CG001 - Psel Bridgehead - German

[UP844]

Day 1 - Turns 1-12

My plan for day 1 is getting the village before nightfall, then using the night to re-organise my troops. On day 2 I will go for the objectives before the paved road and on day 3, for the last group beyond the road.

The first turn was spent suppressing the Russian units on the west bank of the Psel: once the mortars and MGs were silenced, on turn 2, German infantry crossed the bridge and established a bridgehead on the opposite bank. A Russian OBA falling with deadly accuracy among my troops caused some losses and - worse - a turn of delay.

After a brief pause, most of the German infantry moved southwards, while some HS (survivors of the Russian OBA) and a leader mopped up the remnants of the Russian infantry and took the first objective on the heights (the house overlooking the bridge) and then continued north-west in an extended line, to provide warning should the Russians counterattack from there.

The Germans took all village VP hexes on turn 7 with no losses: the 82mm mortar on the hill caused some trouble, but long-range HMG fire (with a ** leader) killed its crew. The PzIIIs had a thrilling time when a 45mm fired at them, but it was quickly eliminated by tank, mortar and MG fire (even though it managed to destroy a 251/9 because I was so stupid to expose it to AT fire [:(]).

I had no intention to get into a short-range night brawl with Russians, so the German advance stops here. I will use the night to regroup and to prepare for the morning attack

The HS in the north took a VP hex just before the paved road and set up for the night in a picket line. A lone PzIII stands some hexes back, ready to support the HS or to flee, depending on how many Russians (if any) arrive. The Germans in the village set up in a line at 2-hex intervals, so as to (hopefully) intercept any Russian night attack.

In the first night turn, the Tigers arrive at the north set-up area and move to a central position, escorted by two FT-armed engineer squads: in the morning, they can strike where required.

On turn 11, the night comes alive with a lot of engine noises: the men of the HS in the northermost VP hex look out of the windows and see their worst nightmares came true. Unfortunately, they are OOC and will also remain OOC in my turn, so they will be eliminated by 152mm fire, which will also turn the building into rubble. Before being destroyed, however, they also spot some infantry following the SPGs.

Two of the Tigers move immediately north and take position in the brush line, waiting for the SU-152. The third has a mechanical failure and becomes immobilized. The PzIII L, feeling out of this league, sprints south to join its fellows. I would have preferred dealing with the SU-152 in broad daylight at long range, but I think I have a decent chance to kill two of them in my Defensive Fire and two others in the subsequent Fire segment. Actually, I only killed one per segment and both Tigers were hit even though they suffered no damage.

Nothing happens in the south, even though I heard much noise of marching infantry.

As the day breaks, the Tigers kill the last 2 SU-152s and a lone T-70 advancing in the center of the map. Some infantry is arriving to take the northern VP hexes, with support from the Tigers. In the south, there is a sizable infantry force advancing, but the attack is broken by fire from artillery (for once, OBA landed just where I wanted [X(]), tanks and MG and all the Russian unit are eliminated or broken.

On the next turn,

At the start of turn 14, Germans have 10 VP (Minor Defeat), Russians 16 (Minor Victory).

German losses: 2 squads, 4 HS, 1 leader, 1 AFV (251/9)

Russian losses: 4 squads, 33 HS, 8 leaders, 3 crews, 5 AFV (4 SU-152, 1 T-70)

[UP844]

Day 2 - Turns 13-24

In the north, one of the HS advances to the northernmost VP Hex beyond the paved road (railway?) during the morning and captures it. Three squads and a leader take position in the rubble, and remain there, waiting for the inevitable Russian counterattack, which comes in the afternoon: the Russians easily retake the VP Hex coming out of the woods and overwhelming the lone HS, but they do not appear to be in a hurry to attack the nearby VP hex.

The two Tigers in the center harass the Russian infantry crossing the wood south of them, providing a welcome support to the sparse German infantry. Russian tanks (T-34 and T-70s) attack south of the wood in the morning: the attack is broken: PzIIIs prove useless against T-34s, but they kill T-70 quite nicely. Russian infantry (weakened by Tiger fire) attacks continuously during the whole day through the woods in the center; the most serious attacks comes at dusk, when engineers armed with DC and Flamethrowers retake the VP hex at the southern tip of the wood. Russian losses are extremely heavy, but they take some Germans with them anyway, and I am running short of infantry, with only 2 squads and 3 HS to hold the wood.

As soon as the sun sets, the Russians come out of the dark in force: half a dozen SU-122 and SU-152 appear south of the woods: one of the two PzIII L keeping watch hits a SU-152 with an APCR, but fails to kill it and is destroyed in the immediately subsequent Advancing Fire; the other is OOC and does not react at all. Four 122mm and 152mm are not enough to get the crew out of their sleep: the PzIII remains OOC in the next turn and is destroyed. The SPG also inflict some losses to German infantry (including the FO and its radio, whose last action was calling an OBA on his own location) that was attempting to retake the VP hex at the southern edge of the wood. Someone also retakes the southernmost VP overlooking the village.

Things are not looking good for the Germans in the south: I have lost two tanks and a couple squads, there are half a dozen SPG and some infantry around. To stop them I only have an immobilised Tiger, a PzIII (which has proven useless against anything but T-70s) and the 251/9 (which can fire HEAT, but is a very fragile item). There are three PzIV arriving, but it will take at least three turns before they arrive. I could move the Tigers in the centre, but it will take at least a couple turns and who knows what the devious Russians are planning in the north?

At the start of turn 25, Germans have 10 VP (Minor Defeat), Russians 16 (Minor Victory).

German losses: 4 squads, 9 HS, 4 leader, 4 AFV (3 PzIII L, 1 251/9)

Russian losses: 13 squads, 52 HS, 13 leaders, 3 crews, 10 AFV (4 SU-152, 4 T-70, 2 T-34 M43)

[UP844]

Day 3 - Turns 25-36

Russian artillery makes a comeback at dawn, killing one of the Tigers in the center (!). The other Tigers moves north to escape the next round of OBA and to counter the Russian thrust there.

In the south, the AFV battle goes on for the whole morning: at the end, the Germans manage to kill all the Russian SPGs, though they lose two PzIV H and the last 251/9. I am down to three AFVs: two Tigers and a PzIV H.

Since there is no Russian infantry (but a lot of SPGs) in the south, some German infantry (including a B** leader and a HMG) move west to take the center VP Hex beyond the road and to support the squads holding the northern VP Hex. A few squads remain move east remaining in the woods: once the tank battle is over they will dash forward to take the two VP hexes in the wooden buildings just beyond the road.

In the north, Russian infantry advances cautiously during the morning, harassed by the Tiger. In the late morning, the German HMG starts laying a deadly fire on the Russians squads, which are forced to cross open terrain as they move east. Then, just after midday, 4 T-34s appear at the north edge of the map: they do not waste time firing on the Tiger and start firing HE on the HMG and on the squads in the VP Hex adjacent to the road. For several turns, the Tiger scores very few hits, all of them failing to pierce the armor of the T-34s. The Tiger in the south (which has been repaired during the night) moves north at full speed and joins the fight. T-34 fire routs the German squads from the objective they were holding, but all the attempt to take it are stopped by a Tiger. On the last day turn, the Tigers finally destroy all the T-34s; HMG fire has killed or routed all the squads and the previously routed German infantry returns to the VP hex it was holding.

In the south, a couple HS advances up to the twin VP hexes and occupies them; the surviving Pz IV H takes position several hexes away: should any Russian tank appear, I hope to survive their initial fire (they will start with a lower to-hit-number at this range and they will fire BU, not to mention the brush hindrance). Besides that, one of the Tigers is close enough to fire on the map edge too.

The Russian now control only a single VP hex, but this is a job for tomorrow morning.

Instead of the "usual" night attack, a few Russian Molotov projector teams appear both in the north and in the south, but they are quickly killed by German infantry as soon as they appear.

Three badly needed StuGs arrive at the bridge; they immediately move west, to reinforce the lone PzIV keeping watch on the southern sector.

At the start of turn 37, Germans ha 24 VP (Major Victory), Russians 2 (Major Defeat).

German losses: 4 squads, 10 HS, 4 leader, 8 AFV (1 Tiger, 2 PzIV H, 3 PzIII L, 2 251/9)

Russian losses: 21 squads, 68 HS, 19 leaders, 5 crews, 21 AFV (7 SU-152, 4, SU-122, 4 T-70, 6 T-34 M43)

[UP844]

Day 4 - Turns 37-48

As the day breaks, a single German squad moves forward to take the last VP hex controlled by Russians, while a leader and two other squads move to the illusory cover of a brush hex.

Russian artillery fires on the German 105mm ART that have remained on the east bank of the Psel (I seriously considered manhandling them beyond the river, but I decided such a move was not worth the trouble). Then, one of my Tigers is hit in the rear and explodes (a critical hit?). Four other T-34s and some infantry appeared on the west edge where the road leaves the map and start firing wildly. The Pz IV H kills one of the Russian tanks, but is destroyed in the subsequent fire segment. The lone engineer half-squad enters CC with one of the T-34s and the Tiger up north moves south with great hurry. Russian infantry retakes the two VP hexes and T-34s pin the few German squads in the woods and in the plain.

After a while, the StuGs climb the slope and start firing on the T-34s from their flank. The Tiger kills the T-34 that was engaged in CC and then starts firing on the infantry occupying the VP hexes.
More infantry surges forward, but it is stopped in the middle of the plain by the infantry and long-range HMG (directed by the ** leader). Around midday, the attack is broken, all the T-34 are destroyed and German infantry (2 HS) retakes the VP hexes.

In the north, nothing happens during the whole day: a couple squads try to advance, but are destroyed by the German infantry.

In the afternoon, the few remaining (and broken) squads are chased and killed one by one.

And then, as the night falls, the Russians attack again in the south. A few squads overwhelm the 2 HS and even manage to retake the two VP hex buildings, but they are quickly killed by StuGs and infantry in a couple turns.

At the end of turn 48, Germans have 26 VP (Major Victory), Russians 0 (Major Defeat).

German losses: 4 squads, 13 HS, 5 leader, 10 AFV (2 Tiger, 3 PzIV H, 3 PzIII L, 2 251/9)

Russian losses: 28 squads, 78 HS, 23 leaders, 8 crews, 25 AFV (7 SU-152, 4, SU-122, 4 T-70, 10 T-34 M43)

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Even though I obtained a Major Victory, I think this campaign game is much tougher (and challenging [&o]) if played on the German side.

I reckon I have inflicted 100% losses to the Russians, and their casualty numbers are really impressive, but... I suffered more than 50% losses for infantry (10.5 losses, 9.5 survivors) and leaders (5 losses, 4 survivors) and 70% losses for AFVs (10 losses, 4 survivors). When I played the Russians, I got the same victory level but with much less effort, and at the end of the game I still had 8 AFVs and I lost 7 (most of them T-70s). A few extra German AI units (especially AFVs) would help making life more exciting [:D] for a Russian player.

[Paullus]

Great report UP844. You've had some nice battles there. Nice thought of the extra units. I'd love to add them but the game just can't take anymore [;)]