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Battle for the Warta Line

German Set-up

The Germans may set up along the west edge of the map.

North and south of the village there are some trenches: the AI will certainly place some units there. I don't like the idea of a slow advance in a plain under fire from entrenched opponents, so I opted for an approach through the large woods in the centre, followed by a fight inside the village where the German (supposed) numerical superiority should quickly achieve the needed breakthrough.

The 250s and the IG set up in the south, where they could distract some fire from the southern hill trenches, as this is the only role they can play. The extreme vulnerability of the APCs and the very limited mobility of the IG will very likely prevent them from playing any role in the village fight.

(continues)

Turn 1 - German Administrative Segment

As expected, the hills are teeming with Polish SW. The most dangerous one (and the #1 target) is the B* leader with the MMG, which can harass the German squads passing through the clearing (or at least force them to detour deeper in the woods).

Turn 1 - German Fire Segment

The 75mm IG breaks down at its first attempt to fire. The 250/sMG, on the other hand, breaks and wounds the Polish B* leader and breaks the squad manning the MMG.

Turn 1 - German Movement Segment

The German infantry moves across the woods without meeting any opponents. The 250/1 (not shown in the screenshot, it is just off the south edge) attempts moving forward but is met with fire by two Polish squads who only manage to "Stun" it. Next move will be a BU "backwards redeploy".

If there are Polish units in the woods, they should be deployed in or east of the "?" row and the southernmost German stack should be able to see them after the Advance Segment

Turn 1 - Polish Defensive Fire Segment

Nothing happens; all eligible Polish units already fired in the German Movement Segment.

Turn 1 - German Advancing Fire Segment

Nothing happens; the only unit with the range to fire at the units on the hill is a MMG, which cannot fire after moving.

Turn 1 - German Rout Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 1 - Polish Rout Segment

The wounded B* leader and its squad rout away, leaving the MMG unattended

Turn 1 - German Advance Segment

Against my expectations, there are no Polish units waiting in the woods (so far), as hexes "A" and "B" turn out to be empty. In the next turn, I will give what I think to be the most useless piece of rubbish in game (the radio) a chance to disprove my prejudices against it.

Turn 1 - German Administrative Segment

The 75 IG crew does not manage to repair its gun.

Turn 1 - Polish Fire Segment

Polish OBA falls on 5,19. The stack in 4,19 has a pinned and a broken squad (as these are SS squads with 9 broken morale, reduced to 5 by DM and there is a leader with a -1 leadership DRM, the broken squad has a 41,66 % chance to recover, so I will risk leaving it here rather than slowing the advance by leaving the other two squads leaderless).

The ATR on the hill fires on the 250/sMG with no effect.

Turn 1 - Polish Movement Segment

I heard some infantry marching and the ATR I was supposing to target with my OBA has disappeared: since there are no VP to retake, I suppose the Polish are making the run to the exit hexes that is a classic of breakthrough scenario.

Turn 1 - German Defensive Fire

The 250/sMG and a MMG armed stack fire at the ATR on the hill with no effect.

Turn 1 - Polish Advancing Fire, Polish Rout, German Rout, Polish Advance & Close Combat Segments

Nothing (visible) happens: the broken SS squad stays in its hex hoping to rally in the next Admin Segment.

Turn 2 - German Administrative Segment

The broken SS squad rallies, the 75mm IG crew fails again to repair the gun (I'm thinking about sending them a copy of "7,5 cm InfanterieKanone fur Dummkopfen").

Two German leaders fail their C&C roll; their units are unaffected, however.

Turn 2 - German Fire Segment

The 250/sMG continues its duel with the ATR and pins the squad.

Turn 2 - German Movement Segment

The German infantry continues its advance through the forest, leaving behind the OOC leaders and taking care to end their move outside the OBA fire area. The three stacks containing a leader send a squad ahead moving at Double Time to scout the way ahead. They are harassed by ATR fire, but with no effect.

The southernmost stack finds a lone squad in a wooden building that breaks a C leader and two SS squads, but it is pinned in FPF.

The two leaderless stacks move at Double Time rate since all the hexes adjacent to their destination hexes have been already reconneitred by the adjacent stacks.

The 250/1 backs out of sight of the Polish infantry and stops close to the 75 mm IG.

Turn 2 - Polish Defensive Fire

OBA falls on empty hexes; other eligible units already fired in the German Movement Segment

Turn 2 - German Advancing Fire

The lone unbroken (and tired) German squad adjacent to the just discovered Polish squad in the wooden building fires with no Effect

The 250/sMG #2 fires at the southernmost ATR with no effect

Turn 2 - German Rout Segment

The broken units move away from the Polish squad in the wooden building. The one forced to rout in the open uses Low Crawl to avoid being interdicted by the ATR on the hill (why give a free shot to the IA?)

Turn 2 - Polish Rout Segment

Nothing - apparently - happens

Turn 2 - German Advance Segment

The German squad adjacent to the Polish squad in the wooden building advances and enters CC. It is broken, but its opponent is Pinned so they would likely be harmless to each other.

The rest of the German infantry advances east, sending a scouting squad first. A Polish squad is discovered in a wooden building (the AI loves setting up in buildings) but I think a SS stack should be able to take its fire and reply in kind.

Turn 2 - Close Combat Segment

As expected, the two squads in the wooden building remain locked in CC with no losses to either side.

Turn 2 - German Administrative Segment

No units manages to rally, and the 75mm IG crew is still figuring out how to repair its high-tech weapon.

A couple squads in the south go OOC, including one adjacent to a Polish squad.

Turn 2 - Polish Fire

The ATR fires at the 250/sMG #1 and hits, but the shot fails to penetrate.

I think a SS stack should be able to take its fire and reply in kind

I underestimated the Polish squad which fires, breaks everybody in the adjacent hex and CR'd a squad.

Turn 2 - Polish Movement Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 2 - German Defensive Fire Segment

The 250/sMG #2 fires at the ATR with no effect

Turn 2 - Polish Advancing Fire Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 2 - Polish Rout Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 2 - German Rout Segment

The just broken units rout back one hex in the wood.

Turn 2 - Polish Advance Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 2 - Close Combat Segment

The Polish squad suffers a Casualty Reduction

Turn 3 - German Administrative Segment

The German radio leader and its squad rally, another squad self-rallies and the 75mm IG crew finally realizes that they must insert the pointed end of the shell into the gun breech.

No German unit go OOC this turn.

Turn 3 - German Fire Segment

The two 250/sMG and the 75mm infantry gun all fire at the northernmost ATR squad and finally break it.

Turn 3 - German Movement

The German infantry starts moving single squads using Assault Movement: this manages to place six SS squads adjacent to the wooden building containing a single Polish squad.
Just above them, a German leader is broken by fire coming from the east side of the road and in the northern stone building, a single SS squad comes adjacent to a LMG-armed Polish squad.

The two previously OOC leaders who remained back dash forward at Double Time rate to rejoin their troops.

Turn 3 - Polish Defensive Fire Segment

Nothing happens, all eligible units already fired in the German Movement Segment

Turn 3 - German Advancing Fire Segment

The squad in the stone building fires at the adjacent Polish squad with no effect.
The stack in the wooden building just south of it fires at the Polish squad in the wooden building beyond the road and pins it.
The units adjacent to the Polish squad in the wooden building hold their fire to avoid allowing the enemy unit to escape in the Rout segment.

Turn 3 - German Rout Segment

All German broken units regroup with a (broken) leader

Turn 3 - Polish Rout Segment

Nothing happens

Turn 3 - German Advance Segment

German squads enter CC with the Polish units in the stone and wooden building.
The radio leader and a squad join the melee in the southernmost wooden building.
Two MMGs take position in the stone building.

Turn 3 - Close Combat Segment

Two CC out of three end with the elimination of the involved Polish units; in the third one, in the stone building, the Polish squad is Casualty Reduced to a HS.