JOKippe
Also known as The Rat
It's our first time to play this module, so we tried a couple of VotG scenarios and CGI just to get a feel for the map, units, and rules. Now we're ready for the monster CGIV. By random selection, I take the German side. I wish Comrade Marsholio good luck, as I've read plenty about difficult task the Russians have in this one; he's up for it though, having successfully defended the Rail Station in CGI.
My initial forces are a wide mix of strengths, from heavily depleted to reinforced. I managed to roll absolutely no armor leaders, but much better luck with the infantry and winding up with 2 10-3s. My purchases were:
-Rifle Co. (lightly depl.)
-2x B-1 Bombardments
-S2 Stuka II
-2x Stross. Plt. (1 full and 1 depleted)
I learned in CGI to buy the Stukas and bombardments when given the chance, as one never knows what the weather will be in the future...I was crippled at one point in CGI because of several consecutive days of overcast. I was also frustrated in CGI by my Germans' inability to fully capture the Rail Station. It was a combination of bad luck and bad tactics on my part, and I'm determined to take out the Rail Station on the first day of this CGIV...it would be easy enough to isolate it, but there's no way I want it to be a thorn in my side for the next few days. So, my #1 goal on Day 1 is to capture that cursed station and be done with it. Goal #2 is to capture a chunk of the northern open area to give my tanks room to operate...but that might depend of how my reinforcement dr goes in that sector. Goal #3 is to penetrate as far east as possible in his weakest southern and northern areas, and isolate whatever Russians are caught in the middle. I'm not much worried about what's going on near the southern edge, since I'm not going to count on the DR reinforcement roll as being successfull until maybe near the end of the scenario...I'll just try to hold my western edge as far south as possible and see what happens in that sector.
TURN ONE
View attachment 42130
(situation after the German half of Turn 1)
I've concentrated most of my forces near the Rail Station. Most of my reinforcements I'll bring in on Turn 2, after I have a better feel for what he's got out there. I scatter my bombardments around the the station and south of it--the bombardments kill a couple of Russians units, break a few, but are otherwise disappointments. I push east to the station with minimal losses, taking out the defenders in the D row, including a fort. building. I did lose a 10-3 to a sniper, and his MGs in F35 and G47 caused a few casualties, including an 8-3-8 and broke my leader carrying my OBA radio. Otherwise, my half of the turn went well.
View attachment 42131
(situation at the end of Turn 2)
I've managed to get to the Rail Station with acceptable losses. An Iron Cross for Squad A of the Assault Engineers (now a HS) in E40...they must have taken out a whole platoon of Commies by themselves (including starting a fire in the stoutly-defended E42) despite drawing plenty of bullets themselves. My stukas have been disappointing...Marsholio has moved a couple of T-34s into C35-36, but after 3 stuka attacks and a tossed demo charge, they are still sitting there and forcing me to toss smoke into the road to cover my crossings. My own armor is holding back, not wishing to get tangled up in the mess of railroad cars, but I'm going to start moving them north to support my northern reinforcements. There's a group of Russians collecting around the F23 area, and I'll start reducing those units before moving north...I don't want to push too far east in the northern half because of his line of reserved units back there...I'd rather try to isolate them if I can. I lost my other 10-3 leader to a boobytrap...about 1/3 of my losses have been due to snipers and the boobytraps.
Casualties after 2 turns:
German: 4 leaders (including 2 10-3s), 6 quads (including 2 8-3-8s)
Russian: 2 leaders, 13 squads (including 2 6-2-8 NKVD)
Turn 3 should be continued on the weekend. At some point, Marsholio will join in on this AAR and describe his own purchases, but at this point, I still have no idea what his reserve units might be composed of.
QUESTION: I can't find my AA (anti-aircraft) markers. Were they on the flip-side of a different marker, and, if so, what? I've used them before, but can't find them now. I'm not sure which tray I would have put them in.
My initial forces are a wide mix of strengths, from heavily depleted to reinforced. I managed to roll absolutely no armor leaders, but much better luck with the infantry and winding up with 2 10-3s. My purchases were:
-Rifle Co. (lightly depl.)
-2x B-1 Bombardments
-S2 Stuka II
-2x Stross. Plt. (1 full and 1 depleted)
I learned in CGI to buy the Stukas and bombardments when given the chance, as one never knows what the weather will be in the future...I was crippled at one point in CGI because of several consecutive days of overcast. I was also frustrated in CGI by my Germans' inability to fully capture the Rail Station. It was a combination of bad luck and bad tactics on my part, and I'm determined to take out the Rail Station on the first day of this CGIV...it would be easy enough to isolate it, but there's no way I want it to be a thorn in my side for the next few days. So, my #1 goal on Day 1 is to capture that cursed station and be done with it. Goal #2 is to capture a chunk of the northern open area to give my tanks room to operate...but that might depend of how my reinforcement dr goes in that sector. Goal #3 is to penetrate as far east as possible in his weakest southern and northern areas, and isolate whatever Russians are caught in the middle. I'm not much worried about what's going on near the southern edge, since I'm not going to count on the DR reinforcement roll as being successfull until maybe near the end of the scenario...I'll just try to hold my western edge as far south as possible and see what happens in that sector.
TURN ONE
View attachment 42130
(situation after the German half of Turn 1)
I've concentrated most of my forces near the Rail Station. Most of my reinforcements I'll bring in on Turn 2, after I have a better feel for what he's got out there. I scatter my bombardments around the the station and south of it--the bombardments kill a couple of Russians units, break a few, but are otherwise disappointments. I push east to the station with minimal losses, taking out the defenders in the D row, including a fort. building. I did lose a 10-3 to a sniper, and his MGs in F35 and G47 caused a few casualties, including an 8-3-8 and broke my leader carrying my OBA radio. Otherwise, my half of the turn went well.
View attachment 42131
(situation at the end of Turn 2)
I've managed to get to the Rail Station with acceptable losses. An Iron Cross for Squad A of the Assault Engineers (now a HS) in E40...they must have taken out a whole platoon of Commies by themselves (including starting a fire in the stoutly-defended E42) despite drawing plenty of bullets themselves. My stukas have been disappointing...Marsholio has moved a couple of T-34s into C35-36, but after 3 stuka attacks and a tossed demo charge, they are still sitting there and forcing me to toss smoke into the road to cover my crossings. My own armor is holding back, not wishing to get tangled up in the mess of railroad cars, but I'm going to start moving them north to support my northern reinforcements. There's a group of Russians collecting around the F23 area, and I'll start reducing those units before moving north...I don't want to push too far east in the northern half because of his line of reserved units back there...I'd rather try to isolate them if I can. I lost my other 10-3 leader to a boobytrap...about 1/3 of my losses have been due to snipers and the boobytraps.
Casualties after 2 turns:
German: 4 leaders (including 2 10-3s), 6 quads (including 2 8-3-8s)
Russian: 2 leaders, 13 squads (including 2 6-2-8 NKVD)
Turn 3 should be continued on the weekend. At some point, Marsholio will join in on this AAR and describe his own purchases, but at this point, I still have no idea what his reserve units might be composed of.
QUESTION: I can't find my AA (anti-aircraft) markers. Were they on the flip-side of a different marker, and, if so, what? I've used them before, but can't find them now. I'm not sure which tray I would have put them in.