Stalingrad Campaign AAR

[Alexandra]

Someone asked who would do one first - and it's me!!

SPOILER WARNING - DO NOT READ IF YOU DONT WANT TO RISK SPOLIERS!!!
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AAR: Stalingrad Campaign.

In this campaign, I command Albeitung 110, an independent battalion. I am initially assigned to the 24th Panzer Division.

OOB:

HQ, Abt 110
1 SS Rifle Company (3xSS Rifle Platoon. (4xSS Rifle Squad, 1xSSMG34, 1X50mm Mortar Squad), 1 SpecOps Platoon, 1 ATR Platoon, 1 81mm Mortar section)

*Yes, this is deliberate. I decided to play an SS company as soon as Marauder announced that he was redoing the campaign. Note, I don't rename them Elite German Infanrty or anything like that. They're SS.*

1 Platoon Pz IVf2 (s)
1 Platoon Stug 40 Ausf F
1 Platoon Flampanzer II
1 Forward Observer
1 Platoon Sdfkz 7/1 (Mobile Flak)
1 Section Sdkfz 250/7 GrW (SP Mortars)

Initial restructuring:

All Mortars will go into a Mortar Platoon under the FO's command. Each SS Platoon will have an ATR team attached -administratively- to make up for the loss of the platoon mortars.

Long Term Plans:

I plan on getting all the Mortars, eventually, to SdKfz 251/2.
The ATR teams will become Engineer Squads.
The SS MG34 will need to become MG42.
Spec Ops may also become Enginners.

Mission One:

Date: June 27, 1942
Time: 0800
Location: near Kursk

Mission: I must escort a supply convoy to 24th Pz Div lines and report for duty.

Map: It's a small map. Mostly hilly woods. There is a road, a dirt one, that leads through a small village to my 2 Victory exit hexes. There are 2 VHs, that are non exit, on the Map. One is on the west side of the village, north east of my starting position. The other is in a grove of woods on the road between the village and the exit hexes. A smaller village is south of the road near the exit hexes

Additional forces: 14 trucks, 4 halftracks, 6 ammo carriers, 1 Mcy platoon.

The plan: I'll move one platoon of SS, supported by tanks, across the ridge south of the village to secure the road near the exit VHs. All other forces will mount, and/or escort the trucks down the road. In addition, as I have more infantry than trucks, due to the extra squad in each SS platoon, I plan to infiltrate the Spec Ops Platoon into the second, smaller, village.

Pregame: We drop mortars into wooded areas and the first village.

Turn One: We move out. Flanking elements have no contact. Main body advances. Cyclists hit partisan units and knock out a MG team. Main body units advance behind the cyclists and into the village. Heavy contract develops as the enemy has fortified the village strongly. Another MG team is killed. We are in contact with 3 enemy squad sized elements as well as two 45mm ATGs. It turns out we had enough trucks for all my men, given my overland movement, but that's fine. It gives us excess since now we have 3 empty ones.

Turn Two: A pair of ammo carriers arrive to be escorted as well. We expect 4 more of course. Flanking forces are moving slow, that move may have been a mistake. The main body keeps fighting for the village. We are in contact with 5, not 3, enemy squads, as well as the 2 ATGs. However, with a good application of firepower, we finish off one squad, knock out both ATGs, and kill off 2 full strength squads. We also kill half of another one and drive it out of the village. As a result, we've punched a hole through the village - now to get the convoy through.

Turn Three: 2 more ammo carriers arrive. One of my Spec Ops teams - under Sgt Kaptain - arrives. It finds enemy squads in the second village and attacks. The fight is not going thier way, though, and they hope help arrives. Flanking forces advance with no contact. Main body advances. The cyclists secure the grove, and the lead track races down the road, towards Team Kaptain - and is knocked out by partisans! However, the SS troops in back cut down the enemy squad. Then my lead panzer knocks out a squad in the village, and the pressure on the Spec Ops team is relieved. We knock out the last squad in the first village and the convoy races on! We get some bad luck, though, as one of the Ammo carriers gets stuck on the road. *** Partisans pop up everywhere!!! They kill a truck and an ammo carrier, and immobilize a flak tank, but two more squads of them die.

Turn Four: The last ammo carriers arrive. We start to withdraw forces even as we fight a running battle with the enemy. They lose 4 squads as we get a lot of the convoy past the ambushes. We also take 4 prisoners, enemy sappers! *** They keep popping up out of the woodwork. We lose an ammo carrier, and they lose 2 more squads.

Turn Five: We get more of the column to safety and kill 3 more squads. *** They just keep popping up! We kill another 2 squads while losing a truck and the immobilized flak tank.

Turn Six: More units clear the area, while 3 more enemy squads die. *** They lose two more squads as they keep attacking what's left on the map.

Turn Seven: We kill off three more squads, and hopefully the enemy is nearly all dead. *** They lose another squad in a counterattack.

Turn Eight: One of my stuck trucks gets moving again and we finish a squad.

Turn Nine: Another truck gets repaired.

Turn Ten - Thirteen: No more enemy arrive and we bug.

Scen ends one turn early. I have 1 truck and 3 platoon on the map.

Results: German MV: 12070 to 3410. I only wonder how they got 3410 points .

German Losses: 57 men, 4 trucks, 1 track, 1 flak tank.
Soviet Losses: 227 men, 2 ATG.

Comments: Excellent scen!! Right length, right kind of map. Just a big enough OOB to make it interesting. The scen felt like a running battle. I never knew where the enemy would pop up, which was very cool, but there was nothing cheesy about where they did. Very well done, and a great start to the campaign. I only wish I woulda got a DV, but, oh well!

I did rescue my flak tank crew. Also, my flanking move, while not getting anywhere ended up working well as I was able to keep most of the ammo carriers safe. My workhorse units were the Flaktanks and the Flampanzers.

Between scens: All 3 50mm mortar squads upgraded to SdKfz 251/2. 2nd and 3rd SS Platoons MG 34s upgraded to MG42s.


Next mission: As the spearhead for 24th Panzer Division, we are tasked on a seek and destroy mission. We are to drive east, destroy any elements of 40th Soviet Army we encounter, and secure all objectives assingned, including the village of Jessrossinokiwa.


Alex
Brady Blew it. Missed 2 easy TDs, and gave them one. 5-5 now.....but, we were last year when the run started!!

[Supervisor]

Man I mean Mam, that's not fair I haven't gotten a chance to play revised version yet. Save some baddies for the rest of us.

[BryanMelvin]

Way to go Alex! The Ammo Trucks are worth over 200 points each and must be exited to win - that is what gave you all the points. 200 x 3 = 600 points per truck exited and 600 points to the AI if you lose one

Battle two is designed to increase units experience and is an easy battle to win

[Alexandra]

Kill Leaders:

Sgt Langkeit, FlamPanzer II (4)
1Lt Kortenhaus, Stug Plt; Sgt Krafft ,FlamPanzer II, 1Lt Letzelder, FlakPz Plt (3)


Mission Two:

Date: June 29, 1942
Time: 0900
Location: The Don Basin

Mission: As the spearhead for 24th Panzer Division, we are tasked on a seek and destroy mission. We are to drive east, destroy any elements of 40th Soviet Army we encounter, and secure all objectives assigned, including the village of Jessrossinokiwa.

Between Mission Ooops! : In my haste to upgrade, I forgot to rebuild my one lost Flakpanzer

The Map: It's a different sort of map. First, east is up, so I'll be moving bottom to top. The majority terrain is opem, with plenty of woods. There is a dirt road as well. And, the map is more than one screen in size, so it's a big one. We have three sets of objectives. The first are a hill and road juction to the west of the village. The second is Jessrossinokiwa itself. The third as are spread out. They are a hill just north of Jess, a road through a swamp to the northeast of it, and the road leading on. I expect to hit Russians well before the first set of objectives, though, as there is a unnamed village along my advance route.

Aux Forces: 1 Mcy Platoon, 1 Armored Car Platoon, 12 tracks, 10 trucks, 2 Flak Pz, 2 81mm mortars, 1 Beob, and 2 Pz IVf.

The plan: Advance and destroy. SpecOps Platoon will be given the swamp road to secure.

Turn One: We start our advance to the east. We kill 2 BT-7Ms and have a scout car damaged.

Turn Two: Lead elements reach the nameless village and discover a dug in Valentine in a good location. We'll call mortars down on it to try and suppress it. Or so was my plan. However, none of my mortars are ready, so we may just have to bull rush it next turn.

Turn Three: Two VHs have appeard in Nameless Village. We discover a second Valentine and careful probing has put some of my recon elements on the far side of the village as a tripwire and early warning element. The first Valentine is killed by HQ, 1st Platoon using a Panzerwerfermine. The second gets taken out by an attached Mk IV. We take one of the new VHs and run into two infantry squads. We kill one off, but have a scout car immobilized.

Turn Four: The advance slows to a crawl as we are forced to creep though NV. We kill the second squad we found last turn off, and find an engage another. We have a Stug break down while moving through an orchard.

Turn Five: We finish the squad we knew about and find and kill another as well as a MG team. NV seems clear and we race east. We have a core Mk IV break down.

Turn Six: Sgt Kaptain's SpecOps team arrives. He seems to be the best of my SpecOps Squad leaders as he quickly secures the objective. The main body moves on, leaving the remnants of an Mcy squad and the three stuck vehicles to 'hold' NV.

Turn Seven: Team Schirmer arrives to reinforce Kaptain. That part of the front is secure for the moment. The main body races east and 1500 meters down the road the lead scout car is killed by an enemy light tank. A second one is nearby, and I have to figure out how to kill those T-50s. My panzer's are coming up, maybe I can wait and deal with them that way. We'll try and ko them with infantry first, though.

Turn Eight: First Platoon starts to move in on the tanks, but is not in position yet. Other units advance along the road. *** The enemy tanks counterattack and we lose a track.

Turn Nine: We kill one T-50 with a Stug and that tank, plus 1st Platoon moves to hunt the other. The others advance towards the hill and road junction until my last recon car comes under fire from a light AA gun on the hill. We're moving too slowly, perhaps. I suppress it with a Flaktank and a Stug. Then I pound it with 5 Mk IVs. In addition, we'll hit it with fire from 2 mortar tracks. ** An enemy platoon sized counterattack hits NV. Oh, well. We lose a stuck Mk IV.

Turn Ten: I decide I have to send 3rd Platoon and some flame tanks back to NV. In the meantime, we knock out the other T-50. We use a ton of firepower to knock out the AA gun, but it gets my last mobile scout car first. In NV, we kill an overstrength MG team. Seems Marauder's using that trick once more *** It's a 2 platoon counterattck at NV now.

Turn Eleven: We take the hill and road junction to the west of Jess and start to set up 2 Mortar parks to support the attack on the village. We lose a track to mines. In NV, nothing happens. Our conterattack there will start soon. *** Enemy infantry with SP ATG support attack from Jess, and a pair of tanks come in from the north. In NV, my immobile scout car fixes itself!

Turn Twelve: We kill an SU-12 with direct mortar fire. Then we push towards and into the village killing another SU-12 and an ATR team as we move. One of the T-28s from the north is killed. So, at the moment I have 2nd Platoon with most of my support moving into Jess, 1st Platoon and a Stug moving along trails to take the hill north of Jess and then become a flank attack on the town, and the NV force. Speaking of NV, there is at least a rifle company inside the town now, and we kill a squad of it. *** The enemy loses a second T-28.

Turn Thirteen: We have an enemy platoon in the area of the Jess train station, and a company in NV. In NV, the counterattack starts well, with the enemy losing 2 squads and a recon team. With the main body, 1st Platoon, along with 2 Stug's and a Flak Pz take the north hill. They kill tank crewmen and an ATR team and disrupt an enemy infantry movement towards the hill. Also, a small force knocks out an AAMG and takes the small hill to the south of Jess while 2nd Plt and armor support kill another AAMG and a squad at the train station and push three more squads back. Both mortar parks are set up. *** The enemy loses a squad in NV and another on North hill. 2 more enemy squads enter the fray at the station.

Turn Fourteen: This battle is well spread and wide open. In NV, though, we kill three more squads with flamethrowers mostly. Flame tanks are very useful toys! On North Hill we kill another squad and a small element (1 Stug, 2 track mounted squads, and a FlakPz) move towards Jess with the rest holding the hill. We also kill three more squads around the station. *** They get a squad finished off countering at the station.

Turn Fifteen: In NV, the counter attack goes well, 4 more enemy squads, 1 recon team, and a MG team are killed. In Jess both attacks move on. 40 percent of the village is in our hands, and we kill a squad. A Mk IV and a FlakPz, from South Hill, are skirting the village to try and get to the far east VH. *** They lose 2 more squads, one in each village.

And the scen ends in a Draw!!! 3189 to 1752, me. I thought I had 3!!! more turns. Even one more would have given me 400 more and them 400 less VPs. Even if was only 16 turns, that ending one turn early thing needs to be fixed.

Comments: Very cool scen, even with the premie ending. I think the counter attacking forces at NV could be better used elsewhere by the Soviets, though. Still, map is cool, scale is right, forces on both sides feel right for the missions, size wise. Well done. Lol, they only had 5 squads left on the map, and the HQ - even just one more turn would have made a huge! difference. Oh well, fortunes of war I guess.

And, yes, I was overly cautious

And, also, feel free to comment all you nice viewers

Lossses:

Germans: 48 men, 2 tracks, 4 AFV.
Russians: 367 men, 3 Arty (2 ATG, 1 AA), 10 AFV

Between scens: All core units repaired. All mortars are now tracked, though 2 are still not upgraded to the 251/2.


Next Mission: A counterattack. I need to buy transport this time, and apparently have 3 deploy zones, to give myself a variety of strategy options.

Alex

[Don Doom]

You will like it. I would give you a hint as to which area to set up in! Not bloody likely:D :p

[BryanMelvin]

Sorry about the game ending early. I fixed this so it would not end early before the release but I guess it still does under certain conditions - you may haved thrashed the Russians and routed remaining units and caused battle to end early.

The scale should be about 5 miles for this advance. The Russian's during this battle were disorganized due to their HQ staff fleeing.

This is a battle where time and very low losses count the most. In the Q & A - I posted informs one that German units cost more than the Russians and explains the AI's end points. This is a different style of campaign

Hint - All the Operation Blau battles - key is to avoid as many casualties as possible. In Stalingrad - this changes..

[Alexandra]

No worries As I said, I moved too slow. I was sensing that at the AA gun and the AAR reflects that. I played it very carefully

I only know what they had left cause I peeked at the map with 'Display Map' on the victory screen. And I ended up wishing I'd sent a Spec Ops squads to the far east VH, too.

I fully expected bad guys to come down swamp road - nice red herring

And my Flam Panzers just roasted the company in the nameless village.

One thing I did notice, though, was that 3 or 4 times a Soviet Squad would move in it's turn, take no fire, and retreat with smoke, as if supressed at the end of it's turn. Dunno why.

Alex

[BryanMelvin]

Originally posted by Alexandra


One thing I did notice, though, was that 3 or 4 times a Soviet Squad would move in it's turn, take no fire, and retreat with smoke, as if supressed at the end of it's turn. Dunno why.

Alex

The Russian units have low morale and experience rates - Green troops

[BryanMelvin]

Alex - I am sending you a patch for Stalingrad Campaign that fixes early game endings for some of the battles yet to fight!

[Alexandra]

Kill Leaders:

Sgt Langkeit, Flampanzer II (8)
1Lt Schweitzer, Flampanzer Plt (7)
1st Plt/2nd Sqd (4), 1Lt Letzelder, FlakPz Plt (4), Sgt Krafft, Flampanzer II (4)

Mission Thee:

Date: July 2, 1942
Time: 1300
Location: The Don Region

Next Mission: A counterattack. I need to buy transport this time, and apparently have 3 deploy zones, to give myself a variety of strategy options.

Support: 3 track platoons, 2 Stug F's

Aux: 4 armored cars, 1 command car, 38 panzers, 18 tracks, 2 88s, 12 trucks, 2 FlakPz, 1 Flight JU-87B, 1 Flight BF-110D, 1 FO, 1 105 Btry, 1 150 Btry, 5 Stug, 6 Marders, 6 rifle platoons, 2 rifle squads, 2 76.2 mm ATG, 2 Sig 33, 1 recon platoon, 2 20mm Flak guns, 2 81mm mortar squads

The map: The map is huge. It's mostly open terrain, though there are plenty of hills and woods and a couple villages. We can deploy on the north, west, or south sides. There are 8 VHs. 4 are in woods, 2 in open terrain,and the last 2 in a village.

Note: More popped up in game.

The plan: Most of my aux forces are in the north, in Sector A. I'll leave that area alone. Well, actually, my spec ops teams will work in from there as regular infantry for once. In sector B, to the west, I'll use most of my forces, with a just in case element of 1st Platoon, the Stug's, and a Flak Pz in C, to the south.

I'll break down each turn by group.

Turn 1:

A: Immediate contact with the enemy. We come out ahead, though, as they lose 4 BA-10s and 3 squads. We also pound an ATG. We lose a Mk IV.

B: Mcy scouts can see a convoy with 4 Stuarts and 2 trucks. There may be more, though. Other elements move in and engage. We kills 2 of the tanks and 2 trucks. We inflict decent losses on the squads in the 2 trucks as well. I'll blanket the road with fire from my mortar platoon.

C: All quiet.

Soviets: They lose a Stuart in Group B's sector. A horde of T-26s move towards Group A. One is killed.

Turn 2:

A: A large scale fight starts, given the enemy attack. 11 T-26s die. We also kill an ATR team and 2 rifle squads. We lose a scout car, but that was to an infantry assault. Nothing was killed by the T-26s.

B: The convoy slaughter continues. The enemy loses 3 Stuarts, a truck, and a squad as we advance, agressively, attacking this target of opportunity. Group B may quite easily be on the enemy route of reinforcement.

C: All quiet.

Soviets: They attack in Sector A. They knock out a Marder II, but lose 4 more T-26s, and a Stuart. I can survive with a 19-1 AFV kill ratio, or even an 9.5 to 1, if one counts the scout car as an AFV.

Turn Three:

A: Our attack continues. We advance and in the process lose a Mk II. However, we kill an ATR team, 4 T-26s and 2 Stuarts. We also finish off a 76.2mm ATG.

B: The group mops up in it's area and sets up an ambush team along the road, while most of it moves north, to hit the enemy in the rear. We kill 2 squads and a MG team.

C: All quiet. Half the village cleared.

Soviets: More enemy tanks arrive. Lee's and Stuarts in Group A's sector. A Lee and one of our scout cars die there. T-34s in B's sector. The Red Airforce makes a strike, but it has no effect.

Turn Four:

A: A major fight starts in this sector. The enemy loses a Stuart, an ATG and 2 squads. We lose an armored car and a track. Not that satifsying at all.

B: We have to deal with a company, or perhaps more, of T-34s in Sector B. They have infantry with them as well. I addition to the T-34s, 2 platoon of infantry, with a tanks and 2 FlakPz's for support move towards the village. We lose a track south of village and we kill two trucks there as well. We also get 2 T-34s in the main fight.

C: All quiet. The village is mostly clear and seemingly empty, though there may be enemy positions in the woods ahead.

Soviet: Most of the action in is Sector A. The enemy loses 2 Lee's and a Stuart, then T-70s emerge fromthe east, and one dies. However, I lose a track here to my own mortar fire! In Sector B we kill a T-34 and lose a track and a FlakPz. In addition, we lose a squad in that sector to an airstrike.

Turn Five:

A: 4 more T-70s are quickly killed and the east is clear for the moment. Along the rest of the sector, we keep fighting and kill a squad, a Stuart, and 3 Lee's while losing a track and a Mk IV. There's no known enemy armor up in this sector now.

B: We wipe out three guns (1 HMG, 1 AA, 1 AT) south of the village. We lose a track to another AA gun, though, as we find a fresh AT and AA. In the main sector we merely skirmished and knocked out a T-34. We hope to kill them on the move, with flank shots, and so we didn't take many shots in our turn.

C: As predicted, first contact at the woods. The enemy had a pair of 76.2 mm ATGs in them to put the trail in a crossfire. But, the nature of the terrain allowed me to slam infantry, via tracks, right next to each gun and quickly take them out. Lt Kortenhause's Stug lost it's main gun to one of them.

Soviet: They advance in Sector B, and lose 2 T-34s and a squad. 2 other T-34s become mobility kills. In Sector A, two KVs emerge from the east. One dies, and we lose a Mk IV. Both airforces make appeaances and do nothing.

Turn Six:

A: We kill off a squad as we try and mop up a little. We have one major enemy concentration left, an ATG and at least 2 squads in some woods. But, Arty is set to come in on them, and then we hit them.

B: We shove our way into the village. Along the way we KO the ATG and AA gun we spotted last turn. We also kill off an 82mm mortar team and a squad. In other action in the sector, we knock off 3 more T-34s.

C: Advance continues. All quiet.

Soviet: More tanks from east and west. We knock off a KV and two T-34s while losing a Marder and a Mk II. We lose an ATR team to an airstrike in B sector, but kill another T-34 there.

Turn Seven:

A: We sweep into the woods and take out the ATG, 2 squads and an ATR team. Now, to deal with tanks. We kill a T-34 to the west but lose a Mk IV. We take out a very pesky ATG in an orchard on the north side of the village. To the east, we get three more T-34s and a KV.

B: We secure the west side of the village, and kill an AAMG in the process. We also kill a squad on the far side of the village, though we lose a track. On the rest of the front we sit, staying in ambush for more T-34s.

C: Group C arrives on the main field to merge with B. They get a T-34 and 3 squads.

Soviet: The only fighting is with thier armor attacks in Sector A. We trade a Mk IV for three T-34s.

Turn Eight:

I'll switch my breakdowns now to village and open.

Open: On the west we get 1 T-34. Two or three more are crewless, but we can't get to the crews. On the east we get 5 T-34s while losing Spec Ops team Wirdemann.

Village: We move in, killing a rifle squad. We find an AA gun.

Soviet: We get a KV on the east via air strike, and get a -34 there direct fire. The east seems secure. All enemy threats are from the west. In the open, there are 10 or so -34s, and in the village a platoon sized counter attack.

Turn Nine:

Open: We get 2 T-34s. I estimate between 7 and 9 left. In some woods, we lose a track and kill a squad.

Village: The fighting here goes our way with six squads and a KV-1 knocked out. Again the Flampanzers prove thier worth. We secure the orchard.

Soviet: They lose 2 more T-34s in the west.

Turn Ten:

I go back to a defense stratgey versus the armor. I'll make them move across my guns and take away reaction fire chances. It worked well in Sector B. In the village we knock out an AA gun and three squads. All VHs are now in German hands.

Soviet: We kill a pair of -34s.

Turn Eleven:

Defense for us as we kill 2 squads and the Soviet HQ. They lose a squad and a -34 countering.

Turn Twelve:

We kill another squad. They lose another -34 countering.

Turn Thirteen through Seventeen:

The enemy makes a series of fruitless attack while I wait for the scen to end. In the process they lose 5 squads. This entire time they have broken force morale.

Result: German DV 20641 to 3065.

German Losses: 185 men, 11 APC, 12 AFV
Soviet Losses: 918 men, 17 arty, 5 soft, 88!! AFV. Wow! 88.

Comment: Another decent scen, though, I think the map's way too big. I think the scen could have been scaled down and still had the same feel.

Between Scens: All mortars upgraded to 251/2s.

Next Mission: We have been attached to Sixth Army and given a general attack mission.

[BryanMelvin]

Ahhh- the scope of the vast Russian Steppe!

Glad you enjoyed it! As you will discover - the last of the Russian old tanks will be phasing out soon and newer and better T34s take their place

[Alexandra]

Kill Leaders:

Sgt Langkeit, Flampanzer II (12)
Sgt Krafft, Flampanzer II (9), 1 Lt Schweitzer, Flampanzer Plt (9)
2nd Plt HQ (7), 1Lt Kortenhaus, Stug Plt (7)


Mission Four:

Date: July 26, 1942
Time: 0900
Location: Near the Chir River

Mission: We have been attached to Sixth Army and given a general attack mission.

Support: 2 Plt Pz IVg, 3 Plt Mech Inf, 1 Plt 88mm AA, 1 flight Bf-110D2

Aux Forces: 1 Section Pz IVf2, 1 Pioneer Platoon, 1 Inf Platoon (mot), 4 ATG, 2 Sig 33, 2 Btry 105, 9 Pz II, 6 Pz IV, typical transport for core, 3 Stuka Flights, 1 Btry 150, 1 Beob, 5 Pz IIIL

The Map: The map is mostly open, though there are hills, woods, and trenches. Most of the hills and woods have a VH on them, though, the main objective is the small town of Kletskohaya. It looks like good terrain for the panzers, though.

The Plan: Again there are three deploy zones. Core will go to B, purchased support to A and C. Spec Ops will infiltrate to the deepest VH. We'll advance and knock out the enemy as we go. Nice and simple.

Turn One:

We advance along the front and have immediate contact. 2 enemy ATGs are knocked out. We have a Mk II disabled by ATR fire.

Turn Two:

We sweep on, and into the first enemy trench line. We knock out an ATG and kill a squad while driving three more back. Enemy KVs are in the area, backing up the platoon. We finish off three ATR teams. We lose a Mk III. My 110s make a run, but do nothing.

Turn Three:

The disabled Mk II gets fixed! We carry the first Soviet trenchline and knock out 2 KVs and kill 4 squads. Elsewhere we kill 3 squads, a Maxim team, 2 ATR teams, an Infantry gun and 2 ATGs and lose a Mk II and a half track. Half of the first line of objectives are in our hands.

Turn Four:

Team Kaptain inflitrates. We press on and knock out 2 AA trucks, a Maxim team, an ATG, an Infantry Gun, an ATG, and 4 squads. All but one of the first line VHs are ours. The Red Air Force makes an ineffective appearance.

Turn Five:

We keep advancing. Another 3 enemy squads are destroyed in a trench system. Along the ridgeline, we kill 4 more squads, but lose 2 Mk IIs. Elsewhere along the front, we lose an ATR team and a Mk IV and kill a T-34. The Red AF kills a 76.2 mm ATG.

Turn Six:

We take the ridgeline and destroy 5 squads in the process. A Mk IV is immobilized as is a track. South of the ridge, we lose a track, but kill a pair of KV's. We take the last first line objective. At the southern most objective, we kill a squad and lose a truck. Then the Luftwaffe does a good job. It kills an AA truck and an AA gun and mostly kills a squad.

Turn Seven:

We advance on. One small group, moving for the nothern most trench, encounters armor and trades a truck for a T-60. We secure the rail line north of town, and kill a pair of KVs to the west of it. We then take the northern most of the second line trenches, and knock out an ATG and a Maxim team. South of the ridge, we take out an infantry gun. We then kill a cut off enemy squad. We then sweep over the southern most trench, wiping out an infantry platoon and it's attached infantry gun. We control all first and second phase objectives. All that's left is the town, a small hill to it's northeast, and more trenches to the north. Enemy armor starts to move in both the north and south.

Turn Eight:

Along the north, we get 2 KVs and a T-60. To the south, I spin tanks, to block the apparent counter attack, and knock out a pair of T-34s. In the fight for the town, we begin positioning for assaults, and in the process take out a pair of MG teams. The enemy loses a cut off squad countering and a KV south of town. A new VH has appeared on a hill south of town.

*Post game note - those 2 T-34s from the south kept 7 tanks here, guarding against a never appearing counterattack*

Turn Nine:

At the north trench system, we kill one, of a pair, of 76.2mm ATGs. Then, panzers find infantry in the stream beds leading to the trenches and two squads of it are killed. We press into the town, knocking out a pair of KV-2s, a pair of squads, a Maxim team and a HMG team. The Luftwaffe strafes some friendly tanks and takes freindly AA in return, but no harm is done. Soviet Morale is broken. (hence SFMB)

Turn Ten:

At the north trench, we lose a track, but take out the other ATG and shove a squad back. In town, we take objective two, and kill a squad, but not before we lose the Flampanzer Plt Leader, Lt Schweitzer. However, we take the south hill, killing an ATG and a KV. SFMB.

Turn Eleven:

We take north trench and kill 2 squads and an AA truck, but lose a Mk IV, with a second one disabled. We then sweep through town, killing three more squads. Only the small hill is in enemy hands. Enemy infantry counters, but only manages to lose a squad.

Turn Twelve:

We mop up and advance, killing two more squads and the enemy HQ. SFMB.

Turn Thirteen:

We take the hill, and mop up an AA gun and mop up five squads. Last gasp counters fail.

Result: German DV 14, 653 to 1483.

German Losses: 114 men, 1 Arty, 1 truck, 5 APC, 7 AFV
Soviet Losses: 755 men, 16 Arty, 22 AFV.

Comments: Once more a very cool scen. The map is awesome, though, it limits the enemy somewhat, and the trenches are tres cool!. Good balance, and a very fast flowing battle. Well done. The KVs, though, were nothing but easy points. They were hidden well, but had no fields of fire, so, time after time I'd spot one wiht a track or infantry, supress it with mortars, and then blow it away with a Panzer.

Between scens: ATR teams upgraded to engineer squads. 2 of the 4 Mk IV specials upgraded to Mk IVg.

Next Battle: We must secure a village, and two bridges, one of them a rail bridge.

[Major Destruction]

I am enjoying your AAR and having played this several times find your descriptions of the action are very good.

Are you playing this campaign with command control ON or OFF?

[BryanMelvin]

Great report!

In the real battle - the KV's were much harder to knock out!

[Alexandra]

Replies in order:

Major: I use C+C Off in campaigns, though, sometimes, I play scens with it on. It's iffy to use like that, as you're never sure if the designed remermed waypoints and all And, I know that Marauder likes little pop up teams

PBeM, though, I prefer to play with it on.

Marauder: I'm sure they were, though, I wonder if they were in gullies with no fields of fire . I really loved that map, it's one of the best I've seen, and with the trenches and all felt like a defended field. How'd ya do them?

Observations thus far: FlamPanzer's rule! That 2 hex range is awesome.

FlakPzr's are very good, too, and my tanks can match thiers.

And my mortar platoon is great - 7 tracked mortars reporting to the FO! Easy to target, easy to scoot

I am starting to wonder, though, how an Axis Minor Core would fare, say Hungarians or Italians.

Alex

[BryanMelvin]

Originally posted by Alexandra
Replies in order:

Major: I use C+C Off in campaigns, though, sometimes, I play scens with it on. It's iffy to use like that, as you're never sure if the designed remermed waypoints and all And, I know that Marauder likes little pop up teams

PBeM, though, I prefer to play with it on.

Marauder: I'm sure they were, though, I wonder if they were in gullies with no fields of fire . I really loved that map, it's one of the best I've seen, and with the trenches and all felt like a defended field. How'd ya do them?

Observations thus far: FlamPanzer's rule! That 2 hex range is awesome.

FlakPzr's are very good, too, and my tanks can match thiers.

And my mortar platoon is great - 7 tracked mortars reporting to the FO! Easy to target, easy to scoot

I am starting to wonder, though, how an Axis Minor Core would fare, say Hungarians or Italians.

Alex

Glad you liked the scenario

..as for the trenches - these were added by Rockin Harry using Fred's map Editor.

The spwaw versions of the KV series I believe is off. I think that the armor default slope settings are off. I would have to check to be sure but I think the real slope angle was close to the slope angle of the T34 series tank. If so, KV's would be more difficult to destroy.

I did not change the slope settings for KVs in game but I was temped too.

This battle depicts, on a small scale, the 6th Army's breakthrough of the USSR 62 and 64th armies defensive line. The next battles are revised battles from the older Stalingrad campaign and you may recognize these but do not let these fool you

They were revised - some should be easy wins and were designed that way. The City Battles things change

[Alexandra]

Kill Leaders:

Sgt Langkeit, Flampanzer II (13), Sgt Krafft, Flampanzer II (13),
1Lt Kortenhaus, Stug Plt (8)
1 Plt/2nd Sqd (7)

Mission Five:

Date: July 31, 1942
Time: 1000
Location: Don River Region

Notes: Each Platoon now has an organic engineer squad. So each Rifle Platoon is: 4xSS Squad, 1xSS MG 42, 1xEngineer Squad.

Mission: We must secure a village and two bridges, and one of them is a rail bridge.

Support: 2 150mm Bty

Aux Forces: Normal transport, 1 Ammo carrier, 1 Pioneer platoon, 1 FlakPz Section, 1 Halftrack recon platoon, 1 Flight Stuka, 1 81mm mortar squad, 1 FO, 1 Stoerwer 40, 1 Pz IIf, 1 MinenPz II, 1 Section Pza Lrs(f), 1 Flight BF-110D

The Map: The map is a smaller one then what I've seen lately. In the center of it is the target village Kondrahov. The village is set in a stream's valley and there is a swamp to it's east. We are approaching from hills to the west, and will have to pass through fields and orchards to get to the town. There are five VHs. One is in a cluster of houses, and I'll call it Objective One. The next is in a stone building that I will call Town Hall. The next two are the bridges, and the last is on the far side of the bridges at a road junction.

The Plan: My deploy zone is the the northwest, and it's a small map. As a result, I think I'll do a slow advance, using infantry to scout, FlamPanzers to kill, and holding the Pioneers and Panzers as a fast reaction reserve. I don't think I'll need the normal given tracks today. Spec Ops will infiltrate to the road junction. But, in what some may call gaming the game, I leave my FlazPz Platoon in the 4 hexes that the game originally put them in to potentially give me some very solid crossfire possibilites. Theses hexes are, technically, outside the German deploy zone.

Pregame: We pound the approach routes, and call the 110s in to hit Town Hall and Obective One areas. I find something neat out. The Pza's are infiltrating, yet, I can assign them targets in this phase. I wonder if I will be able to continue to use them as OBA. If so, that could be a bug, or, a very interesting feature.

The airstrikes come close to killing a squad and provide some very valuable intelligence information.

Turn One:

We advance and a scout car comes under fire from an ATR team. The FlakPz's move south, to try and flank the enemy. Enemy skirmishes in his turn, then a Stuka takes out an AA position.

Turn Two:

Recon pushes into the village, killing two scout teams and engaging infantry. Flak Pz's engage a bunker.

Turn Three:

Team Schirmer arrives, as do the Pza's. The latter move to the ammo truck and set up. The enemy loses a perimeter squad to a FlamPanzer. The houses near objective one are all in flames and an attached FlakPz presses through a hedge and finishes a squad and an ATR team. The Flank attack, though, gets slowed, with one FlakPz killed and second damaged by an ATG. The other two bring the gun under fire and supress it. Team Schirmer infiltrated the Soviet CP and took it out, then took the road junction! Excellent! They then lost a man to a Maxim, got to cover and took out an FO team.

Turn Four:

The pioneer platoon arrives, as does Team Kaptain. We push into town, slowly, driving back the enemy, and killing or finishing two squads. Smoke billows into the sky from burning buildings. Team Kaptain takes out two Maxim teams. Team Schirmer loses two men to a rifle bunker that's facing the wrong way.

Turn Five:

We push in, and finish two more squads. Objective One is taken. We then lose 2 FlamPzs to immobilization, but at least they are alive! An enemy squad and ATR team die. We KO the south ATG but lose another FlakPz to a strongpoint. That attack was a bad idea. The Soviets lose an ATR team at Objective One. I lose the last FlakPz to an enemy recon company! But, I release my Panzers and Stugs to deal with them!

Turn Six:

We press on. A Flampanzer takes out the Strongpoint, and a track of the pioneer platoon gets a sniper. We lose three 'tracks to the vehicles of the recon element.

Turn Seven:

Fighting flares all over the village. The enemy loses an ATG and three squads. They lose a BA-10 and a T-70 to Stugs and Team Kaptain blows up a bunker. The enemy tries to pull a cut off squad back and it dies. Then it rams the rest of the recon vehicles through city hall, and into the sights of the immobilzied FlamPanzers. A BA-10 and a T-70 roast - and the T-70 also got a hidden infantry squad killed as well.

Turn Eight:

We knock out a bunker, and kill a squad and a scout team as we take the road bridge. Two more BA-10s are knocked out near town hall. We also finish off a Mcy squad there. The enemy loses a mortar crew trying to recrew it. SFMB

Turn Nine:

We take the railroad bridge, knocking out a bunker and two squads in the process. We also take town hall, killing a squad and finishing a Mcy squad, and pushing another out of the building. All objectives are in our hands. They lose a BA-10. SFMB.

And, as I hoped for the scen ended, but, with only a:

Marginal Victory! Bah! Score was 3767 to 789.

My losses: 69 men, 3 APC, 3 AFV.

Enemy losses: 371 men, 10 arty, 7 AFV.

Well, this is one I think was a DV, but what can ya do?

Comments: Very cool, again. I made an oops with the FlakPz's, but, overall, I did well, with the FlamPz's again proving thier worth in close in fighting. I've pondered downgradig the Stug's to Flampanzers. Any thoughts?

Between scens: Another MK IV special upgraded to Mk IVg.

Next Mission: A Night Defense mission. Maybe the non Flame Panzers will get a chance to shine.

Alex

[Grenadier]

Originally posted by BryanMelvin
The City Battles things change

[Alexandra]

Bring on the city! Buildings burn!

And, now, to the next AAR.

Kill Leaders:

Sgt Langkeit, Flampanzer II (18),
Sgt Krafft, Flampanzer II (16),
Team Kaptain (10), 2Lt Becker, Flampanzer Plt Ldr (10), 1Lt Kortenhaus, Stug Plt Ldr (10)

Mission Six:

Date: August 2, 1942
Time: 2300
Location: Don River

Mission: A night defense mission. Maybe the non Flame Panzers will get a chance to shine

Support: 1 Flight HS-129B, 2 Log MG bunkers

Aux Forces: 2 FOs, 1 Btry 105, 1 Btry 150, 1 Section SP Mortars, 4 MG 42, 4 rifle squads, 6 outposts, 1 75mm IG, 1 150mm Sig, 2 trucks.

The Map: I am defending a river crossing. The enemy will come, I suspect, from the east, which is mosty open terrain, though there are some woods to the south.

The Plan: I'll deploy my Mortars, FO, Spec Ops, HQ, and Flampanzers on the far side of the river. I'll put a platoon and the panzers and a bunker near those woods to the south, and intersperse my infantry and the other bunker among the aux defenders. My stug's will watch the north.

Turn One:

The enemy attacks in force with infantry. They drive in one outpost and overrun a second. They lose four scout teams.

Turn Two:

First Platoon moves to counter in it's sector and destroys five enemy squads. 7 prisoners are taken. We reinforce the outpost line between 1st and 2nd Platoon with FlakPz's and four squads,and two scout teams are killed between the two groups. 3rd Platoon gets two more squads. The enemy attacks all along the line, pushing his way forward, and, armored cars and light tanks enter the fray as well. We lose an outpost, with 3 men taken prisoner. They lose a BT-7.

Turn Three:

We attack along the line. 1st Platoon gets a squad, and the covering forces between 1st and 2nd get another. A FlakPz bags a scout car. 3rd Platoon gets a squad. Yet they keep coming, and dying. Three squads die, as does a BT-7. But they get a FlakPz, and somehow get a VH by sneaking to it.

Turn Four:

First Platoon is doing well. A BT-7 is taken out, and another enemy squad surrenders, bagging 7 more prisoners. Along the outpost line we get a squad and a BT-7, and Second Platoon gets the VH back and kills a squad there. Airstrikes come in, do little, but reveal -34s. The enemy attacks heavily. They lose a BA-10, a pair of T-26s, a pair of -34s, and an ATR team. We lose an outpost and our most exposed VH.

Turn Five:

We fight back, trying to repel the attack. 1st Platoon gets an ATR team and a T-34. Between the platoons, we bag a squad, an ATR team, a KV and a pair of BA-10s. Enemy T-60s have come from the southeast. We get two of them, though. I order the Flampanzers across the Don. They attack on. In the center, they lose a pair of -34s, a T-26, and a Mcy squad. To the southeast, T-34s join the T-60s.

Turn Six:

First Platoon finishes off a squad, and, for the moment, they are secure. Across the center, we get a KV, a T-26 and a BT-7. To the southeast, we get 2 T-60s, and possibly a -34, but lose a Mk IV. The enemy attacks are slower, and they lose 3 squads, a T-26, and a T-34. The last was lost to a point blank flank shot from my 150mm Infantry Gun.

Turn Seven:

We take out a T-26 in the center. In addition, 2 of my FlakPz's attack into the enemy backfield, and start to engage a 76.2mm Field Howitzer. To the southeast we get 3 T-34s and a T-60 and that area looks to be secure. Enemy counterattacks cost the 2 squads and an ATR team. A T-34 enters 2nd Platoons sector.

Turn Eight:

We get 2 Mcy Squads, an ATR team, and 2 other squads across the middle and retake the VH. The FH is polished off. In the Second Platoon area, and lead Flampanzers enter the fight. They quickly get a squad, an ATR team, and that T-34. Two more squads get gunned down as the enemy seems to falter. We, however, lose an outpost. SFMB.

Turn Nine:

In Third Platoon's sector, the Flampanzer's hunt and 3 enemy squads are destroyed. In the center we get a Mcy squad and my raiders get a 120mm mortar, by killing off it's crew, and take another under fire. SFMB.

Turn Ten:

We mop up 2 Rifle Squads, and 2 Mcy Squads. We also find a non-recapturable 20 VH hex the Soviets have. So, they won't end the scen early, but there's only 1 turn to go.

By the way, that is a very good design bit there - that 20 point VH!

Lol! Or not! We win a DV 8395 to 557.

We lose 81 men and 2 AFV. They lose 876 men and 30 AFV!!! Wow, I had no idea, really, there were that many tanks. I guess I don't keep a running mental tally. So, an Infantry Battaltion gone, and maybe a small battalion of tanks as well. Not bad.

And, of course we take 14 Pow's, my first of the campaign.

Comments: Very cool. My bunkers didn't help much, because of visibility and smoke, but, I think the defense was solid.

Between Scens: Loot!!! As we killed the crew, and not the weapon, I'm gonna claim that 120mm mortar as battlefield spoils and upgrade? one of my SP mortars to it. I lose mobility, true, with that one tube, but gain hitting power, which may matter in the city. To do this, though, I have to leave the Mk IV down. Hey, Marauder, if I'm put into reserve, how come I only get 85 repair points?

Next Mission: We must take the airfield at Gumrak. (This is the Flak Girls scen. Having read about this battle in a few sources, I find it intersting as the female AA gunnes had not been trained to engage ground targets, and, IRL, were very ineffective vs the Panzers, yet, were honored by the Germans - the only unit, IMO, that was in the Stalingrad area. It's been recently estimated by Russian archivists that 1,000,000 women served, in all branches of the Red Army, in WW2, including armor and infantry. I know of at least one book written by one of them, but, I can't recall the title, and have not yet been able to get it. I also know of one woman who won the Hero of the Soviet Union, in the Crimea, by grabbing the Maxim MG of her platoon after the gunners went down, and leading a charge against a German unit to stabilize a position.)


Alex

[BryanMelvin]

Another fine report!

Yes - there are a few DV battles factored in - oh the joys of Math at work

Believe it or not - the Gals manning the Flak guns are Green! but they sure can shoot!

Hint to why--

What was that bible verse? Paraprased from Proverbs- "it is better to hide in the attic than to face an angry woman"

May apply to next battle