1201_01a Close Call at Kubinka HTH

[ComradeP]

Could it be that you mixed up the unit stat screenshots by accident? The Mixed AT unit has the armoured car stats and the Panzer 38(t) as towed guns thing might also be due to that.

The T-60 had a 20mm autocannon, a variant of an aircraft mounted cannon. A similar approach was used for the armament of the Panzer II.

[Plain Ian]

Could it be that you mixed up the unit stat screenshots by accident? The Mixed AT unit has the armoured car stats and the Panzer 38(t) as towed guns thing might also be due to that.

The T-60 had a 20mm autocannon, a variant of an aircraft mounted cannon. A similar approach was used for the armament of the Panzer II.

Yep it's a cut and paste mistake. I've checked the standard scenario and it's correct.
I played both alt and standard without on screen results to see the differences in combat between BT-5 and Pz38. Will post results later.

[Plain Ian]

Russian Turn 10 - Again



Sorry folks I screwed up the last turn so here is my turn 10 again. Eldar contacted me to say that the game file I sent to him was still showing Russian Player. I looked at the file and it looks like I played the turn then took snap shots and records of the turn. Then instead of rolling on the turn by ending it I closed the game?? 

So I tried to play the turn again replacating all my exact moves in the hope that I could get the same results. My understanding was that the die rolls in a game are random but seeded. So if I made the same moves/attacks then I would use the same pre stored list of randomly generated die rolls for the combats. This is patently not true. I'm not sure where I got this PzC myth from?

So above is the new turn which I've sent to Eldar. I've moved the same 5 units. I kept my artillery pattern to the same one as before but the results were not as good. The 3/113th DID not disrupt. I only lost one tank not 2 this time but did lose an ATG. (the 2/25th this time) I did not bother firing with the 2/774th this time.

Artillery seems to be the best weapon to kill the lightly armoured tanks by the way. I'm pretty sure despite the weather I could take out 1 tank with 1-2 shots. 

All in all there were less casualties on both sides. In fact Eldars VP total is 2 higher. 



No reply from Eldar so far.

[ComradeP]

Artillery is a very effective AT weapon, particularly large units like the Soviets have. HA values are low, but so are early war tank defence values. Attacking gun units like the regimental infantry guns is also quite effective. The way losses are calculated for gun/vehicle/aircraft units makes it relatively easy to inflict damage with inferior weapons. I've lost several Tigers to 45mm guns in Panzer Battles, for example.

[Plain Ian]

Ok Eldars turn has swiftly come back and the Germans are making all out attacks as you would expect. The map is a bit full but his attacks come in from left to right if that helps to follow things.



7th German Division launches a quick assault [1] against the 2/17th (no artillery? Maybe Eldar is reading this? <BG>) then follows it up with fire fights against the 113th.  
The Russians come off the worse and the 1/113th and 3/113th end the turn disrupted. The 2/17th surprisingly recovers, but it is a C Morale unit with low fatigue.
 
In the centre 19th Pz Division launches an assault [2] against the T-60’s of 2/22nd after a short barrage had knocked out two tanks. He commits both Panzer Bn’s and the Motorised Bn. I lose 2 tanks and he losses 18 men. The 2/22nd is pushed back. 
After the assault he is still able to fire and kills 5 men from 2/113th but he loses a tank in the exchange.

To the left the 292nd also launches a 2 Bn assault [3] against the 1/22nd knocking out 2 tanks at the cost of 22 men. The 1/22nd is also pushed back. It does however recover from disruption.

The 1/22nd would have been pinned had he not assaulted, however destroying the trapped unit would have been a lengthy process and tied up a lot of his units. Eldar has cleared the woods and my units are now in clear terrain, but nicely concentrated.

North of Sememychi the right wing of 292nd Div assault [4] and push back the disrupted 2/322nd Bn. German casualties are reasonable but he has pushed me back onto  the village with the 1/25th and 467th Sappers.

Behind his front line I see 3 units which will be available to him next turn.

The 258th Division only launches one assault [5] and this fails badly. He did try to disrupt my unit with fire before the assault but it did not work and the 4th Sappers stood up to the assault. The 258th did well however in the fire fights. The 258th Pioneers did not fire?

The 3rd Motorised finally made their move on Naro-Fominsk (N-F). The 1/787th is faced with 3 Bn sized units.  The 2/787th however will prevent them flanking the 1/787th.

At N-F the Armoured Car unit of 3rd Motorised appeared and drew fire from the 2/1 gds before he brought up 2 Motorised Bn’s. In the exchange of fire the 2/1 Gd’s lost.

VP’s and losses

[Plain Ian]

Russian Turn 11



I didn't do much this turn. In fact I only moved one unit. I deliberately with held fire in order not to trigger return fire which might disrupt my front line units. I did use the 2/25th.

I fired at Naro-Fominsk assuming that my units would be well protected from his return fire and was surprised at the casualties the 1/787th took. I'm still confident that I can hold this area though against the 3rd Motorised. I possibly should have moved the 2/787th so that it could reach the seconfd Industrial hex but I think his assault on the 1/787th will be a costly one.

VP and losses

[Plain Ian]

German Turn 12



The Germans begin the turn with artillery barrages which target all of my front line troops. The 2/1st Gds is hit several times and surprisingly disrupts after taking a loss of 2 men on the second shot.
 
The German 7th Division continues its attacks in the woods south of Boldino. They launch two assaults against the 1/113th and 3/113th which are both disrupted. Eldar is unlucky in that the first assault pushes the 3/113th forward south west onto the 1/113th. 
He is then faced with assaulting two Russian Bn’s (700 men) with his depleted Infantry and Pioneer Bn. He knew I was trapped but not cut off as he could see the 1/322nd behind. He went ahead with the second assault and the 1/113th and 3/113th have been pushed back onto the 1/322nd. The Stacking Limit is 1600 men so plenty of room.

He took heavy losses in both assaults. The 1/113th has recovered from disruption

19th Panzer attacked my armoured stack supported by 292nd Division. The 2/113th took moderate losses and the 2/22nd lost 2 T-60 tanks and disrupted. (but has recovered) He lost a tank in the exchange.
The rest of 19th Pz Div has emerged and is now in contact with the 22nd Mot Rfle Bn.

The 467th Sappers weer attacked by the 292nd Diviison and took moderate casualties and disrupted. If he can disrupt the 1/25th Tank next turn he can assault.
 
The German 258th Division made no assaults but has engaged in a series of firefights. All of its units (10 Bn’s) are now engaged. The 4th Sappers again stood tall and refused to disrupt. They are down to 413 men (-87 men) but still Green fatigue. Morale is D due to Low Ammo.



At Naro-Fominsk the 1/787th comes under slight pressure but does not disrupt. The 2/1 Gds folded easily under artillery and would have been ripe for assault. However with delayed disruption this is hidden. Instead they came under heavy fire from the Motorised units adajacent. I’m not sure gaining the hex would benefit him anyway?

The Armoued Car unit engaged in a shoot and scoot exercise but lost 1 vehicle for its pains.        

VP and losses


 
Eldars latest email suggests he knows that the 250 VP hex is unrealistic. His biggest problem he says is trying to disrupt Russian units.

In fact his problem is that disrupted units possibly recover too quickly? The 2/17th, 1/22nd Tank, 2/774th and even the 2/1st Gds disrupted when it lost only 2 men to an artillery barrage. However they all recovered plus a further 3 units which were disrupted in previous turns. The Russian player does not have any higher command units in this scenario to pass down benefits, but the morale of a lot of their units is surprisingly high. In the alt scenario nearly all Russian units (infantry/tank/motorised) start off at D and the Guards are C.

The other problem is that with delayed disruption reporting Eldar needs to take more calculated risks and assault when his gut feeling is that the enemy has disrupted. I don’t think he can wait to have it confirmed.

[Plain Ian]

Russian Turn 12



Russian turn above. A few units moved this turn. 133Lt Artillery limbered and moved away. The 3/322nd fell back to prvent them being assaulted. The 22nd Mot Rifle Bn brought forward. The whole of the 33rd tank bde brought forward a bit as well. 

I've two Bn's of the 32nd sitting staring into space on the map edge and another 4 Bn's of Guards in Naro-Fominsk doing nothing but I'll just leave things as they are.

Artillery fire is shown on the map. 

I've only fired with two units. The 2/1st Gds received back fire as I expected but did not disrupt. I did not fire with the 1/787th. Its in an Industrial hex (-50) and is a C Morale unit but you never know.

I expect him to assault stacks A and C next turn.

[Plain Ian]

German Turn 13

A pretty frustrating turn again for the Germans.



7th Division continues the firefights and disrupts the 2/17th but suffers a disruption in turn to our artillery fire.
The 1/113th came under pressure but return fire again disrupted one of the German units.
I think the German 7th is a spent force?

The German 19th Pz/292nd Div group target my armoured group. The 1/22nd loses no tanks but is disrupted and the 2/113th suffers heavy casualties but does not disrupt.
The rest of 19th Pz attempts to weaken the 22nd Mot Bn holding the woods. The unit disrupts on the first shot but has recovered at the end of the turn. The Germans will have to do it all over agin next turn.

The 4th Sappers have gained hero status in this game by turning back another assault. After losing 25 men Eldar launches an assault. I would have done the same assuming that the unit had to be disrupted. It wasn’t and it held the hex and disrupted the attacker.

The 878th AT received the brunt of his attacks and disrupted with the loss of 3 guns. It has recovered. There was an opportunity for Eldar to assault the disrupted 2/774th but he chose to fire instead. The 3/787th also received some fire but returned it in kind to the German Pioneers of the 258th. He will definitely have to assault here next turn.


 
At Naro-Fominsk no assaults just close range fire. The 2/1st Gds does well against the two German Bn’s. The 1/787th again appears to be holding out but disrupts on the second last fire from the Pioneers. 

I have the option now of leaving it to be assaulted or pulling it back. Pulling it back will leave it in clear terrain and he might be able to move up and assault? (possibly not enough MP’s? I’d have to check?)
Leaving it for him to assault seems to be the better option. He does have an Armoured Car unit which could move to block the retreat but he may think I have a unit in the hex behind anyway?

There is a fifth Motorised Bn from 3rd Division unaccounted for but I suspect its in the south.

[Plain Ian]

Russian Turn 13



Sorry no real excitement. Only a few units moved and some artillery. 

One thing I forgot to mention about the German turn was that he actually targted the 138th RGVK Howitzers with counterbattery. I think he got 3 fatigue hits. It was only when I went to do my turn that I realised he had disrupted it. Despite this the unit managed to hit 6 men in its own turn.

I've not moved any front line units but I also withheld firing with them. He might be able to disrupt the 1/113th and assault but I think he will try another round of firefights with my other stacks.



At Naro-Fominsk I pulled out the 1/787th and brought the 2/787th down. I also limbered up the 35th Gds How Rgt but that was probably unecessary. I could have used the 2/787th to pin his MG unit and possibly assault it. 

I've left the 3 Bn's of 1st Gds twiddling their thumbs again. Eldar has TWO Bn's of 3rd Motorised somewhere (I said one in a post above but it is two) which are probably opposite me in the south. I don't need 3 to watch 2 but lets see how his attack in the north of the city goes.