Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	goosebrown
Play Date	2026-03-24
Language	English
Scenario	TBRa010

This was another fun-filled, stimulating, but slightly gamey, 5-session battle with the daring & tenacious, goosebrown, leading the defending Soviet 2nd Tank Division, in a 2-map, 18-game turn battle. I led attacking elements of the German 1st Panzer Division. The German side drew better than average leaders. The Russian leaders were of middling quality.

The FOW, smoke/illum, excess initiative, extended assault, strategic movement and consolidation optional rules, as well as these FOUR house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units — All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 of a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units — All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes, 3) Towed Anti-Tank (AT) Hidden Emplacement — Unless prohibited by special scenario rules, ALL dug-in, entrenched, or town-occupying, towed AT gun units always begin scenarios in HIDDEN mode if allowed to dig-in per scenario special rules (please see Optional Rules for Hidden Units; Plotting Position; Revealing; and No Hidden Units Specified on Page 37). For example: dug-in, PaK 38 (50mm); Soviet 45mm, or British 2-pdr and/or 6-pdr towed AT gun platoons are eligible under this house rule, and 4) Voluntary Unit Reduction — Players may voluntarily reduce 2-step personnel units to 1-step (halved) units if they have at least one leader of MAJOR or higher rank among their side’s assigned force. To do so, the unit to be halved must begin the player’s activation phase in the same hex or in an adjacent hex to a CAPTAIN or higher rank. The full-strength unit to be halved must be in good order and this action costs all the reduced unit’s movement points. Remove the full-strength unit and replace it with 2 reduced strength units. Mark both — and the leader — as activated.

Happily, this rule set provided improved playability & simplicity to our play-through.

Our first session (game turns 1-3) featured a rapid, 2-pronged German advance to the margins of the western forest on Map 06. The fight was bloodless until the third turn when a probing Wehrmacht SPW 251 and a Soviet KMS were eliminated by long-range AT fire. Having no proper recon elements, the German horde was forced to use halftracks, junior leaders and line infantry to seek out Russian positions in the woods. A pair of T-26 platoons sallied across that southern portion of the map with a Soviet infantry unit to counter the German artillery emplacements. These were taken under fire by two pairs of PzKw IIIG platoons, eliminating one step of Red tanks and setting up a long-range crossfire. Losses were now 3 Soviet, and one German step.

The truncated, but exciting, second session (game turns 4-5) encompassed the slow advance of the Germans on the heels of a well-executed, tactical withdrawal by the Russian defenders in the west wood. While that progressed, a bold company of T-26 tanks were caught in a long-range crossfire resulting in the loss of 3 steps, and a reduction in initiative. Their accompanying infantry was demoralized by opfire. In response, a company of KV-1 heavy tanks moved east in the open hoping to pin and eliminate a pair of PzKw-IIIH tank platoons in the 5-hex town. The victory point score was 7-1 at the end of the session in favor of the scrambling Wehrmacht force.

Heavy fighting in both woods on either side of the road characterized our third session (game turns 6-8), with the slow German advance east with their main force in the west woods, and an equally slow Jerry advance south in the east wood. The Wehrmacht drew first blood this session in a series of adjacent-hex firefights and a trio of close assaults. This was after multiple long-range AT shots that were uniformly unsuccessful again the remaining T-26 and the two KV-1s. The latter tank units quickly rumbled into the 5-hex township on Map 01, to avoid the several crossfires that the German side attempted. Both sides lost infantry leaders, and the Russians another 8 steps, which dropped their initiative to zero. The updated victory point score was now 12-1 in favor of the Third Reich troops.

Our truncated, fourth session (game turns 9-11) was very grim for the defending Soviets with another 10 unanswered step losses, plus a leader. The Germans consolidated their attack in the west woods, and continued advancing in the east woods thanks to a series of successful close assaults and adjacent-hex firefights. The last section of T-26 tanks was eliminated in a cross fire, as well as the remaining 45m ATG emplacement. Victory points now stood at 22-1 in favor of the Wehrmacht.

The fifth & final session (game turns 12-15) was a grim for the Soviet defenders, with another 5 steps lost and a Major captured. By mutual agreement we decided to end the game when there were no more Russian infantry or HMG units left on the battle map. Record this one as a hard-fought, major victory for the Jerries in the thick woods north of Raseiniai. There were 8 FOW-shortened game turn of the 15 played.

This was another slightly gamey, but fun-to-play scenario, with plenty of decision points and the opportunity for considerable maneuver by both sides. I give it a 3, and recommend it for both SHARED and SOLO play, though it is notable that the Soviets do not have a Kommissar, as might be expected, and the Germans have no recon elements to lead the way. As published, the setup notes should specify that the pair of Soviet KMS mechanized tractors should be classified as “prime movers” for the 45mm AT guns, since the elimination of these AFVs yields no victory points – unlike the German halftracks. I would have given this one a 4 – but as published – the more experienced player should lead the defending Red Army force for that side to have a better than even chance at securing a victory.

Things were going well for the Soviets, their infantry was deployed deep in the woods on the west side of the road, with their ATGs and KV tanks on the flanks making it difficult for the Germans to clear both the west side of the road & the road itself, two key VCs. Then the Germans deployed a Pak36 battery at extreme range and began firing at the 2 KV tank platoons, who, per the campaign study special rules, charged the guns (more like waddled, they are KV tanks after all), needless to say they were quickly dispatched by the crossfire from the German panzers and knocked out. The German were then free to encircle the Soviet forces in the woods and eliminate them. If it was not for the special rule this would have most likely been a Soviet victory or at least a draw.