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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Drive on Ponyri I: Grand Ambitions
Burning Tigers #20
(Attacker) Germany vs Soviet Union (Defender)
Formations Involved
Germany 292nd Infantry Division
Germany 656th Panzerjäger Brigade
Soviet Union 676th Rifle Regiment
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for KRBT020
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 5
Overall Rating, 8 votes
5
4
3
2
1
4
Scenario Rank: 109 of 940
Parent Game Burning Tigers
Historicity Historical
Date 1943-07-05
Start Time 07:30
Turn Count 17
Visibility Day
Counters 97
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 2
Maps 2: 40, 42
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 150
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 6
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Breakout
Delaying Action
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Entrenchments
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Smoke
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Burning Tigers Base Game
Introduction

The 292nd Infantry Division planned to quickly secure Aleksandrovka on the first day of Operation Citadel, then wheel to the left and take Ponyri in conjunction with the 86th Infantry Division. Such success by the foot soldiers would set the stage for the exploiting panzers to shine as they had in Operation Barbarossa. But this was no longer 1941.

Conclusion

In their quest for Ponyri the grenadiers received support from a detachment of Elefants. These monsters boasted 200mm of front armor and mounted a KwK 43 88mm gun comparable to those on a modern battlefield. Several shortcomings offset these advantages: no cupola for the commander and no secondary armament for self-defense. To compound such matters their slow speed made it difficult for them to escape enemy tank killing squads.

German officers quickly learned that fighting here would be different than before. Soviet soldiers, trained rigorously by Kommissars and technicians to deal with enemy armor, could contain German attacks. They allowed the Elefants to roll over their foxholes, then emerged to wreak havoc on the supporting infantry. Time and again they forced the Elefants to turn back and fight over ground their commanders considered already won. Even worse, once the Elefants became separated from their supporting infantry they became easy prey for tank killer squads who favored firing flamethrowers into the air intake vents. Despite these setbacks Aleksandrovka fell under the German boot.


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).
  • 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 Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
Soviet Union Order of Battle
Army (RKKA)
Guards
  • Motorized

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 54

The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3."

(rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)
Overall balance chart for 951

The reduced direct fire value in Kursk: Burning Tigers is 4-4.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)

Display AARs (2)

Grand embitions, meh, results
Author Retiredgrunt17
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2017-11-02
Language English
Scenario KRBT020

The Germans initially had a major victory in mind. However, with there being 17 turns and FoW shortening 3 of them, time was on the Soviets side. The Germans did manage clear the town hexes, on the very last turn in fact. The Soviets held on grimly, drawing out each assault on an entrenchment or town hex. The Goliath did well, better than recent scenarios. The Germans, after engaging with the elefants at range, knocked out Soviet positions closer in. In the end the Soviets just didn’t have enough to prevent a German minor victory. The Germans hit each strongpoint en masse and managed to clear the town hexes and the road for a minor victory.

0 Comments
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Elefant letdown
Author NBGB
Method Solo
Victor Soviet Union
Play Date 2018-02-11
Language English
Scenario KRBT020

Thought this one would go to the Hitlerites pretty easily. I mean they have 2 Elefants and a Goliath. The Soviets set up mainly in the town with entrenchments and very strong minefiel draws ringing the city approaches from the North. A few observation outposts and a few dug in emplacements were placed to slow down the Hitlerite advance.

The Wermacht set up in 2 lines all the way from board side to side in a manner to activate all units thru subordinate leader activation in basically 3 turns.

The attack started from both flanks with the Wermacht right making good progress most of the game.

The Elefants move up slowly and attacked dug in positions at range. They were impervious to any a/t attempts. They got a little too far ahead of the infantry and were assaulted. One was demoralized which lost the Goliath attached to it.

It was getting late and the rest of the Germans attacked in a full Pickett's charge assault. The hope was to clear the town and the road at the same time and achieve a minor victory.

They were 2 late starting the assault and got mauled by mines and triple stacked, entrenched, Soviet infantry and HMG units guarding the minefields. Learned the value of a good minefield defense. Fog of war was pretty helpful to the Russians.

Another 7-10 turns and the Hitlerites probably would have won.

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