After their disastrous drop during the Kanev Bridgehead battle, the remaining Soviet parachutists took refuge in the woods. They were supplied partly by PO-2 planes and the local partisans. Colonel Sidorchuk, chief of the 5th Parachutists Brigade, managed to gather a force of 1200 men during October 1943. At the beginning of November, they were assigned the task to help the Russian crossing of the Dnepr near the village of Svidorok, north of Cherkassy. They had to take by surprise several villages to allow the 254th Rifle Division an easy crossing. During the night of the 13rd they took Svidorok but the neighboring Germans were quick to react and a column of infantry supported by assault guns soon came from Dakhnovka village. They were attacked by the covering force left by Sidorchuk, a small force armed with automatic rifles and anti-tank rifles.
Attacker: German (Elements of Grenadier-Regiment 266, 72. Infanterie-Division and Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 905)
Defender: Russian (Elements of 5th and 6th Companies, 2nd Battalion, 5th Parachutists Brigade and Kanev area partisans)
This scenario is set in November 1943 and pits a German 1st Line force with scarce armor support against defending Russian Partisans and „Paratroopers“ represented by 628s and 458s. Both sides have the option to select variable extensions to their OoB.
At 4.5 Turns, the Germans have to move quick. As always, small and short scenarios leave not much room for mistakes or major mishaps.
At start, the Russians have roughly 6 squads, half of them Partisans, half of them Paratroopers. There is but one single 9-1 Leader and no real weapon with which to cope with the German StuG. The Partisans do have MOL capability, however only vs. AFV. Up to two Squad Equivalents can possibly be HIP.
In Turn 3, the Russians get some further 5.5 Squads of reinforcements, again roughly half Partisan, half Paratrooper with one extra Leader. These are designed to arrive when the Russians should be hard pressed.
The Germans begin with 10 squads, of which a maximum of 2 can be 548 Assault Engineers. Besides MGs, the only SW the Germans have can be DCs. The Germans are led by 3 Leaders.
Analyzing the assets, one has to state that the terrain helps the Russians in their mission to defend. There are practically only two approaches for the StuG, one risking Bog by breaking through Woods. The Russians will likely assign some forces to delay before the Germans reach their main line of resistance. The Russians are inhibited by the inferior range of their Infantry compared to that of the Germans. When the initial Russian force is worn down, hopefully the Russian reinforcements enter in time to save the day.
I played the defending Russians in this one. My opponent decided for a strong push along the Russian right flank daring the StuG to break through the Woods risking Bog.The forest road was covered by an estimated one third of the German infantry. Apparantly, my opponent had not opted to choose the SdKfz 10/5.
Turn 1 did not see much action beyond the Germans approaching. To keep the Germans honest, I had placed some Russian units up front to discourage all too audacious Double Timing across open ground. Furthermore, the Germans knew that there was at least one HIP squad lurking out there somewhere which might be capable of lobbing MOL vs. the StuG.
In Turn 2 contact was made in earnest. With my scant Russian forces, it was clear that I had no chance to stem the German tide on my right flank. But delaying them long as long as possible might be enough to bring about a Russian victory in the end. Sure enough, the AA8 area was swamped by Germans while the StuG created a partial TB in Z9 without Bogging. The Germans did run into the Russian HIPsters, which slowed their advance. A pointblank shot by a 628 packed enough punch to break a German squad which found itself unable to Rout and was eliminated. Luckily, I managed to break a German 548+LMG+DC and its 8-1 Leader in Z10 plus two other squad in the area. Since the Schwerpunkt of the Germans was decidedly on the Russian right, I reshuffled Russian forces from the less threatened left flank. Some other units which had not fired I skulked to minimize their exposure to German Advancing Fire and allowing them to reemerge to await German Movement in Turn 3. The HIPsters and pickets had survived initial CC and were locked in Melee.
With the beginning of Turn 3, my first line of resistance had been battered and thinned out, however, as some German units were broken, I had just enough units left to cover the Open Ground hexes the Germans now needed to pass. I could not prevent the Germans from swarming the cornerstone of my defence, a 628+LMG. It was cornered left and right and approached from the front, and a German DC being successfully Placed onto it for good measure. As I saw the writing on the wall, I did not hesistate to take FPF shots. This way, I managed four shots out of this squad+LMG before it broke, being susequently attacked by the detonating DC. Its sacrifice had, however, prevented the Germans from gaining much ground. A 337+ATR managed to break two German squads with a 8+1 shot before being blasted by the StuG. Due to an ELR of 5, this resulted in two broken Partisan HS. These I deviously earmarked for forming a „wall of brokies“ which would block the Germans path once more. By the end of his Turn 3, the Germans had merely reached the X-hexrow. I had two squads left to cover the Open Ground on my right flank that the Germans would need to take in Turn 4 (at least in part) due to my wall of brokies.
As my Russian Turn 3 reinforcements could have reached the P5, Q6, and O7 buildings without interference, my opponent conceded because it seemed very unlikely that they could clear one of these buildings in in Turn 5. Russian win.
This was an interesting scenario which ROAR has slightly pro Russian with 9-12 including our playing. My opponent was burdened by some unfavorable rolls early in the game, which cost him later.
von Marwitz
2023-11-16
(A) Ian Morris
vs
Bill Durrant
Russian win
An effective defence and indifferent dice left me chasing the game. Bill cleverly concentrated his 6-2-8s and I could not get near them. I captured one building, but a forlorn hope fantasy attack on a second foundered on the cold hard rocks of reality.
2023-10-04
(D) Camille Garek
vs
David CANNANE
Russian win
2023-09-01
(D) Mark Thompson
vs
Mark Finney (Germans)
Russian win
Thinking that the additional squad/HIP unit and MOL capability would prove beneficial in this blocking action, the Russian's chose the two 3-3-7s over the 6-2-8/DC option at set-up. The Russians placed the bulk of their forces in the center/rear save for a 3-2-8 covering the Southern and Dummies covering the Northern board edges. In the early turns, the Russians were successful in holding the Germans at bay and bottling up their AFVs on the central road. Highlights in the early turns included a MOL kill on the StuG at the forest exit of the central road and Immobilization of the AA Ht with a MG shot on its unarmored side/rear facing. By mid-game, the Russian's were well positioned to cover the central and southern approaches to the buildings across open ground, but had to take a PMC when the Germans amazingly walked through -1/-2 and even -3 shots/residual in fairly decent numbers and got within range of several buildings by the last turn. Highlights of later turns included the German 2-4-7 improbably whacking a 6-2-8 in CC with snakes and withdrawing (forward) to boot, and several HoB Battle-Hardenings/Hero creations. Ultimately, however, the Germans did not have enough men or time to take any buildings. The Russians made it too close by forgetting to move to Level One in the victory Buildings in their last APh (duh). Fun, quick scenario.
