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Pössl’s Posse ETO (id:#65409)
(ASL Action Pack #16 From The Land Down Under ID: AP171)   [next]   [previous]
Kaunas, Lithuania 1944-07-12 (6 others)
116: The Sixth Blow (ASL 12 - Armies of Oblivion)
FAW12: A Bloody Slugfest (Finland At War Vol I: Jatkosota)
174: Lagus Assault Guns (ASL 14 - Hakkaa Päälle!)
DSL1: La Petite Ferme (Battle of the Hedgerows - Drive for Saint Lo)
#20: A Bloody Slugfest (Fire And Ice)
BFP-191: Brotell: The Finnish Ace (BFP 6: Mannerheim Cross)
Designer: Andrew Rogers
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
RussianGerman
50%

Overview:

The Soviet advance during their summer offensive was rapid and, combined with Hitler's "No Retreat" order, led to many German units becoming trapped inside cities. At Vilnius, remnants of two German regiments under the command of Luftwaffe Major-General Rainer Stahel battled encircling forces from the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps. In response, two German Kampfgruppen were formed primarily from Panzer-Division 6 and Panzer-Regiment "Grossdeutschland." After rounding up the Lithuanian partisans, one of the Kampfgruppen, led by Major Walter Pössl, began to open a 50-kilometer escape route for the Germans in Vilnius. As the Germans began to pull out of Vilnius, the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps counterattacked.
Attacker: Russian (35th Guards Tank Brigade, 3rd Mechanized Corps)
Defender: German (Panzer-Abteilung 1, Panzer-Regiment "Grossdeutschland" Panzer-Division "Grossdeutschland" and Bataillon II, Panzer-Regiment 114, Panzer-Division 6, Kampfgruppe Pössl)  
5.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:13.5 D:13.0
AFVs: A:6
T-34/85 x 2
M4/76(a) x 2
SU-76M x 2

AFVs: D:3
PzKpfw IVJ x 2
Marder III(t)H

Guns: A:0 D:1
7.5cm PaK 40

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: A: Russian vehicles get +1 on their Special Ammo availability
Map Board(s):
1a 15a Show/hide map dependencies
PublicationBoard
ASL Action Pack # 6 A Decade of War1a
ASL Action Pack #16 From The Land Down Under15a
Overlays: O5
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

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Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2025-03-07(A) Paul Legg vs Ian Ainsworth DrawHeroes 2025 - Friendly

we called it a draw due to running lateMy russians had 8 of the buildings at the time
2024-10-01(A) Michael Augustine vs Rich Domovic Russian win0.08 hrsRussians got early momentum by executing a successful Turn 1 Human Wave. There were various swings back and forth throughout the game, but the Russians carried the day with a little extra to spare. Sgt Rock comic book event was a DC toting 9-1 leader ran into an adjacent open ground adjacent to the Marder (that was out of HE). A nearby infantry fired, and the 9-1 HOB'd to a heroic 9-2. The Marder fired its BMG and broke it. It then fired AP 3 times at it for no effect. The leader placed the DC poorly (no attack on the Marder itself), but the Specific Collateral Attack resulted in a 1KIA (STUN) on the crew.
2024-08-26(D) Nate Gregg vs Chris Gregg German win
2024-08-23(D) Tuomo Lukkari vs Chad Cummings German win
2024-02-07(A) Andy Beaton vs Jim Fardette Russian winGerman armour was outgunned by the Russians which put the Germans on the back foot - the Russian tanks stayed at 3 range and blasted the Germans out of the village. Hot dice aided the Russians and cold dice hindered the Germans ability to rally the brokies.
2023-02-12(D) X von Marwitz vs Michael Koch German winPart of Action Pack #16, it is from one of the Australian mates, Andrew Rodgers. This designer should ring a bell with some for he is known for scenarios that get close & personal. This one is no exception.

Basically, the Russians have to storm the village on the hill defended by the Germans set in July 1944 to control a number of building/rubble Locations. Attention - mind the difference between Building Control and Control of a Building Location! . Also remember that beginning in July 1944 German PF just have a range of 2 hexes.

The Russians begin with an elite Guards infantry force supported by two SU-76M Asssault Guns.
The Germans defend with a 1st Line force of approximately the same size supported by a PaK 40 and a Marder III(t)H.

The Russians will receive reinforcements in Turn 2 in the form of 2x T-34/85 and M4/76(a) Shermans with 4 squads plus leader. The Germans in Turn 2 get 2x Pz IVJ, with powerful Infantry in the form of 5x 548 with two Leaders.

The scenario length bein 5.5 Turns, the Russians have no time to lose unless they want to lose the game. And there starts the conundrum: The Russian setup area allows to set up for a Human Wave and/or a short and rather covered way to the village on the hill. Else, they will have to take a detour. The conundrum for the Germans is that they will need a forward setup in force to discourage or survive a Human Wave onslaught, but to do so, there will be nothing much left at start to defend with elsewhere. The reinforcements of both sides will rush forward to plug holes or shift the Schwerpunkt of each sides forces.

I played the defending Germans and chose a strong forward setup. This succeeded in scaring off the Russians from forming up for a HW. I was so fixated on discouraging it, that I was somewhat taken aback that the Russians only sent two HS from the bd15a setup area and all the rest from the bd1a Orchard and Grain zones. I reckon, this "bought" me a turn but at the price of hastening to redeploy back into the village.

An early disaster struck, when a long range shot in the AFPh by one of his SU-76M's took out my Marder by Critical Hit. You think this is bad? I had placed it in the same hex with my HIP Pak-40, which was now shrouded in the smoke of the Wreck Blaze. My plan had been to dish it out with the Marder in the first Russian half-turn (which worked), and then pull out of LOS in the first German turn (which did not work...). The PaK would still be HIP (unless it had been provided with prime targets earlier) and await the unwary with a mean and powerful surprise. This would have worked just as planned - had there been no Marder wreck-blaze.

Due to this setback and the Germans not achieving anything with half a dozen of those dreaded 2 even / 2@-1 shots, the Russians soon crested the hill from the east in force and good order, having overrun the PaK on the way. The Germans defended the eastern row of buildings, but Russian pressure was such, that I had to voluntarily break two or three German units to pull them out just in time to avoid almost certain death. Things looked rather grim for my defenders, so I assessed. Luckily, all those Germans who did voluntarily break voluntarily rallied immediately thereafter, one of them even Battle Hardening. That was relief in dire straits.

The Russian Shermans surged forward with Riders along the road, while both T-34/85s with Riders hastened to the 15aB5 area for a flanking move. One of the Russian SU-76M's, which had been Stunned before, audaciously surged into the village to VBM-freeze my German 'killer-stack' while BU. To add insult to the injury, it got away with it despite being OT and having no MG-armament whatsoever, as my perplexed Germans were too scared to pass their PAATC, while their Leader, having found a ATMM, had to do it alone by himself - but failed just one pip short...

The Germans entered one tank on each road, while the reinforcing Infantry could just crest the hill from the West. The entry restrictions prevent the German reinforcements of doing anything meaningful during their turn of entry.

Yet, the German defence had crystallized. While the north-eastern row of houses atop the hill was firmly in the hands of the Russians, the buildings further to the north-west atop the hill were held by the Germans in force with the road in between. The Germans were also successful of firmly establishing themselved in the south-eastern part of the village atop the hill before the Russians could reach it, at the same time discouraging any fanciful dancing around of the T-34/85s by threatening with the PSK and PFs. Both Pz IVs had contrieved to acquire both Shermans (one of which had malfed its MA), and one of the latter went down while popping his sM for the last time. The other pulled himself from the noose, also popping its sM and thereby out of LOS of the threatening PzIV due to cumulative Hindrances. Not enough with that, it pulled around a house and attempted a long range Bounding Fire shot against the other German tank which had already exhausted the fire-capabilities of its MA - and the Sherman took it out with another Critical Hit! Doh!

Meanwhile, the inevitable Russian Berserk HS had entered close combat with a German 548+LMG, which needed two turns to red rid of the red critters. Another Russian HS survived even longer than this against a full Germans squad, somehow blocking the path for follow up Russians, though.

With two Movement Phases to go, the Russians had so far secured 5 of 10 needed building locations and were threatening two more, which were in turn re-threatened by some flanking Germans which had taken cover downslope of the hill. The Germans retained a strong hold on the rest of the village. As it was getting late, we called it a day. At this point, the game could still have been won by both sides, but we assessed the current situation favoring the German chances by 60:40 and thus called it a German win.

This scenario so far has a very balanced record on ROAR (24:21 for the Russians). Depending how it is played, it can be a short and bloody affair, namely if the Russians dare a Human Wave for their opening move. At first I was a bit reserved about this scenario, because sometimes Andrew Rodgers' designs are too much of a hand-to-hand fistfight for my taste. In this case, I was positively surprised, and the reinforcements did their job in adding a well-timed maneuver element that allow both players to adapt to the situation and to shift the focus.
2023-01-11(A) Rich Weiley vs Dave Wilson German win
2022-12-29(A) nathan wegener vs Ryan Ellot Russian win
2022-11-16(D) Andy Bagley vs Matt Ellis German winAs the German defender I set up an up-front defence and dared the Russians to Human Wave on turn 1. They didn't dare, instead taking a more cautious and slower approach that proved to be two slow. Good German shooting caused heavy Russian armour losses and they conceded on turn 4.
2022-09-24(A) Lawrence Spangler vs Diane Spangler German win
2022-09-24(D) Diane Spangler vs Lawrence SpanglerD German win
2022-09-17(D) Simon Staniforth vs Ian Ainsworth German winA very enjoyable game coming down to the last CC DR with a Russian HS failing to take out a PzIV for the win. Germans perhaps set up too far forward and lost the Marder early and then the ATG Malfed. No initial HW from the Russians but the SU-76s were aggressive getting into the village T2 but fell to the ATG before it went down and a CC against which they are very vulnerable. Managed to get the reinforcements into the village and through CC / PF take out all bar one of the Russian AFVs. Kept the PzIVs back to work against the Russian infantry rather than try and take on the opposing AFVs. Happily play again as either side this looks nicely balanced
2022-08-23(D) Jonathan Kapleau vs Holland, Donald Russian win
2022-06-22(A) Paolo Cariolato vs Federico Corso Russian winHigh Replay Value. Very good scenario.
2022-05-16(D) Eric Partizan Eric vs Michel Bongiovanni Russian win
2022-03-16(A) Eric Partizan Eric vs German win
2022-03-03(A) Ian Morris vs Ian Ainsworth German winClose game
2022-01-23(D) David Shannon vs Tim Reade Russian winVery enjoyable combined arms scenario. As German defender I managed to knock out all the Russian AFV's, but didn't do as well whittling down his infantry - in the end that cost me the game. Would happily play this one again, as both sides have interesting options and forces.
2021-11-13(A) Alan Krause vs Don Petros Russian winDon had lots of 10'2 and 11's, my 8 morale troops were super-men, shrugging off even a 4MC CH result.
2021-09-12(D) Steve Nicewarner vs Jim Atkins/Stance Nixon DrawRussians set up to attack the German left flank. An unfortunate set of pins/breaks let the Germans get chewed up too far forward, but they held long enough to let the reinforcements get into play. We were forced to call this with one turn left to go and the Russians having to gain 3 more buildings for the win against a fairly well positioned German defense. It would have definitely gone to the wire.

German players: don't fail your personal morale check early!
2021-09-04(D) Dan Best vs Doug Leach Russian winSioux City Tournament 2021. Round 3.
2021-06-20(A) Dave Mareske vs Arlen Vaneck Russian winTexas Team Tournament
2021-06-15(D) Jeff B vs Alex Koestler German win5 hrsI played a fairly strong upfront defense, including my gun and Marder, to try and hold the infantry off as long as possible. I was very worried about an immediate Human Wave, but thankfully this never materialized. The Russians had as bad of a first turn as possible, losing two squads to KIA, two more to FTR, and MALFing both tanks. I did lose my gun crew. Despite this start I was still feeling severe pressure. If Turn 1 was all German Turn 2 was the opposite. I lost two squads (including my precious 8ML), two more broken, had my Marder recalled. and broke a MG. The limited movement provided my reinforcements was a severe handicap. While making good use of their SMs, Turn 3 was yet another rough one for the Russians, losing 2.5 squads and their 9-1. Their presence on the hill was limited to a small toehold in the east. Turn 4 was a mixed bag, starting off poorly for the Germans (losing two squads to FTR and a HS and 8-1 to CC), but ending with a berserk HS surviving multiple point blank shots and forcing a broken gun on a T-34, allowing a Panzer to drive off next to it and blast it. Being outnumbered in infantry. and with a squad pressuring their backside, the Russians called it a day. I feel most of the scenarios in AP16 favor the defender, but I would definitely want to be the Russians in this one.
2021-06-05(A) Chuck Dye vs DD German win
2021-05-16(A) Eric Partizan Eric vs German win
2021-05-02(A) Jonathan Kapleau vs Duenskie, Ron German win
View all or balance report
ActionDate
Paul Legg Added a playing2025-03-14 23:52:25
asloser Added a playing2024-10-05 19:19:46
Augie Added a playing2024-10-02 03:03:26
CWO_19 Added a playing2024-08-17 12:09:46
Dispang12 Added a playing2024-05-31 19:12:18
FileDescriptionUserViews
(AP171 Pössl's Posse v665 without picture VC SSR.vsav)VASL Setupvon Marwitz818
(!sov-germ.png)Imagehoxson1949
(possel map new.png)Map Imagehoxson1751
(AP171 Pössl's Posse without picture VC SSR.jpg)Map Imagevon Marwitz659
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.49Votes: 35
Views: 0
To-Play list count: 5
Estimated Play time: 5.4 hours
Recorded Games: 25
Archive recorded plays:
Russian10
German13
Drawn:2

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Pössl's Posse [Confirmed]
[A] Russian 29
[D] German 26
All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.