Completely Out of Action Fire in the Steppe #36 |
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(Defender) Germany | vs | Soviet Union (Attacker) |
Formations Involved | ||
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Germany | 68th Infantry Division | |
Soviet Union | 32nd Tank Division |
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Overall Rating, 2 votes |
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3
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Scenario Rank: --- of 940 |
Parent Game | Fire in the Steppe |
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Historicity | Historical |
Date | 1941-06-24 |
Start Time | 08:00 |
Turn Count | 30 |
Visibility | Day |
Counters | 91 |
Net Morale | 1 |
Net Initiative | 2 |
Maps | 3: 3, 4, 5 |
Layout Dimensions | 84 x 43 cm 33 x 17 in |
Play Bounty | 168 |
AAR Bounty | 165 |
Total Plays | 2 |
Total AARs | 2 |
Battle Types |
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Inflict Enemy Casualties |
Road Control |
Urban Assault |
Conditions |
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Off-board Artillery |
Reinforcements |
Smoke |
Scenario Requirements & Playability | |
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Fire in the Steppe | Base Game |
Introduction |
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Sandwiched between two hard-charging divisions, the German 68th Infantry Division had trouble maintaining its own rate of advance despite the devastation wreaked on the opposing 97th Rifle Division by the German Air Force and the neighboring German 257th Infantry Division. Noting the weakness in the opposing enemy lineup — one of the Red Army's few intelligence successes in the early days of the Great Patriotic War — the Soviet Sixth Army ordered IV Mechanized Corps to strike the lagging formation with all three of its own divisions. |
Conclusion |
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Battered by multiple waves of Soviet attackers, 68th Infantry Division's advance stalled and soon the formation began to retreat. Army Group South reported that the division had been put "completely out of action" and on the 25th ordered it removed from the front and replaced by 4th Mountain Division, a unit from the army group's reserves. The switch had been made by the morning of the 26th and the Germans resumed their slow advance in this sector. |
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle |
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6 Errata Items | |
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Scen 36 |
In the scenario OOB for the Soviets no Tank Leaders listed for a force of 12 Soviet tank platoons (Juiceman
on 2023 Jan 23)
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The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010
on 2015 Jul 31)
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The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8". (Shad
on 2010 Dec 15)
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The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3." (rerathbun
on 2012 Jan 30)
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The reduced direct fire value in Kursk: Burning Tigers is 4-4. (plloyd1010
on 2015 Jul 31)
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Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints. (Shad
on 2010 Dec 15)
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Soviets overrun German blocking force | ||||||||||||
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A strong Soviet mixed arms force easily overran the German blocking force. Since the victory conditions awarded points to the Soviets for control of the two towns and the highway, I set up the Germans primarily in the town and fields on board 04, with infantry, heavy MGs and AT guns in the town and a smaller infantry force, MGs and the mortars set up in the fields, to try to hold the town or delay the Soviets as much as possible. I also set up infantry concealed in the fields next to the road on board 05 and in the town on board 03, to be prepared when the Soviets pushed past the positions on board 04. The The Russians relied on their large contingent of T34s and K1s to disrupt and demoralize the German forces in the town on board one and to suppress the guns and mortars in the fields north of the town. The Germans had no answer to the Soviet tanks, as the German ATs and IGs were not strong enough to pierce the German armor, even at a range of 1. Once sufficient German troops in the town had been disrupted or demoralized, the Soviets then captured the town through combined tank and infantry assaults. The Soviets then focused on the German forces in the fields. By turn 15, the Soviets had complete control of the town on board 04 and the remaining German troops on that board were in flight. While part of the Soviet forces pursued fleeing Germans, the bulk of the Soviet forces then proceeded down the highway to push the German infantry on board 05 away from the highway and pin the German infantry on board 03 in place. I halted the game after turn 25, as there was no possibility that the Germans could prevent a major Soviet victory. I do not see how the Germans could win this scenario. I The Soviet tanks and higher moral give them an insuperable advantage, notwithstanding that the Soviets have no artillery and my leader draw did not include any combat or morale leadership factors, until I received one with reinforcements. |
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0 Comments |
#36 - Completely Out of Action | ||||||||||||
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The only hope the Germans have in this scenario is to hold up in the two towns, bleed the Soviets in close assault, hope their OBA can do some damage to the advancing Soviet infantry and knocking out a couple of steps of T34s or KVs, while keeping their own casualties low because every 10 steps eliminated generates a new reinforced Soviet infantry company. The Germans did just that at first but right around turn 12 the wheels come off, the Soviets finally took the first town and were moving on to the next objective with three fresh infantry companies to replace their previous losses and only one tank step eliminated. |
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0 Comments |