By mid-September, Army Group North had been stopped short of its goal of the capture of Leningrad. What they had been unable to achieve by force, they now hoped to accomplish by starving the city out. Leningrad was entirely cut off except for the Lake Lagoda route. The only real relief possible would have to be some breach of the land blockade. During the month of September, Russian troops fought furiously to crack the blockade. To the south, in the area of Starays-Russa/Demyansk, the Red Army planned to break through the German defenders and swing north to hit the flanks of the German armies assaulting Leningrad. In the villages of Kirilovschina, Grutiki, Chilkovo, and Lushno, the soldiers of the Totenkopf were about to face this Red onslaught.
Attacker: Russian (34th Soviet Army)
Defender: German (SS) (SS-Bataillon 2, SS-Division 3 "Totenkopf")
5.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:18.0 D:8.0
AFVs: A:2
T-26S M37 x 2
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0
50mm RM obr. 40
D:1
7.5cm leIG 18 ATR 7.92 PzB 39
Misc Rules:
Treat Orchards as Shellholes
Map Board(s):
32
42
Overlays:
NONE
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:
Was over by Turn 4. Two human waves repulsed on turn 1. Broken and reduced Russians all over the place.
2022-03-11
(D) Dave Mareske
vs
Craig Renier
German (SS) win
Tried this again with Craig switching sides. The Russians crept forward on turn 1, but were not set up right for a Human Wave, which might have changed things. Even so, they were able to get into a couple of CCs. However, those Melees lasted too long and eventually made exiting not a viable option. Loosing one of the tanks to MG fire also made exiting improbable. Turning their attention to getting the buildings then, the Russians were slightly out of position and the HMG made short work of anyone that tried to creep out on the road.
2022-02-25
(D) Craig Renier
vs
Dave Mareske
German (SS) win
The Russians kicked off the battle with two Human Waves. The Germans responded with heavy accurate Defensive Fire leaving the Russian attackers littered across the battlefield. The Russians pulled back and tried to regroup. The Russians failed to Rally, two squads under the Commissar. The Russians were finally able to recover somewhat and resumed the attack using the AFVs to drive off the forward defenders. A fortunate shot killed a German 8-1 and MMC with MMG who were covering the German left. The German center held strong, but began to weaken. Needing the firepower, a Russian AFV attempted and failed to repair its MA suffering Recall. This was followed by a shot at the second Russian AFV from the German INF gun which caused the AFV to be abandoned. With few options remaining, the Russians made a desperate charge to gain control of the final 3 buildings. One MMC went Beserk, but was first reduced and then KIA'd. A 2nd MMC was pinned. The last two conscripts were able to cross the road and enter into CC, eliminating the 9-1 and 4-6-8 with HMG, but it was not enough to defeat the German defenders.
2022-02-25
(A) Dave Mareske
vs
Craig Renier
German (SS) win
2021-05-01
(A) Eben Johnson
vs
German
Russian win
Great scenario. Like the best, this one went down to the last CC DR of the game. A German HS and wounded leader held three 447 Russian squads in melee for two-and-a-half game turns . . . not player turns, game turns! In the penultimate player turn, Russians rolled boxes---letting the HS move into an adjacent and empty victory condition building, leaving the leader behind. Finally, in the last CC, the valiant German HS and leader, each in different VC buildings, succumbed to overwhelming CC odds. Had either held on to stay in melee the Germans would have won. Wow.