Hill 621 ETO (id:#56512)
Avalon Hill (Classic ASL ID: E)   [next]   [previous]
Prior Publication: SL 5, AH: The General 23-2 ASL E(Revision: MMP Website (Download))
See Also: Hill 621 by Avalon Hill
Designer: John Hill
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
RussianGerman
53.114754098361%

Overview:

In late June 1944, the Soviets began what eventually would be known as the “Destruction of Army Group Center”. The key to this offensive was the city of Minsk. Should it be captured, numerous German formations would be hopelessly cut off. One of the vital routes for the German retreat was via Stolbtsky Highway which ran behind a series of low ridges and then crossed the Berezina River south of Minsk. On July 1st, the much overworked and understrength German 170th Infantry Division was overwhelmed by elements of the Fifth Guards Army. The survivors took to their heels and attempted to patch together a defense along the last line of ridges overlooking the escape route to Minsk. The Russians, in probing for a weakness in the German line, had managed to overrun the German-held village of Letornovski and were boiling towards the ridges. Hurriedly gathered German reinforcements were converging in an attempt to patch up the line and hold Hill 621, key to the defense.
Attacker: Russian (5th Guards Army)
Defender: German (170th Infantry Division: Letornovski Garrison)  
10 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: German     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:56.0 D:13.0
AFVs: A:11
SU-152 x 2
SU-122 x 3
T-34 M43 x 6
ZIS-5 x 2

AFVs: D:15
PzKpfw IVH x 4
PzKpfw IIIN
StuG IIIG (L) x 2
StuH 42
SPW 251/sMG
SPW 251/1 x 5
SPW 250/1

Guns: A:0 D:2
7.5cm PaK 40
5cm PaK 38

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: At start all German units undergo morale checks, if they fail, they are broken.
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
In the version appearing in ASL Classic, the Russian reinforcements shown as entering on Turn 3 should instead enter on Turn 5.MMP
Note: the OBA is listed as Russian on the Scenario Archive here, but the Germans have the OBA according to the Scenario CardScenario Card
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2026-05-25(A) Dave Mareske vs Dennis Dowd Russian winThe Germans ran for the hill and tried to set up a reverse slope defense with some tanks up on the hill. The Russians were able to catch enough of the fleeing Army Group Centre to cause chaos and with not much to slow them down, the Russians were able to swarm the hill with infantry. We called the game in turn 7.
2026-05-19(D) Asad Rustum vs Jacob Elmqvist German win
2026-03-21(A) Tripp Killin vs Phil Watkins Russian win
2026-03-14(A) Jeff Waldon vs Richard Burton Russian winMarch Madness
2025-10-28(D) Craig Renier vs Bob Zinselmeyer German winHard fought battle. It was touch and go for both sides. The Russians made a couple rash moves that cost them 2 leaders leaving them unable to rally all the broken units scattered across the battle field. Still, once they started climbing the hill, the Germans were hard pressed to keep them off the ridge. The Russians captured 5 hexes, but were pushed off one. In the end, they didn't have enough infantry to retake the final hill hex as the armor succumbed to PFs.
2025-10-09(D) David Garvin vs Nick Faryna German win
2025-08-20(A) Doug Bleyaert vs Mike Nicely German winWent down to the last turn - Russian captured 6 hill hexes but could not hold onto them for the German. A great back and forth game, with the highlight being a berserk Russian HS charging 12 hexes (taking 2 turns to get there) to take out the crew of the 75L ATG. This is one every ASL needs to play once to have the experience.
2025-03-17(A) Paul Works vs Dave Mareske Russian win
2025-03-17(D) Dave Mareske vs Paul Works Russian win
2024-02-15(D) David Ramsey vs Martin Barker Russian winAs featured in IR99.
2024-01-18(D) manzoli andrea vs Galletto Russian win
2024-01-18(A) Savo Barbero vs Opponent Aanonymous Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
2023-10-03(D) John Garlic vs Gary Bartlett German win2023 ASLOK XXXVI
2023-05-18(A) Tuomo Lukkari vs Mikko Lukkari Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
2022-06-24(A) Dave Mareske vs Craig Renier Russian winOne of the best and I got to play with my best friend from High School when we played this as SL scenario back in the day. Did not disappoint with lots of twists and turns. It took to the very end to overrun and break a German position on one of the hilltops to win, but the valiant Russians were able to get the job done.
2022-06-24(D) Craig Renier vs Dave Mareske Russian win
2021-04-27(A) Russell Dewhurst vs Gordon Russian win
2020-06-02(A) Gordon Jupp vs Simon Church Russian winGame went to the last turn with the Germans clinging on, but a CH from a 152 and Russian numbers overwhelmed them at the end :)
2020-04-10(A) patrick palma vs Zeb Tingley German win
2020-01-04(A) Jason Wert vs Michael Daschbach Russian win
2020-01-03(D) Louis Langdeau vs Lee M German winCrazy game. I set up too far forward, and my inexperience with artillery showed with how badly my 80mm spotter was positioned. I managed to scrape together just enough resistance that Lee didn't beat my fourth turn reinforcements to the hill, and set up in a reverse slope defense with my Panzers on the south hill overlooking the approaches to L3 of Hill 621. At this point, a big armor battle kicked off, with Lee pushing aggressively around the top to clear a path for his infantry, while shelling from afar with his SU-152s. I got the better of the exchanges, and once it was clear that my armor was going to finish off the last of his tanks, he called it.
2019-12-02(A) B-E Karlsson vs German German win
2019-07-26(A) O Ramaille vs Russian winThe German retreating elements tried to delay the Russian waves of attack without much success. The arrival of the 4 Panzer IVH caused some chaos among the Russian first troops in the grain. However, the appearance of 6 T-34/43 tanks caused mayhem among the German panzers. Nothing could prevent the Russian troops to reach the hill 621 ridge. Ober Greup and his assault engineers defended it during some time before being torn to pieces by the T-34s. The OBA also took his toll among the Russians. The 75L AT gun wrecked some assault guns. The reinforcements by Stugs relieved the hopeless defense a few minutes. But it did not help at the end. The Russians were too numerous for the Germans.
2019-06-22(A) Dave Mareske vs Bob Zinselmeyer Russian winPlayed at Texas Tournament. Great scenario and despite early German bad luck it still took the Russians to the end to win after the German 10-3 ripped through my squads with a HMG. Bob was fun to play!
2019-03-21(A) David Garvin vs Chuck Tewksbury Russian win
2019-03-17(D) Gordon Jupp vs Nick Holmshaw German winRussian infantry suffered badly from the MG fire and OBA....Called it on T6....
2019-01-18(A) A Fifteen vs Stephen Frum German win
2019-01-12(A) Will Willow vs David Lamb German winFTF
2018-08-06(D) todd Rezack vs Peter D Russian win
2017-08-05(D) Dan Best vs Kermit Mullins German win
2017-08-05(A) Kermit Mullins vs Dan Best German winMy all-time favorite scenario! I never get tired of playing it, but this time was rough. As the Russians, I was spanked hard on the behind by Dan's well-placed fire lanes. His arty and machine guns decimated me on Board 4. His armor came in and mopped up. My armor failed to do anything and by Turn 4 it was clear that the Germans were not going to lose. So I offered the concession and asked for a truce to collect my battalion's worth of dead and wounded Russians. Oh the countermanity.
2017-01-15(D) Miikka Sohlman vs Petri Rissanen German win
2016-01-17(A) Kevin Duval vs Dwayne Duval German win
2016-01-17(D) Dwayne Duval vs Kevin Duval German win
2015-09-14(A) B-E Karlsson vs German German win
2014-06-23(A) Jeff B vs David Mareske Russian winThe Russians hid from the initial OBA and the reinforcement OBA radio broke, never even getting a chance to unleash its doom. The Russian tanks held their own, the MG nest came alive when the
9-2 leader came aboard, and it was just a matter of time before the hoard swarmed the hill.
2013-06-23(A) Andy Hershey vs Keith Spurlock German win[Imported from ROAR]
2013-06-23(D) keith Spurlock vs Andy Hershey German win[Imported from ROAR]
2013-04-24(A) Jeff T vs Jerry Russian winWe played this in 2 and 3 hour sessions, once a week over the last couple months. It started out well for the Russians who didn't have many infantry losses early. The Germans came on strong about Turn 8 as the OBA finally came down hard and a couple of good kills on Russian armor and 2 malf'd guns on Russian SP guns left the Russian infantry exposed to the Panzer counterattack. However the dice gods turned again and the Russians got hot. A critical roll in the scenario was Jerry rolling boxcars on his radio contact roll on Russian Turn 9 (DFPh). With the OBA out of action, the Russians swarmed the hill in numbers. Jerry got 2 half-squads into the 5th level 3 hill hex (one via berserk) but it wasn't enough to survive the point blank advancing fire in Russian turn 10 and the Russians won a very close affair. Really a classic, fun scenario. Highly recommended.
2013-02-04(A) Andy Beaton vs Richard Hooks German winAwesome scenario - 23 hours of tight action and the Germans pulled it out at the last second with some awesome rolling. One of the all time greats.
2010-05-01(A) Glen Taylor vs Hegdahl German winGreat scenario. Russian loss due to some good OBA from the from the Germans. Lots of fun!!!
2010-01-03(A) Neil Andrews vs Gordon Stokes Russian winI said it all in my last play through of this
Gordo and I swapped sides and I had the Soviets this time through
They managed to brave the fire of the German defenders and over come them in the end
2009-11-12(D) Paolo Cariolato vs Alessandro Canevese German win
2009-06-01(A) William Raynovich vs Anthony Galica German win
2009-06-01(A) William Raynovich vs Anthony Galica German win
2009-04-04(A) Neil Andrews vs Gordon Stokes Russian winWhat can one say......
Still the best stand alone scenario
2009-03-30(A) James Lowry vs Patch Bunny German win
2009-03-28(A) Jeff Waldon vs Frank Tozier Russian winFtF
2008-10-25(A) David Ramsey vs Martin Barker Russian winThe Germans were just swallowed up in this one. Next to no units survived from the initial attack and the reinforcements had too much to do, coming onto the map under heavy fire.
2006-10-13(D) Paolo Cariolato vs Fabrizio Da Pra Russian win
2006-09-13(A) fabrizio da pra vs Paolo Cariolato Russian win
2005-12-15(D) Keith Colins vs John Van Marter German winThis on lives up to the Hype, great sceario
2005-06-23(A) Michel Bongiovanni vs Eric Bongiovanni Russian win
2005-06-10(D) Eric Partizan Eric vs Michel Bongiovanni Russian win
2005-05-06(D) Alan Peterson vs Josh Gilbert German win
2004-05-13(A) Steffen Knippel vs Jack Dionne German win
2001-10-19(D) Neil Andrews vs Bruce Probst Russian winWhat does one say about this scenario
It IS one of if not the best single scenarios available
Pretty much anything and everything can happen
Brilliant stuff
2001-07-24(A) Sam Tyson vs David Rosner Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
2001-06-16(A) Hennie van der Salm vs Peter Struijf German win[Imported from ROAR]
1999-06-15(A) David Ramsey vs Lyon ASL Club Draw(did not finish)
1998-12-18(A) Hennie van der Salm vs Roderick Moolenaars Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
1998-05-16(A) Will Fleming vs Phil Petry German win[Imported from ROAR]
1995-06-11(A) John Garlic vs Bill Stahlman Russian win
1992-08-30(D) Kermit Mullins vs Scott Waites Draw
View all or balance report
ActionDate
atomic Added a playing2026-05-31 21:52:11
atomic Rated the scenario2026-05-31 21:51:20
dmareske Added a playing2026-05-25 16:22:13
ubertripp Added a playing2026-03-22 13:54:04
jrwusmc Added a playing2026-03-15 03:38:50
FileDescriptionUserViews
(pic147526_sized.jpg)ImageDave3651
SU-152:Soviet self-propelled 152 mm gun-howitzer (SU-152.png)Imagehoxson12105
(!sov-germ.png)Imagehoxson11988
(hill621 alt boards batisse.jpg)Map Imagehoxson11910
VASL TemplateVASL Templatepacman-ghost1658
ScreenshotVASL Template Screenshotpacman-ghost1826
VASL SetupVASL (via template) save filepacman-ghost2140
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SU-152:Soviet self-propelled 152 mm gun-howitzer
 
Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.86Votes: 64
Views: 35614
To-Play list count: 17
Estimated Play time: 27.4 hours
Recorded Games: 58
Archive recorded plays:
Russian29
German27
Drawn:2

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Hill 621 [Confirmed]
[A] Russian 133
[D] German 116
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