I played the PG version of the scenario and the Soviets tried to break through by just moving toward the German line while the artillery fired and the only thing they could do was almost cause a draw. In playing the East Front version I tried a COA of having the Soviet move up to and hunker down at the embankment out of LOS while the Soviet artillery works the German positions. Once some effect on the Germans happen the Soviets would launch the attack. I used the exact same German defense as in the previous play.

The Soviet artillery took down one of the northern positions and also caused the northernmost with two morale leader to disrupt and then try to recover. So on turn five with this situation on hand the Commies surged from the embankment and drove toward the German line. The Germans shot them up zeroing in on the Soviets leadership like in the last playing. Yet enough got to the German line and jumped into assault with the northern German defense pinning it for the rest of the game. The Soviets surged forward under the cover of smoke to get off the board. By the last turn they had 7 units off and had enough in position to get more than ten total for the win. But the Germans had reacted and got some platoons into the smoke hex plus an artillery strike took down a Soviet stack poised to exit. The recon platoon and wagon towing a gun had to run the gauntlet for the win, the recon dudes made it but the wagon got shot up on a 12 roll from a disrupted German infantry platoon in the smoke. The wagon crew demoralized. The Germans win with the Soviets getting eight units off. Close but...

Waiting for the artillery to have effect is a crap shoot, especially against dug-in eight morale units with leaders with good morale bonuses. But it almost worked; almost.

Los alemanes se desplegaron a 4-5 hexágonos del oeste con las HMG apoyadas por una sección de infantería y los líderes con mejores modificadores de disparo, el despliegue soviético del sur se realizó de tal manera que avanzarán en dos impulsos todas la unidades repartidas al norte y sur del bosque. La artillería soviética resultó decisiva al mantener la mayor parte del tiempo disrupted/demoralizada a las HMG apoyadas del sector centro/sur del mapa, fue por el sur tras varios turnos donde los soviéticos obtuvieron más de dos y hasta tres impulsos de ventaja donde haciendo uso de la artillería primero y movimiento después pudieron obtener la victoria en el turno 7 (de 12 que tiene el escenario) al salir del mapa por el oeste más de 10 unidades, los alemanes había sufrido el asalto en el centro con pérdida de dos líderes y dos secciones de infantería y HMG, los soviéticos perdieron en total 3 secciones de infantería y un líder. Creo que en este escenario los alemanes lo tienen difícil aunque empiecen el escenario enterrados.

The German LT looked out in the gathering light of dawn. He knew they were coming, and coming in great number. Today would be a test. Which would prevail, the raw numbers of the enemy or the training, discipline, and leadership of his comrades?

Across the way, on the other side of no-man's land, his Soviet counterpart was also looking. They had been told that they would overwhelm the Hitlerites with sheer force of numbers. In the terms of a field officer, that meant an old fashioned charge across open ground and engaging the enemy. The sheer numbers were already beginning to overwhelm him. He was to lead in the first wave. Its size was quite large for someone of his limited experience.

It began slowly for the Soviets. The LT's unit was hit with German OBA, disrupting him. The units under his command moved to let the second wave pass through. The second wave hit a clear area north of the field, where HMG fire awaited. The Soviets heroically stood up to it, and assaulted the emplacement. Meanwhile the LT pulled himself together and led his units into the field. The Soviet left advanced and demonstrated, with the intent of keeping the Germans in place and preventing them from reinforcing. When the time was right, they would close in and move through any holes in the German defenses that the their comrades on the right had made.

It did not go well on the Soviet right. The assault on the HMG emplacement proved disasterous. Superior German morale and training paid off and the Soviet forces fled into the field. Worse still, their sorely needed commanding officer was killed in the action.

The action in the field began well for the Soviets, who initially rolled up the German forward positions and inflicted casualties on them. But Soviet momentum was hampered by insufficient leadership. The brave but lone LT was spread thin, moving his units further into the fray while trying to rally units left demoralized. The LT himself was demoralized by German OBA. From then on, the action in the field was determined by the Germans.

Rather than exploit the advances made by their comrades, the units on the Soviet left became reinforcements. As they moved towards the beleaguered right, the German defenses adapted. The Soviet advance from the left found itself running a mixed gauntlet of fire, ranging from OBA to HMG to opfire and assault from German INF units.

As the Soviet assault ran out of drive and its remaining troops withdrew, the dazed Germans did not follow. There would be another time for attack. Stopping this ill-planned and under-led attack had cost them enough today.

A special commendation goes out for Soviet LT 701. Due to his youth and inexperience, he was slated to follow the assault with the wagons. However, he took it upon himself to rally demoralized units fleeing to the forest and leading them back to the battle.