The Soviets put up a good fight in this battle and had a win within their grasps until the last moment when the last parting shot from German OBA pushed Soviet step losses to 12. Both sides were able to claim a victory so it ended in a draw.

The battle began with both sides racing for the town but the Soviets had the edge in being closer intially and were lucky with early initiative rolls in getting there first and being able to organize it's defense and control more town hexes than the Germans could after the first two turns. In order to prevent successful German assaults against unsupported tanks in town hexes, SMG units were dispersed into hexes with two tank units pushing stacks three units high but with the night-time and town defense modifiers it never really caused much of a hazard. The Germans put a lot of faith into the one unit of StugIIIBs expecting that it alone, with it's high AT rating versus Soviet armor would easliy push enemy step losses sky high. As it turned out only 2 steps of T-26s were eliminated before return fire eventually took out the only German armored unit, making a 50/50 trade-off in steps lost. This did not serve the German cause well as they could not afford to take more than 5 steps lost and the loss of the StugIIIB cost 4 steps. German units also piled two stacks, three units high, to get better direct firepower capability without too much of a risk in defense and also began to prepare for assaults. However, as turns passed, Soviet losses stayed at a safe level while German losses exceeded their limit. It really looked as if the Soviets could hold out until the end and celebrate a rare, early war victory. In the end, on the final turn, the Germans only had two reasonable chances of inflicting 2 more required step losses to force a draw and both did not seem highly probable. However, one direct fire result did yield a Soviet step loss but one more was needed. Thinking the German options were finished I then realized that one demoralized and reduced Soviet HMG unit had fled outside the town away from the protection of the city walls. An unactivated German Captain was able to chase after it with no opposition and call in the last OBA fire and an M1 result is scored. The reduced and demoralized Soviet unit only has a morale of 5 in it's state; an 8 is rolled and it is eliminated from compound demoralization. So with the last German activation a Soviet victory is denied.

I really enjoyed playing this scenario out hence the high rating and believe that it would be good for a shared play as well. I believe that both sides have a good chance of achieving their VCs and that play is fairly balanced. I was so close to winning with the Soviets and believe that I made the right defensive decisions with them. As for the Germans, losing the StugIIIB unit really cost them their chances of a victory; had it not been lost they would have just barely won this one.

Author	t1M0t8yk
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2021-11-11
Language	English
Scenario	EFDx009

I pulled the plug after turn 6. The Germans had established a clear upper hand in the town. More convincingly, they were ahead 11 to 1 in the casualty count. The eventual winner was pretty clear.

Both sides moved up on the town under cover of night. The initiative edge of the Germans was decisive, as they were able to take advantage of the visibility limitations to occupy a slight majority of the town first. I was using a supplemental victory condition that majority control of the town would be a minor victory. I thought the RKKA would be feeling the pressure and tried attacking Germans on the flanks, where the extra Soviet armor added some firepower. Unfortunately for the Reds such efforts yielded a disproportionate amount of casualties.

In spite of pulling the plug early I think this is one of the best EFD scenarios I've played so far. I think it's more closely matched than it played out for me.

En este escenario se enfrentan ocho pelotones de tanques soviéticos (T26 y T28), apoyados por varias unidades de SMG, a cuatro compañías de infantería alemanas, apoyadas por baterías de cañones AT 37 mm y un pelotón de StuGIIIB. El objetivo de ambos bandos es conquistar una gran ciudad. La infantería de alemanes y soviéticos entran simultáneamente en la ciudad por lados opuestos y en el interior tiene lugar un intenso combate. Al sur de la ciudad se enfrentan masas compactas de tanques soviéticos a los cañones AT alemanes y al pelotón de StuGIIIB. La lucha es aquí también muy intensa. La batalla tiene lugar de noche con visibilidad muy limitada (dos hexes). La duración del combate es de 16 turnos. No obstante, la batalla acaba en el turno 7, al haber alcanzado ambos bandos su objetivo (causar cierto número de bajas al enemigo).

Empate.

Escenario corto (dura de 60 a 90 minutos) y divertido.

This was a play with Vince Hughes over Skype. This was a random selection of the scenario an is one of those early German-Soviet scenarios that has a tilt toward the Germans. Although the forces are roughly equal in capabilities two items give the Germans an edge, leaders selection and victory conditions. In our play the leaders were the key for the Germans. With typical post Stalin purge leaders of 9-0-0,8-0-0,8-0-0 and 6-0-0 it was going to hard for the Soviets to stand once the battle was started. The second item was the victory condition, if neither side achieves there conditions the Germans win. The only solution I saw for this was to get the Soviets into a position for the Germans to be forced to attack.

The attack start off with both sides dashing for the town. Germans moving first, with a surprise run for the town by the Stug. But then the Soviets, seeing the town about to be taken, get there force into the town and surround the lone Stug. The German infantry, being a bit slow, were now in a position to deploy earlier than expected, while the Soviets go after the Stug. The Soviet assault reduces the Stug, but at the reduction of a SMG and a demoralized leader. (At this point it starts to change for the Soviets)

The Germans call in artillery on the assault hex and double demoralized the leading Captain. This paralyzes the Soviets, but they are now on the defensive with the Germans having to attack. But at this point there luck has run out and they begin to crumble under effective fire by the Germans. Slowly the Germans push back the demoralized Soviets and accumulate there 12 steps lost. By turn 7 it is apparent that Soviet forces cannot get to any of their VC's.

AS I said early, leaders played the big part of this one. These could not hold the Soviet forces from bad morale rolls. Recoveries was slow and or non-existent while the continued German fire was generating more morale rolls. This scenario does have the ability to be interesting but it all depends on the leaders.

This game was played over Skype in one session against Alan Sawyer and was chosen via our random scenario pick system.

The battle strangely uses two boards, but for the life of us, neither of us could figure out why board 8 is part of the set up area because all fighting must surely be on board.2 ? The battle is night-time with only a 2 hex vision distance. Both sides need to either capture all or large parts of the big town on board 2 and/or inflict a certain amount of casualties on each other. (Germans must inflict 12, Soviets must inflict 6). The OOB's have a Soviet force sporting around 10-12 foot units and 8 tank platoons, 7 of which are T26. The Germans have 14 foot units, 1 StGIIIB and a number of AT guns. They also get 30pts OBA. In our game, the Soviet leader pull was awful, no modifiers and even a 600 '14 year old child' LT as Alan called him. The Germans got 2 x leaders with a '2' morale modifier laced with their usual spread of modifiers amongst the others.

Both sides start with the inevitable rush for the town from either end of the board. The Germans send their StG steaming ahead up the road and partly into the town but also out of support range of the foot units. They believed they would get initiative next turn and took the risk. However, turn 2 began with a Soviet initiative win and the aforementioned StG, whilst patrolling the streets of Kelme, suddenly found itself surrounded by Soviet SMG units. The Soviets, with this initiative win were able to take control of a substantial amount of Kelme as well. For their part, the Germans pushed forward with intent that they would do all they could to extricate the StG and save it from its now very precarious situation. Once more, the Germans hoped their initiative advantage would assist in this attempt.

Turn 3, and again, the Soviets against the odds win the initiative. They wasted no time in mercillesly thrown a '3-stack' of SMG's and their commanding officer (a Captain) in against the StG. Inflicting a step loss against the unsupported armour (2-0 Soviets), the StG only disrupts. The StG's MG's and cannon in return also inflicted a step of SMG casuaties (2-1 Soviets). Though not much effect on the Soviet units morale, the Captain did demoralise. In return, the Germans pushed forward HMG's and INF into the now vacated hex that the SMG's had left in their attack on the StG and also called in a mortar and OBA attack on the assault hex. The bombardments left the Soviet infantry in differing states of morale, but worse still, the commanding Soviet captain suffered a compound demoralisation and was eliminated. This now froze all Soviet units (their whole force was within 3 hexes of him) in their current locations. The Germans took advantage of this by edging into useful positions including deploying AT guns to fire at Soviet AFV's on the perimeters of Kelme. Light Soviet mortar fire did disrupt the German 75mm AT gun though.

Turn 4 and finally the Germans win initiative substantially. They use this to ignite the current assault hex with the StG by 'noisily' reinforcing the hex. Surprisingly no casuaties are taken by either side but the StG looks as if it will be saved. Soviet morale in this hex looks to be on the rocks. Another assault is begun in another part of town as other Germans attack two plns of SMG's that have no officer. More luckily for the Germans, the disrupted 75mm scores a hit on a tough looking T26 '3-stack' (2-3 Germans) demoralising the remainder of the platoon. The Soviets, due to their inabilty to be commanded by an OIC (decapitation) to move, have to make do with fire activations only and recovery where able. They do also manage to deploy their 45mm AT that was limbered adjacent to the StG assault hex.

Turn 5 and another substantial German initiative win. Once more, the dead-eye dick disrupted 75mm AT hits another T26 pln (2-5 Germans) and sends another damaged unit into demoralisation. The Soviet AT gun fires a shot of its own into the StG assault hex, but misses. The Soviets also change the personel in the assault hex to make it stronger, but the Germans respond by retiring all from the hex except an HMG unit and officer. German OBA fire manages to score a friendly hit on this HMG unit and demoralises it. Causing some angst, the Germans send another infantry unit into the hex before trying to recover the HMG. This proved a good move as the HMG unit failed and had to flee out. But the Germans had better luck elsewhere. In the other assault, they reduced an SMG unit (2-6 Germans) and managed to inflict another step loss on lone T26 unit (2-8 Germans). Soviet will to fight was beginning to crumble at this point.

Turn 6, and the Soviets do whatever they can to try and resist and cause problems for the Germans. Their rejuvenated assault stack attempt to damage the lone German infantry unit in their hex, but the assault fails against a strong German resistance and they all become demoralised or disrupted. Three more T26 units are destroyed (2-14 Germans) and the 'boy' LT is also eliminated. With just two leaders remaining, a ragged desperate line being all thats left to hold, the Soviets throw in the towel and concede. The Germans had achieved their 12 step target of Soviet casualties and were gradually making sure the Soviets did not hold the majority of the town hexes.

Though the final tally was quite a marked German win, it was a shame the leader mix was very different for each side. This scenario has the potential to be a real-humdinger if both sides play well, but the German leader mix here did help them very much so. The Soviets on the other hand will rarely get to the town first, so they did gain a small advantage here than they might in other plays. For my own part, I was pleased to rescue the StG platoon (or its remains) and the loss of that step was the 30th StG step I've lost in my 140+ PG career. On a lighter note, whether I am winning or losing, I instigated a self-imposed rule last year that I will always play out at least 75% of game turns in a scenario before giving up. This was so that any genuine casualties will occur and can be shown rather than avoiding them with a sudden surrender. Unfortunately, Alan does not subscribe to my 75% rule, so had the game gone to 12 turns of 16, it could of been a whole lot worse by game end as far as blood and metal being destroyed is concerned. I rate the game a '3'. As said, I think there is a good battle in this scenario when perhaps less '2' moraled leaders are involved, but it will always favour the Germans regardless. Despite the 'minuses pointed out, I think both Alan and I enjoyed this one

Introduction

June 23, 1941. As the attacks along the Russian borderlands began to drive towards Moscow on June 21st, the Russian 28th Tank Division found itself too far east to partake in the fighting. To remedy the situation the 28th drove westward. Late on the 23rd, lead elements of the 28th Tank Division met up with the 56th Tank Regiment and encountered elements of the German 1st Infantry Division, about 70km southwest of Kelme…

The main objectives:

1. Capture the town
2. Inflict casualties on the Enemy.
3. Avoid taking casualties.

Note: Score will be denoted by (x-y), where x=German score, y=Russian score German victory condition is to inflict 12 step losses, Russians only need 6.

2200 Visibility is 400 yards (2 hexes) for the entire scenario

The two sides both race to capture the town. Russian armour heads to the north and south.

2215

Both sides trying to take as much of the town as possible during the night hours clash in the northern district.

The sound of distant artillery begins to taint the silent night.

note: Off-board artillery was a non-factor this mission. With only 2x16 for the Germans and 1x10 for the Russians, combined with visibility of 2, 3 negative column shifts for night firing and ‘target in town’, resulted in salvoes which had as much chance of inflicting friendly fire casualties as it did in effecting the enemy. Consequently, it was rarely used.

2230

Germans gain the initiative and the StuGIIIB destroys some T-26s! (2-0). The Russian tanks return fire, but to no avail. (north)

Small arms fire begins to be heard in the town.

2245

The Russians take the initiative and their tanks fire against the StuGIIIB, but the German armour is too strong. Return fire is also ineffective.

In the town, the German forces assault the Russian Captain and the Russians begin to suffer from broken morale.

2300

The Germans push the assault in the centre of town.

A lucky T-26 Salvo reduces the StuGIIIB which is demoralised! (2-2)

In the south, the advancing Russian armour is victim of the German 37mm ATG which claims a victim (4-2)

Night confusion leads to an abrupt end as the Fog of War takes affect.

2315

The StuGIIIB rallies as the Russian armour advances for the kill.

In town, small arms ranged fire is relatively ineffective as close assaults with hand grenades and bayonets. A reduced Russian SMG platoon is eliminated (5-2).

2330

Russians get their orders first and the StuGIIIB is attacked, to no effect! Although disrupted, the StuGIIIB fires at the reduced T-26 platoon at 200 yards eliminating the enemy tanks (7-2)!

The Russian armoured cars, Ba6, try to flank the StuG but they get hit by 37mm Anti-Tank Gun hiding in the town (8-2).

Fighting in town is getting bad for the Russians. (See Aftermath endnote #1)

2345

T-26 eliminates the StugIIIB with a lucky shot (8-4). Shoot enough times and you’re bound to get lucky eventually!

But although this is a Russian victory to the north, the town itself is slowly falling to the Germans as some Russian HMG are killed (9-4).

In the South, the T-26s make a move to overrun the 37mm ATG, but defensive fire from another 37mm battalion in town eliminates half a platoon and leaves the other half demoralized! (11-4)

In the centre of town, a Russian SMG which was abandoned in a general fallback is reduced (12-4).

At the halfway mark of the battle the Russians have now lost too many steps to deny the Germans victory. They need to eliminate more of the Germans and have nothing to lose!

0000, Midnight

The Fog of War sets in quickly, but not before the AT Gun placement in town hit some more T-26s! (14-4)

0015

The 37mm ATGs continue to rain havoc and reduce some T-26 to the north (16-4).

The Russian armour in the north charges into town but to little effect. German infantry reserves rush to the defense of the ATG and Infantry Guns.

In the centre of town, the Russian reduced SMG surrenders (17-4).

The Germans are happy to keep the Russians suppressed in close assault. It is too risky to push the assault and they fortify their positions waiting for the Russians to attempt a suicidal advance.

0030

Russians “jump the shark” by initiating assault in the east side of town. They face heavy resistance by the defending Germans.

sidenote: Both sides increased to the “24” column from leader shift. But the Russian attackers were decreased to the “13” column due to assaulting defenders holed up in buildings. Both sides rolled an “M2” (which was lucky for the Russians), but the Germans quickly recovered (not yet acting this turn, and having a 0-2 SGT with them!) The Russians quickly realised any further assaults were generally hopeless!

The German 37mm ATG southwest of town was finally overrun. Although a ‘step loss’ for initiative purposes, it didn’t count towards victory conditions!

0045

In the northwest of town, the T-28 is hit by 37mm AT gunfire and flees town! (19-4)

The failed big Russian assault sees their Lt and HMG platoon fleeing. They get assaulted by German reserves and the Russian Lt is killed!

0100

With all their SMG platoons tied up in assaults, the Russians are completely demoralized and surrender! (See endnote #2)

Aftermath

As the remnants of the Russian attack force either surrendered or retreated, the Russian command was already planning a further attack by the 28th Tank Division.

I wonder if the Germans could have avoided any casualties if the StuGIIIB stayed with the infantry and focused on providing support for the German infantry in the town.

Maybe I’m missing something, so please comment below, but I don’t see how the Russians can use their armour effectively in this battle. I don’t think night time, urban warfare, was a strong point for 1941 Russian armour. This battle appears to be a bad idea by Russian command and serves only to give the lesson: How not to deploy tanks.

Endnote #1: The Russians had a very hard time pressing the attack in town this scenario. Even when adjacent, two SMG platoons could only muster 12 direct fire factors. Two column shifts up for adjacent is countered by two column shift decreases for defender in town. Another left shift for night fire results in a very weak attack. As none of the Russian leaders are any good at forming multi-hex firegroups, the Russians only real chance on inflicting casualties was close assault. Even then, pushing the assault gave the defenders two column shifts and generally resulted in nasty possibilities.

Endnote #2: With all the German infantry safely within buildings, the possibility for the Russians to inflict any further casualties was extremely thin. As stated above, direct fire was not and option and, now vastly outnumbered, any form of assault also appeared suicidal. With the Germans enjoying superior numbers, superior leadership, and the ability to rally between assaults, further German casualties were very unlikely.