Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany, Spain)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany, Spain
Participants	OldPueblo
Play Date	2023-03-25
Language	English
Scenario	BluD018

As others have described, this is a, relatively balanced, large-scale, slugfest, This will be an outline AAR only, for our 5-session play-through, of this rather long scenario. I led the defending Spanish/German side, and the doughty & calculating, OldPueblo, played the Soviet side. We used the FOW, smoke/illum, consolidation, extended assault, and excess initiative optional rules. The Soviet & German leader draws were much worse that the exceptional Spanish one. There were 13 FOW-shortened turns in this tournament of death.

The Soviet onslaught came from the north in a series of waves. The forward-deployed Spanish force entrenched in the vicinity of the bridge, as well as sparsely on the road, and in the town. Wisely, the Red Army concentrated its OBA on the fiendish AT gun platoons, and eventually eliminated all of them. This freed up the Soviet armor to cause no end of mischief with relative impunity, and to support a 2-pronged pincer attack. Spanish calls for support brought in a series of reinforcing elements including STGIIIB assault guns and infantry. Many of these troops fell to accurate Soviet OBA. Extended close range, adjacent-hex fire fights & close assaults followed, which resulted in the Axis loss of the east-west road to the advancing Bolsheviks.

Spanish counterattacks regain the bridge after 4 turns in Soviet hands, and the Reds begin to lose their T-34 tanks in close assaults, while the town's garrison staves off several flanking attacks in costly fashion, especially in terms of leader losses for both sides. By the end of game turn 18, there were 5 eliminated Soviet leaders, as well as 2 more KIA for the Axis. The highly efficient Soviet Kommisar systematically killed off a good number number of routed INF platoons, throughout this match, adding to the overall body count. Soviet OBA is also deadly, and both sides suffer from reduced initiative, and bad morale recovery rolls. By the end, the combined total of combat 7-die rolls is 23. Later contingents of German reinforcements include a better grade of leadership, which strengthens the Axis counter attacks in, and around, the town. Entrenchments change hands regularly through game turn 26, as massive casualties accumulate for both sides. The Axis finally wins the seesaw fight in the town, on the darn bridge, and the east-west road. This results in a very bloody Spanish/German victory. made possible by frequent German reinforcements -- about half of which survive intense Soviet OBA -- to contribute to saving the entrenched Spaniards. As reported elsewhere, the Soviets spent too many resources & time trying to take the town, and repeatedly fell for Spanish/German feints that drained strength away from the 27-turn, seesaw fight for the strategic bridge.

This scenario was fun to play with ample maneuver and many decisions to be made by both sides. It easily could have gone the other way for a costly Soviet victory. I give this one a rating of 4. It is suitable for either SOLO or SHARED play, IMHO.