A very nice small scenario that was played over several sessions with a new Skype opponent, Armyduck95. The scenario has a sizable Soviet force trying to drive though a German defensive line around Yelnia. The Soviets have two infantry battalions and a tank battalion with good mortar and artillery support that needs to push past the Germans and get off board. The German reinforced infantry battalion must try to stop them by killing more steps and holding ground. Morale is equal and the leader selection slightly favored the Germans. Armyduck95 had the Soviets while I had the Germans.

With the German setup, I decided to try to slow the Soviet advance rather than try to fight it out head on with the Soviets. A series of roadblocks were setup on the north-south road to attempt to slow the attack. Flank protection was setup with a company in the town on board 1, reinforced with an hidden AT gun and a company to the right is the woods on board 5 with hidden AT gun support in the fields behind them. Mortars setup in the town to command the northern part of the road and the Major with in 75mm IG setup on the small hill on board 5.

The Soviets started across the whole northern board edge. The main force of the infantry battalions move down the north-south road with the tanks advancing into the fields to the German left and their mortar support advancing to the German right. A forward German leader tries to fire on the advancing Soviets, but the Soviets draw first blood with a mortar attack on the leading roadblock. The Soviets slowly build a juggernaut of infantry the slog their way down the road eventually making contract with the first roadblock.

German OP fire comes into action and is able to take out four Soviet INF steps. But the large Soviet juggernaut threatens to overrun the German roadblock and the German slowly start to pull back. Soviet OBA and OP fire kills two step of German infantry in the move, but one more Soviet INF step is lost. Slowly moving back the Soviets are forced to slow down and fight.

The Soviets close on the Germans and are able to get some key assaults going and get five German steps in the assaults without a loss. This gets rid of the second German roadblock and the remnants of the Germans fall back to the third roadblock. Meanwhile the Soviet tanks have shifted from the German left to the right and prepare to attack the German right flank defense in the small wood on board 5. In a combine INF and tank attack they get lock into assault with the Germans. The German AT gun in the fields is able to take out one step of BT-7s supporting the attack, before it is disrupted.

Back to the juggernaut force moving down the road, the Soviets start taking quite a few disruption and demoralization losses. This slows them down a bit as they need to recover as well as the German left flank defends moving in behind the Soviet force to hit the straggles as well as strike the rear of the large force. German OP fires start to take a toll again as the Soviets advance on the third roadblock. Five Soviet INF steps are lost in the advance, but it still keeps on going. The close near enough to assault but take heavy fire as they attempt to destroy the Germans. Pulling back again a fourth road block is setup and the German continue to slow the advance. But the Soviet eventually get the Germans in assaults, but time is running out and they need to get troops off the board.

To the German left, the Soviet tanks move around the Germans trying up their infantry in the woods. A close assault on the lone AT gun clears the way for the tanks and mortars loaded on the trucks. In the center the Soviet infantry still needs to overcome the last German roadblock, which they do through a hail of German fire. They eventually get 18 steps off the board giving them a minor victory.

It was a very good game, as it came right down to the last turn for the Soviets to get the troops off the board. German fire was accurate, but there was just too many troops for the Germans to stop.