Background
On 10 December, the Fourth Panzer Army had begun its drive to relieve the Sixth Army at Stalingrad. Despite being heavily engaged along the Chir, the XLVIII Panzer Korps had the mission to link up with and support the Fourth Panzer Army. To do so, the XLVIII Panzer Korps had to cross the Don. On 15 December, the 11th Panzer Division began moving south toward Nizhna Chirskaya, just below the confluence of the Chir and the Don. On 17 December, Balck’s division was prepared to force a crossing, but the Soviets struck first.
Ignoring the thrust of the Fourth Panzer Army, the Soviets launched a massive blow against the Italian Eighth Army farther north along the Don. The Soviet drive threatened to cut off Rostov, at the mouth of the Don on the Azov Sea. Such a move would have isolated Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist’s Army Group A in the Caucasus. Manstein was forced to draw heavily from the Fourth Panzer Army to defend Rostov, and that sealed the fate of the Sixth Army in Stalingrad.
(http://www.11thpanzer.com/dsp_balck.htm)
Situation:
It is December 1942; the German 6th Army has been surrounded at Stalingrad and desperately needs relief from whatever forces are available. Units of the German XXXVIIIth Panzer corps, including the 11th Panzer Division, continue to counterattack Russian forces that have broken through the Chir River defenses and force elements of the Russian 5th Tank Army back.
The Game
Friday’s game depicted the subsequent actions by 11th Panzer Division against elements of the Russian 5th Tank Army. MG Balck planned to assault the Russian Bridgeheads in mid December in order to join the 4th Panzer Army’s Drive towards Stalingrad, but was diverted when the Russians attacked the adjoining Italian 8th Army’s positions. This game was a counter factual “what if” the Germans did attack. Victory for the Germans is to destroy the elements of the Russian blocking forces and seize two of the three bridges in the Russian rear. The Russian objective was to hold their positions and the bridges.
Scenario Special Rules:
- The game play is edge to edge. The Russians deploy along the entire length of the table with their backs to an impassible river, 30″ from the back table edge. The Germans enter from the opposite table edge.
- Ground is frozen and snow covered, Normal movement for tracked vehicles, 8″ for half tracks and very slow going for other vehicles. Normal movement for infantry.
- Since the ground is frozen, Russian unit start the game in dug-in positions. However, if they move, they cannot dig in again. A 1+ is added to the fire power for each weapon firing at dug in units, due to shallow fox holes.
- Due to limited visibility, no air power is allowed.
- Germans are limited to a maximum of six (6) PZ IV F2s total, the remainder of German tanks are PZ IIs and III(L).
- Each German team receives 1500 points to build Panzergrenadier based units.
- Each Russian team receives 1500 points to build Strelk based units, augmented by anti-tank and artillery units, half on and half as immediate reserves. Russian KV-1s and T-70s are allowed as delayed reserves.
- All units are built from the Eastern Front Book.
- Each Russian player is allowed one unit in ambush.
- The game starts at night. Start rolling for sunrise on Turn Three. Due to the short Winter Days, the game length is 10 turns after day break.
Forces:
All Russian forces consisted of Strelk infantry battalions, with ATRs and Tank Destruction 45mm m42 AT guns (in ambush). In addition, each formation was supported by a 76mm gun, 82mm Mortar and 120mm Mortar battery (some deployed as over the Volga), in reserve. There were two companies of T70 and one of KV-1 in reserve. The Russian units were rated Fearless Conscript.
The Germans consisted of two dismounted and one Gepanzert Panzergrenadier Companies. Each foot formation had two batteries of AT and light artillery support. The Gepanzert Panzergrenadier Company had a small Marder III and Panzer Spah platoon and Nebelwerfers in support. The German units were rated as Confident Veterans.
Narrative:
The Soviets set up their units in tight formations close to the river, forcing the Germans to cover a great deal of open terrain, in the hopes of attiring the attackers and having their reserves in position before the inevitable German assault. The German Plan was to pin the Russian flank companies and take the central bridge, then roll up the next bridge from the flank based on disposition of Soviet forces. Unfortunately, the German center company moved into a wide position, pushing the flank companies too far to the flanks. Not a good start for the attackers!
The Germans used the dark to move their units into position to support initial assaults. Unfortunately, dawn came at the first opportunity on Turn 3, exposing forward units in their jumping off positions. Further, the Russian artillery reserves mobilized right away and were able to call in heavy barrages on the Germans as they closed with the Russian front lines causing casualties that pummeled the German foot based units. The Germans now faced attacking the prepared Soviets with near equal odds….
The German artillery was able to cause a good number of casualties in the Russian lines, but the German advance was slowed due to the thickening Russian lines. By the time the Germans destroyed the Russian forward line of troops, the reserves plugged any holes. Each ambush placed was able to remove a German unit from the game, with little ability to respond.
By turn 8, the two German dismounted companies had taken sever casualties. The Gepanzert pinning force was still in good condition, but was not going to be able to make any headway against the Russians bristling with ATGs and tank support. It was apparent that the Germans were not going to be able to break through and take any of the bridges. The game was declared a complete Counter factual Russian victory.
– Manteuffel