Author	treadasaurusrex (Poland)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Poland
Participants	NBGB
Play Date	2024-01-03
Language	English
Scenario	DelP008

This was a wild and fun, 1-session play-through with the determined & redoubtable, NBGB leading the attacking elements of the Germans 3rd Panzer Division, and me leading defending elements of the Polish Pomorska Cavalry Brigade. Happily, both sides drew excellent sets of leaders, We played with the FOW, consolidation, smoke/illum, extended assault, strategic movement and excess initiative optional rules. In addition, we used the following four 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.

This very quick, play-through featured a clever German movement to contact with a successful, engineer-assisted crossing of the Brda River at Hex 0812 on Map 3, while other attacking units provided covering fire as the Teutonic assault stack slowly assembled to rush the bridge. By game turn 5, the river crossing was complete, and the Germans began close assaulting the AT gun position in the woods. In the meantime, the bridge hex (0909) was repeatedly assailed with direct fire as the assault stack closed in. A pair of German INF steps were lost in the process of diverting Polish fire from the approaching, combined-arms assault force. The fruitless German assault in the western woods continued to the end of the scenario, keeping the AT unit out of action as the Jerry tanks scrambled about, unhindered, in the vicinity of the embattled bridge hex. The battered Polish infantry on the bridge were able to maintain control of the bridge by mean of effective, but limited duration, counterattacks beginning on game turn 11. The battle ended in a Polish victory thanks to the bridge never changing hands.

This gamey, all-or-nothing, scenario should probably allow the Polish force to set up in hidden mode. While the scenario was balanced, too much of it was dependent on the whim of the dice gods. It was fun to play with a clever opponent, but I suggest that this one is most suitable for SOLO play. I give it a generous rating of 3.