| Rating: |
7.42 (11) |
| Games Played: |
14 |
| SM: |
4 |
| Turns: |
44 |
| Type: |
Stock |
| First Side: |
Russia |
| Second Side: |
Axis |
Borisov, 60 kms NE of Minsk, June 26th 1944: The massive Soviet assault on Army Group Center had ripped a huge hole between the German 3rd Panzer and 4th Armies. Russian armored and mechanized units were now rapidly pouring through the gap to try to encircle the remnants of the once proud German Armies. The 5th Guards Tank Army had been committed and was streaming towards the Berezina along the Moscow-Minsk motorway. Initially, few units stood in their path, then, in an attempt to stabilize the situation, the 5th Pz Division was rushed to Borisov. They were to hold the bridges until any remnants of the German 4th Army could be saved from the Russian onslaught. [Size, large] Designer Note: This scenario has been optimized for HTH play.
![0627_01a: 5th GTA is Committed - [HTH] Image](https://www.theblitz.club/images/regular/blitz/scenarios/Minskee12856f36.png)
8 - 3 - 3
vendetta
jack1986
timshin42
raizer
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Still, the scenario is a lot of fun, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Thanks for keeping the Blitz going!
The Russian forces were commanded by a long-time and respected opponent who has fought me in other 50-turn + campaign-style scenarios.
I consider both of us to be equally skilled players who both know their way around the PzC virtual battlefield.
From the start, the German has hundreds of units that were in precarious positions that were quickly surrounded and then obliterated by the Russian forces.
Aside from extracting some mobile units - Stugs, ATs and motorized infantry, the rest of the foot infantry were doomed. I lost hundreds of units and there was absolutely nothing I could do to either improve on the situation or to save any of the foot infantry.
The entire northern area of the battlefield cannot be defended because the German lacks enough troops to plug the gaps. All German units guarding major objectives in the northern sector start the game fixed and never release until attacked by enemy units.
Also, all SS reinforcements start the game fixed and do not release until half the game is over. By that time, it is too late to stem the Russian steamroller. In any event, I suspect these reinforcements would have made little progress against the hordes of Russians.
The only "salvation" the German had was to make a stand along the major river that runs north-south for 1/3 of the map, hope the wired bridges drop and wait for the release of the SS reinforcements.
However, by the time I called it quits, my Russian opponent had quickly breached the river in the north, a key wired bridge did not blow, my SS reinforcements were still 1 day turn away from being released and the German had suffered nearly 9,000 troop losses!
Now, if ALL Axis units on board would start "unfixed," that would allow the German player to establish some rudimentary defensive lines - especially in the north sector and west of the main German lines. That would make for a more interesting game and give the German player a glimmer of hope. Even in an "unfixed" German unit alternative scenario, the German would still lose hundreds of units in the east simply because the foot infantry cannot retreat fast enough to avoid being overtaken and obliterated by the advancing Russians.
So, in the end, as the German in 5th GTA is Committed, I was kept unbalanced, always in scramble mode to plug large gaps, watching helpless as huge pockets of Wehrmacht units were surrounded and obliterated, retreating columns mercilessly bombed by waves of Soviet bomber fleets, Russian armor and cavalry units running unchecked in the German backfield, hundreds of Russian artillery inflicting numerous casualties, etc. with no real counters at my disposal.
Yes, it may have been historically accurate, but it sure ain't fun to play the Germans and be on the receiving end! Cry
I will not be investing my game time in this scenario again.