After trying to go through from beginning to end of HotSU, we could see that several of the beginning scenarios were similar and decide to jump to the Red Parachutes scenarios. This proved to be well worth it.

A meeting engagement between German recon group and advancing Guard units after the Kursk battle. The Germans have only a recon force to try to take and hold the town more town hexes than the Soviets. Morale and speed are going to be the German strengths. The Soviets have more T34's than the Germans can handle but the infantry support lacks transport and morale is less than the Germans.

To start the German win the initiative and gain most of the town before the Soviets can get the T34's rolling. But the Soviets take several eastern town hexes with the T34's before waiting for the infantry to catch up. The Germans look to try to get setup in the town with their 75mm AT as well as position the armor cars and MTC's to strike at the advancing Soviets. By turn three the Soviets have their force at the towns edge but the Germans have positioned their armor cars and infantry just on the northern edge of the town with the AT and PzIVF2 positioned in the west of the town. The Soviet start to move on the MTC's and armored cars, but they dash around to the east side of town out of range of the tank/infantry force. The Soviets move to crush the AT and German tank but take heavy fire from the German HMG and SPW251's before they are destroyed by T34 fire. The armored cars and MTC move back into the town taking the hexes that the Soviets had just vacated. This forces the Soviets to double back to fight for those hexes. In the mêlées the Soviets lose a T34 and INF but the armored cars are destroyed and the MTC are demoralized and sent running. Turning their attention back to the AT gun and German tank the Soviets are able to overrun the gun but not before another T34 is knocked out in the street battle. By the time turn 8 comes the German force is depleted and the Soviets hold more town hexes than the Germans.

As I remember this was an interesting meeting engagement as it kept going back and forth between the Germans and the Soviets. I have to admit that I was worried as the Germans than I would be completely overrun, but keeping the pressure on the Soviets kept me in the game right to the end. Good game and worth the play.