Encirclement of Pokhlebin

Scenario 5 of the Winter Storm campaign. This time a Soviet convoy is attacked by the Germans.

The scenario warns that this is a tough one for the Soviets. Since all 4 previous scenario's were pretty tough for the Soviets too (look here), I gathered that this one must be particularly tough. We rolled the dice to determine who would play the Germans and who would play the Soviets, and indeed: I got the Soviets....

The scenario requires the Soviets to get reinforcements (2 trucks with 2 squads each) to Pokhlebin. The Soviets also have an AT gun with a captured RSO and a Maxim MMG. The Germans must prevent the Soviets from reaching Pokhlebin. They have 2 Panzer IIIJ and their usual abundance of LMG's with the Panzergrenadier platoon.

I wasn't too happy about the patrol phase.

German jump off point in an ambush position
 next to the road

My plan was to get the convoy as fast as possible off the other table edge. I wasn't very confident in the Soviet ability to withstand the German firepower if they would dismount and get caught up in a protracted firefight.  But very soon the Panzers turned up on the ridge overlooking the road plus a squad of panzergrenadiere....

The Panzers opened fire on the trucks but the damage was limited to some shock and 2 men killed. Only once multiple sixes and that turned out to have no effect! The convoy kept rolling towards Pokhlebin and was already half way across the table.

 Meanwhile the Maxim was deployed and killed the  junior leader of the panzergrenadiere on the ridge.

Another squad of panzergrenadiere deploys next to the road and a hail of fire strikes the convoy. With very little effect fortunately.

But all luck must eventually run out. The two trucks make it to Pokhlebin, but the RSO is tracked and moves slower.

Feuer frei!

It explodes, killing 3 of the AT gun crew. Two others and the junior leader manage to bail out.

But are then cut down by the machine guns of the panzer.

With the Soviet platoon safe in Pokhlebin for the most part I decide to try and get the Maxim to safety and deploy the senior leader to rally them. Instead of moving slow and taking cover by adopting a tactical stance I decide to run and count on the senior leader to remove the accrued shock.

They don't get very far however and German fire kills everyone except for the senior leader who is now trying to save his  own skin.

For a moment I think he's going to make it...

But then a bullet grazes his skull and knocks him unconscious.

The Germans move in to capture him...

But I now have a full Chain of Command dice and end the turn, waking him up.

He wipes the blood from his eyes and empties his Tokarev at the Germans, taking 2 of them down before being killed himself.

The Soviets succeeded in reaching Pokhlebin, achieving their objective, but lost their AT gun, Maxim and their Leytenant. In addition, the Germans cut the road to Pokhlebin.

We decided it was a victory for the Soviets, but certainly not a major one.

My plan to race across the table ended up being succesful. An unexpected win for the Soviets.