First game with the Blue Division expansion, and having read some other AARs, first thing to do while getting counters out was to randomly draw the 6 mine counters. The Russians are set up with 1 infantry platoon in each town/barracks hex, and then I placed an HMG in the northernmost and southernmost hexes of the 4-hex town on board 17. I left the two infantry and an LT in the 2-hex town as an outpost to warn the rest of the force to inrusion, and added the 37mm AA gun to the west-central town hex of the 4-hex town, as well as putting the mortar in the northeastern town hex there. I added the 2 47mm AT guns to the north and southwestern corners of the barracks. Since the Spanish needed to take 6 town hexes, I decided to ignore the stronger defences of the barracks and stick with trying to take the 2-hex and 4-hex towns. Spanish leader draw gave me my first inkling of what kind of luck they would have, with only 1 having a combat modifier and only 2 having a morale modifier, including the Spanish commander. I was able to set up the whole force to come in together on turn 1 using their chain of command, the commander and captain centered on the road, both with an extra LT, an Infantry and an HMG, then an LT to either side with 2 more infantry, and the Sergeant on the north end with the mortar and an infantry. The conact with the 2-hex town came immediately as the Sanish moved on, and the Russians disrupted the Commander and his stack for a turn but was quickly dealt with by direct fire and assault over the next two turns, that 2-hex town falling to the Spanish. Russian losses were 1 full platoon and 1 step of the other, and ended up being the only Russian losses for the game. Having taken the first 2 town hexes and regrouped disrupted troops, they split up to hit the 4-hex town from north and south, avoiding the 3 hexes of mines placed to the west of the town. This is where things deteriorated quickly for the Spanish, as the Commander and his troops lost several steps of troops and demoralized evreryone while the Russians shrugged it off. On the south side of town, the Spanish tried to envelope the side and rear of the town but started taking losses to direct fire and the 12 factor Russian oba. When the Sanish did manage an assault, the first fire of the Russians did a lot of damage, and the Spanish spent most of the rest of the game regrouping instead of doing damage while the Russians succeeded in drawing blood with nearly every shot and assault. Watching their leaders flee, several single step Spanish units showed their bravery holding out and even demoralizing several superior Russian forces but it didnt last for long. At the end of 21 turns, with 17 Spanish steps and 3 leaders gone, and only the initial steps of Russians lost, I ended the game since there was nothing strong enough to continue to try to take the 4-hex town. Interesting game.

The Spanish took the towns adn eventually routed the first batch of Russians they saw and then had to stand up to the inevitable counterattck. Given the dark plenty of maneuver is possible and the high morale Spanish are certainly fun to have. Victory can hang by a bit of a thread if the Soviets get good die rolls early.

A small scenario with smaller, but higher morale Spanish against Russians at night. The Russian set up is pretty much determined by the scenario instructions, with the HMG's placed closer to the west edge. The Spanish basically form two equal maneuver groups. The Spanish enter from the western edge with the intention of circling the closer town and linking up between the two towns on the western board. The Spanish must take all the town hexes on the western board for a victory (6 town hexes). Since the Russians cannot move until the Spanish enter a town hex, and the visibility is only 1 hex, the first several turns pass quickly as the Spanich forces circle the first town. The Spanish stay out of visibility until the two forces can make their final approach on the towns. One force is sent against the two hex town, and the other against the 4 hex town. The Spanish try to soften up the adjacent town hexes using direct fire for several turns before assaulting. The Russians reposnd with direct fire, but achieve little against the high morale Spanish. Finally, the Spanish begin to assault town hexes. With their higher morale and leaders, the penalty for assaulting a town is neutralized. However, entering the town allows the other Russian forces to move. Assaults continue on both towns, and the Spanish finally take the 2 hex town, and two of the hexes in the other town. The Russians from the eastern board soon reinforce the defenders in the 4 hex town. The Spanish place the remaining two hexes needed for victory under assault. These assaults continue for several turns, but the Spanish are unable to dislodge all the Russians before time runs out. The Russians have lost more steps than the Spanish, however, so the result is a draw.

Played solo in 2 ½ hours.

The Spaniards spent the first hour getting into position: two companies move into the woods north of the middle town, the mortars in between the fields to the north, and the two remaining platoons on the road between the two western towns.

The Spanish units move adjacent to town from the woods and lose a step from opportunity fire. The Spanish commander decides to use brute force and the two companies assault the town. Despite having better firepower and morale, the Spaniards fail to make any headway in the assaults; the Soviets inflict more casualties and seldom suffer from low morale. The reinforcements from Muravevskiia barracks join the assaults and the Spaniards break trying to dislodge them.

I called it after 17 turns as the Soviets still held all the town hexes and had inflicted 6 step losses versus 2 for the Spaniards.

Soviet victory!

I rated the scenario a “3” and recommend it only for solo play as the Soviet player has almost no options.

This was another interesting scenario from Blue Division. I had though this was going to be a tough one for the Spanish, but was surprised how well they did do given their smaller force and more VC's to meet. They did well capturing three town hexes and eliminating ten Soviet steps but they just did not have enough troops to cover all the towns and assault the Soviet units. I would recommend this one for anyone to play, but solo was quite fun.

The Spanish Replacement Battalion has been give a night raid on the Muravevskiia Barracks and the surrounding towns. They must capture six towns from the sleeping Soviets to win, but this is a tall order given that only two reinforced companies will need to take the towns from three reinforced Soviet companies. The Spaniards have a much higher morale than the Soviets as well as the cover of darkness to try to surprise the garrison. The Soviets have a good arsenal to try to stop the Spanish attack. Three companies of INFs and supporting HMG's as well as AT and AA guns and a bit of OBA. But they are bedded down for the night and their morale is average to poor, so the first attack could be a shock for them.

In looking at the Spanish attack, the best approach will be to attack the large town on board 17 and then try for the smaller town for the win. The barracks themselves are too strong to attack as well as the need for other town hexes captured will steer them away. The attack I devised was to advance on the board 17 south of the towns and assault the larger town first then try for the smaller one for the win. This would mean that the first set of turns would be maneuvering to get into position on the larger town and the Soviets get more time to sleep. But this kept the reinforcements at bay for the moment.

Once positioned the Spanish hit the Soviet mortar position first, but alert sentries raise the alarm the Spanish are hit with killing OP fire. Recovering they quickly get into the town and kill the mortar teams and engaging the INF in assault. The assault gets bogged down as the Spanish cannot finish off the INF and another joins the battle. At this point alarm is raised and the Soviets in the barracks awake and take off for the larger town. Two platoons and a LT quickly advance up the road. The Spanish Commandante rushes all troops forward and engages another group of Soviets in the town. This time they score kills and routs the Soviets out of the town. The Soviets try to consolidate, but this leaves an open town which the Spanish quickly capture.

One the Soviet reinforcements arrive from the barracks they position outside of town in the woods to the north. Heavy assault fighting continues with the Spanish killing more Soviet units. Both AT guns and two INF's are destroyed in the fighting while the Spaniards keep going. But the Spanish have a problem, with the Soviets just outside the town in the woods they cannot move away for fear of recapture. This saps the strength of forces that can assault the Soviet forces. The other two town hexes are forced to fight below a decisive assault strength and takes time to reduce the hexes. Eventually, one does fall but one remains contested. But there leaves no time or force to attack the smaller town. But they have eliminate over ten Soviet units.

For the Spanish they will need to settle for a draw, but this is much better than the historical results.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	sagunto
Play Date	2022-11-28
Language	English
Scenario	BluD002

This was a 3-session play-through with the clever and hard-charging, Sagunto, leading the highly-motivated, but outnumbered, Spanish side. I led the more numerous, and later, reinforced, defending Soviets. Foolishly, we played with the FOW rule, but also the excess initiative and smoke rules. My opponent used the first 4 or so turns methodically getting into attack position to deliver close range DF and follow with decisive, close assault engagements. Unexpectedly, in spite of a substantial advantages in firepower, a better leader draw, and enhanced morale, the Spanish troops were stuck in seemingly endless close assault episodes, e.g., die-rolling contests as described in the PG-HQ Forum in Blackcloud's Lemphasized textament! As the PG Fates would have it, the Soviets inflicted significantly more damage to the cold steel attacks of the Spanish infantry, than was received in return. Gradually, the Spanish assaults lost momentum as their casualties steadily mounted. This bloody encounter was eventually won by the Bosheviks, but was extremely costly for both sides. There were 5 FOW-shortened turns in this play-through, that benefitted the Soviet side and both sides lost 3 leaders.

I give this one a rating of 3, mostly because I enjoyed the companionship and the play. However, it probably should be rated a 2. As others have noted, this scenario is really only suitable for solo play, since the defending Soviet Commander has very few tactical choices to make.

The Spanish spent the first hour getting into position around the second town. Then they advanced, and were shot at. Then they entered the town to initiate the assault.

And pretty much stayed in assault the rest of the scenario. Outnumbered, the Soviets were able to bring in reinforcements into the assaults, and empty the barracks of four inf units for extra men.

Casualties were gained pretty much 1 for 1, but even with lower morale and breaking more often, the Soviets had sufficient men to replace while their demoralized troops recovered.

Eventualy, the Spanish were at 10 steps lost to 9. And the Soviets shortly after claimed victory despite a last turn assault by the Spanish to try to even the score. Final count 11 to 10.

Soviet Victory.

There may have been options of the Spanish taking out the small town first, but I see no way that they could then have taken out the larger town. Just not enough Spanish troops!

Scenario Rating: 2/5. Interesting situation, and Spanish have choice on where to attack, but once it got bogged down in urban assault it degenerated.