German Briefing: The 29th Motorized Division is leading the 57th Corps' advance eastward along the road to Smolensk. As this was falling yesterday, the leading elements approaching the village of Krasny received small arms fire from the outlying buildings. Darkness quickly ended the growing skirmish and your units pulled back into a woods west of the village for the night. Your battalion commander has ordered your company to continue the advance at dawn. Your mission is to:

• Identify enemy positions for mop-up by the infantry.
• Find a route of advance for the column.
• Penetrate as far eastward towards Smolensk as possible.

Russian Briefing: Yesterday the remnants of your battalion part of Lukin's 16 Army, halted their retreat in the village of Krasny, your current location. The troops were rallied late in the afternoon and started to set up a defensive position. Shortly before dark, German units emerged from the woods to the west. A brief skirmish took place before darkness ended the fighting. The Germans pulled back into the woods and did not bother you during the night. You used the hours of darkness to dig fox holes and organize your position. Your orders are to stop the Germans wherever they advance, and to hurl them back at every opportunity.

RUSSIAN DISPOSITION OF FORCES

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Battalion HQ: 1 sniper in building 1, the church steeple. 1 sniper in the orchard. The commanding officer, the radioman, 2 submachine guns, 3 rifles and 1 anti-tank rifle in building 5. The truck is parked out of sight behind the building. Two submachine guns, 3 rifles and 1 anti-tank rifle in building 14.

Heavy weapons platoon: 2 82mm mortars wagons behind building 2. 1 122mm howitzer and 2 trucks on road between buildings 6 and 15. Gun is dug in behind some rocks and a disabled wagon. 1 45mm anti-tank gun between trees by bridge. Wagons, officer and runners are in building 11.

1st company: All HQ in building 7; 1st platoon: Anti-tank rifle, light machine gun and 2 rifles in building 7, submachine gun and 4 rifles in building 8, submachine gun and 4 rifles in building 12, four rifles in building 9, four rifles in listening post in no man's land; 2nd platoon: Light machine gun, submachine gun and 10 rifles in building 2, submachine gun and 7 rifles in building 13.

2nd company: All HQ in building 11; 1st platoon: Two submachine guns, 1 anti-tank rifle and 4 rifles dug in by bridge on village side of stream - ATR is on right side. Four submachine guns, a light machine gun and 4 rifles in building 16; submachine gun and rifle in fox hole between building and orchard; light machine gun, submachine gun and rifle in orchard; two rifles in fox hole to right of orchard.

2nd platoon: Heavy machine gun (2 crew), 2 submachine guns and 3 rifles in building 3, one 50mm mortar (3 crew), 3 rifles and submachine gun behind hill. A light machine gun, 4 submachine guns and 2 rifles covering ford on village side. One submachine gun and 2 rifles in a listening post in no man's land.

3rd company: One light machine gun, 5 submachine guns and 1 rifle in building 6. One light machine gun, 5 submachine guns and 1 rifle in the church, building 1.

Armor remnants: BT 7 sitting on bridge. BT 7 behind hedge. BT 5 behind building 2. One armored car behind building 5 and the other armor car behind building 14.

Troops are dug-in to the best of their ability. Troops not in buildings have dug 2 man fox holes. Buildings have loop holes in the walls where there are no windows, this is mainly building 2. Your troops are staying under cover and are awaiting the German attack.

THE BATTLE

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During the night two Russian patrols were sent into no man's land. One took up a position in the wheat field to the southwest. The other attempted to infiltrate the woods to the north of the road. The attempt failed with three of the Russians machine gunned at the edge of the woods. The fourth scout returned to battalion headquarters to report the patrol's findings only to die of his wounds during the night. As dawn approached the two BT 7s were moved to a position between buildings 5 and 14 where they could cover the road intersection, but were well back of the front line.

At dawn the German mechanized rifle platoon launched a mounted assault against building 9 which was already in ruins and building 16. The four halfbacks carrying the unit drove along the road and right up to the buildings. Because of the distanced traveled that turn the infantry could not dismount. Russian infantry responded by lobbing grenades at the halfbacks, all of which missed. At the same time the reconnaissance platoon and the infantry support platoon drove southward behind the ridge. The mechanized platoon's task was to pin the Russians in the village while the recon out flanked the village.

One infantry squad and the platoon HQ stormed building 9 from the west while the Russians abandoned the building and ran up the road towards the village. Actually, the Russians only attempted to retreat, a heavy machine gun providing covering fire from the woods cut them down as they ran. Russian fire from building 2 caused some German casualties but could not prevent the Germans from taking building 9. The other two German squads raced across the road towards building 16. Two Russian tanks parked between buildings 5 and 14 fired HE rounds and their machine guns causing heavy losses to both squads. (Neither vehicle had the troops in sight for very long and should not have been so effective. The head umpire myself, let the tanks fire at all of the Germans as they ran across the line of sight of the tanks. The rules normally allow a machine gun to hit all the troops in an oval 10 cm in diameter. Although the Russian player only had a 5% chance to hit each figure he was very lucky and hit 25% of the figures.) Mean-while, the infantry support platoon sat up a fire base on the ridge as the recon platoon advanced around the ridge and towards the hill. See map labeled Phase I.

While the flanking maneuver developed, the Russians in buildings 2, 12 and 7 exchanged fire with the Germans in the woods. The Russians hit a number of Germans, while German fire was ineffective. Battalions In Crisis! rules give dug in troops, especially those in buildings, a significant advantage over troops advancing in the open or in fox holes versus prepared positions. The Russians firing through loop holes and windows had no problem winning the fire fight with the Germans. Three 50mm mortars from the German heavy weapons platoon laid a smoke pattern in front of building 7 which partially obscured its view taking some of the pressure off of the Germans in the woods and building 9.

A flight of three Stukas that had been looking for targets of opportunity in the village now swooped down and bombed the two tanks between buildings 5 and 14. Having dropped three 600 lb. and six 250 lb. bombs, the Germans scored only one direct hit which destroyed one tank. However, the other tank was immobilized and its commander, who had been standing in the turret, was killed. The surviving tank crew bailed out and headed for home on foot.

Buildings 5 and 14 were hit by bombs and caught fire. Tactical air support can be decisive in Battalions In Crisis! when it is concentrated. Odds of hitting a target are small, but the effect of bombs or rockets is usually fat to whatever they do hit. Morale also plays a major part in th rules. While troops did and can fight to the death, most troop even elite units, reach a point where discretion is the better part of valor. Perhaps the distinguishing feature is that elite troops fall back fighting and poor troops break and run.

Those Germans that survived crossing the road now attempted to circle around building 16. The Stug III and two Panzerjaeger I's of the German support platoon fired HE, building 16 while German infantry attempted to go around. Russians in building 16 were keeping a low profile and later abandoned the building without a fight. The circling Germans ran into Russians dug-in around and in the orchard. A fire fight which became a hand-to-hand melee, ended with the Russian and all but two Germans out of action.

Artillery support for the Germans was provided by a 150mm battery situated off board. The Germans were firing the battery on the village with the intent of suppressing movement and causing general casualties. Without a specific target, the German observer called in fire on either the crossroads or the church steeple. The first four rounds from the German 150mm battery hit the village, setting some buildings on fire, but doing no significant damage. The German 75mm infantry gun and 20mm antitank guns finished setting up on the ridge.

The Stug III started firing smoke rounds to hide the advance towards building 3 from Russian units in the viillage. Russian 50mm mortars from behind the hill fired at the Germans along the ridge. The Russians had a spotter in building 10 who was within shouting distance of the mortars. The German tank platoon and the 3rd infantry platoon entered along the road on turn three and headed south to support the flanking maneuver.

At this point the Russians still did not perceive the flanking movement as the major threat. Instead, when the Russian 82mm mortars opened up for the first time, building 9 became the target. Since it had no roof, it provided little protection to infantry inside. Four rounds landed in the building destroying the Germans positioned inside. While the Russians finished the Germans on the west edge of the village, German armor advanced to the hill and shot up building 10, a barn.

The Russian listening post hidden in the wheat field attacked an anti-tank gun which was set up along the edge of the wheat field. The Russians tossed granades with little effect and were cut down by the infantry supporting the gun. Grenades can be very effective but you must be very close to use them. The Russians would have been much more effective if they had fired their submachine guns and rifles. One Russian was killed in the process of throwing a grenade. As a result the grenade fell behind the Russians and did no harm to anyone.

The Germans used their assault guns to place a smoke cloud between the ridge and the hill. The Russian 122mm howitzer set up between buildings 15 and 6 with the intent of ambushing anything moving eastward along the road through the village. Since this was no longer likely to occur, started loading up the 122mm howitzer to bring it to bear on the German flanking force.

The surviving BT 5 tank moved behind building 11 to support Russian positions on the hill. Two Russian armored cars moved around behind building 15 to set up behind the ditch, building 1. A Russian KV IIA entered the battle from east of the village.

Russian infantry in buildings 2, 12 and 7continued their fire fight with the Germans in the woods. The Germans took the most casualties and the survivors pulled into the woods. Falling back into the woods was a wise move for the Germans, but was done because they failed a moral check, not because the player wanted to stop taking losses. However, the Russians in building 7 also lost one man. They failed their morale check despite having a company commander with them. Next turn they had to fall back.

Morale in Battalions In Crisis! has a range of failures. When an unit fails a morale check the result can vary from not being allowed to advance to surrendering. An unique feature of the rules is that an unit can request an enemy unit to surrander. A unit can only be ask to surrender once during the course of the game. When an unit is asked to surrender, it must take a morale check. If the unit passes nothing happens and it can not be asked to surrender again. If the unit fails the morale check it follows whatever is the normal indicated result.

At this time the German 3rd platoon had made it around the ridge. The entire platoon raced forward in its trucks towards building 3. It stopped at the base of the hill and unloaded in three waves of one squad each. German armor cars already on the hill moved over the crest of the hill spotting the Russian 50mm mortar and its crew positioned behind the hill. The Russians in building 3, like their comrades in building 9, decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

They abandoned their heavy machine gun and ran out the back of the building and into the wheat field. This event was unfortunate for the Russians as the heavy machine gun could have shot up the German infantry while it was unloading and assembling at the bottom of tine hill.

While the German tactic of a frontal assault using infantry in trucks would normally be suicidal, in this case it worked. Historically boldness can pay off, especially whan dealing with an enemy that is green or somewhat disorganized. Results on the gaming table, in this instance, simulated real life possibilities. The Russian mortar crew faced with this lack of support surrendered to the Germans. See map labeled Phase II.

The village continued to be the scene of much action. A second four round salvo from the German 150mm battary hit the village damaging building 6 and destroying the 122mm howitzer before the Russians could reposition the gun. Russians with anti-tank rifles (ATR) harassed the Germans knocking out 1 halftrack.

The two surviving Germans from the assault on the village jumped in a halftrack and drove it back to the woods. Russian reserves in building 13 moved up to building 7. The troops in building 7 fell back to building 13 in response to having failed a morale check in an earlier turn. The company commander tried to rally his men. Again they failed their morale check, therefore, the Russians from building 7 continued their retreat to the east. The fate of the company commander is unknown. Where is the NKVD when you need them?

German tanks moved up to the north of the hill. Having occupied the hill, one squad of German infantry advanced eastward from the hill. Another squad picked up the heavy machine gun left by the Russians and placed it to fire eastward from building 3. The Russian KV IIA rounded the corner of building 15. Looking over the hedges it fired at the German tanks and missed. The BT 5 also fired along with several ATRs, none hitting. German Pz IIIGs and 38(t)s resumed fire, scoring no hits.

Moving vehicles generally have little chance of hitting their targets. Morale continued to play an important part. The Russian ambush at the ford saw the hopelessness of its position. Three of the men retreated while two others fought a rear guard action. The three retreating Russians were killed by their own heavy machiine gun in building 3. A couple of Germans were hit by the Russians at the ford.

Back in the village by the road, German fire was incapable of stopping the Russians from reoccupying buildiing 9. Apparently, the real estate was worth more than its appearance suggested.

More Stukas appeared, called by the company commander. They spotted the KV II. Again, only one out of nine bombs hit, but one was enough to knock out the KV B. Both armor cars were in the blast diameter of the misses and had their tires blown out, but sustained no other damage.

Now the flanking force and the survivors in the village faced off. The German squad that was advancing towards the ford was wiped out by mortars and the machine gun fire of the rearguard at the ford The rear guard at the ford was killed.

A German Pz 38(t) was knocked out by an ATR positioned on the second floor of a building in the village. In a gun duel with the German tanks both Russian armored cars were put out of action without scoring any damage against the Germans. Heavily outnumbered, the last Russian tank, a BT 5, withdrew from the action.

The Russians were now in a very bad position. With no armor support the infantry was incapable of stopping the German tanks. Russian resistance in the southern half of the village crumbled, the survivors retreated eastward again. Russian forces in the northern half of the village held on. The German column continued its drive towards Smolensk and Moscow. The surviving Russians were caught in the ensuing pocket and killed. See map labeled Phase III.

Comments

German forces satisfied their victory conditions by finding a route around the village and across the stream. However, due to the heavy German infantry casualties this action rated as only a marginal German victory. The Germans' choice of a flanking attack was the correct tactic in this situadon. The pinning attack was a good idea and worked, but at the expense of too many infantry. Attacking up the road was straight into the strongest part of the Russian defense. An attack aimed at building 16 and the orchard, or at building 2 may have been better. The Germans did have the capability to bridge the stream with a light bridge.

The Russians team played well. To represent the lack of training and imagination of Russian leadership, the Russians were initially forced to concentrate on the road through the village. This road was the focus of the Russian defense and all of their anti-tank capabilities were deployed in the village. Russian morale was not very good, but except for losing the heavy machine gun morale did not significantly hurt their ability to fight.

The biggest mistake the Russians made was massing their armor close together, especially after the first Stuka attack. The three best Russian tanks were put out of action by air attacks, and their two armor cars were immobilized.

As a historical simuladon, the game went very well. The poorly trained and led Russians put up a good fight. In the end they were out maneuvered by German mobility and out gunned by German air power. The Russians could have easily won the game if the Germans had decided to attack the village directly. German armor would have been at a disadvantage in the village while the Russian anti-tank rifles would have been able to knock out the tanks at close range. Fighting to take the buildings would have caused heavy casualties and prevented the Germans from using their artillery and air power.

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