Battle of Skirmanevo

12th November 1941

V2.1

Pictures of a previous version

In late 1941 German forces were getting ever closer to Moscow forcing back Soviet troops. The 10 Panzer Division had seized the town of Skirmanevo and the adjacent heights. From their vantage point the Germans could call artillery fire on the vital Volokolamsk-Novopetrovskoe road which ultimately lead to heart of the capital. For several days the riflemen of the 18th Rifle Division (formally of the Moscow Militia) had struggled to remove the German forces from their vantage point, but to no avail. More forces were needed.

General Rokossovsky in command of the 16th Army hatched a new plan. On the 10th November three tank brigades and three battalions of Katushkas were sent to reinforce the attack. Pre-eminent amongst the brigades was the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, commanded by General-Major Katukov. This was the first tank brigade to be granted the Guards title. It was bestowed for Katukov's excellent defence before Mtnensk at the start of October. (See the Voin scenario)

Planning time was limited but on the 12th November 1941, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, 27th Tank Brigade & 28th Tank Brigade and elements of the 18th Rifle Division plunged in to the lines of the 10 Panzer Division.

Pre-war 1:100000 map of the area - from http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/

 Order of Battle & Map.

German Deployment

All units are deployed in the deployment areas delineated by the red dashed lines. All personnel stands are in trenches (-3 cover).

Soviet Deployment

The majority of Soviet units are deployed as indicated by the zones delineated by pink dashed lines. 365th Rifle Regiment, 289th Tank Destroyer Regt and 27th Tank Brigade share a deployment zone

HQ 28th Tank Brigade starts in Gorki

1st Guards Tank Brigade enters down road A in convoy - each vehicle entering after the first loses 3" move for each vehicle that went before it this turn

1st Tank Battalion enters turn 1, The motorised rifle battalion and brigade HQ turn 2, AA Company turn 3, 2nd Tank Battalion turn 4. The recce company with the HQ 18RD on turn 5.

8ft x 5ft Table Deployment

If playing on a 8x5ft table many units will not fit. Except for the I/7 Pz Abt + Stab all units that start off table may enter on turn 1. The I/7 Pz Abt + Stab enters when activated

Terrain

The map is 6ftx12ft if playing 1"=50m. The oblong of grey squares delineates an 8ft x 5ft table. North is towards the top of the page

There is a light covering of snow on the ground but neither side seems to have found movement difficult. The attack was postponed until 11am due to fog but after that despite being November in Russia Katukov noted it was a bright sunny day.

The green areas are dense woods impenetrable to vehicles & man-handled guns, 1/2 speed for personnel - however see special rules below.

The dashed lines in the woods indicate tracks. They may be traversed by all stands as if open ground. LOS along tracks is 6" and all stands on the tracks count light cover.

The grey areas consist of 4"x4" BUA's. These are wooden (-2 cover). Within the BUA there are quite large gaps between buildings. Vehicles and guns placed in the BUA get no cover unless dug in (there is also no firing penalty if using the simple town fighting rules on this site)

The grey hollow square is the town cemetery and is surrounded by think stone walls (-2 cover). Its on top of hill 264 and is a vantage point. Any stand in the cemetery or touching the walls ac see over all intervening terrain to any point on the table. There is a 6" "dead zone behind all terrain that breaks LOS

The dark red line is a cobbled main road.

Green dotted lines indicate tree lines which break LOS (unless stand is adjacent) and give light cover (-1)

The blue lines are streams with marshy banks. They cost a BMA for an tracked or personnel stand to cross. Wheeled or manhandled stands take 2xBMA to cross. The streams give -2 cover to those within.  The R. Oaeria (in corner C) is impassable to all stands. The stream is flanked by  trees growing on the banks which give -1 cover and break LOS. The stream and trees is considered one obstacle, so if adjacent to to trees or stream on the table a stand can see through the tree line and be seen

The treble lines crossing the streams indicate foot bridges. They will take personnel and Class I manhandled guns only

The tan dashed lines are crest lines. Crest lines break LOS and give hull down positions to AFV's touching them (-2 cover)

The pink dashed lines are rough paths. They have no game effect

Special Rules

The game starts at 11:00 and lasts until dusk at 16:00 i.e.10 turns with a 50% chance of an 11th night turn. Turn 10 is dusk and visibility drops to 12". The 11th turn is a clear night with visibility down to 4". Spotting distances are halved or 4" whichever is smaller. The following night rules are in effect (pg 93): 39.1.2 (2nd paragraph only); 39.1.4 and 39.1.7

No German stand can have movement orders turn 1

II/7PR may not be given more orders turn 2

I/7PR is a reserve an may not move until activated (not the Stab does not have this restriction). I/7 will activate when it spots an enemy stand or on turn 5 which ever is earlier.

I/69SR is a reserve an may not move until activated (not the Stab does not have this restriction). 1/62 will activate when an enemy is spotted and is within activation distance at the start of the orders phase. Roll for the distance at the before the orders phase of each turn. Roll 5d10 and add them. If the nearest spotted enemy stand is under that distance in inches the I/69 activates. If there is a stand within 18" then activation is automatic

Non activated units may fire and call artillery

Non activated stands may move within their deployment zone to move out of the way of bombardments. Stands force back out of they deployment zone before being activated will attempt to make their way back in to the deployment zone by the fastest route.

Just before the game starts the Soviets bombard Skirmanovo and the surrounding countryside. All of  86 Schützen Regiment spends turn 1 & 2 suppressed. No Soviet indirect firing artillery may otherwise fire turn 1 & 2. (The Katyushka strike was the signal for the attack to start) This means that the Katyushka can not be fired again until turn 4.

The SdKfz-251/1 Stuka zu Fuss has only one shot in the game

A tank destroyer stand is a single figure stand. It has an "A" raring for close assault vs. tanks and gets +2 in close assaults vs. AFV's. It fires as "other"

Air Support

The Soviets automatically get an air strike on turn 1: IL-2 strike plane, an I-16 light attack and a LaGG-3 Fighter. The Soviets roll d6 turns 2-4, on a 6 they get air support. Roll 1d10 when the support is rolled:  1-6: I-15bis, I-16, LaGG-3 or MiG-3 fighter, 7 I-16 light attack, 8 Il-2 Attack; 9: I-16 light attack & I-15 fighter & 10 Il-2 Attack and MiG-3 Fighter

Victory Conditions

The Soviets must take and hold point 264, point 219, wood Y and the Bridge at point C (or point X is playing 8x5)

Point 264 is worth 3 points, Bridge C (or X if playing 8x5) is worth 3 points. Points Y and 219 are worth a point apiece.

Points can NOT be scored unless the Soviets have at least one stand in good morale in Skirmanovo at the end of the game i.e. if there is no stand within the Soviets auto lose.

To win the Soviets must have 4 or more points. 3 points is a draw. Anything less is a German victory

To hold the points they must have the only stands in good morale within 6" at the end of the game.

To hold the wood they must have the  only stands in good morale within at the end of the game

To hold the bridge they must have the only stands in good morale touching the bridge model at the end of the game

Good morale is not shaken and not demoralised

Historical Outcome

It took all day to capture Skirmanevo and the heights. As the day drew to a close the Russian motorised infantry of the Guards Tank Brigade was locked in a battle for Kozlove. The village would fall but not until the next day.

Victory was short lived. On the 16th the Germans made a major attack and pushed the 18th Rifle Division north, then east, ever closer to Moscow

References

1st Guards Tank Brigade: http://tankfront.ru/ussr/tbr/gvtbr01.html

18th Rifle Division History (website defunct)

27th Tank Brigade: http://tankfront.ru/ussr/tbr/tbr027.html

28th Tank Brigade: http://tankfront.ru/ussr/tbr/tbr028.html

365th Rifle Regiment: http://region.krasu.ru/news/1303 

Artillery in the Battle of Moscow, 1941-42,  Vyacheslav Samardak (details of 289th TD Regt): http://www.weltkrieg.ru/component/content/article/34-battles/106--------1941-42-.html

At the Edge of the Main Attack Michael Katukov: http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/katukov/index.html

Axis History Forum: http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=11578

Hard Road, Alexey  Lobachev: http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/lobachev_aa/index.html

In the Centre of the Battle Order, Konstantin Malygin (28th Tank Bde) http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/malygin_ka/index.html

Panzer Truppen Vol 1, T. Jentz