Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS
PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > HbnS008
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Beer Hall Brethren
Hopeless, But Not Serious #8
(Defender) Germany vs Austria (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Austria Fast Division
Germany SA Feldherrnhalle Standarte
Display
Balance:


Overall balance chart for HbnS008
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 4
Overall Rating, 4 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Hopeless, But Not Serious
Historicity Alt-History
Date 1938-03-01
Start Time 07:00
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day
Counters 77
Net Morale 2
Net Initiative 2
Maps 2: 11, 17
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 161
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 4
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Battle of the Bulge Maps
Hopeless, But Not Serious Base Game
Road to Berlin Maps
Introduction

In the vanguard of the German force scheduled to invade Austria would march the SA Standarte "Feldhernhalle," named for the spot where Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 miserably failed. The Brownshirts of the SA lost their role as the Nazi Party's paramilitary enforcers after the "Night of the Long Knives" in 1934, and this one remaining regiment was drawn from all over Germany. Leading the march into Austria was a signal honor for the organization but it might not have been so desirable a posting had the Austrians chosen to resist. In that case, the stormtroopers soon would have found themselves detailed to hold the roads behind the German advance.
Conclusion

Hitler's original stormtroopers, the Sturmabteilungen, or SA, were even less prepared for modern warfare than his new favorites, the Schutzstaffel (SS). Had the Bundesheer been ordered to resist, this bumbling band of blowhards would have been a prime target for the elite Fast Division.
Display Relevant AFV Rules
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
Display Order of Battle
Austria Order of Battle
Army
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Germany Order of Battle
Sturmabteilung
Display AARs (1)
Control Those Men
Author Matt W
Method Solo
Victor Austria
Play Date 2012-09-28
Language English
Scenario HbnS008

The SA start off holding the entire board with two battalions of infantry. The Austrians enter the board with one battalion of infantry and a slew (12 units) of KW33s. The SA have absolutely no AT capability and are relatively helpless against the Austrian armor. Luckily for the SA the Austrian armor only has a 5-4 DF and does not provide any column shift in assault combat.

The goal of the SA is to hold some part of the road or a town hex somewhere on the 2 boards. This is difficult as the SA have no ability to enter into a stand up fight with the Austrians. Although I set up in the towns along the road I expected that I would have to have a mobile defense (in other words I would have to run away and try to loop back behind the Austrians using the SA's greater numbers as a way to combat the fact that they couldn't fight the Austrians).

Only in one place did the SA put up a serious fight. In the center of the large town one commander with a morale modifier was able to get the SA to defend ably for several turns. The Austrians, however, were able to eventually whittle the SA down to nothing. In the meantime, groups of Austrians chased groups of SA away from the road and whenever the SA tried to make a stand to stop the pursuers it didn't work out well.

The SA took terrible losses but still had some good order units on the board at the end of the scenario but were chased far away from the road and had few leaders in any event who could lead them to the road.

A typical political troop battle found in HbnS. Again and again, the political troops cannot stand against decent combat troops. I give it a "3".
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