Author	TFGA73
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2020-12-11
Language	English
Scenario	BrAx029

Broken Axis Scenario 3-3: Easing the Pressure

This is a pretty basic scenario, with dug in Germans backed up with some artillery and AT guns defending against a Soviet combined arms attack. The Russians have to clear the road, take the town, and take out Germans to win.

The German setup is pretty standard, stretched in a line in front of the town, one AT gun on each flank, and a small reserve force in town. They also have some wire and mines which they place on and near the road, blocking the direct path. I put a single platoon and leader in the village out front, solely for observation. In hindsight I think this decision made the difference.

The Soviets come on quick in two groups, one on each flank. They score an early coup with artillery taking out the 75mm, the Germans best AT gun in the game, and the attack on the German left surges forward. The attack starts to progress, but fog of war and terrain slow the Soviets down, and the Germans fight a tough retreat into the town. The Russian attack on the German right bogs down at first, but starts to progress as the Germans are forced to move troops to patch holes in other areas.

At the end the Soviets have cleared the main road, securing one objective, but two town hexes remain contested, so it comes down to the third victory condition. The Soviet goal was to eliminate 12 German steps, and they got: 11. Minor German victory!

Analysis: This was a very close and balanced battle, with Soviet advantages in armor and numbers offset by terrain and German morale. That 7/6 morale for the Russians is a killer, as it caused numerous advances to stall as they stopped to recover stragglers. Also, conceding the village on the north board helped the Germans as this kept them from overstretching and getting caught in the open fighting a rear-guard action. As part of a larger battle I would say the Soviets won as they were on the way to clearing the town (another couple turns would have done it), but going by the rule book this one goes to the Krauts.