Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Fire and Sword #17

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A Bit Much Fire and Sword #17
(Attacker) Germany (Attacker) Hungary	vs	Soviet Union (Defender)

Formations Involved
Germany		271st Infantry Division
Hungary		1st Hussar Division
Soviet Union		108th Guards Rifle Division

	Total
Side 1	1
Draw	0
Side 2	0

Overall Rating, 1 vote
5 4 3 2 1 5
Scenario Rank: --- of 961

Parent Game	Fire and Sword
Historicity	Historical
Date	1944-12-07
Start Time	08:30
Turn Count	24
Visibility	Day
Counters	48
Net Morale	1
Net Initiative	3
Maps	2: 50, 52
Layout Dimensions	56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in
Play Bounty	169
AAR Bounty	167
Total Plays	1
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault

Conditions
Severe Weather
Terrain Mods
Joint Forces Battle

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Fire and Sword	Base Game

Introduction
Ordered to support the German defense of the Danube crossings, Százados (Captain) Sandor Hanák led his Hungarian 10th Assault Artillery Battalion from its positions at Székesfehérvár eastward. One battery of the 1st Assault Artillery Battalion, without orders, rolled out of its own encampment and followed, giving the captain a total of 15 new Zrinyi II assault guns. On their arrival, Lt. Gen. Martin Bieber of the German 271st People's Grenadier Division sent them against the village of Rácszentpetér. Hanák asked if he should also capture the railway embankment on the other side of the town, but Bieber told him, "I suppose that's asking a bit much."

Introduction

Ordered to support the German defense of the Danube crossings, Százados (Captain) Sandor Hanák led his Hungarian 10th Assault Artillery Battalion from its positions at Székesfehérvár eastward. One battery of the 1st Assault Artillery Battalion, without orders, rolled out of its own encampment and followed, giving the captain a total of 15 new Zrinyi II assault guns. On their arrival, Lt. Gen. Martin Bieber of the German 271st People's Grenadier Division sent them against the village of Rácszentpetér. Hanák asked if he should also capture the railway embankment on the other side of the town, but Bieber told him, "I suppose that's asking a bit much."

Conclusion
Hanák's assault guns, accompanied by their organic assault infantry company and the renegade 3rd Üteg (battery) from the 1st Battalion, rolled down the highway and into the village, followed by some People's Grenadiers. They destroyed an anti-tank battery and shot up several strong points before reaching a deep ditch alongside the railway embankment, that the Zrinyis could not cross. Doubling back, Hanák returned to the village and attacked the shaken Soviets again, causing a panicked retreat that left behind 14 anti-tank guns (half of them intact) and over 220 dead. The Hungarians lost five Zrinyi vehicles to breakdowns and had six men wounded. Bieber handed out Iron Cross decorations to all of the Hungarian officers, including First Lieutenant Tibor Rátz, the 24-year-old disobedient commander of the 3rd Üteg.

Conclusion

Hanák's assault guns, accompanied by their organic assault infantry company and the renegade 3rd Üteg (battery) from the 1st Battalion, rolled down the highway and into the village, followed by some People's Grenadiers. They destroyed an anti-tank battery and shot up several strong points before reaching a deep ditch alongside the railway embankment, that the Zrinyis could not cross.

Doubling back, Hanák returned to the village and attacked the shaken Soviets again, causing a panicked retreat that left behind 14 anti-tank guns (half of them intact) and over 220 dead. The Hungarians lost five Zrinyi vehicles to breakdowns and had six men wounded. Bieber handed out Iron Cross decorations to all of the Hungarian officers, including First Lieutenant Tibor Rátz, the 24-year-old disobedient commander of the 3rd Üteg.

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) Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable

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)
Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader

Heer

Foot

Leader

Hungary Order of Battle

Army
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized

Army

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Soviet Union Order of Battle

Army (RKKA)
Leader Towed

Army (RKKA)

Leader

Towed

Guards
Foot Leader Motorized Towed

Guards

Foot

Leader

Motorized

Towed

Display Errata (1)

1 Errata Item
	These units should have a Direct Fire rating of 2-3, just like the RKKA and NKVD counterparts. (danradz on 2011 May 04)

Display AARs (1)

Fire and Sword, scenario #17: A Bit Much

Author	JayTownsend
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany, Hungary
Play Date	2025-01-01
Language	English
Scenario	FiSw017

Fire and Sword, scenario #17: A Bit Much

Another interesting scenario from Fire & Sword, the Axis (Hungarians & Germans) have three victory objectives to try achieve or not. One is to eliminate more enemy steps than they lose, another is to control more town hexes than the Russian do and last to exit 12 or more units off the eastern edge of map 52, which I think it should say steps.

The visibility is only three hexes because of mist. The Axis push ahead until they run into dug-in Soviet Infantry and Guns. The Soviets also have the problem of defending a large area. The German Infantry morale is the weakest of the three nationalities in this scenario and they paid heavily trying to take a town on the farthest western edge of map 50 and pushed the Axis casualties almost too high but putting two Zrinyi armor units together put things right blasting Russian units with a 30 Direct Fire.

In the end it was really close, the Axis achieved two out of three victory objectives for a Minor Victory. The Russian lost 9 steps to the Axis 8 steps but the Axis controlled more town hexes than the Russian but there was no way to exit 12 unit/steps, as the towns had to have units in them to defend, or the Russian would have reentered them under cover of mist and denied the Axis a victory, so a very close Axis victory and a very spread out battle on these two maps.

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