Road to Berlin, scenario #13: Red Rampage

Posting #1

I read this scenario a couple times then decide it looks like and interesting scenario to play. Four maps and maybe about 70-80 units, perfect size to play and manage a quick game! The German get to setup first, so they are more on the defensive, as the Soviet enter the map from the east in two groups, one on board 18 and the other group on board 15. The Germans however, must setup pretty spread out, as on unit must be in each town and only two can start in any one hex stacked together, so they can’t just sit back on the defensive and wait, they will have some serious maneuvering as well. The matchup go like this for the total forces:

• German Armor: 4x PzV, 3x PzIVH, 1x Hetzer

Vs

• Soviet Armor: 10x T-34/85, 2x Su-76

Small advantage to the Soviets.

• German Infantry & support: 10x GREN, 4x HMG, 2x 81mm, 16x trucks

Vs

• Soviet Infantry & support: 10x RIF, 2x HMG, 6x SMG, 2x 82mm, 14x trucks

Pretty close

• Off-board Artillery goes to the Soviet with 1x8 & 2x12 as the Germans have none.

• Defensive terrain goes to the Germans as they get to setup first, even though they have to setup so spread out.

48 turns of fun, here I come!

Posting #2

So far, this is a very interesting puzzle and game play for both sides. The turns are flying, with a low unit count and much ground to cover. In the North there has been a sharp exchange of AT gun fire between a small group of German Panther tanks and a larger group of Soviet T-34/85 tanks. This and some German infantry units has slowed up the advance of the Soviets on map board 18 and on map board 15, the Soviets just have a small road block of German infantry that is now being pounded by Soviet Artillery and a couple of German units of PzIVH armor, that will soon be overrun if they don’t pull back. The Germans many need to shift some Infantry from board section 21 to board section 19 but I must wait to see what happens on board section 18 first to decide. This might be a 48 turn scenario but it does feel like that long at all!

Posting #3

The situation is now this, After the Soviet had some minor victories on map boards 18 & 15 and the Germans had some minor victories on map boards 21 & 19, the two sizes decided to re-gather their remnants and have a go at total victory but neither size had enough force to change the results. Two lessons learned, those Panther tanks have the advantage over the T-34/85’s and never use the Su-76’s in a tank roll, only as an infantry support, as two units together provide 28 points of direct fire against enemy infantry when close enough and against other armor units, that zero armor protection factor makes Sherman tanks look good and that is hard to do in PG.

The end result was a draw as both sides achieved a minor victory. In retrospect I should have put more German Infantry on board 18 during setup and I think I might have been able to come away with a major German victory. I am not sure how the Soviets could do better but maybe linking up both battle-groups and tackling one map objective at a time.

It was a fun scenario to try and figure out, but it didn’t go the whole 48 turns, as at about turn 35 I didn’t see any benefit to either side in continuing the battle.