AAR HSG Urrah

[Mad Russian]

Since there is so much interest in the infantry part of the game, my favorite part of the game as well, I'll do an AAR for the first scenario in an all infantry campaign for you.

Yes, there are all infantry campaigns in the game. That should tell you something right away.

Bear with me while I make a few more changes to the map and we'll get started.

This is one of only four campaigns I ever did in CMBB (HSG B Urrah). So if you would like to be able to compare how the two play you can actually go and get the one I have there. Infantry combat in PC is much different. As you will soon see.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is the new scenario format and the briefing you would see as the German player.



Scenario: HSG Urrah_1

Date: 0400, 3 August 1941
Location: Glinki, Russia
Weather: Clear

Type of Battle: German Assault
Turn Sequence: 40:40
Version: 2.2
Campaign: Battle 1 of the Urrah Campaign.
Expected Length: 15 - 20 turns.
Size: Large map small forces. Less than 500 points total for both sides.
Side Bonus: FOW
Playtested: At normal settings using SOP.
Best Played As: German vs AI.
Historical: Semi-historical. Based on a historical event


-- Operational Situation --

The German attack was still driving east. Smolensk was being threatened. The Germans were moving past on the southern flank and trying to cut the road between Smolensk and Roslavl.

-- Battle Situation --

332nd Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Division, is ordered to cut the road from Smolensk to Roslavl. Elements of the Soviet 13th Army were already in the village of Glinki. They intended on staying there.


-- German Orders --

10th Company, 3rd Battalion, 332nd Infantry Regiment is ordered to capture the village of Glinki. You are to control all road intesections and the village itself.


-- German Intelligence --

Russian forces in the area have fought hard in the forest. To this point they have been only infantry forces and that's what I would expect you to encounter in the village.

-- German Reinforcements --

There are no reinforcements for you. Use the forces at your disposal to capture the village.



This action can be found in "Hitler Moves East 1941-1943" by Paul Carell on pages 104-107.
I have never been able to find the village of Glinki on any map. However, David Glantz is soon to release a two volume series about the Battle for Smolensk and I'm hoping that the village can then be located so I can map it as accurately as possible. In the mean time I've used this location as the basis for my map.

54.03.08.76N
32.45.46.75E

The battle for this village took place over a three day period. From the description of the battle in Carell's book alone there will be scenarios in the campaign for:

0400 2 August 1941 - initial attack on the village by 10th Company. The company is lead by Senior Lieutenant Wehde. A single German infantry company on a 2km map. The scope of the fighting in Russia is brought home with this map and OOB.

1200 2 August 1941 - Soviet counterattack retakes the village.

1600 2 August 1941 - 10th Company attacks the village a second time that day and retakes it.

1600 3 August 1941 - Soviet counterattack in which Senior Lieutenant Wehde is killed.

1000 4 August 1941 - Soviets counterattack once again and retake the village.

1400 4 August 1941 - Germans attack one last time with airsupport to take and finally hold the village.

Come with me as we go with 10th Company to capture the small insignificant village of Glinki. This is the first battle in of the 3 day campaign.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

I think Glinki is in the patch of woods shown close to Roslavl on this map. That's where I took my coordinates to make my map. With the village changing sides so many times it must be right where the Smolensk-Roslavl road goes through the woods and where the gray front boundary line goes through the woods.

And, go figure, there's a village there. My conclusion is that is the village of Glinki.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Time to visit Glinki.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is 10th Company, 3rd Battalion, 332nd Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Division.

This is your battle group. 10 rifle squads, 2 HMG's and a 50mm mortar. Since, at this time, individual leaders aren't modelled in PC I've added an extra squad to portray Senior Lieutenant Wehde. He was the commander of 10th Company that day.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is 10th Company in the middle of a Russian forest. With the village to our front and a bit to the right.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here we are looking from the village out into the forest. Using the sizing option I make the ID icons large and we can get a better idea of just where we are in comparison to the village.

It's as simple as hitting the " ' " key to change the size of the units on the map.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

I move my force in setup about 200 meters closer than where I set them on the map originally. I just put them on the map for someplace to have them while I build the OOB and it leaves the gamer with the choice of where to put them.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here we can see the crossroads in the middle of the village in the upper left hand corner.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is the view back from the village with the unit icons on large.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is what we see when we turn the trees off. Almost a completely bald map. There are mover 6000 individual trees on this map.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

While the infantry move the two HGM's put down covering fire on the only building of the village that can be seen.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

That elite HMG crew is hammering that house with fire. You can see the targeting lines and the area fire bulls eye.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

But just how much ammo does that HMG have? Should we be worried about conserving ammo? Hit the letter "s" and find out. In this case we have plenty of ammo left. 288 bursts.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

But finally something has showed up. No fire from the village yet but still....something.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

A Russian MG would not be good.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

But even that's okay if they are pinned or suppressed. Nothing heard from them yet.


Then they open fire. That single green tracer tells the story. The Russians are going to fight this time.

We went 3 full turns without any contact. Almost 4 minutes of game time. Now the Russians have decided to defend their village. I'm hoping that by going down here on the end where the terrain makes a fold that I can get in under their guns if they are in the buildings. Maybe we can get close before they open fire on us with enough to do any real damage.



Good Hunting.

MR

[Gerry4321]

Hello:
Thanks for doing this. In a simple scenario as this, meaning no vehicles or special weapons, how do you go about formulating your plan. I assume it is something like this:
1. Suppress 1st building and use covered approaches to take that first building.
2. Then use the 1st captured building and repeat the above process?

What else can the Germans do to achieve success? Pardon my ignorance of WW II tactics.

Thanks, Gerry

[Mad Russian]

The issue is always where to go and how to get there. We absolutely don't want to just come up against the entire village. We want to advance against just a small part of it. To be able to apply overwhelming firepower against just a certain part of it.

Infantry tactics really haven't changed a lot since WWII. Now the battlefield is what is termed "empty". All that means is don't be seen. What can be seen can be hit and what is hit is generally killed. WWII started that evolutionary process. It's not good to be seen on a WWII battlefield either.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here we see that the Russian unit has gone to ground. It is no longer giving enough information to show that they occupy the building.

Also, you can see that I can turn the victory flags on and off using the number 8.

Good Hunting.

MR