Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	NBGB
Play Date	2023-12-27
Language	English
Scenario	DelP020

This was an action-packed & very fun, but lengthy. 8-session play-through with the determined & methodical, NBGB, leading the defending elements of the Polish 30th Infantry Division, and me leading forward elements of the 4th Panzer Division. Both sides drew decent sets of leaders, in this, our first play-through of The Deluge. We played with the FOW (beginning on game turn 13), consolidation, smoke/illum, extended assault, strategic movement, and excess initiative optional rules. In addition, we used the following two house rules: 1 Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up or down slopes hexes.

The initial session (game turns 1-2) began with the large, Polish force steadily entering from the west edge of the battle map along the main east-west road. During the second game turn. there was a semi-successful, German Ju-88 air strike on a pair of limbered wagon units on the road that resulted in a disruption of one of the wagon units and its towed 75/97 field gun. The Poles setup an exposed rearguard position and began digging in personnel & AT gun units during the second game turn as the bulk of their force continued moving east, and/or deployed to the woods surrounding the road.

Our second session (game turns 3-7) featured the continued gradual Polish migration under overwatch & with rearguards in-place in the general direction of the 5-hex town of Mokra on Map 103. The bulk of the German combined arms reinforcement entered the battle map from the north on game turns 6 & 7, while other thrusts appeared from the west & southwest, as well as in support of the reduced, recon battalion that was already on the map in the south margin of Map 102. Combat losses totaled a single step for each side, and the victory point tally was 11 for the defending Poles and a mere 1, for the widely-deployed German task groups. The Poles swiftly moved to strengthen their rearguard positions in the west & southeast portions of Map 102.

The fun-to-play, 3rd session (game turns 8-9) featured effective Polish rearguard & overwatch action across the board, and the continued migration of their forces in the direction of the 5-hex town of Mokra. The German thrust in the west edge of the battle map made limited progress with the Poles conducting a successful tactical withdrawal to the east. In the south, the reinforced German recon company made very little progress against stubborn defenders as they moved into decisive engagement range on the southernmost 20-meter hills on Maps 102 & 103. A highlight in this sector was the elimination of an over-eager, German SK222 armored car platoon by close range, AT rifle fire during a hilltop assault hex. In the north, a column of German light tanks were able to exit the east edge of the battle map and a company of Pz-II tanks accompanied by a few infantry platoons began closing on the north margin of Mokra. Step losses were; 7 for the Poles, and 3 for the advancing Germans. The updated victory point tally was 13 for the defending Poles and 19 for the widely-spaced Germans, thanks to the east edge exit of 12 steps of Pz-I light tanks (3 platoons). A combined NINE combat 7-die rolls were thrown.

Our exciting, fourth session (game turns 10-11) consisted of widespread maneuver & fierce fighting in the same three areas, as the Poles continued their extended & skillful, fighting withdrawal to the eastern portions of the battle map. In the west, German infantry pushed slowly forward on both sides of the east-west road and eliminated the 2 Polish mortar platoons through a combination of close assault with the remaining SK222 recon platoon and long-range direct fire. In the north, landser infantry and Pz-II tanks continued to spread out and get into decisive engagement range on the northern margins of Mokra on Map 103. The Polish garrison began concentrating into 3-stacks within the 5-hex town. They caused the first German adjacent-hex advance to collapse on itself. In the south, the Germans managed two successful close assaults in the hills and woods and also recovered morale for several units. Step losses were now; 6 for the Germans, and 16 for the hard-fighting Polish defenders, resulting in lowered initiative levels for both sides. In addition, there were a combined SEVEN combat 7-die rolls thrown. The victory point tally was now at 16 for the embattled Poles, and 26 for the German invaders.

The entertaining fifth session (game turns 12-13) featured a spirited Polish infantry counterattack just east of Mokra against a pair of Pz-II platoons in light woods, that resulted in the loss of a light tank step. Back-and-forth, adjacent- hex fire fights on the north & west margins of Mokra continued with multiple morale failures & recoveries on both sides. In other sectors; the Poles mounted a second counter attack on the German observation post on the 20-meter hill in the NW quadrant of Map 103, while Axis infantry finally cleared both the 3-hex, 20-meter hill in the SE quadrant of Map 102, and the woods immediately west of the 1-hex town on the same board. A handful of additional German units exited the east edge of the battle map. The step loss tally was now 6 for the Germans, and 16 for the Poles at the end of this session. Polish initiative fell an additional level, and the updated victory points were now: 32 for the German side, and 24 for the hard-fighting Poles. A combined THIRTEEN combat 7-die rolls were thrown!

Our wild sixth session (game turns 14-16) featured a series of ferocious adjacent-hex firefights & close assaults in 2 key areas of the battle map. The fighting around Mokra turned deadly for the attacking German infantry who began to falter, and the courageous Polish counter attack east of town pushed back, and decimated a company of Pz-II tanks, thereby securing the south & east margins of Mokra. Fierce fighting atop the nearby 20-meter hill continued in close assault mode as additional Polish troops reinforced the attackers. The final three Polish air strikes were successfully conducted, and a single Luftwaffe strike in game turn 15 was also effective, as was a portion of the Germans OBA fire that eliminated a French 75 platoon in Mokra. Miraculously, the German observation post atop the 20-meter hill continued to hold out. The Polish garrison in the 1-hex town on Map 102 was slowly surrounded on 3 sides, but was able to hang on. The updated step losses were now: 22 for the Poles and 13 for the Germans. The latter, resulted in the loss of an initiative level. Other areas of the battle map were alive with widespread migration east of both sides’ remaining forces. The victory point tally stood at around: 31 for the Poles, and 46 for the stumbling Teutonic horde.

The seventh session (game turns 17-19) featured some wild maneuvering, and included a convergence of both sides’ wagons and trucks passing each other in the same hex! Step losses in multiple adjacent-hex firefights were; 4 to the surging Germans, and 3 for the Polish defenders in Mokra, and in the 1-hex town on Map 102. No additional Axis combat units were able to exit the map in this session, and German OBA was mostly ineffective as were two more Luftwaffe airstrikes on the garrison in Mokra. The Concentration of Axis forces to decisive range around Mokra and other positions continued unabated, while the Poles continued their long streak of excellent morale recovery rolls. A combined total of EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown. The updated victory point tally was now: 36 for the Poles, and 49 for the German side.

The final session (game turns 20-23) featured the continued German migration east across the map to exit units. No town hexes changed hands as the Poles stubbornly-held both towns on the battle map. By mutual agreement we decided to end the game as a German major victory at the start of game turn 23. The final step losses were 27 for the defending Poles, and 20 for the Axis side. The final victory point tally was 39 for the Poles and 67 for the Germans. There were only 5 FOW-shortened game turns.

I give this rather gamey & slightly unbalanced, but fun-to-play, scenario an enthusiastic rating of 4, and recommend it for SOLO play only. Also, the Germans were able to score a pair of victory points be exiting a single step of Pz-II tanks that left the map in demoralized status. The victory conditions should specify that only good order, combat unit steps exiting the map may be counted for victory point purposes. I have added this to the PG-HQ errata file.