Kill Leaders:
Sgt Krafft, Flampanzer II (29),
Sgt Langkeit, Flampanzer II (24)
2Lt Metzger, FlakPz Plt Ldr (21)
Mission Nine:
Date: September 14, 1942
Time: 0900
Location: Mamayev Kurgan Hill, Stalingrad
Mission: We are ordered to support the 295th Infantry by taking Mamayev Kurgan Hill
Support: 2 Btns 150mm OBA, 9 gliders
Aux Forces: FO, 1 Flight Stuka, 4 Pz IV, 2 Rifle Companies, 2 Engineer Platoons, 2 Support Platoons, 1 Bty 105, 1 Bty 150
The Map: The map is dominated by the hill, which is, a hill. To the north and south of the hill are rows of houses, to the west open terrain and to the east the Lazur chemical plant. There are nine VHs. Three on the north side of the hill, two on the crest, one on the southwest side, two to the southwest of the hill and one south of the hill.
The Plan: Multi directonal assault! Spec Ops will infiltrate to the south to take the VH south of the hill. Aux Infantry will make the attack from the north, to take north slope. My panzers and some SS and Aux infantry will come in from the west - and as many of my SS as can be fit into them will glider land atop the hill one Turn 1 after a massive bombardment of the hill. I may even see if I can get Flampanzers into gliders!
Glider notes: Looks like all of one squad each. So All of 1st platoon and part of 2nd will go in that way. Looks like 8 squads and 2 MG teams. Not bad. Wish they were British gliders though
Pregame: Bombardment and all landings go well.
Turn One:
The attack begins! To the north infantry advances, no contact. They are backed by 2 Mk IVs and my flampanzers. To the east we advance as well, and, again, no contact. On the hill Gruppe Porsche, named for the first platoon leader, gets to work. They knock out a 76.2mm ATG, and a pillbox. They also get an enemy FO team. The enemy is stunned and does not react, and a Stuka takes out an AAMG position. The top of the hill VH is taken.
Turn Two:
To the north, our forces start to come out of the housing area and engage an ATG. To the west we advance and Flak Pz long range fire supports the north attack. On the hill, we start to expand the bridgehead, engaging as we go. The enemy HQ is located and brought under fire.
Turn Three:
To the north, the attack gets near the hill as more and more men emerge from the housing area. To the west we lose a man to a mine, and a few more to a MG nest south of us. We'll smoke the nest, so, ignore it for now. On the hill we move carefully, and take another hilltop VH.
Turn Four:
On the north, we knock out a log rifle pit and polish an ATG. On the west, we establish contact with an enemy platoon strength postion on the lower southwest side of the hill. We also take out a pair of ATR teams. On the hill, one detachment starts to support the north attack by shooting enemy infantry from behind, one starts south, to engage AA positions, and another moves west, killing the enemy HQ and heading towards some mortars.
Turn Five:
No sign of the Brandenburgers yet. Even if none of them arrive, though, we'll be ok. To the north, we keep advancing and drive a squad back. To the west, we start to find and engage enemy squad size positions. Two squads are driven back. On the hill, we keep engaging infantry to help the north advance, as well as secure the last hilltop VH.
Turn Six:
We push in on the north, finding more enemy and knocking out an ATR and polishing a squad. We also take a VH. We push in, slowly, from the west, knocking out 2 squads, though both had been reduced in strength. We knock out a log rifle pit with panzer fire. The hill force knocks out an AA gun and an ATR.
Turn Seven:
Team Schirmer arrives. Along the north, we kill off three squads and lose a Mk IV. More enemy positions found. We push in from the west and along the way kill 2 squads and take a VH. We are, though, hitting layed enemy infantry. We take another VH on the hill, on the south, and KO an AA gun. Two ATR teams die on the east side of the hill.
Turn Eight:
Along the north we deal with infantry. 2 ATR teams and 2 squads are destroyed. It seems enemy infantry is moving in from the northeast, so we may have to deal with a counterattack from that direction. On the west we slowly push them back and have both west VHs, though it looks as if enemy infantry may be coming in from the south as well. On the east, we take out a 50mm mortar squad. ** The enemy attacks. Infantry only, and, I think, for the most part, squads I just never found earlier. We lose a squad on the southwest side of the hill.
Turn Nine:
Along the north, we take out a squad, a MG team and a 45mm ATG. An enemy platoon is crossing a hilly ridge, but I hope to slow them with arty. On the west we advance, knocking out a bunker and a squad while pivoting to deny the south west flank. Lt Metzger's FlakPz dies to a mine, but 9 of the 21 man crew live. *** They keep countering, but only manage to lose a FO.
Turn Ten:
Along the north, we take out an ATR team, a MG team, a squad and a bunker, and blunt the counterattack. Along the west, we advance carefully and knock out a MG team and finish off a pair of squads. We engage an ATG and find a pillbox. Along the south, the Spec Ops team takes the next to last VH and a squad is sent to deal with the pillbox. It finds another along the way, so will need to kill 2 of them. We also get an ATR team. Two 82mm mortars are spiked along the west. *** Then disaster. At least 4 Platoons of Guard Infantry appear on the hill. Right at the crest. A hill we've held for an hour nearly. Did they walk up the hill? No. They just were beamed in. As a result, I lose 1st and 2nd Plt MG teams, 1st Plt HQ and 4th Sqd, and 2nd Plt, 2nd Sqd. Elsewhere on the field, we polish off two squads. I want to stress I have no problems with the reinforcements, or the numbers. My problem is that 200 or so men just appeared, in clear terrain, over a hill we held for nearly an hour. Make them make the approach route instead of just appearing.
Turn Eleven:
Let's see what we can salvage. Along the north, we kill five squads. Along the west we move in, heading for the crest and get an ATG and a pillbox as well as a squad. *** They attack, and finish off a core engineer squad and we kill a squad. SFMB.
Turn Twelve:
We attack in the north and sweep over the ridge. Six squads fall, and 16 prisoners are taken. Aid is moving in from the West, too, and we knock out a pillbox and a squad. *** They lose a squad in the counterattack. SFMB.
Turn Thirteen:
The fight contiunues along the north and west side of the hill. We knock out three squads and take the ridgeline. Two thirds of the hilltop is in thier hands.
Turn Fourteen:
We continue to attack. Five squads go down and five more prisoners are taken. The mop up is going well, though too many of our SS comrades were killed before it could begin. They still hold the center and south hill VHs. SFMB.
Turn Fifteen:
We push forward, trying to finish them and take this hill. We knock out three squads and take the south hill VH. However, there we lose a Mk IV to a molotov projector, and a Flakz to a Light Machine Gun! And, the crew of another FlakPz bails from Rifle fire! *** They lose a squad counterattacking, and it looks like they lose another in an AI initiated melee. SFMB.
Turn Sixteen:
We knock out another squad and take the last VH, but they get 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad as it tries to fall back. They lose a squad in thier turn and then they withdraw, The hill is mine.
Pow: 22 (36 on the campaign)
Result: German MV 6506 to 1447.
German Losses: 251 men, 4 AFV.
Soviet Losses: 805 men, 26 arty.
Comments: Overall, I liked the scen. Force structures were good, the map was good, balance was good. What I disliked was the 12 to 16 squads of beamed in infantry. There were just too many to reasonably assume they were guys who'd hidden and rallied and attacked. Make them make the approach route, or use fewer.
Between scens: Replacement. All fixed, except the one FlakPz
Next Scen: We've been attached to 71st Infantry Division and orders to take the Stalingrad train station and Red Square.
Alex
