Luchki, Prelude to Prokhorovka
6/7/43
v1.2. Errors corrected, OB tweaked & Victory Conditions Altered
Operation Citadel was the German plan to reduce the Kursk bulge by simultaneous attacks from the north and south (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kursk ) The southern pincer was spearheaded by the IISS Panzer Corps, consisting of the SS Panzer Grenadier Divisions: Leibstandarte, Das Reich and Totenkopf. Although named Panzergrenadier divisions in some ways they were equipped better than "normal" Panzer Divisions. They were almost up to full strength and were certainly well practiced combat veterans. The Soviet forces opposite them, on the other hand, were often under strength and poorly trained. On the face of it a Soviet military disaster was in the offing. However the Russians had known the attack was coming for may weeks and had fortified their forces in great depth. When the offensive was unleashed, on the 5th July, progress was nowhere near what the SS commanders had hoped for. On the other hand the penetration was further than the Soviet commanders might have liked and they feared a breakthrough.
At the end of first the day it was the 51st Guards Rifle Division that were in front of SS Das Reich. The Soviet commanders were so concerned that they ordered the 5th Guards Tanks Corps into position behind the 51st
As the fighting on the 6th of July progressed the Soviet fears proved well founded. SS Das Reich smashed the 51st in the morning and by about midday commenced an attack on the (much under strength) 6th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade at Luchki. They stood no chance against the German panzers with the sky black with German aircraft. The commander of the 5th Guards Tank Corps was poised to order a counter-attack against the inevitable breakthrough
Map and Order of Battle
Soviet Deployment
The 22nd Guards Tank Brigade, 48th Guards Tank Regiment and 1698th AAA Regiment are deployed on table within the areas indicated on the map with the pink dashed lines. All elements of the AAA Regiment (only) can be entrenched (-3 cover)
All elements of the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment must be deployed within 3" of a BUA in Luchki or Nechaevka. All elements except the stragglers from the 51st Guards Rifle Division may be entrenched (-3 cover)
The HQ 5 Guards Tank Corps must be in a BUA of Kalinin. All elements may be entrenched (-3)
The 8th Signal Battalion must be deployed within 6" of a BUA in Kalinin. All elements may be entrenched (-3 cover). The T-34 may be dug in (-2 cover)
The 21st Tank Brigade is a reinforcement. it arrives turn 4 between roads C&Y (inclusive) - however see special rules
Cmd 1st Coy 23rd Recce Battalion enters the table turn 6 within 3" of point B. If the rest of the 23rd Battalion arrives (see special rules) it will be within 12" of point B
No reinforcement can arrive within12" and LOS of an un-demoralised enemy tank. If entry is impossible, the reinforcements can enter a turn later up to 12" from their indicated entry location. If entry is still impossible move 12" further away every turn until entry is possible.
German Deployment
All German forces enter the board between points F & E (inclusive). III Bataillon SS Panzergrenadier Regiment Der Fuhrer enters turn 1; the majority of Panzergruppe Das Reich enters turn 2. Stab & Stabs Kompanie SS Panzer Regiment Das Reich and 1 Kompanie Panzer Pioneer Battalion Das Reich enters on turn 3.
Note the guns of Panzer Artillerie Regiment Das Reich can H&I from turn 1
If the artillery of Das Reich is moved on to the table (see below) it enters between points F & E (inclusive)
Inclusive indicates that stands may enter along the roads
Terrain
The map depicts a 5ft x 10ft table if playing at a scale of 1"=50m. North is towards the top of the page. The light grey lines indicate a 8x5 table if using the smaller map see the special rules
The terrain is a combination of wheat fields and grasslands. The fields are on the heights and the grass is in the valleys. There are no hedges at the field boundaries
The brown and sand dashed lines represent crest lines on hills. The dark brown lines are higher than the sandy lines. All AFVs touching the dark brown lines get hull-down against fire that crosses the ridgeline. All AFVs touching the sandy lines get hull-down against fire that crosses the ridgeline UNLESS the firer is touching a dark brown line. Stands touching one dark brown line will always have LOS to stands touching another dark brown line. Stands touching dark brown crest lines can see over all intervening terrain with a few exceptions: trees or BUAs within 6" of the dark brown line break LOS; trees and buildings further away have a 3" "dead zone" behind them in to which no LOS can be traced. No ridge counts as cover for spotting purposes. The dark brown ridges count as cover for morale purposes as long as all enemy in LOS are the other side of the ridge. Sandy ridgelines do NOT count cover for morale purposes
Grey squares are BUA's representing fairly widely spaced wooden houses. Infantry within get -2 cover, towed guns and vehicles -1 cover. There are no ROF restrictions
Green dotted lines are tree-lines. they break LOS, unless the stand is touching, and give light (-1) cover.
Green areas are dense woods, thus prohibited to vehicles and manhandled guns. Personnel stands move at half speed. The green dashed lines within are trails, they count as open for movement purposes. Where roads and trails cut through woods max visibility is 6". Units on the trail/road still get -1 cover. It is never possible to see straight through a wood along a road: for thin woods LOS along the road/trail terminates at the far side of the wood.
The edges of the woods count light woods, to a 3" depth. However movement is only allowed perpendicular to the edge (i.e. in and out) not parallel to the edge (i.e. no sneaking around the edges of the wood in cover)
The blue line is a small brook. It is no impediment to movement for most stands but wheeled stands require a BMA to cross.
The red lines are tracks, they do NOT provide a road bonus. However units may travel march down them using a multiple of their cross country move
Air Support
Luftwaffe air support was particularly vigorous over the battlefield. The VVS were committed elsewhere and conspicuous by their absence
The German player rolls each turn for air support (d10): 1-5 no support, 6-7 Ju-87D, 8 Ju-87G, 9 2x Ju-87D & 10 2x Ju-87D and Ju-87G
Special Rules
The game starts around midday and lasts 11 or 12 turns. At the end of turn 11 roll 1d10, on a 6-10 the game continues for another turn
No Soviet stand, other than those in the 6th Gds MR Regt, may voluntarily move from its initial location until the turn after: a) a German tank or SPG moves north of line XY or b) any German stand gets in LOS and 12" of a Soviet tank or c) a Soviet tank is fired on by direct fire. This may delay the arrival and movement of the 21st Gds Tank Brigade but not the 21st Recce Bttn.
The yellow area between C&Y is a no go area for both side until the arrival of 21st Tank Bde. No stand may voluntarily enter the area. Forced back stands and stand that have retreated due to bad morale may enter the area but must move out as soon they are able. HQ units may enter to rally shaken or demoralised troops but must leave as soon as the job is done.
The Soviet 23rd Recce Battalion is a special reinforcement. If the command BA-10 reaches the Corps' command stand, and remains halted next to it for one entire turn, and both stands are in perfect morale (not shaken, pinned or demoralised) then the next turn the 23rd Recce Battalion may arrive at point B (Soviet players choice if it arrives or not)
Once all Soviet stands have been removed from south of line XY the German player has the option of bringing some or all of his artillery on table. If he chooses to do so the stand moves onto the table (thus misses 1 turns firing). Stands will be self ordering
If any tanks, SPGs or armoured cars leave the table (once having been on it) they are counted as destroyed for the purposes of determining the kill ratio for the victory conditions (see below)
Victory Conditions
If, at the end of the game, the Soviets have any tanks or armoured cars entirely south of line XY in any morale state, they win. If for the Soviets never have a tank or armoured car south of XY at the end of a turn the Germans automatically win - this condition trumps all others.
If the Germans fail to have a 3:1 tank kill ratio at the end of the game the Soviets win. For this rule a "tank" is any tank, SPG or armoured car.
If all of the following conditions are true the Germans win
Any other result is a draw
To exclusively occupy Kalinin, the Germans must have the only stand(s) in Kalinin in good morale (not shaken, not demoralised)
If using a smaller table the scenario is modified in the following ways
Game lasts 10 or 11 turns
21st Tank Brigade enters turn 3 and Cmd 1st Coy 23rd Recce Battalion turn 5
On turn one the ZiS-3 guns if firing in the opportunity fire phase get an extra 1 ROF (ie total ROF 4) if firing at German tanks entering outside the yellow zone.
References
Axis History Forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=178730
Demolishing the Myth - Valeriy Zamulin - there are strength reports for the Russian edition: http://militera.lib.ru/h/zamulin_vn/21.html
Fire Brigades - Kamen Nevenkin