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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Viking Attack
Road to Berlin #3
(Attacker) Germany vs Soviet Union (Defender)
Formations Involved
Germany 5th SS "Viking" Division
Soviet Union 232nd Guards Rifle Regiment
Soviet Union 34th Guards Rifle Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for RtBr003
Total
Side 1 9
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 9 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.56
Scenario Rank: 379 of 940
Parent Game Road to Berlin
Historicity Historical
Date 1945-01-01
Start Time 07:00
Turn Count 28
Visibility Day
Counters 172
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 3
Maps 4: 16, 17, 18, 19
Layout Dimensions 86 x 56 cm
34 x 22 in
Play Bounty 135
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 9
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Berlin Base Game
Introduction

On the right flank of the Death's Head division, The "Germanic" volunteers of the SS "Viking" Panzer Division struck at the town of Agostyan. As with the other attacks, Hungarian military intelligence had done excellent work identifying Soviet formations, and once again the attack went in at the junction between two enemy sectors.

Conclusion

Thanks to greater force concentration and more defensible terrain, 34th Guards Rifle held its lines. But Viking's attack shredded the Guards regiment on the 34th's northern flank, and the SS men plunged forward toward Budapest. It was an auspicious beginning to an ultimately fruitless offensive.


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)
  • 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).
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

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

Display Errata (6)

6 Errata Items
Scen 3

There are only five (5) Soviet Guards ATRs, rather than six (6).

(nbisada on 2017 May 29)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 424

The reduced direct fire value of the SS HMG is 5-5 in Beyond Normandy and Road to Berlin.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 408

The Units in Beyond Normandy were misprinted with a movement factor of 5. The movement factor should be 8.

(rerathbun on 2012 Mar 21)
Overall balance chart for 408

Liberation 1944's counters are mislabeled 'PzIVF2.' The counter's ratings are correct (Armor 5, Move 8, DF 11-6, AT 6-8).

(rerathbun on 2014 Feb 14)
Overall balance chart for 912

Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (2)

Like an axe splitting hairs
Author GeneSteeler
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2010-07-01
Language English
Scenario RtBr003

German Strategy/Thoughts: Charge, overwhelm and get through as quickly as possible. Soviet off-board artillery can only reach the southern maps, so keep trucks to the north if possible. We can either advance through the north town, woods, centre or south. North town – will slow us down too much. As will the woods. Therefore go for the centre. Infantry to walk beside trucks to avoid being decimated by anti-tank fire. Will send APCs through the woods for protection.

Soviet Strategy: If we can slow the Germans down enough, then it will allow time for the guards to move up and get in their way. Pray. A Lot.

Note: Score will be denoted by (x-y), where x=Soviet casualties, y=German casualties.

The Battle

0700

German advance begins. Soviet AT Guns ineffective against the PzIVHs. Soviets respond with some artillery and moving their T-34s into sight (in the north).

0715 - 0730

Hetzers in the west get first fire and reduce a T-34 platoon. Return fire just fails to penetrate the Hetzer’s armour.

Hetzers fire again and reduce the second T-34 platoon. German infantry advances and the Soviet AT Gun is overrun.

Soviet artillery claims the first German casualty after their AT Gun battery just misses the PzIVH platoon (7-1)

0745

German artillery slams into the Soviet defenders on the north side of the hill. (9-1)

Hetzers advance to the north to line up the demoralized T-34s that failed to rally.

In the far north, the Guards are moving south to intercept the Viking Division.

0800

Hetzers finish off one T-34 platoon as the other routs.

German artillery eliminates the Guard’s 76.2mm in the southeast. There is very little that still threatens the German panzers. (14-1)

0815

Hetzers move into the woods out of sight of the Guard’s AT Gun battery in the northwest.

German infantry moves in trucks and APCs en masse towards the east. They stay to the north out of range of the Soviet off-board artillery. (15-1)

0830 - 0845

Germans make a dash for it as the Soviets move to intercept. The closest Soviets are eliminated by direct fire from the panzers which are protecting the infantry. (20-1)

0900 – 0915

German forces begin to exit to the east. German engineers left in the west are eliminated by Soviet artillery. (23-2)

More Germans exit (total of 17 foot and mortar platoons have crossed the map). The Hetzers are too far behind and are getting ambushed. (They should not have dallied with the T-34s). (25-2)

0930 – 0945

Soviet guards assault the German armour reducing some PzIVH and some Hetzers!

A subsequent assault eliminates the Hetzers in the west. (36-12)

1000 – 1015

German armour exits except for a single demoralized PzV platoon. An SS captain calls in for German artillery, but he is killed by Soviet mortars.

The PzV is assault by guard infantry and eliminated! (38-16)

GERMAN VICTORY!!!

Aftermath

Germans achieved victory in half the allotted time splitting the Soviet forces like an axe. Their key was eliminating all Soviet Anti-Tank guns and driving down the centre between the Soviet sectors.

Scenario Rating 4/5. Taking about 2 and a half hours playtime, this spearhead through the Soviet lines was more interesting than Scenario 2. There are also the "logisitics" to consider and keeping the chain of command through subordinate activation. The thing I also enjoy about these scenarios is even the initial set-up is full of choice and decisions. Making the whole experience enjoyable.

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Divide and Conquer
Author NBGB
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2019-04-28
Language English
Scenario RtBr003

This was a similar scenario to #2 Heading Downstream. The Russians had 2 separate forces again. The first force was a partial regiment of Guards rifle with (2) platoons of RKKA T-34. BTW RKKA T34C at this point in the war are nearly useless against armor efficient SS tanks. Especially when way outnumbered.

Boards 16 and 18 had great defensible terrain and a larger Guards Division with OK OBA. The OBA was only able to be used on boards 16 and 18 so half the area. They set up in a strong defense in the big hill next to where the Germans would have to enter and the other group set up mainly in the town at the west edge of the board.

The Germans concentrated their forces right between the board splits Which put them north of the main Russian defense. This area was held by Russian infantry dugin but only 1 platoon in each hex to slow down any incursion around the hill.

the Germans loaded up with 2 armor units and an infantry with leader in same hex activation against those 5 single Russian platoons. The rest of their forces were behind and some where directly across from the other Russian regiment on boards 17 and 19.

The Germans came across only needing 1 hex before they could assault. By 0715 they were in five assaults and at 30 they wiped out 3 of the 5 Russian positions. The Russians did manage to disrupt/demoralize some units and slow the attack down a little. 8 German armor platoons broke through by 0730 and wreaked havoc in the Russian rear. The Russains saw the writing on the wall and moved all of their units off the hill and in to the gap as fast as they could. This looked like it might work for a while but the ground is open and the German armor plus very strong OBA wiped them out. By 0830 the battle was won. The Germans had already extracted 35 steps and only lost 8. The path was open for the rest of the division to move East and there was only mopping up left.

There was some good fun to be had when the Russians tried to close the gap, but they just didn't have enough of anything.

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