Cpl Uhl and I continued the bloodbath that was Stalingrad by playing RB2 Blood & Guts. Unless I missed something this was not updated in Red Factories.
The Germans having a 10-3 leader is what hit me first about this scenario. Then I noticed that the Russians, who I was playing, got a 10-2. So OK - not so bad.
I had some time, read the various AAR's and came up with a defense that annoyed Cpl Uhl. I also asked for the balance as the AAR's had stated it was hard for the Russians. Cpl Uhl kindly agreed.
I pushed him back with dummies and one real unit in the shellholes of H20 to annoy him.
The bit he found most annoying were the tunnels that allowed lateral movement across the board. Down one tunnel, up, then down again. They were in the factory S20 then P21, then M22, then J22. These allowed me to move from the VC Factory to the VC building. At start they were stacked with squads ready to move.
HMG, 50 cal plus 10-2 in P21. That killed a lot of Germans. Including the 10-3. Snake eyes on a stack containing the 10-3 carrying a flamethrower. An 8-3-8 and 5-4-8 died at the same time as well - random selection killed them both. At that point I heard the "thunk" as Cpl Uhl's personal morale hit the floor.
I know how he felt - I lost a 10-2 in R01 Blood on the Tracks to a MC (boxcars then a six on the wound severity). So he did not get much sympathy
. Well played Cpl Uhl for continuing.
The reason that group killed a lot of Germans was he had chosen to take the building as his VC. Getting across the road without smoke was proving tough. Not much made it. 6 FP mines in K21 helped.
The 76L was in level one fortified location J21 which was where all the AAR's said to put it. They were right - it killed the three Stugs.
It was one of the most intense games I have played. I think what did it was that the firepower is such that the dice either let you live or kill you in an instant. My dice had some low rolls which killed Cpl Uhl's Germans and it felt on Turn 3 that he had lost too much.
By Russian Turn 5 I had taken back the building and all that Cpl Uhl had left on that side unbroken was two 4-6-7's. He had lost almost all of the seven 8-3-8's and the twelve 5-4-8's that he had started with on that side. He conceded.
The Russians had lost in total 9.5 squads.
A great scenario. Highly recommended. I'm not sure Cpl Uhl enjoyed it.....................