BATTLE SUMMARY

0200 – Spanish enter from the south and the Soviets enter from the north. Both sides move quickly to gain ground.

0300 – Soviets begin to send troops west and east to flank around the Spanish. Spanish mirror their movements to get in their way. Still no one has spotted the other in the low visibility of the night.

0400 – Fire breaks out in the centre and the west. Soviets suffer their first losses but 4 platoons break past the Spanish in the centre. Soviet artillery and mortars begin to fill the air.

0430 – Soviets find themselves in an interesting situation. They can force their way through in the centre to deny the Spanish their victory condition, but they need to inflict enough casualties in order to fulfil their own!

Consequently, the Soviets initiate combat in the west and charge the Spanish mortar positions in the centre. In the east the Soviets avoid the Spanish held towns.

Soviets assault the mortars eliminating one of them. The Spanish counter-assault and the Soviets lose a handful of steps. The Soviet HMGs push down the centre to get into the action.

0515 – Soviets combine their forces in the centre as the eastern force continues to sidle westward.

The second Spanish mortar is lost.

Spanish lose half a platoon in the centre but take out 2 whole Soviet platoons.

In the west the Spanish lose a platoon to direct fire and artillery.

At the halfway mark the Spanish have lost 5 steps. Soviets need to inflict 5 more.

In the east the Soviets lose their leader and send some replacements eastward to relieve. The Spanish have lost in the centre as the Soviets are too many.

0630 – Sun is about to rise.

The final Spanish platoon is eliminated in the centre (8th step loss). Soviets need to inflict 2 more step losses for their major victory condition. They shift their focus to the west and OBA eliminates a reduced demoralised infantry. (9th!)

A reduced Spanish infantry flees but is chased by Soviet infantry. The 10th loss feels inevitable so the Spanish move to counter-assault in the centre in the attempt from allowing too many Soviets to exit. They are cut down. (10th step loss received).

The Soviets fight back in the southeast and the Spanish are reduced again.

The first three Soviet platoons exit.

The Soviet column led by their Colonel breaks through with another 4.5 platoons.

In the southeast the last of the Spanish hold out, unable to mount an effective counter-attack due to constant artillery, mortar and rifle attacks.

In the west the last of the Spanish defenders are lost.

With almost 3 hours to go (11 turns) Soviet major victory is guaranteed and the Spanish surrender.

SOVIET MAJOR VICTORY!!!

Aftermath

It looks like a meeting engagement, but really the Spanish are on the defence.

I’m not pleased with the Spanish strategy implemented here, I think they probably should have stuck in or near the woods to maximise their defence. The problem is that they need to stop the Soviets from penetrating their line as well as inflict casualties, and if the Soviets reach the woods it would be pretty hard to stop them. Another strategy would be to aim for the draw and stay in the towns.

The Soviet offensive has similar difficulties. They just can’t rush off the south without inflicting enough damage on the Spanish forces.

This makes for a fairly interesting scenario.

Scenario Rating: 3/5 – Interesting victory conditions make this rush across the map scenario work well.