#1212-02: Plugging The Dyke (H2H)

[Mr Grumpy]

#1212-02: Plugging The Dyke (H2H)

Chir River, 140 kms W of Stalingrad, Dec 12, 1942: The 11th Panzer Division was ordered into the Don Bend in order to assist the drive to relieve Stalingrad from the south, which began on December 10. The orders were to launch a flanking attack from Nizhne Chirskaya, approximately 60 kms from the trapped 6th army forces at Marinovka, to support the forces driving up from Kotel'nikovskiy and thus take pressure off the relief force. However, while preparing to move into position for this attack, the Russian army struck first, across the Chir River in two locations. Ultimately the mission to assist the Stalingrad relief effort faded away due to a series of Russian offensives across the Chir.

Designer Foul. medium scenario 20 turns

Designer notes
Version 1.1
This is my second edited version of this scenario. I am trying to achieve a much better balance for H2H play than the stock version that had a heavy Russian bias.

Units
No unit values have been changed, but German fatigue values have been lowered and Russian raised. It was found in testing that fixing the Russian 5th Mech Corp on turn one & toggling some of the Russian armour “low fuel” and reducing the length of the game by two turns also helped with the balance.

Map
The terrain has not been altered, but i have blown a number of extra bridges and added a line of impassable hexes along the Liska River to stop a Russian player from transferring the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps North of this river, also Sirovikino has a continuous line of minefields around its perimeter.
The victory point locations have been rearranged to help award a Russian strategy of a pincer envelopment from the two bridgeheads.

Strategy
The Russian player has any number of options in this game, the most obvious is to drive for the State Farm VP location from the two bridgeheads trapping the German forces in the process, the location of the 11th Panzer Div will affect this decision in each game. The Russian player has been prevented in moving the 3rd Guards Cav Div north to avoid a costly crossing at their starting point at the third crossing.
The German player must decide where to use his best asset the 11th Panzer Div, it is possible to destroy the bridgehead at Sulatskiy and capture the VP location, but not at the expense of a collapse at Novoder'skiy which could expose all of the German forces to envelopment, also the crossing of the 3rd Guards Cavalry west of Novomaksimovskiy must be contained at all costs, so a balance must be found with the 11th Panzer acting as a fire brigade "plugging the holes in the Dyke"

Rules
This scenario should be played with default rules + Quality Fatigue Modifier (minus Programmed weather) with Recon Spotting as an option.

Conclusion
I believe my changes will produce a more balanced scenario, which will test both players and achieve a fun, tense, challenging game.
If the players feel that one of them is a superior player then he should play the German side.
I would like to thank Rick Bancroft for his advice and help testing this scenario.

Click this link to be taken to the Approved list to download the scenario files Approved Scenario Page


Any feedback/comments on this scenario can be posted in this thread.

[Mr Grumpy]

After this scenario was played by Dog Soldier and RickyB (check out their AAR) it was decided that the Quality Fatigue Modifier Opt rule should be use to help the Axis side, this rule was not available when Rick and myself tested this scenario.