Background
The Battle of Königsberg, also known as the Königsberg Offensive, was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg – now Kaliningrad, Russia. The siege started in late January 1945 when the Soviets initially surrounded the city. There was heavy fighting for the overland connection between Königsberg and the port of Pillau, but by March 1945 Königsberg was hundreds of kilometres behind the main front line. The battle finished when the German garrison surrendered to the Soviets on 9 April after a three-day assault made their position untenable.
The East Prussian Offensive was planned by the Soviet Stavka to prevent flank attacks on the armies rushing towards Berlin. Indeed, East Prussia held numerous troops that could be used for this. During initial Stavka planning, Joseph Stalin ordered Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky to annihilate the Wehrmacht forces trapped there.
On 13 January 1945, almost 1,500,000 troops supported by several thousand tanks and aircraft of the 3rd Belorussian Front (11th Guards, 39th, 43rd, 50th, 1st Air, 3rd Air, 4th Air, and 15th Air Armies) entered East Prussia, which was transformed into a gigantic web of fortifications, defensive lines and minefields. At first, the offensive was almost a failure. Red Army troops only advanced 1.5 kilometers the first day, through only three defensive lines. In five days, taking heavy losses, Soviet troops advanced only 20 kilometers, but were still unable to break through German lines into the open.
Nevertheless, after quickly overcoming the initial difficulties, the Soviet advance gathered steam, and on 24 January Soviet advance forces reached the shores of the Vistula Lagoon (part of the Baltic Sea), cutting off the German forces in East Prussia from a direct connection with Germany, forcing the Germans to supply the surrounded forces by sea. This operation was accomplished by the 1st Baltic Front under the command of General Hovhannes Bagramyan, also known as Ivan Bagramyan.
The Game
The game represented a cut off German tank company trying to make it to the main German lines, as Soviet mobile elements attempted to cut if off and destroy in in detail. The scenario is designed to be a run and gun game, with a few game surprises for each player.
German Forces: German Panther company with two HQ Panthers, one platoon of three Panthers and one platoon of four Panthers.
Soviet Forces: Soviet Tank Battalion with two T34 tank companies, an SU100 company and an IS2 company.
Scenario Rules
- Table is 9’x5′. German forces deploy within 12″ of road on southern board edge.
- All Soviet forces enter in as reserves and enter along either long board edge. Entry force and location is randomized for each force.
- The board has three markers placed next to town road locations (two on center town and one on back town). These are randomized effects determined after a side has completed their movement. On a 1-4, they are a road block, on a 5-6, they are a minefield. Only one can be a minefield. If the first two result in road blocks, the last is automatically a minefield. If units move over a road block, they are backed up. If units move over a minefield, they are attacked.
- In addition to the town markers, there are six other markers spread around the battlefield. They are revealed at the end of either player move phase if they have been moved to within 4″ of. On a 1 result, a three tank StugIII platoon apears, on a 2-4, nothing apprears and on a 5-5 a 5 tank platoon of T-34s appear. Tanks are imeadiatly set up in or behind the closest terrain within 12″. Only one Stug platoon and two T-34 platoons may appear.
- Victory Conditions: Germans win if they can get their force into the town and remain stationary for one turn. The town must be free of Soviet units. The Soviets win if they can prevent this by destroying the German force.
German Starting positions.
Germans advance!
Germans continue their advance, but are slowed by a road block in the first town they reach. No Soviets to be found anywhere. Are they lucky or is Ivan planning something special?
The Panzers decide it is better to continue the advance across company…
In the distance, the sound of T34 engines can be heard….
The Soviets decide they will try to sneak around the flank, as they are no match for the Panthers from the front, just as a platoon of SU100s arrive!
As the Panthers probe forward towards the sounds of the T-34s, a platoon of IS2s show up in their rear. Things look a bit rough all the sudden!
The Soviets realize that they have blundered and left the path to freedom open to the Germans! They quickly shift the SU100s to cut off the Germans and sweep around with the T-34s.
The Germans see their predicament and immediately attack towards the town to try to overwhelm the SU100s before the other Soviets can catch them! To make matters worse, another T-34 company arrives and the Soviets “uncover” another T-34 platoon….
The Germans push forward and quickly smash the SU-100s. Unfortunately, their 2iC finds a minefield blocking their path, the hard way…. However, with the Soviets behind, they can see victory a turn ahead!
The Soviets send everything they have into a last minute assault, firing every tank they can. Unfortunately, it only results in a singe German tank destroyed and three more bailed out (including the CiC). The large platoon is still fully functional!
Disaster! The German CinC fails to remount, the first platoon fails to remount and then fails its morale! The German company routs and the Soviets have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat!
– Mantueffel