The Soviets coninue to press for spots along the Oder to establish Bridgeheads for their final assault on Berlin - here advancing over 1 km over the Oder Dike (the hexes connecting Maps 20 and 21), and the Germans are desperate to throw them back.

German Initial Plan: send small detachment to tie down the Soviet forces in the small town West of the Oder dike, while main force will push Eastwards through Northern forest to assault and clear off the top of the dike, thus controlling the high ground in the centre of the battlefield. Then mop up Soviets stranded in the Western town, consolidate forces and finally eliminate Bridgehead on Eastern map.

Soviet Initial Plan: Purely defensive, Soviets are outnumbered. Hold on to Dike Hexes, especially in the North as this is logical approach for Germans through the Northern forest. Infiltrate town West of Dike, hold and allow Germans to counter attack until numbers are bled dry.

Battle: Phase 1: The Germans concentrated on securing the Lvl 2 heights in North West Corner of map 21 with HMG, Mortar and AT Gun to cover any possible advance by Sov T-34. Once Germans sped into Northern town hex map 21 they concentrated on sending Assault force through Northern forest to assault Dike hexes. Small detachment sent to Southern town hexes where Soviets had managed to infiltrate with SMG/Lt/HMG and T-34.

Phase 2: Assault on Northern Dike - after securing forest, Geman HMG/AT detachment on NW heights relocated to N town hex to support assaults on Dike and cover poss breakout of T-34 from stalemated assault in town to the South. While in theory OK, at this scale this means HMGs are firing from over 1 km (5 hexes) at dug-in position on the elevated dike! Ineffectual! Bloody assaults on Sov units dug in on dike end up taking the majority of the game.

NOTE TO SELF: hex scale can be deceiving and must be thought of in real time measurements! :)

Phase 3: Clearing of Western Map 21 - once it is apparent his Grenadiers have the dike battle in hand, the Oberstleutnant takes a detachment of Grenadiers to help the Leutnant keeping the Sov forces in the Southern town West of the Dike in check. Success! All are driven out. Soviets realize that a minor German victory is now inevitable, and retreat (mostly demoralized) back to the Oder to bolster the forces defending the bridgehead to await Soviet reinforcements and deny the Germans a major victory.

Result: Minor German Victory, as in real life, the Germans threw the Soviets back across the dike, but failed to eliminate the Bridgehead.

Comments: this game was played over the span of a couple of weeks, the life of a Colonel who has to ask for a cease fire to go to his day job and be with his kids etc. Luckily the Soviets were in no hurry to press on! ;)

I would have given this game a 4 if not for some ambiguity in the scenario I felt existed. For instance, had the T-34s opted to do so, by the Victory conditions all they really had to do to deny the Germans a victory is remain unscathed for the game and at the last possible minute scoot across to the West. As well, the Germans opted to assault across the spine of the dike from North to South, and it was unclear what movement costs/ terrain effects for combat etc this would have, although I settled on it being as though clear for all intents and purposes.

On to the next battle!