Combat Command

Forces, Set up, and Map

By Larry Freeman

German Garrison
Special ammo: 4
Smoke: 4
Satchel Charges: 6
1 x Leutnant, MP-40 SMG
3 x Gefreiter, W-40 SMG
1 x HQ section of 4 men. These are the signalier, or radiomen. They may be equipped with MP-40 SMGs and one radio. The radio is just for show. You may call on it all you want if it makes you feel any better!
1 x Squad of GrossDeutschland infantry. These elite troops are men away from the front and are using the town as a rest camp. The squad has 10 men. One man is armed with a MG-42 LMG.
2 x Squads of Ersatz infantry. These are the Supply troops. Each squad has 10 men. Two figures in each squad may be armed with W-40 SMGs. If you want a 'final touch' make sure these men are all equipped with nice, warm greatcoats or winter smocks, and place them near the GroBDeutschland infantry so they can complain how they just couldn't eat another bite. That ought to do it.
3 x Squads of Ersatz infantry. These are the Panzer Maintenance troops. Each squad has 10 men. Each squad may have one MG-42 LMG.
10 x Panzer crewmen. These guys are there to ferry vehicles back to the front. They are considered Ersatz infantry while they are outside of a tank. Once inside, they will function as a normal Panzer crew and use the vehicle's MS to hit. They may be armed with NW-40 SMGs, but pistols should be the more prevalent weapon.
1x Quad 20mm FLAK with three Ersatz crewmen. Local FLAK battery. 2 x HMG, each with three Ersatz crewmen.
3 x Trucks (no drivers are inside)
2 x Pzkw-IIIL Tanks (uncrewed).
2 x StuG-11113 Assault guns (uncrewed) (You may substitute Pzkw IVF2 tanks instead if you do not have Mark III or StuG models)

Soviet Raiding Force
Special ammo: 0
Smoke: 0
Satchel Charges: 2
1 x Kapitan with PPsh4l SMG
1 x Snaiper with SVT-40 Sniper Rifle
1 x Kommissar (+I Morale bonus)
3 x Leitenants with TT-33 pistol
2 x Serzhent with PPsh-41 SMG
1 x Saperny with Flamethrower. May be assigned to any squad except cavalry.
1 x Partisan Leader armed with a SMG (may be Soviet or German).
3 x Squads of Cavalry Each Squad has ten men all armed with PPsh-4l SMGs.
2 x Squads of Razvedchiki infantry. Each squad has 10 men all armed with PPsh-41 SMGs. One man in each squad may be armed with a DP LMG.
5 x Squads of Fromovik Infantry. Each squad has 9 men. All are armed with Mosin-Nagant 1891 rifles. One man may be armed with a DP LMG.
15 x Partisans. They may be divided into as many squads as you see fit. Each squad must have at least three figures. They are armed with a mixture of pistols, rifles or SMGs. One person may carry a LMG. Each partisan squad must be assigned a minimum of one Molotov cocktail. The partisans also loathe the German garrison, If they break morale, instead of running away, they may immediately charge the closest German unit and try to engage them in melee. Only the Kapitan, Kommissar, or the Partisan leader my lead them.
3 x T-34C Tanks.
1 x Off table 82mm Mortar Battery with three tubes and Frontovik Crews. The Battery is considered within line of sight of the village just off of one of the table edges, so they do not need to be called in by a leader or vehicle with a radio. They can only be used once during any Soviet Morale / Support Phase. Once the battery fires, it will immediately pack up and move away to the rendevous point, so make your shot count,
15 x Molotov Cocktails. These must be assigned to squads or leaders before the scenario begins.

Victory Conditions

The Soviets must choose any two of the following objectives before the game begins:

    1 - The Supply depot. All three trucks plus the supply warehouse they are parked next to must be completely destroyed either by action or fire.

    2 - The Town. All buildings must be lit on fire by the end of the game. See the scenario special rules for lighting fires.

    3 - The Panzer Maintenance Depot. All four tanks, plus the fuel barrel farm must be destroyed. See the map for location.

    4 - The Garrison. Wipe them out. All of them! (OK, so I'm an Episode I fan) Either kill or break every German Squad or weapons team, Leaders and uncrewed vehicles do not count for this victory condition.

The game will last for 6 turns. The Soviet player sets up second and moves first. At the end of six turns, it is assumed that a nearby unit has sent in a relief column, forcing the Soviets to break off the attack.

Special Scenario Rules

The Panzers are somewhat ready to go back to the front. It will take a minimum of three tankers to Crew a Panzer. To rnan a vehicle, simply move the figure onto it Once three tankruen climb on top or inside, the vehicle is manned and ready to go. If you man it during the I" movement phase before the Fire Phase, you may fire normally in the same turn. Otherwise, you are forced to wait. Like a normal game, Leaders must be assigned to vehicles before the game begins. Once that leader climbs aboard, all vehicles in the maintenance yard may make full moves during the 2"d movement phase. Due to the nature of this game, the crew survival rule is not optional.

As we said, the vehicles are somewhat ready to go. For the first time you try something in a maintenance vehicle, such as move for the first time, fire the main gun or fire machine guns, roll 1D6. On any roll of 6, that particular part or aspect of the vehicle is not working no gas or engine installed, no ammo, etc). You only have to make one roll per action (move, main gun, machine gun) per game. Once you pass the roll, everything is OK and the tank will operate normally.

Burning buildings or vehicles. Lighting things on fire is an Optional Rule in Combat Command, but it works off the premise that you are targeting a known enemy location and either the area they are in or the targets themselves serve as 'fuel' for the flame, In this case, we will have people deliberately targeting buildings or vehicles to achieve victory, so here's how this will work: A flamethrower will automatically light a building on fire with one shot. Place the fire counter on the building. Nothing more needs to be done. Molotov Cocktails can also burn a building. However, as it is bitter cold outside and the wood is somewhat frozen, you can only burn a building after rolling a 4, 5 or 6 or 1D6.

Once a building is starting to burn, it is considered destroyed for victory purposes. Flame weapons destroy vehicles by the normal game rules. T-34 main tank rounds can accidentally cause a fire as well. Use the fire rules if infantry are the target, or roll 3D6 if the building is empty. If all three dice come up '1', a fire has started. Not a very efficient use of T-34s, but if you want to try it, knock yourself out!

Referee Notes: (in a multi-player game

The Partisan player, if there is one, really wants to see the town destroyed. As such, inform the partisan player that he or she must constantly work towards that goal at all times. Even if there is more lucrative targets for his Molotov Cocktails, he will strive to use them on the Buildings first. If there's Germans inside, so much the better! If there is no partisan player, then the Partisans will be well behaved and follow the Party line.

Terrain:

The Houses are all considered wooden or brick (they both will burn the same for this scenario). And give either a + 1 or + 2 save. The woods are Heavy woods and give a +2 save. Roll 1D6 for sighting distance into Heavy Woods. Infantry will move normally through heavy woods, but vehicle may not move through them at all. While there is snow on the ground, it is not currently snowing, so it does not impair sighting. The snow is also considered compacted enough to support movement.

If you want to add some supply crates to the supply yard, treat them as a wall with a + 2 save to make up for all the snowshoes and overcoats getting shredded by the gunfire. The Fuel barn area is explosive. If it is hit by any weapon with an armor-penetration number, it will explode. Place the 8" blast marker over the center of the Fuel barn. All figures and vehicles underneath are automatically hit. The blast will act like a flamethrower against vehicles, so roll 1d6 against the top armor for possible penetration. Roll for Save, glancing or penetration hits as normal.

Set Up

The Germans set up first in the town. One Maintenance squad may be set up in the maintenance yard. A Supply squad may be placed in the Supply area. The 20mm FLAK and the HMG teams may be placed anywhere on the table as you tactfully see fit. The remainder of the garrison must be placed in buildings. Only one squad to a building. The Radiomen are considered a squad for set up purposes.

You may also have five tank crewmen 2D6 inches away from the maintenance yard. The other tankers must also be assigned a building. Leaders may be placed as you see fit. The German player may only put 3 units or weapons teams on overwatch. The Pzkw IIIs and StuGs may be placed in any of the tank locations on the map as the German player sees fit.

The Soviets set up second but move first. Roll for each of the two Razvedchiki squads, if you roll equal to or less than their training, they may set up hidden anywhere on the table as long as they are not within 12" of any German soldier. If they fail their training roll, they will enter with the rest of the Army on turn 1. The remainder of the Soviet Force will enter from any one or any combination of table edges as the Soviet players sees fit.

Things to Remember

Soviet Tanks do not have radios. All mobile tanks must move and stay within line of sight of each other at all times.

Hidden units are automatically on overwatch and may retaliate on firing enemy units.

Only Razvedchiki may start 'hidden' in the open. They still must be revealed once the Soviet player's turn begins as per the Hiding and Sighting rules, as units cannot stay hidden in the open. Only units with at least one figure within six inches of a leader may make a full move in the 2nd Movement Phase.

Only six figures may ride on the back of a tank.

You may only place Overwatch counters in the Morale / Support Phase.

Partisans roll for their morale the first time they are forced to check.

For more information on Soviet Cavalry and Cossacks including uniform information, go to the following web address: www.cossackweb.com/cossacks/unf_all htm

Rear Area Raid, Winter, 1942


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