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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Kick Down the Door
Patton's Nightmare #2
(Attacker) United States vs Soviet Union (Defender)
Formations Involved
Soviet Union 14th Mechanized Division
United States 1st "Big Red One" Infantry Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for PaNi002
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 1
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 2 votes
5
4
3
2
1
2.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Patton's Nightmare
Historicity Alt-History
Date 1947-08-26
Start Time 23:00
Turn Count 16
Visibility Night
Counters 174
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 3
Maps 2: 15, 20
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 194
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 2
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
River Crossing
Conditions
Entrenchments
Hidden Units
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Reinforcements
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Illumination
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Ridge Counters
Patton's Nightmare Base Game
Road to Berlin Maps + Counters
Introduction

Major General Baratto, commander of the 4th Armored Division, studied his maps closely while planning alternatives, getting no small amount of "help" from V Corps and Third Army headquarters. He'd already reconnoitered the ground and knew this would be a no-hold-barred fight. His crossing site would be in a loop of the Elbe River approximately two kilometers east of the hamlet of Coswig. Another seven crossing sites were selected all along the Third Army front. The engineers had trained, the troops knew their orders, and he knew he had the entire corps artillery behind him as well as some Air Force jockeys on call. He glanced at his watch...time to kick down the door.

Conclusion

Soviet doctrine called for a fairly stiff forward defense supported by a mobile, hard-hitting reserve. While the US artillery and armored spearhead are well suited to take on the initial defenders, getting a substantial force over the pontoon bridges and in position to absorb and defeat the reaction force will be a tough challenge. This bridgehead represents a "must have" for the Americans to launch a successful bid to Berlin. Fail here and it's "game over".


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
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • 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.
  • 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

Soviet Union Order of Battle
Army (RKKA)
  • Mechanized
Guards
  • Motorized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized

Display Errata (3)

3 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 912

Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints.

(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)

Caught Flat Footed
Author thomaso827
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2017-02-26
Language English
Scenario PaNi002

A time limit caused the game to end ata halfway point but outside of some really lucky dice, a draw was pretty much a given. I tried to breach the river in 5 places to get as many US troops north of the major river on board 20, taking advantage of having 5 engineer platoons and some good crossing numbers. Russian armor reinforcements available on turn 3 or later still hadn't showed on turn 8, but the large mixed infantry and armor force that could entr from the US right flank came as soon as they were available. The US had lost 2 steps of engineers to artillery fire, slowing things down, but having the attack on the flank while the US was so spread out was devastating. The Russians had already lost their initiative but a lucky roll for a Soviet entrnchment being assaulted by a good combined arms team, destroying mostof that team, left the US witha big hoe in the center. The need to occupy as much of board 20 was looking more and more difficult as mt armor and infantry rushed to strengthen the right flank instead of mainain the offensive. Engineers in the 0705 and 0704 river hexes continued to push troops across but were nw under direct infantry and rmor fire while the US brigade commander directed defensive fire from infantry in the town hexes at 0804 and 0803. A slug fest was developig, one I just ran out of time to play out. Good game.

One small issue with the scenario is that the large Soviet reinforcement group is to come in on the east edge of the board. Since the US forces are south of the river, I presumed that the Soviets entered the east edge of the board north of the river. This is still devastating without having part of them come in south of the river and hitting both sides of the bridgeheads.

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