1944 Eastern Front Scenario

In January I ran a 1944 Eastern Front scenario using Blitzkrieg Commander at the GameKastle in Fremont.   This was a Russian Mechanized Corps assault against an entrenched German defense.   Russian forces followed a set schedule of appearance while the Germans drew their forces from a selection of predetermined forces.   The two front line battle groups were KG Gerbel and a Falschirmjager battalion.  The second line was KG Sturm.   Surprisingly, KG Sturm has been drawn by the Germans in each of the games that i have run.  John Leary and Tibor Ipavic commanded the Germans, while I helped Dan with the Russians.

The Germans started in entrenched positions using hidden deployment.  They also had several minefields.   Each battalion had an off-table 105mm battery in support and there was an off-table 155mm battery that either battalion could call.  The Russians had nine batteries of 75mm artillery, 9 batteries of 120mm mortars, and two batteries of 122mm rocket launchers.   The 75mm guns had two turns of smoke assets and eight turns of high explosive assets.   The mortars had ten turns of high explosive assets.  The rocket launchers had four turns of high explosive assets and could only fire every other turn.   Some of the Russian artillery fire was able to damage the German defenders, but much of it fell on empty ground.   The major town in the German rear was reduced to rubble though the German reserves near it were not affected.

A while back I created several fictional battle groups for Blitzkrieg Commander.   Each of these battle groups has a composition that will vary somewhat from year to year.  The Germans have about 10 different battalion sized formations, including a falschirmjager battalion, a panzerjager battalion, a panzer battalion, a recon battalion, a motorized/panzergrenadier battalion, an understrength infantry battalion, a volksgrenadier battalion, and several mixed composition kampfgruppes.  The Russians also have several different formations they can choose from.  These include two infantry brigades/regiments, two tank brigades, a heavy tank brigade/regiment, a group of assault gun battalions, and some miscellaneous formations.

The initial Russian force was the 2nd infantry brigade.   This was divided into two equal sized formations of two battalions each by adding a second CO and a second infantry gun, and replacing the 120mm mortar with an 81mm mortar.  The initial Russian attack made slow progress, averaging just over one activation per turn per infantry battalion.  The two battalions in the center were barely able to make one activation per turn while the two flanking battalions outpaced the center ones.   Dan's right flank battalion took heavy casualties as it advanced on the hill in front of it.  The arrival of the assault guns on turn four helped and Dan was able to clear the Germans from the hill.

Both sides did roll a couple of blunders, but they had little effect or actually helped..

On the Russian left their lead infantry elements started making contact with the falschirmjagers.   Both sides blazed away at each other to little effect.   We had reached turn eight, but had to end the game as two of the players had previous engagements they had to attend.

Dan provided the hills and the fields.   The buildings are from PaperTerrain  http://www.paperterrain.com/ and are from the north Russian set and European set.   Infantry and anti-tank guns are from Heroics and Ros while vehicles are all GHQ

Map of the battle.

Dan waiting for game to begin.

 Tibor survey's the deployment of KG Gerbil.

 John deploys the falschirmjagers.

 Initial Russian right flank advance

First turn of the battle.

 The Russian left flank advances

 The fight for the hill

 Center of the Russian advance.  Russian assault guns have arrived and the right flank battalion is attacking the German defenders on the hill

Russians advance towards falschrimjager positions

 Russian assault guns pound the German defenders on the hill.

 Russian left flank advances into the woods making contact with the falschirmjagers.

A listing of the units that made onto the table is given below.   The anti-tank guns and IS2's in the last Russian formation were due to arrive later.   The Germans also had an additional off-table battalion available as re-enforcements.  The Russians had another three infantry battalions, seven tank battalions and two smg battalions available along with the IS2's and anti-tank guns.

 

KG Sturm Late War
Quantity	Troops	Arm	Move	AT	AP	Assault	Hits	Save	Cost
1	CO (CV9)	CMD	60	-	3/30	-	6	6	120 [120]
4	HQ (CV8)	CMD	40	-	2/30	-	4	6	60 [240]
1	FAO (CV7)	CMD	40	-	-	-	4	6	30 [30]
7	Infantry Unit (Heer)	INF	10	-	4/30	4	6	-	50 [350]
4	Support Unit (MG, MG-34/42)	INF	10	-	3/60	2	5	-	40 [160]
3	Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)	INF	10	3/120	3/120	2	5	-	75 [225]
3	Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)	INF	-	5/120	5/120	2	4	-	100 [300]
2	Panzer Unit (Pzkpfw VI, Tiger I)	ARM	20	5/100	3/100	4	6	4	230 [460]
1	Assault Gun Unit (StuG-III, 75mm lang)	ARM	20	4/80	3/80	3	4	5	135 [135]
7	Transport Unit (Half-Tracks)	TRN	20	-	-	-	3	-	15 [75]
10	Transport Unit (Trucks)	TRN	20	-	-	-	3	-	15 [150]
AT: Anti-Tank, AP: Anti-Personnel, R: Restricted, O: Open
Tactical Doctrine
Flexible tactical doctrine (25cm initiative distance; HQs may issue orders to units in other formations without penalty)
Special Rules
-1 modifier to die roll for air superiority until September 1944, -2 modifier after that
Infantry units may receive two upgrades each (Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck)
Infiltration: +1 to command value for flank deployment
Note 1. Panzer Unit (Pzkpfw VI, Tiger I) Tough: Flank hits do not reduce armour save Note 2. Transport Unit (Trucks) May transport one infantry or infantry support unit, or may tow one gun Summary Breakpoint 10 2275 points

Gerbel (November 1944)
Quantity	Troops	Arm	Move	AT	AP	Assault	Hits	Save	Cost
1	CO (CV9)	CMD	60	-	3/30	-	6	6	120 [120]
5	HQ (CV8)	CMD	40	-	2/30	-	4	6	60 [300]
2	FAO (CV7)	CMD	40	-	-	-	4	6	30 [60]
3	Infantry Unit (Heer)	INF	10	-	4/30	4	6	-	50 [150]
5	Infantry Unit (Fallschirmjaeger)	INF	10	-	5/30	5	6	-	70 [350]
2	Infantry Unit (Heer, conscript)	INF	10	-	3/30	3	6	-	30 [60]
3	Support Unit (MG, MG-34/42)	INF	10	-	3/60	2	5	-	40 [120]
2	Support Unit (ATG, 75mm, Pak-40)	INF	5	4/80	3/80	2	4	-	105 [210]
5	Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)	INF	10	3/120	3/120	2	5	-	75 [375]
1	Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)	INF	-	5/120	5/120	2	4	-	100 [100]
2	Support Unit (IG, 75mm, le.IG-18)	INF	10	2/40	3/80	2	4	-	80 [160]
4	Panzer Unit (StuG-III, 75mm lang)	ARM	20	4/80	3/80	3	4	5	135 [135]
4	Transport Unit (Trucks)	TRN	20	-	-	-	3	-	15 [60]
AT: Anti-Tank, AP: Anti-Personnel, R: Restricted, O: Open
Tactical Doctrine
Flexible tactical doctrine (25cm initiative distance; HQs may issue orders to units in other formations without penalty)
Special Rules
-1 modifier to die roll for air superiority until September 1944, -2 modifier after that
Infantry units may receive two upgrades each (Panzerfaust 65 pts. and Panzerschreck 50 pts.)
Infiltration: +1 to command value for flank deployment
Note 1. Infantry Unit (Fallschirmjaeger) Elite: No command penalty for assaulting the enemy and deduct one die when rolling for suppression/fall-back Note 2. Infantry Unit (Volkstuurm) Green.  May not use initiative to aqssault. Add one die for fallback/suppression Note 3. Transport Unit (Trucks) May transport one infantry or infantry support unit, or may tow one gun Summary Breakpoint 15
5th FallschirmJaeger (June 1944)
Quantity	Troops	Arm	Move	AT	AP	Assault	Hits	Save	Cost
1	CO (CV9)	CMD	60	-	3/30	-	6	6	120 [120]
3	HQ (CV8)	CMD	40	-	2/30	-	4	6	60 [180]
1	FAO (CV7)	CMD	40	-	-	-	4	6	30 [30]
7	Infantry Unit (Fallschirmjaeger)	INF	10	-	5/30	5	6	-	70 [490]
1	Support Unit (MG, MG-34/42)	INF	10	-	3/60	2	5	-	40 [40]
1	Support Unit (ATG, 75mm, Pak-40)	INF	5	4/80	3/80	2	4	-	105 [105]
4	Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)	INF	10	3/120	3/120	2	5	-	75 [300]
1	Support Unit (IG, 75mm, le.IG-18)	INF	10	2/40	3/80	2	4	-	80 [80]
14	Transport Unit (Trucks)	TRN	20	-	-	-	3	-	15 [210]
AT: Anti-Tank, AP: Anti-Personnel, R: Restricted, O: Open
Tactical Doctrine
Flexible tactical doctrine (25cm initiative distance; HQs may issue orders to units in other formations without penalty)
Special Rules
-1 modifier to die roll for air superiority until September 1944, -2 modifier after that
Infantry units may receive two upgrades each (Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck)
Infiltration: +1 to command value for flank deployment
Note 1. Infantry Unit (Fallschirmjaeger) Elite: No command penalty for assaulting the enemy and deduct one die when rolling for suppression/fall-back Note 2. Transport Unit (Trucks) May transport one infantry or infantry support unit, or may tow one gun Summary Breakpoint 13 1555 points
Russian Army, Late Eastern Front (July 1944) Quantity Troops Arm Move AT AP Assault Hits Save Cost Notes 1 CO (CV8) CMD 60 - 3/30 - 6 6 90 [90] 4 HQ (CV7) CMD 40 - 2/30 - 4 6 30 [120] 2 FAO (CV6) CMD 40 - - - 4 6 15 [30] 32 Infantry Unit (Regulars) INF 10 - 3/30 4 6 - 40 [1280] 8 Infantry Unit (SMG Troops) INF 10 - 6/10 5 6 - 65 [520] #1 8 Support Unit (MG, Maxim) INF 10 - 3/60 2 5 - 40 [320] 3 Support Unit (Mortar, 82mm) INF 10 3/120 3/120 2 5 - 75 [225] 2 Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm) INF - 5/120 5/120 2 4 - 100 [200] 1 Support Unit (IG, 76mm) INF 10 2/40 3/80 2 4 - 80 [80] 3 Transport Unit (Trucks) TRN 20 - - - 3 - 15 [45] #2 AT: Anti-Tank, AP: Anti-Personnel, R: Restricted, O: Open Tactical Doctrine Rigid tactical doctrine (15cm initiative distance; +1 to the CV if all units under command carry out the same action; add one to the breakpoint per 1000 points; HQs can only issue orders to units in their own formation) Special Rules +1 modifier to die roll for air superiority until September 1944, +2 thereafter on the Eastern Front, full air superiority in the Far East Note 1. Infantry Unit (SMG Troops) Tank Desant: May be carried on one tank unit May not receive any infantry upgrades LMG: 1/30 attack against soft-targets Note 2. Transport Unit (Trucks) May transport one infantry or infantry support unit, or may tow one gun Summary Breakpoint 30 2910 points
Russian Army, Late Eastern Front
Quantity	Troops	Arm	Move	AT	AP	Assault	Hits	Save	Cost	Notes
1	CO (CV8)	CMD	60	-	3/30	-	6	6	90 [90]
1	HQ (CV7)	CMD	40	-	2/30	-	4	6	30 [30]
1	HQ (CV8)	CMD	40	-	2/30	-	4	6	60 [60]
1	Support Unit (Anti-Tank Team)	INF	10	2/20	1/30	3	6	-	50 [50]	#1
8	Heavy Tank Unit (IS-2)	ARM	20	6/80	5/100	4	6	4	245 [1960]	#2
4	Assault Gun Unit (SU-76)	ARM	20	2/40	3/80	2	3	6	80 [320]	#3 R/O
2	Assault Gun Unit (ISU-122)	ARM	20	6/80	5/100	4	6	4	235 [470]	#6 R
4	Assault Gun Unit (ISU-152)	ARM	20	6/60	6/100	4	6	4	240 [960]	#7 R
3	Anti-Tank Unit (ATG, 76mm)	AT	5	3/60	3/80	2	3	-	85(255)
3	Anti-Tank Unit (ATG, 57mm)	AT	5	3/60	2/60	2	4	-	75 [225]
4	Anti-Tank Unit (SPAT, SU-85)	AT	25	4/80	3/80	3	5	5	145 [580]	R #4
3	Transport Unit (Trucks)	TRN	20	-	-	-	3	-	15 [45]	#5
AT: Anti-Tank, AP: Anti-Personnel, R: Restricted, O: Open
Tactical Doctrine
Rigid tactical doctrine (15cm initiative distance; +1 to the CV if all units under command carry out the same action; add one to the breakpoint per 1000 points; HQs can only issue orders to units in their own formation)
Special Rules
+1 modifier to die roll for air superiority until September 1944, +2 thereafter on the Eastern Front, full air superiority in the Far East
Note 1. Support Unit (Anti-Tank Team)
Double the number of attacks against AFVs in close assault
Note 2. Heavy Tank Unit (IS-2)
Tough: Flank hits do not reduce armour save
Note 3. Assault Gun Unit (SU-76)
No Machine Guns: No bonus for firing at soft-targets
Note 4. Anti-Tank Unit (SPAT, SU-85)
No Machine Guns: No bonus for firing at soft-targets
Note 5. Transport Unit (Trucks)
May transport one infantry or infantry support unit, or may tow one gun
Note 6. Assault Gun Unit (ISU-122)
Tough: Flank hits do not reduce armour save
No Machine Guns: No bonus for firing at soft-targets
Note 7. Assault Gun Unit (ISU-152)
Tough: Flank hits do not reduce armour save
No Machine Guns: No bonus for firing at soft-targets
Summary
Breakpoint 13
4790 points