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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Into the Breach
Sinister Forces #3
(Attacker) Germany vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 10th Panzer Division
Soviet Union 42nd NKVD Rifle Brigade
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for SiFo003
Total
Side 1 7
Draw 0
Side 2 2
Overall Rating, 8 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.25
Scenario Rank: 596 of 940
Parent Game Sinister Forces
Historicity Historical
Date 1941-07-07
Start Time 09:30
Turn Count 10
Visibility Day
Counters 67
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 3: 1, 5, 6
Layout Dimensions 84 x 43 cm
33 x 17 in
Play Bounty 127
AAR Bounty 159
Total Plays 9
Total AARs 3
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Eastern Front Maps + Counters
Sinister Forces Base Game
Introduction

As German panzer divisions began their headlong advance on Smolensk, the Red Army desperately tried to slow them down. Though the Soviets still fought hard, the Germans held many advantages, especially when they found the boundaries between major Soviet formations. Poor command coordination made the flanks of Soviet corps and armies vulnerable to German mobile attackers. When a German panzer division began to penetrate the uncovered gap between 2nd Rifle Corps (part of 20th Army) and 20th Mechanized Corps (from 13th Army)northwest of Mogilev, the rifle corps command quickly hurled an NKVD unit into the breach to at least slow them down.

Conclusion

The NKVD troops proved willing to fight, but unable to stop the oncoming panzers. With very little anti-tank capability, the party's enforcers could not hold their lines and the Germans smashed a gaping hole in the Soviet position. The German advance continued almost unimpeded.


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
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Motorized
Soviet Union Order of Battle
Army (RKKA)
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
NKVD
  • Towed

Display Errata (5)

5 Errata Items
Scen 3

10 turns.

(Shad on 2010 Apr 29)
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 486

The Pz IVe appearing in the original Panzer Grenadier game had an Anti tank value of 4-7. As of Afrika Korps (2002), continuing onward through the 3rd and 4th edition games, the anti tank value has been 4-4.

(plloyd1010 on 2016 Jul 25)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 993

Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (3)

Through the Breach
Author Retiredgrunt17
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2017-12-20
Language English
Scenario SiFo003

The Soviets moved down the road with infantry. The AT guns went north and another company south. The Germans got OBA on turn 1. In three turns it had destroyed the AT guns and disrupted/demoralized more infantry. The Soviets, having deployed the Kommissar in the center, were unable to get their units around the AT position rallied. The German armor was all off the map by the end of Turn 5. Major German victory.

0 Comments
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Slow them with what?
Author dricher
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2016-02-13
Language English
Scenario SiFo003

In this scenario the Germans are trying to get their AFVs across the board, while an NKVD unit tries to slow them down. The Germans must exit all their AFVs by turn seven for a major, or exit five by turn eight for a minor. The NKVD must destroy or keep disrupted/demoralized units on the board, six steps for a minor, eight for a major.

All the German forces are armored or riding armored vehicles. They should stay that way. The NKVD have one small ATG, and can only affect the Germans in an assault otherwise. This scenario will go fast.

The NKVD try to defend on the eastern board, setting up the ATG in as good a field of fire as they can, throwing out a roadblock, and positioning infantry to try and chase anything flanking them. The Germans simply roar across the board, then avoid the tree lined road trap, and head north. While the ATG gets a couple shots off during the game, they are all very low probability and amount to nothing. The Germans are happy to use their halftrack mounted infantry as a screen for the armor, and nothing comes close to hitting said armor.

The best the NKVD ever does is assault a couple stacks of loaded halftracks. One assault goes very well and takes out a total of five steps (Inf unit, 81mm, two halftracks). Nothing else goes particularly well, although one other halftrack is delayed in getting off the board. In the end, the AFVs all exit by turn six, most of the halftracks by turn seven, and the delayed one on turn eight. German losses, five steps, NKVD losses ten steps (three by German OBA!). Major German victory.

Not an exciting scenario. The NKVD has almost nothing to use to challenge the Germans. Eventually they were able to trap some infantry forces and inflict one step loss too few, but this scenario would be painful to play face to face as the Russians. Just watching your enemy run by cannot be exciting. I almost consider this broken, except the Russians were just shy of their minor conditions (still a loss). I’ll let it eke out a 2, but it’s a low 2.

0 Comments
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Pointless
Author Markm50
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2022-09-22
Language English
Scenario SiFo003

This scenario is kind of pointless, as the z Germans just have to exit their tanks off the east board edge and they win. The Russians, who are mounted in trucks, can follow, but at a severe risk.

The Germans just have to move east, let the infantry (which is all mounted in half tracks…) defend the perimeter, and the tanks can easily exit.

The Russians have no artillery and only a single 45mm AT counter that can stop the Germans. They do have lots of NKVD infantry, but it’s unlikely that they will be in place to block the Germans for long.

Good luck!

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