Psel River from the Russian side

[UP844]

On turn 7, German Panzers and half-tracks have finally crossed the river. Fire from the scattered remains of the Russian forces has so far prevented German infantry from crossing, but this won't last long.

Most Russian heavy weapons lie abandoned on the battlefield, and any attempt at recovering them has only provided easy targets for massive amounts of German fire.

This reminds me of an old game...



A very challenging campaign scenario [&o] [&o] [&o]

[UP844]

Scratch one Tiger...

Processing CLOSE COMBAT in HEX: [ 26, 19 ]

[RU] LEADER: Lieutenant B ID#: 40 and [RU] SQUAD: 1st Line SMG ID#: 26 are in CC with [GE] PzKpfw VIE ID#: 5 in HEX [ 26, 19 ]

[GE] PzKpfw VIE ID#: 5 has been eliminated in HEX: [ 26, 19 ]
CLOSE COMBAT Result: AFV Eliminated

...but there are at least two others prowling around. A few days ago we were discussing about the chance of killing Tigers with T-70s: I am going to find out soon [;)]

The only survivors of the Russian forces at start are a D leader and an 82mm mortar. Some infantry and tanks arrived during the first night and are attempting to hold the hills.

It's time to get some sleep... it's 2:40 AM here and gone are the days when I could play ASL all night long.

[idjester]

thanks for the report UP844 interesting to see how others are doing on the campaign game. The live stream campaign is going well as the Germans, 6 Russian tanks destroyed, 9 full squads and 2 crews vs only 3 German tanks and 3 squads. The battle for Prokhorovka is just entering the 3 turn and there are burn wreckage everywhere..

[UP844]

So far (turn 15) German losses amount to 3 squads, 10 HS, 1 leader and 3 AFVs (a Tiger [CC], a PzIII L [SU-152] and a 251/9 [ATR]. 2 PzIIIL were immobilized in the first day (one in CC, another by a lucky ATR shot), but I think they have been repaired during the night.

Russian losses amount to 3 squads, 24 HS, 6 leaders and 1 crew (basically, all the Russian units available on Turn 1, plus their SW).

VP count is 16 Russians (Draw) and 10 German (Minor Defeat), but the Germans are about to take another VP Hex.

[UP844]

Dawn, day 3 (Turn #25)

German losses: 10 squads, 25 HS, 7 leaders, 11 AFVs (3 Tiger, 3 PzIV H, 3 PzIII L, 2 251/9)

Russian losses: 8 squads, 30 HS, 7 leaders, 2 crew, 4 AFVs (1 SU-152, 3 T-70)

VP count is 18 Russians (Russian minor victory) and 8 German.

The morning of the second day saw repeated German attacks, repelled with heavy losses of Russian infantry. In the afternoon German attacks slowed so much I thought it was time to plan a counterattack to retake the VP hexes I lost on day 1. Then the German launched a night attack with infantry and newly arrived PzIV, but it Russian SU-152 and SU-122 on both sides stopped it with heavy losses (three Pz IVs, 6-7 squads and 2 leaders).

Now, in the first day turn of Day #3, all is quiet: no Germans in sight, very few sounds of marching infantry and no engine sounds at all. I plan to launch a reconnaissance probe towards the Psel river bridge, even though this means dealing with the German 105s emplaced there.

My beloved SU-152s performed very well: they destroyed many of the German AFVs (but only one Tiger) and wreaked havoc among German infantry as well.
SU-122s performed fine against infantry and one of them even managed to kill a Pz IV (firing all of its HEAT rounds).
So far, the lone T-34 m43 on the field has done nothing special to justify its fame.
T-70s, on the other hand, have proven to be deadly traps (for their crews): even the PzIII L is dangerous for them, and I lost one to ATR fire [:@] (and yes, I tried attacking a Tiger with one: firing on the rear aspect of the Tiger at 1 hex, it only managed to scratch its paint [:(]. An engineer squad took care of the beast with a well-placed FT shot, so the T-70 is still around).

Russian infantry suffered horrendous losses (which is not a surprise, given the greater firepower of SS squads), but waiting in ambush for the advancing Germans has paid well and the infantry loss ratio has decreased from 8:15 [squad equivalents] to 22.5:23.

As for Russian artillery, I only managed to fire a single barrage (see note below). Germans seem to like firing everything they have at forward observers until they kill them: on the first turn I lost the FO before I realized I had a radio; the second one was killed by a Tiger as soon as it reached an hex from which it could spot the enemy.

NOTE: I called an artillery barrage in a Russian Fire Segment: the FO was killed (and the radio was destroyed) in the subsequent German Defensive Fire, but the barrage fell as planned in the two subsequent Russian Defensive Fire and Fire Segment. Shouldn't the fire mission abort in such a case? [&:]

[Paullus]

It is great to follow your story UP844. [:)]

The OBA isn't cancelled as the FO managed to call it before getting himself killed.

[UP844]

Early afternoon, Day #3

German losses: 13 squads, 27 HS, 11 leaders, 2 crews, 11 AFVs (3 Tiger, 3 PzIV H, 3 PzIII L, 2 251/9)

Russian losses: 9 squads, 30 HS, 8 leaders, 2 crew, 4 AFVs (1 SU-152, 3 T-70)

VP count is 22 Russians (Major victory) and 4 German (Major Defeat).

Infantry loss ratio (Russian/German) = 24:26.5
AFV loss ratio (Russian/German) = 4:11

The morning saw little action: a couple turns of fire from the four SUs killed the crews of the German 105s; the rest of the morning was spent mopping up the remains of the German infantry from the Russian side of the Psel. The screen shows the map at the start of turn #28: the only German units in sight are a leader with a lone squad, the FO (which is about to receive a heavy dose of 152mm HE, just for the sake of it) and a broken German squad near the entrenchments. There is another broken squad just off the top edge of the screen. Russian infantry is recovering the SW left behind when the initial forces were overrun on day #1.

All is quiet on the Psel river... but I do not think it will last long: I still have to receive 4 reinforcement groups, so it's wise to assume that the Germans are not yet finished.

In the afternoon I will send a fast and expendable unit (the only remaining T-70 [:D]) to grab the VP hex near the bridge, then I plan to withdraw a little and to set up a defense in depth in the village and on the hill, so that any arriving Germans won't have any free shots at my forces, while I will have two fire segments in a row (Defensive and Fire) to bash them (hopefully [;)]).

Here is a screenshot of the bridge area at the start of turn #28:

[UP844]

Dawn, day 4 (Turn #37)

German losses: 15 squads, 34 HS, 14 leaders, 11 AFVs

Russian losses: 10 squads, 31 HS, 8 leaders, 2 crew, 5 AFVs

VP count is 26 Russians (Major victory) and 0 German (Major defeat).

Infantry loss ratio (Russian/German) = 25.5:32

The afternoon of day #3 passed with almost no action.

The German FO (and his radio) were eliminated by a SU-152, which also reduced the house to wooden rubble. The T-70 boldly went on the opposite side of the Psel and eliminated the remaining German squad and leader, while the T-34 on the other bank chased a lone squad with little results.
In the meantime, Russian infantry recovered some abandoned SW (HMGs and MMGs) and deployed to match a possible German attack across the bridge. The AI artillery from Hell killed a SU-122 and some infantry [:o], so I adopted a very sparse deployment in the village and on the heights overlooking the bridge.

In the first night turn, the cunning Germans attacked again... from the east! [X(]. The only unit there, a FT-armed Engineer squad, managed to slow them, even though they managed to take a VP hex. Russian reinforcements (a couple squads with a MMG, a SU-122 and the ubiquitous T-70) came to the rescue, repulsed the attack and re-took the VP hex.

Nothing happened in the north sector during the whole night.

Russian forces are still deployed to face an attack from the north and a couple squads watch the eastern approaches to the village. An engineer platoon with a A** leader stands in reserve at the center of the village.

The T-70 makes a recon trip on the northern bank of the Psel:

[UP844]

Final report (Turn #48)

The morning is pretty quiet, except in the south where the remnants of the attacking force are still attacking westward.

Around midday (turn #39) some German infantry appeared beyond the bridge. All Russian infantry units hide from the Germans, positioning themselves so as to cover the bridge with MGs directed by * leaders. This should be enough to slow them as they attempt to cross. This is a backup option, anyway, since the lone T-34 on the heights and the two SU-152s should be more then enough to stop the Germans. Other T-34 are rushing to join their sibling on the heights north-west of the bridge. If the Germans have AFVs, the SU-152 will fire on their front aspect and the T-34 will fire on their sides.
My plan begins to crumble when one of the SU-152 is killed by OBA. In the next turn, StuGs appear: one of them is killed by a 152mm shot, but the T-34s don't have a LOS to the other. Then, the SU-152 MA breaks down: it has been already hit a couple times with no penetration, but I see no reason to give the StuG a chance, so I hide it beyond a house.
The German thrust in the south has been stopped, so the SU-122 sprints northward to replace the SU-152. A couple German squads manage to cross the river and take the VP hex at the end of the bridge, but fire from the five T-34s breaks both of them. The SU-122 places a well-aimed HEAT round on the last StuG and kills it.
At the end of turn 42, there are no more German units in sight.
Nothing happens from turn 43 to the end of the game.

--------

German losses: 16 squads, 48 HS, 17 leaders, 4 crew 14 AFVs (3 Tiger, 3 PzIV H, 3 PzIII L, 3 StuG III G, 2 251/9)

Russian losses: 10 squads, 31 HS, 9 leaders, 2 crew, 6 AFVs (2 SU-152, 1 SU-122, 3 T-70)

VP count is 26 Russians (Major victory [:D]) and 0 German (Major defeat).

Infantry loss ratio (Russian/German) = 25.5:40 or 1:1.57

AFV loss ratio (Russian/German) = 6:14 or 1:2.33

[UP844]

German attacks during the 4 days of the Psel River campaign game.

Two armor-vs-armor engagements occurred: one near the VP hex in the center on day 2 and one in the area near the bridge on day 4. In both cases, Russian tanks engaged the Germans on two flanks, so that some of their fire hits the weaker side armor.

Thanks to Peter [&o] for the game, to Paullus [&o] for the Kursk campaign and to anybody else involved: Psel River has been a satisfying game experience!

Now, I'll take some R&R before tackling with the other CG scenarios [;)]

[Paullus]

Great report UP844. I'm glad you enjoyed the Campaign Game. I'm eagerly awaiting reports from your playings of the other Campaigns Games. [:)]

[Gerry4321]

Thanks for the AAR. Surprising that the AI could not take and hold even 1 VP. One of them is just across the bridge.