The Last Stand, Königsberg, April 1945

(Königsberg Hauptbahnhof 1930. Mentioned on map as "Postamt". The railroad bridge at hex J63 can be seen top left on the picture.)

This is an AAR taking place during playtesting of the KBR, "Königsberg-The Bears Revenge". A module made by Lone Canuck Publishing soon to be released for all us ASL players out there. This AAR will take us through the scenario called "Advance to the Pregel". I play the Germans and my task is to stop the Soviets from gaining controll of certain positions in and around the city.

There are 5 different objectives available for the Soviets to grab and I must manage to hold atleast 3 of them to win. The objectives are in short the following:

1. Bridges. (The only three intact bridges stretching from the western banks across the Pregel river. Marked orange circles)
2. Railyard. (all buildings in red railyard area) 
3. Kneiphof City Courthouse. (marked blue star)
4. Artillery Building (marked yellow star)
5. City Blocks (25+ blocks)

 At my disposal I have three main formations with support.

• Remnants of the 61st Volksgrenadier Division.Well...its not really a division but I guess thats why its called "remnants....". Their task is to defend the southern parts of the city marked yellow in the picture below. They have sealed of the main routes with AT-ditches and wires. The reason is that I want the Soviets to be forced further north where I have better ability to defeat his tanks. 61st main objective is to slowly and here I mean SLOWLY fall back east without breaking or routing. They do not have much ground to give. They must, to the bitter end fanatically defend the Artillery Building and the Höhe Bridge by the river. Below picture is after Soviet Pre-Bombardment and T1 advance. 

• Kampfgruppe Schubert. The strongest formation with mainly SS squads. Positioned in the city center, blue area below. They will probably see the least action from the start since they only have a short front towards the enemy in the SW. However, as their left and right flank crumbles they will have to be able to support them AND in the end also defend their own objectives. In this case the Kneiphof City Courthouse but also every block of the city. In any case, this area of the city is also where the 171st Infantry Regiment will fall back to as they retreat through the Königsberg railyard to strengthen Schuberts right flank .

• Remnants of 171st Infantry Regiment. Another "remnant"...This unit is more of a depleted company. And they are positioned in the railyard area, close to the Soviet onslaught marked red below. The objective of the 171st is to perform a delaying action through the railyard while slowly falling back east. With the help of mines and and heavy artillery/mortar support they must secure the right flank of Kampfgruppe Schubert without giving ground to quick. A few traps has been placed to stall the Soviet onslaught. Hope it works out. One of the Soviet objectives is to secure the railyard area. That means to control basically all buildings there. I will let them do that, but not without hurting them. Reason is I do not have enough troops to defend all objectives and if the 171st can support Schubert, then in turn Schubert can support 61st. Below picture is after Soviet advance T1.

Soviet 11th Guard Army

The Soviets will attack with three full regiments from the 11th Guards Army. 95th, 97th and 99th Guard Regiment supported by five(!) companies of tanks/assault guns , one company of assault engineers, artillery and air support.

German Setup

It took alot of time to do the set up. Bunkers, AT-guns and INF-guns needed good places to cover roads and important junctions. Very difficult in this terrain. Mines and wires cannot hinder retreat but must still stall advancing soviets. I easily used 8 hours effective time to place my troops out there. Lets just hope it was worth it....

Opening notes from the opponent

Setting up to charge into Köningsberg was a delicate task. Elements of three regiments (95^th, 97^th and 99^th Guards Strelkovy Regiment) and various support companies was to be set up in three different areas. The regiments and the coys with their various strengths needed to be aligned with the victory conditions and a solid battle plan.

I needed four out of five victory conditions and so decided to altogether skip one of them (Control over Kneiphof Courthouse, PP47). With that I formed a battle plan as follows (see pic.).

97^th Guards Strelkovy Regiment (Left flank) was to clear the Railyard and take control of the two northern bridges. Form there they should support, and if possible attack, into the center and gain control over as many City Blocks as possible. Attached support; 1x T34/85 Coy, 1x ISU-152 Coy and 1x AOT (122mm OBA).

95^th Guards Strelkovy Regiment (Center) was given two tasks. A: Attack Railyard from the south in support of the 97^th Reg. B: Attack eastward together with the 99^th Reg. Attached support; 1x T34/85 FT Coy, 1x ISU-152 Coy and 1x AOT (76mm OBA).

99^th Guards Strelkovy Regiment (Right flank) was to attack eastward, clearing all enemies south of road “row 57”. In so doing securing all City Blocks, the Artillery Economy Building and the eastern bridge. Attached support; 1x T34 M43 Coy, 1x Engineer Coy and 1x AOT (76mm OBA).

The attitude of the attack was to be aggressive and fast (a lite “shock ‘n’ awe”). Trying early to identify his strongholds, 88s and tanks.

Pre-bombardment

The scenario starts with two Soviet pre-bombardments. 61st front line suffers one strike, breaking some of my troops, removing a few dummy stacks but other than that its fairly ineffective. No buildings collapse and no troops or equipment are lost. To the west however, in the railyard I made the mistake to put troops in a factory. The roof caved in from the hit killing 2 squads of Volksgrenadiers with a Panzerschreck and 1 of my 9-0 SS leaders. NOT a good start. I am already low on leaders as it is.

Turn 1 

The Soviets start out with a slow advance along the whole front except on the left flank where a Human Wave covered by a smoke screen advance quickly to the NE. 122mm OBA hits one of my HIP mortars breaking the squad. At the south end of the railyard 2 Soviet squads are reduced entering a minefield but other than that there is only sporadic fire taking place. There is very little German resistance this early and my skirmishing units fall back best they can.  My 120mm off-board mortars supports the 61st, opens up fire but misses their targets. Next turn will see more action for sure. And once we get more action we will dive in closer on the map to see whats going on.

Turn 2

Soviet forces keeps pushing into the city during T2 but are now meeting more resistance. The 97th Regiment on the left flank seizes a train station but runs into minefields that slows down the advance. A German 75mm INF Gun opens fire at the same time and the Soviet assault briefly stalls but the massive amount of troops means that the demoralised units are quickly replaced. 4 T34/85 and 2 ISU-152 moves in to support their advance but are met by AT fire from a 88LL AT gun ( at top left corner) and a JagdPz IV. The 88 takes out 2 T-34/85 turning one of them into a burning wreck. It then starts to engage a ISU-152 but misses. The JagdPz hits another ISU-152 but the rounds just bounce of the thick front armor.

In the Soviet center 95th Regiment moves into another minefield and several units are pinned and broken. As they emerge from another train station they enter a Pre-registered artillery hex and German 105mm HE rounds start raining down on them breaking several units. They still manage to push on and infiltrate deeper into Kampfgruppe Schuberts positions.

Soviet right flank slowly moves east. 4 T34/76 moves in as support but a German squad of Volksturm armed with Panzerfausts manage to turn one of them into a burning wreck but breaks from the effort since firing took place from enclosed building forcing them to pull back. Another T34 is hit by a 75L AT Gun but the round bounces of the front armor.

In the second half of the turn my Germans keep falling back in most places. My 105mm artillery barrage kills a soviet squad and destroys a flamethrower SW. My 88mm AT-Gun takes out the ISU-152 that it missed last turn and then immediately another ISU-152 as it kept ROF. Unfortunately the heroic crew with now 4 tank kills gets attacked by a Fighter Bomber that swoops in with blazing guns killing the crew in the process. Another FB attacks Germans in the city center without result and a third plane swoops in from the NE but manages to attack their own troops by mistake sending a bomb into a building breaking several soviet squads. Further in the south my 75mm AT-gun takes out the T34/76 that it only scratched in first turn. The Soviets have now lost 6 tanks from a total of 15 in 2 turns.

Turn 3

Soviets keep pushing slowly. 97th Guards advance deeper into the railyard. Two German JagdPanzer IV move up on their left flank close to the river and try to support the troops in the Kai Railway Station top left map corner. A HIP 20L AA appears and lays down fire on advancing Soviets but with no effect. NE of the South Freight Train Station (by the red star, lower right) Soviet Elite Squad engages German SS in close combat. SS kills the soviets and then manage  to pull back N.

The Soviet center makes little advance but their right flank has more success. Here the 99th push east and my forces cannot hold them. Even though I am hurling 120mm mortar rounds on them I have little luck and most miss their targets. Soviet 76mm artillery kills some more Volksturms in the center of the picture and hinder my retreat. At the Officers Casino (Red Star) another close combat takes place between Elite Soviets and 2 squads of Volksturms. They all, Soviets and Germans perish in fierce melee. The orchards has caught fire from all the T34 wrecks.

My German right flank, in and around the Railyard is falling back, not as planned but good enough. The terrain is tough to advance in and my mines are doing a great job. Kampfgruppe Schubert in the center have still not seen to much action yet and is holding. My left flank is my weakest spot. Heavily supported by my off-board 120mm mortars BUT almost at no effect. They cannot hit anything. It is also here on my left where I have lost most troops. Hopefully once I reach the line of bunkers (lower right on map) I can make a stand.

Turn 4

"In the bitterness of war he found the final peace". The first 3 turns have gone both ways. The events taking place during the Soviet opening of turn 4 can very well be what decided this battle. Below is an overview of the German 171st efforts to defend the railyard. My strongpoint at the top left corner is eliminated. My crew, manning a 20mm AA gun who was prepared to move over and start using the 88 AT gun got eliminated by two (2) consecutive sniper attacks!!. One of my JagdPanzers got immobilized by a 122 mm artillery strike at the NW bridge and in the center, basically all my defensive fire is with no effect AND i lost contact with the 105mm OBA. I still have a 75mm INF Gun holding ground in the 171st center (concealed) but for how long? They did inflict one of the few casualties in this area on the Soviet horde at point blank range. I do still have a good number of troops in one of the railway stations that I hope will be able to escape east into the city proper. Oh, and I almost forgot. One of the soivet T34/85s that bogged last turn got immobilized and yet another (in the center) bogged as it tried to navigate through the debris and trainwrecks. Pity....NOT!

In the southern part of the city, 61st Volksgrenadier Division defenses crumbles and are now about to crack completely. Supported by 120mm mortars who still cannot hit anything they are now soon overrun. In the center (red star) where I earlier had good effect of my 75mm AT gun and the soldiers around it, everything goes wrong. First the gun breaks down as they try to fire point blank on charging soviet troops. Then the MMG suffers the same fate. Two important rolls in a row gives me 6,6 on the dices. 1 Soviet squad then advances into the hex, attacking me in close combat at low odds. Killing a squad of Volksturms while I at good odds with a leader fail to do anything. I am now locked in melee with more enemies closing in quickly. The only positive thing in this area happens when soviet squads tries to uncautiously cross the road leading N-S (at yellow arrow) and my HMG decimates them both and they flee back from where they came. HAH!

Turn 5

At the start of this turn the German morale is very low. I cannot seem to get my broken troops back on their feets and I cannot seem to hit anything. On top of that the Soviets keep pushing hard. In the Railyard I am down to owning only a few houses. My 75mm INF Gun is overrun in the northern part (top yellow star) and the few remnants left keeps falling back. In the Southern parts of the Railyard a ISU-152 shows up and takes position next to a wall ready to take out another of my 75mm INF Gun. That gun however manages to take out a stack of Soviet troops (lower yellow star) with a critical hit bringing German morale back up. 

In the southern parts of the city my 75L AT gun (top yellow star at picture below) gets overrun even if he went out with blazing guns. Even further south more Soviets uncautiously moves into the open (lower yellow star) and a German machinegun bunker kills and breaks them with several bursts. After that my 120mm off board mortars FINALLY manage to get a hit, killing the rest of the poor souls. Turn 5 is where the Soviets suffers the most losses so far when counting squads. Still, I must pick off more to be able to stall his advance. On to Turn 6!!

Turn 6

Oh the agony. In the northeastern parts of the Railyard Soviets keep pushing hard. While advancing out from wooden houses in the center they run into a big minefield, killing and breaking several troops (red stars). In the rubbled building NE of the minefields German HIP AA Guns and Mortars opens up finishing of the broken troops laying in the open and only a few manage to escape back into the buildings. At the Yellow star Soviets advance into the firing positions of a AA Gun but the German crew manage to kill them all in close combat. Furhter south Soviet sniper wrecks havoc on another of my strongpoints. Killing a MMG crew and my best leader (10-2). I get lucky in this area with a good OBA 105mm hit on a T35/85 flame tank, immobilizing it. Same OBA also hit the ISU-152 that is still around here but with no effect. A HIP 75L AT-gun tries to take it out also and fires 4 rounds, all hits. 2 duds and the others just bounce of the turret and hull structures. 

In the south the situation deteriorates even more as a Soviet HS manage to kill more of my Volksturms and break my last leader with troops in the center forcing my to withdraw east. I badly need reforcements now. A PanzerGrenadier Company or two had been fine.....Oh wait. There are no reinforcements to expect....Time to fall back into the Artillery Building.

  

Turn 7

I always thought that the Iron Crosses grew in the East. In Crimea, on the streets of Stalingrad, the Kalmyk Steppes, on the snow covered peaks of Caucasus or at Prokhorovka. I was wrong. It is here, right here where we make our last stand. Here in Königsberg they grow. And they are ripe for the picking.

Turn 7 starts out similar to the other turns. Massive Soviet advance along the entire line from the Pregel River in the north to the Haberberger area in the south. However. Thats the only thing similar to earlier turns. Desperate and heroic german troops fight back in every corner, in every pile of rubble and debris and in every building. Soviet troops run into heavy resistance everywhere but it is on their left flank, in the Rail Yard they suffer the heaviest losses so far. At the East Train Station a german 105mm OBA hit hard on a big stack of Soviet troops breaking most of them. My 75L AT-Gun that last turn fired several shots at the ISU-152 now hits and penetrates the upper structure and wrecks the tank although the crew manage to escape. Further north at my from now on "Festung Bernstein Werke" (Amber) the Soviets keep assaulting my positions. In the Soviet advance phase they manage to close in on my 20L AA and also the 75L AT Gun that just took out the ISU-152. AT-Crew is killed instantly but the AA crew locks the Soviet squad in melee which will prove fatal. For the Soviets.

 

German side of the turn and I need to either counter attack or fall back from Festung "Bernstein Werke". There are now Iron Crosses for those who retreat so I decide to counter attack. First my 105mm artillery hit hard on already broken Soviet units killing several of them at the East Train Station (low right on picture). Then my mortar (Wittman) in Festung "Bernstein Werke" spots another stack of broken Soviets and ROF the hell out of them killing another bunch of squads. Then in move phase my JagdPz IV move up close to some Soviets trying to move into Festung "Bernstein Werke" but I miss my bounding fire and then a german Elite unit and a 8-0 leader moves up close to the same Soviet troops. The Soviet fire have no effect but when I return fire I break them. In rout phase they die due to failure to rout. That same Elite with leader then advance into the melee, killing the Soviet Squad without losses. Taking back the gun position, securing Festung "Bernstein Werke". The Battle of the Rail Yard is far from over! 

Halfway through the scenario I need to comment on the losses taken for both sides. Until 1 or 2 turns ago the losses of squads was very similar. Last 2 turns has changed that. Only in the German half of turn 7 the Soviet lost 7 Squads!!

German Losses: 16 Squads, 1 panzer and 3 leaders.

Soviet Losses: 27 Squads, 8 tanks and 1 leader.

Turn 8 & 9

The Soviets keep pushing all along the front line even after suffering heavy losses during turn 7. On their left flank they try to move up close to my JgdPz IV with two 4-4-7 squads. I manage to score a hit with the 75L cannon and break one squad as it charges. The other 4-4-7 squad manage to advance into CC but my Nahverteidigungswaffe (sN) loaded with Sprenggranatpatrone 326 sweeped them away with a 1,1 DR on the IFT. The 81 mm mortar (Wittman) who smashed several squads to pieces last turn runs out of ammo completly and is now useless. Further south my still hidden 105mm OBA spotter manage to adjust the onboard FFE and make it land ontop of a T34/85 turning it into a wreck and killing the crew. However, in turn 9 the Soveits figure out where they are and advance to kill it in CC. They do go out in a blast bringing an enemy squad with them. The Soviet center and right advance slowly as I fall back with little action taking place. Below picture is the overview at the end of T8. Yellow stars marks VC positions. 1) Railyard to the North West. 2) Bridges 3) Courthouse to the North East, 4) Artillery Building to the South East. 5) Last VC is the control of 25 Building Complexes. This last VC is not marked.

Turn 10 & 11

The focus is still on the last defenses of the Rail Yard. Festung Bernstein Werke keeps holding even though it is under heavy attack. My JgdPz fires again at an incoming Soviet squad but it turns him into a Berserker. That squad later charges the JgdPz pinning my tank to only target that squad. While that is happening a T34, forced out of its hiding when the buildings around it turns into blaze moves in and passes my JgdPz together with another Soviet Squad. The Squad attacks one of my leaders and both units die in the slaughter. The Berserker attacking my JgdPz is killed by Nahverteidigungswaffe (sN) just as last CC. As the T34 turns its turret around a German crew manage to shoot a Panzerfaust into its hull turning it into a pile of blazing junk. Another assault takes place just southeast of the 20L AA but they advance into a minefield. A Soviet leader breaks, and is then wounded by gun fire and later killed as it tries to retreat. The Soviets keep pushing as more Soviet units assault and overrun my 2nd 20L AA further east. Later on my JgdPz advance up close to an enemy leader that is broken in a house close to the Festung. That leader is then killed for failure to rout. The losses are staggering around the Festung but more enemy troops gather around to another follow up assault. On my left flank I keep falling back east with little or no combat taking place. 

Overview before the German move of T11. Soveit targets are marked Yellow Stars.

Turn 12

Without any more ground to give my Germans prepares for the final stand. Festung "Bernstein Werke" is now breached and several Soviet troops assault from different directions. My heroic 20L AA together with an Elite German Squad from the 171st Infanterie Regiment manage to break and throwback a few with heavy defensive fire but 2 enemy Squads manage to move in and attack it in HtH Combat but both sides get locked. Just east of that 20 LL another Soviet Squad moves into the same building. Later in the German side of the turn I manage to first suppress and pin the Soviet 4-5-8 that just moved in on the East side of the building. An aggressive follow up CC attack surprises them and I kill it, retaking the building hex. The troops locked in melee at my 20L AA gun all meet their maker as they die for their respective Father and Mother land. My JgdPz IV moves west along the river, takes back the bridge VP hex and then turns south to face an incoming enemy T34/85.

Below picture shows (Red Star) the location of the last heroic stand of the 20L AA crew and the (Yellow Star) successful counter attack of U42. Far left shows the JgdPz IV starting to aquire incoming enemy tank. 

      

On my left flank (Soviet right) the enemy is now in close proximity of the Artillery Economy Building marked with a yellow circle in below picture (One of the VCs). My 150mm INF Gun hurls 45kg rounds with no effect as the Soviets with clever movement, using cellars and trenches manage to bring a substantial number of troops very close without losses. At the end of the turn they have managed to kill a German HMG crew and position themselves to clean out the building.

As turn 12 ends, leaving 3 turns to go we take a look at the casualties. Soviet 97th Division and German 171st Regiment who both still fight in the Rail Yard has almost seized to exist. Both have taken way over 80% losses. Both sides other units have suffered less but with the coming fight over the Artillery Building I can assume my Germans will take some heavy losses to Flamethrowers and DCs. Below picture gives an overview on the total amount of losses. Excluded are broken SW, broken guns and 2 Soviet immobilized T34/85 Flame Tanks.

Germans

• Crew: 13
• Squads: 13 (9 of which are Volksturm)
• Leaders: 4 (1 tank leader)
• AFV: 1 JgdPz IV

Soviets

• Crew: 5
• Squads: 36.5 (mostly 4-4-7/4-5-8)
• Leaders: 4
• AFV: 8 (3 ISU-152, 2 T34/85, 3 T34 M43) 

 Turn 13, the End

The Soviets are in a great hurry. They have secured 1 objective (25+ city blocks) and desperately need another 3 objectives to secure victory. In and around the Artillery building Soviet troops advance into the badly damaged building securing cellars. Since speed is needed they move quickly sacrificing protection. 3 Soviet MMC moving up in one of the staircases gets mowed down by one of my few defending HMG at point blank, completely wiping them. Most of my troops manage to fall back to the eastern parts of the building while 1 MMC gets caught in melee. I still hold on to more than half of the objective. Below is the final situation at the end of Turn 13 in the area of the Artillery Building (Marked yellow star).

In the center there is not much action, except that I loose an AT gun at the Aschhof Warehouse and the Soviets reach the Pregel river seperating my troops that are left in the Rail Yard from the City Center.

On the Soviet left flank "Festung Bernstein Werke" still holds while on the far left last of the T34/85s engages my JgdPz IV in a duel 1 vs 1. Last chance to take back the Railroad Bridge across the Pregel. The Soviet tank moves into my covered arc and I take a shot at him, hitting his hull but it just bounces of causing no damage. The T34 dives in behind a wreck, stops and fire back. MISS! Having taken one shot already I am now zeroed in on him. In my Prep I hit him again in the hull but this time its a clean hit, killing the crew and turning the tank into a wreck. Below is a picture of the final situation at the end of Turn 13. My heroic JgpdPz at the left yellow star and the insane defenders of Festung Bernstein Werke on the right yellow star. They are clinging on to some captured soviet LMGs.

With only 2 turns to go we both now realise it is impossible for the Soviets to secure their last objectives. Having lost a strong assault team in the stairs of the Artillery Building AND the last of the T34/85s able to retake the bridge all hope is gone. 

Final thoughts

My plan worked fairly well. To slowly fall back, trade ground for time and occasionally perform counter attacks. But it wasnt an easy task. The first 4 turns was a pain and I thought this was going to be quick. But. Then it turned around. Turn 5 gave me hope. 6 & 7 reinforced that hope and then the whole Soviet advance turned into a brown crawling snail. It lost the speed and power it had in the beginning. My greatest fear was that my enemy would break through at some point and getting behind my lines but that basically didnt happen until the last turn. That saved me. I do think my enemy should have used more speed in the beginning and try to punch through at a few points. As it turne dout the whole Soviet line slowly advanced without really smashing through anywhere. But truth be told, Iwas also helped by the dice in and around the hard battles for the Rail Yard. One of the Melee I won was against all odds....

This scenario had everything. I have cried (almost), laughed (yes..I am a bad winner...) learned (rules) and enjoyed every single minute and hour playing it. This is why I love ASL.

Short notes from the opponent during the game

Turn 1-5: My plan of attack goes fairly well. A few mistakes in the setup, a little bit heavy on the casualties and an air support attacking my own troops. But all-in-all my moral is high.

Turn 6-8: Everything goes down the drain. I’m getting bogged down and shot up. Heavy losses both in tanks and in infantry. My moral is down and so is my speed and aggressiveness. The noth-eastern Railyard is eating away my infantry and I can’t get any supporting tanks och OBA to help them. I realized I missed to search the one place his OBA Observer was hiding out. In the south everything has stalled and I’ve lost momentum.

Turn 9-11: I start out with killing his OBA Observer. Finally!!! It should have been done 4 turns earlier. I roll snakes on my PMC and realize I can still win this. In the south I’ve got a solid force and keep pressing on. I decide to start attacking in the center due north, just to the east of the Railyard, in an attempt to reach bridge in Z41 and to cut of the Germans in the Railyard.

In the Railyard I continue to slug it out. I send all available men (crews and AOTs) into the fray. I go fore CC against his infantry and his remaining AFV. I even get a T34/85 in behind his AFV.

But all is in vain. The 95^th and 99^th in the south are to far behind schedule to be able to reach their target. In the north the German stronghold and AFV remains, having fought of all attacks and killing a lot of my men.

Turn 12-13: My forces are severely depleted and the odds are not in my favor. I try one last push but it was basically over already. After the remaining German Jagtpanther shot-up another T34/85 in turn 13 I conceded. The battle was over and I was already on a train to Gulag courtesy of Stalin himself.

Final notes from the opponent

I believe my plan was viable. I made some mistakes in the setup, e.g. by keeping support weapons to far back, as I was afraid of his OBA and mortars. But these mistakes where by no means insurmountable. My biggest failure was in loosing my aggressiveness and tempo way to early, already around turn 4. This along with the hellish turn 6, 7 and 8 (where I lost my PMC several times) and Peter’s quality of game was my undoing.

A lot of lessons learned and a great time playing this scenario. Many thanks goes to George Kelln for letting us play-test this scenario.

My friend, well played! Next time I’ll get you...

The Final Final thoughts

This AAR, especially the last part (T13) suffered a long delay due to unfortunate real life events. The world lost three great men who deserved to live longer. The last of this AAR are for you.

In memoriam

the Great Carpenter
the Great Sailor
the Great Uncle

Always remembered.