Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes
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Heavy Metal
Hammer & Sickle #36
(Attacker) United States vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Soviet Union 7th Guards "Kievsko-Berlinskaya" Tank Division
United States 3rd "Spearhead" Armored Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for HaSi036
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
5
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Hammer & Sickle
Historicity Alt-History
Date 1950-07-01
Start Time 08:00
Turn Count 30
Visibility Day
Counters 225
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 0
Maps 8: 12, 15, 17, 18, 2, 20, 3, 7
Layout Dimensions 112 x 86 cm
44 x 34 in
Play Bounty 242
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Bridge Control
Meeting Engagement
Urban Assault
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Airborne - IE Counters
Battle of the Bulge Maps + Counters
Eastern Front Maps + Counters
Hammer & Sickle Base Game
Road to Berlin Maps + Counters
Introduction

American tankers suffered terrible losses during World War II thanks to inferior equipment, according to veterans like Belton Cooper of 3rd Armored Division. The M4 Sherman, armed with a 75mm artillery piece, was not intended to fight other tanks and could not match the late-model German PzKw IV, much less the Panther and Tiger. American post-war tank designs were intended to make sure this situation would not repeat itself.

Conclusion

The big tanks of the post-war era did see some limited action before becoming so much high-grade scrap steel, but not against each other. A handful of Soviet heavy tanks fought in Arab armies in the wars against Israel, while American M26 Pershings took part in the Korean War. T-34/85 tanks saw widespread use in both conflicts, but those were veterans of the Second World War.


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
  • 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).

Display Order of Battle

Soviet Union Order of Battle
Guards
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 881

All Guards JS-IIs should have AT fire values of 8-8.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 884

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

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Heavy Metal
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2014-08-01
Language English
Scenario HaSi036

After selling my copy of Iron Curtain, I had to record this older play here:

You really haven’t lived life at least in the PG world until you have pushed around some JS3’s, JS4’s, M29’s, M30’s, & M32’s to name a few of the big boy heavy metal beasts from this scenario.

The sides look pretty even in the line up except the Americans have a ton of transportation units and they get to start on the side with a few more town hexes. This will force the Soviets to attack to get more victory hexes. But at least they have a little bit better Armor defense factors and I nice attack value on their AK-INF units. Their infantry will have to ride to the front on their tanks however. This is could turn into one of the greatest PG battle scenarios of all times! We will see?

Posting #2 This was a very fun scenario to play, a tankers dream but with a large amount of Infantry and off-board Artillery as well. The Victory conditions were for control of the town hexes between the North & South rivers and for the bridge hexes crossing these river, 3 points for each town hex and bridge hex. Also one point for every enemy step eliminated with tank steps counting double.

I found the Soviet JS4 a tough piece of armor to kill but the American M30 & M29 both had a higher AT factor and range to adjust the Soviet armor defensive factor. The large amount of Artillery on both sides made the open ground an infantry killing ground but with map board #2 having more town hexes, the Soviet would have to make a move to control some more victory points or loss the battle without engaging, as the long distant tank shootout wasn’t producing any positive results.

The Soviet flanked a Northern town but the Americans flanked a Southern town, so at one point, the only thing left to do was charge the Giant city in the middle with one large armored thrust, thus making the American expose their armor in a modern day Kursk type tank battle. The Soviet Infantry at this point were too spread out in other conflicts and the center group of Soviet Infantry were too pinned down and shell-shocked to help. The Americans controlled 87 points of victory objective hexes vs. the Soviets controlling 72 hexes of victory points. The Americans lost 140 steps of units vs. the Soviet losing 158 steps of units.

Total points: American 245 and Soviets 212. A major American Victory! With so many steps lost on both sides, it didn’t feel like a major victory. Actually a few turn of events in a couple places in this game and either side could have won in a replay of this scenario. So in my opinion, this is a great heavy metal scenario and changing strategies a bit on either side could make this play out differently. I lost my first step of M30’s in this scenario, I am glade I had more where they came from, as this is the best counter to counter the Soviet JS4s. Great stuff for Cold War action!

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