AAR - Storm, Five, Five, Five! (Russian, German & Ramblings)

[UP844]

Turn 1 - Russian Setup.

There is no room for tactical finesse: it is a race to take the bridge.

Basically my plan involves:

1) running to the bridge as fast as possible.
I should have set up the T-34 in CE state to take advantage of the road movement rate; I would have been able to button up if there were some German unit able to fire on them

2) setting up the T-34s in ambush positions in the close terrain near the Eastern bridge approach, positioned so as to hit the Pz IVs from the flank as they move towards the bridge.
Even though I love T-34/76 model 43 (radio, ROF), I have a healthy respect for Pz IVs armed with the 75L and I think engaging them in a long range duel - i.e. beyond 6 hexes - is not advisable. At 7-12 hex ranges, the Pz IV have to roll a "8" to hit (72.2%) while the T-34 have to roll a "6" (41.6%).

3) waiting for the Pz IV and shooting at them as they come into my sights (this would allow me taking two shots (Defensive Segment and Fire Segment) before they can effectively reply.

[Big Ivan]

Go 'em UP844 I'm counting on ya to wreck up the Mark IV's!![;)]

[UP844]

Russian Turn 1

Russian Movement

An infantry squad (the only infantry unit not OOC!) moves at Double Time rate down the westernmost road looking for any Germans. It takes fire from a LMG on the other side of the river, is pinned and stops.

Nine T-34s rush south: they discover a couple 75mm Pak 97/38 and a 50mm Pak 38, as well as a couple Pz IVs south of the main east-west road. Most T-34s stop outside the LOS of the Pz IVs, ready to fire on the AT guns and - when they will come forward - on the Pz IV. The T-34s that cannot move out of the Panzers' LOS remain in motion, so as to worsen the German chances to hit them.

German Defensive Fire

Two Pz IVs and all the AT Guns fire on the T-34s, scoring no hits.

Russian Advanced Fire

The T-34s fire on the AT Guns, just to gain acquisition. I expect no hits and I get none.

German Turn 1

German Fire

The same two Pz IVs and all the AT Guns fire on the T-34s, again scoring no hits.

German Movement

Approximately 10 Pz IV move north-west from the southern part of the map.
I assumed I had a numerical advantage, but I was wrong.

Russian Defensive Fire

A T-34 kills the crew of a Pak 97/38, another fires on a Pz IV with no effect.

German Advancing Fire

Two Panzer IVs fire at T-34s after moving, with no effect.

[UP844]

Russian Turn 2

Russian Fire

A T-34 breaks the crew of the remaining Pak 97/38, others fire at Pz IVs with no effect.

Russian Movement

A T-34 moving towards the bridge is destroyed by the 50mm AT Gun, which does not keep ROF.
Two other T-34s run across the bridge and take the two VP hexes at the bridge ends.
Other T-34s stop in ambush positions, waiting for the Pz IVs to move to the bridge.
Russian infantry moves towards the bridge, taking care to not take fire from the German infantry on the opposite bank.

German Defensive Fire

A Pz IV kills a T-34 that fired in the Fire Segment.

Russian Advancing Fire

The T-34s on the West bank both fire at the 50mm Gun to gain acquisition (and also add their MGs: one can always get lucky, but this time I don't)

German Turn 2

German Fire

A Pz IV kills another T-34; the 50mm AT Gun fires at another T-34 with no effect.

German Movement

Pz IVs surge forward and stop on the East bank as soon as they spot the T-34s

Russian Defensive fire

The ambushing T-34s kill three Pz IVs [:D].
One of the T-34s on the West bank gets three shots, breaks all the infantry in the hex containing the 50mm AT Gun (this means they will be eliminated for failure to rout) and pins the gun crew. [:D][:D] (Did I mention how I love T-34s model 1943?)

[UP844]

Russian Turn 3

Russian Fire

1 Panzer IV destroyed by T-34 fire

Russian Movement

Russian infantry moves towards the bridge, to take the two building VP hexes. T-34s remain stationary and mostly out of LOS from the German Panzers.

German Defensive Fire

The Panzers mostly fire at Russian infantry, firing smoke against the units in wooden buildings (???)

German Turn 3

German Fire

The Panzer again mostly fire at Russian Infantry, even though there is a T-34s in LOS (through some hindrance, but nonetheless visible).

German Movement

Panzer IVs advance towards the bridge, showing their sides for a perfect ambush shot... but the T-34s are all OOC.

Russian Defensive Fire

One of the T-34s on the West bank kills the 50mm ATG crew, the other kills a Panzer IV on the other side of the river, firing at 12 hexes through two Grain hexes.

[UP844]

Russian Turn 4

Russian Fire

The T-34s on the East bank are no more OOC and kill two Panzer IVs hitting their sides.
On the West bank, the two T-34s break the German squad adjacent to the East-West road.

Russian Movement

Russian infantry takes the third VP hex, the building on the East Bank.

German Defensive Fire

The Panzers continue firing at Russian infantry: they break some squads and also inflict some CR, but do not fire at T-34s.

German Turn 4

German Fire

The Panzers continue firing at Russian infantry... I understand firing at T-34s has a lower chance to hit, but infantry is far less dangerous than Russian tanks.

German Movement

Other Panzers move forward (looks like "Aliens"... they are coming out of the walls!!).

Russian Defensive Fire

T-34s fire high hindrance shots (lots of wrecks) with no effect.

[UP844]

Russian Turn 5

Russian Fire

T-34s fire high hindrance shots (lots of wrecks) with no effect.

Russian Movement

A T-34 foolishly moves in unhindered LOS of a Panzer IV and is destroyed

German Defensive Fire

Panzers continue firing on infantry with no effect

German Turn 5

German Fire

A Panzer IV hits a T-34, but the shell bounces away.

German Movement

The rearmost Panzers start their engine and then stop without moving from their starting hex

Russian Defensive Fire

The last unbroken German squad is broken by T-34 and infantry fire

[UP844]

Russian Turn 6

Russian Fire

T-34s continue firing high hindrance shots (lots of wrecks) with no effect.

Russian Movement

Russian infantry moves across the bridge and takes the last VP hex.

German Defensive Fire

Panzers continue firing at infantry with no effect

Russian Advance

A Russian squad enters CC with a Pz IV. The scope of this move is neutralizing the Panzer by preventing it from firing.

German Turn 6

German Fire

A Panzer Iv hits a T-34, but the shell bounces away again. The other Panzers fire at Russian infantry with no effect.

German Movement

The rearmost Panzers start their engine and then stop without moving from their starting hex

Russian Defensive Fire

T-34s continue firing through the wrecks with no effect.

Turn 7

Essentially, a replay of turns 4, 5 and 6. The frontmost Panzers fire at Russian infantry and do not move, the rearmost ones start and stop remaining in their hexes.

[UP844]

ORIGINAL: Big Ivan

Go 'em UP844 I'm counting on ya to wreck up the Mark IV's!![;)]

Mission accomplished!

The game went more or less according to my plan, mostly thanks to the AI that fired on easy targets (my infantry) and disregarded the T-34s. I also worried about a possible German flanking move, with the rearmost Panzers attacking my T-34s from the rear, but the AI never made such move.

[UP844]

I also tried playing the scenario with the Germans.

The AT Guns will play the anvil and the Panzers the hammer(s).

The Russians came straight for the bridge, were stopped by the AT Guns (which killed 3 T-34s, losing the two Pak 97/38 in the process) and then the Panzers attacked them from the south and from the east, killing the remaining 8 T-34s and losing 3 Pz IVs. At the end of turn 5 there were no more T-34s on the map, so I went for a full slaughter and made a massive armored charge against the Russian infantry (in the hex marked by the red X)

[UP844]

This is the final score:

[UP844]

First, thanks to Hailstone for porting this scenario in ToTH. [&o]

And now, what all of you are running away from screaming "Oh, no!!!"... my ramblings about the scenario [:D].

When the scenario is played using the Russians, it is fairly easy to set an ambush and to slaughter the Panzers as they drive to the bridge, especially since the rearmost ones remain inactive, waiting for a direct path to the VPs while the gaps between the woods are occupied by the frontmost Panzers.
This unfortunate occurrence could be minimised by having a AI-only force (four or five Pz IVs) enter from the East edge of the map, so as to have the AI approach the bridge from two different directions.

When the scenario is played using the Germans, the Russian AI has no chance to win, or even to make the German player sweat: besides being outwitted (as usual), the AI is also heavily outnumbered (the Germans have 14 tanks + 3 AT Guns vs 11 Russian tanks).
To give the AI some chance, I think an AI-only second wave of Russian tanks (another 9-10 T-34s) should be added to the reinforcements arriving on turn 2.

Finally, I have some doubts about the presence of 50mm PaK 38 and the 75mm PaK 97/38: I suppose they belong to some second-line infantry unit holding the bridge. The 20th Panzer Division was in good shape at the beginning of Bagration (it had a full strength Pz IV battalion, as well as two companies of Jagdpanzer IVs in its Anti-Tank battalion) and should have been equipped with 75mm PaK 40 AT guns.

[Big Ivan]

Yes Hailstone, Thank you so much for this scenario. It is a gem!![;)]