Let's start out by noting that Col. Pilfousek was an idiot. One quick look at the opposing forces will point out that the only, and I mean only, Slovak edge is that they have some tanks and some messy terrain to deal with in their immediate front which will help them by screening the antitank guns of the Soviets who, with a clear field of fire, would savage the Slovak tanks. Given the expectation that the Soviets would be demoralized by the battles that had surrounded them for the past several days (this was the fourth day of Barbarossa) we may be able to give him "some" credit but ultimately Pilfousek was an idiot.

The Soviet commander, thinking of defense in depth, put a small but fiesty detachment in the first town with the idea of delaying the Slovaks until their design could be determined. Pilfousek, not reading his manuals about combined arms raced his entire armored component to the town and through miraculous die rolls managed to oust the NKVD troops and quickly pull to within 4 VPs of the Russians (23-19). At this point, the Slovaks were out of options. It was clear that any movement outside of the town would expose the tanks to AT fire and that the pitifully small infantry support would be hard pressed to move forward. Therefore an hour after contact, the Slovaks were a spent force.

Caution would have dictated that the "assault" stop right there with a signal success, albeit tremendously unlikely. However, being only one victory point away from a draw spurred Pilfousek on.

So, with very few options available, Pilfousek decided to try two things at once. The infantry would approach one antitank position through an adjoining woods and a detachment of LT35 tanks would try to flank the Soviets to the north where a hole in the AT shield was noted.

The attack through the woods quickly became mired in morale issues. The Soviet artillery was able to smash through the trees and demoralize the majority of the troops. Once their cohesion was shot the Soviet reserves counterattacked and chased the Slovaks out of the woods, back towards their starting point.

The light tank force fared somewhat better but the Soviets quickly moved AT support to the north and were able to assault the tanks, cause 10 of them to be abandoned on the field and the rest chased back to whence they came.

After only 4 hours of contact, the Slovaks were battered, bruised and running from the field. The Soviets had some losses but had seriously dented Col Pilfousek's dream of chasing a demoralized force away.

In my play of the scenario it is clear that I was much more aggressive than the actual Col. Pilfousek historically was. Perhaps he wasn't the idiot that I have portrayed him to be. However, given the incredible statistics at this point where (prior to this attack) the Slovaks had won in 75% of the cases in which they had attacked I felt I had to uphold their honor. I have failed...

In order to win as the Slovaks, however, they should consider a deep penetration by their tanks. They will be unsupported when ultimately chased down by the Soviets but their hope is in mobility, not in stand up fighting. The Soviets should focus their initial efforts on destroying the infantry force and then chase down the tanks. If the Slovak player chooses this approach. With a thirty turn scenario there is plenty of time for both efforts.