panzergruppe guderian [Updated October 2004]  

 2004 WBC Report  

 2005 Status: pending December Membership Century Vote

John Popiden, CA

2004 Champion

2nd: Bill Borys, QUE

3rd: Jim Tracy, OH

4th: Robert Frisby, VA

5th: Keith Schoose

6th: John Keating, IL

Event History
1991    Phil Rennert      16
1992    Phil Rennert      10
1993    Phil Rennert      12
1994    Phil Rennert      11
1995    Phil Rennert        8
1996    Phil Rennert        8
1998    Michael Pustilnik      10
1999    Robert Frisby     16
2000    Robert Frisby     16
2001     Michael Pustilnik     14
2002     Robert Frisby      16
2003     Keith Schoose      16
2004     John Popiden      16


Offsite links:

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 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Robert Frisby

MD

04
105
 2. Michael Pustilnik

NY

02
 42
 3. Keith Schoose

CA

04
 36
 4.  James Tracy

OH

04
 33
 5. John Popiden

CA

04
 30
 6. Jeff Hacker

PA

01
 22
 7. Bill Borys

QUE

04
 18
 8. Phil Rennert

MD

00
 18
 9. Doug Porterfield

VA

03
 17
10. Larry Meyers

IL

02
 13
11. John Keating

IL

04
 12
12. Mark Hinkle

NH

03
   9
13. Nick Markevich

CA

00
   9
14. Kevin Hacker

PA

02
   9
15. Max Zavanelli

FL

00
   6
16. Peter Reese

VA

99
   6
17. Marty Musella

VA

01
   3
18. Hans Egneus

Sweden

99
   2

Past Winners

Phil Rennert - MD
1991-1996

Michael Pustilnik - NY
1998, 2001

Robert Frisby - VA
1999-2000, 2002

Keith Schoose - CA
2003
 


Another New Face in the Winner's Circle ...

This year two newcomers to the WBC, John Popiden and Bill Borys, placed first and second respectively. Two former champions, Robert Frisby and Keith Schoose, lost in the second round courtesy of the new blood. Welcome to the pool.

This year the VP bids to play the German side ranged from 49 to 60, with a median bid of 55. The Soviets won about 54% of the games played. Over the last few years, the bids have been trending down as Soviet players continue to dominate. Last year, the Soviets won a higher percentage.

In the final, with neither the 16th nor the 19th Army able to move, Popiden bid 49 to play the German side. During the first three turns, the Soviets deployed their main forces in a line defending Smolensk and Roslavl while the Germans reduced the Soviet forces defending the western quarter of the map. On turn 3,, the Germans began assaulting the northern part of the Soviet line, which ran from 1806 to a screen in front of Roslavl. The Soviets defended Smolensk by deploying stacks of three rifle units in 1814, 2015, 2216, 2217, and 2418. The turn 3 attacks did not have any major impact.
 
On turn 4, with the entire German mech force arrayed for a major assault to the north of Smolensk, the Germans probed 1711 and found another strong hex: an 8 and a 5. Then the Germans tried a 1-2 overrun against 1814 and destroyed an HQ on an ENG result. The main attack at 1814 was a 3-1 --- it resulted in a D1 which left two 5's in the hex. The second prong of the German assault was an attack against the two divisions in 1808 which, after the probe, were known to be a 4 and a 3. A D1/A1 left the Germans ready to overrun the one division (the 4) that remained. With many of the German mech divisions ready to roll, they overran 1814 at 1-2 with a D1/A1 result. The two 5's, now disrupted, retreated to 1914. The Germans overran the single armor in 1913 --- a 7 --- and rolled a D1/A1. This left the 5 HQ in 2011 holding the line. Successful German overruns through 1808 enabled a motorized regiment to pin the 5 HQ and place it out of supply so that the Germans were able to destroy it on a 2-1 overrun. This placed the Soviet frontline north of Smolensk out of supply. After a total of twelve overruns on turn 4, Das Reich regiments reached 2714, 2514 & 2410 and a full Panzer division reached 2315. Overall the Soviets lost six divisions and three HQ's.
 
On turn 5, the Soviets did not have any HQ's left north of Smolensk. The Soviets launched several counterattacks to form a new line. Some of the attacks succeeded (one of them destroying the Lehr regiment), but one key attack on a Das Reich regiment failed. As a result, the hole in the Soviet line remained. German overruns on turn 5 led to the elimination of 17 Soviet units and the last 5 HQ. The Germans also surrounded Smolensk and Soviet units defending nearby --- ten divisions and two HQ's.

On turn 6, the Germans eliminated another fifteen divisions and two HQ's. At the start of turn 7, with eleven divisions without HQ's cut off in the north and only twenty divisions left to defend the cities other than Smolensk, the Soviets conceded. The German victory ended at least a five-year losing streak for the Germans in the PGG final.

 GM      Robert Frisby  [2nd Year]   10086 Tummel Falls Dr., Bristow, VA 20136  
    Frisby100@aol.com   NA

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