Totenkopf's Toughest Day Playtest – After Action Report

[George Kelln]

Totenkopf's Toughest Day Playtest – After Action Report

Scenario Overview:

• Location: Opochka, Russia
• Date: 10 July 1941
• Participants: SS-Germans (Ernie Cameron) vs. Russians (George Kelln)
• Objective: The Russians win at game end by controlling all buildings within 4 hexes of 42G4.
• Game Length: 7.5 Turns (Session covered Turns 1–2½)

Prelude to Battle
The SS-German forces, consisting of a Grenadier Company (ELR 5, SAN 3) supported by an anti-tank gun platoon, infantry gun section, Pionier platoon, and a Panzerjäger section, braced themselves to repel a Russian counterattack. Opposing them was a mixed Russian battalion (ELR 2, SAN 2) composed of Assault Engineers, riflemen, and conscripts, bolstered by KV-2 and T-34 tanks.

The Germans deployed in a forward screen focused on the two-story building at (42V1-2), with flanking platoons in the woods and reserves in the village to the south. Hidden in the terrain were 3x 3.7cm Pak 36 A-T guns and 2x 7.5cm leIG 18 infantry guns.

The Russians advanced along four axes:

• Western Flank: Rifle platoon through the woods.
• Right-Centre: Two platoons advanced along the trail.
• Left-Centre: Two platoons straddling the road.
• Eastern Flank: A platoon through the woods, supported by Assault Engineers.

Turn 1: Testing the Defences

The Russians opened aggressively, pushing conscripts forward to draw German fire and reveal positions. The western flank, led by a Junior Sergeant (7-0), clashed with an SS half-squad (HS) on the trail. Though the SS unit broke under pressure, they managed to retreat along the path.

In the right-centre, Assault Engineers with flamethrowers (FT) and demolition charges (DC) advanced, drawing fire from an SS squad (4-6-8) with an LMG. The Russian FT let loose at long range, but the Germans held their ground, surrounded on three sides.

The central thrust followed a similar strategy, with conscripts absorbing fire. Poor German shooting (frequent rolls of 9, 10, and 11) allowed Russian machine guns and mortars to pin and break defenders in the two-story building and adjacent woods.

On the eastern flank, Assault Engineers bypassed a fire lane from an SS squad and leader (8-0), overwhelming their position. The Germans retreated deeper into the woods.

Turn 2: The German Line Strains

The Russian advance pressed harder, threatening to overwhelm the German screening units. While the Germans were being pinned or bypassed, they managed disciplined retreats to avoid encirclement.

• Western Flank: Germans broke and fell back along the path through the woods to the road, with conscripts too disorganized to pursue effectively.
• Right-Centre: An SS squad with LMG broke under pressure from a berserk Russian squad wielding a FT that charged into its location. Despite heavy losses, the Russians pushed through the brush and woods.
• Centre: Russians cleared the two-story building but faced resistance from a German Assault Engineer SS squad (5-4-8) with a FT. Limited fuel in their FT left them unable to stop the advancing conscripts.
• Eastern Flank: Germans moved an Assault Engineer SS squad with DC to block advancing Russians but were quickly enveloped. Remaining SS squads held their ground, engaging any targets in sight.

Turn 3: The Tide Shifts

Just as Russian momentum peaked, their morale began to waver. Conscripts failed morale checks and ELR rolls, leaving them disrupted and unable to sustain the pressure.

• Western Flank: Germans regrouped along the tree line, halting the Russian advance with withering defensive fire.
• Right-Centre: Russian progress stalled due to a thorny German defence in the brush. A berserk HS charge ended under point-blank machine gun fire, while the SS squad directed by a 9-1 Company Commander disrupted Russian conscripts in the orchards.
• Eastern Flank: Despite continued pressure, the Germans held their ground, using overlapping fields of fire to disrupt Russian advances.

Armour Enters the Fray

The rumble of KV-2 tanks heralded a new phase of the battle. A hidden 3.7cm Pak 36 AT gun fired on the lead tank, eventually immobilizing it with a well-placed shot to the tracks. The crew abandoned the vehicle under fire and retreated into the woods. The German gun turned its attention to the second KV-2 but lost rate of fire after several ineffective hits.

Meanwhile, the roar of Panzerjäger I reinforcements echoed from the south. Their arrival promised to challenge Russian armour dominance and bolster the beleaguered German defenders.

Casualties and Current Positions

• Russians: Lost 13% of infantry, with one KV-2 immobilized and its crew routed. They advanced to within 160 meters (4 hexes) of the village outskirts.
• Germans: Lost 12% of infantry and ceded half the ground between their initial positions and the village.

Looking Ahead

The battle paused at the start of German Turn 3. With the Russians on the brink of breaking through and Panzerjäger reinforcements arriving, the stage is set for a climactic continuation on January 5, 2025. Can the Germans rally to repel the Soviet onslaught, or will the weight of Russian numbers and armour prove insurmountable?

The fate of Opochka hangs in the balance as both sides prepare for the next chapter in this brutal conflict.

 

[George Kelln]

Totenkopf's Toughest Day Playtest – After Action Report

Scenario Overview

• Location: Opochka, Russia

• Date: 10 July 1941

• Participants: SS-Germans (Ernie Cameron) vs. Russians (George Kelln)

• Objective: The Russians win at game end by controlling all buildings within 4 hexes of 42G4.

• Game Length: 7.5 Turns (Session covered Turns 2½-5)

The Battle Continues
The desperate struggle to halt the Russian advance raged on as the German SS forces fought to maintain their hold on Opochka. Their Grenadier Company (ELR 5, SAN 3), reinforced with anti-tank guns, infantry guns, a Pioneer platoon, and two Panzerjägers, faced an unrelenting Russian battalion (ELR 2, SAN 2) of Assault Engineers, riflemen, conscripts, and the ominous presence of KV-2 and T-34 tanks.

Western Flank: Holding the Line
The Russians pushed the Germans out of the woods, uncovering a hidden 3.7cm Pak AT gun. The German defenders held their ground just long enough for a wounded (7-0) leader and a broken (4-6-8) squad to rout to safety. A daring Russian (4-4-7) squad leapt into hand-to-hand combat with a German (2-4-8) half-squad and a (2-2-8) crew. The melee was brutal, leaving all combatants dead.

The Russians pressed forward through the orchards, accompanied by three T-34 tanks. The tanks supported the advancing infantry with devastating machine gun and main gun fire, targeting German strongpoints. Two T-34s manoeuvred toward the road leading into the village's western edge, where a hidden 3.7cm Pak revealed itself. The gun crew’s attempt to deliberately immobilize the lead tank failed, and they broke under return fire from the T-34’s machine guns.

Centre: A Crumbling Defence
The German centre faltered as their (4-6-8) and (5-4-8) squads succumbed to overwhelming Russian fire. The (4-6-8) squad managed to retreat to the village, but the (5-4-8) squad, surrounded and unable to rout, was annihilated.

Meanwhile, the 3.7cm Pak in (42M5) valiantly targeted a KV-2 on the road, landing multiple hits on its turret in a desperate attempt to disable it. Nearby, a T-34 with a malfunctioning main gun repositioned to protect the immobilized KV-2, providing cover for its rallied crew.

A German 7.5cm infantry gun revealed its position by firing on a Russian squad advancing up the road. The shell struck true, breaking the squad and forcing them to rout to the woods east of the road.

Eastern Flank: Relentless Pressure
On the Russian left, the pressure on the Germans intensified. The SS forces began a controlled withdrawal toward the village, exposing their positions in the process. The crew of a 3.7cm Pak was caught by Russian machine gun fire from the woodline and forced to rout.

A daring German Pioneer squad and leader, each carrying a demolition charge, attempted to sneak out of the (42J7) building and place their explosives on two Russian units in the adjacent woods. While the leader successfully placed his charge, the squad broke under fire and failed. The concealed Russians emerged unscathed, and the Germans were forced to fall back.

The Turning Tide
The Russians advanced along the entire front, closing in on the village. The Germans, though battered, withdrew in good order, rallying five squads and two Panzerjägers within the village's perimeter. However, their anti-tank guns and infantry guns had been largely ineffective, with only one KV-2 immobilized early in the battle.

With two and a half turns remaining, the Russians were poised for their final assault. Their forces included three capable leaders (9-1, 9-0, 8-0), 15-16 squads, and a tank platoon of a KV-2 and three T-34s. The Germans clung to their defences with three leaders (9-1, 8-1, 8-0), 5½ squads, a 7.5cm infantry gun, and two Panzerjägers.

Casualties and Current Positions
Russians:

• • Lost one-sixth of their infantry and one KV-2 immobilized.
  • About one-sixth of their infantry is broken, with several disrupted.
  • Positioned at the edge of the village on the west, north, and northeast sides.

Germans:

• • Lost one-quarter of their infantry, all three AT guns, and one of two infantry guns.
  • Ceded the ground between their initial positions and the village.

Looking Ahead
The battle paused at the start of Russian Turn 6. The Russians were on the verge of breaking into the village, while the Germans desperately prepared to hold their last line of defence. The stage is set for a climactic continuation on January 11, 2025.

Will the Germans repel the Soviet onslaught, or will the weight of Russian numbers and armour overwhelm them? The fate of Opochka hangs by a thread as both sides brace for the final chapter of this brutal engagement.

 

[George Kelln]

Totenkopf's Toughest Day Playtest – After Action Report

Scenario Overview

• Location: Opochka, Russia
• Date: 10 July 1941
• Participants: SS-Germans (Ernie Cameron) vs. Russians (George Kelln)
• Objective: The Russians win by controlling all buildings within 4 hexes of 42G4 at game end.
• Game Length: 7.5 Turns (Session covered Turns 6 & 7)

Turns 6 & 7: The Final Push
With the village in their grasp, the German defenders braced for the Russians' final, relentless assault. Their remaining forces—two Panzerjäger I, 5½ squads, and two leaders—held control of all the remaining victory buildings. Meanwhile, the Russian forces, boasting three T-34s, a KV-2, 15½ squads, and four leaders, had encircled the village from the west, north, and northeast, applying unyielding pressure and leaving the Germans with little room to maneuver.

The Russians pressed forward aggressively, giving the Germans no opportunity to regroup. With their flanking maneuvers tightening around the village, they restricted the Germans' retreat options, forcing them into the grim choice of withdrawal or encirclement. Russian armor, emboldened by the near elimination of German anti-tank guns, roamed the battlefield with impunity, providing devastating fire support against German strongpoints.

Despite their best efforts, the Germans struggled to disengage from the relentless Russian advance. Their attempts to fall back were met with failure, as they were repeatedly pinned or broken, leading to their eventual destruction or capture. Nevertheless, the Germans fought tooth and nail, laying down defensive fire at every Russian movement, making each inch of ground costly.

Western Flank: The Russian Juggernaut Advances
On the western flank, the Russian (9-1) company commander, having seized a flamethrower earlier in the battle, led by example. His relentless advance and fearless leadership became a thorn in the Germans' side. Braving multiple attacks ranging from 5 to 9 firepower, he withstood morale checks without even pinning, and his flamethrower barrages caused numerous morale checks that pinned and broke German units at crucial moments.

Eastern Flank: The Commissar’s Drive
On the eastern side, Commissar Cameronov (9-0) rallied his broken units, driving them forward into the village. His efforts were aided by the hulking KV-2, which rolled to within point-blank range of the remaining German defenders. The mere presence of its 152mm gun forced the Germans to retreat, unwilling to face the monstrous firepower.

Meanwhile, the Russian (8-1) leader maneuvered three squads through the eastern woods, closing in on the southern and southwestern sections of the village. The Germans, facing overwhelming firepower and inevitable encirclement, grudgingly fell back step by step. However, their retreat was too slow, and the Russians closed the distance, engaging them in brutal close combat. In the ensuing melee, the Germans lost 2½ squads and an (8-0) leader, further crippling their ability to resist.

The Breaking Point
Turn 7 proved to be the Germans’ undoing. Russian T-34s surged forward, overrunning isolated defenders, while the flamethrower-wielding company commander unleashed another devastating 12-firepower attack on a German squad, half-squad, and crew attempting to reinforce one of the last remaining buildings. The Germans, pinned by the attack, found themselves unable to mount a proper defense.

In a desperate bid to hold their positions during their final turn, the Germans attempted to eliminate the Russian leader but failed, receiving yet another flamethrower blast in response. The Panzerjäger engaged a point-blank Russian Assault Engineer squad armed with a demolition charge, but their fire proved ineffective. In a final blow, the Panzerjäger crew was shocked by anti-tank rifle fire from the crossroads, forcing them to button up and await the Russian infantry now sweeping through the village.

With only a wounded (7-0) leader left unbroken and nothing to prevent the Russians from capturing the last two buildings, the Germans conceded defeat at the end of Turn 7.

Final Outcome: A Hard-Fought Victory for the Russians
Despite a valiant defense, the Germans could not withstand the sheer pressure of the Russian advance. The aggressive Soviet push overwhelmed them, securing victory.

German Losses:

• 3 of 5 leaders eliminated
• 7½ of 12 squads lost
• 2 of 5 gun-crews eliminated
• 1 of 2 Panzerjägers lost
• All guns (3x 3.7cm Pak 36 and 2x 7.5cm leIG 18) abandoned

Russian Losses:

• 7 of 30 squads lost
• 8-10 squads broken and scattered on the battlefield
• 1 KV-2 immobilized
• 1 T-34 with a malfunctioned main armament

Looking Ahead
With the village firmly in Russian hands, the battlefield fell silent. The Germans had put up a fierce resistance, but in the end, they were outgunned, outnumbered, and outmaneuvered. Mr. Cameron fought valiantly, but the relentless advance of the Soviet war machine ensured their victory.

Good game, Mr. Cameron.