Author	treadasaurusrex (Poland)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Poland
Participants	Schoenwulf
Play Date	2024-09-30
Language	English
Scenario	DelP021

This was a wildly-fun & exciting _-session play-through play-through with the intrepid & resourceful Schoenwulf, leading elements of the attacking German 1st Light Division in a combined arms. movement-to-contact from the west. I led the bulk of the Poland’s newly-mobilized, 28th Infantry Division, on the defensive and also moving-to contact, but from the west map edge. The primary objectives for both sides was 1) to seize & hold the key bridge across the Warta River, and also control the east-west road in this 3-map area. Both sides drew excellent sets of leaders, the Germans had slightly better luck.

We used the FOW, consolidation, overrun, smoke, strategic movement and excess initiative optional rules. In addition, we used these 2 house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units - All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes. These house rules improved both sides’ mobility and game simplicity.

The action-packed, initial session (game turns 1-2) featured large-scale, opposing movements-to-contact from either side of the battle map, with the Poles streaming west across the Warta, establishing a strong garrison in the 5-hex town on Map 3. Meanwhile, the light tanks & Landsers of the Reich quickly moved east in 3 large masses with their armor probing ahead on either flank, taking maximum advantage of the strategic movement optional rule. The Poles began digging-in across the Warta on the east bank of the vital bridge hex (3-0909) and in adjoining rode hexes.

Our high-maneuver, second session (game turns 3-4) featured first blood drawn by German OBA that clobbered an AT gun unit on the west edge in the 5-hex town. An adjacent Polish AT unit managed to inflict a 2-step loss to an over eager Pz-IVE in the southern half of the battle map. The German approach has bifurcated into a northern (left flank) combined-arms operation, and an infantry-heavy central push in the direction of the town. Both wisely took advantage of local forests for limited cover & concealment.

The rather tedious, third session (game turns 5-7) featured another handful of step losses for both side thanks to effective OBA as sighting ranges opened up. The left flank German approach, led by scouting light tanks drew up to the west bank of the Warta in the north. In the south, the right flank Teutonic horde lurched forward into the central woods, while scrambling Poles continued reinforcing their positions along the east-west road.

Our entertaining fourth session (game turns 8-9) featured a continued slow advance by the German left flank force as the Teutonic horde edged closer to both the central forest north of the town and the Warta. Only a single step loss was recorded in this session when a 3rd Polish AT gun platoon was eliminated by accurate Jerry OBA. Some overeager Boche tanks became demoralized in firefights across the Warta that slightly slowed the onrushing Wehrmacht horde.

The longish, fifth session (game turns 10-11) featured a single Boche step loss, in contrast, the unlucky Poles lost a mortar platoon and a leader in the woods to accurate OBA. The leading edge of the left flank wave of German units finally reached the Warta in the north margin of Map 3. In the center, large German combat stacks made slow progress in the woods, and initiated several adjacent hex firefights with armored support. Additional Polish units moved into the same woods on the west side of the Warta. The Poles managed to throw four combat 7-die rolls at crucial points, while the Germans maintained the initiative throughout this session. This was not a happy session for the embattled Poles.

Our fast-paced, sixth session (game turns 12-14) again featured minimal casualties for the Third Reich, and heavier casualties for the Polish defenders. During the 14th game turn, the first Teutonic invaders were assisted across the Warta on the north margin of the battle map. Excellent German OBA once again characterized the session resulting in the loss of another platoon of Polish AT guns in the town. The updated step loss tally was now: 6 for the surging Germans and 10 for the Poles, resulting is the reduction of initiative level for both sides. Unexpectedly there were only a combined THREE combat 7-die rolls thrown this session.

The seventh session (game turns 15-16) once again featured minimal casualties for the Wehrmacht, and heavier casualties for the Polish defenders, who suffered a reduction initiative level during the 16th game turn. More Germans troops crossed the Warta in the north, and the bloody stalemate in the woods north of the town continued on the river’s east bank.

Our, oddly-bloodless, eighth session (game turns 17-18) featured First World War-like fighting in the large wood north of the town on the west back of the Warta, while more German troops and their first tanks successfully crossed the river in the north. Both sides lost a step each, and another Polish leader was lost this session. The high morale Jerries dropping one initiative level, as well. At just past the halfway mark, significantly more than half of the advancing German force was still not engaged in combat with the Poles.

The contentious ninth session (game turns 19-21) was a costly one for both sides with 3 additional steps lost by the embattled Poles, and 5 lost by the surging Boche, who also fell one level of initiative. The bloodiest ground was in the woods with some lucky Polish opfire and accurate artillery strikes, as the Germans continued their well-sequenced, combined arms assaults. The heavily armed German Kampfgruppe across the Warta spread out and began quickly moving south, menacing the dug-in Poles on the road.

Our intense, tenth session (game turns 22-24) was very messy, with 9 German, and 2 Polish steps lost as the Wehrmacht force on the east side of the Warta advanced south and came to grips with the dug-in Poles lining the east-west road. Game turn 23 saw the Germans in the south begin to emerge from the SW woods and begin to menace the Polish garrison in the town and defending the vital bridge hex. Unexpectedly, the Poles had good luck in close assaults and bombardment attacks this session, slowing the onrushing Landsers and their supporting armor.

The slightly delayed and costly eleventh session (game turns 25-27) was grim for both sides with a combined 23 steps lost (9 Polish & 14 German) in heavy fighting on both sides of the Warta. West of the river, a German attempt to overwhelm the bridge defenders with an unsupported, armored thrust was turned back with heavy casualties. A bloody stalemate in the remaining two close assaults in the forest north of the town continued with both sides losing additional infantry units. East of the Warta, the German tide drew into decisive range of the crucial road, and began a series of close assaults and adjacent-hex fire fights. The updated victory point tally was around 38 points for the struggling Poles, and 28 for the rapacious Boche.

Our bloody 12th session (game turns 28-30) featured continued heavy fighting in the north “attritional” woods, generally miserable die rolling from the Poles, and the destruction of the last remaining Polish AT gun platoon. Fierce fighting on the east side of the Warta at various points on the road continued. Step losses this session totaled: 5 for the struggling Poles, and 8 for the German invaders. The Jerries continued their Quixotic close assault on the farthest eastern road hex on the battle map, which turned into a serious attritional fight when reinforcing Poles arrived during game turn 30. The updated victory point score were now: 48 for the slightly resurgent Poles, and 28 for the rapidly-depleting Jerries. The chances of the Poles securing at least a minor victory, marginally improved this session.

The thirteenth session (game turns 31-33) was much less bloody that the last several as the Germans were again thwarted in the woods and on the eastern segment of the main road. Victory points score: 50 for the Poles, and 29 for the Germans. Both sides conducted a fair amount of morale recovery to refit for the final hours of battle. The chances of the Poles securing at least a minor victory, significantly improved this session.

The 14th session (game turns 34-36) featured a gracious concession by my esteemed & honorable opponent at the start of game turn 36, resulting in a major Polish victory. This was a bloody session with an additional 4 steps lost by the Poles, and 6 more by the Wehrmacht. The final step loss totals were: 57 for the defending Poles and 34 for the very tough German side. In all, there were 15 FOW-shortened game turns of 36 played.

Having now played this gamey scenario on the Polish side – with a skilled opponent – I give this one a rating of 3 in shared play. The victory conditions need a rewrite. It was an excessively long, somewhat boring & predictable scenario, that IMHO is best suited for SOLO play only.