The scenario starts w the RKKA entering the board on the south edge. Surpringly, the Soviet objective is to merely capture the bridge on board 7 and control the road on 6 and 7. The Germans started the scenario in disarray. For ex., they have 4 batteries of 105mm, but these start much too out of range on board 4. They must be moved ASAP up at least to the minor river to be in range. They have only wagons, so it. will take a good 9-10 turns for positions to be achieved.In the meantime, the Germans also must set up 13 units on board 3. This throws them even further out of position to be immediately respond to the Soviet attack. Other units in the 2nd grouping of the 57th Infantry Division may set up anywhere on boards 8 and 3. The scenario instructions here leave an opportunity for me Germans to set up some units at the southern end of board 3, and they do just this. However, it is is not enough to stop the RKKA attack.

The Russians launch a two pronged attack on board 7. They take advantage of the forest and go through it w as many units as possible. On the east end, they use the town to build up their infantry and place the 76.2mm there, along w a few weaker tank units such as a group of BT-5s (is this tank really weaker than the BT-7? It is faster w equal armor. Yet it is rated a speed 8, while the BT-7 is rated a 9!)

By turn 6, the Soviets have taken a toll on the Germans. They’ve destroyed a step on the precious StuGIIIB through a wild assault in hex 7:0614, a major river hex w forest. Three BT-7 units tried to cross the river here. The StuG was sitting in 7:0514 along w two units of infantry and a 9-1-0 Captain. This stack takes an Uber aggressive response, to freeze the BTs from crossing the fiver. The reason for this is that the Germans don’t have enough units to make a complete line, so they attempt to make a spoiling attack. The result here for the turn: German = 1 infantry disrupted, 1 infantry demoralized, 1 StuG step lost; Russians = 3 BT 7 steps lost.

Turn 7 - Another 1/10000 odds result for the 57th Division. On the left flank of board 7, there is one hex of woods. It occupies a strategic position 3 hexes north of the river. Because of its location, the Germans placed 3 units: a 37mm AT gun, a HMG, and an infantry platoon. However, the RKKA eventually spotted the stack and a 76.2mm Howitzer zeroed in on it. The battery gained two column shifts on the shot, (37mm = 2 shift, others 1) The 37mm was disrupted, and the HMG demoralized, but held its ground. In this turn, both units rolled a two (Hamete) and fully recovered; sometimes I’m suspicious about Hamete.

The attack came to an abrupt end after only 1 hour 45 minutes because the RKKA suffered a double logistics crisis in 15 minutes! All fire attacks from AFVs and weapons were subject to supply loss on rolls of 1or 2 for tanks and guns. All mechanized and motorized movement were halved. In addition to this catastrophic event, the RKKA lost 7 steps of armor in turn 7 alone, and the bulk of the armor hadn’t even made it across the Styr River yet. What tanks did make it across had done so piecemeal and were destroyed for the most part.

The final tally was 9 steps armor for the 57th Infantry and 1 step of armor for the 37th Tank Division. What had initially started asa promising attack turned ino a debacle for STAVKA.