Bob Holmstrom
Senior Member
Yep. An error was made somewhere.
And, not to be Monday morning QB, but the Russians have to have somebody defending the south map edge. A couple of squads, a T-34 or two, something.
VotG CG IV: The North Shore Open
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And, not to be Monday morning QB, but the Russians have to have somebody defending the south map edge. A couple of squads, a T-34 or two, something.
I can't remember now. If they messed up the setup area and did not setup b/t hexes A25 and A40 it did not help. The only other thing I can think of is that the pics are from end of G3. It's all A.2 now. Jim
I definitely need more down there. There's not a lot of good terrain but the fire station had 2x447 IIRC and the L47 bldg a HIP T-34 and a 4-4-7. They could not laydown enough resid for the pressure they were getting.
Bob Holmstrom
Senior Member
I like setting up in the orchards behind the hedge east of the L road. 3-4 squads and 1-2 T-34's should seal any board edge shennanagins. The orchards are good cover against stukas as well.
I think you may need to look at that again. It is very possible for the German to get that far in two MPh's. No miscounting or cheating necessary! :laugh:
Wasn't there a 'dummy' defense down there?
Bob Miller
Senior Member
At best the German or Russian "DR" reinforcements can enter on turn three. Less than the turn number with a dice (both) roll. I believe reading your AAR, the Russian did roll a snakes for a turn three entry so that muted the Germans boardedge runners that may or may not have gotten an illegal headstart via set-up. Germans initial set up for Sept 14D was in hex rows A or B 20-40.
Mistakes are made. Bob H pointed out a purchasing error I made in our CG. I bought FIVE Stross platoons on the 15th total between day and night. I had a brain cramp and took the daily limit to be a scenario limit. I would have purchased a Rifle company instead as Janus likes to point out, I did need some bodies to fill the gaps.
Mistakes are made. Bob H pointed out a purchasing error I made in our CG. I bought FIVE Stross platoons on the 15th total between day and night. I had a brain cramp and took the daily limit to be a scenario limit. I would have purchased a Rifle company instead as Janus likes to point out, I did need some bodies to fill the gaps.
Ah, yes....I think I see where the error was made on the German side. We have not taken notes as well as the Russian's, but I do have the VASL file with our setup. Not the exact setup, but a working copy for our pre-game planning.
The runners would be from units purchased from the 20CPP of the 71st and 295th Infantry. They were "dark blue" entry code, entering by reinforcement DR per SSR II-3. We must of brought them on from off-board without making a DR. Ooops.
As they say in the movie "Casualties of War"..."Sorry 'bout that!" :laugh:
It happens. This is either a case of the timing of those pics is wrong by a player turn (I tend to doubt this tho' looking at my notes anticipating the OBA barrage which is not on board yet) or it is possible those units setup south of A44 (I don't recall). Shrug - live and learn. No harm no foul.
I was the only dummy in the south :laugh:
All is forgiven if you bring enough beer... :smoke:
I know you were under the gun to setup and Dr. D showed up a tad late that night and just started rocking and rolling. We all just wanted to get it going. Not a big deal. Good catch Janusz.
And here Ol' Fezziwig was thinking the only balance you got was Dr.D. Consider this a historical modification where the Germans had a larger assmebly area.
Bob Miller
Senior Member
The Dark Blue RGs were worded very confusingly for this initial scenario. Normally Dark Blue can enter from offboard in hexes 20-50. But SSR CG II-3 says that any Dark Blue RG that wishes to enter greater than 40 must make a special DR to enter. They can enter from hexes 20-39 turn one with no penalty or roll needed but try to enter one hex further south 40 or greater and you'll need to make that special DR.
Yeah, I must of read the rule for Dark Blue in the body of the rules and glossed over the SSR. I blame CG inexperience more than confusing rules. Playing this level of ASL, you have to be used to checking and cross-checking, and you have most likely developed a sixth sense for EXC's.
"All initial Scenario parameters are as per CG II, Drive To the Volga (12.52)."
Pretty clear. Thanks for the out, but I have to take the blame.
It was a damn fine ASL time, regardless! I'm looking forward to 15/9 and renewing the assault!
=FC=Gorgon
Minister of Propaganda
We played tonight so I have a quick update. My notes trail off as I drank more beers so please bear with me.
14N R2:
The ROBA does it's stuff but only manages to create a bunch of shellholes in the square (well, it also pinned a German HMG, but that's it). Jim continues the attack lays down some SMOKE in P37 from a gun in S39. But as before he can move across the street, a German sniper breaks a squad in P36 which gets rid of the No Move on the German units in O35 and O36. Also the Russians start moving into the P43 building.
A nice highlight, a cloaked 4-4-7 tries to move into P37 and gets pinned by a German Deathstar adjacent. The HMG gets rate so it fires again and everyone else subs to get a K/4. The 1/2 squad breaks and ELRs to a 'script. The HMG keeps rate and now gets a 2MC which the 'script promptly fails. As Dr D would say "Now that's how you kill Russians."
Jim tries to move some more guys into the Nail Factory block and a 5-2-7 gets busted by a 2MC in Q38. Finally, he tries to run another 5-2-7 in but inadvertantly (or too many brews) runs him into the ROBA where he is promptly hit with a K/4. This one the Doh! award for tonight.
But in CC the Ruskies do some good and kill and 8-1 and 4-6-7 in 043 and a 4-6-8 in P44.
14N G2:
In rally, a German crew boxcars and is no more. During a prep a 5-2-7 is broken but another HOB to a 6-2-8. Nothing else in my notes for the rest of this turn.
14N R3:
I should mention, nothing is really happening in the center or North. I have moved some cloaked units around up North, but generally stay out of NVR. MikeP does some starshells and does take a few pot shots with a StuG but otherwise it's pretty quiet up North.
The rough fighting in the South continues. One highlight, Jim moves a cloaked unit up, but had them confused so it's not the unit he thought it was. The 10-0 and 5-2-7 that it actually was survive a bunch of FF and a German stack even does FPF where the squad breaks and the leader pins.
CC sees the most action where in P38 a Russian 5-2-7 actually gets ambushed by a 5-4-8 and gets wiped. But in N41 a Russian ambush causes the loss of a German 1-2-7, 4-4-7 and 8-1. Lastly, in O44 another Russian ambush gets a 4-6-7.
14N G3
Now my notes get real light. The big thing I have in this turn is a German 50mm MTR in N22 KIAS a 4-2-6 in Q24.
14N R4
We crank out this turn and a 5-2-7 and a German 5-4-8 get killed.
As we called it. The Germans firmly control the Nail Factory block, but Jim has done pretty well in the block just South of that. We took pics which Jim will post and I'm sure provide the hard numbers.
M
14N R2:
The ROBA does it's stuff but only manages to create a bunch of shellholes in the square (well, it also pinned a German HMG, but that's it). Jim continues the attack lays down some SMOKE in P37 from a gun in S39. But as before he can move across the street, a German sniper breaks a squad in P36 which gets rid of the No Move on the German units in O35 and O36. Also the Russians start moving into the P43 building.
A nice highlight, a cloaked 4-4-7 tries to move into P37 and gets pinned by a German Deathstar adjacent. The HMG gets rate so it fires again and everyone else subs to get a K/4. The 1/2 squad breaks and ELRs to a 'script. The HMG keeps rate and now gets a 2MC which the 'script promptly fails. As Dr D would say "Now that's how you kill Russians."
Jim tries to move some more guys into the Nail Factory block and a 5-2-7 gets busted by a 2MC in Q38. Finally, he tries to run another 5-2-7 in but inadvertantly (or too many brews) runs him into the ROBA where he is promptly hit with a K/4. This one the Doh! award for tonight.
But in CC the Ruskies do some good and kill and 8-1 and 4-6-7 in 043 and a 4-6-8 in P44.
14N G2:
In rally, a German crew boxcars and is no more. During a prep a 5-2-7 is broken but another HOB to a 6-2-8.
Nothing else in my notes for the rest of this turn.14N R3:
I should mention, nothing is really happening in the center or North. I have moved some cloaked units around up North, but generally stay out of NVR. MikeP does some starshells and does take a few pot shots with a StuG but otherwise it's pretty quiet up North.
The rough fighting in the South continues. One highlight, Jim moves a cloaked unit up, but had them confused so it's not the unit he thought it was. The 10-0 and 5-2-7 that it actually was survive a bunch of FF and a German stack even does FPF where the squad breaks and the leader pins.
CC sees the most action where in P38 a Russian 5-2-7 actually gets ambushed by a 5-4-8 and gets wiped. But in N41 a Russian ambush causes the loss of a German 1-2-7, 4-4-7 and 8-1. Lastly, in O44 another Russian ambush gets a 4-6-7.
14N G3
Now my notes get real light. The big thing I have in this turn is a German 50mm MTR in N22 KIAS a 4-2-6 in Q24.
14N R4
We crank out this turn and a 5-2-7 and a German 5-4-8 get killed.
As we called it. The Germans firmly control the Nail Factory block, but Jim has done pretty well in the block just South of that. We took pics which Jim will post and I'm sure provide the hard numbers.
M
Thanks - you did this quick Mike!
My R2 move thru my own ROBA was nerves. I wanted to jack up the failing northern assault and hyperfocused on the opportunity I saw with the 5-4-8/LMG having SFF'd and missed that wide ROBA impact area in the second hex. It happens. I got over it.
Looking at this from the tactical level I think we're seeing what everyone expects to see. Russians benefiting in the south by doing a slogging hex by hex, stealthy CC attack where the Russians try to get ambushes and kill in HtH CC. The stack killed in N41 was pretty sweet. Too bad my 6-2-8 was broken by the 10-2/5-4-8 before I could bust up the captured HMG. That's is the flip side of the coin - Germans applying leader modified MG killstacks to blast anything w/in LOS and particularly adjacent. I tried to offset this by firing smoke on the Germans or along my attack paths but it hasn't worked out. 40FP +4+1+1-2 still hurts.
We're not getting enough beneficial SAN activations either. Our one hot SAN last night killed a dummy stack, their broke the attacking squad on the smoke PF shot. Bad start. I should've halted the attack then. Now there's a lonely NKVD squad defending the block by himself where there were once 4 squads. Sullichenko went to the Univermag b/c he was out of smokes ;-)
Looking at this from the operational level I predict this scenario will be an even break loss wise. We are equal in squad losses: Ger 1x5-4-8, 1x4-6-8, 4x4-6-7, 1x4-4-7, 2x1-2-7, 2x8-1 vs. Rus 3x5-2-7, 2.5x4-4-7, 1.5x4-2-6 at what is probably just past mid scenario. We'll probably be about equal in ground gained/lost with the Germans gaining in the north getting closer to the Univermag and losing more in the N42 block. IMHO the net effect will be different starting points for 15D (with neither side gaining a decisive advantage) and overall the equal squad losses (which are worse for the Germans).
I think the scenario also forced the Germans to waste some CPP on FPP to get dummies, etc...That doesn't really add to the German OoB for future ops. Still, we're only talking 1-2 CPP but it is something. My guess is the Germans scored some guns (G1,G2, or G3) with their other CPP. You can debate the wisdom of that.
'Ol Fezziwig
Repressed Dissident
Yeah, right, he went to the State Brewery...you ain't fooling noone. :lier:
Besides, the best use for Sullichenko is leading a Human Wave across one of the squares..:horse:
I don't think I want Sullichenko endangering anyone else lives. If it comes down to it he'll be a Russian DC-THH.
He's actually done some good rallying. I think he's only shot a single HS so far in the campaign. Having him on board also opens up the whole philosophic discussion of Dr. D shooting at himself, too. And, I get to sing "Sullichenko" to the tune of "Song of the Volga Boatmen" whenever I have him rally. Lots of fun all around.
pward
Member
Only disciplined a single HS so far? What kind of Commissar is he? The slacker sort, that's what kind... If he wants to inspire the soldiers, he must be feared more than the fascists!
'Ol Fezziwig
Repressed Dissident
Glue some pink frills to his counter like I did for my "Dr Robbskii" counter...:clown:
janusz.maxe
Member
Germans get free dummies at night, just no HIP
So the likelihood they spent any CPP on fortifications is pretty low and hence, the CPP they gained (let's say 9 CPP for giggles) is all for 15D prep. Not that we didn't do the same thing....
There are reserve German units onthe board in the backfield (see the ABTF black SS "?" counters in the pic). Must be some form of infantry purchase.
janusz.maxe
Member
The amount of German dummies at night also negates the effectivenes of Soviet sniper, as Melvin noted in his playing (the first AAR posted here IIRC).
Janusz
Janusz