WW2 Reconnaissance in Strength: Part 10 - Map 10

 

MAP 10

MAP 3

Continued -

I have made a couple of changes to this final part of the campaign.

Breakpoints have not been used as all actions so far have been little more than skirmishes. For this final part however, I have introduced this factor based on surviving strengths at the start of this phase.

The other change, an issue much debated within BKC forums, is that of removing hits at the end of a turn. Spurred on by Steve J's comments in Part 7 I have decided that they will remain on for this finale.  I am curious as to how bloody this will be but Steve makes a valid point in that it can be very difficult to destroy a unit in hard cover unless you mass a considerable amount of firepower towards it. For the Panthers it would be virtually impossible to destroy them. 

On to the campaign climax:

Turn 1

An overview with the 1st half of Map 10 added.

The view looking towards the Russian approach route. Hindered by the woods they are making slow progress with command and control suffering in the dense terrain.

The SS survivors with the Panthers have pulled further back abandoning their positions at the end of the previous turn. The SS commander deciding they would be more effective adding their firepower to the town defenders at the head of the valley.

Two Russian recce platoons are first out of the woods and take up position behind a stone wall ready to reconnoitre ahead. They come under fire from German units ahead but are unscathed.

An SS battalion HQ rolls a command blunder on its second activation resulting in him suffering a -2 to his CV next turn. This has left his troops on the wrong side of the wall!

Turn 2

The 1st Motorised (on the left) and 3rd Motorised battalions pour out of the woods and take cover behind a stone wall. On seeing the Russians the German infantry, now hastily dug in, use opportunity fire in an attempt to suppress as many as possible. They succeed in suppressing one rifle platoon - not what they had hoped for. 

The surviving Russian T34's race across to the cover of a stone wall and immediately were targeted by the two Panthers. One tank is forced to fall back suppressed. The two active T34's use opportunity fire in the German turn to strike the Panthers but only scored a single hit.

The Russian commander suffered a command blunder and retired 11cm!

The Germans, being veterans, were able to hastily dig-in which was their only protection when the Russians opened up. The were lucky to only lose their mortar team before scrambling over the wall into hard cover. One platoon has suffered 4 hits however.

The Germans were not immune from command blunders and their SS CO rolled precisely that. All HQ's now suffer a -1 to their CV in the next turn.

The scene at the end of turn 2.

The thin German line looks on at the Russians massing behind the wall.

Turn 3

Slightly earlier than previous map phases I have added the rest of map 10 as it was become clear that the rest of the German positions were rapidly becoming relevant.

A German 105mm howitzer battery on high ground overlooking the valley.

The battery's horse drawn limbers wait on the track should they be needed.

An overview from the rear of the German position.

The Russians come under direct fire from the German 105mm howitzer battery which caught several units in the open suppressing one platoon. The 1st Motorised lining the wall came under opportunity fire from German rifle fire suppressing its MMG.

The Russians were now suffering from the same command issues they had earlier in the campaign with most units static this turn. 

The T34's exchanged fire with the Panthers but neither side having any success.

The thin line of German troops in the forward position were ordered to retire on the town. Here the SS Recce unit has joined a Fallschirmjager rifle platoon immediately in front of the town.

The 1st Motorised did successfully activate to fire at the German troops lining the wall finishing off a rifle platoon. The Germans were also hit by mortar fire. They failed to activate so remained precariously behind the wall.

A Fallschirmjager (from now on I will refer to them as paras!) 37mm anti-tank gun in woods close to the Russians opened fire on their positions but failed to do any damage.

Turn 4

With the 120mm mortars now available, they are immediately called to target the German howitzer battery in the vicinity of the church. They succeed in suppressing one of the two howitzers.

The 3rd Motorised are tasked with clearing the woods to the south east of the town. Two of the battalion's MMG teams and it's mortar fire on the German recce platoon and 37mm anti-tank gun defending the wood. The recce platoon is suppressed but using opportunity fire, the anti-tank gun and the unsuppressed howitzer fire on the advancing rifle platoons suppressing one.

The battalion commander has a successful run of activations and here the two unsuppressed rifle teams supported by an MMG close assault the two German units. The Russians proved victorious destroying both German units.

The 1st Motorised were ordered to clear the stone wall ahead of them which was then to be used as cover in preparation of an attack on the town.

The battalion's MMG and mortar succeeded in destroying the last of the German rifle platoons defending the wall. The advancing platoons were unable to gain the wall before their activations concluded. targeted by a Panther and the howitzer, two platoons suffered losses and fell back suppressed.

Another T34 erupted in smoke and flame (hidden by the tree at top of photo) having been struck by another Panther shell. The two remaining T34's returned fire and although scored another hit they failed to make much of an impression on the Panther.

To the rear of the T34's the 2nd Motorised debussed. The 3 battalions of the motorised regiment are destined to lead the attack on the town supported by the naval battalion and the last of the armour.

The 76mm field guns and an infantry gun begin deploying ready to support the infantry. The anti-tank rifle company behind the wall should have advanced further but command failures slowed their progress.

An overview at the end of the turn. The Germans have now retreated into the town and Russians have occupied the wood to the right of the photo.

Another view at the end of the turn.

The Panthers redeployed to defend the town.

Turn 5

The 120mm mortars were proving to be a nightmare for the Germans. Another successful order was put through to the mortar battalion landing their shells plumb on the German howitzer battery knocking one out.

The 2nd Motorised advance supported by the naval battalion.

In the foreground the 3rd Motorised move up its spread out units to occupy the wood at top right. The 1st Motorised with the 45mm anti-tank battery take up position behind the wall. They find themselves under sustained fire from the 75mm anti-tank guns and MMG teams from two buildings. Two platoons are suppressed with several others taking hits.

An overview at the end of turn 5.

Turn 6

Another 120mm mortar strike destroyed the last of the German howitzers.

The T34's, having advanced to the cover of another wall, fire on the MMG team occupying the building  in the middle of the photo in an attempt to silence it. A hit was scored but it will remain active.

Although the 2nd Motorised and naval battalions made good advances, the former's HQ rolled a command blunder resulting in it retreating 13cm. This could potentially caused command problems in the next turn.

The 1st Motorised, with a double activation from the 45mm anti-tank battery which saw its guns deploy behind the wall, had most of its units behind hard cover.

That protection prove illusory with a mass of firepower directed at them from a Panther, 75mm AT guns, 2 MMG teams, a mortar and rifle platoons. Several of those German para units received 4 activations from their HQ. A Russian MMG was destroyed and several other units sustained casualties leaving them in a perilous state. To compound their problems, an MG42 opened fire from the church bell-tower finishing off a Russian rifle platoon. 

The 3rd Motorised faired little better. The two rifle platoons and MMG section that had lined the northern edge of the woods also came under sustained fire before they had a chance to target the Germans. Both rifle platoons fell back suppressed.

The two 75mm anti-tank guns and one of the dug in para rifle platoons that had caused the Russians so much grief.

Another rifle platoon that had been firing on the Russians in the wood.

The German para mortar team.

An overview at the end of turn 6.

From the German position.

Turn 7

Another barrage from the 120mm mortar battalion, this time on the 75mm anti-tank gun positions. The gun at the top of the photo was forced to fall back suppressed.

Russian rifle platoons and MMG teams concentrated their fire on the German para MMG firing from the nearest building. The mass of bullets pouring into the structure was enough to wipe out the the MMG team.

The para rifle platoon occupying the trench destroyed the Russian MMG positioned at the edge of the wood.

The Russians are now amassing behind the cover of the wall in preparation for their assault on the town. They were lucky to escape relatively lightly as mortar fire and two MG teams including the one from the bell-tower, descended on their position from 4 activations only losing one platoon with several others suppressed.

Turn 8

A firefight breaks out between the Russians of the 3rd Motorised battalion and the German para platoon in a nearby trench. Another para rifle platoon off camera to the right also joins in. The German platoon suffered 4 hits but remained active destroying a Russian rifle platoon and suppressing an MMG.

The battalion HQ called in fire from the 120mm mortar battalion on the two 75mm anti-tank guns which caught one in the open destroying it.

The 2nd Motorised HQ failed its command roll but the Regimental CO stepped in with much more success. The battalion was ordered to assault the eastern end of the town with its mortar team providing a preliminary bombardment. this proved highly effective suppressing the German para rifle platoon and registering 4 hits.

A Russian SMG lead the charge suffering 4 hits on its way in from the Sdkfz 250/1 halftrack and recce platoon. Although the Germans won the close combat they were destroyed in the process as was the Russian platoon.

The naval battalion moves up to support the 2nd Motorised.

The 1st Motorised HQ failed to activate the battalion rolling a command blunder! The HQ retired 7cm.

The 45mm anti-tank battery did successfully activate and the sole unsuppressed gun scored a lucky shot on the Panther with one hit which suppressed it! Its success was short-lived however, as this action drew it to the attention of a German 75mm AT gun, and using opportunity fire destroyed the Russian gun.

Potential disaster loomed for the Russians when the German para HQ in command of the southern end of the town, rolled no less than 6 activations! I think this is a record for me. Fortunately for the Russians only 2 German units were in a position to fire on them. A rifle platoon and an MG42.

The rifle platoon firing from the large building to the right of the photo targeted an anti-tank rifle platoon that had been advancing with the 2nd Motorised. The Russians were huddled next to a stone wall but the protection that offered was insufficient for the weight of firepower thrown in their direction. It took the full activations to destroy them but they can take pride in that at no time did they become suppressed.

The MG42 firing from a building just out of camera-shot to the right of the Panther, targeted two Russian MMG's situated behind the wall in the middle of the photo next to the T34. One MMG had already sustained 3 hits and was rapidly finished off. The remaining 4 activations was sufficient to destroy the 2nd MMG.

A small consolation for the Russians was the silence of the German MG42 firing from the church bell-tower.

An overview at the end of the turn.

Turn 9

The MG42 situated in a building clearly annoyed the Russians with all the 120mm mortars, 76mm field guns and the infantry gun pounding it. The MG team survived but were suppressed.

Rifle platoons of the 2nd Motorised battalion supported by the AT rifle company charged the light German recce units defending the stone wall who immediately evaded to the rear. The Russians now close assaulted the German para rifle platoon in the building middle left. 

The German recce units in their new position.

The aftermath of the close combat. The German rifles supported by the Panther tank wiped out one of the Russian platoons before it could make contact. However, the Russians fought tenaciously and despite severely disadvantaged they succeeded in driving out the Germans scoring 3 hits to the Germans 2. 

The German platoon was now positioned behind the stone wall (upper left) and the Russians have occupied the house and lined the fence. The 2 Russian units in the photo came under fire from German rifle platoons occupying the two buildings in the top left of the photo. They suffered badly with one platoon becoming suppressed.

An AT rifle that had supported the close assault now found itself in an excellent firing position on the nearby Panther. An excellent shot suppressed the German tank scoring a single hit.

On the opposite flank the Germans and Russians within the wood engaged in a firefight. The German platoon occupying the trench (now empty in the photo) was destroyed.

The Russians now found themselves targeted by a German mortar and the infernal MG42 in the bell-tower. They lost a platoon with another unit suppressed.

Elsewhere there was largely ineffectual fire by the German 75mm AT gun and the unsuppressed Panther. A mortar did knock out the last of the 45mm AT guns.

2 command blunders struck the Russians again. The naval battalion failure resulted in all HQ's suffering -1 to their CV's. The Russian CO attempted to activate the 1st Motorised but its failure lead to a loss of a rifle platoon from that battalion.

A look at the 76mm field guns and infantry gun now brought into action.

Turn 10

The turn opened with a bombardment of the church by the 120mm mortars hoping to silence the MG42 located in its bell-tower. Only one hit was scored leaving it available to do its worst!

The 2nd Motorised was coming under intense fire from the buildings and it was imperative that the naval battalion move up to support them. The battalion HQ failed its command roll leaving it to the force CO to activate them. The 1st activation allowed them to move forward but the 2nd failed leaving several units exposed in the open.

A succession of failed command rolls left most of the Russians silent for this turn. That was not the case for the Germans who piled on the pressure. Fire from the nearby rifle platoons and the MG42 from the church knocked out an MMG and suppressed two other units in the woods.

The 1st Motorised, also immobile and silent, was targeted by a German mortar and the church MG42. They lost two more rifle platoons leaving them looking rather threadbare.

A German para rifle platoon moved forward to reinforce the MG42 firing from a building just out of camera at top left. Their combined firepower and that of a Panther destroyed two naval platoons caught in the open.

The Panther now had a clear shot at the T34's destroying one of them.

Devastation ensued for the 2nd Motorised battalion. The two platoons that had been lining the fence and the platoon occupying the building on the right were all destroyed by concentrated fire from the surrounding buildings. It looks like the naval battalion were too late!

The SS Regimental CO, Heinke, is mightily pleased with the destruction being meted out to the Russians.

A German command blunder resulted in the Panthers advancing on the nearest enemy. The already badly mauled naval infantry were startled by the two tanks descending on them.

An overview at the end of what proved to be a disastrous turn for the Russians. They paid dearly for their failed command rolls losing a total of 9 units for no German loss. This could not be sustained for much longer!

Turn 11

The 120mm mortars were brought into action again utterly destroying the 75mm AT gun on the left. A second bombardment was made on the infantry platoon hiding in the trench to the right with only light casualties inflicted.

This is where the 3rd Motorised should have been! A combination of mortar, MG42 and rifle fire destroyed a rifle platoon, an engineer platoon and an MMG. The 3rd Motorised now consisted of a recce platoon, a mortar and the HQ!

On the opposite flank an exchange of fire between a naval infantry company and the German recce units on the left. There had been 3 naval platoons here but the one on the right was machine gunned down by the infernal MG42 in the church bell-tower.

The last of the T34's which just happens to be the command tank, ensured the Panthers paid heavy for their recklessness. A well aimed shot took out one of them. The 2nd Panther quickly withdrew having fired ineffectually on the T34. 

The two naval platoons that had gained the house in the upper middle of the photo faced a one-sided firefight with German units occupying buildings on the opposite side of the road. Both naval platoons suffered heavy casualties with the one in the photo being forced to fall back out of the building suppressed.

An overview at the end of the turn. The only other casualty was a Komsomolets destroyed by German mortar fire.

The losses sustained this turn brought the Russians to their breakpoint. A test was conducted - passed!

Turn 12

With the Russians teetering on the brink they needed a dramatic response to have any chance of victory. The Germans themselves were only 3 units away from having to take their own break test. 

All three motorised battalions had virtually ceased to exist and the naval infantry were no match for the elite German forces. Their last real hope was the 120mm mortar battalion. A strike was called in by the 1st Motorised HQ. After all their mostly poor command rolls they finally come up trumps with 4 activations. The mortars obliterated the house in the photo wiping out the para rifle platoon and MG42 that had been positioned within. 

The Russian CO also called in an artillery strike from the 76mm field guns and infantry gun on the adjacent building but with minimal impact only inflicting one hit on the occupants. 

The last of the T34's was determined to finish off the already heavily damaged Panther. It was not so successful on this occasion failing to inflict any further damage unlike the Panther who suppressed the T34 in response. 

The anti-tank rifle platoon that had occupied the small house in the photo was promptly expelled by accurate rifle fire from buildings opposite.

At the end of this turn the Russians again took a break test and passed. The battle was not over yet!

Turn 13

The 120mm mortars continued their path of destruction but on this occasion with only one activation. It was enough however, to destroy the German para platoon deployed in the large building dominating the road junction.

The last of the brave T34's conducted a dual with the last of the Panthers. Just two more hits would knock out the Panther. During the initiative phase the T34 scored a hit and took 2 in return resulting from opportunity fire from the Panther. The writing was on the wall for the T34 when it failed to activate during the command phase. The Panther had no such problems and finished off the Russian tank.

The green naval infantry failed to make any impression on the German recce units opposite. Although incoming fire from the Germans was relatively light the Russians nevertheless lost another naval platoon.

Just when it could not get any worse for the 1st Motorised, a command blunder results in its units making a half move towards the enemy. An SMG platoon and an attached Komsomolets moved out into the open and quickly became the prime targets for German mortars and the bell-tower MG42. The photo was taken immediately after the SMG platoon had become suppressed with 5 hits by the MG.

Incoming mortar strikes finished of the platoon and the Komsomolets was extremely fortunate to escape unscathed.

All other Russian commanders failed their command rolls. This included the regimental CO and the force CO attempting and failing to activate the artillery.

An overview at the end of the turn and the end of the campaign.

The Russians tested having 4 losses beyond their breakpoint and failed. The Germans though had also reached their breakpoint but with a CV of 10 for their commander, will only fail on a roll of 11 or 12. They rolled double '6'! 

Technically this made it a draw. However I could not end the campaign in this way and therefore gave the Germans the narrowest of victories. This based on the fact that the Russians had lost more past their breakpoint and crucially they had lost pretty much all of their offensive capability. The naval units were no match for the German forces and the Motorised regiment had been virtually wiped out. The only intact units were the 120mm mortars and artillery.

I will cover in more detail my thoughts on the campaign including its conclusion in the next and final posting. This will include the German orbats.

The German CO emerges from the church breathing a sigh of relief. A close run thing indeed!