"Layer Cake"

Attack up the Torzhok Road

15/10/41

v1.1

After the German XXXXI Korps had "taken" Kalinin they hatched a very ambitious plan. Believing the Soviets were all but defeated, and ignoring logistical prudence, they planned an attack west to link up with forces of Heeregruppe Nord, via the town of Torzhok. They were about to be sadly disappointed in their belief that the Russians had been defeated. The weakened 900 Lehr Brigade and supporting elements of 1 Panzer Division were to run into the newly formed and reinforced 8th Tank Brigade, ordered to attack down the road towards Kalinin. What was supposed to be an easy break-out to the west degenerated in to a swirling, messy battle in the snow

The scenario starts after I Schutzen Btl of 900 Lehr Brigade has forced the 934th Infantry regiment in to the woods

30's map of the Battlefield from http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/

Map and Order of Battle

Soviet Deployment

934th Infantry Regiment, 46th Motorcycle Regiment and the Motor Rifle Battalion of the 8th Tank Brigade are all deployed in the areas delineated by the pink hashed lines on the map.

The 2nd Tank Battalion of the 8th Tank Brigade is deployed on road IJ

The Heavy Tank Company of the 8th Tank Brigade enters down road A, on turn 2

The Medium Tank Company and RHQ of the 8th Tank Brigade enters between points A&B on turn 2

The HQ & HQ Company 8th Tank Brigade enters down road A, on turn 3

The artillery batteries of the 8th Tank Brigade enters down road A, on turn 4

German Deployment

The majority of 900 Lehr Brigade starts on table in the area CDF delineated by the pink dashed line. Elements may also be deployed on the Torzhok road up to the bridge at point H

I Btl 900 Lehr Brigade is not active for the scenario and is not placed on table. It must only be deployed if a Soviet unit moves out of the woods to the east of line CDK. The majority of the unit must be placed within 6" of any BUA of Doroshika. One kompanie may be deployed SE of the Volga. If discovered turn 8 or later it is considered to be in foxholes (-2 cover)

KG Von de Heydebrand starts entering the table turn 2. It enters in convoy with each vehicle after the first losing 3" from its move. The whole KG will take several turns to get on to the table

Terrain

The table is 6ft x 12ft if playing 1" = 50m

The white areas are open terrain, mostly meadow.

The pale green areas are boggy with small stands of trees scattered about. Wheeled vehicles and man-handled guns move at quarter speed, tracked and half tracked at half speed. Walking troops are unimpeded. Max visibility in this area is 24". This area does not give cover from being spotted by aircraft

The dark green areas are, (mostly) forest. This is impassable to vehicles and can be traversed by walking troops (not man handled guns) at half speed. The edges, to 3" depth, are open woods, so can be occupied. However movement without penalty is only allowed perpendicular to the edge i.e. guns and vehicles can back in to the edge to hide but can't move along the edge within the wood

The thick blue line is the Volga River. It is impassable to all stands

The thin blue lines are boggy streams. They are impassable to wheeled vehicles (not half track) and man-handled guns. Other vehicles take a BMA to cross. Walking stands are unimpeded. Tracked and half tracked vehicles may move along the banks of the streams through the woods at half speed, as may personnel stands. Wheeled vehicles and man-handled guns are at 1/4 speed. Max visibility down the stream through the woods is 6". Aircraft may spot stands moving along streams

The red lines are roads. Max visibility down a road through the woods is 6". Aircraft may spot stands on roads

The black dashed line is a railway, the green dashed lines are rough tracks. Neither has any effect on the game except to obviate terrain penalties. Movement down either counts as moving in the open. Max visibility down a road through the woods is 6". Aircraft may spot stands on railways or tracks.

The brown dashed line is a ridgeline. It blocks LOS. Vehicles touching get hull down vs. fire that crosses the line. Stands touching the ridge move as if in the open

Grey squares are wooden BUA giving -2 cover. The simple town fighting rules are in effect.

Aircraft

If the weather role indicates the Luftwaffe are operating roll d6: 1-3 Hs-123, 4-5 Stuka & 6 HS-123 and Stuka

Special Rules

The game is 11 turns long, with 50% chance of a 12th rolled at the end of turn 11

I Btl 900 Lehr Brigade may not go further west than line CDK

The Germans are low on artillery ammo. H&I is forbidden to them and they get -2 on the normal calling roll

The weather is poor. At the start of each turn (so after laying orders) make a roll on d6 and consult the following table for the visibility

Its too warm for the snow to settle properly.

Victory Conditions

The road AK and rail line KG are the victory locations. AKG is referred to as the "victory line"

If at the end of the game the Soviets have a tank touching Volga railway bridge in good morale they win the game. This condition trumps all others

If the Soviets do not manage to take the bridge with a tank victory is calculated in the following way.

Only stands touching the victory line count. The Germans are trying to get as far west as they can, the Soviets as far east / south east. German progress along the line is measured from G, the Soviets from point A.

Points are scored for inches, measure to the point on the stand furthest away from the measuring point.

Stands only score if there are no enemy stands touching the line behind them. Behind in this case being towards the measuring point. Stands only score if in good morale

The Germans score both the furthest tank and personnel stands from point G that meet the criteria above. Their scores are added together. The Soviets score both the TWO furthest tank and TWO personnel stands from point A that meet the criteria above. Their scores are added together. It is the intension to make German scoring harder than Soviet scoring

The side with the highest score wins

Tank for victory calculations is any fully racked vehicle.

Good morale means not shaken and not demoralised

References

The vast majority of this scenario is taken from the excellent Defence of Moscow, the Northern Flank by Jack Radey and Charles Sharp, with some extra details taken from correspondence with Jack

Other references:

256th Rifle Division: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/256-%D1%8F_%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%8F

Axis History Forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=106534&start=30

German WW2 Organisational Series Vols 3/I & 3/II by Leo Neihorster

Panzertruppen Vol 1 by T Jentz