Paris is Burning #1, Cracking the Nut

Paris is Burning #1, Cracking the Nut

0951, May 18th, 1985. The Soviet Third Shock Army attacks the French 2nd Corps.  The French are stretched thin, but have effective anti-tank weapons with which to engage the Soviets.  Yes, the Soviet tanks can by pass the resistance, but doing so will playce the following echelons at risk.

We played this scenario twice, Chuck was the French 35th Regimant d'Infantry (of course) with close air support from a Super Etendard, while Aaron and I commanding one formation each of the Soviet Juggernaut.  In both games, I had the powerful infantry formation, the 77th Motor Rifle (BTR60-mechanized rifle platoons, with support from the awesome 2S6 Tanguska anti-aircraft vehicle).  Aaron commanded the polyglot 1st Tank in game one and the 8th Guard Tank in game two (a pure T-64 force, with limited artillery support).  This was also the first game using my variant artillery rules.  They seemed to work well.  I've tweaked them a little bit for next time.

The battle takes place on a single map, with the French holding two towns, one at a river crossing.  The Soviets enter and must either control both towns, or exit units from the board, or a combination of both.  In game one, Chuck held the river crossing in strength, leaving only two infantry platoons in the Southern town.  I entered first, threw my infantry into the Southern town and in a rolling tide of assaults, drove Chucks infantry out and killed them as they fled West out of the city.  We controlled the town and exited units easily.  Victory for the USSR!

In game 2, Chuck held the bridge with a small force (one Infantry, one APC and a truck), and massed everything else in the Southern town.  He used his artillery effectively to disrupt my dismounted infantry advance, and Aaron was plagued by two turns in which his Guards didn't activate at all.  I fought my way into the town and across the bridge, but unfortunately left wrecks on the bridge hex and the hex the bridge exited onto.  By the time Aaron's tanks got to the bridge and began pummeling the opposing bank with HE rounds, the finals grains of sand in the clock trickled away.  We didn't have enough time to get our units off the board.  Victory for France!

I sure wished there was some way to clear that fucking wreck off the bridge.  Fighting with vehicles in towns leaves a lot of damage.  Oh, and the Tanguska shot that poor Etendard to bits in both games.  Lethal.