O Group Heer V Soviets 1944 Solo

July 1944 and German forces of the 4th Army are in full retreat to the Berezina crossings. With the front line collapsing a German Infantry Battalion is ordered to keep the road from Mogilev open for as long as possible before retreating.

Soviet Forces, having broken through into the German rear, race to encircle the 4th Army and push forward cross country trying to close down the routes being used by the retreating German forces.

The German view of the terrain and the road from Mogilev

The Soviet line of advance

This was my first time playing O Group Solo, having previously only played at club, and really the first time I would be able to pace out the game so as to properly get my head around some of the finer points of the rules.
As the attackers the Soviets had 16 points at their disposal This was spent on:-

• A 2nd rate infantry battalion 
• One Maxim MMG Section
• One late war 4 section platoon of T34/76 
• One battery of 76mm Infantry Guns.

The Germans with only 12pts to mount a defence opted for :-

• A regular infantry battalion
• Two Tripod mounted MG42 Sections
• One Section of Pak 40 AT Guns. 

The Pak section was to begin the game in Ambush, Setup dice gave the Germans 5 ambushes so I decided that I would use this to set the odds of an ambush being triggered successfully later in the game.

Victory would go to the Soviets if they successfully had troops holding the road at any point and inflicted 2 Fubars on the German forces. The Germans needed to inflict 3 Fubars on the Soviets to successfully repulse the Soviet attack. 

Soviet Armour and Artillery rumbles forwards the start line.

While German forces prepare to mount a hurried defence.

Due to the evolving nature of collapsing lines and lightning advances no Artillery support beyond the Battalions mortars are available so we also bypass any preliminary bombardment. 

Gaining the initiative in the first turn the Germans quickly get troops into the large(3) BUA farm and call up the Forward Observer while pushing out combat patrols on the left and right flanks

German Forces try to establish a fire line

Forward units set out to harry the advancing Soviets

The Soviet troops deployed in the treeline on the right flank had rolled as a hesitant company so were unable to much this turn.

Timidity from one Company leads to a hesitant start

On the Sovet left flank however the Artillery and some combat patrols deploy on the crest of the rise as the tanks prepare to come forwards towards the road.

Tanks roll

Turn two and again the Germans have the initiative. On the right flank 2 platoons and an attached MMG deploy into the fields hugging the boundry walls they lay down fire into a Soviet Combat Patrol removing it and also with supporting fire coming out of the occupied BUA suppress the Soviet 76mm section

Watch the front and be ready

On the left flank the FOO makes at into the BUA and takes up a position the Company CO also joins his troops in the cover of the BUA.

A farm becomes a fortress

On the Soviet left flank the 76mm section fires and misses their target attracting return fire that suppresses it . The T34 platoon has now reached the crest of the hill but its hasty HE fire has no effect, An infantry platoon with the maxim MMG as attached support deploy into the hedges below the hill crest but can't bring any effective fire into play.

Here they come

 On the Soviets right flank fire from the tree line removes a German Combat Patrol and allows the Soviet infantry to start rapidly moving up through the woods.

Stay in the trees

Luck is on the side of the Germans and they hold the initiative as turn three starts but the company on the German left flank has gone hestant. The FOO successfully calls down fire from the battalion mortars onto the treeline knocking out a Soviet Combat Patrol and suppressing the Infantry platoon and Company Commander hiding in the trees. 

On the right flank the Pak40 appear from Ambush behind the field wall and damages one section of T34's.

The Soviet tanks keep coming and successfully overrun the forward German platoon forcing them back into cover in the field. 

The 76mm Section recovers some shock and fires at the MMG supported German platoon causing two shock.

 

On the Soviet right flank the infantry platoon hit by the mortars rally off a point of shock which allows them to attempt a dash towards the BUA to get clear of any more incoming mortar fire however they run out of steam and end the turn exposed in open ground. The Company Commander also recovers from the artillery strike and pushes forward through the woods with his other advancing elements..

Open Fire!

Mortars keep the chaos mounting

 
With his left flank seriously threatened the German battalion commander deploys his 3rd reserve company from the BUA to counter the threat emerging there. The Soviets like wise begin deploying their reserve company into the treeline between the two flanking slopes anticipating a supporting attack once the Germans are flanked..

Get your men moving and plug that gap

Prepare the next wave

Turn four starts and still the Germans retain initiative, On the left flank two platoons one with MMG support deploy in cover and open fire on the Soviets advancing over the hill causing two shock, 

From the BUA one platoon fired at the Soviet platoon running from the mortar barrage inflicting two KIA's and forcing a, failed, Rout test the survivors fled the field.

On the right flank the PAK 40 managed to score a KO on the damaged T34 section earning the Soviets their first Fubar and 1hq order for a failed command crisis test. 

The 3rd infantry platoon deployed off a CP and along with the slightly rallied overrun section popped of some panzerfausts at the approaching T34's to no effect. The other platoon with MMG support was successful in suppressing the Soviet infantry on the hill to their front. 

Reserve Company arrive just in time

Close range and vicious fighting

On the Soviet left flank the T34 platoon opens fire with HE at the PAK40 Suppressing it, The 76mm section and the infantry section both rally off shock and fire but to no effect. 

On the Soviet right flank the platoon on the hill rallies off a point of shock and returns fire on the German MMG supported platoon causing 1 shock. The 3rd section rapid moves using the woods for cover to outflank the Germans on the road.

Tenacious on the right

Collapsing on the left

In the centre two reserve company platoons deploy from Combat Patrols into the edge of the woodline and send some ineffective fire towards the German troops now tightly ensconced in the Farm.  

Fire coming from the treeline

Turn five starts with the Soviets grabbing the initiative and on both flanks they immediately put it to use. The T34 's Fire HE and KO the PAK40 on the Soviet left Flank while on the right Flank the two Soviet infantry platoons manage to KO the Germans MMG and suppress the remaining Platoon.

A bloody fight

In the centre the reserve platoon continues to fire at the Germans in the Farm causing some shock. The Germans respond on their left flank with MG Fire taking out a Soviet Platoon and a lucky panzerfaust shot claiming another T34 Ko'd

Turn six starts and again the Soviets are rolling onwards with the initiative.On the Soviet Right the Soviet infantry crash into the flank of the suppressed German Platoon causing two KIA's and sending the survivors retreating back up the road to the Farmhouse. the second platoon covering the flank manages to suppress the victorious Soviets preventing any follow up attacks. In the centre the Soviet FOO calls in his battalion mortars on the German in the Farm causing widespread shock and KIA's  futher helped by shots from the 76mm Section. Sadly on the Sovet left flank not all is going so well and despite pouring fire from the T34's and infantry into the german defenders they are unaffected and in a final act of defiance manage to KO another section of T34's and Damage the last section.

Stalemate but the road is taken

 Mortars and HE fire hammer the farm

A valiant if futile defense

With Soviets holding the road on their right flank and the Germans only one loss away from a second fubar the German battalion commander realising his position is hopeless and that he risks being encircled orders a retreat.

I was really impressed with how well O Group works as a solo game, I need to finesse some house rules around Ambush units , Command Crisis is easily dealt with by rolling dice. The fact that units on both sides have clearly defined operational boundaries and objectives lets you easily slip back and forth to play each side. 

I also learnt loads. being able to setup the table and play over a couple of nights allowed me the time to pause, go read the rules and then come back to resolve an action. I still got some aspects wrong but that nagging uncertainty that something was wrong was easily resolved and learnt from.

The scenario pretty much played out as such situations did historically. As Soviet Armour and infantry pierced deep behind the lines the retreating Germans often struggled to escape encirclement, something that lead to the ultimate shattering of Army Group Centre.