Iron Wolves, scenario #9: Iron Wolves

Posting #1

I decided to play this one first. This scenario is about Controlling town hexes and eliminating enemy steps. The Lithuanians enter from the West and the Soviets enter from the East. 24 turns and four maps long.

The Soviets have the advantage in armor with their T-34As, T-28s & BT-7s over the Lithuanians LT38s & LTLs at least in fire-power but the defense values of the LT38s are pretty good compared the BT-7s but not the T-34As.

Infantry and support units are pretty even but I’ll give the slight edge to the Lithuanians because their Infantry has a one hex advantage.

Off-Board Artillery, a slight edge goes to the Soviet with 3x12 compared to the Lithuanians with a 2x15.

Morale Advantage goes to the Lithuanians with a 8/7 compared to the Soviets with a 7/6.

Terrain advantage also goes to the Lithuanians as they have more town hexes closer to their enter point on the maps.

This will pretty much be a head on engagement! Can the T-34A’s carry the day for the Soviets?

Posting #2

It seems like the Lithuanians may have gotten greedy, as after securing the first two towns in their path, they went for the third town and totally misjudged the speed of the Soviet Armor. Now their advance force is caught up in the teeth of the Soviets Army and the dreaded T-34A’s, the best tank in the world in 1941. Some of the Lithuanian armor is already burning and won’t help their morale. Will this be a game killer mistake or can they recover and win this out of terrain objectives taken?

Posting #3

My mistake pay-off for the Soviets. They were able to cutoff the Lithuanian advance forces and destroy them piecemeal. Lithuanian Armor is not meant to standup to Soviet T34As in the open. The Soviets cutoff the retreat route of the Lithuanians at the bridge hex. A nice dose of Soviet Artillery also broke-up the same Lithuanian Infantry that was on the wrong side of the bridge as well.

The Soviet had no need to cross the river and challenge the remainder of the Lithuanian forces imbedded in the two towns on the other side of the river as just controlling the one town on map board #1 and the steps they destroyed, assured their victory. I pulled the plug early, the only Lithuanians on the Soviet side of the River were either Demoralized or Disrupted and the Soviet Armor and Infantry forces was too strong for the remaining Lithuanian forces on boards #19 & 3 to even try to attempt a reversal is in situation, as they would only be eliminated.

The Soviets controlled 10 points of town hexes and eliminated 26 points of enemy steps and one Leader to boot. The Lithuanians controlled 20 points of town hexes on the other side and only 2 points of eliminated enemy steps. Soviets 36 points, Lithuanians 22 point, a Soviet Major Victory!

Ok, if the Lithuanians just occupy the two towns on boards 19 & 3, they could just sit back and make the Soviet fight their way across the same river bridge but only on their side of the river, keep their armor in the towns for better defensive factors and I believe they could force a victory this way. My biggest mistake was going for the third town on supported and out of range and right into the Soviet teeth. This would have been a much closer playing game if done correctly as the Lithuanians. Well next time I play this, I’ll give it a try. The Soviet did nothing wrong in the battle and even the dice rolls favored them. A fun scenario.