FrF58 Order 831 - AAR

[von Marwitz]

FrF58 Order 831 - AAR

This very late war action pits a tough Kompanie of SS-Fallschirmjägers with one recoilless Leichtgeschütz against a Guards Russian force supported by T-34/85s and lend-lease M4/76(a) Shermans. The objective of the Russians is to eliminate a bridgehead on the east bank of the Oder, for which they have to secure all stone buildings and the bridge locations.

Board 3a is well suited to reflect the tactical situation. With 5.5 Turns, the Russians do not have a lot of time, especially because the brigde locations to secure are at least 17 hexes from the Russian entry area. The Germans are very tough to root out, because in the village, they have good TEM and a morale of 8. Even if broken, they pose a serious obstacle, since they can block the Russian path of attack, all the while having a broken morale of 9.




Situation at Start Russian Turn 1:

Suspected German deployment is shown by Russian HIP counters with notes.




I had the attacking Russians in this one. My opponent opted for a forward defence. Probably, this is a good idea, because it inhibits the Russian movement right from the start and makes it very difficult to rout anywhere or to gain some cover.

For that very reason, I opted to enter the Russian forces on the right flank, with the column of tanks acting as a ruse seemingly deployed to attack along the road. I would have preferred the left flank as the way into the village and to the bridge is shorter and time is at a premium. But in 1945 with ubiquituous Panzerfausts and VBM being extremely hazardous vs. ATMMs, I was concerned to lose my tanks too early and to be forced to attack across more or less open ground. To avoid this, I hoped to get away paying with time for the longer route.


Situation at Start German Turn 1:



My infantry first combed the wooded area on the river bank for HIPsters as well as the wooded area next to the center road and some of the Brush. This way, I discovered one HIP Germann HS. Everyone just created a great Russian blob that was supposed to shoot everything that would dare to show itself up in the AFPh. I would also still be out of LOS of the recoilless Gun which I suspected in the Graveyard. From H2, I intended to hamper German attempts to fall back across the street into the village proper.


Situation at Start Russian Turn 2:



Some of the Germans fell back into the village which I could not prevent. Not unimportantly, I managed to wound one of the two German leaders. Recon by fire revealed the second HIP German HS and broke it. That was good news for the upcoming Russian Turn because the HIP infantry being accounted for would limit unpleasent surprises for my armor. However it became clear, that pushing the attack would expose the Russians to numerous dangerous shots.


To be continued in subsequent post...

von Marwitz

 

[Eagle4ty]

What are the HIP/Ghost images in the AAR?

 

[von Marwitz]

Situation at Start of German Turn 2:



The second Russian Turn went quite well altogether. I did manage to break to German squads, while in turn only two Russian squads broke. More importantly, I succeeded in finding and neutralizing the recoilless Gun. I think my opponent would have been better off firing it already the last turn when I had some juicy stacks close to it. Now, targets were still aplenty but more spread out. I think that he had the bad luck of breaking the Gun on its first shot, which came as a great relief to me, because it is quite powerful vs. Infantry and also because I had now discovered all Russian surprises. The seemingly 'empty' right flank was not so empty as it initially appeared to be, but luckily fo the Russians, these surprises could do no harm and were quickly overwhelmed.

Because the Russians cannot afford to lose time, I dared to move some attacking squads in the open, attempting to create another blob. What troubled me was that I could not safely bring my tanks to bear. At least one of them dashed forward to take up a good position in the graveyard.


Situation at Start of Russian Turn 3:


In their second Turn, the Germans managed to fall back without my Russians being able to prevent it. I did manage to break another German squad in K3, but I became concerned because breaking units with a broken morale of 9 and their getting away does not really solve any issues in a scenario like this. Chances for the Germans to rally just in time before the Russians could act in their Turn 3 were good with the latter having quite open terrain before them.


Situation at Start of German Turn 3:



In the third Russian Turn I kept up the pressure moving into the teeth of the German defence. Luckily for the Russians, the damage was not as great as I had feared. I kept spreading out my units to provide too many targets. Furthermore, I took risks to keep the German broken units under DM. Finally, I managed to spread out the Russian tanks, one of which passed the small opening beside the patch of woods near the graveyard with the intention to cut off German attempts to cover the bridge. Yet, so far, the Russians had only taken the stone chapel and all other victory locations were still under German control with half of the Russian time spent and only one German squad equivalent eliminated, although their Gun had been neutralized. I felt time slipping away...


Situation at start Russian Turn 4:



During German Turn 3, the Russians did not sustain any serious damage. On the other hand, I could not inflict much damage on the Germans either. They had to rout back a bit, and lost a HS to interdiction, but simply could not get past them in a way that messed up their Rout Paths. At least my tank in M11 would begin to play a role in that line.

To be continued in follow up post...

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

What are the HIP/Ghost images in the AAR?

These are what I suspect the enemy units to be. I use these as a reminder because often we cannot finish a VASL game in a single session. With time in between and various games going on at the same time, I would otherwise forget what I concluded these units to be throughout the game.

von Marwitz

 

[Michael R]

I've heard that this scenario can be very hard for the Russians if the Germans put a squad in a foxhole in front of the bridge. Of course, they need to make the foxhole.

 

[von Marwitz]

Situation at Start German Turn 4:



The 4th Russian Turn was pivotal to the game. Finally, I managed to eliminate German units for Failure to Rout and to corner them. I even overcame one of the German squads in CC. Two more Stone Buildings fell to Russian Control. Earlier in the game, I had created a Leader in CC, which now proved valuable as he could increase the MFs of a HS with which he hastened towards the bridge. Another Russian leader was broken and seemed not intent on rejoining the fray.



German casualties mounted in Russian Turn 4 when the Germans lost 3.5 squad equivalents and their PSK. Another squad and a crew were cornered under DM in a upper level with Russians on the ground floor.


Situation at Start Russian Turn 5:



During their Turn 4, the Germans fell back towards their last Stone Building and despite having suffered severe losses during Russian Turn 4, this would be a quite powerful position to overcome, especially as my Russians would need most of the next turn to close in. I also had to be careful for my 'runners for the bridge' not to get sniped by a long rangs shot by one or two of the 548s.


Situation at Start German Turn 5:



I was quite confident at the start of my Russian Turn 5 that I could close in an put severe pressure on the Germans now. All my Russian tanks were still operational, and now was the time to place some SMOKE to cover the Russian approach - either by sM, single shot sD of the T-34/85s - or the old fashioned Russian way by Wreck Blaze.

It turned out to be very much the 'traditional' way. Neither one of the Shermans managed to bring their sM's to bear, so my plan was to move in, shoot up the 548 in the street, and then to freeze one of the remaining 548s in the buildings. But now Skorzeny's guys found all the Panzerfausts they had cached so far - and they wielded them like Snipers, even while avoiding the backblast. Both Shermans went up in Blazes AND a T-34/85, while my last T-34/85 malfted its MA. So much for my tank force...

On the bright flamin' side of it all the resultant SMOKE did enable my infantry to close in with one 628 entering into CC in the last stone building. At the same time, the Bridge was captured. Stupidly, I misplayed a HS with the DC, which it had previously picked up among the bloody remains of its former owners. Being somehow afraid that the Germans might contrieve to break out of their Alamo and run to reclaim one of the other stone buildings, I advanced the HS with the DC into it, stupidly making the use in the last Russian MPh against the German Alamo impossible due to lack of MFs.

Despite the Russians had now swarmed the Alamo area, things hung in the balance as the Germans stood reasonable chances to win the CC an then be able to muster 2x 548 and two leaders to defend the last building (or to reinforce the Melee if ongoing).


Continuation in subsequent post...

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

Situation Start Russian Turn 6:



As it was, both the Russians and Germans survived the first round of CC unscathed. In his last German Turn (5), my opponent decided to go 'all in' to up the odds of the CC of 2:1 @ -1 in his favor. My fire could not prevent that from happening despite a 37FP @ +6 shot - lots of hindering SMOKE in the air...

However, much to his chagrin, nothing happended in the second round of CC and everyone was still locked in Melee. Had he succeeded, it would have been ever more tricky for the Russians. But even now, 12 Factors of Infantry in CC cannot be overcome in CC with any surety in a single remaining Turn.

Now my Russians had total freedom of movement. I completely surrounded the last Stone Building, ready to reinforce the Melee with two extra 628s, an 8-0, and a 9-1. First, though, I unleashed an Encircling 37@+3 shot during AFPh loudly crying out to my 628 within the building: "засло́н !!!" Understanding only German, only my 628 in Melee dived for cover and all German units were broken by the shot.

This ended the game with the entire German OoB annihilated along with the bridgehead with a Russian win.


Situation at the End of the Game:



Technically, the game did not end until the CCPh, because units in Melee do not Rout. As every hex around the last Stone Building was occupied by Russians, Withdrawal by the broken Germans was impossible, thus all of them were eliminated. In any case, Control of the Building would have gone to the Russians at this point.

In the beginning, I was very concerned that I would run out of time to fulfil the VC. The Germans - even if broken - pose an obstacle to movement and it is very difficult to get around them. With their high morale, they can recover at any time. After the pivotal Russian Turn 4, in the end this got closer than I had believed because basically I lost all my tank force and to eliminate larger forces in Melee completely is always precarious luck-based business.

I share the view, that this scenario is tough on the Russians. The bridge is far off and if it is guarded by the Germans, the Russians will likely not get it in time even if they commit a tank. I was quite lucky to find all the German HIP units and to neutralize them without suffering serious harm by them. Generating that extra Leader which I used to run for the bridge surely did help, too. A small detail not to be neglected: The small pond within the village makes some movement quite tricky as bypass movement is not possible on a surprising number of hexsides.

Our playing was a lot of fun and we both enjoyed it. If this scenario were used for tournaments, it would require some prior tweaking though.

von Marwitz

 

[Eagle4ty]

I've heard that this scenario can be very hard for the Russians if the Germans put a squad in a foxhole in front of the bridge. Of course, they need to make the foxhole.

Both times I played this one (and lost $#%!), the German player put his RCL back there. Still a fun scenario though.

 

[M.Koch]

Good job, Genosse von Marwitz...

 

[lightspeed]

Excellent AAR!