Battle of Kursk skirmish - GE vs. SU

PatrickWR · 10-28-2005, 01:24 PM

Battle of Kursk – Prokhorovka, July 1943

As the German army retreated from the Soviet Union following decisive defeats at Stalingrad and Moscow, they sought refuge behind their own defenses at the Panther-Wotan line. As they withdrew, Wermacht and SS units conducted rearguard actions to slow the inevitable Soviet counterattack.

By 1943 a Soviet-held bulge in the German defensive lines had developed around the city of Kursk. To maintain their integrity, German high command laid plans for a massive assault on Kursk. Knowing that theirs was a threatened position, Soviet engineers turned Kursk and the surrounding villages into a veritable fortress of earthworks, minefields and defensive emplacements.

On July 5 the German Wermacht and SS armored units advanced on the Soviet positions across the Kursk salient. Some divisions made initial progress, but almost all encountered stiff Soviet resistance. General Hoth’s 4th Panzer Division smashed into Soviet defenses around the town of Prokhorovka, which later developed into a pivotal battlefield. This scenario represents the initial contact between the German vanguard and Soviet defenders at Prokhorovka.

Victory conditions
Germans must push through the town and exit at least one vehicle from the Soviet end of the map. The Russian player wins if he or she prevents the Germans from overwhelming the town (ie exiting a vehicle off the map). The game lasts 8 turns; if the German player has not exited a vehicle off the map, the Soviet player claims the victory.

German Forces – 120 points – may consist of any pre-1944 German, Italian or Romanian units except the Sdkz 222 and the SS-Panther, which was conspicuously absent from the battle of Kursk.

Soviet Forces – 90 points – may consist of units from the following list:
Commissar
Cossack Captain
Mosin-Nagant
PTRD -41 AT Rifle
PPSh-41 SMG
ZIS-2 57mm AT Gun
T-34
KV-1
T-70
M5 Half-Track
M3 Stuart
Jeep
Vickers MG
Royal Engineers

Special Rules: Royal Engineers may use their Bridge Demolition ability to destroy road hexes. If successful, vehicles moving along destroyed roads no longer gain the movement bonus.

Map setup
Able 1/Baker 1
Charlie 2/Dog 1

Orienting the maps horizontally as described above, north is “up” for the viewer.

The German forces may deploy within 3 hexes of the westernmost edge of Able 1 and Charlie 2. Russian forces may deploy in the town hexes on Baker 1 and Dog 1 and up to one hex outside the town hexes.

Conclusion: Although German forces originally overran Prokhorovka, just a few days later it was the site of the largest armored engagement in the history of warfare – and a stunning defeat for the Germans at the cost of hundreds of tanks and thousands of soldiers.

MEX10MM · 10-28-2005, 02:19 PM

PatrickWR:
Very nice scenario, I plan to play it soon.
Just one question: How many turns must this game have; or does tha game ends automatically when the Axis gets one vehicle out the board on the Allied side ?
Thank you.

PatrickWR · 10-28-2005, 02:25 PM

mex, thanks for noticing my mistake...I knew there would be a couple. Since it was a really fast battle, let's make the game last 8 turns, rather than 10. I'll edit my post accordingly, thanks.

HerrODaDog · 11-16-2005, 08:36 AM

Patrick,
1) thank u 4 thinking of eastern front scenarios (i've printed both kursk n kharkov)
2) i'm a novice @ message bds n have just joined altho been gaming miniatures since the mid80's, stopped 4 a few yrs n have finally gone back. help!

i'm addicted....
3) i've enjoyed all the pleasant banter n discussions on aam specifically on the eastern front n look 4ward on reading more.
4) incidentally i happened upon aam because i used to paint micro armor back in the day. now that i'm older w/less time n my eyesight on the blink (

ouch!) - sound familiar? - the advent of pre-painted miniatures sure turned my eye n so here i am. after having amassed a case of the boosters i'm now ready 2 play n at 1st ignored the aam rules set. (i don't prefer hex maps even w/ minis) so i was on the lookout for other rules set like (can i say this?)

flames of war. since my local game store

hasn't gotten in my order for the rules i decided one day to sit down and read the rules... voila! looks fun to me. altho i have yet to play it seems very playable. the actual minis are pretty good 4 mass produced - assembly paint jobs but hey! wat da hell! least its not my eyesight n time being spent just $$$ n well worth it!! looking 4ward to set II for more ruskies. miffed me a little when there were only the t34 (my personal fave) n kv1 tanks n only 2 type of inf.
5) keep it up!

Comassion · 11-16-2005, 11:53 AM

Good scenario, but the Germans can exploit your victory condition. Your force construction rules allow 15 Sd Kfz 222's to be taken on the German side (120 pts). That force can just charge past anything the Soviets can muster - they can pretty much ignore Infantry, and the Soviets won't have enough tanks to shoot with. On turn 2, it's virtually certain that at least one Sd Kfz 222 will have exited the map.

I suggest one of two things:

1. Revise your force construction rules to feature a specific set of units rather than let the sides choose.

2. Revise your victory conditions to include actually pushing the Russians out of the town with an objective hex, or take into account point costs of units destroyed or units left alive on the board.

PatrickWR · 11-16-2005, 01:19 PM

Thanks Comassion, I think it would be best to simply give the Germans a finite list of armor to pick from....more or less everything except the Sdkz 222 and perhaps the 251 (though that was certainly present in the battle).

henrym203 · 11-16-2005, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comassion

Good scenario, but the Germans can exploit your victory condition. Your force construction rules allow 15 Sd Kfz 222's to be taken on the German side (120 pts). That force can just charge past anything the Soviets can muster - they can pretty much ignore Infantry, and the Soviets won't have enough tanks to shoot with. On turn 2, it's virtually certain that at least one Sd Kfz 222 will have exited the map.

I suggest one of two things:

1. Revise your force construction rules to feature a specific set of units rather than let the sides choose.

2. Revise your victory conditions to include actually pushing the Russians out of the town with an objective hex, or take into account point costs of units destroyed or units left alive on the board.

although true, only a total boner would do that....id smack him if he tried to pull that on me.

Washington bearers · 11-18-2005, 11:05 AM

I understand how you want the maps laid out. But does it matter where the name of the map goes? Example Able 1 in Left hand corner or Able1 lower right corner. It's the **** side of me.

PatrickWR · 11-18-2005, 01:29 PM

Oooh, good call. I think for simplicites sake all maps are oriented with the name down, unless otherwise noted.

henrym203 · 11-19-2005, 06:46 PM

Just got finished playing this scenario with the owner of Top Deck Cards in Downers Grove IL.

First thing.... FUN!!!!!

It was one of those games that every turn could mean winning or loosing.

Opponents force
Kv-1
8X Mosin Nagant
2XVickers
3x 6pdr
possibly some stuff I forgot

My force
2X sIG 33
2X Sdf 251 loaded with 2X mg42
1X PzIV
1X Hamster
3X SS panzersgrenadiers

I deployed on Able 1, the Soviets were hidden within the villages and towns.

Turn 1

I moved along Able 1 towards the hills, using the cover. Moved up the sIG33 guns within range of the first hex with a vickers. Soviets couldnt shoot, moved some more. sIG 33 guns took out the vickers in the first hex.

Turn 2

Movement, Kv-1 took out the first sIG 33.

Turn 3

Halftrack deploys mg42 Baker 1. Second track moved behind the first, no LOS. Sig 33 moves into hill cover on Baker 1. Infantry move. Heavy soviet concentration on the wooded city on Baker 1. PzIV moves onto Dog1. Sovets loose a mosin, mg42 is disrupted.

Turn 4

Not much moving, Kv-1 retreats and does nothing but disrupt the sIG33 for
two turns because of cover rolls. Halftrack deploys second mg on another hill. Makes run for border. Soviets loose 2 6pdrs, 1 soviet.
Hamster gets whacked, mg42 gets redisrupted.

Turn 5

After a fierce fight for the town, I lost a halftrack to enemy fire, and another trying to escape to the remaining 6pdr. PzIV gets close assualted by two troops, and is destroyed. All that remains of the soviets is three mosins , vickers and a Kv-1.

Turn 6

Mg42 makes a run for the border, Kv-1 takes it out and allows the sIG33 to move into the small woods on Dog1. Three panzergrenadiers and mg42 destroy two mosins and disrupt the last. Move withing Dog1 city limits.

Turn 7

Infantry and Sig33 move into Dog1 town, destroy last remaning vickers, only a disrupted mosin and kv-1 remain.

Turn 8
sIG33, 3X panzergrenadiers, mg42 make it across the border.

Conclusion.
The russian player must pick his units and deploy very well, or will loose. Since the germans outnumber, and have extended range on their side, russians should hide and act defensively. The ending would have been much worse had I not allowed my PzIV to get attacked and destroyed by infantry...I didnt look and let my opponent go first.

I crossed the map within 8 turns, owned all but three town hexes, and ahnialated an entire defensive force.

10-28-2005, 01:24 PM	#1
PatrickWR HHR Committee Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,843	Battle of Kursk skirmish - GE vs. SU Battle of Kursk – Prokhorovka, July 1943 As the German army retreated from the Soviet Union following decisive defeats at Stalingrad and Moscow, they sought refuge behind their own defenses at the Panther-Wotan line. As they withdrew, Wermacht and SS units conducted rearguard actions to slow the inevitable Soviet counterattack. By 1943 a Soviet-held bulge in the German defensive lines had developed around the city of Kursk. To maintain their integrity, German high command laid plans for a massive assault on Kursk. Knowing that theirs was a threatened position, Soviet engineers turned Kursk and the surrounding villages into a veritable fortress of earthworks, minefields and defensive emplacements. On July 5 the German Wermacht and SS armored units advanced on the Soviet positions across the Kursk salient. Some divisions made initial progress, but almost all encountered stiff Soviet resistance. General Hoth’s 4th Panzer Division smashed into Soviet defenses around the town of Prokhorovka, which later developed into a pivotal battlefield. This scenario represents the initial contact between the German vanguard and Soviet defenders at Prokhorovka. Victory conditions Germans must push through the town and exit at least one vehicle from the Soviet end of the map. The Russian player wins if he or she prevents the Germans from overwhelming the town (ie exiting a vehicle off the map). The game lasts 8 turns; if the German player has not exited a vehicle off the map, the Soviet player claims the victory. German Forces – 120 points – may consist of any pre-1944 German, Italian or Romanian units except the Sdkz 222 and the SS-Panther, which was conspicuously absent from the battle of Kursk. Soviet Forces – 90 points – may consist of units from the following list: Commissar Cossack Captain Mosin-Nagant PTRD -41 AT Rifle PPSh-41 SMG ZIS-2 57mm AT Gun T-34 KV-1 T-70 M5 Half-Track M3 Stuart Jeep Vickers MG Royal Engineers Special Rules: Royal Engineers may use their Bridge Demolition ability to destroy road hexes. If successful, vehicles moving along destroyed roads no longer gain the movement bonus. Map setup Able 1/Baker 1 Charlie 2/Dog 1 Orienting the maps horizontally as described above, north is “up” for the viewer. The German forces may deploy within 3 hexes of the westernmost edge of Able 1 and Charlie 2. Russian forces may deploy in the town hexes on Baker 1 and Dog 1 and up to one hex outside the town hexes. Conclusion: Although German forces originally overran Prokhorovka, just a few days later it was the site of the largest armored engagement in the history of warfare – and a stunning defeat for the Germans at the cost of hundreds of tanks and thousands of soldiers. Last edited by PatrickWR : 12-02-2005 at 11:02 PM.

10-28-2005, 02:25 PM	#3
PatrickWR HHR Committee Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,843	mex, thanks for noticing my mistake...I knew there would be a couple. Since it was a really fast battle, let's make the game last 8 turns, rather than 10. I'll edit my post accordingly, thanks. Last edited by PatrickWR : 10-31-2005 at 05:14 PM.

11-16-2005, 08:36 AM	#4
HerrODaDog Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: friendswood, texas Posts: 14	thanx and more, more, more! Patrick, 1) thank u 4 thinking of eastern front scenarios (i've printed both kursk n kharkov) 2) i'm a novice @ message bds n have just joined altho been gaming miniatures since the mid80's, stopped 4 a few yrs n have finally gone back. help! i'm addicted.... 3) i've enjoyed all the pleasant banter n discussions on aam specifically on the eastern front n look 4ward on reading more. 4) incidentally i happened upon aam because i used to paint micro armor back in the day. now that i'm older w/less time n my eyesight on the blink ( ouch!) - sound familiar? - the advent of pre-painted miniatures sure turned my eye n so here i am. after having amassed a case of the boosters i'm now ready 2 play n at 1st ignored the aam rules set. (i don't prefer hex maps even w/ minis) so i was on the lookout for other rules set like (can i say this?) flames of war. since my local game store hasn't gotten in my order for the rules i decided one day to sit down and read the rules... voila! looks fun to me. altho i have yet to play it seems very playable. the actual minis are pretty good 4 mass produced - assembly paint jobs but hey! wat da hell! least its not my eyesight n time being spent just $$$ n well worth it!! looking 4ward to set II for more ruskies. miffed me a little when there were only the t34 (my personal fave) n kv1 tanks n only 2 type of inf. 5) keep it up!

11-16-2005, 01:19 PM	#6
PatrickWR HHR Committee Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,843	Thanks Comassion, I think it would be best to simply give the Germans a finite list of armor to pick from....more or less everything except the Sdkz 222 and perhaps the 251 (though that was certainly present in the battle). __________________ "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." -- Marshall Georgi Zhukov HHR - An Axis & Allies Variant Ruleset

11-18-2005, 11:05 AM	#8
Washington bearers Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Right behind you Posts: 42	I understand how you want the maps laid out. But does it matter where the name of the map goes? Example Able 1 in Left hand corner or Able1 lower right corner. It's the **** side of me. __________________

10-28-2005, 02:19 PM	#2
MEX10MM Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 161	PatrickWR: Very nice scenario, I plan to play it soon. Just one question: How many turns must this game have; or does tha game ends automatically when the Axis gets one vehicle out the board on the Allied side ? Thank you.

11-16-2005, 11:53 AM	#5
Comassion HHR Committee Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,078	Good scenario, but the Germans can exploit your victory condition. Your force construction rules allow 15 Sd Kfz 222's to be taken on the German side (120 pts). That force can just charge past anything the Soviets can muster - they can pretty much ignore Infantry, and the Soviets won't have enough tanks to shoot with. On turn 2, it's virtually certain that at least one Sd Kfz 222 will have exited the map. I suggest one of two things: 1. Revise your force construction rules to feature a specific set of units rather than let the sides choose. 2. Revise your victory conditions to include actually pushing the Russians out of the town with an objective hex, or take into account point costs of units destroyed or units left alive on the board.

11-18-2005, 01:29 PM	#9
PatrickWR HHR Committee Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,843	Oooh, good call. I think for simplicites sake all maps are oriented with the name down, unless otherwise noted. __________________ "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." -- Marshall Georgi Zhukov HHR - An Axis & Allies Variant Ruleset

11-19-2005, 06:46 PM	#10
henrym203 The gun collector.... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: None of you business Posts: 300	Just got finished playing this scenario with the owner of Top Deck Cards in Downers Grove IL. First thing.... FUN!!!!! It was one of those games that every turn could mean winning or loosing. Opponents force Kv-1 8X Mosin Nagant 2XVickers 3x 6pdr possibly some stuff I forgot My force 2X sIG 33 2X Sdf 251 loaded with 2X mg42 1X PzIV 1X Hamster 3X SS panzersgrenadiers I deployed on Able 1, the Soviets were hidden within the villages and towns. Turn 1 I moved along Able 1 towards the hills, using the cover. Moved up the sIG33 guns within range of the first hex with a vickers. Soviets couldnt shoot, moved some more. sIG 33 guns took out the vickers in the first hex. Turn 2 Movement, Kv-1 took out the first sIG 33. Turn 3 Halftrack deploys mg42 Baker 1. Second track moved behind the first, no LOS. Sig 33 moves into hill cover on Baker 1. Infantry move. Heavy soviet concentration on the wooded city on Baker 1. PzIV moves onto Dog1. Sovets loose a mosin, mg42 is disrupted. Turn 4 Not much moving, Kv-1 retreats and does nothing but disrupt the sIG33 for two turns because of cover rolls. Halftrack deploys second mg on another hill. Makes run for border. Soviets loose 2 6pdrs, 1 soviet. Hamster gets whacked, mg42 gets redisrupted. Turn 5 After a fierce fight for the town, I lost a halftrack to enemy fire, and another trying to escape to the remaining 6pdr. PzIV gets close assualted by two troops, and is destroyed. All that remains of the soviets is three mosins , vickers and a Kv-1. Turn 6 Mg42 makes a run for the border, Kv-1 takes it out and allows the sIG33 to move into the small woods on Dog1. Three panzergrenadiers and mg42 destroy two mosins and disrupt the last. Move withing Dog1 city limits. Turn 7 Infantry and Sig33 move into Dog1 town, destroy last remaning vickers, only a disrupted mosin and kv-1 remain. Turn 8 sIG33, 3X panzergrenadiers, mg42 make it across the border. Conclusion. The russian player must pick his units and deploy very well, or will loose. Since the germans outnumber, and have extended range on their side, russians should hide and act defensively. The ending would have been much worse had I not allowed my PzIV to get attacked and destroyed by infantry...I didnt look and let my opponent go first. I crossed the map within 8 turns, owned all but three town hexes, and ahnialated an entire defensive force.

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