Background:
The Siege of Sevastopol also known as the Defense of Sevastopol (Russian: Оборона Севастополя, transliteration: Oborona Sevastopolya) or simply the Battle of Sevastopol (German: Schlacht um Sewastopol) was a military battle and a siege that took place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The campaign was fought by the Axis powers of Germany, Romania, and Italy against the Soviet Union for control of Sevastopol, a port in the Crimea on the Black Sea.
After the failure of their first assault on Sevastopol, the Axis opted to conduct siege warfare until the middle of 1942, at which point they attacked the encircled Soviet forces by land, sea, and air. On 2 June 1942, the Axis began this operation, codenamed Störfang (Sturgeon Catch). The Soviet Red Army and Black Sea Fleet held out for weeks under intense Axis bombardment. The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) played a vital part in the siege. The Luftwaffe made up for a shortage of Axis artillery, providing highly effective aerial bombardment in support of the ground forces. Finally, on 4 July 1942, the remaining Soviet forces surrendered and the Axis seized the port. Both sides had suffered considerable losses during the siege and attack.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sevastopol_(1941%E2%80%9342))
The Game:
The Soviet forces held the Sapun Ridge and could observe German movements. The German XXX Corps alternated between attack and defense. In the center, the Romanians took up the slack. The 18th Infantry, 1st, and 4th Mountain Divisions, supported by 100 guns, gradually advanced up the Chernaya River towards the mouth of the river and Severnaya Bay. With support from LIV Corps on its left, the Axis captured all the Soviet defensive lines east of the Chernaya River. The Luftwaffe continued the intense bombardment. On 26 June, its attacks supporting XXX Corps devastated Soviet defenses on the Sapun Ridge. It was the last Soviet defensive line between the Axis and Sevastopol. Axis Objective: Collapse the Soviet defense line. Soviet Objective: Prevent the Axis from achieving their objective.
Terrain:
The terrain consisted of mostly flat grass land leading up to an elevated ridge over ¾ of the table. The Soviet defensive line consisted of unconnected trench lines backed up by several MG nests, four HMG bunkers and two 76mm and one 100mm bunkers. A mixed defensive line of minefields, barbed wire and tank barricades lay to the front of the Soviet positions.
Scenario Special Rules:
- Play was cross the table.
- The Soviet players each received 900 points, in addition to their defenses. The Axis players received 1,250 each, with AFVs limted to Stug IIIDs and BunkerFlak. All units were built out of the Eastern Front Book.
- Half the Soviet units began on the table, the remainder were Delayed Reserves.
- The Axis units moved on the table on Turn One.
- The Game Master offered the Soviet Defenders a choice: The game either started at night or with a Preliminary Bombardment. The Soviets selected the Night Attack option.
- No air power.
- The Axis received the first move.
Forces:
The Soviets consisted of a Naval Infantry Battalion on the right flank with mortars and T-26 tank company in reserve, A Strelk Battalion in the center with mortars and 45mm AT guns in support and Naval Infantry Battalion on the left flank with mortar and 76mm artillery support. All the Soviets were rated as Fearless Conscripts.
The Axis consisted of a Romanian infantry battalion on the right flank with 100mm artillery and engineer support, The center and left flank German forces both consisted on Pioneers with StugDs and 105mm Artillery Batteries. The center also included a section of BunkerFlak All the Germans were rated as Confident Veteran. The Romanians were a mixture of Veteran and Trained.
Narrative:
During the first two turns, The Axis forces advanced to the Soviet defensive obstacle lines under the cover of darkness. The Soviets attempted to range in through the darkness, with minor success.
On Turn Three, The Axis forces began removing defensive obstacles and finish emplacing their support units for the initial assault. On the far right flank, the German Pioneers began their first assaults on the Soviet Naval Infantry from the march and broke into the first positions. The Sun came up exposing the Axis units to the Soviets across the front. The Soviets caused some losses on the Axis, with the Romanians taking the brunt of the casualties.
On Turns Four and Five, the German forces began laying heavy smoke on the Soviet positions to cover their attacking forces and removed the last of the defensive obstacles to their front. Both German forces now attacked into the Soviet defenses and successfully broke into the tench lines. The Soviet center received heavy fire destroying many of its ATGs. The Romainain stalled by heavy Soviet fire, dug in and continued to apply heavy fire into the Soviet positions. The Soviets continued to hold on by their fingertips on their right flank, while putting withering fire on their left against the Romanians. The first reserves arrived and immediately bolstered the Soviet positions, with the T-26s having an immediate affect.
On Turns Six and Seven, The German assault slowed due to the arrival of the Soviet tanks, as they rushed to bring their AT support forward. However, the Germans also used the time to solidify their gains in the Soviet positions. On the right, the Romanian continued to exchange fire with the Soviets on the heights. With their defenses in peril, the Soviets through all available reserves into a counter attack (T-26s, newly arrives Strek and supporting medium mortars), while their center Battalion began shifting to the left to cover the counter attack and gap created by the loss of the 45mm AT Battery. The initial assaults were repulsed due to heavy German fire.
By Turn Nine, the Germans had bolstered their units for the next push. At this point, the Soviet right flank was completely compromised with every counter attack shattered. Even the shifting of reserves failed to take back any ground, as the Germans to his right failed to stop the hemorrhage. The Line had failed, and the road to Sevastopol was open!
The game was called at this point, as a historic Axis victory.
– Manteuffel