Round 1 - The Battle is Joined - Turn 3
soviets versus Garni as axis; All options on; Stock scenario, NOT played blind; Soviet password = ^m[cWg^^ Axis password= r2d2
Download the Soviet replay of the Axis Turn3
Synopsis of the axis turn.
This axis turn provides a number of does and don'ts regarding surround and capture tactics.
Make sure to check that there are no escape routes.
In the example above the axis have been lucky enough to retreat a rifle platoon and leader into the VP hex. They then correctly try to enter the wood hex directly below the VP hex thereby discovering the truck parked in the woods. If this truck is not cleared then the units in the VP hex are not surrounded and can retreat into the woods without being captured. A single shot kills the trucks and the ZOC of the tanks prevents (most) retreats into the wooded hex. The axis then follow the blue arrow with an HT to surround the units in the VP hex and capture them. This is a terrible blunder, for what would have happened had the soviets had a unit on the road to the SE of the VP hex? Then the units would have retreated safely into that hex. The correct move in this circumstance is to following the green arrow and thereby confirm that no retreat route exists. The axis get lucky on this occasion.
Make sure to limit retreat routes as much as possible.
In this example the roving HT moves to the hex SE of the VP hex following the blue arrow. The intent is to get the units in the hex to the north of the VP hex to retreat into the VP hex so that they can be captured. This leaves the units with the leader three hexes to retreat to instead of two, thus reducing the chance that they will retreat in to the VP hex to 1/3 instead of 50/50. The better move in this situation is to follow the green arrow and verify that there is no unit in the hex to the NE of the hex to be assaulted, thereby maximising the chance of capturing them. The axis get lucky on this occasion.
One mistake of the Soviets last turn jumps to mind - leaving loaded trucks/tanks in view of the enemy scout cars. Make sure that if you use 3D view you use a wide enough angle to see to the limits of visibility! Though the axis player got a superb result it could have been worse had he realised targeting the loaded tanks would have been more effective.
One other point to make. The axis player has a tendency to move a unit into firing position then move some unrelated units, then fire, getting a result, then moving a different unit into firing position and moving some other unrelated units,... etc. It is usually a good idea to refrain from this type of move structure as some players might assume that you are replaying turns in order to gain favourable results.
Synopsis of the soviet turn.
Our artillery lands on the intended targets and we pick up twelve easy points for the destroyed motorcycles, but no other positive result occurs. Looking over the battlefield the axis have seemingly not left much in the way of easy targets.
When attempting to sneak about make sure to take enemy LOS into account
Our flanking BA-20s cannot utilise their full movement allowance as they would enter the LOS of the axis armoured cars as shown above, though their primary plan continues - we must remember to check out the hex where the enemy division HQ started, as it is unlikely that he will have moved it. If we can pick that guy off we will get some decent VPs. We need to draw the enemy ACs off using the BA-20 platoon that it shot up last turn, and thus allow the flankers to continue their journey. They will most likely run in the direction indicated by the green arrow. It may be better for their mission to save APs for opfire so that they give their position away if the AC comes sniffing over the ridge. Who knows, I might get lucky and score a hit at 1:1. Plus, I can see some transport on the slopes of the hills to the south, so that forces the enemy to stick around and have a shot at me. Better still, take the flank shot (3@2:1(110%))) and then retreat to the hilltop. If I do get a D (~60% chance) then that guy will be vulnerable to overrun next turn.
The enemy motorcycle platoon in 31,28 has to be removed as its LOS compromises the approach road to Slabada. How best to accomplish that? Well the BAs have a 3 atkstr versus soft targets so that would be a tough shot, but that nice T-28 looks good with a soft attack strength of 11. With a better than 50/50 chance of a disruption per shot we have a good chance of clearing that LOS and then setting up a good defence.
Around Arikamiai the infantry that is left must hide as best as possible as they will hopefully eventually form the anvil upon which the axis will be smashed as the hammer falls (cue soviet marshal music). We should probably take a shot at removing the LOS of the m/c platoon in the swamp 19,34 but that will be a long shot. Best not to risk too much for that chance. To the west of town the infantry company that has been trudging through the hills will continue forward to set-up LOS onto the road into Arikamiai ready for when his reinforcements arrive.
Lead elements of our strike force are in sight of the town, but with much of the defending infantry destroyed it would be the height of folly to rush them in. Better to take a couple of potshots and retreat to where we cannot be reached (those BTs are the best things that we have in the armoury) but in such a manner to entice the enemy to follow us up.
Here is a little trap. I will place units in the hexes marked "S" as spotters (an infantry platoon in the northern hex and BT-7s in the southern two. We know from his last turn that he has two ACs in the starting hex of the yellow arrow. They do not have sufficient APs to get into the two southern "S" hexes so the guys there are safe. However, they do have enough points to get into the overview hex that my BT-7 appeared to disappear into (the hex marked "!"). If the enemy is to proceed down this road he will have to check out that hex. Of course, the AC will have only a few APs left to vacate the hex (in fact it will have enough APs to go one more hex) and it will be left hanging out in dangerous country.
Another sleight of hand in the same area is shown by the purple arrows. The truck parked with the infantry platoon cannot readily escape to the east and I want to provide a potential escape route for the infantry in case the enemy overruns it in the future (it cannot be overrun in the hex it is in now as those enemy tanks do not have enough APs). So we move the trapped truck into the hex south of the "S" hex and then immediately move the truck in the "S" hex south into the same hex and continue moving it east. As the enemy has no LOS onto that hex it will appear to him as if the original truck has kept on moving the whole time. It is a small detail, but they are fun to work out and one or two might make a difference - or add up!
Finally, the eastern strike force moves west. I decided that safety was more important than distance and thus shaved off some hexes from the lead guys in the trucks in order to dismount and provide a block to prevent his ACs from roaming. It would be very unlikely for his ACs to push so far forward, but one can never tell. Better to be safe than sorry.
So what actually happened?
Download the end of Soviet Turn3
Download the Axis replay of the Soviet Turn3
A pretty quiet turn overall for the Soviets, everything pretty much went to plan. The butt shot on the AC destroyed one vehicle which was nice. A solid shot from the T28 on the Slabada hill stunned the m/c platoon there and the LOS was cleared. We could not clear the m/c platoon in the swamps north of Arikamiai so he still has LOS onto one of our rifle platoons. The BTs managed to brew-up two PzIIIs (against an expected result if 1.35, but more importantly they were disrupted. If they remain that way then perhaps his advance will slow. The fact that there is a leader in that hex means they are likely to recover - we shall see.
Combat Results Analysis
| LOSSES INFLICTED BY: | Expected | Result | Cumulative Expected | Cumulative Result |
| Axis Direct Fire | 16.2 | 25 | 28.9 | 47 |
| Axis Opfire | 0.96 | 0 | 1.54 | 0 |
| Soviet Direct Fire | 2.7 | 5 | 9.98 | 14 |
| Soviet Opfire | 0 | 0 | 1.22 |
1 |
See full graph Download full spreadsheet
VP Status (draw)
| Beginning of Axis Turn | End of Axis Turn | End of Soviet Turn | |
| Axis Unit Losses |
57 |
57 |
74 |
| Axis Unit VPs |
164 |
164 |
191 |
| Soviet Unit Losses |
25 |
109 |
109 |
| Soviet Unit VPs |
85 |
338 |
338 |
| VP Hexes |
50 |
500 |
500 |
| Total VPs |
-29 |
674 |
647 |