Our Saturday Game - MM47 - The Brickworks

After a week off, it was great to be back in the world of ASL again on Saturday. Dan and I once again squared off (hmmm...hexed off maybe more appropriate....?) and found ourselves fighting in the streets of Stalingrad. From an ASL perspective, there is probably no WW2 battlefield with more ASL experiences than Stalingrad. I first read about Stalingrad in third grade, when I picked up a copy of William Craig's, Enemy at the Gates in a local Bristol, VA bookstore. It was a $1.95. The book made a huge impression on me...but certainly at 8 years old, I wasn't capable of fully grasping the strategic enormity of that battle. 

My original copy of Enemy at the Gates, which has survived pretty well since 1973. And if you have not read this book, I do recommend it. It may seem a bit dated when compared to the books of Anthony Beevor and David Glantz, but it's still a good primer for the battle.

And when you are ready for the deep dives...check out Jason D. Mark's many books on Stalingrad. Simply outstanding books with the greatest detail of any books out there.

To get back into our regular Saturday schedule, Dan Best and I selected Scenario MM 47 - The Brickworks from the new March Madness scenario Pack. This scenario is included in the Kansas City ASL Club's latest scenario pack. ASL March Madness "The Players Pack" is a scenario pack made up of 10 scenarios designed by members of the Kansas City ASL Club. The pack was released during year's Kansas City ASL March Madness Tournament. It is available for direct purchase from the Kansas City ASL Club website:  http://kansascityasl.com/html/publications.html .

I had the good fortune to playtest the pack last year and to author two of the scenarios included in this pack. So I am of course biased when I recommend this pack. 

MM47 The Brickworks is designed by Keven Adams and is the only Stalingrad based scenario of the 10. This is a nice compact scenario of just 5 turns and uses only 1 board, board 49. 

Squad count is reasonable at a combined total of 13 squads, 2 x tanks and a single AT Gun.

I expect to see it at future tournaments as it really is a perfect tournament size scenario.

Keven placed this scenario in Stalingrad on October 16, 1942. At this point, the German struggle to take Stalingrad was heading into its bloody, grinding phase as the Germans sought to eliminate Soviet strongpoints. One of these would be the Brickworks in the factory district.  Having suffered severe losses through August and September, the Germans would commit the 305th Pioneer Battalion to take the Brickworks and split the Russian forces in the factory district. Jason D. Mark's excellent book, Into Oblivion tells the whole story of the 305th experiences in Stalingrad, which would ultimately lead to the utter destruction of the battalion. 

After rolling sides, I would end up being the Russians and would be the scenario defender charged with holding on to the Brickworks. 

Buildings O9, S9, and W9 would be factories by SSR and would be the scenario objectives. Dan's Germans would have to control all three to win the scenario.

I would command the 37th Guards Division, which was highly decorated, receiving two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov, the Order of Kutuzov and the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. In short, these fellas would be some tough hombres! And as the scenario played out...they would prove it.

My force would consist of 6 x 4-5-8's, lead by a 9-2 and 8-1 with 3 x ATR's and a 45LL AT Gun for support. NO MG's...not one...I was going into a street fight with nothing to laydown a fire lane. Not even a single LMG. I won't lie...this really worried me.

As the scenario attacker, Dan would command the boys of the 305 Pioneer Battalion. These guys had fought their way across Russia from Kharkov to Stalingrad. Little did they know that Stalingrad would be their final resting place. Dan would have the following forces to take the Brickworks: 13 x 4-6-7's, led by a 9-1, and 2 x 8-0's, with 2 x MMG's, 2 x LMG's and 2 Stug III's with 75L's. Not a bad size force, but no DC's and no Flamethrowers would definitely be missed especially as my Russians would get one fortified building location.

 The battle begins. I worked through three or four different defenses before settling on the one above. I couldn't establish the best place for my 45LL AT Gun. I wanted it to have a good field of fire and finally placed it on the south edge with a line of sight down the entire length of the street in front of the victory locations. It would serve me well and take out an entire 4-6-7 late in the game. I never fired it at the Stugs. I put the fortified building location in P6. My 9-2 was there with a 4-5-8 and an ATR.  I had an ATR covering the center and both flanks. With no MG's, I would end up combining the 1 factor of the ATR with my infantry shots. And Dan and I use the IIFT, which provides some benefit to the 5 factor and 7 factor shot opportunities.

Dan's boys would be coming straight down the center in a Schwerpunkt designed to take the center factory location and then spread out from there.

This would make the location for my fortified building a great one...pure luck on my part!

A little Irish luck even for a descendant of Northern Ireland is always welcome in ASL!!

 You would think after all the games I have played with Dan that I would prepare for his Schwerpunkts. But I don't seem to ever think that out. I don't know how most of you set up a defense, but I tend to look at the objectives and then where I can catch my opponent with the worst terrain to cross. You may easily deduct from my win/loss ratio that I am not necessarily very good at this...

I did manage to force some early breaks on Dan's boys and his Stugs didn't cause me even grief on turn 1. I did not fire my 9-2 in Defensive Fire. I kept him concealed and I think Dan might have suspected that the stack was made up of dummys. 

 At the end of Dan's part of Turn 1, I was still in all of my original positions. Dan had made some good progress, but was not yet threatening the victory locations.

My boys watched and waited for their part of turn 1.

 My 9-2 stack opened up finally. I fired the ATR at the Stug, but couldn't penetrate the armor. My 9-2 and 4-5-8 did manage to DM the Germans next door and push them back. 

 Turn 2 - Dan's Grenadiers came at me hard. I had survived the Prep Fire from the Stug and proceeded to fire at each oncoming German unit. But then I made a fatal mistake....really bad decision on my part. I went for a final protective fire on a German 2-4-7. I was in a fortified building. I did not need to fire...but I thought, with my 9-2 leader...yeah...let's go for it. I rolled it...oh yeah..BOXCARS and broke the whole lot. My 9-2 and 4-5-8 were done for.

Self-inflicted wounds are the worst. And I really thought that losing my 9-2 was going to seal my fate for this scenario.

 My fortified location fell to Dan's Germans on Turn 2 and again...it was my fault.

 In my part of Turn 2...I went skulking. It seemed the thing to do.

 Now...back in the center building...I double-downed on foolishness. I sent my remaining 4-5-8 down the stairs and into CC with a German 2-4-7. I died...the end. 

I should have known better. I really am not very good at Close Combat...or correction...my DICE are not very good at Close Combat.

Going into Turn3, I was not feeling very positive. The Germans had reached the street in front of the victory locations. I had to make sure they didn't cross.

OK...these guys can cross...but no one else...!!!

 At the beginning of Russian Turn 3...my broken 8-1 went berserk and the 4-5-8 went berserk with him....OH GOOD GRIEF...I was down to 4 squads and one officer and oh guess what...a quarter of my remaining force has lost its mind and is going to run out into the street of death...should be fun...

 Turn 3 - Dan's Schwerpunkt came rolling into victory location town!!

Dan's moved his Stugs first and made sure my 45LL AT Gun could see them and the potential juicy targets they represented. But I refrained. I had already acquired a target hex to fire on his infantry when they dashed across the street. And sure enough...my patience paid off as I managed to KIA the first German 4-6-7 to cross the street. My infantry poured fire on the Germans crossing the street and stopped who they could.

Russian 4-5-8's are pretty sweet! Mine performed very well in this scenario. Not one of my 4-5-8's would break during the scenario...except for the one I broke with my final protective fire. Even with +3 Morale Check...I only pinned. I cannot remember any game, where I didn't have a squad break. My good fortune persisted and would be a key component of my success in this scenario.

 Going into the bottom of turn 3. I was still holding on to all three locations. But Dan was closing in on the center victory location.

 Dan's Schwerpunkt was executing to plan and close to tanking out the center victory location. But....fate would play out differently than either of us could imagine!

 As Turn 3 ended, Dan would attempt to fix his broken MA on one of the Stug's and roll a 6. It was recalled and one Stug was now out of the picture.  I would skulk again, except for my berserk 8-1 and 4-5-8. They would rush across the street and iont Close Combat with Dan's boys. Incredibly...they would survive all the fire in the street and make it to their target. Another game changing moment was in play.

 Then came yet another game changing event...Dan was locked in Melee with my 4-5-8 in the center Victory Location. He had a 2-4-7 and a 4-6-7 in the hex. The Stug next door made a game altering decision and fired into the melee. Dan rolled a critical hit...but it affected the 4-6-7 and vaporized them. The German 2-4-7 broke...and my 4-5-8...only pinned. Having kept Rate of Fire...the Stug fired again and KIA'd the 2-4-7. And when the smoke cleared...my 4-5-8 was only pinned.

 As turn 3 ended, I moved back into positions and my berserkers were locked in melee, which would tie up more of Dan's grenadiers.

 Going into turn 4, I was still hanging on. Dan's boys were threatening and two kill stacks were on the opposite side of the street ready to support the next attack.

My boys would be ready!

 Dan's 8-0 would go heroic!

 For Dan's boys in the center things didn't get any better in turn 4. His remaining 2-4-7 would jump into CC with my 4-5-8 and would be eliminated.

Turn 4...I would skulk again.

Live to fight another turn!!!

 As turn 4 ended, I moved into my final positions...and my berserkers would be eliminated in the Melee.

  The Germans had prevailed...but time was expiring.

 Turn 5 - German Phase - Dan launches his final assault. 

Dan's 9-1 could only watch as the final German assault was stopped. The Russians had held their positions.  It had been a bloody fight with 3 Russian squads eliminated and 7 German squads. Both Russian officer had been eliminated and if I hadn't made all of my Morale Checks, the game might have gone very differently.

A final look at the battlefield. In our postgame discussion, Dan and I both agreed that this scenario had been a blast to play. At first glance it seemed like a cake walk for the Germans...but it played out so differently. Of course the vagaries of good and bad die rolls created havoc with both the German and Russian plans. And Dan and I both made aggressive decisions that hurt our own cause. Mine was breaking my 9-2 with a Final Protective Fire and Dan's was firing his Stug into a Melee. But at game end, we both felt like it had been a great night of ASL. And yes, I was pretty happy to walk away with a victory in this one....as no one was more surprised than I at the way this game ended. 

37th Guards Division, Company C campfire...let's listen in... "Comrades...we held the Brickworks...but this latest divisional report doesn't even mention it. It's all about some farm boy from the Urals who sniped a bunch of Germans....oh and Comrade Stalin has formalized the new 5 - year plan for tank production." "Dmitri....can I have the crossword when you're done reading it?' "Da Georgi, but after you finish cooking our Kasha. Killing fascists always makes me so hungry!"

Dan and I will return next Saturday for more ASL action with ASL Scenario J154 Cradle to Grave.