Tanks, Mud, Streams, Mines and Blown Bridges

[jivemi]

Finally solved the sucker: 4744 (including 717 arty overload) to l357, securing 540 points worth of objectives on the last added turn (26 of 25 originally) for a marginal.

SPOILER ALERT

Fairly unusual for an assault the defender's (Russian) infantry is better than the Germans'(who've got 50's and 60's experience or morale mostly, even for Pioneers), maybe 5 or 10 points higher for regulars while the Guards are mostly in the 80's. The 3 German Tiger platoons are generally good to go (usually in the 80's) and better off than the Russian T-34's, ISU-152's and IS-II's (mostly in the 60's).

What made the main difference was that this time regular infantry managed to survive artillery barrages long enough to clear mines either side of the southern bridge so 2 Tiger platoons and (later) one of HT's could cross. Unfortunately artillery kept pounding the less-than-enthusiastic infantry (plenty were decimated or routed, and even the Tigers took casualties and immobilizations) so the armor was pretty much on its own and 2 were blown away by 100mm ATG's. Lucky most HT's got through to take 3 objectives (including the central 240-pointer) on their own.

The 2 northernmost platoons (one of Pioneers) were balked initially by more artillery and a flanking MG. The regulars finally made it across the stream to take the nearest road objective while another south of the blown bridge was diverted north to take the town there. A platoon of pioneers along the northern road discovered and cleared minefields to allow the Tiger platoon closing in to take up firing positions--first on the road, then on the rail tracks, and finally along the western bank--to help beat back combined-arms counterattacks.

Two Tigers eventually managed to cross the stream and take the intermediate northeast objective on the last turn; by that time it was all the infantry could do to hang onto the town VH near the blown bridge and the one just up the (mined) road from there. After doing their mine-clearing bit the Pioneers crossed over to help defend the town VH. (Two late-arriving Mk-IV's and a couple truck-borne infantry platoons with ATG's hardly figured in the action; one tank got brewed up and most infantry didn't even make it to the town).

Without the substantial arty overload and added-turn gain of objectives it would've been a draw. A challenging scenario indeed. Cheers and happy gaming!