On the day after Thanksgiving, we always play a big tank battle, which we call “Tanksgiving”! Our game this year was based on an attack by elements of the Soviet V Guards Mechanized Corps (and other units) against the German Totenkopf SS Division on 13 July 1943. This action, which took place west and north of a bend of the Psel River, was part of the larger battle for Kursk.
Our source for this scenario was the book “Kursk — The Battle of Prokhorovka” by Christopher Lawrence (which we like to call, “The Big Book of Kursk!”).
The historical battle was between division-sized forces, so we had to scale it down to fit our table, our collection of miniatures, our nine players, and the limited amount of time we had to play (about 4 hours after getting set up). We did that by reducing the historical number of armored vehicles by 50%, and representing battalions of infantry with small companies. We also limited the artillery and airpower. To streamline the game, we played without formation commanders, and we did not use the rules for unit and formation last stands, which prevented players from being eliminated from the game.
Our 14 x 5 foot table was set with the long axis running north-south. The Psel River ran parallel to the eastern and southern sides of the table. Three bridges crossed this otherwise impassible river — one in the south, one in the east, and one in the northeast. The narrow strips of land on the east and south sides of the river contained several small villages, and the riverbanks were brushy. A long, low ridge ran along the north-south axis of the table for about seven feet. The southern tip of the ridge was designated as Point 226.6. The surface of the table was generally open, with some small hills, small woods, and brushy gullies providing a few areas of concealment.
The German orders were to take the bridge in the NE corner of the table, and to clear the Soviets out of the villages on the east side of the river, while holding Point 226.6 and the bridge to the south. The Soviet objectives were the opposite.
The Germans were historically deployed with their armored group in the north, separated from their motorized group in the south. The Soviets were holding the villages along the eastern side of the river with infantry, and five groups of tanks (with more infantry) would enter the table on Turn 1 from the west, northwest, north and northeast.
On Turn 1, the Soviets came charging onto the table. In the south, two companies of infantry, supported by T-34s, SU-76s, and SU-122s headed directly for Point 226.6 and the southern bridge while another group of T-34s moved to encircle the position from the north. In the north, two mixed groups of T-34s, T-70s, and infantry entered from the NW and north and attacked the German Panzer force. Another Soviet armored force with T-34s, T-70s, and two Churchills entered from the NE and took up firing positions along the river while a platoon of T-34s dashed over the NE bridge into the Vorashkova State Farm.
A furious tank battle immediately erupted in the north. Given the better quality of the German tanks and the advantages of their position, the early losses on both sides were surprisingly even. This was very concerning to the German Panzer commanders, who knew they had to send relief to their-hard pressed forces defending in the south.
In the south, the Germans turned every available gun and aircraft toward stopping the advancing Soviets, but it was not enough. Supported by the fire of their SU-76s and SU-122s, a Soviet rifle company overran Point 226.6. Another Soviet rifle company contested control of the southern bridge.
After the initial shock wore off, the Germans in the north began to take the upper hand. Three Tigers and several Pz.IVs concentrated their fire on the NW group of T-34s and eliminated them. This enabled the Tigers and Pz.IVs break off and head toward the south, leaving the more numerous Pz.IIIs to continue the fighting in the north.
When the relief column reached the center of the table, they encountered the group of T-34s that had been sent to interdict them. The German heavy tanks halted and knocked out those T-34s at long range. Now, only the Soviet air force could possibly stop the Tigers.
Alas, despite making four rocket and bomb attacks against the German heavies, the Sturmoviks only managed to bail one Pz.IV — the Soviet pilots must have been poorly trained!
While waiting for relief, the Germans in the south were still fighting hard. Fire from the Marders and self-propelled artillery took a steady toll of the Soviet armor, and an air strike by 37mm-armed Stukas had a stunning result against the SU-122s. In the smoke and confusion, a handful of survivors from Point 226.6 encountered a lone T-34, and knocked it out in close combat! With losses mounting, the Soviet advance in the south came to a halt.
Thus the belated arrival of the Tigers at Point 226.6 was something of an anticlimax, as there were few Soviets left to fight!
As the game neared the end, the remaining drama was in the north. With the southern objectives firmly in German control, could the Germans now make a late push to capture the bridge in the NE and thus win a marginal victory for the day?
Although a close range tank battle had been raging in the north for the entire game, both sides still had viable forces there. All of those forces now focused on the objective bridge, and both sides also used the last of their air power there. On the final turn of the game, a platoon of Pz.Pioneers arose from their foxholes and assaulted the Soviets defending the State Farm next to the bridge. Machine gun fire from two nearby Soviet tanks stopped the assault in is tracks, which left the bridge in Soviet hands. Thus the game was a draw!
Our game matched the historical battle fairly closely. Historically, the Soviets captured Point 226.6, which was then recaptured by the Germans. The Germans also captured the bridge over the Psel in the northeast, but could advance no further. Thus at the end of the battle, the participants on both sides were left exhausted and in just about the same places where they began the day, which favored the Soviets going forward.
Our participants were also left exhausted, but we were going forward to the pub, for some well earned R&R!
- TJ