World at War: Death of 1st Panzer, Scenario 1

Blind Sided, Scenario 1 from The Death of 1st Panzer.

Initial impression was who was blind-siding who, and perhaps a scenario more aptly named “race for the bridges”.

Essentially 1st Tank Battalion, supported by a recon BRDM-AT unit and two salvoes of HE must advance across the map and seize the town of Walkerburg. Out of position and tasked with this mission to reinforce and hold Walkerburg are elements of the Bundeswehr’s 1/171st mechanized infantry/panzer grenadier company, reinforced with a Luchs recon platoon and Jaguar AT platoon.

A Scenario Special Rule provided the Soviet 1st Tank Battalion a surprise start. An HE fire mission is called in on the BW forces to their front, causing nothing bu confirmation that the enemy is near. The BRDM-AT and a couple of T-72 platoons lay down a base of fire, disrupting a BW mech platoon and reducing the Jaguar-AT platoon, while the Soviet main body advances along the line Eben-Wittburg-Walkerburg.

The first chit pulled is 1st Tanks as I quickly am reminded of the limitation of Soviet command and control as I now have units strung out along the route of advance. The BRDM-AT again makes its presence felt reducing another Marder/Mech platoon as the West Germans attempt to re-position themselves, covered by ATGM fire from the Jaguar unit.

Over the course of Turns 2-4, the German command structure comes to the fore, frustrating the Russians, and gain positions in Walkerburg, as Soviet artillery rains down in the town shattering buildings and grenadiers alike. A Milan team is lost and an infantry platoon reduced.

Hasty armored assaults on the local woods and edges of Walkerburg are repulsed as the Russian BN CO attempts to reconstitute his force for a massed armored assault on the town. Direct HE fire opens a whole in the defenses, as the the massed, -company minus-, assaults and is swallowed up completely by the engulfed town.

The final turns are units consolidating positions on both sides, with random pop shots at unlucky units.

As the battle hardened Grenadiers peer outward towards Wittburg, they can see the enemy reorganizing itself for a later push. They can only report in, request more support, and wait for what the bear has for them next.

Lessons learned the hard-way, armor assaulting infantry in towns, without their own support is war game unit suicide. Artillety prep can be very effective.

Using the victory points listed in The Death of 1st Panzer gives the West Germans a Limited Victory with a game tally of -78 points.