panzergruppe guderian

Updated 11/30/2009

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 2009 WBC Report  

  2010 Status: pending December Membership Trial Vote

Robert Frisby, VA

2009 Champion

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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
2005     Robert Frisby      24
2006     John Popiden      17
2007     Michael Pustilnik      18
2008      John Popiden      11
2009      Robert Frisby      16

PBeM Event History
2006    John Popiden      22
2008    Jim Tracey      28
 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Robert Frisby      VA    09    239
  2.  John Popiden       CA    09    176
  3.  James Tracy        OH    09    118
  4.  Michael Pustilnik  NY    09     92
  5.  Bill Borys         qc    08     48
  6.  Keith Schoose      CA    06     42
  7.  Jeff Hacker        PA    08     37
  8.  Larry Meyers       IL    08     28
  9.  Kevin Hacker       PA    07     28
 10.  Phil Rennert       MD    00     18
 11.  Doug Porterfield   VA    03     17
 12.  Forrest Metz       CA    08     17
 13.  John Keating       IL    05     16
 14.  Mark Hinkle        NH    03      9
 15.  Nick Markevich     CA    00      9
 16.  John Clarke        FL    09      6
 17.  Mauro Faina        it    06      6
 18.  Max Zavanelli      FL    00      6
 19.  Peter Reese        VA    99      6
 20.  Michael Kaye       MD    08      4
 21.  Charles Phillips   PA    06      4
 22.  Marty Musella      VA    01      3
 23.  Lance Cresswell    VA    09      2
 24.  Hans Egneus        sw    99      2

2009 Laurelists                                     Repeating Laurelists:

Jim Tracy, OH
2nd

John Popiden, CA
3rd

Michael Pustilnik, NY
4th

John Clarkle, FL
5th

Lance Cresswell, VA
6th


Past Winners

Phil Rennert, MD
1991-1996

Michael Pustilnik, NY
1998, 2001, 2007

Robert Frisby, VA
1999-00, 02, 05, 09

Keith Schoose, CA
2003

John Popiden, CA
2004, 2006, 2008


Bill Morse's computer printouts keep all the grognard preliminary scores current.

James Tracy and Paul Koenig push cardboard during the Free Form preliminaries.

More Grognard Fare ...

In this year's Final, Robert Frisby's Soviets defeated Jim Tracy's Germans. Tracy had prevailed as the Germans against Frisby in the 2008 PBeM Final and Frisby prevailed in several earlier WBC contests. On Turn 5 the Germans achieved a breakthrough northwest of Smolensk after blasting several weak stacks of Soviet units. This enabled them to surround and destroy several Soviet divisions. The Germans subsequently moved south, surrounding and eventually taking Smolensk. The Soviets mustered barely enough reserves to plug the holes in their line, and the German offensive began to slow down south and northeast of Smolensk after a string of poor die rolls and the loss of a panzer division in a 1-2 overrun. Having bid 61 VPs, Tracy needed to take Yelna and Roslavl to win. With the Soviet line holding firm and both cites seemingly out of reach, the Germans conceded on Turn 11.

In his semi-final match, Frisby's Soviets defeated John Popiden's Germans. Frisby prevailed as the Germans against Popiden in the 2005 Final, and Popiden defeated Frisby in the 2004 quarter-final, the 2006 and 2008 semi-finals, and the 2006 PBeM Final. On Turn 4 the Germans penetrated the Soviet main line of defense northwest of Smolensk, forcing the Soviets to commit their reserves to strengthen their line. On Turn 5 the Germans needed to prevail in a 1-2 overrun in their second movement phase to break through the Soviet line. Most of the German mechanized divisions were in position to overrun or advance through the Soviet line if the overruns succeeded. While in two previous matches Popiden successfully used 1-2 overruns to create decisive breakthroughs on Turn 4 or 5, this time around all of his 1-2 overruns failed (including one that resulted in the loss of a panzer division). This enabled the Soviets to stabilize their line. The Germans later took Smolensk but their offensive stalled in the south. Having bid 60 VPs, Popiden needed to take both Yelna and Roslavl to win. With German losses mounting (one panzer division lost and three mechanized divisions losing a regiment, two of them to Soviet counterattacks) and the Soviet line holding, the Germans conceded on Turn 10.

In the other semi-final match, Tracy's Germans defeated Michael Pustilnik's Soviets. The Germans pressed forward and took Smolensk without achieving a major breakthrough, but their offensive initially made slow progress in the south. Tracy needed to take Yelna and Roslavl to win, and the Soviet line west of the two cities held until Turn 11. On that turn, the Germans took Roslavl on a 1-1 overrun and finally penetrated the Soviet line west of Yelna. German mechanized units took Yelna and pinned down most of the nearby Soviet reserves. On Turn 12 the Soviets proved unable to recapture either city.

This year we continued the practice of bidding VPs to play the Germans, and in games between experienced players the bids typically ranged from 60 to 65 VPs. The Germans won most of the games. They won 10 of the 13 games played prior to the semi-finals; however, the Soviets won the Final and one of the semi-final games. Thus the Germans won 11 of the 16 games played overall. We will likely retain the bidding system next year.

John Popiden and Kevin Hacker battle.

James Tracy fell short in the Final as Frisby took his fifth title.
 GM      Robert Frisby  [4th Year]   10086 Tummel Falls Dr, Bristow, VA 20136  
    frisby100@aol.com   703-220-1277

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