Some thoughts on this scenario before I begin the AAR. First, this is a monster of a scenario, 6 boards and 60 turns, half of which are night turns, and well over 100 counters in the set. It ranks very high but not quite a 5 as I feel this is an advanced scenario to play. Many idiosyncrasies of the game need to be in the front of your mind when you play as Soviet morale is poor as well as initiative and there is a good chance that you will get average to poor leaders for them too. Meanwhile the Spanish have good morale, better initiative and a good chance to draw good leaders. These means that the Soviets will pay with blood to try to win. Given there OoB of over 50 infantry units they have plenty to throw at the Spanish. Night is also a big deal with this as half of the turns will be played in the dark. Meaning fire mods, movement restrictions and early FOW. Airpower is also in play with the Soviets getting at least one flight of planes per turn with the possibility of two even at night. Not much for armor just some T-60's and T-26's on the Soviet side, but with lack of Spanish armor will make the Spanish player think twice. In the end, it came down to the low morale of the Soviets as well as the determination of the Spanish to hold the ground and beat up the Soviet division to win.

The Spanish must protect the road network to keep the Soviets from pushing back the Leningrad advance. Only a single Spanish regiment was posted to hold two key roads from Soviet attack. They knew they would face reinforced Soviet divisions on any attack and would be out numbered. To supplement their defense robust artillery was assigned to them for cover as well as a local battery of 105mm's to provide regimental support. The Spanish Coronel posted his units in advance positions around the town of Posad (large town on board 3) and around the heavily wooded road to the south (the east edge of the woods on board 6). Both these groups were reinforced companies of troops and a company of bicyclists with the other support units, ENG and 105mm artillery would be ready to support the defense.

For the Soviets, they have chosen to attack at night to minimize the Spanish support to there defense. They will throw a whole division at these defenses with the hope of crushing this remote position before the Spanish and the Germans can react. They will support the attack with the Soviet air force as well as six batteries of 122mm guns. Soviet T-26's and T-60's will provide assault support for the attacks on the towns and villages. There attack will advance the bulk of the force from the east edge of board 21 and the split board area around boards 21 and 17. A small force will move down the northern road on board 17 to try to lock the Spanish defenders in Posad.

The advance begins without to must fanfare. The Soviet advance takes an hour and a half before it make contact with Spanish. The Spanish have moved troops up to hold the small town that crosses the Vishera River (large town on board 20) as well as the village next to the river in the south. The Soviets begin bombardment of both and the Spanish take the first casualties. Soviet forces close on the village first and take casualties from OP fire. Spanish OBA is called for and it's effects are immediate on the conscripted troops. Many disruption and demoralization results start to appear, but the Soviets close on the village. Moving to assault several INF's and HMG finally make it in. Heavy fighting occurs and it takes 2 hours before the Spanish defenders are forced to flee. This type of close fighting would continue for all battles as the conscripts we just not up the seasoned Spaniards.

The large town on board 20 was next. But here the Spanish were even stronger, HMG's and a company of INF's with a 10-1-1 Tenenate held firm. Several repeated attempts to get close failed with demoralizations. Komissars tried to get the INF's going again but many fleed and some we put under guard and marched back to join the penal troops.

But as the attack developed, the Spanish saw that Posad was not the main target of the attack and began to move units south from Posad to hold the southern road. A company of Soviet tanks did close on the town but were soon drive off by the threat of AT fire from their lone AT platoon. But the Soviets were not quite finished with Posad. The center group of Soviets began to move north to threaten this strategic point. The Spaniards were force to commit the bicyclists to the defense of the town leaving the southern road to fend for itself. The Soviets were able to close on the town, but accurate OP fire drove off the initial assault with disruptions and demoralizations which forced the units back into the woods to recover.

Focus turned back to the center town on board 20. The force that had threatened Posad was now in a position to turn the flank of the defender of the small town on board 20. Moving south-west the were able to close but accurate OBA disrupted and demoralized the Soviets. but the Spaniards in the town were not getting off that easy. Soviet artillery pounded the town destroying one platoon and forcing another to flee out of town. By dawn the Soviets were ready to assault. Throwing in a regiment of INF's and HMG's they looked to evict the Spaniards. But they held tough and fought back the conscripts with heavy force keeping them from taking the towns. The conscripts were too new to understand the best assault tactics and wound up dead at the feet of the Spaniards.

But to the south the situation look better for the Soviets, after breaking though the small village a regiment of Soviets advanced into the woods for attack the Spanish strong hold on board 6. Without the benefit of the reinforcements, committed to the north to hold Posad the Coronel dug his troops in to hold the woods. The Soviets advanced and closed on the Spanish positions. Soviet support fire was good in disrupting the Spanish, but they bounced right back given their experience in battle. In the assaults the conscripts showed their lack of training as a single Spanish platoon was able to hold off a company of Soviet troops even with a leader. OBA would be the key to any victory and both the Spanish and Soviet OBA was getting kills in the woods. But even with the dawn and daylight to sight the onboard mortars and artillery the Soviets could not do the job. In the end the Spanish OBA was scoring kills on every turn it fired as well as demoralizing the remnants afterwards. The Soviets pushed right to the end, but their lack of experience and training was more than the number and volume of firepower could over come.