Soviets

The 3rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Soviet Army has just received orders for attack. Their sector will be the main thrust of the 12th Motorized Rifle Division, 1st Tank Army. One large road is the main advance line of the regiment.

3/1 on enemy troop ratio seems available for a successful attack. Key objectives are bridge and autobahn in the rear.

The regimental sector is about 5 km wide, all flanks being covered by probes from the two other motor rifle regiments of the Division.

Troops available to the Regimental Commander:

1. Motorized rifle Regiment (BMP2).
2. Indipendent tank battalion.
3. Divisional Artillery, 152mm + bm21 Mrls.
4. Bridge Engineer Company.
5. Divisional Recon Assets.
6. The heliported motor rifle battalion is also under the regimental command orders. Artillery support and air assets have to be provided outside battalion perimeter for protection.

Regimental Commander will follow general training practice up to the discovery of the enemy, i.e advance recon, side security. After that he has freedom within general orders.Cross-battalion company level attachments and assignments of artillery battalions to motor or tank battalions shall be done at the beginning of the operation.

Bundeswehr

Troop movements have been detected during last 8 hours and hasty defences have been prepared. A forward battalion has been prepared to engage the enemy attack over a front of 3-5 km.
A second battalion coming from rear area is ready to engage the enemy.
Troops available to the area commander:
divisional recce company.1 forward artillery controller on vehicles.1 forward artillery controller on helicopter.one panzergrenadier battalion + cross attachment tank company, all can be entrenchedfour M109 dedicated batteries., all can be entrenched
tank battalion + cross attached infantry company

Terrain

Close terrain, woods and hills in the forward area. More plains and built-up area in the rear. Large town with key bridge. Autobahn running out towards rear area.

The Battle

The city of Frunzburg, on the river Main. the key objective of the soviets.

Some german recce close to border. Two platoons. They have orders to hold ground and they will be cut to pieces in the next hour.

The advance guard is screened by regimental and divisional recce. Some platoons find enemy recce on the two flanks of the Autobahn. The recce platoon scouting the Autobahn, calls the regimental HQ for being targeted by enemy tanks. The call is interrupted and a stream of black smoke is seen by the advance guard commander.

As soon as the soviete recce find the enemy screen, the first battalion deploys in the centre.

Air defence Shilkas follow the advance. They spot an enemy helicopter, but is too far and flying very low.

The battlefield. (We need more and nicer 1/300 scenery!!!). Autobahn in the centre, two side roads leading to the river on the bottom right. Lot of close ground. One main feature is the railway line, hiding troops from view. Two small ridges are just behind the railway line. They are ideal firing positions.

Forward artillery observer onboard of the Bo105 spots the advance guard. Four M109 batteries fire at the advancing tanks with HE, no effect! Let us prepare special ammunitions!

The second motorized battalion starts to deploy at the right of the autobahn. Companies advance in column, as prescribed in attack drill when the formation is still far from the enemy.

Some key terrain elements are taken, but the main force is still far from the battle line. One T72 platoon of the advance guard gets mauled by german antitank elements.

The soviet commander now knows that in the centre, along the autobahn, there are at least one antitank and one main battle tank company. Infantry is unseen.

At this point the soviets have enough elements to prepare an attack at regimental level. They have to be fast because reinforcements are coming!

The second motorized battalion, with a T72 company in attachment, advances to the right of the autobahn, along secondary roads.

A T72 commander spots what must be a german Forward artillery observer in the orchard. The tank fires at short range and the vehicle goes up oin flames.

The first battalion, knowing of the preparing defences along the autobahn, decides to move on the left. In the picture, the first elements are about to pass the railway.

Along the autobahn the rest of the regiment follows. Orders to follow in march order until the railway is crossed, then battle will be joined with a direct attack to the town of Frunzburg.

On the two sides of the autobahn, two small ridges hide respectively, on the right and the left, one Leopard 1A4 company and one Leopard2 company, in hull down. The Leopard1A4s are in prepared positions, while the Leopard2s have just arrived.

The german main battle tanks engage the enemy tanks leading the motorized battalion attacks. The Leopard2s in ambush destroy a full T72 company without being shot back.

The Leopard1A4 on the right, after shooting in ambush from the ridge, killing T72s and BMP2s, are blinded by a smoke barrage. They make a swift movement on the right and hide behing a high hedgerow.

The soviet battalion on the left german flank is stopped still, the commander decides to occupy the industrial buildings along the railway. Few unlucky shots are fired towards the Leopards in hull down. Leopard2s stand firm and don’t give any ground to the enemy.

The soviets on the right are more mobile, and even if they are mauled by tanks and an antitank company lying in ambush in buildings nearby the autobahn, succeed in destroying the Jaguars and to dislodge the enemy on the ridge.

At this point, without real obstacles to delay the soviet advance, the germans, who have lost just the antitank company, no tanks nor mechanized infantry, decide to avoid being encircled. They pull out from the engagement and wait for the soviets to close the river Main. They will put up a fierce fight to deny the river crossing.

Aftermath

A very interesting game. The rules flow without problem. Next time we will start experimenting obstacles and minefields, maybe air support and helicopters.We have forgotten to properly handle:

• firing on the move
• morale checks
• Counterbattery fire can be done also on mortar platoons, not necessarily to off-map artillery.

Regaring rules modifications, the only thing I will apply next time:

• I will give a recce platoon cover (-1) all the time, since their job is to spot without being spotted. They are professionals in this respect.

I want to paint more figures! Maybe a whole russian motorized division, British, and Canadians. I just read a marvelous book called “First Clash” where one soviet motorized division, and a tank division attack a Canadian Brigade.