[SotM] 2012 December - Scenario Selection Voting

[J6A]

Spoiler if you haven't played yet...if, indeed, you consider my strategies as spoilers.

Alright, here's my set-up and my thoughts on the German attack plan. I'm not going to go hex by hex (sort of). I've split the Soviets into basically 2 forces. The force on board six is 1/3 of the total troops (4 x INF, 1 x HMG, 1 x 45mm plus wagon, CAPT (9-0-0) and LT (9-0-1), They are in the frozen swamps straddling the road in 0910, 1009 and 1111. The bulk of the force (8 x INF, 2 x HMG, 1 x 82mm plus wagon, LT Col 9-0-1, CAPT 8-0-0, LTs 9-0-1 and 7-0-1) and KOM 10) are on board 9. Most of them are clustered near the crossroads, with a couple of INF in 0707 and 0809 to watch against an outflank that way, and the mortar farther back.

I haven't 100% decided on the German plan yet, and I'm thinking that the CAV are going to try a broad sweep, probably on board 6, heading up the edge and around the big swamp. At 4 hexes/turn in the clear, it will take them about 6 turns to do this, and about 10 turns to hit the Soviet rear areas. A smaller force of INF will be sent to pin the forces on board 6 while the bulk will push up the road. The problem there, of course, is running into the Russian HMGs. So, it may be that I again send a smaller pinning force that way, and try to send a bunch of troops up the right flank. I just don't think there are enough Germans to go around there. The argument for sending the cavalry up the board 9 flank is that its only 4 turns to contact, however there are already dug in Soviet troops there.

German leaders are a 8-0-1 Lt Col, 8-1-1 MAJ, 8-0-0 CAPT, 10-1-1 LT, 8-0-0 LT and 7-0-0 LT. The leaders for both sides, outside of that 10-1-1 aren't spectacular and verge on "bad" (okay, the 9-0-1 Soviet Lt Col and the KOM aren't bad). This could make this devolve into chaos relatively quickly. I think (and AARs bear out) that the Germans have an uphill fight here. They have a slight numerical advantage, a slight mobility advantage and a slight artillery advantage. The Soviets, otoh, are dug in, and can trade space for time if things get rough. We'll see.