The first scenario in Bashnya is a meeting engagement between two mainly armoured forces but each with a Platoon of infantry. The Germans are better trained but the Russians have the better tanks (Panzer IV vs T34/85).
The field is fairly open with hills on the north edge and with clumps of trees all over the place to use as cover. The bridge is in the South centre and this is where the action should be.
After a slow start the Russians are the first to move and gain the road fairly early and the central position as well.
Then the Russians also gain the bridge with their tank riding infantry. Where are the Germans, as the Russians do seem to be bathing in the bright sunlight?
It all then started to happen as the Germans cunningly advanced through the woods to take the T34s in the flank and quickly dispatch one of them, but they don't have it all their own way at all. Those big Russian guns and weak German armour are not an even match.
By the river the Russian infantry dig in and the Russians tanks see off a weak attack by the Germans.
The German Puma then advanced to attempt to save the situation in the South. In a common theme for the Germans in this game though they hit with two good shots on the Russians tanks they couldn't get past the armour. The next play was obvious as the Russians T34s destroyed it although not as easy as it should have been
The game was over very quickly as again the German tanks again hit and then couldn't penetrate for some reason and the Russians didn't wait for another go.
In the south the German infantry really hurt the Russians with their automatic weapons, but once all the German tanks had left the field they have no options but retreat.
All in all another great game, and certainly a lot closer than the previous Russian walkover. The Germans really should have won but at all the crucial times they found they were firing blanks.
Now it's onto Scenario 2A amongst the streets of Osen and some more bridges.
Craig Ambler