*This was a solo effort over the course of two weeks. I had thought this might be wrapped up a week ago with a German win, but the Russians kept having just one move that lead to continuing bloody assault on the German held town of Ust'-Tosno. I thought that this would be tough or not impossible for the Soviets and every turn after 12 I thought the Soviets were done. But the key is a little planning and understanding of the Soviet troops kept them in the game to the end.

The Soviets have a major advantage in the number of units, 2-1 in all infantry units and the INF's and SMG's have even morale with the Germans. The Soviets also have an advantage in artillery both on and off board. They can command some impressive modified 30 BF against town targets. Armor also goes to the Soviets with two platoons of KV-1's as well as T-60's and T-26's to face a lone German StuG. But the Germans are not without advantage of setup, they hold the town and the river crossing that are key to VC points. Weather works for the Germans with deep snow slowing advancing troops.

One interesting point is that the scenario is played on half the boards. A large Russian river consumes the north part of all the boards and is impassible to all units. This forces the Soviets be restricted to a narrow zone of attack that the Germans can cover with good firepower. The VC are points for losses, town control and river crossing with the winner having more that 5 from the other.*

The German setup concentrates on the town of Ust'-Tosno with INF dugin in front and HMG's covering and mortars and guns backing them up. The German Major puts his command in the town with the StuG. (This I found as a real tough decision, should the StuG be forward or back away to counter attack.) To the south and covering the river from a Soviet crossing are two companies one on the east and one to the west side. (Again a tough decision to have two full companies covering, but with volume of Soviet troops, one company would have been pushed aside.) Support weapons for these companies included an HMG, the AA gun as well as the AT guns. These guns have the range to cover the whole of the Soviet advance without being toughed by the Soviets.

Leader draws we good for both sides, with a slight edge for a couple of '2' morale for German LT's. All we positioned in key defensive positioned in the town and the river defenses. The Soviets were positioned to keep the advancing troops moving and recover disrupted and demoralized units quickly.

The Soviets step off their attack in the woods on board 6 with all units well hidden. The Soviet KV-1's and other tanks start on the road at the northern rivers edge. They will advance down the road and attack the town with the infantry emerging from the woods just 800 meters from the town. Soviet artillery and mortars are positioned in the woods and will support the town assault. A second group will move out from the southern edge of the woods and hook left to threaten the defense on the river and try to cross. Slow movement keeps the German fire down, but as the Soviets in the south emerge the German OBA hits and kills a leading Captain and hit platoon.

The Soviet advance continues and the KV-1's close on the town. At 600 meters the StuG is spotted and it tries to take out a KV-1 before it fires, but it misses. The KV-1's return fire and miss. Several salvos go back and forth before the StuG is hit and eventually destroyed. At this point the Soviet infantry emerges from the woods into the German OP fire. Disruptions and demoralizations quickly appear and it is too much for a Soviet LT and he deserts. Soviet fire both OBA and OP continues to take a toll on the Soviets, but they do close on the dug in other defenses. As they close the T-26's advance to lead the attack on the dugin Germans. But the Germans get the drop on them and destroy on step of T-26's before being driven back into the town.

The Soviets get enough good order troops into position to assault the other defenses and take out a German HMG. Soviet artillery takes a toll as well as 55 BF and 30 BF all on the town disrupting potential assault reinforcements. But German fire is good with the loss of more Soviet INF and SMG steps.

To the south the Soviet river assault force continues toward the dugin company west of the river. Preparing to engage the units Soviet OBA destroy the supporting 75mm IG before the troops get into position, but German OP fire disrupt the troops and force several recover turns. Engineers are moved forward but they too are quickly demoralized.

Back to the town, the Soviet units bog down with disruptions and demoralizations, so the KV-1's are pressed forward. Their DF is able to destroy a German platoon before they position for assault. But the German fire is murderous by turn 12 with losses of five steps in one turn. These were the key assault troops of SMG's and INF leaving the Soviets wondering what was left. There initiative was down to zero with the Germans still holding the town and it seemed like it was over. But the KV-1's had not assaulted yet.

With turn 13, the Germans fire point blank are the readying Soviets, killing four more steps in the turn. But the KV-1's get into the town as an assault and destroy a German INF step and contesting a town hex. Other Soviet units begin to rally and the remaining Soviet leaders look to organize one more attack. By turn 15 the Soviets are ready, but they would need the initiative. In a turn of events the Soviets get the jump on the Germans and it was big. The Soviets were able to get another assault in the town and score a step loss with disruptions and demoralizations as well as the 55 BF hits another town hex with a key step loss to the defense. Soviet units press forward as the leader keep funneling the recovering troops forward. So I was on to one more turn...

Turn 16 had the Germans getting the initiative again and heavy OBA fire kills and demoralizes another Soviet stack. But Soviet 55 BF now can hit the German on board artillery and it does with losses to the 81mm mortars. But now the German defenses are weakening due to the losses as well as repeated failures to recover. Shifting good order units to the assaults the Germans continue to contest the towns but key demoralitions to the HMG's is about to take a toll.

On the river road the Soviet INF get lucky when they demoralize the defending HMG and INF. A quick charge into the hex kills both of the units in assault. This forces the commanding Major it retire to the center of the town. But the Germans are getting pinched in the town and need reinforcements from the river defenses. But they are fully engaged with the flanking force. A key mortar attack demoralizes covering Soviet HMG's and a Germans Captain and LT with platoons dash for the town. They are able to hit the Soviet southern flank and destroy another Soviet INF step, but they won't make it town as the defenses in the center of the town collapse.

Soviet OBA targets the town center with devastating effect, 2X. This wipes out the remaining reduced HMG and Mortar leading the Major and LT defenseless. A reduced INF moves in to cover but it is destroyed in subsequent assaults. Now the Soviets have two towns effectively bringing the the town occupation even.

In the final turn the Germans hold 3 of the town hexes to the Soviet 2, but the German losses are heavy as OBA and BF from Soviet artillery nearly wipe out the remaining demoralized units in town. In the end the Soviet get the win with 31 points to the German 27.

As I stated at the top, there seemed to be one more move for the Soviets to keep them in the game.