OAF 21.2 "Desperate Defense"

updated 051130 rev 0

Modification of the ON ALL FRONTS 3rd Place COI design contest, by Jeff Cebula. Clarifications and modification have been made to the original scenario as published in OAF, issue 21.

Cholm Russia; February 23rd, 1942: The vital crossroads town of Cholm, at the confluence of the Luvot and Kunva rivers, entered its first day of the siege. The encircled German defenders had received word through Russian deserters that a major assault was planned for today, Red Army Day. True enough, before much of the morning had passed, the German were facing in attack by an entire infantry division supported by a wave of tanks. Artillery and automatic weapons fire took a heavy toll of the infantry, driving them back with heavy losses. The Russians reformed and came on again; this time penetrating he easter outskirts of the little village. The Germans immediately called for air support and committed their only reserves in a counterattack.

VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Russian player wins if at the end of any game turn (not player turn) he has a total of 20 victory points. Points are awarded as follows: Each controlled stone building hex is worth the number of victory points equal to its ground level hex size (i.e. 3M2 is worth 3 points), but both levels must be controlled to received points; Russian receive 1 point for each for each German leader or squad eliminated (crews are worth 1/2 point); Russian receives 1 point for each leader or squad exited off the west edge between rows I and Y inclusive; Exited Russian AFVS with functioning armament of any kind is worth 1.5 points. The German wins by preventing the Russian victory conditions.

3
North
SCENARIO SEQUENCE:
German Setup First
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
END
Russian Move First
GERMANS FORCES:
  • AT START: Elements of the 218th Infantry Division and the 65th Reserve Police Battalion; setup on any whole or half hex west of hexrow 7 inclusive:
    1x9-1; 1x8-1; 1x8-0; 5x467; 2x247; 1xMMG; 1xLMG; 1xATR; 1xRadio; 1xRusMMG; 2xRusLMG; 1x37L ATG (H5#6), 1x50L ATG
  • TURN 5: Elements, Alarm Company; enter any west edge hex between rows I and Y inclusive.
    1x10-2; 2x467; 2xLMG; 1xDC
RUSSIAN FORCES:
  • TURN 1: Elements of the Third Shock Army; enter along the east edge:
    1x8-1, 1x8-0, 1x7-0, 1x6+1; 12x447, 6x436; 1xMMG; 4xLMG; 3xT60; 1xT34/ATO, 1xSU100Y
SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES:
  • OAF 21.2.1: TERRAIN: All hills are treated as level one, there are no level 2 hill hexes.
  • OAF 21.2.2: Due to snow, all roads are treated as open ground; shellholes remain in play normally. All AFV movement cost are doubled. All infantry movement cost are doubled unless when inside the same building. However infantry can always move one hex during MPh and RtPh regardless's of COT.
  • OAF 21.2.3: The German artillery module consists of 2 fire missions of 100mm.
  • OAF 21.2.4: German receive Random Air Support of two Stukas are armed with 12MG/360+ bomb. Stukas will arrive if the German die roll is less than the current turn number. Once available, the German may elect to use both stukas in either their PFPh or the DPFh in the following Russian turn. Upon the entry of the Stukas, the morale of all German units will be increased by one for the balance of that player turn.

AFTERMATH: The counterattack hit the advanced soviet positions in and around the brick GPU (secret political headquarters). Close combat fighting rages from room to room with no quarter given to either side. At the height of the battle, Stukas appeared over the town and began pointing the Russian positions. German moral soared. The enemy was stopped, for the moment at least.