All over the city battles raged; house by house, Rostov had to be pried from the Reds. Having initially made good progress, SS “Viking” Division became embroiled in the bitter street fighting. Soviet troops and sappers who had barricaded the city streets were ordered to defend it to the last bullet. The Scandinavians of the Nordland Regiment, stymied from advancing for two days by a well-armed NKVD company in a large factory complex, attacked again in expectation that approaching German armor would support the final assault. The SS incurred heavy losses gaining entrance to the factory, but once inside their troubles had only just begun.
Attacker: German (SS) (SS-Regiment "Nordland" and Panzer-Division 13)
Defender: Russian (33rd NKVD Motorized Regiment)
9.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:20.0 D:22.5
AFVs: A:4
PzKpfw IVF2 x 4
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0 D:1
76.2mm P obr. 00/02P PTRD-41 ATR x 2
Misc Rules:
Russian elite units may use MOL (A22.6), but only vs AFV.
Germans win in turn 8. Last 3 Russian units couldn't rout anywhere. Factory TEM is brutal. The short range of the Russian units really hurt. Germans were able to sit in the level 3 building and keep that side of the factory under a lot pressure. 76mm artillery wasn't effective; crew broke early and was eliminated and no other squads could get it it going before a KIA destroyed the gun.
2020-09-19
(D) Paul Works
vs
Keven Adams
Russian win
My setup was (of course) heavy in the factory building. For HIP placements: a) I set up my 9-2, .50cal, and a 4-5-8 in hex aI2; b) my 9-0 commissar, a 6-2-8, and the HMG in hex aK2; and the gun in aL1 with its CA on K2/L2. I did place a unit to provide a slide interdiction on the aH4-C4 road. I also placed a platoon in aK5 and L4 to slow any flanking maneuver he made in that area. Keven made his main effort across the aH4-C4 road (my interdicting unit did nothing...) and into the aG2, G3, and G5 buildings. I did catch a stack moving in the open with my 9-2 and .50cal (12-4!), but only broke the squads. I slowed down his attack on my left flank and rotated concealed units to the edge of the factory to reduce his FP attacks. Starting turn 2, though, I had trouble rallying units inside the factory to replace those that broke and this ended up causing me issues. His armor arrived on Turn 4 and moved close the the factory on my right. On turn 5, I was able to get one tank with a Molotov. On Turn 6, Keven's SS got into the factory in hexes I1-I3. As one of his tanks started, in order to reposition, I immobilized it, then took it out with another Molotov. I opened up on his stacks in the factory with my HMGs and my 76mm gun. I did break a couple stacks, but not enough. Helping him to no small extent was his rolling of five "2s" on morale checks - two of those "2s" were checks from a single attack!. He battle hardened a 9-1 into a 9-2, then rallied him and battle hardened him to a 10-2. He created two heroes and battle hardened one of his squads. Crazy. On Turn 8, he finally got a 30+2 attack on my 9-2 stack and Gun; this broke the entire position. At this point I was in trouble. Still having difficulty rallying units; I had approximately 8 broken units. Most were stacked with leaders, so they would have a decent chance to rally on Turn 9. I had seven Good Order squads to slow him down; one in the Factory. However, on my Turn 8, I was able to get a 6-2-8 and an 8-1 into CC with another tank. This tank probably should have moved on his Turn 8; the units he had protecting it had routed and not yet recovered. He fired, but did not break my units in the hex with the tank. As his tank started to "get out of danger," my CC reaction attack destroyed the tank. Close game. Keven is a good player. Fun.
