Bolt Action Batrep: Fortress Budapest. Withdrawl Across The Danube, A Farewell To The Dan-Cave

Introduction

     Well we're back in Budapest to play out yet another scenario from the excellent Fortress Budapest campaign book. And this one was tinged with a touch of sadness as it was, in all likelihood, our last game in the Dan-Cave as Danny has moved to pastures new and Chez Danny is going on the market.

     But, that aside, we were all in good fettle as we hadn't had a game together since the beginning of Marc and the pandemic lockdownh. With the easing of the lockdown restrictions we were, like many of you would be, extremely desirous of getting a game of something and Bolt Action was the easiest to organise in the short space of time that we had to get our ars...our backsides in gear.

The Scenario 

     I decided...ahem...We decided to play the Withdrawal Across The Danube scenario. In this scenario the Germans/Axis are looking to withdraw across the bridges over the Danube to the Buda side of the river, leaving Pest in the hands of the Soviets. Both sides have an equal amount of points with which to choose their forces. This scenario is designed to be played out on a 4'x4' table but as this was a farewell of sorts we went for a 6'x4' set up and ramped up the points but only to 2300 (only?) points each side.

Set Up 

      To represent this the Germans/Axis set up their forces in a 12" deployment zone on their table edge. The battlefield should have at least three streets crossing from the Soviet side to the German/Axis side of the table. As we were on a 6x4 table we had four. On each of these four streets the Germans/Axis had a barricade set up which could be set up no more than 12" from their table edge. These barricades are objectives as well as providing hard cover.

Deployment 

      The Germans deploy all their forces in their set up zone. The Soviets start off the table and must designate at least half their forces as the First Wave. The remainder are in reserve. Thre is no Outflanking in the game and neither side can choose the Sewer Movement option from the City Siege Assets.

Special Rules

     City Siege Assets. Both sides can choose from the City Siege Assets options. Both sides already have one asset allocated; the barricades for the Germans/Axis player and a preliminary bombardment for the Soviets. We set about choosing two per side (we forgot that you can choose one asset per 500 points) Rich chose an anti tank minefield (which he put right on my axis of advance!! Fiend!!) and Ammunition Dump. He chose one of his buildings, set up an "ammo dump" in it which allowed units in it and within 6" of it to re-roll any 1s that come up when rolling to hit. Danny chose a smoke Screen which meant he had the chance of screening off part of the battlefield if his bombardment came in as hoped for. And I went for Night Infiltration which allowed me to forward deploy two infantry units up to half way across the table. Also we employed the Rubble rules which adds modifiers to shooting and movement during the game.

     The Soviets also benefit from another wee special rule; Sturmovik Strafing Runs. Once during the game the Soviets can call in an airstrike (as per the airstrike rule from the main rulebook) As it doesn't require a forward air observer the Soviets can target any non-hidden German unit

      Lastly on the Germans/Axis side, they have the Fighting Withdrawal special rule. The Germans/Axis forces are withdrawing from Pest. To represent this from turn 2 onward before any dice are drawn they must remove one unit from their force (and its dice from the bag); these units don't count as destroyed, they have made good their escape and therefore do not count towards Victory Points. And from the end of turn 4 onward the Germans can remove one barricade, deeming it no longer needed (and thus robbing the Soviets of potential victory points...cunning!!) However this cannot be one that is already held by the Soviets.

Objective

     The Germans must hold off the Soviets long enough to allow as many of their units and Pest's civilians as possible to escape across the Danube to the relative safety of Buda. The Soviets must prevent this by capturing the streets, preventing the Axis forces from using them as escape routes.

Game Duration

      This scenario lasts 6 turns. At the end of tunr 6 there is a chance that i may go on for another turn on a roll of 4+

Victory

      At the end of the game each side gains the following; 1 point for each enemy unit destroyed and 3 points for each barricade they hold with the usual parameters; the holding unit; either an infantry or artillery unit, must be within 3" of the barricade and there must be no enemy units must be within 3".  

    

Forces

Soviets: Danny and I each had 1150 points with which to build our forces from the Urban Assault Group which is predominatelyfull of SMG totting squads. I went for

Urban Assault Group (Me-ski)

Veteran Senior Lieutenant  Simon (Si) Novabich plus runner

Regular SMG Squads x2 (12 men; 11 SMGs and one LMG)

Veteran Assault Engineer Squad (9 men, rifles, one flamethrower and 2 panzerfausts)

Regular Guards Squad (8 men, rifles plus one LMG and one panzerfaust)

Veteran MMG

Veteran Medium Mortar with spotter

Veteran Anti Tank Rifle Team x3

Veteran SU-76 with additional anti tank ammo (makes ita medium anti tank gun as well as a medium howitzer)

Urban Assault Group (Danski)

Senior Lieutenant Stepan Krapp plus runner

Regular SMG squads x2

Veteran Assault Pioneer Squad

Regular Guards Squad

Regular Zis-2 anti tank gun

Regular MMG

Regular Mortar

Regular T-34/76

Germans/Axis (Reinhardt) As Richie didn't have enough troops to put together two forces of Budapest Pocket Defenders he put together one and added an armoured platoon to his force. They looked like this

Budapest Pocket Defenders

Obersturmfuhrer (First Lieutenant) Otto Knoebetter plus runner

Veteran SS Squad x5

Veteran Medium Mortar

Veteran Light Howitzer

Veteran Sniper

Armoured Platoon  

Regular Panther

Regular Panzer IV

Regular StuH42

Regular Stummel

Regular Hanomag 251/21 Drilling (triple anti aircraft gun!!)

Regular Hanomag 251/1

and so to battle.....

Suggested lay out as per the book

Orientated for the following photo

    

Our 6'x4' layout for the mission. German table edge
to the right, Soviets to the left...naturally..The limit
of the Germans deployment was at the forward edge
of the ruins on the right. Danny's Soviets deployed
in the top half of the table while mine were on the
lower half  Note additional Michelangelo/Terry
Gilliam-esque type Hand of Fate pointing at some
poor Russkies who are about to receive some
unwelcome German attention. 

     The men froze as another flare soared into the sky ahead of them. As it descended, the swaying flare cast fantastical patches of light through the gaping holes and frameless windows of the ruin they were crawling through. Slowly the patches of light climbed the wall as the flare neared to the ground, disappearing abruptly as the flare went out. The men waited, mouths opened and one eye closed to protect their night vision, every nerve stretched as they listened and watched.

     In the distance artillery rumbled and machine guns chattered intermittently. A plane droned overhead, the pilot searching, no doubt, for a suitable target on the far side of the river. 

     As the sound of the plane diminished Sergeant Constantin Sokolov signalled the men around him to move forward. Slowly, carefully, deliberately they made their way forward. Testing the ground; searching out and avoiding the looser patches of rubble. Keeping low to avoid being silhouetted they pushed on for another hour.

     Pausing in the deeper shadow of a towering wall Sokolov wiped away the sweat that dripped down his face. Though it was only just above freezing they were all perspiring from the effort of the last two hours, moving, stopping, looking and listening then moving again and all the while keeping quiet. Noise was the great betrayer out here in no mans land. It was about two hours since they had set out and they had covered only four hundred yards judging by the silhouette of the building ahead of them. As quietly as possible Sokolov made his way around his men, making sure they were all there. 
     This ruin was their objective, a  former apartment block, Sokolov had guessed, when he had observed it through the company commanders binoculars the evening before."Comrade Sergeant Sokolov" said the captain as they crouched in the a burnt out shell of a half track, looking towards the German lines through what had formerly been the driver's vision slit. "In the morning we are going to push right up to the Danube and throw the Fritzes into it when we do. However we don't want to give the Fritzes too much notice that we are coming; we need to be on them right away, so tonight I want you to take your squad forward to that ruin" here the captain handed Sokolov his binoculars and pointed to a prominent ruin "You see; the one that looks like a key; like this?" here the captain took out a pencil stub and drew a quick sketch in his notebook of the outline of ruin he had pointed out. Sokolov looked at the sketch then back at the ruins; picked out the one the captain meant, nodded and handed back the binoculars. "Get your squad in there and sit tight. Sergeant Lebedev and his assault engineers are also moving forward parallel to you on your right so be aware they are there. In the morning, about an hour after first light, there'll be a short barrage that should catch the Fritzes on the hop. You wait till that barrage is over. We go in immediately afterwards; any questions?" Sokolov shook his head. 

     

    

Sergeant Sokolov and his men move into position

      Either side of the bridge, explosions erupted in the fast flowing, debris choked Danube. Spouts of water thrown up by the artillery shells soaked the crowds of refugees and soldiers fleeing the battle now raging in Pest. The Soviets were pressing hard on the heels of the defenders and the trapped citizens of Pest as they made their way to the illusory safety of Buda.
    Watching the crowds on the bridge as they ran the gauntlet of Soviet artillery fire through a nearby cellar window, Obersturmfuhrer Otto Knoebetter winced as a shell struck one of the towering bridge supports raining shrapnel and brick work onto the masses below. A horse on the bridge reared in panic, lashing out at the throng surrounding it, adding to the chaos that reigned there.
    A figure flitting through the entrance into the cellar of the ruin that served as the platoon HQ drew his attention from the ugly scene on the bridge. "What's the news, Scharfuhrer Feldman?" Knoebetter shouted above the noise of the nearby barrage. In response the young NCO slumped down on a rickety chair beside him, laid his MP40 on the table and reached a grubby hand inside his tattered smock and pulled out a note from an internal pocket then raising his voice said. "Orders, Herr Obersturmfuhrer! I think we're pulling out at last!" then added "Do you have any cigarettes, sir?"  Smiling, Knoebetter nodded, taking the proffered note, handed the sergeant a cigarette in exchange then held the note next to a candle, one of four that dimly lit the cellar, he began to read it. 
     It was pretty much as he expected; hold their current positions till dark then a phased withdrawal covered by artillery; armour then the infantry to pull back. Heavier weapons to be spiked then left behind. The route to the bridge to be marked by the pioneers. Seriously wounded to be left behind; walking wounded only to be taken. No enemy attack expected in this area as they appeared to be intent on clearing the Pest side of the river from the south. 
      The nearby crash of an artillery shell caused him to duck involuntary as a shower of dust fell on them from the ceiling of the cellar. He looked across at the NCO beside him. Scharfuhrer Feldman was sitting with both elbows on the table, a lit cigarette in his hand and his head lolling forward, a long rope of spittle dripping from his mouth. "Scharfuhrer" shouted Knoebetter. The sergeant didn't stir "Scharfurher!" he shouted again, shaking the NCO by the shoulder. Feldman stirred slowly..stupidly... then was fully awake. "Sorry sir" he said shamefacedly then swore as the cigarette burnt his fingers "So bloody tired..." he muttered. Knoebetter nodded and handed him another cigarette, lighting it as he did so "As you say, Scharfurher, we're moving out; we've to leave the seriously wounded behind; walking wounded only. Ivan isn't expected before first light tomorrow so let's get the wounded moving first; How many do we have at the moment?" Feldman reached into his padded smock again and this time drew out a battered notebook and flicked through the pages " Five seriously wounded in total, sir, that we haven't managed to get back across the river. And seven lightly wounded" Knoebetter considered for a moment, biting his lip as he did. "Okay, could any of those walking wounded carry any of the others?" Feldmen opened his mouth to answer but the sound of his raised voice was drowned out by a series of ear splitting crashes. The cellar shook as the earth around it heaved under a furious barrage. For several minutes the artillery rounds pummelled the area around their position then ceased as suddenly it had begun. After a minute or so, Knoebetter and Feldman rose from the floor were they had thrown themselves when the barrage began. All but one of the candles had been blown out. Wordlessly, hurriedly in the semi darkness of the cellar they picked up their weapons and made their way out of the cellar. Wincing in the dazzling daylight they picked their way towards the nearest platoon position. Around them the crack and thump of bullets sounded and ahead of them the sounds of chattering machine guns; their own machine guns and that of the enemies could be clearly heard. Tank engines growled and the crump of impacting mortar shells added to the cacophony of battle. "So much for the Ivans not coming till tomorrow" shouted Knoebetter. 

Obersturmfuhrer Knoebetter takes charge

Opposing my chaps were these three 251's, a personnel carrier,
a Stummel and a Drilling as well as a squad of veteran SS. They
are sheltering behind one of the Germans barricades. They proved
extremely hard to hit, taking pins during the preliminary bombardment,
The Stummel crew failed their morale test when Richie attempted to
fire at my chaps. It promptly reversed to the edge of the board and
stayed there, failing one more morale check;they had one pin on
them, before Richie withdrew them from the battle.

In the ruins besides the 251s was another SS Squad and a sniper.
One of the "good" things about a city fight is that it's often easy
to lose track of the enemy, especially if they are defending.
(We have a house rule whereby we don't tell each other what we
have in our force lists which makes for a tenser, more exciting
game.) and though I knew the sniper was there from his firing
I wasn't complete;y sure who was in the ruin beneath them

a devastated Pest city centre and the ruin where Sokolov and
his men spent the night before the attack

As the dust from the not very effective Soviet barrage settles,
an SU-76 moves up to support the attack. This suffered from
my usual appalling dice rolls, not hitting a single target it
engaged...

While on Danny's side of the assault, his MMG team get busy
giving cover to the attack. His chaps had a mountain to climb
with that open square to cross. Some parts of it we had
nominated as rubble so they received some cover but it
was a killing ground as Richie had it well covered with
his StuH42, medium mortar and light howitzer

Danny's Zis-2

The two squads who had infiltrate forward, Sokolov's SMG
squad and Lebedev's assault engineers begin taking pot shots
at the Germans. They didn't inflict any casualties in this pursuit
but they managed to put the occasional pin on the half tracks 

Lebedev's Assault Engineers make their move. Beside them,
another SMG squad makes a dash for the German front line

As more Soviets came on from reserve, they moved forward
with the platoon commander Senior Lt Novabich. My plan
was to use his "You Men Snap To It" rule to, hopefully, force
the Germans off the barricade and keep hold of it. At least that
was the plan

After being hit twice by AT fire from the Drilling and receiving
Immobilised results both times,, my SU-76 goes up in smoke...
bugger. It proved pretty ineffective and was trapped behind
Richie's carefully placed anti tank minefield

Burn, baby, burn...

The damned effective Drilling...

By this stage of the game, the squad that been stationed by the
Panther had received orders to withdraw and had done so, poste
haste. The Panther made one kill during the game, taking out a
Soviet anti tank rifle team

     Shouting into the tank's intercom, Sergeant Tatyana Kuznetsov ordered the driver to advance. The engine roared as the T-34 ground it's way over the uneven surface of the rubble strewn streets. Pushing forward into the large square the tank's turret and hull rang with the sound of ricocheting small arms fire. Despite the fire, Kuznetsov put her head over the top of the cupola hatch, scanning the far side of the square for potential threats. The smoke and dust partially blinded her and she wiped her eyes with an oily rag. The gunner's voice rang out in the intercom "enemy tank, forward left! Directly across the fountain" Kuznetov felt the turret turn as gunner called out the target indication. The driver stopped immediately to give the gunner a better chance of hitting the Panzer and Kuznetov called out  "Fire when on!" to the gunner, knowing she needed no cue. As the tank gun barked, Kuznetov watched the round strike the building to the right of the now identified StuH42. "Miss! Go slightly left and aim lower, Anna!" The gunner repeated the correction as the loader slammed another round into the breech. Suddenly Kuznetov was flung against the cupola hatch as the tank was hit. Her face struck the locking handle, breaking her jaw and she dropped into the turret unconscious; the back of her coveralls soaked with blood. "The gunner pushed the limp body off her and attempted to turn around. "Tatyana's been hit!" she cried. The driver put the tank into reverse immediately, ignoring the cries of the others. As the tank pulled into the lee of the nearest building it came to a shuddering halt...

Danny's force makes its push in the centre. The T-34 got a nasty
shock when a medium mortar round landed on the top of it's
turret. After taking pins, it failed it's next order test and reversed
out of danger.

Two of Danny's squads try to make their way across the square.
In the back ground you can see where the Soviet smoke screen
has begun to drift, exposing them to the StuH42 and the Panzer
IV. Fortunately these were kept occupied by a Soviet force
making it's way through the ruins behind the smoke screen 

Safe in cover but carrying plenty pins

With their reserves committed and with what cover the anti tank
rifles can give, Lt Si Novabich pushes his men forward

In the background, Obersturmfuhrer Knoebetter controls
his platoon's battle.

Sokolov's squad reach the forward German position and slug it
out with them hand to hand,. Sokolov and his men come off
second best by one casualty. Lebedev and his men then wipe
out what's left of  the SS squad with their flame thrower. By
now, most of the Germans had withdrawn from this part of
the battle field.

The End Bit

     What a fitting finale to the Dan-Cave...apart from the result. Yes, the Germans won but to be fair with all that heavy fire power (i.e. Richie's fiendishly lucky dice rolls) that's not surprising. To be honest it was a very tough nut to crack and he played a canny game as any Soviet armour was bound to be channeled along the streets; with a StuH42 and Panzer IV covering the square, a Panther covering one street and the the Drilling and Stummel the last street, which had an anti tank minefield placed across it, the Soviets were depending on a devastating/lucky Preliminary bombardment to put plenty of pins on the defenders. That wasn't to be, alas. 

     And likewise, the Sturmovik Strafing (actually an RAF Tempest which is why it didn't appear in the final cut. I'll get me a Sturmovik,  just you wait and see if I don't!!) wasn't a great help, being chased off by an MMG in the AA role. This after the Drilling, a dedicated AA vehicle and another MMG had clean missed it. Perhaps I should have brought it in elsewhere where the AA fire was less effective but again I was hoping for some pinning effect from it to help with my attack but once more, alas, no. 

     Danny's support weapons suffered from the attentions of some very accurate medium mortar and light howitzer fire. On the plus side, his smoke screen was very good, covering his flank move from fire but that too came to naught as we ran out of turns. I think I am right in saying that his men destroyed the Panzer IV with a panzerfaust

     We played seven turns though Rich had it in the bag by the end of the sixth as we wanted to squeeze in just one more turn in the Dan-Cave.

     Another possible reason for poor showing by the Soviets was the usual, eye watering, rib tickling banter. Without doubt the best part of wargaming is not collecting victories but mates you can have a really good laugh with....before you grind their forces into the dirt!!!...possibly 

     

     Next up in the Budapest campaign is a scenario that I am personally looking forward to, namely Back Door Left Open. I know, I know, if you don't own the book that won't make a whole heap of sense but bear with me, it's going to be good....well, at least it's going to look good and that counts, doesn't it?

Pip pip,

Jimbob