Stalingrad Interlude- Part Deux

Now that my attack had shot its bolt, I had to hold on for the inevitable Soviet counter-attack.

German Forces:
6x Rifle Section ( +2 more as reinforcement)
4x LMG   (+1 more as reinforcement)
2x MMG
9-1 Leader
2x 8-1 Leader
8-0 Leader (My new campaign leader)
7-0 Leader (as reinforcement)

Soviet Forces (mostly East of main road around factory and Charnel House)
22 Rifle Sections
5 SMG sections
3 LMG
9-1
8-0

The scenario only lasts 10-15 minutes, so the Soviets have to press hard regardless of casualties to make up for lost ground. With my reduced force, its going to be tough.....

I'm abandoning the area South of the Charnel House- as my reduced forces will concentrate keeping them from jumping the road further toward the West. The North flank will be held (lightly) as I fall back from across the street. My MGs will form firegroups West to halt the oncoming rush while my infantry forms a screen to hold them at bay long enough for the MGs to do their dirty work.



Initial and Final positions

 The scenario started out with a heavy concentration of troops in the factory (A) and in and around the Charnel House (forces generated were random after I had set up). It looks like the attack is going to come mostly from the East and it appears my gamble to hold the North flank lightly is going to pay off.

The Soviet intial bombardment doesn't do much (thankfully), and with little other fanfare, the Soviets bolt from cover and swarm over toward the nearest German positions.

A first turn event turns out to be a friendly squad reinforcement (2 rifle sections, LMG and 7-0 Leader) that enter from the west edge. At least HQ seems to recognize my plight !

My infantry screen holds up the Soviets long enough for the machineguns to take bloody chunks out of them, but the Soviets being what they are, they kept coming and overrun the Northeastern buildings and start pressing on my central MG firegroup.

The buildings I left empty to the East slow down the Soviet attack there (another friendly event of an artillery counter-barrage helped a lot) and they made little progress there for the whole scenario (thankfully). My new campaign leader did a good job keeping my guys focused and firing- the enemy was pinned most of the time, letting me concentrate on the real threat further North with the bulk of my forces.

The Northern MG firegroup goes down in a bloody melee with Soviet SMG troops and spade-wielding Soviet riflemen after their rifle screening force does the same. The Soviets won some ground, but payed dearly for it.....

Despite their losses there were still enough Soviets to break into the rear area and I would have to contemplate a general withdrawal. But the one squad reinforcement (it often seems to come down to something like this to turn the tide) moved up and managed to hold them at bay long enough for the scenario to end (which it did thankfully a full 5 minutes early due to lucky rolls).

Losses were ghastly for both sides (considering this was a 10 minute scenario):

German:
6 rifle sections
3 LMG
1 MMG
9-1
2x 8-1
(total about 18 figures dead)

Russian:
12 Rifle Sections
3 SMG Sections
2 LMG Sections
8-0
(total about 42 figures dead)

Considering that my force was exhausted and spent (as was I after doing all this Stalingrad stuff), I concluded it as a Soviet Victory, for if the turn had continued longer, I would have lost more.

All in all, it was a fun couple of battles. With the massive amount of ruined buildings to play in, it definitely gives a much grittier "in your face" close-in battle with more limited Lines of Sight. I also tweaked my rules somewhat (like if you were adjacent to a ruined building, you were not in the "open" as the rubble extended to all adjacent hexes as well) amongst a few other sundry things that I think improved the rules and gave a better feel for the situation.

Onward to the next battle......