WWII Rules Comparison

Comparison of the
New WWII Rules

Assault on Korpetsch
Historical Overview and OOB

By Bill Rutherford

What of the battle itself? During the German Army Group South's advance on Sevastopol, in the Crimea, the 22nd Panzer Division was ordered to attack the village of Korpetsch as part of an effort to break the Soviets outer defense lines. Newly formed, this was to be the divisions first major combat.

The force selected for the attack was the 204th Panzer Regiment, equipped with Pz 38(t)s, Pz IIfs, and Pz IVfs (known to most of us as Pz IVf1s), reinforced with a self-propelled antiaircraft company, a company of panzergrenadiers, and a company of motorized infantry (without transport). Fortunately, Oberst Koppenburg, commander of the 204th Panzer Regiment, provided in his narrative in Panzertruppen a detailed breakdown of his forces.

The Soviet forces are a bit more problematical and required a bit of homework, some common sense, and a pinch of guesswork (OK - a large dollop of the last) From Koppenburg's narrative, the counterattacking Soviet armored force (two groups of 10 mixed KV1s and T34s, and 25 - 30 light tank escorts) sounded a lot like a 1941 - 1942 vintage independent tank brigade's tank regiment.

Consulting Charles Sharp's books (see bibliography), it appeared that there were no Soviet tank corps in the area in March 1942 but that there were several independent tank brigades. Therefore the Soviet armor became a tank regiment. There were lots of Soviet infantry involved at various times during the attack, so, as independent tank brigades by this time typically supported infantry divisions, and there were lots of infantry divisions defending Sevastopol, I took Korpetsch to be part of one of defending Soviet infantry division's defense works. The specific regiments - the 15th Tank Regiment and the 263rd Rifle Regiment - I obtained from Charles Sharps works. They're speculative but plausible. The 263rd Rifle Regiment is, as may be noted, missing its third battalion - presumably elsewhere in the defense works.

Korpetsch lay on a relatively level area that slopes very gently from the German positions to the south to the Black Sea just to the north. I didn't include contour lines on any of the maps (they're in Panzertruppen, though, on page 225) because they were so gradual. The only two elevations on the game map are locations 28.2 and 19.8, rises noted by their slight (5 - 10 meters) elevation above the surrounding terrain and named after their elevation above sea level. A stream running north-south split the battlefield, but in Koppenburg's narrative, it was significant only in that it had a deep antitank ditch running down a fair portion of its length. He also commented that the antitank ditches were fairly impassable to German AFVs.

Note that in the following narrative and in the replays, because there're not that many formations on the tabletop and because (fortunately) the German and Soviet units don't share any designations, the first time I refer to a unit I'll fully designate it, e.g., 2/204th Tank Battalion, and thereafter I'll refer to it as the 2/204th, in the interests of saving space.

Dawn Breaks

With the breaking of dawn at 0455, the regiment started off towards Korpetsch in heavy fog at 0500, only 15 minutes after the last of the attack elements arrived at the staging area. From 0515 until 0530, the regiment regrouped in front of the German lines, trying to get organized enough to properly attack the town. The assault was re-launched at 0530, but due to the fog, the 204th Tank Regiments two battalions lost sight of one another and had only radio communications until later in the morning. A third formation, Battalion Collin (the 1/117th Tank Battalion, I think), was to assist in the attack but turned north too soon and missed the battle altogether.

When the attack went in at 0530, the plan was to advance to the northeast, turn left, and attack Korpetsch. By 0600, the 1/204th Tank Battalion, turning left too soon, had moved onto the track between Korpetsch and Tulumtschak, at which time what appeared to be a Soviet tank regiment attacked it from the northwest, first with light tanks, then with KV1s and T34s. Soviet artillery firing from several different locations joined in, pounding the 1/204th. The battalion commander pulled back to regroup while under ongoing attack by the Soviet tanks. The fog at this time still persisted. Note that when the 1/204th pulled back, the antitank guns manning the German lines thought the 1/204th was retreating, limbered up, and left themselves.

During the early confusion, the 1/129th Armored Infantry Company became separated from the 1/204th and linked up with the 2/204th Tank Battalion. The 2/204th, meeting no resistance, moved on as planned, toward Korpetsch, thinking that the 1/204th was in front of it. Via the radio, Koppenburg, whose regimental HQ was with the 2/204th, received word that the 1/204th had taken about 40% losses, was under heavy attack, and needed to pull back. Having already sent the 1/204th, the 2/204th's medium company in support, Koppenburg concurred, so by about 1000 the 1/204th had returned to the German jumping off point in the German lines, the Soviet forces apparently not pursuing.

Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, the 2/204th had advanced in the general direction of Hill 28.2, with the infantry, to Korpetsch, the 7/140th Infantry Company dismounting and occupying the entrenchment to the south of the town between 0630 and 0700. Scattered Soviet infantry forces were encountered and driven before the 2/204th. Soviet artillery arrived as the 2/204th arrived at Korpetsch and followed it as it moved around the town toward Hill 28.2. The 2/204th tried to cross the antitank ditch along the southwest bank of the stream, several tanks becoming stuck.

By 0730 the lead elements of the 2/204th reached Hill 28.2, at which time they were taken under fire by the rest of the battalion; due to damage to the battalion commanders vehicle radio, nobody knew he'd gotten as far as Hill 28.2, so his tanks were assumed to be Soviet. During this advance, several Soviet antitank guns were overrun in the entrenchment north of Korpetsch and a body of Soviet infantry was dispersed from the hill itself. During the advance the medium company rejoined the battalion. At about 0830, while the lead elements of the 2/204th consolidated their position, the Soviets launched an infantry attack from the area of Tulumtschak which was repulsed in the open.

Realizing that they couldn't attack Korpetsch across the antitank ditch they'd just crossed, and having no infantry on Hill 28.2 to support them, the 2/204th slowly withdrew south to the German lines. As the various elements of the 204th fell back to the German lines, Koppenburg was obliged to send the regimental adjutant to the rear to make clear that a large scale retreat was not underway and that a general retreat by the support elements was not appropriate.

By approximately 1030, most of the German units had regained their lines and the attack was over. German losses in vehicles included some 33 tanks out of the original 142 tanks involved, or about 23% losses.

I encourage you to read Koppenburg's account, in Panzertruppen. It gives a good idea of how badly muddled an attack can become. My narrative is a bit confusing; so was his!

TERRAIN NOTES

In game terms, the battlefield terrain merits the following notes, which apply to all three of the rule sets. The streambed is almost dry and poses no problem to vehicle traffic. It provides a light cover combat modifier for infantry. The antitank ditches are impassable to vehicles only and provide a light cover combat modifier for infantry. The entrenchment north and south of Korpetsch seem to have been well-developed; I treated them as proper entrenchment and gave heavy cover modifiers to infantry occupying them.

This isn't exactly a terrain note, but the morning of 20 March 1942 was a foggy one and the German attack, when it was launched, went in with visibility of only about 100 meters range. The game begins with visibility of only 100 meters at 0530 and, starting with the second turn, increases by 1D6 x 100 meters per turn, rolled for at the beginning of the turn, until visibility increases to 1000 meters. At that point the fog is considered to have burned off.

Larger version of map at right: warning: big file--slow download.

GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE

In CDII Terms

204th Panzer Regiment (+): Oberst Koppenburg commanding.
Experienced, Morale = 9

RHQ (Force Command) 1 Pz IIf, 1 Pz 38(t), 1 SdKfz 251/3

1st Battalion BHQ: 1 Pz IIf, 1 Pz 38(t), 1 SdKfz 251/3

2nd Battalion BHQ: 1 Pz IIf, 1 Pz 38(t), 1 SdKfz 251/3

1/129 PanzerGrenadier Company

7/140 Schutzen Company

1/29 Flak Company

Order of Entry: All forces enter at Entry Point A at 0530.

Artillery Support: One battery 105mm available on call once Soviet infantry is spotted. Each time the battery fires, cast 1D6 for that to have been its last turn of fire.

Victory Conditions: Win by having troops in Korpetsch at the end of turn 10.

Modifications for Spearhead:

Delete all three SdKfz 251/3s, the Car, the SdKfz 251/10, the Command Stand, and the two MMG Stands, and replace the two Command Infantry Stands with Infantry Stands. Artillery is divisional support. 1/29 Flak Company is a support unit for purposes of attachment. The PanzerGrenadier and Schutzen companies are, for the purposes of the scenario, organic to (and not merely in support of) their respective battalions. No flank marches are permitted. All units initially have Attack orders. Morale Grade is Regular.

Modifications for Clash of Armor:

Replace the two Command Infantry Stands with Infantry Stands. German MEs begin the game with the initiative.

1st Bn: Commander +3(3), Morale=8, Experience = Regular

2nd Bn: Commander +4(4), Morale=8, Experience = Regular

1/29 Flak Co. Activation/Fatigue: 5/0

Forward Observer for 105mm Bty 4/0

SOVIET ORDER OF BATTLE

In CDII Terms

263rd Rifle Regiment (-)
Regular, Morale = 8

RHQ: 1 Command Stand, 1 Command Infantry Stand

Gun Company: 1 76.2mm How., 1 Crew Stand, 1 Limber

Antitank Gun Company: 1 45mm ATG, 1 Crew Stand, 1 Limber

Mortar Company: 1 82mm Mortar Stand, 1 Limber, 1 Weapons Stand

SMG Company: 2 SMG Stands

Antitank Rifle Company: 1 PTRD AT Rifle Stand

1st Battalion BHQ: 1 Command Stand, 1 PTRS AT Rifle Stand

2nd Battalion BHQ: 1 Command Stand, 1 PTRS AT Rifle Stand

2nd MG Co.: 1 MMG Stand

15th Tank Reg. Trained, Morale=8 (Tank Reg. Green Morale 8)<

RHQ: 1 T60, 1 ARV

1st Bn:

2nd Bn:

Deployment: 263rd Rifle Reg. deploys in Korpetsch and/or in the entrenchment north and south of town. 15th Tank Reg. deploys in Tulumtschak.

Artillery Support: One battalion of one 122mm and two 76mm batteries is available for duration of game. The FO is located with the 263rd Rifle Regiment.

Special: No orders may be issued until a German unit is spotted.

Victory Conditions: Win by having more forces in Korpetsch than the Germans at the end of turn 10.

Modifications for Spearhead:

263rd Rifle Reg.: Delete Command Infantry Stand and three AT Rifle Stands, and replace two MMG stands with HMG stands. All units deploy with Defend orders. Morale Grade for all forces is Green.

Modifications for Clash of Armor:

No Soviet MEs may activate until a German unit is spotted.

263rd Rifle Regt. Commander +3(2), Morale=6, Experience = Regular

1/263rd Rifle Bttn: Commander +3(3), Morale=7, Experience = Regular

2nd Bn: Commander +2(2), Morale=6, Experience = Regular

15th Tank Regt. Commander +2(2), Morale=6, Experience = Green

1/15 Tank Bttn: Activation/Fatigue: 3/0 2/15 Tank Bttn: Activation/Fatigue: 2/0

Forward Observer for Artillery Bttn: 4/0 (very active bttn)

The Comparison

WWII Rules Comparison Introduction

Rules Overview (all three sets)

Clash of Armor replay

Command Decision II replay

Spearhead replay

Conclusion

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Comparison of theNew WWII Rules

Assault on KorpetschHistorical Overview and OOB

TERRAIN NOTES

GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE

Modifications for Spearhead:

Modifications for Clash of Armor:

SOVIET ORDER OF BATTLE

Modifications for Spearhead:

Modifications for Clash of Armor:

Comparison of the
New WWII Rules

Assault on Korpetsch
Historical Overview and OOB