Author	Capt. Chaos (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2023-04-02
Language	English
Scenario	PGUM002

Bombardment

Bombardment is Scenario Two of the PG Uber Mentoring Scenarios. It is a short scenario designed to expose new players to the mechanics and strategy of using bombardment in a game. My mentor, treadasaurusrex, also used this scenario to introduce to me the additional bombardment tools of smoke/illumination that were available at the time, along with their associated strategy and mechanics. Bombardment is my third game as a PG-HQ Recruit and again I find it beneficial to my progress to be alternating the PG Uber Mentoring Scenarios with the An Army at Dawn scenarios.

This scenario’s objectives are a bit vague so I would recommend reading them carefully and agreeing to an accepted interpretation.

Background

The Red Army would often initiate an attack with a massive pre-assault bombardment. Eventually the German Army learned that it was best to pull out just before the bombardment began, and then reoccupy their positions as the Soviets moved forward.

Played on map 5, a German infantry company waits on a hill as the Soviets prepare to remove them. I played as the Soviets to get experience using bombardment with artillery pieces and Off Board Artillery.

Game Length: 6 Turns First Turn: 1100 Hrs

Germans: Set up first On or within one Hex of the hill Units in one Hex may begin dug in 3x INF 1x HMG 1x 81mm

Leaders: 1x CAPT, 2x LT, 1x SGT Morale: 8/6 Initiative: 1, -1 if 2 steps are lost OBA: 2x 16 Special Rules: None

Soviets: Set up second At least 5 Hexes from any German unit 6x INF 2x HMG 3x 82mm

Leaders: 1x COL, 1x CAPT, 2x LT Morale: 7/6 Initiative: 1, -1 if 3 steps or 1 leader are lost OBA: 3x10, 1x 18 Special Rules: The Soviet Player may call for one randomly drawn aircraft on any four turns. After the first aircraft is drawn, roll one die on each subsequent call for an aircraft….on a 4-6 the arriving aircraft is German.

This scenario is played with the optional initiative rules of rolling dice to determine the initiative

German Objectives: Break up impending Soviet attack. If four Soviet steps and leaders are lost, or if there are more demoralized units than not at the end of any turn, the objective is considered to be accomplished.

Soviet Objectives: Weaken or take the hill position. If there are fewer than 2 un-demoralized German units on the hill at the end of the game at the end of the game, The objective is considered to be accomplished. A good order dug-in unit counts double in this case.

Engagement

The Germans won the engagement after 4 Soviets steps were lost at the end of a turn. The Soviets lost the four steps early on in the scenario but we agreed to continue until the final turn since this was a training exercise.

The Germans set up on the hill south of the road and a little east of an imaginary north – south line dividing map 5 as follows:

• The northwest hex of the hill is the dug in Hex with 1x infantry platoon and 1x heavy machine gun platoon commanded by a SGT with a morale of 9 and 1 each of the firepower and morale modifiers (ie a strong SGT).

• The northeast Hex has 1 infantry platoon lead by a LT of 9 morale and no modifiers.

• The southeast Hex has 1x 81mm mortar commanded by a CAPT of 9 morale and a morale modifier of 1, with no firepower modifier.

• The southwest Hex has 1x infantry platoon commanded by a LT of morale 8 and a 1 firepower modifier with no morale modifier.

The Soviets set up as follows:

• In a Hex in the southwest quadrant of the map to the west of the river, taking advantage of concealment behind a forest Hex are 2x 82mm mortars led by a COL of 10 morale and no modifiers. This COL will move into the forest in the adjacent Hex to the northeast to spot the southwestern and western German Hex positions on the hill.

• Directly north of that position in a Hex on the road are 2x INF platoons.

• In the adjacent Hex to the east on the road are 2x INF platoons led by a CAPT of 10 morale and no modifiers. This CAPT can spot all the German occupied Hexes on the hill except the southeastern Hex.

• In the adjacent Hex to the south are 1x INF platoon and 1x HMG platoon.

• In the western most Hex of the field north of the road and directly north of the German position are 1x INF and 1x HMG lead by a LT with a of morale 9, no combat modifier and a morale modifier of 1. This LT can spot the Northern and northwestern German occupied Hexes on the hill.

• In the southeastern most Hex of the field to the northeast of the previous field are an 82mm mortar lead by a LT of morale 7, no combat modifier and a morale modifier of 1. This LT can spot the same two German Hexes as the LT in the other field.

The Germans immediately dig in the remaining Hexes on the hill. The Soviets call in an air strike on the southeastern Hex of the German occupied hill containing the 81mm mortar an a CAPT with the result of the CAPT being disrupted and no longer digging in. The Soviets call in an artillery strike on the southwestern most Hex of the German occupied hill containing a German INF and an LT with negative effect. The Germans called in an artillery strike on the southernmost Hex in the cluster of 3 Hexes on the western part of the road, with negative effect.

On the last Soviet call for an air strike a German aircraft was drawn.

The slugfest continued in line with the name of this scenario, but due in no small part to the weak leadership of the Soviet forces (not a single combat modifier among the Soviet leaders) the Soviet bombardment was insufficient to eliminate the German positions on the hill or to weaken them enough to take the hill, or even to demoralize enough units to accomplish the objective.

The most important lesson I learned from this scenario is to always keep the objective front and center in my mind while prosecuting the assault. I lost track of the objective during this scenario and I definitely would have done things differently had I not lost sight of the Soviet objective.