Gallop/Star

[scragham]

Hello all,

Any advice on how to get a DV+ on this scenario?

Best I can think of is an end run by the armored forces in the center, but the axis reinforcements tend to kick their asses. Partisans cutting the rail lines also tends to get negated by the axis reinforcements... is there a better way to use the partisans?

Thanks.

[2xPelin]

Hi,

I have moved Scenario discussion from Beta test forum to this one, you can read it here.

We have changed some things slightly from Beta to Release version due to balancing, but generally everything remained the same.

[scragham]

thanks. interesting read, didn't occur to me to try using the partisans to cut off individual units like gross deutsch.

[Meta Baston]

This one was a tough nut to crack!

I got my DV after I noticed two important rail hexes (south and SW) that had to be cut off by turn three! Then, avoiding any stupid mistakes, DV was there ready to be picked!

[Tomislav Uzelac]

Question from the Stalingrad thread:

In one soviet scenario, I noticed GD fighting alongside FBB (Führer Begleit Brigade). Yeah those two units were very close, but in 1942-43 this unit was just a Detachment/Abteilung and not a whole brigade, therefore the proper designation should FBA. This status was granted to this unit only in 1944 precisely for the purpose of Wacht am Rhein.

FBB stands for Führer-begleit-battalion. I was in considerable confusion about this when I was researching the scenario myself. There is a page on wikipedia and one on axishistory.com. These pages basically suggest that this was a two-battalion strong force, which rotated troops between protecting the Führer HQ and frontline service with GD. When on service with GD, it would properly be called an Abteilung rather than a Battalion, as was the custom for mobile formations.

Now, my primary source for this was George M. Nipe Jr. "Last Victory in Russia". In there on page 91 it specifically calls it the FBB, not the FBA, which is why I used that designation. I'm not sure if this is 100% correct though. If anyone knows better than this, please us clarify this.

Incidentally, the recon specialist step attached to the FBB is the Aufklärungsabteilung of GD which was a nice opportunity for me to use this (somewhat underused) specialist step in a historical role.

[Sixthe9th]

The confusion is basically based on one single word. Germans usually designated all battalion/detachment sized forces with the word Abteilung. This unit seems to be either a very unique designation in German Heer Army or an error made by certain authors. I personally do not know and I would like to know. The truth is the this unit was definitely named FBB in 1944, but by then it was a brigade.

Also, this makes me wonder, how many men approx. are represented by a single dot ? Because in this case this unit will only have probably just several hundred men, 3 companies at total with the aufklarung unit of the GD it would have maybe only just over thousand men, correct ?

[Tomislav Uzelac]

Also, this makes me wonder, how many men approx. are represented by a single dot ?

For Germans, one step is approximately 1/7th of a full strength (regulation) infantry division, which means slightly more than a battalion. Note however that the game system is such that the actual strength on the board is nonlinear (1-step and 2-step units are disproportionately weak), so when portraying weak units like this it's OK to equate 1 step with 1 battalion.

Because in this case this unit will only have probably just several hundred men, 3 companies at total with the aufklarung unit of the GD it would have maybe only just over thousand men, correct ?

My reference says this for the FBB kampfgruppe: "5 Panzer IVs, two assault guns, two Pak-40 anti-tank guns as well as two companies of grenadiers". The AA from GD was near full strength to the best of my knowledge.

I gave this two steps, plus a recon step for the AA. It's a matter of judgement as I don't really have the resolution in this game system to portray every combined force that was out there historically.