in CCC13. 328 CRs in II6.
Axis 348 rallies in AAA6. 238 eliminated in CCC9.

PFPh
Many smoke counters removed as it drifts away. Some prep shots getting acquisition but no combat results…

MPh
… because most Soviet units are going to move **the horror**

447 moves to NN5, and attracts D1F from NN3 and MM4 which breaks 447 and leaves 8 resid – this is the point that stalls the Soviets…
The BVR units in the field of blood edge towards the only building in it at PP6, which has a couple of Axis units trying to defend. D1F breaks one of the BVR units.
Slowly but surely the Soviets push along the building line under Castle Hill overlooking the park. T34s climb the hill to support these units.
T34 crashes into VBM to freeze HMG in VV4, then the brave Soviets swarm to surround that unit.
T34 then moves to SS1 getting behind the Axis units in SS3 area.
Another T34 gets to TT2 and unloads riders into the backfield to support the armour.
Soviet infantry move in on buildings BBB9, drawing lots of fire which unfortunately does not bear results. Then DCs and FTs are brought to the frontline, it’s going to get messy.
DC placed in frozen HMG location in VV4… and in BBB9 and AAA10.
T34 and riders get to DDD4 and unload, on the way Axis crew pins itself trying to find a PF.
SU76 evades PF and D1f to get itself and riders to BBB2, completing a macro-encirclement of the Axis defenders with armour and infantry.
SU76 gets to WW1.
Final SU76 of section actually gets turned into fireball by Hungarian FT as it passes by in VV9, riding on the SU76 were an 8-0, 447/ATR, a little retribution inflicted on “Ivan” – hehehe.
Another section of T34s and riders crosses the Field of Blood with impunity.

DFPh
Axis throws DC at TT9, no effect on thrower or target!

AFPh
Broken 658 destroyed by failing MC checks twice in JJ3. 658 breaks in NN3.
BBB9 9-1 and 468 break from FG across road.
DC in BBB9 CRs broken 468… AAA10 DC eliminates broken 227x3.
DC placed against rowhouse wall in UU10 breaches wall and breaks fanatic 537 holding FT.
Surrounding forces of VV4 break HMG sq and 8-1 leader.

RtPh
A few Soviet routs occur, but no losses.
Axis FTR in KK7, HMG team in VV4 get to XX3.
TT9 FTR. UU9 upstairs.
BBB9 LC to road – not a good sign
CCC9 upstairs.

APh
Soviet advance to claim locations in the SE corner, into CC in AAA10. Into CC in PP6

CCPh
AAA10: Axis 9-1, 658 eliminated.
PP6: Axis 238 eliminated.


And so the CG comes to an end, as I have conceded to Neil.

Well done Neil, a great push through the 6 CG dates completed.


The Axis truly feel hemmed in in this campaign, the war against shortage is reflected well in the rules. Ammo shortage is the strongest impact as it worsens, I really started to ‘stop’ shooting very wary of the reduction in quality of weapons and troops if I took a poor shot decision.

The fuel shortage had less impact due to the fact that vehicles were limited. The food shortage did have a real impact, no ability to move with CX and the lowered broken morale did limited manoeuvrability.

The real life stats:
60 sessions to cover 6 days; began in June 2015, finished in Dec 2016 – 18 months.
Almost 140 VASL playing hours with Neil, which doesn’t include all the preparation time outside of the time on VASL.

 

[bprobst]

<golf clap> Well done lads.

 

[=FC=Gorgon]

Congratulations guys!

 

[AZslim]

Very nice AAR. Thank you.