Pete Atack - Nov 11, 2007 9:23 am (#20887 Total: 20945) AAR : Bridge over the River Dnepr Scenario from Not One Step Back (East Front expansion for LnLPs Band of Heroes) Situation : a weak German Security & Police unit holds a key bridge against a Russian paratrooper platoon and several partisan squads. German reinforcements equal two weak platoons and an armored car. The Germans are set up in buildings at each end of the bridge; the Russians in nearby woods, ready to rush the bridge, blow it up, and hold their command post against any reinforcing German units. --- After his hasty council of war, LT Petrov looks to his left at Comrade Elana and her 2 squads of partisans (hex 20I7). On his signal his paratroopers (20F8) will open fire on the German squad holding the east end of the bridge. At the same time, a rush by a band of partisans will hopefully draw the Nazis into firing, easing the pressure on Elana's main attack. If things go poorly Petrov thinks, hopefully the anti-tank rifle positioned near the road will keep the German reaction force at bay long enough for he and his regulars to escape. The Partisans... well, the Motherland always needs heroes. GT1 As the sun comes up, LT Petrov changes his plan. Without the supporting fire, he orders the Partisans to attack. Like every other morning SGT Beck inspected his squads weapons. Standing at the front door, he was about to discipline the MG34 gunner for handing him a loaded weapon but his instincts of fighting on the Ost Front for the past year took over. Less than 50 meters away in the morning light several armed men ran into view. Just a few seconds and 50-60 rounds later, half lay grotesquely sprawled in the road. Moving back for cover, his inexperienced squad pushes past to see the carnage but quickly becomes more involved than anticipated as a second Partisan squad opens fore from close range. Most died quick. As Beck slammed the door closed the rest died in a short, violent spasm of melee with the closing attackers. To the west the balance of the German guard force reacted and moved onto the bridge and the small guard house on the bridge at the same time two groups of Russians moved onto the opposite end of the span. GT2 With the goal close at hand, LT Petrov launches his squad into a close assault of the German security team. As men on both sides hesitate to expose themselves, the clash drags out and allows the Germans to reinforce the close contact and move in with their reinforcing units. The first squad rushes a Partisan demolitions team but is badly shaken by accurate small arms fire. Just 100 meters away from a seemingly stiffening German defense, SGT Beck - vastly outnumbered - is killed while trying to hold out at his end of the bridge. GT3 With the demo team close to being overrun or at least kept from their main mission, a second squad of Partisans moves up to cover them. As they pass thru the demo team's position German fire slashes into both groups leaving them badly disorganized and in poor shape to hold back a German push. As Petrov and his men finish off the Germans at the bridge's guard shack, he glances back across the bridge. The Nazis, having bypasssed him, are now swarming the far side of the bridge. Unknown to him, a second relief group of Germans is now moving up from the south to cut off the even more. GT4 Trying to clear the bridge Petrov and Baumann's squads clash in the middle of the bridge with fighting quickly reducing both sides to ineffective and wounded men. At the same time LT Plassman pushes his men in a rush to overrun the Russian attackers. The Sd 222 with him spots and rakes over a Partisan position with Plassman and his infantry teams assault a second Partisan squad only 200-300 meters from the bridge. GT5 Plassmans's force again trumps the Russians but at a cost. The Sd 222 reengages the Partisan squad it had seen earlier and destroys the band of irregulars. Unfortunately for Plassman, he and a squad of riflemen are outmatched by an opposing Partisan squad and killed to a man. Not far from that, a previously unseen Russian sniper badly shoots up another German squad effectively halting the German advance. With the bridge still standing only Elana remains as a leadership presence. GT6 With little time to spare the last 2 Partisan squads sprint for the bridge. Elana and the first squad are caught in the open and shot down by sustained MG34 fire. The following squad amkes it to the bridge, but only in time to see the Sd 222 overrun the survivors of a shaken Russian paratrooper squad before turning it's attention on them also. Expecting no quarter if captured, the surviving Partisans flee from the area. Several are shot by the river bank, with only a scattered few evading the German infantry sweeping the area. Victory : to the German's for keeping the bridge intact Change of Plans : not sure; the Partisnas need to rush the bridge quickly to get the demo charges in place so that would stay the same with its risks. Holding off the Sd 222 for another turn would have been ideal & could have been done by trying to move in some Russians to close assault the vehicle (if nothing else it would slow it down and force some German infantry to stay close).