Moscow '42 AAR: Sukhinichi II : We Will Rescue You

[Strela]

End of German Turn 16; January 24 0000 - 0600 Visibility 1 KM (Night)

The long cold night continues. Despite being a fairly quiet turn, 240 Soviets vs. 55 Germans as well as a pair of guns are removed from the order of battle. Most of the Soviet losses are in the south.



The supply situation improves with the lull in fighting. All HQ's are in command and only seven artillery pieces are unavailable.



339th Infanterie Division continues to recover its strength with no Russian presence anywhere in its sector



208th Infanterie Division continues to engage the opposing Soviets wherever possible. A mini cauldron is almost formed but artillery fire manages to thwart the final effort, disrupting the attacking unit.



18th Panzer stands its ground seeing light skirmishing between the in contact units. Most losses in the north are on III Battalion of 398 Regiment. The massed fire from the adjacent Soviets is beginning to exact a heavy toll.



A quiet turn with varying fortunes across the map. 18th Panzer Division manages to hold its perimeter but will be under pressure come the rising of the sun.

[Dog Soldier]

Russian Turn Sixteen
Night, 00:00 24 January 1942 Visibility 1km

Sukhunichi
The German infantry rally in the NW trenches, but disrupt in the trenches next to the Russian held valley village. The 83rd Cavalry Division is rallying slowly. Two out of six regiments are still disrupted and low ammo. The HQ of the 83rd remains out of command. This limits the unit. It needs to rally at dawn.

Southern Front
The Russians are just trying to get away from the German attempts to surround them. This division is done and out of the game as far as Russian command is concerned.

Everywhere else, the Russians rest their units for the climactic battle this day.

Dog Soldier

[Strela]

End of German Turn 17; January 24 0600 - 0800 Visibility 2 KM (Dawn)

With the coming of dawn, visibility improves to two hexes. As both sides stir, losses are light; 120 Soviets vs. 45 Germans as well as a pair of guns destroyed. Soviet losses are predominantly in the south.



The cessation of operations over night has really improved the supply situation. All HQ's continue in supply while the number of artillery pieces unavailable is now only five. Most are in the 208th Infanterie sector - the most active Division overnight.



339th Infanterie is on the move. The blunting of the 323rd Rifle Divisions assaults over the last two days is allowing a probe up the highway towards Verk' Syaglova. Two Landser Battalions have been tasked to push north and not surprisingly the first objective is defended. Rear area AT guns are moved forward to cover other sectors, the risk of the Soviets attempting a flank march is considered minimal.



208th Infanterie continues to push its cordon south. The 322nd has moved each turn during the night to avoid encirclement and the mass of disrupted battalions is proof of their exhausted state. Pionier Battalion 208 begins a forced march to the south to try and determine the Soviets flank and see if it can use the road to out run the retreating Russians. To the east, the mounted recon company scouts Proloskoye, but finds it heavily defended.



The situation around Sukhinichi has improved from a supply perspective but is deteriorating on the ground. Soviet pressure on the valley road south of the town, disrupts the defending infantry. They are weakening quickly and their morale state is now dire. Continued Soviet attacks from the north have also been rebuffed, but the defenders are also over 100 fatigue and in danger of being pushed back. With both flanks under pressure the ability to hold the town is starting to look questionable. Recon elements from 208 Infanterie find their way north blocked by a cavalry squadron - a formation probably too strong for them to take on by themselves. It is apparent more cavalry squadrons are recovering and they could cause real mischief during the day.




The sun is up and as expected all Soviet efforts will be centred on Sukhinichi, while ensuring they don't lose any more victory locations. The last day of battle is underway.

[Dog Soldier]

Russian Turn Seventeen
Dawn, 06:00 24 January 1942 Visibility 2km

Sukhinichi Front
The Russians in southern most VP location village brace for the coming German assault by the 18th PD police unit and the 208th recon units.

I move out with the rallied cavalry regiments. The Cavalry Division HQ came back on line this turn. Better to take the fight to the Germans than wait for them to disrupt me with their artillery and try again to surround my cavalry. The rifle regiments in the Russian valley village expel the German infantry from the trenches next to them in an assault. So far, a good start to the day.

The battle will be decided around Sukhinichi for the Russians. All other fronts are mainly defensive. Those forces are spent. the new German divisions from France are too strong to take head on.

Dog Soldier

[Strela]

End of German Turn 18; January 24 0800 - 1000 Visibility 4 KM (Day)

The morning fog lifts to reveal a sunny day and visibility out to 4 km's. It's a perfect day for flying, if either side had any air. The Soviets again stepped up their attacks in the last two hours losing 165 men but inflicting almost 1 to 1 casualties on the Germans. 129 brave Soldaten will be left in icy graves. Another four Soviet guns are destroyed but the victory points remain firmly in the draw range.



The command and control situation quickly follows the prior days plot. Korp HQ and two of the Infanterie Divisions are out of communication and seven artillery pieces are unavailable. The inevitable shortage of supplies in the 18th Panzer Division zone results in the bulk of that Division's artillery being unavailable (again!). Many of the Korp Artillery are also suffering from a lack of munitions.



The 339th Infanterie is still reorganising its self to push northwards. The improved visibility reveals that the Soviet forces are persistently setting up to harass the German strongpoints along the highway. The effectiveness of the German heavy artillery is revealed when by indirect fire alone, it disrupts the southernmost Soviet battalion before it could close on the German forces. More significantly, two Soviet battalions have used the woods for cover and are in position to attack the nearby 10 point objective. Further artillery is called in.




208th Infanterie continue to pursue and pummel the retreating Rifle battalions. With units starting to break, there is a chance to isolate at least one or two units. Surprisingly a single Soviet Battalion has pushed out on the left flank, forcing the motorised engineer company to move forward and maintain contact with its brother engineers. The appearance of the rifle unit forces the engineers to stop their flank advance and deploy.



With the improvement in visibility, it is probably important to show the state of the German defences around Sukhinichi. In the far south the defending Soviets have actually disrupted the probing recon units from 208 Infanterie Division. The cavalry have started to advance again with multiple squadrons and the already weakened panzer grenadiers, engineers and armoured cars move forward to slow their advance. In the most critical sector, just south of Sukhinichi, the Soviets smash the remaining defenders who retreat northwards in disarray. A weak force of tanks and a bicycle company are positioned behind the routing infantry, but it is hoped that III battalion of 396 Regiment may be able to threaten the Soviets flanks. Directly west of Sukhinichi, the pull back of Soviet forces could not come soon enough. The defending infantry are tired and depleted. Finally the left flank is weakly held, but it appears the Russians are in no better condition to attack.



The game really is in the balance. There are 40 victory points in Sukhinichi and the Soviets are a step closer to cutting the town off. The Soviets only need 37 points to inflict a minor defeat on the Germans. The victory points available and the equivalent losses being inflicted may be enough to get them there...

[Dog Soldier]

Russian Turn Eighteen
08:00 24 January 1942 Visibility 4km

A big disappointment occurs with the Russian command report this turn. Zero of my 23 disrupted units failed to rally. I am still stuck with a big chunk of the Russian force in disarray. I have been stuck at this level of disrupted units since turn ten. The good news is that it could be a lot worse. David has tried to knock out the Russians in the second day. Maybe his Germans around Sukhinichi are in worse shape than I thought. It is time to get aggressive at Sukhinichi and maybe a little sneaky in the NW to see if I can grab some final VP at the end of the game.

Sukhinichi Front
Two assaults south of Sukhinichi result in gaining some breathing space for the next turn. The German 208th ID recon units move out against my strong village position. The bicyclists move out to the south of village to envelop it. The motorized recon unit comes straight in down the road. The police from the 18th PD approach from the NW. The defenders disrupt the motorized unit. The cavalry regiment assaults the Germans and sent them reeling back to the their jump off point in the nearby village. The T-40 tanks and a disrupted regiment of cavalry join up east of the village to prevent it from being isolated next turn. If the cavalry regiment can rally next turn, it can pounce on the Nazi bicyclists should they press their luck. We will see next turn what David does.

The rifle regiments of the 328th RD assault forward against the infantry of the German 216th ID continuing their advance to reconnect with their comrades to the NW.
The four other regiments of the 83rd Cavalry Division engage in fire fights with the 18th PD troops. The stack closest to the Russian valley village becomes disrupted. This could be big trouble next turn. These regiments were needed in good order to cover the flank of the rifle regiments 2 km north of them. All this in spite of the 83rd Cavalry Division HQ being out of command again! I am going to call the NVKD to have a talk with the commander of the 83rd Cavalry Division if he does not get his command back on line next turn.

My units north of Sukhinichi move forward to put pressure on the Germans defending there. At the very least, this move will prevent the relatively unscathed German units north and east of the village from moving some companies to help their hard pressed comrades south and west of the village. This will force the Germans to stay and face being surrounded again or try a retreat, giving up valuable victory points. The German attacks elsewhere could make up the difference in victory points they would give up in the Sukhinichi area. However, nothing is certain. This makes the end game here quite dynamic.

The best outcome for the Russians would be the Germans trying to hang on everywhere around Suhinichi and risking sending a few companies from the north and east defenses to the south and west. Such a compromise will weaken the defense temporarily. I may be able to make an assault or two which crushes some positions in the north or east of the village. This will create a crisis I want.
I do not expect David to make a rookie mistake like that, but stranger things have happened. In this scenario, even a small mistake can send ripples through the next few turns for either side.

Proloskoye –Thirteen km east of Vertnore. A small action is brewing up this last game day that typifies this scenario in most of the play test games. A few units are attempting to strike deep at the Russian held village. This could degenerate into a desperate close quarters fight or a quick turn of the tables on the Germans, in this case. The German cavalry unit was hoping to catch the Russians by surprise. Now My Russian mounted recon unit will attempt to encircle the German cavalry unit. We will see if the German infantry battalion can batter through the Russian rifle regiment to assault the VP village before time runs out. Many times the scenario was a match up with many of these types of small desperate actions around the VP locations, just as it was historically. That is what I like to see in this scenario. It can be a real mind game for both sides and a test of wills.

In the NW the Germans have begun their advance towards the VP location at Verk’ Syaglova.

In the south the beaten 322nd ID is just trying to escape. A lone unit stops the expected German rush down the secondary road to envelop the Russian left flank.

Dog Soldier

[Strela]

End of German Turn 19; January 24 1000 - 1200 Visibility 5 KM (Day)

Casualties for both sides jump with 340 Soviets and 160 Germans killed. The increased losses are reflective of the increasingly urgent tempo of operations. The victory points are little changed with the score only improving by one point and still squarely in the draw range. Visibility increases to the maximum of 5 km and both sides are well aware of their opponent's positions.



The supply situation improves but the 216th & 339th divisional HQ's remain out of command. 7 artillery pieces are unavailable, the same as last turn. Artillery is key to offset the lack of German strength, particularly in the north.



339th Infanterie presses north along the highway and successfully assaults out the 10 victory point location on the edge of the woods. The Germans are confident that they can continue north as they inflict particularly heavy casualties on their opposing units. The II Battalion of 692 Regiment advances to counter the Soviet Regiment that is threatening the German centre.



In the south the 208th Infanterie has stopped the Rifle battalion that was trying to flank their position. On the other flank, supply issues have made it difficult to push towards Proloskoye. The German cavalry is forced to bide its time while awaiting the supporting infantry. In the far south the Soviets continue to lose men whenever the Germans can engage them.



Around Sukhinichi both sides have aggressively responded to maximise their opportunities. There are 6 distinct areas that both sides are heavily engaged in. In the first, the Soviets have advanced almost a regiment of infantry to attack the northernmost victory location. The Germans have over 450 defenders and should hold. In the second engagement, the Russians continue to push north. The Axis stack the hex with whatever forces are available and are unlucky when the bicycle company disrupts. Fortunately the battered III Battalion rallies up and with the support of the Panzer Grenadiers, should be enough to prevail. In the third battle, the Germans manage to hold the critical flanking position that should limit the Soviets ability to push north. The opposing Rifle Battalion is shot up and disrupted.



In the fourth engagement, the Schutzen and armoured cars assault forward and push the Soviet cavalry squadron back. This opens up the flank of the Cavalry Regiment (engagement 5) that had advanced to the road intersection. The Germans push their few remaining tanks both north and south of the advancing cavalry with the aim of isolating them at least temporarily. In the southernmost engagement (number 6) the recon units from 208th Infanterie try to invest the victory location and potentially threaten its communication lines. This is very much grabbing the tiger by the tail as the strength of the opposition cavalry squadron is unknown. Though a gamble, the lack of Russian supporting units may create an opportunity for the Germans next turn unless the Soviet light tanks can be supported by stronger units.



With sheer desperation both sides have become fully engaged at Sukhinichi. The mix of units and their battered states means that a decision will become apparent before the end of the day.

[Dog Soldier]

Russian Turn Nineteen
10:00 24 January 1942 Visibility 5km

Sukhinichi Front
The 83rd Cavalry Division sends their AA guns unit to rescue the two trapped regiments. Another two regiments fall back to cover the valley village The last two cavalry regiments, engineers and T-40 tanks form a defense to protect the southern village victory location. They brace for a German assault next turn. All the 328th Rifle Division units have retreated to the valley village. Things are looking grim at Sukhinichi for the Russians.

Very heavy fighting this turn as both sides have at each other.
I have numbered some of the important stacks in the image below. Blue numbers for Germans, red for Russians. The unit images are below the image. The image would be too cluttered otherwise.




The dance continues at Proloskye. The German cavalry move into the woods SE of the village. I withdraw the rifle battalion north to screen the road. The German infantry in the woods cannot reach the village before time runs out. Now I must look to blocking German reinforcements coming down the road in travel mode. That will be the only way the Germans will have a shot at the Proloskye victory location.


NW Front
In the NW I will try to sneak one Rifle battalion along the bottom of the ridge to enter the village from the west. Hopefully I will only find a German ATG guarding the 10 VP location. I might have two turns to then assault the defender out of the village. My other units will attempt to keep the German infantry occupied. It will be too late for them to intervene, even if all goes well. This is another example why this scenario can be very interesting all the way to the end.


The Russians continue to retreat south towards the board edge and safety. While losses are heavy, the unit can do no more. It has the last purpose to draw as many Germans of the 208th Infantry Division away from the taking other VP locations south of Sukhinichi. They are accomplishing at least that small mission.

Dog Soldier

[Strela]

End of German Turn 20; January 24 1200 - 1400 Visibility 5 KM (Day)

Not surprisingly losses are heavy in the last two hours. The Soviets lose 250 men to the Germans 150. Another AA gun is removed from the Russian inventory. The score moves significantly to 391 VP's - a German minor victory. 20 points of the 23 point increase is attributable to the taking of two victory locations in the 339th Infanterie sector.


At this critical time all HQ's are in supply but there are an increased number of artillery units unavailable (9 increasing 2 from 7 last turn). There is little indirect fire support for the 208th Infanterie in the south or for the units deployed around Sukhinichi.



The 339th Infanterie Division manages to capture two locations. The clearing of the victory hex on the highway and the village of Bryn in the centre of the map has a large impact on the victory score. Bryn had not been cleared to date due to a lack of available units. More ominously four Soviet Rifle Battalions seem to be massing for another attempt to take the westernmost German position.



The Pionier Battalion of the 208th Infanterie assaults forward and disrupts the opposing Rifle Battalion despite being low on ammo. The rest of the Division continues to press the Soviets south and they are increasingly looking like a rabble. As the German infantry break from the woods it will be easier to pursue and attack. The infantry battalion that was to attack Proloskoye is struggling with supply and may not be in position to attack the village before the end of the scenario. This is typical of the winter scenarios - supply is very difficult away from the road network, particularly in closed terrain like a forest.



Hallelujah!!! The German feint forward seems to have worked!!! The Soviets have pulled back from every attack around Sukhinichi - despite having the Axis forces pretty much on the ropes. The sheer desperation of throwing a couple of light tanks and tired troops to encircle the Cavalry Regiment seems to have had an outsized effect. Probably the biggest challenge for the Soviets was the inability for the 324th Rifle Division to rally up. If the Russians had been able to attack the German's northern outposts simultaneously with the push from the south there was a good chance that the town would have been isolated. Looking at the state of the key defensive hexes there is little that would hold for any sustained operation. Add the fact that there has been little effective German artillery around Sukhinichi and the contest has been closely run.



I'm very surprised to see the Soviets pull back. The only question is it permanent or are they just rallying for one final push....

[Dog Soldier]

Russian Turn Twenty
12:00 24 January 1942 Visibility 5km

Sukhinichi Front
The German police unit from the 18th PD disrupts. The cavalry regiments rally. An assault from the cavalry regiment in the southern village sends the German police reeling back. The other cavalry regiments push forward to engage the Germans of the 18th PD in a fierce firefight. I suspect the 18th PD PzGr units are running out of steam. Now is the time to press them! After all, I have nothing to lose by being bold at this point. I even send the recon company of the 324th Rifle Division to threaten another German victory location. The Russian recon units have a high assault value. The German bridge engineers and ATG do not.
Too bad the rest of 324th is so beat up. I will try to at least use what I can of this division to keep the Germans occupied in the north of Sukhinichi village so they do not move units south to oppose the rallied cavalry squadrons.


At Proloskye we are stalemated. My mounted recon unit attempts to move in on the German cavalry in the woods. The deep snow prevents them making contact. They dismount. I do not need to fear the Germans making a last minute grab for this VP location any more.


No change in the NW as my rifle battalion continues through the deep snow one km per turn to reach its target. The Germans seem unaware. Several Russian battalions move into sight of the western most VP village. This move should distract the Germans to concentrate on these units. The idea is to get the Germans to send any units of substance there, away from where the lone battalion is going. That way the Russian infantry may be able to fall on a lone ATG unit guarding the VP location behind the main German infantry battalions drawn further north. I do not have the strength to fight the Germans head on, so a deception is required.

Dog Soldier