Bread factory

[UP844]

Disclaimer: I would like to make a video like Idjester's, but my spoken English is awful, so I will spare you such a trial [:D].

First, let's read the victory conditions: to Germans need need 3 VP to win a Minor Victory (4 VP for a Major). The two VP hexes in the lower right part of the map are worth 1 and 2 VP respectively: taking them would be enough to win. The lone VP at the top is worth 1 VP and must be taken to get a Major.

Group A set-up is mandatory, the other GE units may set up on the uppermost row of hexes.

Group A has no choice: it will have to move as soon as possible to hide from any Russians in the long stone building in the center, even if this means to get adjacent to any Russians occupying the nearest VP hex.

Group B will provide some fire support, and then will cautiously move towards the VP hexes. The D leader will remain in the rear to rally any broken units.

Group C will stay in reserve to replace any losses incurred by the other groups (and will harass the Russians with its fire: who knows, it can be lucky and roll a string of "2" DR).

Group D is heavily armed and will provide suppressing fire on the most likely locations where Russians can set up. It will also provide interdiction along the road running beside the buildings containing the two lower VP hexes in case of a Russian counterattack: with a -2 leadership DRM and the HMG, it should be able to stop anyone attempting to cross the road.

Now, let's see what the Russians have: I wouldn't be surprised to see a T-34

[UP844]

It does not look too bad, but who knows how many other Russians are hidden somewhere?

There is only a Russian squad near the closest VPs and anyone attempting to reinforce them will be subject to fire from the HMG.

The Russians have plenty of MGs, but my HMG group should be able to withstand their fire and to reply in kind with more firepower.
The first priority is neutralising the MMG in the lower left building so that Group A will only have to deal with fire from the lone Russian squad.
The second priority, if the MMG is quickly neutralised, is neutralising the other MMG, which can fire on the VP hexes.

I should be able to take a VP hex in this turn and the other in the next one. The Russian will then be forced to counterattack (and, hopefully, to be mowed down by my HMG).

Let's go with the Fire Segment

[Gerry4321]

Nice map. Is that stock or Rico's?


[Sorry made a mistake. No edit made here (Paullus)]

[UP844]

@Gerry4321: the map is the default one. I have no graphics mods installed.

German Turn 1, Fire Segment

Despite my previous planning, I made a big mistake, and fired on the wrong (center) MMG with the two stacks providing fire support for the assault group.

They barely managed to break the squad, but the other MMG now has a free line of fire on the stack that is about to attack the VP building. The lone reserve squad fires, but has a very slim chance to hurt an Elite squad in a stone building (16.6% to get a possibly effective hit) and in fact its fire is ineffective.

[UP844]

German Turn 1, Movement Segment

I first assault moved a HS (yellow arrow), to draw fire from the MMG I forgot to suppress. It took a lot of fire (purple arrows and descriptions) but survived (I considered this a necessary but suicide move).

Then I started the attack on the VP hex building.
A first squad assault moved adjacent and took fire from the squad in the building (this was expected) and from two previously unseen squads (cyan arrows and descriptions) and it also broke
A second squad assault moved adjacent and took fire from the squad in the building (this was expected) and from another squad (green descriptions) and it also broke. The Russian squad in the VP hex I am attacked is unimpressed by my assault and passes its FPF morale check.
The B* leader and my last unit (another HS with a DC) made a normal move (DC cannot be placed when assault moving). After this fireworks show, the only Russian unit that can fire is the LMG-armed squad in my objective: that's a 6FP, 0 attack, plus another when I attempt placing the DC: this means a 72.2% chance of an effective result each, but I have the B* leader and I should survive and place the DC. On the other hand, the Russian squad could fail its morale checks for FPF. The move succeeds and the DC is placed in the VP hex, but the Russian squad failed its last morale check, so I am wasting a DC to kill a broken squad that would rout away.

[UP844]

German Turn 1, Russian Defensive Fire and German Advancing Fire

The not-so-best laid plans of mice and man...

Most Russian units have fired in the German movement segment, so I am pretty confident I will survive this segment unharmed.

The Russian MMG fires on my HMG group, breaking the B** leader and the squad armed with the HMG, which remains unpossessed in the hex.

In the advancing fire segment the DC explodes, kills the broken Russian squad, destroys its (malfunctioning) LMG and turns the building into rubble. A nice example of overkill.

[UP844]

German Turn 1, German Rout Segment

The B** leader routs to a location where it cannot take fire from the Russians.

The routed units that attempted attacking the VP building cannot rout in such a safe place: they cannot rout to the nearby wooden building and routing to the wooden rubble means crossing an open terrain hex under fire from the Russian MMG I failed to suppress. Their only choice, therefore, is routing to a shellhole hex and hoping the Russians fire at someone else.

[UP844]

German Turn 1, German Advance Segment

The HS advances and takes the first VP hex (1 VP). I won't bet on its survival, but perhaps it will trigger a Russian counterattack.

A squad from the LMG-armed stack advances from the wooden building to the shellhole hex where the B* will attempt to rally his troops. The other units stay in the wooden building, as the only hexes where they could advance are open terrain-

The German Turn 1 ends here, and I am not very happy. On the other hand, I must blame myself: suppressing the wrong MMG was a big mistake.

[Paullus]

THis is the answer I ment to write earlier to Gerry4321

The map is Ricos. He made it for the scenario and is in the scenario.

[UP844]

I misunderstood Gerry4321's question: I thought he referred to the map graphics, not the map itself.

[fuselex]

Another nice one Rico , think I broke the AT crew 3 times and they kept rallying , good fun,
UP844 , I would really like to see you make informative videos for people .

[fuselex]

Rico ?
A Stalingrad campaign coming ?

[UP844]

ORIGINAL: fuselex

UP844 , I would really like to see you make informative videos for people .

Perhaps I can try with a very small scenario, so we can see if my spoken English is intelligible [:D]

[rico21]

ORIGINAL: fuselex

Rico ?
A Stalingrad campaign coming ?

YES

[UP844]

Russian Turn 1 - Administrative Segment

None of my broken units is rallied; the only bright spot is the Elite squad recovering the HMG (that was NOT destroyed, as I wrongly reported in a previous post)

The broken Russian squad in the centre building self-rallies but does not recover the MMG.

Time to brace for the incoming Russian Fire Segment...

[UP844]

Russian Turn 1, Fire Segment

I feared a much worse result.

The HS in the VP hex was eliminated (not surprisingly), but other than that the Russian fire was remarkably ineffective

[UP844]

Russian Turn 1, German Defensive Fire

A Russian squad that was moving towards the VP hex is broken as it entered the road. and the squad sharing the hex with the 45mm AT gun is also broken.

Unfortunately, fire against the two MMG's achieved nothing. This is not good news, because it means I will have to try again in my next Fire Segment, forfeiting the ability to move (I prefer performing my "preparatory" fires in the Defensive Fire Segment, when I cannot do anything else, so as to be free to move in my own turn)