I was surprised when I read the name of the designer of this scenario: Eric Bongiovanni. I met Eric when I was at the ASL Scandinavian Open. I don’t remember him mentioning that he designed scenarios. I searched the archive and found sixteen scenarios designed by him although some are duplicates in different publications. He has a lot of scenarios in a publication called Volfoni Brothers Scenarios. His most well-known scenario is another that I have played: J159 TROPIC THUNDER. I did not remember that he was the designer.

DB185 packs a lot of action into the small space of one board, 12a. Both sides gain VP for stone/rubble hexes and for mobile AFV with functioning MA. It is April 25, 1945 in Germany. The Russians are defending. The Germans enter from off-board, so the Russians control all the VP locations on the map, despite not being able to set up everywhere. They set up west of the blue dashed line. By SSR, the ploughed field hexes are bog terrain and soft ground is in effect.

The Russians defend with a mix of elite and first-line squads, two elite HS, two leaders (9-2, 8-0), two MMG, three LMG, a BAZ44(!), a DC, a 50mm mortar and two IS-2 tanks. By SSR the Russian tanks can set up dug-in. The IS-2 have a circled B11, no rate of fire and they cannot intensive fire. On turn four, the Russians received two T34/85 tanks, two 628 squads, a 9-1 and a DC. Shown below is the Russian defence.

The Russian player made good use of level one locations to cover a lot of the terrain that the Germans must cross. I wouldn’t have put the bazooka in the steeple, however. Using some dummies to make a fake tank is a requirement to me, but I would have used only one dummy tank. I played the Germans.

The German OB is SS; by SSR they are subject to the late war SS rules. They have fourteen squads of various types and morales of eight and seven. There are four leaders (9-2, 9-1, 8-1, 8-0), two MMG, four LMG, two PSK, a Tiger2, two Panther G tanks and a Hetzer. On turn three, the Germans receive two 447 SS squads, and 8-1, a PSK and a Hetzer. All of these forces enter from the east (bottom in image) edge. Here is what the Germans see.

The rules for placing dummies give away that the AFV covering the road is real. The IS-2 can put a hole in any of the German AFV; only the hull of the Tiger2 can survive a hit. The Germans would be risking a lot to enter on the right side of center road.

I had two AFV bog during turn one. I was careless for a nano-second about watching the level one LOS. A one down two shot took away an 8-0 leader and a HS.

The church in C14 would fall to the Germans with 1.5 Russian squads eliminated as the Germans very slowly pressed forward over several turns. One of the bogged AFV mired, but later rolled the right dice to get out.

I sacrificed a Hetzer to set up several ways to kill the dug-in IS-2. It would later fall in close combat. 

The German reinforcements came in on their right flank despite one Russian MG covering the entry area. The MG broke one squad that would never come back. I think a turning point came when the Russian reinforcements entered on turn four.

I would have brought the infantry in as riders to get them farther forward. The Tiger2 broke its MA. I let the VC requirement convince me that the tank was expendable, so I tried to repair the MA. The tank was recalled. During Russian turn five, a T34 moved into a building and fell into the cellar. During the final German turn, the Russian player counted VP and decided he had lost too many to be able to recover and so conceded. Here is the end-of-game situation.

I enjoyed the scenario and I recommend it.