A quick jump back to C&C to continue my Soviet Leaders in their effort to take Berlin. This time they are on the defensive as a reduced German Panzer Division looks to disrupt the Soviets while they consolidate there lines. My three Lt's look to stop them, but it is going to be difficult. The Soviets must hold towns and roads while not losing too many units. The Germans can pick the attack and the Soviets will need to have a dispersed defensive line and move quickly once the attack is identified.

As for the units the Germans have decent tanks Panthers and PzIVH's with some GRENs and HMG's. As for OBA Germans have 3x16 which is good enough to keep the lower morale Soviets shaken up a bit. The Soviets have a good force of INF, HMG and two good AFV's and SU-100 and SU-85. There are some T-70's but these will only be good if the German halftracks venture forward. Soviet artillery is OK with 2x12 and some onboard mortars. Morale favors the Germans as the Soviets are a full point below the Germans in both full and reduced morale. German leaders were lower quality and the Soviets were better quality with the 3 character leaders too.

So for the setup, the Soviets have three areas to protect, the right and left edges of the maps and the center town of 1208. There forces are centered around this with INF and HMG in towns and woods. The SU-100 in the town on board 19 in the town to cover a possible German advance. and the SU-85 on the right flank covering the board edge and center. The AT gun is posted near 1208 to defend against a center attack.

The German advance needs to be pointed and direct as they don't have a lot of units to attack with. They look to move down the east side of the board and take on the SU-85 and the INF. They hope to take the road then move to attack the woods to position for a assault on the town, all on board 18.

Moving down the edge to minimize the OP fire the Panthers and PzIVH's advance down, but Soviet artillery strikes first blood with a kill on advancing German GREN's. Germans artillery fires back the Soviets and scores a kill on a Guards INF. By turn 3 the German tanks are in range of the SU-85 and the SU-100, which has move over to the woods on board 18 to attack the German armor. The SU-100 reduces a PzIVH, but the SU-85 becomes a victim of a Panther. At this point the German armor has crossed the road and control a road hex giving them the road victory condition. German OBA continue to rip apart the Guard INF, a total of six steps are lost to the OBA and several disruption and demoralizations as well.

Soviet DF, OBA and OP fire was ineffective rolling many 6,7,8's allowing the German GREN's to close on the woods edge on the Soviets right flank. German DF demoralized the Soviet defenders and they ran back into the woods. Meantime, Soviet forces move from board 19 to reinforce the units on board 18. But the German attack is concentrated to the woods making it hard for the Soviets to get units and fire on the advancing Germans. The Germans realized they just need to keep killing Guard INF and they can get the second condition without assaulting the towns. The Germans do assault a woods outpost and destroy the reduced HMG and INF, this puts them over the top for the victory conditions and now await the weak Soviet attack. The counter attack is feeble as the Soviets can't get enough good troops into the woods battle. A Guard LT tries a valiant charge but it cut down by German AFV's, GREN's and HMG. At that point the Soviets were done on turn 15. They would need to pull back to setup a better defensive line. The Germans were very successful using a small force on a board edge attack.

A couple of interesting points, a first friendly fire X followed by an X on the attack. A German 81mm mortar attack FF reducing a GREN, then rolling a 2 to reduce a Guard INF. On another point the German 81mm mortars found a nice safe haven in the marsh. It gave them a -1 BF modifier to counter the +1 for the mortars. In two cases it save it from destruction.

As for the leaders, all the LT's were stationed away from the attack and had to quickly move to the action. The one LT that was closest to the battle was able target OBA and get some points as well as recover disrupted units. The others were able to survive the attacks and help recover troops, but that was about it.

Overall it was fun, the German attack was flawless and there AFV's were able to dominate the Soviets. The Soviets couldn't muster a defense to the narrow attack and were forced to continue to recover units rather than attack.

The second scenario in my playing of the Battle for Germany campaign saw the introduction of two new German officers, Lt. Linberg and Lt. Kammerer.

• Lt. Linberg, 8-0-1, Urban Assault Specialist, Mortarman/Artillerist
• Lt. Kammerer, 8-0-0, Urban Assault Specialist, Rifle Combat Specialist

This was a fast scenario. The Germans have a company of PzIVs, a company of PzVs, two companies of panzer grenadiers in halftracks, and HMG, mortar and OBA support. Their mission is to take and hold a line of towns along an east-west road. They attack from the north. The Soviets have about a battalion of Guards, with HMG, mortar and light OBA, supported by self-propelled anti-tank guns, assault guns, T34s and a company of T70s. The Soviets deployed just south of the road in towns and cover, with their most powerful ATGs foremost. The German plan was to lead with their armor, try to knock out the ATGs and Soviet tanks so that the mechanized infantry could advance and take the central town.

The German tanks advanced and immediately began to take out the Soviet armor. German Lt. Gluckwunch, again leading the mortars, came under Soviet OBA fire before he made it to the forward observer post he'd been assigned in a copse opposite the main Soviet position. True to form, he and his troops were demoralized and wiped out in 30 minutes. The German tanks efficiently reduced the Soviet armored units and moved closer to the infantry positions to take them under fire. A bold local counterattack by the Soviet major wiped out a platoon of Panthers in exchange for a platoon of infantry, so the German tanks pulled back slightly.

At this point the German panzer grenadiers entered the board and advanced about a third of the way toward the Soviet town. They came under artillery fire, which disrupted some truck-borne HMGs and even a platoon of halftrack-carried infantry. Brave Lt. Peshkov led another infantry assault on the remaining Panther platoon and wiped it out. Another Soviet Lt. tied up the PzIV company in an assault. Then, the Soviets played their ace in the hole. The T70 company, which had been kept in reserve, advanced. Over the course of 30 minutes it took out a company of panzer grenadiers in their halftracks, firing at extreme range. With fully half their force eliminated, the Germans retreated after only two hours.

Summary of Character Status:

• Lt. Gluckwunch, reprimanded for cowardice AGAIN, LP -15
• Lt. Kammerer, killed in action

• Lt. Linberg, LP 4

• Capt. Severin, LP 9

• Lt. Peshkov, LP 8
• Lt. Ossipov, LP 4

Campaign Victory Point Totals:

• Germany, Scenario 1: 7

• Germany, Scenario 2: 21

• Germany, Campaign Total to Date: 28

• Soviet Union, Scenario 1: 78

• Soviet Union, Scenario 2: 38

• Soviet Union, Campaign Total to Date: 116

Things aren't looking good for the Germans right now, but there are more scenarios to play. Perhaps a new leader in next game will start to turn things around for them.