Good scenario, very challenging for both sides but more so for the Germans since they have three victory objects in order to win the scenario. This battle went down to the wire.

The Germans split their forces in two groups, one cleared the woods of Soviet forces on map 6 while the STUGS supported by a battalion of infantry assaulted the town on map 7. Once the town was cleared the Germans moved on to the Soviet second line of defense on the east side of the river. It was during the advance to the river that the German infantry started to get strung out due to very accurate Soviet mortar and field gun fire. Several Soviet ATGs took the STUGS under fire but registered no step losses, once spotted the Germans rained down OBA and the Luftwaffe on them, which eliminated the AT threat and helped soften up the dig-in Soviet infantry, but the air support did not last, it was sporadic for the rest of the game. In the end the Germans regrouped, assaulted the remaining town, slowly clearing all but one hex. In the end the Germans won two out of three VCs for a minor win, the step lost ratio and clearing the road of Soviet forces.

Author	plloyd1010 (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	cjsiam (AAR)
Play Date	2021-10-21
Language	English
Scenario	FitS040

This scenario was played with my house rules and charts, with a couple of other negotiated conditions. Generally the scenario is well balanced. A major victory is quite unlikely for either side, but the minor victory for either side rests on a knife's edge.

I launched my attack on a double axis through board 6. The road was quickly cleared. The force going around the woods met little resistance until they were engaged by an infantry company from the woods on board 7. A brief spoiling attack on my northern flank was quickly broken up by concentrated mortar fire a small infantry force of my own.

The real problems began with an anti-tank gun on the far side of the river. While its supporting infantry performed moderately well, the AT battery wouldn't quit. While I reduced the position, it killed a transport with an infantry gun and to a step off of an assault gun platoon. The Soviet infantry support was effective enough to disorganize my infantry for a couple turns too.

My real mistake was the town on board 7. There was substantial Soviet presence there and I take the town, the time required for full control was an unnecessary waste. I did eventually take the town, but the garrison I had to leave behind was about the size I would have need covering force to contain the Soviets after hobbling them. The effective result was to prevent my attacking the next town with adequate force in a timely manner.

I did cross the river and clear my northern flank, but the assault on the second town came too late. Repeated artillery strikes and point-blank assault gun fire could not dislodge enough of the defenders. The Luftwaffe was no help at all.

In the end, the Soviets have lost 44 steps to my 21. The road is nearly, but not quite cleared, because of that town. I am 3 hexes short of a minor victory. Thus it goes to my opponent.

Author	cjsiam (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	plloyd1010 (AAR)
Play Date	2021-10-21
Language	English
Scenario	FitS040

Playing with this adversary requires planning if you hope to beat his systematic application of German doctrine...i.e. he knows how to use his pieces. I figured my only hope was to try and keep him busy to the point that he can't get enough forces to the final large 7-hex city soon enough to wipe me out. The board arrangement let me establish some strong points (south town, north forest, south tiny forest, northern field, and then the big town). The scenario conditions gave me an MC +1 if I was in limiting terrain, or dug-in...so everything that could be, was placed in those conditions.

Small AT guns were distributed north and south, with the hope of some cross-fire.

The initial strong points took enough of his time to reduce that he reached mid-board about turn 12...My goal had been to keep him over the river until about then. I pulled back the forest forces into the northern field, but the initial southern town held out until annihilated. At this point he came at the remaining field position, and ignored the southern strong point remaining. I got some cross-fire on the Stugs and ended up taking out one of them (woohoo!!). The slow grind of crushing Russians in Dugouts---bombarding them into oblivion--eventually cleared the northern fields but it had taken so long that by Turn 28 (of 32) he was just approaching the final Town...The possibility of clearing 3 hexes to clear the road was just out of reach. We called it on Turn 30 for the Russians--Minor Soviet Victory. Germans had no trouble with doing > 2 to 1 in steps lost---Soviets are like that...

As always snake-eyes and box-cars popped their heads up---in fact at one point directly following each other. We used Peter Lloyds house rules with modified (2-die direct read) tables, and other "improvements"...They worked very well...I'm thinking they are going to be my chosen approach going forward.

Given I'm 1/2way around the world we could only get in 2 turns/week...it took a while, but was always tense and with a little better luck for the Germans, it could easily have gone the other way. GREAT FUN!