AAR - The Strongpoint (Russian)

[UP844]

Russian Pre-Game Setup

Setting up the infantry in the South would mean having no support from the T-34s for some time and also having to deal with StuGs that should be in the open hexes. It also means T-34s would have to move in a possible crossfire to support a southern attack.

I then decided for a northern deployment, in three stacks:

#1 = B* Leader + Elite/LMG + 1st/HMG + 1st/MMG (this stack can deliver 24 FP @ +2 on the building hexes across the road, hopefully suppressing the German defenders before the Engineers and SMG squads close for the assault)

#2 = C* Leader + SMG + Eng/DC + Eng/LMG (this stack should advance and storm the building across the road as soon as stack #1 suppresses the German defenders)

#3 = C Leader + Elite + SMG/LMG (this stack should act as a bait, drawing German fire)

The 82mm mortar has a minimum range of 3 hexes, so it can only be placed in 3,7 as this is the only open terrain hex with a half-decent view of the objective building. I have some doubts about its effectiveness against a stone building and about its ability to survive for more than a couple turns, but since it is there, why not use it? I had to change the mortar CA in the Setup Segment, since by default it points North-East.

The setup hexes for the T-34s are mandatory, so I do not have to worry about them.

[Hailstone]

UP844, Hey don't overlook the rooftops for the 82mm mortar.[:-]

[UP844]

I tried setting up the mortar on the rooftops, since being at least 5 hexes away from the German-occupied building would have implied being safe from fire by 2nd Line and Fsjr squads.

The game does not allow setting up the mortar there, however, and I got a warning stating "Ordnance cannot be placed in Crag hexes" [:(].

I suppose light mortars - being SW instead of Ordnance - can be placed in Crag hexes. Unfortunately, they would be pretty useless against stone buildings.

[Hailstone]

The crag in the rooftops was a mistake. It was an afterthought to prevent
the armor from getting onto the rooftops. I wanted to create options for
the placement of the 82mm mortar. During playtesting that mortar KIA'd
a squad with MMG and with Leader as the stone building hex crumbled to rubble.
[:D]

[UP844]

Russian Turn 1

Russian Administrative Segment

Russian Administrative Segment

Some German units appear after the Setup Segment: the StuH is going to be a problem for the mortar crew and the StuG is properly positioned to fire at point-blank range at any Russian unit moving adjacent (standard Russian anti-tank tactics [:D]). On the other hand, they will have to change their VCA as soon as the T-34s appear on the road and this will greatly affect their ability to hit.

There are much less German squads than I expected: an Engineer with a DC (target #1 for the 82mm mortar before the StuH fires), a 2nd line squad with a LMG and a B*, another Engineer squad and a MMG (target for the Russian killer stack in 9,5).

The SMG squad in 7,5 is meant to play the role of the bait, drawing fire from the Germans before other units advance, so it gives its LMG to the Elite squad in the same hex.

[UP844]

Russian Fire Segment

The killer stack in 9,5 fires 24 FP @ +2 at the German B*/Eng/MMG, breaking the B* leader (I expected better results from this fire).

The 82mm mortar fires at the Eng/DC squad and breaks it (I would have been happy with a Pin).

The T-34 in 1,7 is OOC and prevents the other tanks from advancing. Even though both tanks could smash through buildings, they would also risk becoming immobilised (and to play no further role in the scenario).

[UP844]

Russian Movement Segment

The SMG squad in 7,5 moves in 7,6: the StuG changes its VCA and fires, then the ENG/MMG fires 13 FP @ +3 and breaks it.

The Elite squad in 7,5 also moves in 7,6, takes fire at 6FP @ +3 from the 2nd/LMG with no effect.

The C*+SMG+Eng/DC+Eng/LMG stack Assault Moves from 8,6 to 8,5 and no Germans fire. (I would have liked placing a DC in the MMG hex, but I am not willing to take 13 FP @ -2)

German Defensive Fire Segment

The StuH fires at the 82mm mortar and pins the crew.

[UP844]

Russian Advancing Fire Segment

The C* stack fires 12 FP @ +2 at the Eng/MG with no effect.

The Elite/LMG fires 3 FP @ +3 at the 2nd/LMG with no effect.

[UP844]

Russian Rout Segment

The broken SMG squad routs back to 7,5 (I left the C leader there expecting he would have to rally someone)

Russian Advance Segment

The Elite/LMG from 7,6 and the SMG squad from 8,6 enter CC with the StuG

Close Combat Segment (not shown in the screenshot)

The Russian infantry kills the StuG, but the SMG squads suffers Casualty Reduction in the process.

[UP844]

German Turn 1

Administrative Segment

No unit rallied and no SW repaired

German Fire Segment

The StuH fires at the 82mm mortar and breaks the crew.

Eng/MMG in 9,8 fires 13 FP @ +1 at the Russian so-called killer stack in 9,5 and breaks a 1st/MMG.
The MMG keeps ROF and fires again 5 FP @ +1 with no effect.

The 2nd line squad in 8,8 does NOT fire at the adjacent Russian units, even though it could have delivered a decent attack at 8 FP @ +1 (requiring a roll of "8" or less - a 72,2% probability - to have some effect [&:]).
This is one of those cases that lead me to say the supposedly "ferocious" [:D] AI is as aggressive as a flock of heavily stoned sheeps.

German Movement Segment

No German units moving

[UP844]

Russian Defensive Fire

The supposed Russian killer stack in 9,5 fires again at the B*/Eng/MMG in 9,8. This time, it only fires 16 FP @ +2 and kills the B* leader [:(]. The HMG keeps ROF, but I will wait the results of the other fires before firing it again.

The Elite squad and the SMG HS in 7,7 fire 14 FP @ +3 (the LMG is broken down) at the 2nd/LMG in 8,8 with no effect.

The C*, Eng/DC and Eng/LMG fire 14 FP @ +2 at the Eng/MMG in 9,8, with no effect.

The HMG fires 6 FP @ +2 at the Eng/MMG in 9,8 with no effect; it keeps ROF, fires again and again has no effect.

I expected to see the Eng/MMG broken, to make the assault across the street less bloody. It's time for another Russian classic, the charge-and-melee.

Russian Rout Segment (not shown)

The crew routs out of LOS from the StuH.

[UP844]

Russian Turn 2

Russian Administrative Segment

Both the SMG squad in 7,5 and the 1st line squad in 9,5 rally. The latter has to pick up the MMG it abandoned when it was broken.

The crew does not rally and the broken LMG is not repaired.

The leading T-34 is OOC again [:@].

Russian Fire Segment

The not-so-killer stack in 9,5 fires 20 FP @ +2 at the Eng/MMG in 9,8 with no effect.

The units in 7,7 fire again at the 2nd/LMG in 8,8 with no effect.

Given the limited duration of the scenario, I cannot afford losing time, so the Engineers in 6,8 will have to make a daring assault against the Germans.

[UP844]

Russian Movement Segment

The just-rallied SMG squad moves from 7,5 to 6,5 and then to 7,5. As soon as it enters the orchard hex, it takes fire from:
1) the StuH, with no effect
2) the 2nd/LMG with 4 FP @ 0 (the LMG broke in the previous turn), with no effect
3) the Eng/MMG with 9 FP @ 0, with no effect.

Note (the FP reported in the screenshot are wrong - my fault)

The two firing German units are now marked with Final Fire, so they can only fire at adjacent units in the rest of the Movement Segment.

The SMG squad now can see another StuH and a StuG in the South, but none of them fires in the Movement Segment ([&:] I can understand they can save their ability to fire for other possible Russian units, but in so doing they lose the -1 modifier due to non-Assault Movement)

The Eng/LMG squad Assault moves from 8,6 to 8,7 and no German unit fires, even though it is adjacent to both of them.

The C* and the Eng/DC squad move from 8,6 to 9,6 and then to 9,7 and then place the DC in 9,8 [:D]

German Defensive Fire

The StuH in 6,12 fires at the SMG squad in 6,6: the squad breaks and also fails its Experience Check, so it becomes a Conscript squad.

The StuG in 6,12 fires Smoke (WHY??? [&:]) in 6,6. Really ferocious. Vicious, I dare to say.

[UP844]

Russian Advancing Fire

The Demolition Charge detonates and the Eng/MMG squad finally breaks.

The Eng squad in 8,7 fires 5 FP @ +3 at the 2nd/LMG in 8,8 with no effect.

The Eng squad in 9,7 fires 4 FP @ +2 at the broken Eng/MMG (always kick your opponent when he's down [:D]) with no effect.

[UP844]

Russian Rout Segment

The Conscript squad routs back to 7,6

German Rout Segment

The broken Eng routs back and disappears.

Russian Advance Segment

The SMG HS advances to 7,8 and takes a VP hex

The Elite/LMG and ENG/LMG squads advance in 8,8 and enter CC with the 2nd/LMG

The C* and the last ENG squad advance in 9,8, take another VP hex and discover another B* with a 1st/LMG and the broken ENG/MMG (if the Eng squad rallies, the Germans will be able to deliver a lot of fire).

Close Combat Segment (not shown in the screenshot)

The Russian squads in 8,8 kill the German 2nd and take a third VP hex. I just have to take the remaining six VP hexes to get a Major Victory.

[Hailstone]

I was hoping for a surprise reaction with that B* [:D]