HA1 Fire on the Volga AAR in Progress

[Rindis]

That is to say the game is currently in progress. An AAR of an entire game can be quite an undertaking, so me and Patch are getting started early.

To give the RB map a bit more of a workout, we've decided to try Fire on the Volga from Annual '91. ROAR reports 10-2 in the Russian's favor, so I (the less experienced one) get the Russkies, and we used the German balance.

Looking at the forces and the VC, I have to say it sure looks tough on the Germans. They need to either exit a fair amount of their MG firepower or get them into Level 1 Locations within Normal Range of the East side of the board, and are attacking with about an equivalent strength to the defenders.

Once I started setting up, my opinion changed a bit. The nature of the SE corner of the RB map isn't what I was expecting. There's a couple of ways the Germans can go about his attack, and an alert German could bull through a defense that leaves one too weak. I think it favors the Russians, just not quite as much as first glance, and ROAR, suggest.

Patch set up his attack to go down the slightly more predictable straight-East route through the densely-packed wooden buildings. The first fire phase didn't go so well for them. His SR fell short almost on top of his own troops. His first fire attack woke the Sniper, so we both got a broken HS from it, and a HMG broke.

But it certainly isn't all going my way. The initial perimeter has been overrun (could not hit an adjacent HS...), the HMG is repaired, and my ordnance has yet to do much. Got a rate tear on the 50mm MTR, NE. The 81mm has had one shot (spotted and CA change - miss, forgot to set the CA when I set up). The INF has taken two shots, both on blocked LOS and is broken (I think the crew bent the barrel trying to get it to fire around a corner).

I also probably set up with a little too much on the north side (of course, I wouldn't think that I he went that way), and am still figuring out how to hustle units back over. My fall back is going the way I'd like [EXC: rolling a '12' on a 4MC; break, ELR, CR]. Overall, die luck is probably a little high for both of us at the moment.


Situation at the beginning of the second turn.

New (for me) rules:
Non-small MTR ordnance
Emplaced Guns
Minefields
Roadblocks

Rule lessons (i.e., my mistakes):
B23.912 must Fortify every level of a building below the one you want to fortify.
A4.72 Advance into Difficult Terrain is all MF or >=4
C5.11 Case A TH DRM doubled in rubble

[Patch_Bunny]

Yeah, what a lovely little scenario this is turning out to be. I thought that making a push across the southern map edge would work, but I'm finding it to be tighter than I had expected. My biggest mistake of the game? Forgetting to deal with OBA during my DFPh, which is going to have more than serious consequences turn 2. With that stack sitting on top of it, I just forgot it existed. I'm way out of practice. For now on, SRs go on top of the stack. More 'bout my game plan in later turns. Don't want to give things away too soon!

[Patch_Bunny]

Well, Turn 2 was certainly exciting, and it's not even over yet!

G2 started with minimal Prep Fire and lots of movement against an outpost in AA44. Rindis' defensive fire DRs averaged above 10, so he was reluctant to FPF even against me in the open (a mistake), enabling me to not only surround and kill him, but gain a few extra hexes. (Rindis, ya should have chanced it.) I finished off on the AA/BB hexrows, surrounding a concealed outpost in BB41 and ready to assault the DD41 strongpoint.

My biggest failure this turn was in my Prep fire, when I again forgot to use the OBA properly (been far, far too long). I corrected the SR, but forgot to pre-designate I was converting to a FFE, so spotting rounds continue to fall around the Russian positions.

Russian Turn 2 was disastrous for Rindis. His Prep fire scored a critical hit from his 82mm MTR against a stack (he’s finding the most wondrous LOS with his spotter in BB25), but did little else. As Rindis’ situation is getting desperate he’s flooding the BB36 area with units as he tries to cross the gully bottleneck and reinforce the south. Mistake. I finally remembered to get my OBA done properly and landed a FFE on top of them, breaking several units. My OBA can now keep this reinforcement route closed. My DFPh was done by mail, so I’m awaiting the results of a 2MC on the concealed units in BB35. The current map looks like this:

I have no idea how BB41 survived all my defensive fire.

End German DFPh. Only a HS in DD35 is broken. DD35 also contains a 7-0, 447, & MMG

German Strategy
What you’ve all been waiting for!

The Victory Conditions for this scenario are terrible. Terrible! The first time I saw this scenario I was convinced that the Russians, not the Germans, were attacking. I’ve barely got a small arms FP edge, and I’m also up against two guns, a minefield, and two platoons of reinforcements on turn 4. Ouch! With the required victory buildings far away, my best option seems to be to exit 20 MG FP, so that’s my goal as I’m sure Rindis knows (no one tell him if he doesn't). Squads are remaining behind to cover my rear and prevent a Russian counterattack in that area and try to interdict the looming Red wave along my flank. My strategy is working well thus far, but it nearly didn’t happen.

Despite my confidence in the southern attack, there was a hole in the Russian set-up which was tempting. Was the northern attack worth the risk?

Markers indicate set-up limits. Germans are placed for my eastward assault


I felt confident I could turn the Russian flank along the board edge past the factory and make a push for the X28/Z26/AA25 victory buildings, and the southern flank appeared thicker than I had anticipated. But is it worth it? Going north will be a tough fight with growing LOS problems for my offboard observer in W45. I’m also certain I’ll be moving towards closer towards his ordnance protecting those buildings. Plus, where are those mines? In the end I chose to press forward in the south, but it was close.

Right now I’m confident in taking the EE41 block by turn 4, and will be well positioned to make the reinforcements’ life difficult. Despite the ROAR imbalance, I think I’ve got this scenario well in hand.

[Mehl]

Played this one shortly before that dog Ghosts in the Rubble and I think the Germans best bet is definitely to attack on their left flank through/around the factories. Putting guys in crest helps put more Germans in the set up area north of the gulley for the initial assault on the factory.

The Russians have to set up the bulk of their infantry (at least 2/3) south of the gully to stop the exit blitz, so if the Germans drop a spotting round on BB36 (the cliffs in the gulley are a *****), they can seriuosly interdict any Russian reinforcement of the north side. I think the Germans should get the balance of the offmap observer in order to do just this.

Then the Germans can use the wide open spaces to get past what Russians are in the north and they then have multiple options for where the MGs go (up the stairs, off the board, and/or sitting on the map edge).

If the Russians set up strong in the south and the Germans go for it anyway, the reinforcements will probably arrive just in time to stop them from exiting or sitting on the board edge interdicting the river.

If they don't set up strong in the south, then blitz away!

[Rindis]

Having setup a defense, and watched it fall apart, I think Mehl's got it right. The South side needs to have the bulk of the Infantry. The ordnance keeps the Germans cautious if they go north, and the greater distance to cover provides the Russians time to shift their defenders across the gully (which very effectively turns this into two separate areas). I definately did not set up enough down there, and may be about to pay the price.

I hadn't considered the east of the factory route, but I think I could have worked with that approach.

Afterward, I decided I should have FPFed like mad with AA44. However, my die rolls show he would have broken on the first try. (My rolls for the MPh/DFPh were 12,10,9,10,8,4,6 with four doubles in there. Patch walked right through some fire that should have caused some pain.)

The end of the Russian turn had some bright spots. The encircled squad got out and successfully ambushed a HS. He'll probably be right back in the same pickle as soon as the German moves (if he lives that long with a 9-2 stack next door), but he should contine delaying them. And the INF Gun has been repaired. Now if I can just do a bit better on my LOS checks with it this time....


Situation as of German Turn 3 RPh. The CXs are all Russians wearing "?".

[Rindis]

We're to the beginning of the fourth turn now. Continues to be a mixed bag, though the Germans still have things pretty well in hand. There is nothing standing in their way on the south flank, so I can just be thankful that much of his MG FP is tied up in AA41/BB41.

The last note before was about my squad that had been encircled in BB41. They are all getting 'Hero of the Soviet Union' decorations (hopefully not posthumously). They advaced out (going CX), ambushed a HS and killed them. They took a fair amount of firepower on the German turn before breaking and routing back to DD39. On the Russian turn, they promply self-rallied and generated a 7-0 leader.

Meanwhile, a melee started in DD41 during the German turn. The Germans fired into it on the Russian turn and mangaged to break my HS while not touching his. My HS then managed to successfully withdraw on the following CCPh.

Even better, his FFE:C resolution during his DFPh drew a red card, which will force him to start over again from a SR (assuming he does get access back).

Before that could happen though, I attempted to push my HMG forward, and broke the squad to the FFE, leaving the HMG in the middle of the road.

Now I just have to suvive one more German turn before the reinforcements come in. If I can just get across that gully....


Situation during German Turn 4 Rally.

[Rindis]

Okay, a little busy to write up turn 4 at the moment. Maybe Patch can do it this time.

But here's the end of the DFPh on Russian turn 4:


Highlights:
Germans drew their second red card.

My Heroes of the Soviet Union are now down to a conscript HS (double '1's on RS for a K/3, the new 7-0 died ).

First attempt at recovering my HMG (in the middle of the road in CC39) ended in failure.

The reinforcements came in and have generally done well. (Thank goodness.)

Patch continues to tease me with the idea of loosing his MGs. Broke a MMG, repaired it first try.

[rdw5150]

thanks for the AAR, with pics even!

Peace

Roger

[Patch_Bunny]

Erf. My new computer doesn't have the graphics software installed, so this is all text.

Turn 4 was all about one thing: Movement! I drew my second red card, ending my Battalion Mortar assistance. No wonder we lost Stalingrad!

Rindis is being annyoing effective in reinforcing his forces south of the gully, and with the loss of my only obstacle to that movment I expect the trickle to become a flood. With the vast majority of my MGs still west of the CC41 road, I need to move my stacks across the road before he begins interdicting it with his 9-2 and more squads. The difficulty is he's got a squad and LMG that can see down the road, and I daren't risk moving in stacks and risk even a 2 (-2) against a Dash (and does his Gun have LOS?). Since I have a lot of time left, I edge close to the road, Advancing into it so as to bring the DD39 building cluster under fire while maintaining my firegroups. Should I have moved further? Probably. I find that in the years of not playing I've lost my risk assessment skills. The remainder of my units work their way east, trying to build a line to prevent a firm entrenchment of the reinforcements that will enter in the Russian's MPh.

The rest of the Game Turn was a mess. I finally found a minefield (casualty reducing a squad that was to interdict the BB39 road). Russian Prep Fire ELR'd a leader and a squad, and breaking several others. I broke my MMG in Defensive Fire, but did manage to hurt his reinforcements, and kept forces from crossing the BB39 road. The Russian sniper was amazingly active, striking three times and breaking the squad guarding the T38 bridge. Rindis now moved him to better cover the action.

I've 5 turns left to get off the board, and I believe I'm still in good shape though I still feel rushed. That damn INF Gun is finding all sorts of sneaky LOS, forcing me to plan carefully how to reduce his covering units so I can exit. The Rubble is making such an endeavor troublesome, so I expect a lot of close-contact combat in the remainder of the game.

[Rindis]

Well, it looks like my position is finally going terminal.

It's been quite precarious for a while now, but the reinforcements came on in just in time, and in pretty good order. With them, I was able to put even more pressure on his north flank, and give him a very small area where he could safely exit the map.

However, German Turn 6 has seen him wipe out two stacks and engage a third in CC with a berserker.

Also, during my turn 5 I took what I deem a fairly good chance, but it didn't pay off. I had a reinforcing 458+MMG in HH39, under CX. I put him on opportunity fire, on the gamble that he wouldn't be able to break an '8' in a wooden building, and I could fire without the extra +1 DRM.

Well, he broke him. I advanced a squad in, and they failed to recover the MMG, and he broke him. I have a HS available, but that'll have to wait for my turn, and I may also have the 458 back.

But really, the loss of II42 and JJ42 will probably keep me from keeping him from easily moving enough MGs off the map in the next three turns.


Situation at the end of German Turn 6 RtPh. CC is Berserk German 247HS vs a Russian 458+LMG. JJ44 (gully) is about to exit a LMG.