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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Gasoline Alley
Road to Berlin #70
(Defender) Germany vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany Brandenburg Regional Hitler Youth
Germany Oberkommando des Heeres Staff Guard Company
Germany Wunsdorf Panzer Training Detachment
Soviet Union 52nd Guards Tank Brigade
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for RtBr070
Total
Side 1 3
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 3 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.33
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Road to Berlin
Historicity Historical
Date 1945-04-20
Start Time 09:00
Turn Count 30
Visibility Day
Counters 72
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 4: 14, 15, 17, 18
Layout Dimensions 112 x 43 cm
44 x 17 in
Play Bounty 113
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 3
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Rural Assault
Urban Assault
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Berlin Base Game
Introduction

As Germany's supreme leader celebrated his last birthday, Soviet forces closed in on his lair from several directions. From the south and southeast, Marshal Ivan Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front was moving quickly against light opposition. Near the German Army's general headquarters complex at Zossen, disaster struck Konev's lead brigade when the tanks began to run out of fuel with no replenishment in sight. Suddenly the roles had shifted.

Conclusion

Roaming bands of Hitler Youth armed with Panzerfausts had been wandering about the countryside south of Berlin but had made no impact on the Soviet advance. If unable to strike a tank racing down the highway toward the capital, they had much better luck against the stalled armored giants. The 52nd Guards Tank disappears from Soviet situation reports after this action, though the German command had no knowledge of why the Soviets had suddenly stopped their advance and the 10 dazed survivors of the guard company could offer no clue. Hitler credited the Wunsdorf tank school instructors and ordered them to spearhead a relief attack on Berlin; an order that came after all the scratch tank crews had been killed and all their machines destroyed in the action with the 52nd.


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).
  • 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

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
  • Towed
Schutzstaffel
  • Foot
Soviet Union Order of Battle
Guards
  • Foot
  • Mechanized

Display Errata (3)

3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
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 884

All Guards T-34/85 tanks should have AT fire values of 7-7.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (2)

For a few barrels of gas...
Author Blackcloud6
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2012-07-29
Language English
Scenario RtBr070

I set the Hitler youth up to be able to throw up road blocks on Boards 18, 14 &15 while the German Army units set up defenses in the towns on 17. The panzers were in the west woods ready to maneuver to where needed.

The Soviet plan was simple, stay mounted as long as possible and blitz down the road, dismounting to clear any roads blocks then moving on.

Right form the start it went bad for the Commies as four T-34 platoons ran out of gas in the first turn. They encountered their first roadblock at the center woods and cleared it quickly but more tanks sputtered to a halt. the Russians moved on but noticed the HY setting up a block across the ridge saddle on board 14 plus a unit blocking the approach on the west side of the board. The Russians then engaged the east flank of the HY road block then disengaged to by pass. Another t-34 sputtered to a halt. The Russian tanks moved ahead of the infantry trying to gain positions on the east end of board 15 before the HY could get there. The Germans did get a small blocking force in front of the Russians and the Panzers came out to reengage. This looked to he the decisive point of the battle and the Russians cleared the Surround the fields and blasted the Panzers. Three platoons broke out. But two more ran out of gas. The Gard infantry engaged the Hitler Youth and beat up on them badly. But the lead tank platoon tried a dash around a German Army Grenadier platoon but ran out of gas. So now the Russians only had seven mobile units, not enough to win so I called the game.

This was a fun but frustrating scenario to play. There was lots of maneuver as the Russians dashed and the Hitler keep running to throw up blocks. There was some crucial positioning decisions; all of which made it interesting. Now the running out of gas rule was cool as it put pressure on the Soviets and gave the Germans a good chance; but I lost too many tank platoons to this rule and the game was won by the Germans because of it. Having a 1 on the 6 sided die cause this was too easy for it to happen. A different mechanic that would cause some fuel shortages to occur, but not a majority of the force would make this scenario better.

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Road to Berlin, scenario #70: Gasoline Alley
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2013-02-14
Language English
Scenario RtBr070

I have always wanted to play this scenario even after seeing another players AAR about it being doubtful with the special fuel shortage rule that the Soviet could win but it looked to fun not to try! The Soviets must try to exit a total of 8 units off the north edge of the map of any type, reduced or full strength and they have ten T-34/85s, two JS-2s and six SMG units. The problem is, there is four maps to travel across and the first three are defended with eighteen half strength German SS GREN with Panzerfaust capabilities, when if they get to map four they face regular German Army units with include: GREN, HMG, PzIVF2 and 75/41 AT Guns. To top this off, the Soviet must roll each time one of their tanks moves to see if it runs out of gas.

In the end this was a fun scenario to play with a clear German victory and little hope of a Soviet victory which I cut short after it was clear they no longer had eight units that could exit the map but it was still fun to try it out!

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