Lost Victories

Stalingrad Counteroffensive

Special Rules

by Bradley Skeen


1. 6th Army Operational Restrictions. During all movement and exploitation phases in 1942, no unit originally assigned to the 6th Army and is isolated may voluntarily move away from Stalingrad. Sixth Army units may, however, move away from Stalingrad by advancing after combat; any unit which does so and can trace a regular supply line during the immediately following movement or exploitation phase may thereafter move freely.

2. Soviet Tank XXXX HQs. At the end of any movement or exploitation phase the Soviet player may stack no more than one c/m corps in a hex, unless the hex also contains a Tank Army HQ. No more than I Soviet C/M corps may participate in an overrun unless a Tank Army HQ also participates in the same overrun. Tank Army HQs are 0 strength C/M units with a movement allowance of 8. They do not count against the stacking limit of a hex. They are subject to all combat results and are eliminated if forced to retreat through the ZOC of German c/m units (only); otherwise they are eliminated only if all other units in their stack are eliminated. They may be replaced at the cost of 3 arm RPs.

3. Cavalry. Cavalry units may move during the exploitation phase, expending up to 1/2 their movement allowance.

4. Weather. Mobile operations were conducted throughout the time period of this scenario despite the usual Russian winter, accordingly:

  • The effects of snow weather are changed so that clear hexes cost 2 MPs for artillery, c/m units, and reduced AEC is .in effect (see table on Player Aid Card). Road and overland supply lines are increased to 5 hexes in length.
  • Much of the action of the campaign hinged on the late onset of winter and spring, accordingly the Nov II 42 and Dec I turns are automatically frost weather, roll for Weather on Dec II 42 (only), and thereafter all turns are Snow. All hexes are in weather zone C.
  • Rivers are freezing on the Dec I turn and are frozen on the Dec II and all subsequent turns.

5. Engineering

  • German Construction or Engineer units with a strength of 2 or greater may perform quick construction by themselves.

  • No Axis unit may begin to build a fortification in any hex more than 3 hexes distant from a Soviet Unit.

  • An engineer may repair a bridge over a major or great river only by the same procedure as building a fort. Quick construction may not be used.

  • An Engineer or Construction unit may build temporary bridges and causeways across a major river or through a swamp hex. To do so the unit must begin an initial phase adjacent to the major river or in the swamp hex to be bridged, and that unit or another Engineer or Construction unit must remain constantly in the hex. A single Engineer may perform both duties in an appropriate hex or adjacent to the hexside. The effect of the construction is to reduce the cost to traverse the river or enter the swamp hex by one for all units, and to negate the penalty for tracing an overland supply line across a major river or through a swamp hex.

    6. Low Odds Overruns. The standard overruns rule covers high odds overruns at odds of 10:1 or greater. Phasing units may also attempt to overrun enemy units at lower odds (between 2:1 and 9:1) with the following modifications to the procedure. Calculate the odds of the overrun as if it were an attack in the combat phase and roll on the CRT, applying all modifiers due to terrain, AEC, ATEC, Weather, etc., in addition, modify the die roll by -1 if no c/m division or cadre participates in the overrun. Disregard the printed result, but use it as a guide to determine the result of the overrun. If the printed result is DE the overrun is successful and executed as a high odds overrun. If the printed result is DH or DR, it is ignored, the enemy units are unharmed, and the overrunning units must immediately stop moving and forfeit all remaining movement points. If any other printed result is obtained, it is ignored, the enemy units are unharmed, and the overrunning units must immediately stop moving and forfeit all remaining movement points, and in addition eliminate 3 REs or reduce a division to cadre (however the total strength lost need not exceed the printed defense strengths of the defenders). The movement point cost for a low odds overrun is the same as for a 10: 1 overrun.

    7. Enclaves When units defending in a major city hex are forced to retreat by an EX, HX, DR, or DH (but not a DE) combat result, the remaining units may retreat within the city, forming an enclave, provided that at least two contiguous hexsides of the city are free of enemy units. This action is always voluntary; units may only form enclaves in their home countries. When an enclave is formed, any fort counter is removed (note that both sides occupying the enclave hex are later free to build forts and air fields), half of all position AA units and river flotillas are eliminated, and all ships in the hex check for scuttling; surviving ships join the enclave. Transportation lines in the city are cut and may not be repaired while the enclaved condition continues. The RR capacity of the side that originally controlled the enclaved city is permanently decreased by one. Units of the attacking force may advance into the hex and become the dominant side in the enclaved city. Both sides may maintain full stacking in the hex, and have an airbase capacity of 2 (The remaining 2 air base capacity points are considered destroyed).

    Each side in the enclave selects a single hexside to serve as its line of communication into and out of the hex; all tracing of supply and movement of units must be through this hexside. This hexside must be free of enemy units and, if possible, contain a friendly unit. Mark the hexside with an arrow counter. A side becomes isolated if enemy units ever control the adjacent hex into which the line of communication is traced. Neither side controls the hex, but the enclaved side exerts a ZOC across its communication hexside, and the dominant force exerts a ZOC across the 5 remaining hexsides. Movement into or out of the hex, and retreat out of the hex, is considered to be from one ZOC to another or though ZOC.

    In subsequent combat both sides may take advantage of the defensive benefits of the city. Adjacent friendly units, except those in the line of communications hex, may make attacks against the enemy units in the hex. No more than 1/2of the REs in an enclaved hex may attack out of the hex (all may attack within the hex).

    If the enclaved side is forced to retreat it must do so in the ordinary fashion. If a political police unit is present a DR or HX result becomes EX, but any surviving units must retreat.

    The dominant side in an enclave suffers a DE combat result normally and must retreat when required to do so, but if it suffers a DH, EX, HX, or DR result, it may elect to remain in the hex and become the enclaved side (it looses any fort or airfield or air base capacity it has and half of its position AA).

    The Soviet Player may not receive RPs for Special Drafting after liberating a city in which the Axis had an enclave but never completely occupied.

    An enclaved city hex may not provide Soviet Workers.

    7. German Air Transport. On frost weather turns Luftwaffe transport groups flying the transport mission over a distance of 10 hexes or less may carry 1/2REs of cargo. On snow weather turns Luftwaffe transport groups may carry only 1/2RE of cargo and bombers may not fly transport missions.

    8. Wiking. SS division Wiking was composed of volunteers from Scandinavia and the Baltic States so replacements were not readily available. If this unit is reduced or destroyed it may not be rebuilt or replaced within the scope of the game.

    More Lost Victories: Stalingrad Counteroffensive

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