Rough Wake Up

 

 

Rough Wake Up

 

This scenario is another written by Arrigio Velicogna found in an earlier Line of Fire, and again within the Compendium. It can play linked to another of his scenarios – The Bridge at Passau - and possibly a third scenario, depending upon the outcomes of the first two.

 

The West Germans set up with 3/1 Aufk forward, using the wooded hills to screen the width of the map with the HQ and LeoII in the center, and the two Luchs platoons on the wings. The Infantry of 4/1 Aufk set up as the backstop, nestled into the towns of Hugelsdorf and Grunental, with the TPZ1’s toward the rear in hide positions.

 

As mentioned earlier today, the special set up rule, on a d6+5 result of 11, put the lead BRDM platoon 11 hexes forward of the entry point. The T-72’s of 2nd Tank Battalion (identical to 1st Tanks) are strung out along the road behind the lead element. HQ 2nd Tanks is about center of the formation where is struggles to control the long column.

 

The random initial placement leaves roughly a company of T-72 adjacent to HQ and LeoII of 3/1 Aufk in (G7)! Some start.

 

4/1 Aufk is the designated unit to begin the ambush reducing a T-72 platoon at close range while a Luchs fails to put any effects on the lead BRDM2.

 

2nd Tanks is the second formation activated so they charge past 3/1 Aufk and end up with the lead elements taking effective infantry, and Milan ATGM opfire from elements of 4/1 Aufk in Hugelsdorf. So many Milans were expended in those initial exchanges that resupply had to be rushed forward by grenadiers through the narrow streets of Hugelsdorf.

 

Favorable chit pulls by the Germans allowed for a quick and orderly resupply before the Soviets could pile on. In the meantime, while the Luchs of 3/1 Aufk attempted to break contact and infiltrate back toward friedly lines, and the HQ/Leo II stack covered them with effective AP fires taking out another T-72 platoon, the forward elements of 2nd Tanks pounded the defenders of Hugelsdorf with HE fire. The second 3/1 Aufk activation had the Luchs platoons back to the southern edges of the map, the HQ/LeoII slashed into the rear of the 2nd Tanks formation where it eventually in Turn 3 went down guns blazing.

 

When the bulk of 2nd Tanks reached the road intersection at G11, and in a barrage of Milan missiles, they bolted to the western approaches to the objective of the A17 exit point – settling in to a wooded assault position vicinity C12/C13.

 

The infantry element of 4/1 Aufk was able to move to alternate positions to cover the exit point before the Soviets began running the final gauntlet between that covered position and the exit hex. A lucking Milan shot cause a wreck marker in what became an effective choke point vicinity A14/A15. This caused a number of the 2nd Tanks units to not make it to the exit hex in one turn, thus allowing for additional victims to the Milan nest in Hugelsdorf.

 

The final turn (5) saw the elements of 4/1 Aufk pack up their trash and successfully exit the southern edge of the map. One disrupted T-72 platoon was unable to exit within the time allotted and was eliminated.

 

As it turned out, HQ and support weapons not being counted, the West German reconnaissance forces won this battle 12VP to 5. Of the West German units the 3/1 HQ (reduced) and 2x Luchs platoons, as well as the 4/1 HQ, 2x infantry, 2x TPZ1 and 1x Milan will appear in The Bridge at Passau.

Well, I pushed 1st Tanks and 33rd Mechanized this afternoon. I was able to well-establish that Soviet units, as represented in this game, should not be handled as NATO forces. The possible, but usual extra activation by NATO forces often allows for what was attempted today to no avail. The West German reconnaissance units held the Passau crossings from an attempted coup de main. 33rd Mech was essentially destroyed during the advance, so the armored-only assaults into Passau itself were eventually and expectedly defeated with significant loss by the defending landsers of 4/1 AufK.

 

Passing on a blow-by-blow account, I'll be moving on to scenario three in Arrigo's Munich's Highway series - Crossing the Danube. To spice up my own narrative, I will swap in 2nd Tanks (identical to 1st Tanks). There is no alternative to 33rd Mechanized Battalion without stepping up to BMP-2's or down to wheeled BTR's.

 

The next scenario will follow the subsequent river crossing south of Passau. 1st Company 171th Panzer Grenadier Battalion now has moved up to hold Passau. Elements of the now heroric 4/1 Aufklarungs Abteilung have shifted south to hold a crossing site in the town of Klappenbruck. 2/1 AufK is spreadout, backstopping inland from the river line.

 

Under artillery HE and smoke suport, the pixie-dusted 33rd Mech will be conducting the assualt river crossing between Passau and Klappenbruck. A wooded hill being their intermediate objective. The T-72's of 2nd Tank Battalion is off-map poised to enter and exploit the crossing.

Danube Crossing update, 1/171 PzG was overwhelmed during 33rd Mechanized Battalion's river crossing both north and south of Passau. By two late Turn 1 activations, the 1/171 survivors (reduced HQ, Reduced Infantry, and a full strength Marder) were able to fall back to Bergengifel, linking up there with some 2/1 AufK units holding that victory significant location.

 

As it is at the end of Turn 1, 33rd Mechanized Battalion has assaulted and cleared Passau. 2nd Tank Battalion is currently deployed on the far side of the Danube after having sniped back and forth with the reconnaissance units on the near side, both at Klappenbruck (losing a T72 platoon) and further inland.

Danube Crossing

 

The early turns: 1/171 PzG was overwhelmed during 33rd Mechanized Battalion's river crossing both north and south of Passau. With 33rd Mech starting the game and benefiting from a designated formation chit is able to assault and clear Passau. Two late activations allow the 1/171 survivors (reduced HQ, Reduced Infantry, and a full strength Marder) were able to fall back to Bergengipfel, linking up there with some 2/1 AufK units holding that victory significant location.

 

As 2nd Tanks moves up toward the river crossings at both Passau and Klappenbruck, the small 4/1 AufK units pull back to the high ground west of Klappenbruck, due to the artillery and smoke causing an LOS break.

 

An exchange of tank fire from Bergengipfel and return ATGM fire from Passau develops without too much damage.

 

The late turns:

 

Between two turns, a last and then first activation for 2nd Tanks allows for it to mass at the river crossing and then burst outward both at Passau and Klappenbruck.

 

Along the Passau-Bergengipfel sector, 2nd Tanks moves to envelop Bergengipfel to the north and south, eventually entering Bergengipfel and isolating the weakened 1/171PzG units. These units, a Marder platoon, a reduced HQ, and a reduced infantry platoon begin a dogged defense of Bergengipfel wiping out a company worth of T72’s before succumbing.

 

Along the southern route, 2nd Tanks units are able to punch through the screening 2/1 and 4/1 AufK units in order to link back up with the main body, but then a companies worth begin to suffer communications issues causing OOC results for the remainder of the game. A company minus does reach the hills immediately south of Bergengipfel just in time to contribute to the final occupation of Bergengipfel.

 

In the end the formations consist of:

 

2nd Tanks – HQ, 6x T72

33rd Mech – HQ, 2x T-62, 1x BMP, 1x BMP (reduced), 4x Infantry, 2x Sagger.

 

4/1 AufK – HQ (reduced), 1x TPZ1 (reduced)

 

1/171 PzG – eliminated

2/1 AufK – eliminated

 

Good series of scenarios. Maybe on to Operational Maneuver Group, will probably use the OOB per that scenario vice the survivors of this scenario. Thanks to Arrigo for an entertaining storyline that I had overlooked when it came out in LOF.

"May 24th, 1985

The situation looked bad for the West Germans. Despite a herculean effort on part of the West German III Korps to contain the Soviet bridgehead at Passau, continual Soviet and Czech reinforcements had been able to stop West German counterattacks and then finally broke through the West German line. With the bulk of West German forces already committed to other sectors or destroyed - and no reinforcements in sight from France or the much promised REFORGER units - it seemed that the stubborn defense of the border and the Donau River line had come to an end. For the Soviets, the road to Munich was finally open. With surviving regular formations of the West German III Korps streamed back in disarray, trying to form another line before Munich, territorial formations took up positions in the forefront of the line, near the Issel River The Soviets on the other hand, had been bled white by the battle for the Donau. Exploitation of the hole in the West German line would have to be conducted by second-line units. In this case a mixed formation had been scrambled together from the initial reinforcing units from the Belorussian and Ukranian Military Districts. Their hardware was certainly outdated and many of the trains carrying them had been bombed by NATO air attacks, or they had been rerouted by priority to give supplies to the first-line formations; nevertheless the hole had to be exploited at all costs"

 

Scenario Design - Arrigo Velicogna

 

 

Reports to follow during the week.

Sounds like a fair amount of scrap metal is piling up along Western European roads, Pete.

It's been quite the battle. Did not have an opportunity to push cardboard last night, although the next scenario already has the defenders set-up and the attacking MR Battalion has a wide choise of where to enter the map, the entire east edge of the largest WaW map. The two landser companies are *hopelessly* positioned where the enemy will avoid so they will have to switch to alternate, if not supplemental positions rather quickly in reaction to the Soviet entry. The tank company is well to the rear with the intent to counter attack once the Soviet point of main effort is determined.

Well, 2x d20 + 1d6 equaled 22 tonight so 22 hexes in from the north east map edge start the Soviets. I chose the closest road entering the map from that rolled point. - just about right smack in the middle of the map edge. That means the grenadiers of 1/171 PzG, about 2km inboard will likely be the first to make contact with the advancing Soviet 62nd Mechanized Rifle Battalion.

Would you recommend buying World at War: Eisenbach Gap, Pete?

Yes. It is a enjoyable game system. Not too complex. Enjoyable both face to face and solo. No Combat Results Table, each unit has AP and HE firepower (number of d6 to roll), range, and a to hit number (each result >= 1 hit). The recipient of the fire rolls a number of d6 equal to its defense number, plus any terrain benefits. Each >= to its save number the unit gets to ignore 1 hit.

 

Units are platoons, generally battalion strength for the soviets and companies for NATO. Chits are pulled for activation, NATO has two chits per unit, while soviets have one. There is options for scenario designers to provide a designated unit chit for the soviets to essentially activate a single unit a second time per turn.

 

There is a WWII derivative coming out soon.