Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Tank Battles #40 - Operation MARS #28: Luchesa River Valley Blues VI: Katov's Fire

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 > TaBa040

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Operation MARS #28: Luchesa River Valley Blues VI: Katov's Fire Tank Battles #40
(Defender) Germany	vs	Soviet Union (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Germany		Grossdeutschland Division
Soviet Union		1st Guards Tank Brigade
Soviet Union		3rd Mechanized Brigade

	Total
Side 1	0
Draw	1
Side 2	0

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

Parent Game	Tank Battles
Historicity	Historical
Date	1942-11-29
Start Time	09:00
Turn Count	21
Visibility	Day
Counters	114
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	1
Maps	1: 1
Layout Dimensions	43 x 28 cm 17 x 11 in
Play Bounty	167
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	1
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault

Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Severe Weather
Terrain Mods

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Eastern Front	Maps + Counters
Red Warriors	Counters
Tank Battles	Base Game

Introduction
The Germans had barely hung on to Goncharovo the day before and there was little doubt that the Soviets would be back today to try and retake the town. The riflemen of the 3rd Mechanised Brigade would not wait long. Another hard day was at hand.

Conclusion
By the end of the fighting the 2nd Bn of the Grossdeutschland's Grenadier Regiment was effectively a weak company. The Soviets managed to lose half their tanks in the attack in addition to a large number of infantry. Marshal Zhukov was going to make this offensive work, even if it bled the formations white.

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 Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)

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
Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader Motorized Towed

Heer

Foot

Leader

Motorized

Towed

Soviet Union Order of Battle

Army (RKKA)
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized Towed

Army (RKKA)

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Towed

Guards
Mechanized

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
	The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8". (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	The reduced direct fire value in Kursk: Burning Tigers is 4-4. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Tank Battles #40

Author	triangular_cube
Method	Solo
Victor	Draw
Play Date	2023-02-05
Language	English
Scenario	TaBa040

This is roughly the same as the others in this series with 2 main exceptions. First its even more compact with just one map, secondly the Germans have to avoid step losses while blunting the Soviet attack on the town, without enough space for them to set up or move into (cant set up all in the town per instructions anyway) the town. So really the scenario causes the Germans to hide as much as they can, but dont need behind the town, while the Engineers set up in the town, and the 88 and infantry screen deploy towards the rear board edge in a dug in line.

Soviets force their infantry forward through the snow on the left, trying to join to the road, with the 1 space per turn KVs and HMGs bringing up the rear. Their artillery moves up to firing spots safely in the woods, while their T-34s and BT7s swing up the right and start rolling up the German dug in line from the flank.

Artillery is able to take out the 88s after they pop off one step of T-34s and the 50s eat some too. Eventually the main tank mass hits the flank of the Germans and does a ton of damage until assaults can grind them down. The main infantry push on the left breaks up from op fire and OBA as happens in most MARS scenarios. The snow just slows them down too much, so there is no time for prep fire or really even getting the HMGs to the town at all.

Ended in a draw based on kill counts on both sides. I don't know how you dont reach these levels as the scenario is a fairly direct attack across one map. There just isnt enough space for all these Soviets...

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