Defending Berezino

 

My cunning father has attacked Berezino to but off supplies to Bykhov, Orsha, and Mogilev. We decided to try the River Crossing scenario they had in the book, as he was, in fact, crossing a river.

 

Pretty much, you set up with some fortifications on 3 objectives, then one gets removed. Then you sit through a preliminary bombardment that kills half your teams! In light of this, I took a Sicherungskompanie. This is a security company from Grey Wolf. It's got some crappy Reluctant Trained infantry with almost no organic support, then you take some decent platoons as support and counterattack with them. That's the plan here.

Lists in brief:

 

Jordan's Sicherungskompanie:

3 bad infantry platoons

Mortar and MG section (2 of each, remember how I said this company sucks?)

2 infantry guns

3 36mm AT pop guns

2 105s

2 Panzergrenadier platoons

3 StuGs

3 Panzer IVs

Firestorm troops: Armored panzergrenadiers

Fortifications: 2 MG bunkers and some mines and wire

 

Dave's Shtraf Battalion:

2 Shtraf companies (Shtraf is 2+ fearless with Commissars everywhere and always attacks)

4 Katyushas

MG platoon (and yes, they have a commissar. Not sure why though.)

4 SU-122s

Firestorm troops: 5 SU-76s and 3 T-34/85s 

The initial setup.

That's a lot of assault troops!

My forces after the preliminary bombardment.

The battle was actually fought at Dawn. Here's the real beginning.

Closer in. I will not do it all this way; it really impacts picture quality.

Dave foolishly double-timed...8 whole inches. I punished him for it.

I get some turn 1 reinforcements.

The commies start crossing the river.

They assault the front of my (thankfully deep) position.

I got some StuGs! And had very bad bog checks.

My position is holding so far.

Another good round of shooting.

Dave assaulted me again, and he didn't do so hot.

On the right flank, I got some Panzers and artillery.

I seem to have driven them off on the right flank.

He assaults my infantry in the woods, and almost all of them died.

The last of the commies are now crossing the river.

He burns my bunker and one of my tanks.

In return, I brew up half of his SU-122s. They did their job, though.

Spot the differences! Hint: All the Soviets moved forward. Sigh. It never stops.

I have to start shifting from the left flank to the right.

My pop guns turn around to fend off the assault.

When he bombarded my infantry, he got my staff team! And that means he got my table! We're not sure why they have tables, but we do make sure to make a big deal out of it.

I lost due to too many casualties and losing my C.O. in a Katyusha bombardment. But really it was all because of the staff team.

 

It was another one of those hard scenarios, and the Horde® of shtraf did not help.

 

Consequences: I lose Berezino, and this creates a pocket, potentially turning Orsha and Mogilev into sitting ducks.



The map.

Our next battle will be a breakout attempt. I'd sure like to get those Tigers out of Bykhov!