Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Tank Battles #12

Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade	Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation	Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS

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Austrian Scenario # 6: Tank Battle Tank Battles #12
(Attacker) Germany	vs	Austria (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Austria		Fast Division
Germany		2nd "Vienna" Panzer Division

	Total
Side 1	0
Draw	1
Side 2	1

Overall Rating, 2 votes
5 4 3 2 1 2.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 913

Parent Game	Tank Battles
Historicity	Historical
Date	1938-03-01
Start Time	10:00
Turn Count	40
Visibility	Day
Counters	109
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	0
Maps	4: 1, 4, 6, 9
Layout Dimensions	86 x 56 cm 34 x 22 in
Play Bounty	186
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	2
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Meeting Engagement
Rural Assault

Conditions
Off-board Artillery

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Battle of the Bulge	Maps
Eastern Front	Maps + Counters
Hopeless, But Not Serious	Counters
Tank Battles	Base Game

Introduction
Austrian doctrine called for the Fast Division to act as a mobile reserve, counter-attacking German breakthroughs in the Traun Line. Had the division received the Skoda S-II tanks desired by its officers (Kampfwagen35 in Austrian parlance) this might have resulted in the war's first tank battle.

Conclusion
The entire German Army had only 42 PzKw III and less than 30 PzKw IV tanks at the time of the Anschluss. Had Austria found the money to purchase the Skoda vehicles, Alfred Ritter von Hubicki's Fast Division would have held a decided edge over Heinz Guderian's 2nd Panzer Division.

Additional Notes
Austrian Army counters are on the back of the Tank Battles book. I suggest using Hopeless, But Not Serious counters because I do not like to cut up my books. Making counters from a good color copy is also an option. If Hopeless, But Not Serious counters are not available, Avalanche Press still hosts DYI Austrian leader counters for download.

Additional Notes

Austrian Army counters are on the back of the Tank Battles book. I suggest using Hopeless, But Not Serious counters because I do not like to cut up my books. Making counters from a good color copy is also an option.

If Hopeless, But Not Serious counters are not available, Avalanche Press still hosts DYI Austrian leader counters for download.

Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0). AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement. AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1). Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2). Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3) Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0). Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3). Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3). AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42). AFV's may Dig In (16.2). Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC) Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC). Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle

Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

Display Order of Battle

Austria Order of Battle

Army
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized Towed

Army

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Towed

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized Towed

Heer

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Towed

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
Scen 12	Austrian army leaders may be downloaded at: http://www.avalanchepress.com/AustrianLeaders.php (plloyd1010 on 2011 Apr 15)
	The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	The Pz IVe appearing in the original Panzer Grenadier game had an Anti tank value of 4-7. As of Afrika Korps (2002), continuing onward through the 3rd and 4th edition games, the anti tank value has been 4-4. (plloyd1010 on 2016 Jul 25)
	The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8". (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Tank Battles #12

Author	triangular_cube
Method	Solo
Victor	Austria
Play Date	2023-01-03
Language	English
Scenario	TaBa012

These race of the board scenarios rarely work in the PZG system as the fleeing and chasing units move the same speed and cant shoot on the move. This one seems to be an exception based on the more mobile Austrians and the narrow entrance corridor of the Germans which is away from the road. Despite the turn count, this was a quick play as the Germans either slip through or get clobbered rather quickly.

Germans enter with their armor in the north, the left flank anchored by the IIIs and IVs. Objective is to reach the N/S road on 9, and then go opposite of the Austrian armor and race off. The rest of the troops mounted in trucks head south looking for the road on 6, along with the extra trucks they have to protect. Austrians enter in the north , down the 9 road with their armor and set up immediate flanking shots on the IIIs and IVs, with the CAV following them. Quick road blocks of 47s are set up on both E/W roads, and the Infantry enter from the south with the CVs and armored cars to engage the German INF.

Austrians win init from a 1,6 roll and hit the German armor hard, achieving 3 (x2) step losses right off the bat, the German IIs flee south but ultimately run into the road blocks and Austrian infantry, getting cut of further. The German infantry dismount to save their skins, but the trucks get shot up to nothing. The slow moving INF and HMG then get picked off one by one, and ends up in a German win.

Had the Austrians not won init on T2 by a large margin to ensure crossfire, i think this tends towards a draw, with the Germans exiting enough steps, but the Austrians picking off enough to both win. Those trucks are hard to protect and arent excluded from VCs.

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