ASL Red Barricades: Today the Volga, tomorrow the Vistula (Pt. VI)

Note to readers: This post won't make a lick of sense to anyone who isn't familiar with the Advanced Squad Leader game system.

Dave Hauth and I are engaged in a playing of RBCGI:  Into the Factory.  I'm the Reds.  He's the Jerries.

We're each maintaining a blog correspondence as the game progresses.  We've a Gentleman's Agreement that neither of us will read his opponent's blog until given express permission to do so. 

Readers are encouraged to comment!  Speak your piece! Just be sure not to inadvertently reveal any information about Dave's plan to me or vice-versa. 

You can read earlier episodes of my account:

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III 
• Part IV 
• Part V

You can read Dave's blog here.

Aftermath of CG Day 5

Nasty fighting in the factories!  Here's the perimeter for the end of CG Day 5.

Day 6 Perimeter

As the day started, Dave was poised for a big attack into the P33 factory.  He had a huge force set up to attack into it from the south.  But the ambush that I had set for him around the T38 bridge bloodied him up before his attack could really get underway.  Eventually, his forces rallied and pushed east of the P33 factory to meet my reinforcing rifle company and T34s.  A fight developed within the factory and in the buildings just to the east.  It went back and forth, but in the end, I not only held my ground in the factory, but gained a hex or two.  All of this came at a huge cost to both sides.

In the middle of the map, Dave dropped a 150mm artillery module that missed its targets for the first two turns of the game.  He finally got it dialed in where it tore up some of my trench lines and destroyed my fortified building with the 9-1 leader and MMG.  But his attack in the R17 factory didn't go anywhere either.  And I don't think Dave got sufficient return on his investment with the big artillery.  On the last turn of the game, I was able to break Dave's 10-3 leader, who was directing a huge machine-gun stack, using spotted 82mm mortar fire.  I then managed to get a rifle squad into close combat with the 3 vehicular crews that manned his machine-guns, kill them, and capture 3 German HMGs and an MMG.  Big score at the end of the game.

Dave made the most ground with his reinforcing rifle company which charged into the P21 factory and chased away my conscripts.

I'm very happy with the day's results, but I can't imagine Dave is too upset about them.  The Germans suffered 41 CVP.  The Russians suffered 63 CVP.  So, even though Dave didn't gain much ground, he still met his goals for casualties.

On the whole, I'd say the day went in Dave's favor.  But I'm getting stronger all the time.  And I'm sure Dave knows that each day that the campaign continues, his prospects diminish.

Hang on, lads!

My retained forces are these:

• 10-0 (wnd), 9-0 x 3, 9-1 x 2, 8-1, 8-0, 6+1
• 82mm Mtr. x 2
• 76* INF x 2
• 628 x 7
• 458 x 2
• 447 x 8.5
• 426 x 11.5
• 228 x 2
• 127 x 3
• .50-cal HMG, HMG, MMG x 2, LMG, Lt. Mtr x 3, Atr x 2, German HMG x 3, German MMG

Note the big heap of German machine-guns I grabbed from Dave after his 10-3 leader beat feet out of the way of my mortar.

Dave sees this...

With the campaign balance provision, I am awarded 18CPP.  My purchases for the day are these:

• I5 Milita Coy
  426 x 12
  MMG, LMG, Atr, Lt. Mtr.
  9-1, 9-0
  This is my last militia company.  I rolled snake-eyes on the leadership roll and so got 2 very decent leaders:  Pasha Ivanovich, the former machinist from the tractor factory, whom the men call "Little Cousin" because he is scarcely more than a boy in years, and kindly, proud Comrade Bezuhov with special letters of commendation from Comrade Brezhnev.
  
  
• I4 SMG Coy
  527 x 9
  9-1, 7-0
  
  
• A4 T34 M43 Pltn
  T34 M43 x 3
  With these hammers, I will seek the German nail heads!
  
  
• A1 T60 Pltn (dug-in)
  T60 x 3
  Now that the lines have solidified, my little dug-in machine-gun nests may fare better than they did on Day 2.
  
  
• +1 additional pre-registered hex for my retained 80mm OBA module
  I've had this module hanging around for 2 days, but now I have a plan... Pre-register hex U38 so I can smoke the bridge over the gully...
  
  
• M1 40 Fortification points
  Trench
  HIP:  Squad x 4, HS, crew, SMC x 3
  ? x 15

Day 5 setup

The Plan 

As I was making my purchases, it suddenly struck me that the Red Army is strong. Very, very strong.

There is a point in any Red Barricades campaign, and it happens quite suddenly, when the Russian becomes too strong for the German to overcome. Looking over my OB and my position on the map, I believe we have reached that point. Dave and I haven't discussed it, but I wonder if he might sense it, too. 

After two campaign days of high-casualty but indecisive fighting, the Russian position has gone from just a hair shy of hopeless to indomitable.  Just take a look at what I've got.

Day 5 setup, north

In the north, the front is fully manned.  I plan to hunker down and hold my ground for the most part.  I've placed my two remaining T34 M41 tanks (with Inexperienced crews) up by the Chemist's Shop as a decoy.  I will make a small attack toward the O10 factory, leading with the tanks.  I'm hoping that Dave, espying my tanks, will set up to crush such an attack, leaving him weaker in other areas.

 Day 5 setup, south

My objective is to have undisputed control of the P33 factory when the game day ends.  I've set up in a defensive posture in the northern portion of the factory.  My hope is that Dave will choose to load up P33 with Sturm troops and point them northward for an assault into the R27 factory

As he steps off his attack, I hope to give him a nasty surprise.

Counterattack for the P33 factory

I've hidden a platoon of elite SMG troops south of the gully.  On Russian Player Turn 1, my 80mm Mortar module will drop smoke to cover the bridge.  The T34s will enter on the southern board edge, and my hidden platoon will make their move northward.  Hopefully, Dave's troops in the P33 factory will be caught between hammer and anvil.

It's a chance for a big score.  It could even prove decisive for the campaign.  We'll see...

Scheduling difficulties indicate that it will be a while (a month?) before we can next play.  I can't wait, dammit!

To be continued...