In October the Soviets launched an offensive to take Königsberg. Their most direct route was through East Prussia. One sector of the front was defended by the 549th Volksgrenadier Division. The 276th Sturmgeschütz Brigade was sent to provide much needed armor support for the Volksgrenadiers. Together, both units defended stubbornly and slowly fell back. On the 23rd, a counter attack was made to take back Kleinshellendorf. Despite no sleep since the 20th, Leutnant Alfred Regeniter led seven assault guns with attached Volksgrenadiers through a wooded area, but soon encountered Russians preparing to advance west.
Attacker: German (1099th Grenadier Regiment, 549th Volksgrenadier Division and 3rd Batterie, 276th Sturmgeschütz Brigade)
Played this as the Russian vs. Chuck Hammond, who is an entirely nice chap! Usually, can rarely play with US players due to the time differnce but for this one, it worked out.
I was looking forward to this scenario expecially because of the 537 Volksgrenadier Squads. A squad type which was definitively missing from the game - I say this as being someone who believes that we don't need yet more counters, however the German 537 Volksgrenadiers ARE an excellent addition!
In a 1944 setting, some Russians need to hold on to a handful of stone building hexes and/or exit some AFVs. The latter seems difficult, because initially, the Russians are not strong and it appears questionable if their two SU-76 would survive the dash to exit the playing area through hordes of PF and PSK toting Germans and no less than 4 StuG IIIL and a StuH 42 which have a 9-2 and a 9-1 Armor Leader to boot...
So I settled for a defence back in the village putting the 50mm MTR on the Russian left flank hoping to paste some German Volksgrenadiers who would have to cross an expanse of Open Ground. The ATR with a squad lurked in the fringes of the forest on the right in the hope of catching a StuG in the side an being a general nuisance. This left precious little for the village itself to hold on until the much needed reinforcements would arrive in Russian turn 3.
Chuck did a textbook advance, making good use of the StuGs' excellent SMOKE making capablities to cover the advance of his infantry. I felt as if the entire thing might be decided by turn 3 altogether with the Germans firmly lodged in the village. But there was my 50mm MTR from HELL!!! Keeping ROF, it contrived to break three Volksgrenadier 537 squads, two of them ELR'ing. Still, my first line of defence within the village seemed in a pinch and would have a hard time falling back. The conundrum seems to be that the Russians can't afford to forfeit the first line of Buildings in the village. But if they hole up there, they might die all to soon or be captured for Failure to Rout when forced to pull out. The Russian MTR having wreaked havoc took just enough steam out of the German attack to prevent my Russians from being brilliantly overrun. Yet, I had reluctantly to take some risky shots and Intensive Fire trying to hold some ground.
I was able to break more German Infantry, still out in the open, even helped by the Sniper, who took out one of the German 8-1 Leaders. One of the SU-76s was in a threatening position yet out of the crosshairs of the StuGs. For a short while, it appeared that it would now be the Germans to be bagged, because I was set to take pot shots at another three German squad equivalents in the open without cover. But luck evens out: After the rampage caused by my mortar, I broke the MA of the SU-76 set to fire at two HS out in the open. Next, I gacked a 8FP @ +0 Point Blank shot vs. a 537 with PSK next to a building I was holed up in. Never mind, I had a 76L MA of one of the reinforcing T-34s with a -1AQ for a 8 TH but missed. Shot the MGs of the tank at +0 DRM. No effect. IF'ed the MA, hit, but created a HoB result and a German Hero. Doh! Basically, where the MTR had broken three squads with a ROF tear in a previous turn, here I had missed pot shots at three German squads, which turned the scales back.
These unscathed Germans now took apart my first line of defence, the SU-76 was recalled to a Disabled MA after a 6 on repair, two Russian tanks and a 527 which I had entered on the Russian left flank could not break a German 237 HS over there, and three StuGs began milling around in the village.
To cut it short, the battle raged back and forth with the Russians appearing to crystallize again in the village once more at the cost of some rather audacious moves and the German HS at the left Russian flank could not find a PF to kill the ADJACENT Russian tank. Then it was time to pay for these moves, the Germans pushing on hard and the Russians gacking Point Black shots at Germans in the street. Another T-34 malfed its MA (and BMG), etc. pp. It was all a big brawl, with one T-34 breaking through into the German rear.
In the end, the Russians were somehow still hanging on but admittedly fighting at very long odds. Finally, the odds told and the Russians were forced to concede when one squad did not rally, which they would have needed (along with other things) to work out to still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was not to be.
Great game with much drama and fate swinging back and forth several times. Also a great and very nice opponent.
It was fun to have the 537 Volksgrenadiers feature: As long as they are good order, they are powerful, but they break easily and are brittle if they cannot rely on TEM. In that way I felt that they played quite "historically".
2025-04-05
(D) Mark Thompson
vs
Dan Lepore (German)
Russian win
Things looked dire for the Russians during the first 2.5 player turns with their mortar, an LMG, and one SU-76 malf’d, and the other taken out by a StuG. One bright spot that proved decisive: residual and a fire-lane put down by 3 squads(before their demise) and the MMG from the forward victory buildings prevented German infantry from turning the Russian left flank and breaking into the village. With VPs tied at the start of Russian turn 3, their infantry reinforcements safely reached the rear and two-hex victory buildings and their tanks decided to stay and fight it out (one stupidly attempting an OVR and being flammed by a PF - yes, Mark, the Germans have these deadly LATW called PF!). Faced with taking one hex in either the Church, two-hex, or rear victory building in their 5th player turn, the Germans concentrated on the Church with a secondary attack on the two-hex building. Here, Russian fortune turned, with Ground Level and Level One units in each laying down withering first and final fire (with many 3 & 4 DR on flat, -1, and -2 shots) that broke all adjacent German units save for a 7-0 and conscript squad incapable of wresting control of either hex in the two-hex building occupied at both levels. Tough one for the Germans IMHO unless they break into the village before reinforcements arrive. Must be aggressive while blocking the North woods rout exit to stop Russian AFV EVP.
