Last night we finished the 17N scenario much to the relief of the German player team. I rolled 6,3 for the wind change so NVR dropped to 3 hexes. Otherwise our rally phase had no result. Initially we popped starshells into S36 and W25. This supported the few shots we took. I had the 76* in S39.1 fire HEAT at the StuG in R35. I had 2 hits but both were duds (ah yes, m early game night boxcars). Since the gun couldn’t do the job I had the MMG stack inT36 blast the CE StuG crew who broke on a 5,6 DR for the stun. I broke the 45L in U35 with a 3rd set of boxcars. At this point I was ready for the 9-2/4-5-8 in BB27 to declare opportunity fire.
The Germans tossed up a ton of light with starshells in U30, BB28, CC20, and Z15. This slowed me down a bit. First move I AM’d a 4-4-7 from Z27 to Y28. I think Dr. D goaded Mike P into firing these guys up from Z25 with the 10-2/4-6-8/HMG, 4-6-8/MMG stack setting their CA to the SW. I forget which shot broke my 4-4-7 but he broke. The fanatic 4-5-8 in BB27 assault moved and grabbed the DC in AA27. I had a few other assault moves in the center sector but nothing of note. A cloaked unit assault from BB25 into AA25. This hex was blind to Z25 because it was not illuminated. My last move was the ENG/FT into X29 so they could roast the stack in X28 who did not rally with the 9-1.
It was not to be. The Z25 stack fired up Y28 again with the heavy who kept rate of fire. I passed the first NMC but made the German SAN hot and it broke the Engineers with the FT. IIRC he got rate of fire again and CR’d the 4-4-7 and then rolled boxcars to malf the HMG. Having broke my engineers the Germans forced me to tag X28 from BB27 in AF. I got an NMC result that CR’d the 5-4-8 and killed a 2-3-7.The remaining 2-3-8 routed away. Mike P decided to stay and fight in Z25. Fatal error for the 10-2 and 4-6-8/HMG. I pushed the cloakers in from AA25 who ambushed and killed them. They survived the attack back so this remained a Hth melee.
In German turn 7 Brian started prospecting like the Oklahoma territory had just opened up. First he X’d out the 75mm infantry gun that was broken. Prep fire was minimal and ineffective. The StuG missed its shot at T36. We lit up the front with starshells before movement started in earnest (R32, S32, S32, Z25, and U6). Not comprehensive but decent enough.
In the south Dr. D moved a concealed stack in the dark from P39 to Q43. That block from R43 south was covered by units in the “S” hex row so my decision was whether to drop HIP from S38 to tag this particular move by a concealed unit in Q40 (it would’ve been 15/6 FP -1NAM-1ldr-1 blvd+1LV so not terrible) but I held out for something better. So he made it to R43 in advance to take the hex. However, another unit pushed into R37 thinking he could gain a toehold into the Univermag. This unit got blasted by a HIP NKVD with 2xHMGs/8-1. I stripped his concealment and broke him with a 5,1 DR. I decided to go for SFF and use sustained fire on him. I CR’d the squad and X’d out 1x HMG with a 10 DR (RS applied here, correct?). The 76* in S39.1 finished off the broken 2-4-7 in DF but after that I X’d the gun out trying to fire up R35 again.
Another shot I just totally lucked out on. A second StuG III G started moving down Bolshayvistkaya in the light of 2 starshells. I patiently let Brian move him down the street and bypass the debris. I tagged the StuG from CC38 with a 76L as it’s in bypass of T25. CH, burning wreck, done.
My 4-4-7 in melee in Z25 died after 2 rounds of CC. Game end dr was a 3 IIRC at 1130pm so we finished up and put the perimeter together. This was a Soviet victory with 33 stone hexes gained and 15 lost for a net +18.
Death Toll:
German: 1x8-3-8, 6x5-4-8, 1.5x4-6-8, 12.5x4-6-7, 2.5x4-4-7, 3x10-2, 9-1, 1xStuG III G, and a 75* gun (68 CVP)
Soviet: .5xENG, 1x6-2-8, 1x5-2-7, 1.5x4-5-8, 9x4-4-7,1x7-0 (27CVP)
Not a bad night for Rodina. We’re certainly not complaining. Now it’s time to steel ourselves for some German payback. I expect we’ll have a week off next week as the German team is heading off to the Albany tourney (I wish I could but I have drill that w/e). I’ll get some pics up and the perimeter soon. Mike should have some notes on the northern fight.