Our game was inspired by a scenario written by Charles Grant which was published in Military Modeling magazine almost forty years ago, and which was created long before then. The scenario was written for the American Civil War, and pitted a Union attacking force attempting to penetrate a Confederate defensive position in order to cut a vital railway.
This looked like an interesting scenario, so we transposed it to WW2. Looking for a historical event that fit the scenario, we found an account of Nehring’s roving Kessel (i.e. “pocket”) in Christopher Duffy’s excellent book, “Red Storm on the Reich”, which is an account of the Soviet Vistula-Oder offensive in the closing months of the war. After the German front line along the Vistula River was shattered, General Nehring led the surviving elements of his XXIV Panzer Corps, plus some surviving elements of other corps — about 10,000 men in total — across Poland to safety in Germany.
Our table was set to match the terrain in the scenario. A long ridge ran west-east across most of the table (with the crest marked by small stones). The ridge was gapped by a secondary road running through it, and an old earthen redoubt stood on its eastern end. North of the ridge was a road along which KG Nehring was retreating toward the west. The eastern end of the road passed through a small village behind an area of woods, then crossed a stream and ran behind the ridge before exiting the table on the western end. Most of the rest of the table was barren, except for a few small hills and some patches of scrub. South of the ridge, a mobile force of Soviets was deploying along a secondary road. Both sides would receive reinforcements from the eastern ends of their respective roads.
The Soviet objective in the game was to cut the main road in strength, which would trap KG Nehring, and the German objective was to keep the road open.
In our game, KG Nehring had a small Panzer company with ten Pz.IVs in the vanguard, along with a recon unit, a PanzerGrenadier platoon in halftracks, three towed PaK40 antitank guns, a horse-drawn artillery battery, and some second-line infantry platoons. Arriving as reserves were a PanzerJager platoon with halftrack-mounted PaK40s and some more infantry.
The Soviets had two T-34/85 companies with tank riders, two recon units, some motorized infantry, and some towed 45mm antitank guns. Arriving as reserves were a T-34/85 platoon with tank riders, a battery of SU-76s, and some more motorized infantry.
Being alerted to the advance of the Soviets, the Germans quickly deployed from the road, with their Panzers, Pz.Grenadiers, AT guns, and one infantry platoon taking position along the crest of the ridge, while the 105mm artillery unlimbered in the rear. In the east, two platoons of German infantry advanced from the village into the forest. The frozen ground and the lack of time prevented any units from digging in.
The Soviets concentrated both of their T-34 companies and then advanced on the western edge of the ridge, which was defended by the Pz.IVs. The first kills went to the Soviets, which would put the Panzers on the back foot.
Fire from the German Panzers and PaK40s took out some Soviet tanks, and the Pz.Grenadiers and their halftracks unleashed a horrific fire on the advancing Soviet infantry.
Undeterred, the Soviets continued advancing. Their T-34s soon gained the crest of the ridge, and commenced a close range fight against the Pz.IVs. When the dust cleared, the Pz.IV company was wiped out, and a few surviving T-34s occupied the road intersection.
The Germans responded by pulling their two surviving PaK40s off the ridge to face the T-34s. The German antitank guns won the shootout, and eliminated the Soviet tanks. A German AA halftrack eliminated the Soviet armored cars that had also gotten behind the ridge. Meanwhile, the other German forces continued holding the crest of the ridge against the Soviet infantry.
The Soviets’ last chance of cutting the road rested on their attack on the village. That attack started off well. The two German platoons in the forest were overwhelmed by greater numbers of Soviet infantry, supported by the reserve T-34 platoon. One Soviet infantry unit then advanced to occupy part of the village. That left a gap in the Soviet line in the woods into which a German Pioneer platoon advanced. The Soviets then assaulted the Pioneers with their T-34s, which ended in disaster. The Pioneers killed one T-34 and the others then failed their cross checks to withdraw from the combat, which resulted in their elimination too!
The loss of the Soviet tanks in the forest turned the tide. The German infantry reserves were able to recapture the village and reestablish a defensive line which prevented the Soviets from cutting the road in this sector. Thus the game ended in a narrow German victory!
A very fun scenario. Thank you Charles Grant.
- TJ