After picking up a used copy of Eastern Front a few years back (along with Afrika Korps, Desert Rats, and White Eagles - all of them as a set for a very reasonable price, from a friend), I finally dove in. I picked the very first scenario, A Rotten Morning, to get a "first day of Barbarossa" experience. And it was indeed a rotten morning for the defenders - despite the fact that they almost won.

The Soviets set up the 76.2mm's on Board 2 hilltops, set up the 45mm ATG's (each accompanied by a leader and a full-strength INF) dug in along the east side of the river, an HMG and INF dug in at the bridge, a couple of infantry stacks in the woods west of the river (including one HMG) as a potentially nasty speed bump, and the remaining forces divided between the two towns.

The Germans lined up as much as they could safely put in line at the eastern limit of Board 8, some units within DF range of the forward woods position, and the still-loaded transports further back. When things jumped off, the Germans pushed panzers to the front (except those confronting the woods defenders) while some of the infantry, including both engineers, went on a sweep right to cross the river in the southern part of the map. Russian artillery briefly played havoc with those crossings, and ultimately only a few leaders and units were able to cross down there; by turn 10 those units, and the engineers, were on the move towards the huge town on Board 2.

Meanwhile, after surviving a few shots from the 45mm ATG's (before they were wiped out by OBA), the tanks cleared the bridge defenses and pushed on, while the massed fire of tanks, SPW's and foot troops splintered the woods defenders, followed by assaults from flanking forces. By Turn 10, around half of the Russians - including their 76.2mm's, taken out by OBA - were hors de combat, with only one - yes one - German step lost (a PZ-IIIG.) By Turn 15,the smaller town was cleared and plenty of Germans were in and around the large town - some of the overmatched defenders were blistered by point-blank DF from tanks and SPW's, and others desperately defending against assault.

Time and firepower gradually ground down the remaining Russians. By Turn 18 just two hexes had live combat units left: a reduced and demoralized INF in one, and four leaders with two 82mm mortars in the other. Both were beset by assaults on the "30+" column, even after accounting for shifts. And yet...since the demoralized units had nowhere to flee, they had to die for the hexes to be cleared. The demoralized half-INF was eliminated on Turn 19, but it took until the very last turn for the final remaining combat unit - a disrupted mortar - to give up the ghost. When Turn 20 ended, all that was left on the board for the Soviets was one leader, who had fled to a 1-hex woods on Board 8 (a refugee of the fight in the larger woods) and, after recovery, moved to the small nearby hill, only to have no bombardment available to call in. And the Germans? They lost three steps total: The PZ-IIIG and two INF (the latter in assaults in the big town.) And yet, the Soviets were a turn away from holding on...