Over the past few weeks Mr Honus and I worked our way through four more scenarios from Lone Canuck's GD Pack 1.
GD4 The Road to Lyon - Here 8.5 French squads lead by an 8-1 and 7-0 along with 2 LMG, 1 HMG, a 47L ATG, a SAN of 4 and two Roadblocks must defend a road on two half boards (6 and 10). Again the French have an ELR 2 despite the 25th Divisions being an active division. That said, this may be more acceptable considering the date is Jun 1940, so the division may be at the end of its tether.
The Germans bring along 12 full squads of 468s led by 4 SMC (9-1, 8-1, 8-0, 7-0), 4 LMG, 2 MMG, 3 ATR, 3 50* mtrs, SAN of 2 and a StuG IIIB. The Germans are Elite for ammunition depletion.
The French have the dilemma of how to oppose the attack. With 8 squads they need to prevent a flanking attack as well as deploy in some depth or ignore the flanks and deploy in depth solely along the road and hope to use up the clock. In this case the French went for the middle ground with a small flank guard and defence that spanned most of the two boards. While the Germans were delayed for a bit early in the game they had 7.5 turns to clear the road across both maps and did so with little pause. The French ELR of 2 and weight of German firepower eroded the defenders and less than two French SE made it back to the final defensive position. The light mortars, MMGs and and the StuG III with a very high S# made the infantry assaults rather easy and the game was effectively over by Turn 6.
GD 5 Machorka - The action moves to July 41 in the USSR as the GDs 12 elite squad, 4 SMC, 4 LMG and 2 MMG, supported by a 50L AT guns go head to head against 25 Red Army squads led by a 9-1 and 8-0, 3 LMG and an MMG in the forests of 1/2 of board 32. This is an ELR 4 German unit vs an ELR 2 Red Army mob but was one of the more challenging and entertaining scenarios of the pack. Both sides enter using Cloaking even though it is not night and the battle requires the Germans to rush forward over a stream and then slowly fall back, holding the bridgehead while preventing the Red Army from crossing the same stream and exiting the map.
The Germans need to make the Soviet infantry pay for every inch of ground and trade their own lives dearly if their positions are overrun. In this case the Germans managed to hold a cordon around the small bridgehead while turning back numerous assaults by the Red Army. By turn 5 it became clear the Soviet infantry would not be able to get the needed exit VPs and the scenario was ended.
GD 6 Great Elan - A total of 18 1st Line Red Army infantry squads with 2 SMC, 4 LMG, 2 HMG, an ATR and 7 guns (45L AT, 3 x 76* Inf, 76L Art and 2 x 82* Mtr) are dug in behind 36 AP Mine factors, 6 foxholes, 4 Trenches, 12 wire and a pair of 1+3+5 Pillboxes. The Soviet Infantry has an ELR of 2 and a SAN of 4.
The attacking GD troops have 12 elite rifle squads, 3 x 548 AE squads, 4 SMC, 5 LMG, 2 MMG, 3 ATR, 3 x 50* mtr, 1 FT, 2 DC and supported by three unarmoured HTs mounting 37L AA guns (SdKfz 6/2) with a battery of 80+ OBA (using NOBA access rules). The German must fight across board 4 and take the buildings in the centre of board 17 in 7.5 turns.
On Turn 3 the Germans bring on two 150* Inf guns towed by SdKfz 11s while on Turn 5 the Germans receive five more 548 AE, 2 SMC, an LMG, 2 FT, 2 DC and three StuG IIIB. The entire force is elite for ammo depletion.
The German attack used two converging thrusts aimed at penetrating the Red Army's defence on left-centre of the line and, despite repeated use of smoke from the OBA could not gain any momentum. The Soviet firepower was intense and accurate with the German attackers seldom able to pass a pin check let alone a morale check. The AA hts were forced to hide and snipe at Russian infantry from long range vs "?" targets. Attempts to move closer to support the infantry against Red Army skulkers resulted in one killed ht and a second immobilised and out of position to be of further use. The Infantry guns proved to be almost unusable as they needed to be moved forward so they can be placed in a useful position but their tractors were unarmoured. This resulted on one immobilised tractor struck by long range rifle fire and the second gun hiding in wheatfields.
By the time the 548s and StuGs entered on turn 5 it was clear the German attack was not going anywhere. With only a few Soviet squads killed and just two infantry guns knocked out the Red Army line was intact and the German infantry too depleted for the reinforcements to matter. The German attack did reach the edge of board 17 but got no further as HE and MG fire shredded the attackers at close range. With insufficient time remaining to break the defence and push across one more board the scenario was called after Turn 6.
GD 7 - The One Hundredth - Extreme winter, deep snow, snow drifts, Soviets troops and tanks with winter camouflage versus elite Germans with a good array of AT guns and MGs. A very entertaining scenario once again using board 17.
Most of board 17 is in play in this one a 5.5 German 468s with an 8-1, 8-0, MMG, HMG and three 50L AT guns try to stop ten Red Army 447s with an 8-1, 7-0, 3 LMGs and five T-34 M40s. Both sides have an ELR of 3 with the defender/attacker SANs being 3 and 2 respectively.
The Red Army attack quickly found one of the 50L AT guns which managed to turn two T34s into burning wrecks despite the lack of APCR versus the front turret armour. A third T34 was recalled after its gun disabled. As of Turn 2 it was looking pretty good for the Germans,.. then the gun malf'd on it third shot and things turned sour.
The two surviving T-34s promenaded before both the other two hidden AT guns giving very nice flank shots. Despite these offerings both guns failed to produce APCR and both malfunctioned on their first shot. Both later rolled 6's for repair thus denuding the German defence of any AT ability other than CC.
Speaking of CC.
The main German infantry position was held by the 8-1, three of the 468s and the MMG. These were deployed in the woods on the German left and they were set upon by the main Soviet infantry force. Despite some skulking and a few early broken Soviet squads one 447 managed to get into CC with the MMG/468/8-1 and roll a '2' in CC, creating an 8-0 and breaking the position wide open.
It came down to the 8-0/248/HMG and two other German 468s (one fanatic) to hold the last two building,.... the clock no longer allowing an exit for the win.
When one T34 throws a track just shy of a VBF vs the HMG it became clear the last building could not reached by the Soviet infantry and the scenario was ended.
This was a fun one with ups and down on both sides.