Our Saturday Game - Critical Hit's CH11 - Rite of Passage

For our Saturday game, Dan Best and I ventured into some new territory to try out an older Critical Hit scenario. The night's choice would be CH11 - Rite of Passage (designed by Rich Summers). Those of you familiar with Dan, know that he loves a good Partisan Scenario. I won't lie, I'm not a huge fan of Partisan scenarios, but I think they can be a great change of pace from the combined arms actions of many of the recent games, which Dan and I have played over the past few months.  And after playing this particular scenario, I would highly recommend it as a 3-Player scenario. I think it would play very well with three players.

This scenario is set in the summer of 1944 in the Ukraine. It takes place only days before the Soviets unleashed Operation Bagration. Prior to the great summer campaign, the Partisans began attacking isolated German garrisons behind the front. In this scenario, one such garrison is surrounded by Partisans and desperately awaiting rescue from other German units. In this case, the elite Panzer Grenadiers of the Grossdeutschland Division would be rushing to the rescue. But would they arrive in time!

The German Garrison would start the game in the village area of Board 3 with Building R5 fortified. The Partisans would set up all around the garrison. The Grossdeutschland relief would set up on Board 18 on the road in a column of trucks. The Partisans would also have a road block, an AT Gun and some extra boys HIP in along the road leading into the village. They would be a potentially nasty surprise for truckloads of unsuspecting grenadiers.

After rolling sides, Dan would be the Partisans and would be the scenario attacker. His force would consist of 16 x 3-3-7's led by a 9-1, 8-0, and 7-0 with 4 x LMG's in support. Dan's Partisans would outnumber the garrison nearly 4-1. He would have to strike hard and fast to eliminate the garrison and then vanish into the woods before the Grossdeutschland could arrive.

The scenario victory conditions required that the Germans have 10 or more CVP than the Russians at game end. The fortified building would give 3 points to whoever controlled it at the end of the game.  

As the scenario defender I would command the village Garrison and the Grossdeutschland relief column. And yes, I'll admit it...I'm a bit of fan boy of the Grossdeutschland. This units exploits throughout the war gave it a reputation for combat excellence as one of the Wehrmacht's premier units. 

It was not typical for divisions like the Grossdeutschland to be engaged in anti-partisan activities, but as the German front began to crumble and the Partisans became more active, such collisions between the Partisans and German front-line formations became an inevitability. 

My Garrison force would consist of 4 x 4-4-7's and a 2-3-7 led by an 8-1 and 7-0 with an LMG and HMG for support. It would not be enough.

My Grossdeutschlanders would arrive in 4 x Opel Blitz Trucks (scenario note...these don't have enough portage points to transport the German OOB here...just say'n). I also would have a Kubelwagen and a platoon of motorcycles for fun as well. My boys would consist of 4 x 4-6-8's, 4 x 4-6-7's, 2 x 2-4-8's led by a 10-2, 91-, and 8-1 with an MMG, 2 X LMG's, and 2 x 50 MTR's.

This force would certainly be strong enough to take down the Partisans, but in the course of the scenario, I would lose the motorcycle squad (4-6-8) to the HIP Partisans and inflict damage only on the Partisan blocking force. Maybe next time I'll get to see them do some real damage!

 My relief force set up in column and ready to make the journey to the village.

As noted earlier, the scenario calls for Opel Blitz trucks, but they lack the portage point capability to handle all the Germans. Dan and I did the math and 2 of the 2-4-8's simply could not fit. So we fudged the rules and placed in other trucks. Dan pointed out that a previous version of this scenario called for 29 portage point trucks. So looks like an error was made during the revision of the scenario.

 In the village, I was really at a loss of how best to set up. I knew that Dan would surround me and come at like a spider monkey on Mountain Dew!!!

Only problem...I was about to get the shake and bake treatment!!!

 And so it begins as Dan's Partisans come at me like aforementioned spider monkeys!!!

 I worked hard to build my wall of residual fire...but unfortunately my walls of Resid was not strong enough. And I would attempt final Protective Fire will all three of 2-3-7's. One would go good for me, but the other two would break my 2-3-7's. This was possibly one of the big early mistakes, which I made. I was afraid of close combat, but that would have slowed down the Partisans. So in retrospect I should have opted to fight it out.

 Dan was up in my grill in record time.

I knew the Russian AT gun was covering the road. I didn't want to give Dan any unnecessary CVP by watching him blow up my heavily loaded trucks. So I went off road, which would of course dramatically slow me down. Another potentially bad move on my part. The 37L AT Gun would not have been as effective against my trucks as I feared and an SSR allowed me to dismantle the roadblock much easier. So...again...while my force was able to move with relative protection...it would be slowed down too much.

Grossdeutschland field command...let's listen in.."What is your situation Village Garrison?" "We are surrounded and the Partisans are nearly in total control of the village...we need immediate assistance!!!"

"Roger that Village Garrison...we are spending 4 MP per hex in attempt to reach your position as quickly as possible. Hang tight we are on the way!"

"Uhhh....can't you maybe take the road for 1/2 MP....please????"

 As the Partisans moved all around me, I tried to do as much damage in Prep Fire as possible. Unfortunately for me, Dan's boys made all of their morale checks. A whole lot of three's were spelling doom for my defense.

 Dan continued to press me hard in the village. My wall of resid was in place, but Dan's Partisans were not stopping for anything!

 My 8-1 and 4-4-7 with the MMG would break...UGH!!! 

 The Partisan Blocking force on the hill had KIA'd my 4-6-8 on the motorcycles, but would boxcar their next shot and a broken LMG would give my boys an opportunity to move ahead.

 So up the hill I went!

 Back in the Hotel California...things were going from bad to abysmal. I was losing the village.

Yep...with NO QUARTER in effect...my boys wouldn't be leaving...at least not in the physical sense.

 The Partisan 37L AT Gun revealed its location and my 10-2 managed to break the crew in response.

 Back in the village, my garrison was on it's last legs. Dan was in control. 

 Dan would manage to roll snake eyes during his Prep Fires on both of my last locations. I would miss the Morale Checks and that would be the end in the village. 

Snake Eyes..rendering defenses useless since 1985!!!

 Dan had the village and had accumulated 17 CVP. He did the math and even by giving up the 3 CVP for the fortified building, he could exit the board and I would not be able to get the CVP necessary to win.

 Back in relief land...my column was making progress...but events were going to negate their efforts.

My Grenadiers would clear the road block and sweep the Partisans off the hill and then watch Dan's Partisans exit the village with lots of shiny MG-42's and assorted ammunition. Dan would exit all but one 3-3-7 from the map. It was game over and a victory for Dan!

Looks like the village is empty...no Partisans....and no one left from the Garrison.

The final CVP for Dan was 17 - 3 CVP for abandoning the fortified building to the Grossdeutschland would give him a final tally of 14 CVP. My boys would finish the game with 15, but I needed 24 for the win. So a great win for Dan. His attack on the village was sharp, fast and highly successful. 

Dan and I will be off next Saturday as we participate in the Kansas City ASL Club's 2018 March Madness Tournament. We will return in two weeks for a playing of Lone Canuck's DSL 1 La Petite Ferme from the new Drive for Saint Lo scenario pack. Can't wait to play it!