Germany 1946

Pictures of the Game

Its spring 1946 and relations between east and west deteriorate to the point of war; the Soviets looking for a swift victory in Europe before the USAF turn all its factories into radioactive craters

The Soviet 3rd Shock army has penetrated the the Inner German Border and the BAOR's frontier defences. The main Soviet thrust has outflanked Hanover to the north, roughly following the line of the Aller River. A long thin salient is wedged into British lines threatening to split the Allied position in half. The British plan to deal with the encroachment is to launch the 22nd Armoured Brigade into the southern flank and newly arrived elements of the CCA US 3rd Armored Division into the north. The 16th Airborne Brigade is to be dropped between then to capture the bridges over the Aller River allowing the US & UK elements to join up cutting off the Russian advance elements

The scenario starts an hour the fog lifts from the battlefield, the second wave of the 16th Airborne is descending from the sky as the first elements of the 22nd Armoured Brigade approach the Soviets' southern flank. Unfortunately for the British Soviet recce elements have detected the approaching british force and the NKVD rear area commander is scraping together forces to confront the attack

Order of Battle & Map

Terrain

The map is 3km by 6km - north is towards the top of the page

The redlines are tarmac road. The highway marked XY is the main line of advance for Soviet forces heading east

The majority of the blue lines are streams and drainage ditches. They take the equivalent if a cautious advance move to cross. So if moving with a hasty advance order, the unit loses half its movement. If moving with a cautious advance order, a stand must start on one bank and will be moved to the other. The Leine and the Aller are impassible except at the bridges. The Aller counts as a deep body of water for parachute fatalities

The dotted lines are tree lines or bulky hedges, they break LOS and provide light cover. Those along streams can be seen into or out of from either side of the steam as long as the stand is touching the stream

The green areas are open woods

The gray areas are buildings. These are mostly stone built (-3 Cover)

The brown dotted line is a ridge line. It breaks LOS. Stands on the line may take up hull-down positions. The ridge is not high enough to see over intervening terrain

The black dashed line is a railway

The pink dotted lines demark the northern and southern limits of the Soviet deployment zone

Allied Deployment

The 1st RTR is deployed along the road or railway entering from the southern table edge. Vehicles are arranged in single file on the road and railway. They may be deployed to the edge of the wood. The British player is not obliged to use both routes and may use one but not the other. Any stands that do not fit on table will enter in the movement phase turn 1

The Crusader from the AA Troop is an ancient piece of crap saved from the scrap yard by the Soviet invasion and thus prone to breaking down, which is has, someplace off table. At the start of turn 2 and each turn thereafter roll d6. on a 5-6 it arrives on table following the same route as 1st RTR

Armstrong Force HQ enters with the first elements of the 13th/18th Hussars.

The 13th/18th Hussars are a reinforcement. Start rolling turn 6. Roll separately for each squadron or company. The HQ is a separate company for arrival purposes but will not arrive until another squadron or company enters the board. Stands arrive along the same routes as 1st RTR. On turn 5 a 6 is required for arrival, turn 7 a 4-6 is required and turn 8 plus anything but a 1.

1st Parachute Battalion guards the bridges north over the Aller. One company guards each bridge the stands of the company must be deployed with 3" of the bridge - they are dug-in.

The 2nd Parachute Battalion drops on turn 1. Unfortunately there has been a navigation error and the RAF Dakotas release 2km too far south; this is exacerbated by a strong wind from the north. Use the CD parachute rules but because of the high winds use an 18" drop height not the usual 6". The drop will be conducted 6" in from the middle of the north table edge. Stands dropped off the table are NOT lost, but will accompany the Brigade HQ when it arrives

16th Brigade HQ is a reinforcement. It will arrive over either of the Aller bridges. It will be accompanied by any 2nd Parachute Battalion stands dropped off the edge of the table. The earliest possible arrival turn is turn 4 however the increased by a turn for every 2nd Battalion stand lost over the edge of the table. On the first possible turn of arrival the HQ arrives on a 6. Next turn on a 4-6 and subsequent turns anything but a 1 is required

The Tetrarch is a reinforcement. Start rolling turn 1. It arrives on a 6 the first turn, 4-6 the second and on a 2-6 in later turns. It can arrive over either Aller bridge

The Chaffees from the 3rd AD are reinforcements. Initially only roll for a single tank. Once the first has arrived the next turn start rolling for the second. The earliest possible arrival time is turn 8. Each turn a roll of 5-6 indicates the arrival of the Chaffees.

Soviet Deployment

NKVD Commander 3rd Shock Army (and subordinates), 3098th Separate AA Battalion, 161st Army Workshop and 1137th Artillery Battalion may be deployed as the Soviet player wishes (with one minor exception). NKVD foot troops (not the Cavalry or the attached 100mm) are dug in. The 1137th Artillery Battalion must be deployed with its guns facing west (its currently supporting the Soviet spearhead)

The 3077th Traffic Control Detachment must be deployed adjacent to the road at point X

All units marked "road" in the OB (603rd High Power Artillery Battalion, 62nd Mortar Battalion, 161st Construction Battalion, 99th Separate Tank Destroyer Battalion and 12th Army Radio Intercept Company) are deployed in convoy along the road from X to Y in random order. If the models don't all fit then the rest start off board and will make a road move on to the table when space is available

The 1602nd Separate Tank Regiment is a reinforcement. It will arrive en masse from point X or point Y, roll a dice to determine which upon the turn of arrival. First possible turn of arrival is turn 2, a 6 is required on a d6. Turn 3 a 4-6 and each turn thereafter a 2-6

Occupied Reinforcement Points

For both sides (with the exception of the paras on foot) if there is an enemy stand within 12" of the reinforcement point then it may not be used. The stand may enter next turn, or any subsequent turn within 12" of the designated point as long as there are no enemy stand within LOS & 12" of the new entry point. In no case may a stand enter on the north edge in the middle between the two curves of the Aller. Enemy stands only count if not demoralised

Paras on foot may always enter unless there is an enemy stand touching the required bridge in which case they are banned from entering until one bridge is cleared of the enemy

Reinforcement. Summary

Special Rules

The game starts at 11am and runs until 5pm - 12 turns

The Soviet player only has command of the NKVD units at the start of the game. In order to move any unit other than the NKVD and the attached 100mm the NKVD Commander 3rd Shock Army must issue a take command order to its HQ. Units will move to cover within 6" on their own volition and artillery units will unlimber, pivot and shoot on their own initiative

The NKVD Commander 3rd Shock Army is a man of extreme personal bravery and never fails morale checks

The 161st Army Workshop can attempt to repair the broken tanks. Each turn roll 1d6, for the first tank or truck a 5-6 is required, subsequent vehicles require a 6. They can only fix (roll for) one vehicle a turn. Repaired vehicles will be manned by scratch crews so will be rated as Green 7. The workshop truck must be intact. in perfect morale and within 3" of the broken tank in order for the roll to be made.

Both side have unlimited special ammo - APDS for the British and APCR (HVAP) for the Soviets

Aircraft

Both sides may get aircraft on a random basis (with the exception of the Auster), starting on turn 3. On turns 1-2 there are enough RAF fighters in the air escorting Dakotas that the Soviet Airforce hasn't a chance. All RAF ground attack is busy attacking air defences north of the Aller where the paras are supposed to be landing.

The Allied player may roll on the following table (d10): 1-5 no aircraft, 6-7 ground attack, 8 Fighter, 9-10 ground attack and a fighter.

The Soviet player uses the following table (d10): 1-6 no planes, 7-8 ground attack, 9 fighter, 10 fighter and ground attack

For RAF fighters it may be one of the following: Meteor Mk III, Vampire Mk I or Tempest Mk V. Ground attack will be Tempest V's.

Soviet fighters may be any one of the following: Yak-15 or La-7. Ground attack: Il-10 or Il-2m.

If using CD air ratings than randomise the type - if using the simple air rules than pick which one you like as the rules don't distinguish the types. Note that if using the simple air rules the RAF are assumed to have air superiority

The RAF Auster actually represents a relay of such aircraft and can be constantly kept in the air. In any turn where the Soviets get a fighter its assumed to be evading the fighters and may not call fire. If the Auster is shot down the next Auster needs to be called, roll 3-6 (d6) for arrival. If a second is lost then its 5-6 for arrival. Lose three, there are no more Austers.

Victory Conditions

To win a decisive victory the British must clear a 12" wide path from any point on the southern table edge to either of the bridges over the Aller. The "corridor" end point will be centred on the bridge. To count as clear there must be no Soviet units within the corridor; demoralised units do not count

For a marginal victory the British must end one stand in good morale (not pined, shaken or demoralised) on the XY road

For a marginal Soviet victory they must deny the Allies their victory conditions

For a decisive Soviet victory that must deny the Allies there victory conditions and capture at least one bridge over the Aller. Captured means there is a Soviet stand in good morale touching the bridge and no Allied stands in good morale touching the same bridge

Pictures of the Game