Aftermath (10/17/42)

After much fighting, Joe and I completed our first campaign day of Red Barricades. In the final analysis the Germans, commanded by Joe, were able to win the day with 18 stone locations. For their part my Russians were able to hold the northern front and restrict the German advance across the railway to a single salient. All things considered, a bad day for Ivan but not a great day for Fritz.

After an early fall hiatus, Joe and I reconvened to work out the inter-game sessions. Given the amount of bookkeeping and the necessity for having the map around for it, we decided to do all the inter-session work in one setting and hold the next campaign game day at a following session.

Russian Reinforcements

My objective was first and foremost to get more boots on the ground. My second objective is to build up enough forces for a counter attack to regain some of the lost locations. Time isn’t on my side, but neither it is on the side of the Germans. Both of us need to move. I hope that Joe decides to take a turn and gun up. So, I plan to go “idle” for the next campaign day and the “assault” for the following one. And I’m planning on a night assault to help neutralize the leadership advantage of the German forces.

I didn’t have enough troops or firepower to hold my long front, so my first purchases was two more infantry groups, a Guards company and a Rifle company, with their associated support weapons and leaders. This bolstered my force to better hold my ground. To support the troops, I invested in more fortifications, the previous fortified buildings doing so well for me.

As a surprise for the Germans, I purchased a battery of Katyusha rockets (see the image at the top of the page).  The Katyusha rockets are supposed to paste the Germans in their deployment zone.

When it came time for action determination, I chose “Idle” but Joe chose “Attack”. The result is another day of German assault! That ends the game session for today and we’ll re-convene for CG II.

Campaign Day II: 10/18/42

Since the Germans are attacking. I deploy first and reinforce my long front. I put the mortars back on the factory roofs as this gives them the best LOS. I also deploy the field phone for the Katyusha rockets up there. I set my squads along the front and deploy some trenches to connect buildings  around the western salient of the Germans (building F11-12).

On turn one, Joe moves in strength on the north-eastern end of the line (east of the O1-N1 wall). This assault is accompanied by the two surviving PzKpfw IIIL from 10/17. On the south-western end, the Germans attempt to continue south west of the railway toward Yanvarya street (A27-D26). A third contingent comes in from the northwest headed toward the Northwestern most workshop (F5-F6) which was the scene of so much fighting the previous day.

The Russian fighters put up heavy resistance. At the end of turn one, the southern advance toward Yanvarya street was halted with minimal casualties.

The Germans holding the northwestern most workshop came under Katyusha fire resulting in the building and the surrounding rubble being almost completely evacuated. The troops sent to reinforce this point are pinned down to the west of the railway and there is a chance that a successful Russian assault could recapture the northwestern-most building.

The eastern assault is moving forward slowly though it is facing stiff resistance.

After completing setup and turn 1, Joe and I called it a day. We pick up with turn 2 tomorrow. i hope the Russian luck holds...