Chain of Command PSC "Many Rivers to Cross" Game 3: "Farm and Road"

With two initial victories the Soviet counter-attack is going well. The next game against Gary's Germans sees the Germans attempting to blow up two culverts to slow the Soviets down.

The map is quite cluttered with a number of streams, fences, woods and buildings leaving few open areas to cross. With 12 support points this time I went in for an infantry gun (4), the ever-reliable MMG (3), the inevitable pre-game barrage (2), a flamethrower team (2) and a single entrenchment:

It appeared that the Germans had to blow up the nearest two culverts which wasn't going to be easy at all. They deployed a section covering the one nearest them. In response Soviets deployed into the forest opposite and by the road entering from the Soviet side of the table:

The Germans await an attack:

A couple of double moves result in the Soviets rushing forward to take the fence line next to the second culvert:

A German squad deploys near the bridge and opens up on the Soviets behind the fence with little effect. The Leytanant rushes up the second Soviet section to support their comrades:

Both sections line the fence and prepare to shoot it out with the Germans:

Despite being in hard cover German casualties are heavy and shock mounts quickly:

The Soviets take some shock but no other damage:

The German LMG team is wiped out and the rifle team are pinned:

The rifle team breaks fleeing the entrenchment:

Another German section appears by the house to continue the fire-fight:

They fare no better than the earlier squad and again the LMG team is wiped out:

More fire wipes out the rifle team leaving just the Corporal standing:

At this point Gary decided very sensibly to withdraw. The Germans had no luck at all, throwing many 6's for their death rolls and failing on several occasions to bring on more troops through the Soviet "Wrath of Gods" barrage. The Soviets on the other hand had all the luck with several multiple phases and only a single casualty.

I'm finding the large Soviet squads (13 men!) combined with their lack of teams which means they can run without accumulating shock (or having a small LMG team killed), the ability to entrench the entire squad for only one SP and the very effective pre-game barrage great fun to use, it really encourages you to be aggressive with them!

The scenario, "going with a Bang" from the Blitzkrieg book isn't one of the better scenarios either, it is hard to see how it is possible to blow up structures so near the enemy and, in this campaign at least, even if Gary had blown them up it wouldn't have helped him anyway as all it results in is the Soviets not having vehicles which they can't anyway until turn 5.

With only two maps left now and both German platoons rather battered it is looking tough for the Germans while the Russians are on a roll!