HazMo 7 Left Behind

[Stephen Frum]

Preparing for next month's Human Wave 2023 (details HERE), Bob S. and I had a fun playing of this gem from HazMo.

The action takes place a few days into Barbarossa, my favorite time of war. German landsers, left behind, find themselves threatened by the 3rd Soviet mechanized corps. Ten defending German squads without ATGs defend against 20 Soviet squads and 3 KV-1E monsters. The Soviet objective is to seize a wooded hill on board 40, they enter on the south edge of board 18. Image below from ASL Scenario Archive. ASLers should become patrons of their excellent site.



I took the role of the defending Germans. Without ATG or armor to help keep Bob's terrible KVs away, I would have to rely upon the clever bundles of A-T mines given by the scenario designer. Though the Germans have two light mortars, these are almost useless against the heavily armored beasts, requiring an effects roll of 2.
Knowing that the Soviet infantry would have to do the difficult task of prying the Germans off the hill, the task seems to be to kill as many squads as possible.

The hill that is the victory target for this scenario is a bit awkward to defend. Woods and in-season orchard block much of the outgoing LOS. I spread my folks around and placed a line of trenches on the backside of the hill for a final stand. Photo of my set up:



A few comments about the set up:

• A-T bundles are shown as mine counters in this set up, though kept off board until actually used.
• Dummies are shown as concealment counters (though there are real units under the ? in 40I10 and 40O8. Everyone sets up concealed as the Soviets start offboard.
• I really feared a strong Soviet rush down my left side - through hexrow T, the gully, etc.
• The squad in 18K3 can, I believe, hit Soviets running across the 18S9-18T9 road.
• The LMG squad in 18K1 can, I think, at very long range hit bypassers of the woods in 18S10. A stack with a leader hoping to get to 18S7 could be surprised by a 1 down 2. This unit can also throw a FL out to 18S5 if needed on turns 2 and 3.
• I placed a HIP HS in 18O4 to play mischief with any KVs who pass nearby.
• The 9-1, MMG, squad in 40I8 can effectively cut down any Soviets trying to run across the 18D4-18A5 road.
• The 228 and Lt MTR in 40I7 are good back up to the 9-1 and can drop meatballs onto 40J8 and 40K7 as needed late in the game.
• The dummies in the foxhole in 40C7 are intended to scare any pesky KVs from trying to probe the rear from this direction.
• The roadblock in 40O3 was intended to make it more time consuming for KVs to roam around on the backside of the hill.
• The 8-1, MMG, HS in 40J9 intended to blast any Soviets running around on the many level 1 hills of board 18. This position also likely has a few clever LOS over the half level marsh in 40K10. The HS and Lt MTR in 40L8 and LMG Squad in 40K9 were also placed to mess with Soviets running over the level 1 hills.
• In addition to the 4 HS permitted by SSR 1, I deployed two more squads in turn 1 to help create a wall of bodies to slow down the Soviet juggernaut.

All set up, I await Bob's rumbling KVs and angry Soviet infantry.

 

[Stephen Frum]

Bob's turn 1 entry did not play along with my evil plans for slaughter in hexrows S and T. Instead he entered in the middle and on my right.



I blasted away as I could at his folks as the moved up to the top of the level 1 hills. My 9-1 MMG meanies found the range in the 18C6 woods. The Lt MTR helped throw back some.
Here is the situation at the end of Soviet turn 1:

The KVs came on board with armored assaulters and drove around like they owned the place.
Bob's MMG and Lt MTR teams took up positions on 18O7 hill to pound my positions.

 

[Stephen Frum]

During German turn 1 I used my least favorite phase (prep fire) to hit him on hill 18O7 with my Lt MTR, LMG, and MMG. Lucky rolls knocked back much of his force - disrupting the squad staffing the MMG, killing the 7-0, and breaking those responsible for the Lt MTR.

My newly created HS spread out to cause confusion.
Feeling secure that Soviets would not be rolling up my left flank, I repositioned my troops to the middle.
Photo at the end of German Turn 1

 

[gorkowskij]

High drama! I can hardly wait for the next installment.

 

[Stephen Frum]

Bob used his Soviet turn 2 to bring his hoard right up onto to the 18J2 hill at the "front door" of the victory condition mound.
Using armored assault with one stack and lots of individual squads scurrying around, he was able to get almost 10 squads on or around the jump off hill.
I took the pot shots with Lt MTRs and MMGs - which took down a few, but there were still so many and now I was facing two KVs.

The KVs are radioless. Bob had forgotten to turn the VCA of the armored beast in 18E7 in AFPh or DFPh of turn 1. The cost for this was that one of the KVs lacked the MP to get up on the hill in turn 2. It was to prove difficult to get this last KV into the action. I often find that when I need the NTC for non-platoon movement, I fail the roll. Seems this might also be true for Bob.

The MVP squad of my side was the 467 in 18K3 - who was placed, as previously described, as a kind of sniper to limit movement on my left flank. This squad now served as a speed bump, or maybe fleshy roadblock to efforts to get a good jump off of hill 18J2.

Though I was feeling ok that my force was intact, I now had a Soviet company and three KV tanks a short 4 hex walk from my hill. He still had 5 turns to kick me off of the victory hexes. Yikes. Situation at the end of Soviet turn 2:

 

[commissar1969]

"fleshy Roadblock" LOL!

 

[Stephen Frum]

I can skulk with the best of them (I have no shame), but I was now presented with a little problem. Fall back too quickly (heck, it is only turn 2!) and Bob can easily climb that hill while his tanks move to the backside and keep me under fire. The stream is shallow and can easily be crossed. Stand and fight and the 76 MAs could break my dudes.

I prepped a little and shuffled some MMC back up the hill to gain concealment. The heros in 18K3 stood strong. I moved a dummy stack and HS through the grain around 40K5 to prepare for any tank movement into my rear area. My units that advanced into 40H10 and 40I10 were dummies, but the unit in 18K1 was a LMG 467, ready for Bob's attack (maybe a human wave). My 467 in 40H9 held the only mine bundle in this area. I can't say I wasn't sweating some HW, tank combo driving down the 18I1-40G5 road right over my dudes.

At some point during this part of the game I considered unveiling my HIP 247 in 18O4 and making a go for the Russian MMG in 18O7 (which was intermittently unpossessed). I made the decision to keep them HIP - if only partially to keep Bob guessing as to the location of my HIP unit. I think this was the correct choice, it may have prevented him from running the steel monsters forward because he didn't know where my unit might be hidden.

Situation at the end of German turn 2

 

[Stephen Frum]

Soviet turn 3 featured Bob consolidating his forces just outside my front door while he continued to try to pound with the MAs from his KVs. The tank on the wrong side of the hill failed its radioless TC and so was out of the game for now. He moved two squads forward into 18H2 and 18G2 to get ready for the attack.

I had shuffled my 8-1 MMG 247 to 40J8, they were eager to get back into the fight having had so much fun shooting at Soviet squads on the hills.

Bob advanced 2 squads into the woods in 18J3, which did make my 467 in 18K3 nervous. This squad had performed better than expected and I knew it would be useful if Bob launched the HW from the hill.

End of Soviet turn 3:

 

[Stephen Frum]

German turn 3 found me returning to my shuffling/skulking ways - not giving him too many shots. He did break my LMG 467 in 18K1. I protected my 467 in 18K3 by having him drop down the hill to 18L2 for a moment (this was one of the moments with the Soviet MMG in 18O7 was out of commission). Moving him back up to 18K3 required CX status.

Knowing that Bob's attack was likely in turn 4, I advanced my 8-1 MMG 247 back to 40J9 and generally consolidated on my hill. I was growing attached.

End of German turn 3:

 

[Stephen Frum]

Soviet turn 4 opened with solemn music, perhaps foretelling the rush of attack. The KVs on the hill blasted away against my concealed units spread over the hillside. The squads in 18G2 and 18H2 assaulted forward carefully, hoping to draw fire.

Then Bob launched his Human Wave - 6.5 squads, accompanied by the 9-0, out of hexes 18J3, 18I3, and 18H3. They poured down the little hill toward the woods line 40H10 and 40I10. Bob made good use of the rules, especially A25.2321 RANGE, to avoid overstacking and to force my units to First Fire and Subsequent First Fire as the waves entered my hexes. Unfortunately for him he was not able to force FPF on me. Dispersing his Wave was effective. He was able to enter 4 of my hexes (40H10, 40I10, 40H9 and 40J9). Two of his squads running with the commissar entering 40J9 had to survive a 12 - 1 shot from my 8-1 MMG 247 team - but they handled it without difficulty. My defensive fire broke two squads - who died for failure to route because of my toughies in 18K3.

My 9-1 MMG in 40I8 and the MTR 228 in 40I7 hit his units in 18G1 and 18H9 causing some damage. As like many Human Waves, the attack was costly for the Soviets. Starting with 6.5 Squads, I believe he ended with 2 or 3. Close Combat, failure to route, and some lucky Defensive Fire shots were a big help to me.

End of Soviet turn 4:

 

[Stephen Frum]

At that point we ended the game. I had to go get my mother from the airport and Bob graciously let me depart on time.

There are many ways to play this enjoyable scenario. One option in Soviet turn 4 would have been for the rare Armor Assault and Human Wave combo (D14.332). The KVs could have gotten as far as 40G6/40G7 by driving right down the forest road. Of course German mine bundles might have stopped that traffic, but with only a 1 in 3 chance of working..... who knows. Isn't that one of the great things about our hobby; there are so many choices?

Bob is terrific company and an enjoyable opponent. I look forward to our next game. I also look forward to the opportunity to give this goodie another try at the Human Wave 2023, July 7-9. Register here: https://humanwaveconscripts.com/human-wave-2023/

 

[gorkowskij]

Somebody needs new German counters, just sayin.

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

Somebody needs new German counters, just sayin.

Nah... just old veterans. You should see the 1980s grognards I've seen on the table