South West of Prokhorvka

12th July 1943

The battle of Prokhorvka is famous, it was the scene of a titanic struggle between 1 SS Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and the 5th Guards Tank Army and pretty much marked the high water mark of the German's offensive in to the south side of the Kursk bulge.

On the 12th of July Soviet forces initiated a massive counter attack against the SS, consisting of the forces of three tank corps. Over a period of two days LSSAH fought off the Soviet attacks, however late on the 12th of July one Soviet attack nearly succeeded in a break through

The main strength of LSSAH was concentrated on the before Prokhorvka. The division's left hand flank was weekly held by the 1 SS Aufklarungs (Recce) Abteilung. In the morning of the 12th the recce battalion fought off an assault by the 170th Tank Brigade. At the same time the Soviet 31st tank brigade was butting heads with LSSAH's panzer regiment before Prokhorvka. It was an uneven contest and the 31st lost half its tanks. However later in the morning the 31st attacked to the west against the weak recce battalion. This line was penetrated in two places and the Soviets broke through with only the the LSSAH divisional HQ and the artillery between the 31st and the open steppe beyond

This scenario depicts a small part of the vast Prokhorvka battle, the 31st Tank Brigade's attack against 1 SS Aufklarungs Abteilung and the guns beyond

Order of Battle and Map

Deployment

1 SS Aufklarungs Abt is deployed anywhere between the ridge line to the right of the board and gully approximately down the middle of the table. They may not be on the right-most ridge line.

6 Kp 1 SS Pz Regt is deployed in the location indicated

SS HQ, the Begleit Kompanie and the Artillerie can be deployed as the German player wishes to the left of the left most ridge line. They may not be deployed on the ridge

All German infantry and towed guns are dug-in

13 Kp 1 SS Pz Regt is a reinforcement unit and enters from the bottom of the table anywhere along the left most three quarters of the table edge. It may not enter within 12" of a Soviet tank or 6" of any other Soviet stand. The unit enters at the start of turn 4 (lay orders end of turn 3)

The Soviet 31st Tank Brigade is deployed anywhere to the left of the road as indicated on the map. If the Soviet player wishes any element of the 31st may start the game off table.

The Soviet second echelon is the 53rd Motor Rifle Brigade. This may enter anywhere along the right table edge on turn 4 (lay orders turn 3)

The 271st Mortar regiment is available from turn 1

Terrain Notes

The map is 2km x 4km

The red lines are single track dirt roads - they are bordered by intermittent scrub providing light cover and breaking LOS

The blue lines are gullies, though they are unlikely to have much water in them in July. There are fairly deep and wide. It takes a cautious advance move to cross a gully, so a unit on hasty advance orders would lose half of it total move allowance. There is plenty of scrub in the gullies and they provide good cover against DIRECT fire (+2) - there is no bonus vs IDF. Vehicles taking cover in the Gullies can not fire out - the banks are too steep. Infantry can move down the gullies at half speed. Whilst moving down the gullies only stands touching the Gullies have LOS. Within the Gullies LOS is 4". Most of the gullies are tree-lined (indicated by the green dots) - the tree lines break LOS (but see below)

The dashed brown lines are ridge-lines. They break LOS. AFV's touching them can claim hull-down status. When spotting from one ridge line to another ridge-line you may fire over any intervening tree lines and any troops that are over 3" away from the ridge-line

The open terrain is fields, some will have corn in them in July. The fields are large greater than 1km square. The field borders do not provide any useful cover

Special Rules

The game starts at 11:30am Moscow time and runs until dusk: 21:00 - 19 turns, though the battle will probably have reached a conclusion by then

Apart from the Hummel which is firing in support of the Panzers all the other German guns of the Artillerie regiment may not fire IDF on the table. They are in support of Totenkopf off table to the West

Victory Conditions

In order to win the Soviets need to destroy or force off LSSAH's artillery and advance off the road that exits the left (south) side of the table

To count as destroyed or forced off 5 guns of LSSAH's artillery regiment must be destroyed, demoralised or have retreated off a table edge

The Soviets must get 3 tanks (T-34's or T-70's) off the right table edge within 9" of the road.

If the Soviets achieve both conditions they get a decisive victory. If they achieve one of their objectives they get a marginal victory.

If the Germans destroy, demoralise, have shaken or, force to leave the table, all T-34's they get a marginal victory. If they destroy, demoralise, have shaken or force to leave the table all Soviet tanks they get a decisive victory