Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Road to Berlin #38

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

PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > RtBr038

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Flemings Sabred Road to Berlin #38
(Defender) Germany	vs	Soviet Union (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Germany		27th SS Volunteer "Langemarck" Grenadier Division
Soviet Union		16th Guards Cavalry Division

	Total
Side 1	0
Draw	1
Side 2	2

Overall Rating, 3 votes
5 4 3 2 1 3
Scenario Rank: --- of 940

Parent Game	Road to Berlin
Historicity	Historical
Date	1945-02-19
Start Time	08:00
Turn Count	20
Visibility	Day
Counters	51
Net Morale	1
Net Initiative	3
Maps	2: 15, 17
Layout Dimensions	56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in
Play Bounty	94
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	3
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Rural Assault
Urban Assault

Conditions
Off-board Artillery

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Berlin	Base Game

Introduction
The Germans had planned to launch Operation Winter Solstice on 16 February, striking the Soviets in the flank as they advanced on Berlin and hoping to isolate their armored spearhead. Col. Gen. Heinze Guderian's bold plan might have had a small chance of success, but Adolf Hitler diverted all but one of the crack, full-strength panzer divisions slated for the operation to Hungary. Then Joachim Ziegler, the stunningly incompetent commander of the 11th SS "Nordland" Panzer Grenadier Division, jumped off his attacks a day early. The attack gained very little ground and within a few days the Soviets were on the counter-attack.

Introduction

The Germans had planned to launch Operation Winter Solstice on 16 February, striking the Soviets in the flank as they advanced on Berlin and hoping to isolate their armored spearhead. Col. Gen. Heinze Guderian's bold plan might have had a small chance of success, but Adolf Hitler diverted all but one of the crack, full-strength panzer divisions slated for the operation to Hungary. Then Joachim Ziegler, the stunningly incompetent commander of the 11th SS "Nordland" Panzer Grenadier Division, jumped off his attacks a day early. The attack gained very little ground and within a few days the Soviets were on the counter-attack.

Conclusion
The Soviets swept over the Langemarck Division, a formation of Belgian volunteers, with little trouble. In other sectors the Germans put up much fiercer resistance, and the attack was halted for two weeks while heavy rains made operations difficult. When the Soviet offensive resumed, they would sweep to the Baltic coast with little difficulty.

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) Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB) 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.

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)
Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
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.

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot

Schutzstaffel
Foot Leader Towed

Schutzstaffel

Foot

Leader

Towed

Soviet Union Order of Battle

Guards
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized

Guards

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
	The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3." (rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)
	All SS 75mm IG guns are direct fire weapons (black), not indirect (white). (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	The reduced direct fire value of the SS HMG is 5-5 in Beyond Normandy and Road to Berlin. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	Direct Fire values should be 5-1. Ignore misprints. (danradz on 2011 May 04)

Display AARs (1)

fun with cavalry

Author	t1M0t8yk (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	unknown
Play Date	2016-04-23
Language	English
Scenario	RtBr038

This was the first time I used cavalry in PG. Rich set up his Flemish SS distributed relatively evenly among the six town hexes on board 17 and dug in to a few hexes adjacent. An exception were his mortars, which he set up in the woods north of the bigger town. The strong AT guns were in the big town, and the weaker AT guns were in the small town. He also set up a Leutnant "Ubermensh" (10-1-1) next to the small town.

My plan was to move in from the southwest, occupying the town on board 15 and hide the cavalry in the forest. Armor would approach the small town, using it to screen the strong Flemish AT gun in the big town. I'd use the armor and abundant Soviet OBA to soften up the small town defenders until I'd pull the trigger on the cavalry to take the town.

The first part of the plan worked well. In fact, perhaps better than expected, since I got off lucky shots killing Leutnant Ubermensch and destroying the weaker AT guns. By around turn 10 the Flemish defenders of the small turn were all disrupted or demoralized, so I moved the cavalry out. The problems were well-placed HMGs in the bigger town and the large targets that are cavalry. My cavalry charges worked to some extent, but I took heavy casualties. Rich was also able to reinforce with fresh troops along the road connecting the towns.

After 17 turns I had the upper hand in one town hex of the smaller town of board 17, and the Flemish defenders of the other town were in bad shape. However, I had taken too many casualties. Step losses stood at 14 Flemish and 7 Soviet. We figured it was very unlikely in three turns that Rich would kick me completely out of the small town, and I would eliminate eight more Flemish steps without losing another. So we agreed to a draw.

I look forward to playing cavalry again. They were fun. Seems like a rural assault is where they would really shine.

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