Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Road to Berlin #57

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 > RtBr057

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Heroine of the Soviet Union Road to Berlin #57
(Defender) Germany	vs	Soviet Union (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Germany		309th "Berlin" Infantry Division
Soviet Union		23rd Guards Rifle Division

	Total
Side 1	1
Draw	0
Side 2	0

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

Parent Game	Road to Berlin
Historicity	Historical
Date	1945-04-16
Start Time	17:00
Turn Count	20
Visibility	Day & Night
Counters	111
Net Morale	1
Net Initiative	2
Maps	2: 14, 19
Layout Dimensions	56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in
Play Bounty	112
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	1
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Rural Assault

Conditions
Entrenchments
Off-board Artillery
Terrain Mods

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Berlin	Base Game

Introduction
For its part of the final offensive, the 3rd Shock Army faced a heavily-fortified sector near the town of Letschin. When the 52nd Guards Rifle Division faltered, the 23rd Guards Rifle moved through its lines to resume the attack. The tough veterans recruited along Russia's Arctic coast stormed through the Nazi lines and ran into a heavily defended railroad embankment. Maj. Gen. P.M. Safarenko ordered his 63rd Guards Rifle Regiment to breach the line, but the commander of the lead company fell dead and the riflemen halted. "Is this woman's work?" screamed the company's female party organizer, Senior Sgt. L.S. Kravets. Pistol in hand, she started up the slope alone. The Guards followed.

Introduction

For its part of the final offensive, the 3rd Shock Army faced a heavily-fortified sector near the town of Letschin. When the 52nd Guards Rifle Division faltered, the 23rd Guards Rifle moved through its lines to resume the attack. The tough veterans recruited along Russia's Arctic coast stormed through the Nazi lines and ran into a heavily defended railroad embankment. Maj. Gen. P.M. Safarenko ordered his 63rd Guards Rifle Regiment to breach the line, but the commander of the lead company fell dead and the riflemen halted. "Is this woman's work?" screamed the company's female party organizer, Senior Sgt. L.S. Kravets. Pistol in hand, she started up the slope alone. The Guards followed.

Conclusion
The Guards took heavy casualties, but topped the embankment and the German defense collapsed. "We were going to survive!" recalled German veteran Friedrich Schneck. "Where the order actually came from, no one could say. We got up and left that untenable position." Or to translate the euphemisms, the Germans dropped their weapons and fled in panic to the village of Sietzing, where the company cook rallied them and organized an ad-hoc defense.

Conclusion

The Guards took heavy casualties, but topped the embankment and the German defense collapsed. "We were going to survive!" recalled German veteran Friedrich Schneck. "Where the order actually came from, no one could say. We got up and left that untenable position." Or to translate the euphemisms, the Germans dropped their weapons and fled in panic to the village of Sietzing, where the company cook rallied them and organized an ad-hoc defense.

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 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).

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
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).

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader Towed

Heer

Foot

Leader

Towed

Soviet Union Order of Battle

Army (RKKA)
Mechanized

Guards
Foot Leader Mechanized

Guards

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
	The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Little Alamoes on a Foggy Field

Author	PaperTiger
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2012-04-13
Language	English
Scenario	RtBr057

Knowing the overwhelming force that the Soviets were going to throw at them, the Germans abandoned any notion of defense in depth. Rather, they entrenched on the railroad embankment and waited. The German reserve consisted of two platoons posted behind the center of the position. Any other help would have to come, as the battle shaped up, from relatively unaffected areas of the line. The Germans planned to make use of the coming darkness to slip units further to the west, forcing the Soviets to play a deadly form of hide and seek.

The Soviets decided to first hit the center of the line, making it hard for the Germans to determine which flank to reinforce from. These forces would begin to take German positions from center to right, and also stop the Germans from reinforcing. Once the engagement began, the rest of the Soviet force would move in on the far right and begin to roll up German positions from right to center.

The first round of Soviet OBA took out an entrenched AT position and demoralized a GREN platoon. This effectively cut the badly stretched German line in two. It was also to be the last thing that went right for the Soviets.

There were two factors that affected the outcome of this action:

1) Once engaged in combat, the Germans fought like lions. When assaults took place, the Germans would survive and disrupt and demoralize vastly superior Soviet numbers. The two platoons at the extreme left of the German line, through the calling in of OBA and direct fire, managed to stop the entire Soviet right dead in its tracks.

2) The Fog of War rolled in often and early. There were often times when there were only a handful of activations before the turn shut down. Assaults were prolonged and the many disrupted and demoralized units did not get a chance to rally. Every shutdown was help for the Germans and trouble for the Soviets.

Had the battle been prolonged much longer, it would have gone easily to the Soviets. The Germans were simply running out of soldiers. However at the end of the action, the Soviets had not achieved their VC's.

The Germans won, but there were precious few left to celebrate.

If you're looking for a slam-bang engagement, where someone hollers "Charge" and lots of units go into a no-holds-barred battle, try this one.

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