Scenario 5_Hill 621_Russians
Brian
Hill 621 is a great scenario for learning the use of artillery, armor, and the concept of mass. It is also great for learning how to coordinate fires and movement over a long distance. I post this AAR as a learning tool for newer players to Squad Leader. I am the Russians. I am playing against J. Attached is the scenario card.
1. Before I review my analysis of the scenario card, a few words about the Russians in general. When I am the Russian, this is what I think:
a. Think big and large. They usually outnumber the Germans by a large margin, so when Russian, the concept of "mass" is usually key to success. Don't piecemeal forces.
b. Leadership is lacking. Very few leaders compared to the Germans. Use them for key firing positions or to support movement. Don't expose them to unnecessary risk. Protect and preserve your Russian leaders.
c. The battlefield will be littered with broke units. You can't rally them all with the few leaders you have. In an advance like Hill 621, place leaders in 'sweep' positions where they can rally broke units behind the main line and feed them forward.
d. The red "To Hit" numbers don't help, but if you employ "mass" you'll get your hits and kills.
2. Analysis of scenario card.
a. Russian set up first but move second. Is odd, as usually the attacker sets up after the defender. So I have to set up blind, and the German can adjust his setup based on what he sees. A disadvantage.
b. Time. Length is 10 turns- more than enough if I hustle. Need to get to the victory area quickly and then fight it out from there against the German reinforcements. Reinforcements appear to cancel each other out. Advantage to Germans since their reinforcements arrive much closer to the key terrain on board 2, while the Russians have to cross open ground.
c. Russian Forces. At start, a 6:1 advantage in squads (48 to 8). 6 x machine guns is good. 3 x leaders means I'll probably need one to lead the MMGs and the other 2 to advance with the horde.
e. Victory Conditions. Do I have the forces and time to satisfy the victory conditions? I think I do. I have to take 5 of the 7 victory locations (level 3 crest line of Hill 621) on board 2.
f, Board configuration. Wheatfields will help my advance. I must cross a lot of board 4 open area before I get near the victory locations. If I can't cross, I can't win. The 3 hex building (with 2nd level) at 3N1 is an obvious choice for my MMGs and main fire base to cover the movement across board 4.
3. Set Up.
a. Main attack. I use the concept of mass for my main assault force. I’ll move them through the wheatfields and then into the woods. I identify a danger area of open space and hope I can get past it before the enemy is established in strength on the hills. If I can get safely past the danger area, I’ll approach Hill 621 area through the board 2 southern woods. I’ll set up a fire base to lay suppressive fire (albeit long range) and I’ll advance to secure 2J4 and 2K5 hexes first. From there I’ll roll up the German line on Hill 621 from south to north. Using mass, I’ll concentrate infantry and my oncoming armor (SU 122s and SU 152s) to support this final assault.
b. Supporting effort. In the middle of my advance, I use fewer units to provide a ‘protecting’ force to keep German tanks and other bad guys away from my main assault. I assume the German tank will come in from the north (right side) on board 4. There are enough woods, buildings, and wheatfields on board 4 that allow defensive fire immobilization attempts or close combat kill attempts if the German tanks get too close.
c. Tertiary effort. Even fewer forces get the mission of being target practice for the Germans. This group advances on the right flank and is meant to split German fires and hopefully hold down some enemy units from moving toward my main assault. Since I don’t know the German set up, this force covers the possibility that the Germans don’t set up as I think they will and instead use a broad defense. If there are no German units out here, this force will slow down German armor (even if they are more vulnerable to overrun) and if they survive, can provide supporting fire and maneuver at the northern victory locations. I do place a valuable leader with this group. This is a risk. But I decide I need this force to survive to keep the Germans from concentrating all fires against my main assault. I expect this leader to be a “rallyer” of broken squads to keep them moving and keep them as a threat (and thus a necessary target).
d. Fire base in 3N1. I place my 2 x MMGs with my best leader and 3 x squads on the 2nd floor of 3N1. I did not use a 2nd floor counter because we hadn’t covered those rules yet, so I was using the rule that a 3-hex building is a 2 level building and units can be on either floor. The mission of the fire base is to place accurate and threatening fire against German units to limit their mobility and hopefully interfere with their expected entrenching attempts.
Brian
4. German set up analysis.
a. J did not set up as I expected. He went for a broad defense approach with some depth. I assume his intent is to slow me down, allowing his Turn 4 reinforcements (with the 2 x MMG and 1 x HMG and 10-3 leader) to establish the defensive positions on Hill 621. I
b. I identify his key support weapons. His HMG, MMG, Radio, and 75mm ATG. The MMG is directly in line with my main attack. The HMG can provide penetrating fire across the danger area, potentially inflicting huge losses, but it has very limited fields of fire due to poor LOS to my movement avenues. His radio is in an odd location with limited LOS. Allows me to move with more freedom than I expected. We’ll see where his 75mm ATG goes.
c. Do I change my planned advance? No. I stick with my plan. My main attack only faces 3 x squads with LMG and MMG. My southern mass should overwhelm his southern defense. It looks like I can isolate the southern main attack and keep him from reinforcing that area with on-board units. I expect my fire base to break his HMG squad prior to arrival of my supporting-effort squads. My fire base is in a stronger position (stone building) than his HMG (woods). My tertiary-effort squads in the north will probably keep his northern squads in place, delaying or stopping them from defending against my main attack. The buildings, woods, and wheatfields provide good movement cover across my advance. I should be able to steamroll in the south. I’ll take casualties, but I expect successful execution of my plan..at least to the hill.
d. Armor arrives on Turn 2 for both of us. Based on J’s set up, I cannot predict where his armor will enter. I still expect it from the north (right side), but won’t be surprised if he brings it on in the south once he realizes his weakness there against my concentrated force.
Brian
Brian
Turn 1 – Germans move first
First a word about my AAR. I can type pages and pages, but I won’t. I will try to highlight key decisions and the thoughts behind them more so than key results. I am writing this in hindsight, as the scenario is already played and concluded, so I’ll stick to what my thoughts were at the time.
What do I think the Germans will do? Based on his setup, I now think he is going to stay and fight where he is. Trying to retreat now will provide strong Def Fire opportunities for my Fire Base in the 3N1 building if he tries to retreat with speed.
1. Rally - Pre-start Artillery set up/Special morale rules.
a. Roll for artillery support. They get 3 x 150mm fire missions-very strong and dangerous to me. Fortunately his radio is out of LOS to my main attack. If I can use my tertiary effort (northern) to keep the leader with the radio stationary or break him, I will have made big money with my northern advance.
b. Special Rules- Germans roll a NMC at scenario start. Of his 8 x sqds, 2 of them break. 1 in the center, and 1 in the north. Doesn’t help with my main attack. But any broken squad at game start is a bonus for me. His strength is down 25%.
c. Radio Contact. German achieves radio contact in Turn 1.
2. Prep Fire- none. I think J would have prep fired his HMG in 4O3 if he thought my guys in 3N1 were on the second story. He and I must have had different thoughts on rules. I thought we were playing rules up to and including scenario 5 as part of learning and training. He may have been expecting a 2nd level counter which does not appear until scenario 10.
3. Movement.
a. He moves his halftrack w/ ATG and I don’t pay attention! One of the toughest aspects of VSQL is moving armor in PBEM. This is not the first time I am not paying attention to armor moves..I do it throughout the game. Of key significance is covered arc (CA) changes. We decide on house rules that in our vlog emails to each other, we must tell the other if we fiddled around with moves and to identify when the true move is made. This is to keep the defender from firing in Def Fire and interrupting the movement with the shot and then sending the interrupting logfile to the moving player, when the moving play ended up changing that move anyway in his original movement file. J ends up moving his track too far, forgetting that towing costs 2 x MP costs.
b. He moves a squad (4J6) out of the wheatfield in the south to the building in the middle at 4O6. This removes one of the three German squads in my main attack area. The odds are looking better for main attack success. I have 21 or so squads against his 2 in my main attack corridor.
4. Def Fire. I have only one shot- my firebase against his HMG. As I mentioned earlier, my firebase needs to disrupt the HMG. I break his 9-2 leader but not his squad. The HMG is still dangerous. But a good opening shot nonetheless. I must keep firing on him to keep the leader DM.
5. Adv Fire- none
6. Rout – am not sure about routing the non-DM German squads that broke as part of scenario start. J routs them and I don’t stop them. The northern and southern wheatfields are now clear of German units. Since I plan on using the wheatfield as concealment while moving, this is good for me.
7. Advance – nothing notable.
Brian
Turn 1 – Russian move
Pre-turn analysis: Nothing in GT1 (German Turn 1) changes my plan.
-Maneuver: My attack routes look good. I’ll Prep Fire my Fire Base vs HMG and move everyone else.
-Time: Not an issue.
-Key enemy weapons: His ATG looks like it won’t be ready until Turn 4. His MGs don’t affect me yet. His radio is in contact I can expect an AR this turn vs 3N1.
-Key friendly weapons: My MGs are in good shape so far.
-Leaders: His broke 9-2 is good for me. Makes a HMG shot vs my fire group a less optimistic experience.
1. Rally: As expected, I get an AR on 3N1. German rally attempts fail. J fixes the location of his track w/ATG.
2. Prep Fire. I split my fire from Fire Base:
a. One MMG vs German HMG in 4O3 to no effect, but keeps 9-2 Leader DM.
b. One MMG vs Leader with Radio in 4V3. Is 2+1, but I get a NMC and the Leader breaks and elims the already broken unit there. I remove the AR, radio loses contact, and I breathe easier. 150mm is nothing to sneeze at!
3. Movement. Here I come. I shift my main attack avenue slightly to the north as I further examine German LOS opportunities. I move as far as I can. I have to be careful of penetrating Def Fire. I try to avoid any movement in open and any penetrating fire opportunities. My initial thought is to get my leader in the southern main attack group, Zeitsev, into the woods at 4I6. But I decide otherwise and turn him from a leader into a sweeper, as I don’t fear a local German counterattack against my main attack. So Zeitsev is a ‘rallyer’ and I move him to a more central position.
I end up doing a heck of a lot of LOS checks to keep my boys out of harm’s way. The terrain is helpful.
4. Def Fire. Germans break a few squads, but nothing too damaging. I’ll just rally them as I move along with my ‘sweeper’ leaders.
5. Advancing Fire. I have a few ineffective opportunities.
6. Rout.
7. Advance. Keep moving forward, move Leaders to rally.
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 2 – German move
-Here come the tanks. Germans get 4 x Mk IVs and I get 6 x T-34s. His come in on either the northern or southern edge (his choice) of board 4 right into the battle and mine come in on east edge of board 3.
-I think I am in ok position if he tries to overrun. I have many immobilization attempt opportunities should his armor come into the wheatfields. I am away from the board edges which forces him to move further to get me.
-I kind of hope he does try to overrun me, to keep his tanks off the hill hexes on board 2. If he goes after my infantry, my faster T-34s that come on in Turn 2 may get the advantage of higher terrain.
-What do I think he will do? I think he will head to the hills with his tanks while he tries to hold tight with his infantry in the valley, buying time and space for his infantry reinforcements.
-Looks like I can continue to isolate my main attack area from on-board German infantry reinforcements. My fire base will look for Def Fire opportunities vs moving infantry or against key support weapons: his radio, HMG, or MMG. He may enter his armor on southern edge of board 4 right into my main attack, or he may not. We will see..
1. Rally: I fail to rally anyone. J routed his broken leaders away from the HMG and radio, but his broken 9-2 leader that was with the HMG is still in the LOS of my firebase. A possible target in Def Fire just to keep him DM. He fails to rally them as well. J recognizes that without the radio and artillery he may be in trouble.
2. German Prep Fire: The German HMG in 4O3 prep fires against my fire base in 3N1. Result: 1 x broken squad. I am still in good shape with 2 x MMG and 2 x squads with 9-1 Leader (Pavlov). That’s his Prep Fire. Nothing against my main assault forces.
3. German Movement:
a. Track w/ ATG starts moving up hill 538.
b. Tanks! J chooses to enter his tanks on the northern edge of board 4. Since I have no anti-tank weapons on the board, I don’t pay much attention to his CA facings. If he gets close to my tertiary units, I’ll have to make Def Fire immobilization attempt decisions on the fly. In 4W6, 2 x squads pass Pre-AFV MCs, but failed to immobilize. J overruns in 4W6, breaking 1 x squad there.
Tanks appear to be in 2 x teams of 2. Smart to have them working in pairs for mutual support. He did not aggressively go after my infantry. They are set up in fire support positions. Maybe they will continue to move to my main attack area next turn. I believe his tank in 4O4 went to far, as I don’t think J accounted for that tank being the third to enter the game on the same road hex, paying 1.5 MP to get onto the board.
c. The German infantry start a retreat, a slow retreat. His slow speed of retreat may be influenced by my firebase. If so, then my firebase is doing its job.
4. Russian Defensive Fire:
a. Firebase. I split my fire as I did in Turn 1. 1 x MMG fires on his broke 9-2 in 4O1 to no effect, but keeps him DM, and 1 x MMG at his HMG in 4O3 to good effect, breaking 1 of the 2 squads there. He moved an extra squad into that hex during his movement phase.
b. Other. I have limited Def Fire opportunities with my attack forces, to no effect on the Germans.
5. Rout. Nothing of note.
6. German Advance. Ah, the min-retreat was a charade. He advances his infantry back to their GT2 starting positions.
7. CC. None.
Brian
Brian
Turn 2 – Russian move
Pre-turn analysis: Nothing in GT2 (German Turn 1) changes my plan. His tanks do not affect my plan just yet.
-Maneuver: My attack routes still look good. I’ll Prep Fire my Fire and Base probably move everyone else. I think I’ll try to close assault his tank in the 4W5 wheatfield. Should keep his tank at bay and hold his northern units in the area. I expect my main attack continues as planned.
-Time: Not an issue.
-Key enemy weapons: His ATG still looks like it won’t be ready until Turn 4. His MGs don’t affect me yet. Germans have no artillery until at least Turn 4.
-Key friendly weapons: My MGs are in good shape so far. Firebase is ok with 2 x good order squads manning the MMGs. I get 6 x T-34 tanks arriving on the east edge of board 3. The T-34 only advantages are speed and numbers. My “to hit” numbers are inferior to his, so I must gain an advantage in number of shots. There will eventually hit.
-Leaders: Both his leaders are broken. Good for me. My leaders are in good shape and good position.
1. Rally. Germans rally his radio leader. But he is away from his radio. I have to break him if he goes to get the radio next turn. I rally 1 x squad with a ‘sweeper’leader. Germans do not attempt radio contact.
2. Russian Prep Fire: My only Prep Fire is my firebase. I use the same split attack technique as in GT2. No effect vs 4O1 (broken 9-2 ldr and squad) but it keeps them DM, and no effect vs 4O3.
3. Russian Movement. I make a recurring movement mistake. I should move my armor first, and then the infantry. Move your key weapons first, and then move everyone else based on that movement.
a. Infantry. I do a lot of LOS checks to keep them out of harms way. Everyone who can advance, advances. In the south, my main attack gets to the woods en masse. Very good. In the middle, my secondary attack pushes forward to threaten his HMG position. In the north, I don’t get fixated on close assaulting his MkIV in 4W5. I leave that task to 2 x squads against each of his tanks in the north, while continuing to move forward with the other squads. I move leader Zeitsev to continue ‘sweeping’ broke units along the advance.
I try to capture his radio in 4V3.
The Mk IV in 4W5 has multiple def fire opportunities against units moving through the same hex. A risk, but I don’t care to get bogged down by the tank for fear of losing units. I need to keep moving.
b. Tanks. Ah..the tanks. I have to decide where to move them. I would like to get them into firing position right away, and not take two turns to start firing away. I need my tanks to help the infantry assault. But first- take care of the German tanks. Do I come up the middle or do I come in behind them to the north? The level 2 southern hills on board 3 are unreachable this turn.
At first I line them up to enter on 3Q10 to make a move up the middle. But then I change my mind and bring them on at 3Y10 to get behind the German tanks. Coming in up the middle exposes my tanks to accurate cross fire from his Mk IVs and will split my own fires against his tanks. But as I move the tanks, I see opportunity to safely split my force and bring a mass of 4 tanks into the middle while keeping a team of 2 to focus on the 2 x Mk IVs that I am close assaulting with infantry. The German Mk IVs I am assaulting must make a decision: fire against the infantry with main armament, or turn to face my T-34 movement and lose all but 360 MG against my infantry. Having a two-pronged attack against these 2 x Mk IVs should result in a good level of success. I hope to knock out at least one of these this turn.
If I didn’t have the pending close assaults on the 2 x Mk IVs in the north, I would not split my force. Still, my 4 x T-34s in the middle are strong compared to the 2 x Mk IVs in the middle. I know I may take some losses, but if we do 1-for-1 losses, then I will have 2 x T-34s as the only tanks left in the game (not counting the SP guns arriving later). I would be happy with that result.
I move my tanks as a snake, together, to simulate them moving to the battle area as a platoon. I am not a fan of the AFV movement rules of moving one at a time, especially when they coming in along a road on the same turn. If there are no defensive fire opportunities against the armor movement, then the rules are fine. But here, it is far more realistic to simulate the tanks moving together and getting attacked together. At some point in the movement they may hit a spot where they split up. Key is to keep track of the collective movement points. I use a VSQL turn counter and counter labels to keep track of MPs. For right or wrong, this is a personal technique.
The German has some shots, so I expect I may lose a tank or two. But I have shots as well.
4. German Defensive Fire. Before J starts his Def Fire, I have second thoughts about my armor moves. But it is too late. It is done. The bullets are flying!
The Germans do not fire as I moved my tanks. They end up destroying 2 x T-34s in the center. My crews survive…they may be very helpful in a few turns! They break a squad or two. And no damage to my main attack forces. I survive Def Fire against my squad trying to capture the radio.
5. Russian Advancing Fire. I destroy 1 x Mk IV. I lose 2 tanks, Germans lose 1. I’ll take that trade for now. I hope to get one more Mk IV in close assault.
6. Rout phase. Rout to leaders.
7. Russian Advance. I destroy the German radio.
a. In my main attack area, I am now firmly in the woods with a sizeable force. I can lay down some serious infantry firepower against the remaining German infantry in the path of my assault. Looking good.
b. In the center I advance to try and eliminate the HMG position next turn.
c. In the north, I try to advance to close assault the Mk IV in 4W5. But I cannot pass a pre-AFV morale check with three tries. Looks like I have to survive in the wheatfield and maybe try again next turn. May restrict the movement of the Mk IV.
8. CC. I eliminate a surviving German crew in 4Z7.
Overall assessment at end of Turn 2: I think I am in good shape.
Brian
Brian
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 3 – German Move
-I thought his tanks in GT2 would head to the board 2 hills. I was obviously wrong. We are in a scrap on board 4.
-No reinforcements this turn. Next arrivals are German turn 4. Next Russian arrivals are Turn 5.
-My assessment of the German position is they have limited firepower available for Prep or Advancing Fires. The weight of the Russian infantry assault will soon be felt. So does he stay and fight or retreat? He does have some safe retreat routes available to preserve his remaining force. I would retreat them, but J has shown he will probably stay and fight. His tanks can stay and fight or they can move as well. I think he will try to kill more of my T-34s. He must be careful, if he Prep Fires and misses, I have 2 x T-34 shots against each of his two northern tanks..using the concept of mass to compensate for my lower “to hit” numbers. Also- he only has 5 x good order squads in the battle. I have 44.
-My destruction of his radio last turn was worth the risk. I can rest easy that no 150mm OBA rounds are coming at me until Turn 5 at the earliest. One less weapon that could have severely impacted my crossing of the danger area.
1. Rally. He fails to rally his best leader, the 9-2, now in 2N10. J is smart to have routed him away from battle, but he can’t go far as he must stop in the closest available cover. My firing on him to keep him DM allows him to keep routing and moving away. He’ll eventually find a place beyond my range or out of my firebase LOS. Overall, the Russians have effectively kept him out of the battle. No radios worry about.
2. German Prep Fire.
a. Armor. He prep fires his Mk IV in 4S3 to no effect. J recognizes the significance of the failure. The German tanks are sticking around. I correct J’s use of the CA MG. He fired it against a different target from its MA (Main Armament). The CA MG can only fire at the MA target hex. He does knock out another T-34 in 4S4. I have now lost 3 x T-34s. We each have 3 x tanks remaining for now..I hope my Def Fire changes that ratio.
b. Infantry. No prep fire.
3. German Movement. The retreat is on (except in the north)..but maybe not. He moved some infantry only 1 x hex. I wonder if he’ll advance them back to their positions. The non- prep fire Mk IV moves to cover my main attack area. He does not execute an overrun against my crew in 4N3. Must have forgotten that capability in the heat of battle. I should have corrected him and rolled the attack for him. Maybe J sees the need to beef up his forces in the south.
4. Russian Defensive Fire.
a. Armor. At the end of Def Fire I hope the armor remain is 3:1 in my favor. I need to kill 2xMK IVs. I am still ok with losing the T-34 in Prep Fire, as I have favorable fires here. I destroy the Mk IV in 4W5 in one shot vs his rear armor., and I KIA his surviving crew. One more Mk IV to go to meet my goal this phase. I hit him in 4S3, but don’t kill him. So I have 3 x T-34s remaining versus his 2 x Mk IVs. I am ok with this.
b. Infantry. Some initial ineffective fires. I keep his broken 9-2 leader DM and elim the broke squad with him. Then some more ineffective fires. I have lots of fire opportunities, just can’t get good rolls. I don’t fire against his CE armor crews. Is just too tough to get any result. Cross of Iron makes things more deadly for CE crews if I recall correctly.
5. German Advancing Fire. Germans get some good rolls and break a few of my squads, including three in my main attack area.
6. Rout. Nothing particular.
7. German Advance Phase. Yep, he advances infantry back to their positions.
8. Close Combat. None.
Brian
Brian
Turn 3 – Russian move
Pre-turn analysis. My focus is on the danger area in the south for my main attack. Do I cross this turn? Probably depends on my Prep Fire. I can afford to trade casualties for ground. I must cross in sufficient strength in a timely manner.
RT3 is a success for me if: I can get some units safely into/across the danger area with strong outlook for moving the bulk of my main attack across the danger area by turn 5.
-Maneuver: My attack routes still look good. I expect to use fire and maneuver to cross. Use some Prep Fire to suppress the MMG. The German move of a Mk IV to the south to counter my main attack may free up my secondary attack, which has some good strength, to advance farther and possibly become my main focus. Depends how I do in the south crossing the danger area.. My tertiary effort in the northern part is a toss up-lots of broke units that will take time to rally. I’ll continue to hold down his northern units. The Germans are too weak to counterattack though.
I’ll Prep Fire my firebase to support the main attack.
-Time: This may be a key turn to see if I am delayed in the south. German infantry reinforcements arrive next turn in tracks, they may take defensive positions on the hills or they may counterattack deeper in the battlefield. I need to get across the danger area before the reinforcements are established. My strong position in the middle may draw his reinforcements since the roads allow farther movement for his tracks.
-Key enemy weapons: His ATG now looks like it won’t be ready until Turn 5. I may need to maneuver my northern force to be able to place tank or infantry fire against the crew when they unload. I must take out his MMG to cross the danger area. His HMG hasn’t been a factor so far, I’ll see about assaulting it this turn. Germans have no artillery until at least Turn 4.
-Key friendly weapons: My MGs are in good shape so far. Firebase is ok with 3 x good order squads manning the MMG. At some point I’ll need to move them forward. My T-34s are taking losses, but I am still ok. That is the penalty for aggressive moves. I expect to do some fire and maneuver with my T-34s to take out his center Mk IV as well as set up to fire upon the track towing the ATG when he climbs to Level 2 on the northern hill.
-Leaders: His 9-2 is still broken. Good for me. My leaders are in good shape, and I need to move them to ‘sweep’ up the broken units along the assault routes.
1. Rally. The German 9-2 remains a broken, lonely man in 2L9. Zeitsev has rally success in the south, but Tolstoy fails to rally a squad in the north. I’ll move Zeitsev to support the main attack, and move Tolstoy away from the broke unit in 4X8 to the stack of 3x broken squads in 4W5. More bang for the buck. Can’t rally them all.
2. Russian Prep Fire. Rule of thumb- fire armor first.
a. Armor. Success! I destroy his central Mk IV in 4S3 with prep fire from 2 x hexes away. His crew survives but I break them. Germans are down to 1 x Mk IV vs my 3 x T-34s. Good.
b. Infantry. Focus on my main attack.
-Main attack: I prep fire along the entire treeline in the south to set the conditions for my eventual crossing of the danger area. I wish I didn’t have to fire the entire treeline, but I have no choice, I have to take out his MGs influencing the danger area. Success breaking the MMG squad in 4H2, but not successful vs LMG and squad in 4F4.
-Secondary: limited Prep Fire as I expect to move this group.
-Tertiary: No prep fire- expect to move.
3. Russian Movement. Continue the advance!
a. Armor. Prep Fire success allows maneuvering. I decide to split my northern T-34s. One goes to Hill 538 to destroy the track and ATG. The other goes to a hulldown position in the center (4O7) to place fire on his remaining Mk IV in the south. I am careful to stay out of Panzerfaust range.
The next German armor arrives Turn 5. So I have some time to chase down his remaining vehicles. I am less worried about placing fire against his Turn 4 tracks and infantry.
b. Infantry.
-Main attack: The loss of his MMG allows me some level of aggressiveness. I use the concept of mass to assault his Mk IV and LMG positions. The German has only a few Def Fire opportunities here, so I expect after I take casualties, I’ll be in position to close assault or close combat and eliminate the last German obstacles to my main attack movement. His Mk IV must make a decision: fire vs my moved T-34 in 4O7 or fire against the assaulting infantry. One or the other, whatever the result of his Def Fire, I have a good opportunity to kill his last tank soon.
-Secondary attack in the center. I move everyone. Same concept of mass. The German can’t Def Fire against everyone. I use my crews to ‘bait’ his Def Fire from 4O1 with very aggressive moves…as they are relatively expendable. Once I take care of that HMG and squad, the center is wide open. I’ll take casualties, but I expect to be successful this turn eliminating the HMG position in 4O1.
-Tertiary attack in the north. Move to assault 4V2 (8-1 Leader, LMG, squad). Keep tying down his leader and 2 x squads who I have successfully isolated from the main attack.
-Fire Base – since I broke the MMG squad in the south, I can now move my firebase forward to support the assault. The fire base is too far from the battle area and where I expect the German Turn 4 reinforcements to go. I move them up the middle to find a good building to be able to place fire against the Hill 621 ridgeline. I’ll move them as far forward as I can.
5. Russian Advancing Fire. I keep the broke 9-2 leader in 2L9 DM by firing on him. Big success: I break the squad manning the HMG in the center at 4O1. Nothing in is my way now in the center. Unless J brings on the GT4 reinforcements to the middle. That’s it. Miss with my T-34 vs his Mk IV.
7. Russian Advance Phase. Time to assault the Mk IV. Pre-AFV morale checks are successful (barely..) for both squads assaulting 4J2. I don’t advance the masses in the south just yet. But I do start with three squads. In the center everyone advances. In the north, I advance 1 x squad to close combat the Germans in 4V2 with bad odds (3:2 for him). I hope to have the German continue his poor rolling and I can hold him in melee to allow me to keep moving across the road in the middle with my center force. The squad is potentially sacrificed for the good of the horde.
8. Close Combat. Success vs his last Mk IV! I need a 4 to kill, and I get one with my second roll. No crew survival due to close combat kill. Brave Russians! Germans have no more armor until STG IIIs arrive in Turn 5. The danger area is not so dangerous. In the north, 4V2, a sacrifice it is. My plan does not work. My squad is KIA without hurting him.
Overall assessment of GT3: I did not exactly meet my mission for this turn by crossing into or through the danger area in the south. But I did set conditions for big time movement next turn by eliminating his last tank and breaking his MMG squad. I still need to take care of his remaining squad and LMG in the south at 4F4.
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 4- German Move
Big event this turn- the arrival of German infantry reinforcements aboard halftracks. He gets 4 x 8-3-8 squads, which, when added to his 3 x remaining good order squads, brings the German infantry ratio to 7:40, or 1:6. The significance of his reinforcements are his support weapons and leader: A radio, a 10-3 Leader, a HMG, 2 x MMGs, and 8 x PFs. Lots of firepower and potential casualties for me. I obviously must key finding a way to mass my fires to break his squads manning the MGs and keep them broken.
-My assessment of the German situation is a dire one. No German forces between my main and secondary efforts and Hill 621. No armor until Turn 5, and even then they are SPGs, not tanks. The Germans are in trouble.
-Where do I think the German reinforcements will go? They enter on one western road hex on board 2. The MG power and radio call for good LOS. I bet the Germans head to the 621 ridgeline and hold from there. The Russians are only 3 x turns away (Turn 7) from gaining some of the victory locations. German reinforcements have a lot of Panzerfausts. Will he aggressively move them to positions kill my T-34s and limit their maneuver? Or will he head to the hills. We will see.
1. Rally. The German 9-2 leader finally rallies in L9! Will he do something productive for a change? The new radio brings 3 x 100mm FFEs with it. Add that to his 150mm FFEs, and there is a lot of artillery available to him.
2. German Prep Fire. He succeeds in 1 x KIA in the south.
3. German movement: a retreat with his northern on-board squads. His ATG finally gets to a Level 2 in 2W5. Another turn before he can fire.. if he survives my Def Fire! Where do his reinforcements go?
They go mostly to Hill 621 in a conservative, reverse-slope defensive manner. Maybe he is waiting for me and will zap me as I take the victory locations. If this is the case, I will simply advance during the advance phase onto the victory locations during RT10. But I am not that optimistic. A PF hunter-killer group heads to the middle and sets up in 2W5 to possibly protect his ATG from my T-34 in 2CC7.
4. Russian Defensive Fire. On board 4, I do clean up duty.. my massed Russian infantry break or eliminate 3 x sqds in the south and middle. The path to Hill 621 is now clear for my main attack. I don’t Def Fire against his track towing the ATG in 2W5. Can’t recall if that was deliberate or an oversight!
5. German Advancing Fire. None
6. Rout. Nothing notable.
7. German Advance. Germans stay in reverse-slop defensive position on Hill 621.
8. Close Combat. None.
Brian
Brian
Turn 4 – Russian move
Pre-turn analysis. My main attack danger area is no longer dangerous. Now I must focus on overwhelming his infantry on Hill 621. My armor should provide good support and protect my infantry.
RT4 is a success for me if: I can start massing infantry at the base of Hill 621 and position my armor to provide anti-tank support against his oncoming Turn 5 armor.
-Maneuver: My attack lanes are clear. So maneuver issues due to German forces. Get into the woods or buildings in position to keep the Germans from entrenching on the Level 3 victory locations. My 3 x remaining T-34s now have some time and space to maneuver and get ready for the arrival of German armor reinforcements, as I don’t think they are needed to support the infantry assaults right now.
-Time: Next reinforcements for both of us is next turn, Turn 5. Germans get some armor and an ATG. I get armor, 1 x HMG, and 6-2-8 assault squads. 6-2-8s need to get into the main battle area.
-Key enemy weapons: His ATG now looks like it won’t be ready until Turn 5. Germans have no artillery until at least Turn 5 now. If radio gets into good LOS position, I need to place fire and break the leader. His HMG and MMGs are on backside of 621, allowing my infantry to move forward without opposition.
-Key friendly weapons: My MGs are in good shape so far. Firebase is on the move. My 3 x T-34 are a huge bonus for me.
-Leaders: My leaders are in good shape, and I need to move them to ‘sweep’ up the broken units along the assault routes. Germans have strong leaders, but not in any position to influence the battle right now.
1. Rally. My 2 x ‘sweeper’ leaders rally 3 out of 4 squads. Nice job comrade! I have 4 x broken squads that I probably will never rally. Have to leave them behind as I surge forward.
2. Russian Prep Fire. Rule of thumb- fire armor first.
a. Armor. I don’t make the same mistake twice. I shoot at track and ATG in 2W5 before he can set up. But my Russian gunner misses. That is my only Prep Fire.
b. Infantry. None.
3. Russian Movement. Continue the advance! Expect every able-body infantryman to move forward! My main attack force is massing in the woods a t south of Hill 621. A key move: My 8-0 leader, Pavlov, departs the northern lanes (and its 2 x broken squads) and moves to the center to support the secondary effort there. He needs to be forward now. I have an 8-0 leader trailing each of the main movements, and my 9-1 leader moving forward with the 2 x MMG firebase.
a. Armor. I move my 2 x non-Prep Firing T-34s to positions to attack Hill 631 victory locations. If his armor arrives in the northern part of board2, I have time to move my T-34s to address that. I think his armor will come in the center.
b. Infantry. Continue the advance! Expect every able-body infantryman to move forward! My main attack force is massing in the woods a t south of Hill 621. A key move: My 8-0 leader, Tolstoy, departs the northern lanes (and its 2 x broken squads) and moves to the center to support the secondary effort there. He needs to be forward now. I have an 8-0 leader trailing each of the main movements, and my 9-1 leader moving forward with the 2 x MMG firebase.
I am not concerned with his units in the northern part of board 4. They are a side-show and I just need to continue keeping them isolated from the main attack area
4. German Defensive Fire. Ah..none!
5. Russian Advancing Fire. I try again to hit his halftrack in 2W5. Slim chance to hit with a T-34 that moved..and I miss. No other Advancing Fire.
Here is the map after Advancing Fire:
6. Rout. No rout for either.
7. Russian Advance Phase. Continue moving forward. I am on the hill. My tank crews only 2 x hexes from victory locations. Help divert German fire from my main forces. I build a nice new firebase in 4P1 with 1x MMGs, 1x captured German HMG, and my 9-1 Leader, Pavlov.
8. Close Combat. None.
Overall assessment of RT4: I did what I hoped to do..get a foothold on Hill 621 and move my armor to supporting positions.
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 5 – German move
Big event this turn- the arrival of more German reinforcements, this time armor consisting of 1 x MK IVF1, 2 x STGIII, and 1 x 50mmATG w/ vehicle. The significance of his reinforcements is he now has mobility back in the shape of AFVs. Yes, they aren’t Panthers, but the STGIIIs can harm my T-34s and infantry. My heavy armor arrives in the bottom half of the turn.
Since the STGIIIs can’t move and fire in the same turn, I don’t have to worry about them until RT5. But how they are employed will be most interesting and may influence my actions. The Mk IVF1 with canister can be devastating vs infantry, so I must keep an eye on him and provide some anti-tank support to my main infantry attack. The 50mm ATG will take a while to get emplaced, so not worried about it for now.
-My assessment of the German situation remains is a dire one. Still no German forces positioned to slow my advance down or challenge my infantry as they assume final assault positions.
-Where do I think the German reinforcements will go? Get up on the hills and ridges and take advantage of German accuracy and good LOS. The Mk IVF1 may go to the southern section of his line to secure the German flank and get some shorter-range shots in with his *-style gun.
1. Rally. None. Radio contact, but no LOS to place AR.
2. German Prep Fire. None. No one has LOS to my forces. 75mm ATG not ready yet.
3. German movement: Germans moving to defend Hill 621. His oncoming armor stays in the mid-to-southern part of his line. His Mk IVF1 does go to the south, but his slow speed keeps him from advancing up the hills too much. The 50mm ATG heads to the south as well. The 2 x STGIIIs position themselves to influence my secondary attack, which is fine by me.
The infantry remains in reverse slope position using halftracks for protective TEM. One leader does crest the hill and makes an appearance to get LOS for artillery. He probably won’t last long up there alone..
J unhooks his 75mm ATG and will try to get that into action.
His leaders are away from his men. Both leaders, 10-3 and 9-2 are alone for now in 2K5 and 2L4.
4. Russian Defensive Fire. I only have a few targets on board 2, as most of his forces are out of LOS behind the objective hill. I can fire at his 75mm ATG unhooking action in 2W5 as well as his leader with the radio in 2K5. Can also fire at a PF hunter group in 2U6 with a squad or two.
Attacking the 75mm ATG in 2W5- my first fire breaks the crew. I don’t have to worry about the 75mm any more. No good order crews or leaders in the vicinity. The breaking was inevitable, as I have multiple chances over two turns to break him.
Attacking the 10-3 leader and radio in 2K5. I actually move him back to 2K4 to help J with gameplay. No advantage for the 10-3 w/radio to be exposed on the 2K5 hill when he can get there in the advance phase safely. Radio provides no value without an AR, SR, or FFE on the board. Because I move him back for J, I have no LOS to him anymore. No attack. But if he does advance…expect to be eating a lot of lead.
5. German Advancing Fire. Ineffective with STG III MGs in 2U7. I’ll hear his 75mm booming soon.
6. Rout. Routs the broke crew away from the 75mm.
7. German Advance. The 10-3 w/ radio advances to 2K5. The Germans also advance an HMG and MMG to the ridge line in 2O5 and 2N5 respectively. Now he is in position to unleash the power of his MGs from a position of good LOS.
8. Close Combat. None.
Here is the map at the end of GT5:
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 5 – Russian move
Pre-turn analysis. I have a foothold at the south-eastern base of Hill 621. No immediate threats to my continued assault. I get reinforcements this turn, armor (SU-122s and SU-152s) plus infantry (HMG, 6-2-8s, and 9-2 Leader).
RT4 is a success for me if: I can get into the southern hills of 621 while building up a fire base in the south-eastern foothold. If I can break his squads on the Level 3 victory locations so he can’t place fire on me, but he also can’t entrench.
-Maneuver: I’ll try to assault the hill in the northeast, the east, and the southeast. My main attack is still in the southern sector. I am still very strong in the center though, so will give it a go if only to hold down German units from focusing on my main attack at southern end of hill. The terrain of the hill has some poor LOS for the defender, so I need to take advantage of whatever cover I can find.
My 3 x T-34s have no worries from STG IIIs, so I can maneuver them as needed- probably take out his STG IIIs and MK IVF1 before supporting the infantry attack.
My reinforcing armor is slow. They have *-type guns, so they really can’t hit infantry after 12 hexes, so I’ll bring them in to close onto Hill 621 and support the infantry.
-Time: We are halfway through the mission, Turn 5 out of 10 x Turns. I don’t think time is an issue for me. Won’t get my SUs close enough to use effectively until Turn 7 or so. But not an issue at this point.
-Key enemy weapons: His 75mm ATG has no crew. The 50mm ATG is still being towed, looks like it won’t be ready until Turn 8. Germans have artillery. We’ll see how that goes. If radio gets into good LOS position, I need to place fire and break the leader. His HMG and MMGs are on Hill 621, some in firing position. I have to place fire on them to break them to allow a clean advance up the hill.
-Key friendly weapons: My MGs are in good shape so far. Firebase is established in a strong support position in the middle with MMGs and captured HMG. My 3 x T-34 are in good shape. I get my armor reinforcements.
-Leaders: My leaders are in good shape, supporting the advance. Germans have strong leaders, but not in any position to influence the battle right now. He has no leaders with the HMG and MMG on top of Hill 621. Makes his squads easier to break. We will see..
1. Rally. No rally for me, I left behind a couple of broke squads, and I have no intention of rallying them now. The German radio in 2K5 loses contact. Good for me.
2. Russian Prep Fire. Rule of thumb- fire armor first.
a. Armor. My T-34 in 2J8 fires MA at level 3 MMG in 2H5. Hit and breaks the MMG squad.
b. Infantry. I start with my main fire base at the level 3 HMG in 2O5, which is a powerful 16-1. I break his HMG squad. This means both his MGs that he moved to the level 3 ridge during advance phase last turn are now broke, and I just started my Prep Fire. I should be able to move a lot of units up the hill a bit. That is the only prep fire I need. I don’t fire at his 10-3 leader with radio out of contact. He is not a threat and I’ll get him eventually.
3. Russian Movement. Move the reinforcements first. Squads riding tanks. I make an aggressive move with the reinforcing 9-2 leader and HMG. IN a halftrack, they move all the way into a main Fire Base position. He’ll start laying down some good Def Fire next turn. My -122s get to the middle of board 4, while the slower -152 can’t.
I pay no attention to his stack in 4X1 in the north. They are irrelevant now. Only a bit of flank security needed.
a. Armor. I can move the 2 x T-34s that did not Prep Fire. I move them to the center to counter the threat of the German STG IIIs. This may keep them out of LOS, thus making them irrelevant also. I don’t need my T-34s in order to succeed, but I think the German has to get value out of his remaining armor if he is to eek out a victory.
b. Infantry. Continue the advance! Taking out his MGs in Prep Fire frees me to make a very strong push in the center while my squads negotiate the slower terrain in the southern end of Hill 621. I have 12 x squads and 2 x squads on the hill vs. the German 1 x squad and 2 x crews. The numbers are in my favor big time. I debate close assaulting his STG III in 2U7, but decide against it as an unnecessary risk.
4. German Defensive Fire. Again, no Def Fire…ahhhh!
5. Russian Advancing Fire. I try to elim his broke MMG and HMG squads. I am successful with both attempts. The mass of Russian infantry on the hill is very intimidating. The Russians are hungry for the hill!
Here is the map after Advancing Fire:
6. Rout. Again, no rout for either.
7. Russian Advance Phase. I take my first two victory locations with my tank crews and they capture the MMG and HMG up there. I continue the advance up the hill. I debate whether I should destroy the captured MGs..I really don’t need them.
8. Close Combat. None.
Overall assessment of RT5: I exceeded my goals for RT5, by taking 2 x victory locations already. The German is in big trouble.
Here is the map at the end of RT5:
Brian
Brian
Brian
Turn 6 – German Move
My very successful RT5 makes things even more difficult for the German foe. I have the heights, he is down to only 4 x squads remaining (only 2 in main battle area) and his armor is not in position to influence the outcome just yet.
1. Rally. None. No radio contact.
2. German Prep Fire. He breaks one on my crews on Hill 621 crest. I still have one good order crew up there.
3. German movement: The Mk IVF1 moves forward to my advance, but terrain may protect me a bit. He maneuvers a STGIII to get back to the battle, but his slower speed keeps him from getting up to Level 1
4. Russian Defensive Fire. I only have a few shots. I break one of his threatening squads in 2U10, but this is a sideshow.
5. German Advancing Fire. Broken crew elim on top of 621.
6. Rout.
7. German Advance. Advance to CC in 2U10. German has the advantage, not concerned.
8. Close Combat. CC in 2U10, German successful, I am not. Loss of 1 x squad for me.
Here is the map at the end of GT6:
Brian
Turn 6 – Russian Move
Pre-turn analysis: Things are dire for the Hun. Only a miracle can save him. My Russians continue to use fire and maneuver to suffocate the enemy..
1. Rally. Another turn of no rally attempts for me.
2. Russian Prep Fire. Limited…only have one target, a crew manning a HMG in @O5 on the Hill 621 crest. Needless to say, that crew attract a lot of attention and is eventually KIA.
3. Russian Movement. Russians mob Hill 621, trying to get to the crest. They are like bees around the Mk IV.. I have 9 x squads ready to assault the MkIV..just need some good Pre AFV attack rolls, and then I only need 1 good CC roll. Te German may injure me a bit here, but I have to think the odds are in my favor.
4. German Defensive Fire. His Mk IV has an effective canister shot- he breaks 2x squads in 2M6. and then KIAs them plus a 3rd squad with his CMG..nice shot. So of my 9 x squads ready to assault the Mk IV, I now only have 6. I am still going to go for it, of course.
5. Russian Advancing Fire. No need to close assault. An adjacent T-34 destroys his Mk IV. I wonder if J even knew the T-34 was there among all the clutter of counters on the hill. But the Russian does his duty. The remaining German armor are 2 x STGIII and another coming on in 2 turns.
6. Rout. Nothing significant.
7. Russian Advance Phase. I advance to take my 3rd victory location. I need 2 more, and I have 4 turns to do it. I just hope my Russians don’t break out the vodka too soon..
Brian
Brian
Turn 7 – German Move
Another successful Russian turn makes things even more difficult for the German foe. I take another victory location, and only need one more and then hold what I have to win. The Russians are coming..the Russians are coming.
I forgot to Advance my units away from his AR. If it is on target, I may be feeling some pain.
1. Rally. The German BSR is on target. My failure to move in the Advance Phase may cost some lives.. And his radio keeps contact. Uh-oh.
2. German Prep Fire. His FFE is extremely effective. It takes out my T-34 and breaks/elims almost every squad in the blast zone. Very costly, but fortunately I still retain a massive advantage in forces.
3. German movement: Germans start moving toward the main battle area. J makes an aggressive move with a STG III to 2K4, adjacent to 2 x squads. Being a SPG, his ability to place fire on me is very limited. Looks like I’ll try to take him out in my next Close Combat phase.
4. Russian Defensive Fire. Some effective, some not. I secure the right flank a bit by breaking a leader and eliminating a squad in T8.
6. Rout. None
7. German Advance. None
8. Close Combat. None.
Map stays the same as it ended the AFPh.
Brian
Turn 7 – Russian Move
Pre-turn analysis: I took some lumps due to forgetfulness last turn..Unfortunately probably not the last time that is going to happen!!
1. Rally. Another turn of no rally attempts for me. I routed away from his FFE hex, hopefully same those guys for another day.
2. Russian Prep Fire. None. Time to continue moving.
3. Russian Movement. Everyone forward!! My SU-152s finally get into the battle area on the right side, bringing 2 x 6-2-8s with them. I swamp his STG III that I mentioned in GT7. My T-34 has the speed to maneuver around the hill to get to the side of the STG III. The STG has to make a decision on pivoting or not, and who to fire upon. One way or another, I should destroy him in Adv Fire or Close Combat. I surround him with 6 x Squads and the T-34 has a side shot. I have another T-34 that can shoot him up as well.
4. German Defensive Fire. The German STG III in danger decides to fire up the halftrack I moved to 2K5 instead of pivoting to take on the T-34, or any of the squads looking to assault him in Close Combat. I’ll trade a halftrack for a T-34 any day.. He does break 2 x squads with his CMG. So I am down to 5 x squads to assault him.
5. Russian Advancing Fire. My first T-34 misses, but my 2nd T-34 shot from the side does the trick. A hit and a kill. Crew survives a bit, but is KIA after a few attempts.
6. Rout. Nothing significant.
7. Russian Advance Phase. I advance onto the southern German halftrack and AT gun. No other Germans forces in southern part of Hill 621. Time to roll up his line from the south. My 3 x squads pass their AFV morale checks.
8. Close Combat. I may have incorrectly resolved the Close Combat vs the Halftrack. I think it is the first time in my Squad Leader experience that I CC’d vs an armed halftrack. My 3 x squads fail to do anything and return to their hexes.
Here is the map at the end of RT7. The halftrack towing the ATG is doomed. I’ll roll up the remnants of his force soon.
Brian
Turn 8 – German Move
Getting near the end..can the German successfully hold off the Russians and possibly counterattack to save the day? A 105 STG III enters the battle this turn.
1. Rally. German loses radio contact..that helps!
2. German Prep Fire. One of my squads breaks in the south. Doesn’t affect the main battle area and my objectives.
3. German movement: J moves his 105 STG III to the center of the action, but still on the west side of Hill 621 just below the crest. Is he waiting to blast my Comrades as they advance onto the victory locations? If he is, I’ll wait him out and advance at the very end of the scenario.
4. Russian Defensive Fire. I don’t have may shots, but I do take out 2 x tracks, a T-34 and a SU-122 did the dirty work..way to go with the 122!
5. German Advancing Fire. None
Brian
Turn 8 – Russian Move
Pre-turn analysis: Germans only have 2 x squads remaining, but still has 2 x STG IIIs as well. I took out his AT Guns, so I certainly have a mobility advantage with T-34s vs STG IIIs. I have the heavies (122, 152s) that will help as well.
1. Rally. I do rally a squad.
2. Russian Prep Fire. Nothing effective. Try to get some weak shots vs units protected by AFVs.
3. Russian Movement. I move my SU-152s with squads riding to a position behind the German line. They are joined behind the Germans by a T-34 and some other squads. Closing in on the Germans from all sides now. I continue the advance on Hill 621.
4. German Defensive Fire. The 75 STG III pivots and tries To Hit vs a moving SU-152. A tough shot, but he has a chance with a TH of 4. But he misses. He breaks one of my squads cutting off any escape route.
5. Russian Advancing Fire. My first T-34 misses, but my 2nd T-34 shot from the side does the trick. A hit and a kill. Crew survives a bit, but is KIA after a few attempts.
Here is the map at end of AFPh:
6. Rout. None.
7. Russian Advance Phase. I continue the Advance up his line from the south. I hold 3 x victory locations.
8. Close Combat. None.
Brian
Turn 9 – German Move
My comments get shorter and shorter as we near the end..not a lot of tactical decision making required. Still, I only have 2 x turns to achieve victory. Keep pushing.
1. Rally. German regains radio contact..here comes an AR for sure.
2. German Prep Fire. None.
3. German movement: German STG IIIs move out with a vengeance to overrun my infantry. His 105 STG III crests the ridgeline in 2O5, giving me a few changes to get him with SPG, Tank, and ATG fire. As soon as I see his tank climb to Level 3, I take a shot. First shot is with the captured 75 ATG in 2W5. Is a tough shot vs moving target with captured weapon, but I try anyway. Both shots are misses. Next is an SU152 with a rear shot from 2R1 vs a moving target. The SU 152 hits and destroys the 105 STG III. No crew survival. I don’t know if J knew he was exposing a rear shot with a high To Hit probability.
The German aggressively moves his last remaining STG III, which is his last armor, in a last gasp attempt to kill the SU152 that just ruined the day of his 105 Kamaraden. But since the STG III cannot fire in the AFPh, I am not worried. I try a Def Fire Immobilization attempt with a 6-2-8 as he drives by, but no luck.
4. Russian Defensive Fire. I fire a SU122 (2T6) vs a 10-3 Ldr w/ radio and 8-3-8 squad (2Q5) (with multiple PFs) trying to do get closer to my armor for some PF shots (I assume..). At 3 x hex range, with a 122, I am confident I can do some damage..and I do. A KIA for the 10-3 (since he moved) and broke the 8-3-8 (did not move). I break and then eliminate his other last remaining good-order squad thanks to multiple fires concentrating on the few remaining targets.
5. German Advancing Fire. None
Here is the map at the end of AFPh:
6. Rout. None
7. German Advance. None
8. Close Combat. None.
The battle ends with a German surrender. He has no good-order infantry remaining and his last STG III is a sitting duck for destruction in RT9.