When Russian troops traversed the Oder River during the Vistula-Oder offensive in January 1945, the German HQ had to quickly rush the veteran 21st Panzer Division crosscountry to secure the liaison from Berlin to the garrison of Küstrin. Foul weather and frightened refugees clogged the roads, delaying the operation until the early morning of the 7th of February. Col Hans von Luck had the unenvious task of taking control of all three villages of the Küstriner Vorland on the westbank of the Oder bridge and keeping the only supply road open for business.

Both sides enter the battlefield when it is still dark, with the Germans reaching the villages first. Most of the Russian infantry have to struggle through the mud at alarmingly slow pace. This means that the first two hours of the battle are pretty uneventful. The Germans don’t even try to get the supply train started, instead they hastely barricade the towns, while Russian tanks are ordered to taxi as many infantry as possible from the rear to the front. The Germans have divided their Panther units between Mannschnow (the westernmost town) and Küstrin-Kietz (the easternmost hamlet). The Jagdpanzers take position just north of the latter while the PzIVs loiter in the vicinity of Gorgast, the third town. The Russians have also divided their troops in three columns, the largest part heading for Mannschnow, the SU76s and covering T34/85s are bound for the northernmost Gorgast, and a hefty amount of infantry and tanks are heading for Küstrin-Kietz, aiming to quickly overrun the little hamlet and surge through towards Gorgast to support the SUs.

At 5.15 AM, both sides stumble into a firefight when German SPWs, on a recon mission, have moved southwards from Mannschnow. They can shoot up some russian HMG platoons with impunity since all Russian AFVs are at that moment southbound to pick up another load of passengers. A few Russian steps are lost, a little time is gained but the Russian line still keeps crawling relentlessly forwards. Still high from these early successes, the Jagdpanzers are ordered to attack the escorts of the SU76s. But the target T34/85 platoon gets the initiative and reduces both Jagdpanzer platoons. A JSII platoon hurries over from Küstrin-Kietz and together they finish of the Jagdpanzers. The loss of these elite units is a big blow for the cursing Col von Luck, it shifts the initiative firmly into Russian hands.

When day breaks at 6.30 AM, the German SPWs withdraw back into the towns and the Russians are now starting the siege of Mannschnow and Küstrin-Kietz. At Kietz a JSII platoon falls when it opens fire on the occupying Panther units but misses. The retaliating fire proves deadly. Fifteen minutes later a tank clash starts on the road from Gorgast to Mannschnow when all German PzIVs take on a JSII platoon and two T34/85s. Two firing rounds later, all German AFVs are burning wrecks for only two reduced Russian platoons. Col Hans von Luck can’t believe what has just happened. The Germans now have only their six Panther units and the SPWs left to protect the infantry and the towns. Especially Gorgast suddenly feels empty with the SU76s and their immense direct fire capabilities looming within threatening distance. In the meantime, Russian infantry is trying to get into assault positions at the other two towns. They are met with fierce opportunity and OBA fire, thinning the line at alarming speeds. At Mannschnow, two JSII platoons try to bypass the town to come to grips with the pesky SPWs still lurking at the northside of the town. The Russian commander then suddenly sees 2 platoons of Panthers leave their urban safety, move into crossfire positions, and smash both Josef Stalin platoons to smithereens. Moments later another Panther platoon rushes out of Küstrin-Kietz, rounds the forest south of Gorgast and kills both SU platoons! Both moves are suicidal but they put a stop to all Russian assaulting attempts for the next hour. When the third Panther unit in Mannschnow also kills another T34 unit, the Russian tank commander has had enough and makes the destruction of all German AFVs his top priority. JSIIs quickly despatch of the Gorgast rescueing Panthers while infantry units are locking down the Panthers at the outskirts of Mannschnow.

By the time these Panthers are also dealt with, it is already 8 AM, only 75 minutes still on the clock and both sides are in desperate mode. The Germans are commiting all their reserves to defending the towns, while the Russian tanks are shooting down all SPWs to have a fighting chance in the now urgently approaching assaults. Three Russian infantry platoons manage to bypass Küstrin-Kietz and are closing in on Gorgast to join the tanks in their attacks on this now wreckfilled place. With only three turns still to go, the Russians assault everywhere they can. They amazingly get a foot in everywhere except in Gorgast, where the infantry is still not within assaulting range. But fifteen clicks later, luck intervenes when Russian OBA hits big and the infantry can crawl closer without suffering opportunity fire. With still one turn to go, all town hexes are now firmly contested and a draw seems imminent. Last turn, the Russians keep desperately assaulting and at Küstrin-Kietz they amazingly kill the last defenders, effectively cutting off the fortress from the influence of Berlin, and as such clutching a last minute hard fought major victory!

What a way to end a battle! We both fell silent after that final double six roll, both staring in disbelief at the dice tower, then at each other, started smiling and congratulating ourselves with witnessing our finest Panzer Grenadier battle ever. This game had it all, with so many twists and turns, with both players constantly feeling they couldn’t possibly win, and with some of the greatest and incredible tense gaming moments of our life. Every initiative roll had some huge implications, swinging the momentum from one side to the other. Crazy unexpected happenings like f.i.

• A leaderless reduced SMG platoon killing a Panther unit in close combat

• The mother of all friendly fire Russian OBA ever, moments before the already planned all out assault: it did 2 kills and 4 demoralizations on 3 different locations in one go! It caused an extra grey color streak in the Russian commanders hair

• The completely unexpected obliteration of all German AFVs when they should have reigned supreme

• The incredibly lucky OBA shot that opened the door at Gorgast at the last possible moment

• And so many more, so many more

We had a blast ! It reminded us constantly of Banja, another fantastic scenario from this marvelous Road to Berlin module. We rate this scenario a 5, unquestionably, definitely a glorious 5!

Introduction

This is an excellent scenario, depicting the overwhelming difficulties facing the German defenders as well as the obstacles confronting their Soviet attackers. Getting the supply convoy through is for all practical purposes impossible, but the threat of it---that instant victory---is enough to shake a Soviet Commander. Failing that, it will take superior tactics and and Luck to pull off a German Victory.

The Plans

The Germans need to kill a lot of Soviets to hang onto the Town hexes and win. The convoy must also be run at some point, so running it should serve some purpose. For the Soviets, the major problems appear to be the weather and the distance, or put another way, time. The convoy is only a real threat if the Germans attack aggressively South to support it, in which case the chances of a Soviet victory are greatly increased.

The German Plan

The German plan is somewhat complicated, something I generally avoid, and it includes a feint, another ploy I rarely indulge in. In this case, I'm going to run the convoy from the very first turn, drive my mobile troops down to take the exit town, and move the rest of my forces into strong defensive positions where I can draw the Soviets onto my prepared defences. The convoy and the taking of the town are a feint. Unless the Soviet player is stupid---and this one isn't---there's no way he's going to let the convoy get through. What I'm hoping is that the sight of that instant defeat will cause him to disrupt his own plan and react to mine. My troops in the exit town (Gorgast, Hex 1208) will not even dismount; at the first sign of Soviet advance in strength, they will turn and run for their own lines, leaving rearguards to slow the inevitable Soviet pursuit.

The Soviet Plan

The Soviet Plan envisages two possibilities: a relatively static German defence, with the convoy not run; and a foreward defence, where the Germans drive South of the road and strive to keep the Red Army's Guards from interfering with the convoy. The Soviet's numerical advantage is offset by the long approach march, and the need to cover the possibility that the German Player will try the second alternative, as unlikely as that is (Soviet Military Intelligence has an excellent profile of the Oberst Luck's Chief of Staff). The Soviet Player decides on an advance on three axes, with major thrusts to either flank aimed principally at the town hexes North of the East-West Road. A smaller force, comprising mostly support units, will cut the road in the centre and move to assist either flank force as needed.

An Aside

This was the first Game in the East for the me, after a series of almost unremitting losses in the Desert War (playing the Commonwealth Forces in Desert Rats and Afrika Corps). Prior to this fight, I had won exactly one Panzer Grenadier scenario, that being the second "Young Fascists" fight, which was ground out with great difficulty. I am very conscious of casualties, and that was not a victory condition in many of the scenarios we played. I could take an objective, but rarely could I throw my troops at prepared defences without sufficient preparation, and this meant that time ran out on me; my losses were light, but I nearly always left a victory condition unfufilled. With the German Army in the East, I was in much better conditions. And it showed.

The Game

This was an overwhelming German Victory that went exactly according to plan. The immediate entry of the convoy, the capture of Gorgast (Hex 1208), and the great distance to be covered, panicked the Soviet Player into playing off-the-cuff. He threw the Soviet right flank foreward, leaving his supporting infantry behind, and ran his support force foreward to cut the road and attack the convoy proper. The Germans in Gorgast promptly departed as the Soviets drew up for an assault, leaving rear guards in the village itself and in the surrounding forests. armoured units deployed to take the road under fire, and the Jädgpanzer IV settled into a crossfire position. The convoy was duly intercepted and several trucks shot up. Important Leaders drawn for the convoy thereupon turned around and drove back to the large town on the German right flank, adding their support to the German forces of 21st panzer driving into the town. The Soviet player dawdled about shooting trucks---albeit ones loaded with supplies---instead of advancing to hit the Germans on the Soviet right flank and prevent them establishing a strong defence in advance of the Eastern town. As a result, the germans were in an excellent position by the time the Soviets were close enough to start threatening any of the German positions.

By the mid-point of the game, not a single step of Soviet armour of any kind remained in play. The highest-ranking, and next-highest-ranking, Soviet Leaders had been killed, their Rifle platoons had been badly shot up, and they had managed only to re-take Gorgast and inflict light casualties on the Germans, none of which were panzer units. As the German counter-attack got under way, the Soviet Player conceded.

Conclusion

The Germans had set up terrific defensive postions with mutually-supporting fires, which kept enemy Rifle platoons at arm's length and inflicted crossfire shots on Soviet armour. The late-war panzers were equal to Soviet armour, and unlike the 2-Pdr of the Commonwealth Desert forces, the 75mm L/48 and L/70 KwKs hit hard. The Soviet Player, panicked by the possibility of the convoy getting through, abandoned his plan and simply sent his units as fast as they could move at the Germans in Gorgast and at the convoy. This diverted his armour from the important German right flank with fatal results. There is no question the Germans would have driven the Soviets back, certainly recapturing Gorgast. The convoy actually retained enough vehicles to qualify for a win, but they could not have exited the board in time. Still, historically it would have been a devestating defeat for the Soviets, and doubtless won the Soviet Player a command in a penal brigade.

Not a bad scenario, as about half the scenario the visibility is one hex and increases to about 6 hexes by the end of the game but the movement is crawl, with mud and rain. There is another option for the Germans to win this, by bring on a convoy of supply trucks by turn four or after and exiting them off the other side of the map, so the Soviets must load up some armor with SMG Infantry and block the east-west road until the rest of the army crawls through the mud. Once this happen the next victory conditions each side can make, are who controls the most town hexes North of the east-west road but the Germans will get there first and by the time the Soviet Infantry is again in fighting formations, the Germans can spot them but the Soviet do have great numbers. I found the whole scenario somewhat interesting but there is no way the Germans will exit the supply trucks but they did hold off the Soviets from controlling to many town hexes, but what a bloody fight the Soviet armor was really shot up. The Germans took their losses as well but in the end they controlled a few more town hexes for a minor victory. The maneuvering due to the weather and special scenario rule for this, did make it frustrating at times. So for that reason, I’ll give it a 3 out of 5.