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
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Tank Battles
Secret Weapons #15
(Attacker) Germany vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 22nd Panzer Division
Soviet Union 1st Guards "Donskoy" Tank Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for SeWp015
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 2 votes
5
4
3
2
1
4.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Secret Weapons
Historicity Alt-History
Date 1947-07-01
Start Time 06:00
Turn Count 24
Visibility Day
Counters 158
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 6: 1, 17, 24, 25, 4, 6
Layout Dimensions 86 x 84 cm
34 x 33 in
Play Bounty 200
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 2
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Meeting Engagement
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Eastern Front Maps + Counters
Elsenborn Ridge Maps
Iron Curtain Counters
Road to Berlin Maps + Counters
Secret Weapons Base Game
Introduction

Adolf Hitler saw the Maus tank overrunning his enemies with its sheer weight and firepower, as a main battle tank. While the lumbering giant would have had a hard time overrunning a foot soldier marching quick-time, the test model did have astounding armor protection and powerful armament. Would speed be any defense against it?

Conclusion

Most armies designed and built tanks displaying effective combinations of speed, armor and firepower: the American M26 Pershing, the Soviet T44 and the German Panther II. Maus might have been intended by some of the even more insane among the Nazi leadership as a main battle tank, but in action that would have been a difficult role to fulfill.


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).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • 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
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
Soviet Union Order of Battle
Guards
  • Foot

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Secret Weapons, scenario # 15: Tank Battles
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2011-06-06
Language English
Scenario SeWp015

This has everything I wanted in a hypothetical latter date WWII battle. Heavy newer model Soviet & German armor, Helicopters, AK Infantry, off-board artillery & Soviet airpower!

It’s a head-on engagement battle with both sides trying to control both east-west roads and eliminated enemy units. Since both forces come on from opposite sides of the board, the main fight was for the two east-west roads in the center of the map where both forces will meet. Also, since there is a lot of space between the north east-west road & the south east-west road, both side divided their forces into two different battle groups, so it seem like two battles going on at the same time, with a few scatter units or mixed forces battling in the no-mans land in the center at times.

The Soviets have more armor but the Germans armor is much harder to kill, with big Maus’s & Tiger III’s. Fortunately the Tiger III’s are very vulnerable from the top from Soviet airpower in the special rules, due to their weak armor there, from both the Direct Fire and the AT Fire airpower, and some of the Soviet airpower has a 3 AT dice roll factors. The Germans have some of the Fl.282 Helicopters with AT factors so the air is filled with combat as well. The Soviets have the nice 10 direct fire factors with there AK infantry but the Germans balance this out, as they usually have two halftracks with two infantry units per stack, so no advantage really in the Infantry department.

The casualties were huge on both sides and the Germans controlled a few more road hexes and took out more of the Soviets armor. When both sides were beaten down as fighting forces, I called the battle off and I really wasn’t sure who had won but after counting units, the Germans had a minor victory by 12 points. Too much Soviet armor was lost and those Maus monster are too hard to kill when there are 16 steps of them. Assaults combat, Crossfire & Airpower helped but not enough to pull out a victory for the Soviets.

This battle really hit the spot for me, I really enjoy this lethal shot them up battles. I recommend this one!

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