This is the last in the Borodino Station mini-campaign in Workers and Peasants. Quite an interesting series of scenarios that highlight the high tide of the German attack toward Moscow. This last scenario is the the last counter attack by the Soviets on one of the neighboring town of Anieki. Historically, the Soviets were able to drive the SS men out of the town, but this one is a bit tough for the attacking Soviets.

The Soviets have a small force to attack the town. With only two companies of SMG's and two companies of armor, they will need to use them wisely to gain the town. They are also hindered by a lower morale as the attacker. But the Germans are not much better. They are on the defense with control of the town, but they to have a lower morale and a good chance of bad leadership. My play did did not disappoint in the lower leadership for the Germans, 2x 7-0-0 and 1x6-0-0, made me think that the German's might get bowled over. But they made a better stand than I thought. This gave me the though that these SS learn quickly.

To start the Germans setup first with occupying the town. They position most of the INF's as dugin units just outside the town and have the support units in the town covering the main advances. The Soviets advance from the southwest using the cover of the woods just before the town. With there SMG's and T-26's they will need to close on the town as there long range fire is limited to the T-34's. The Germans have good AT with a 37mm, 50mm AT guns as well as a StugIIIB. The Soviets will need to deal with those first.

Gaining the LOS on the southern edge of the town Soviet OBA score the first loses with a direct hit on the 37mm AT. This leaves a gap that the SS Major moves his HMG and a INF to cover it just as the loss of the dugin SS units in front gives the Soviet confidence in a sure win. T-34's advance to provide support fire and try to get the StuGIIIB just back to the north in the town. Several AT shots go back an forth before the StugIIIB is reduced, but stays in good order. While Soviet SMG's go into assault with the SS HMG and INF in the southern town hex, the AT battle continues. But this time the reduced Stug gets the win by reducing and destroying one T-34. The other finishes off the Stug in the next turn.

Within the Soviet assault the SS INF is reduced and the the HMG is demoralized. But the lowest moraled SS lieutenant comes to the rescue and get then back to a disrupted state. Braving the Soviet SMG's he keeps them in the fight for three turns before they are destroyed. The lieutenant survives to fight another day. But this would be enough to delay the Soviets long enough to deny then the win and possibly make a German win. But this would not last. Casualties make it hard for the SS to hold all the town hexes. The Soviets were able to take one and contest another, this plus the high SS casualties reduced the game to draw.

The last point to make is how both OBA's played a large role in the play. with 30 and 36 OBA shots the was a lot of morale checks that both sides kept failing due to their low morale. The Soviets were particularly hampered with at least a company of SMG's out of the fight at any time. The Germans were a bit better, they to had about a company of men trying to recover each turn, but given that they were defending on a narrow front, they did not require those men all the time. Morale is such a killer in this game.

In the end, I could not help to think that the SS, even with the low morale was learning and build experience that would be used in their stubborn defense later in the war.