Panzer Grenadier Battles on December 22nd:
Battle of the Bulge #42 - Trapped! Elsenborn Revised #10 - Elsenborn Ridge
Battle of the Bulge #43 - Ettelbruck Elsenborn Ridge #25 - Elsenborn Ridge
Battle of the Bulge #44 - Martelange and Warnach Winter Soldiers #8 - One Last Attempt
Conquest of Ethiopia #11 - Blood on Amba Tzellere Winter Soldiers #9 - What really Happened at Les Tscheous?
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Drive on Kecskemet
Fire and Sword #1
(Defender) Hungary vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Hungary 8th Reserve Infantry Division
Soviet Union 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for FiSw001
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 0 votes
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Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Fire and Sword
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-10-29
Start Time 17:00
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day & Night
Counters 68
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 1
Maps 3: 50, 53, 54
Layout Dimensions 84 x 43 cm
33 x 17 in
Play Bounty 236
AAR Bounty 227
Total Plays 0
Total AARs 0
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Fire and Sword Base Game
Introduction

The 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps, the only armored formation in 2nd Ukrainian Front, would spearhead the attack of 46th Army. Their first objective would be Kecskemet, a small city sitting astride a crossroads on the way to Budapest. This would be the centerpiece of 46th Army's attack; the 4th and 6th Guards Mechanized Brigades, reinforced by the 25th Guards Tank Regiment, reached the main line of resistance, held by Hungarian troops, in the early evening hours.

Conclusion

Second Guards Mechanized Corps lost its first tank about ninety minutes after its brigades jumped off. At around 1700, Corporal Ferenc Mester used a Panzerfaust to knock out an approaching T34/85 south of Kecskemet on the highway leading to Budapest.

Defense of the Kecskemet sector fell to the Hungarian 8th Reserve Infantry Division, reinforced by some scattered troops including an armored train. The bulk of the division fled without warning but the 24th Reserve Infantry Regiment held its positions and even carried out a counterattack. The Hungarians launched their first significant counter-attack at around 1900, and again an hour later. Both counter-attacks were far too weak and beaten back with ease. The Hungarians still tried to offer resistance. They not only repeatedly counter-attacked, but also frequently opened fire from ambush positions. These tactics benefited from the terrain: low hills covered by wind-blown sand, many farmsteads, grassland farms, and isolated courtyards.

Soviet assault detachments including tanks, infantry and artillery eliminated the strongholds one after another and continued their drive to the north. The Hungarians offered sporadic resistance at best; even though tanks and assault guns often supported their counter-attacks, their efforts were too weak to stop the armored avalanche.


Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Anti-Aircraft Weapon Carrier: apply a -1 modifier to an air attack if within three hexes of the targeted hex (15.14).
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

Display Order of Battle

Hungary Order of Battle
Army
  • Mechanized
Soviet Union Order of Battle
Guards
  • Motorized
  • Towed

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 896

These units should have a Direct Fire rating of 2-3, just like the RKKA and NKVD counterparts.

(danradz on 2011 May 04)
Overall balance chart for 884

All Guards T-34/85 tanks should have AT fire values of 7-7.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
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