Attack from Zabinka
23/6/41
v1.1 - changed victory conditions
On the first day of Operation Barbarossa the forces of the 2 Panzer Group had moved round the Soviet fortress at Brest and were pushing towards Kobryn. Attacking down the Warsaw highway was the 3 Panzer Division spearheaded by its Voraus Abteilung (forward detachment). Kobryn was the home of the Soviet 14th Mechanised Corps, which had been in the field for exercises when the Germans struck. The Soviet response to the German incursion was sporadic and disjointed, hampered by the Luftwaffe and the Soviets' lamentable communications. None the less the 4th Army ordered the 14th Mechanised Corps to counter-attack the Germans at 8:00am on the 23rd
The 22nd Tank Division was concentrated around Zabinka, half way between Brest and Kobryn, and was poised to pounce on the Germans moving along the Warsaw Highway
100K Polish 30's map of the area. From Mapywig
Map and Order of Battle
Soviet Deployment
The elements of the 22nd Motor Rifle Regiment start on table in the indicated deployment zones. The HQ and HQ company can be deployed in either zone, players' choice. All stands are dug in foxholes (-2 cover)
The 43rd Tank Regiment enters the table turn 1 up to 12" either side of point B. It is followed by the 44th Tank Regiment turn 2.
The HQ Company 22nd Tank Regiment enters the table turn 3 down road B, followed on turn 4 by the RHQ.
German Deployment
1 Aufklärungs Abt starts on table in the indicated deployment zone.
III Abt 5 Panzer Regiment starts lined along the road in single file in the zone indicated. If some of the battalion does not fit on the zone it may enter in convoy from point D on turn 1. Each tank entering after the first loses 3" move for each tank that went before it
3 Kradschützen Bataillon is a reinforcement on turn 3. It may enters in convoy from point D. Each stand entering after the first loses 3" move for each tank that went before it
The Division Stab enters turn 6 from point D
Terrain
The table is 5ft x 10ft if playing 1" = 50m
For the most part the open ground is open fields, with little or no cover
The thick red road is the "Warsaw Highway", it is a paved road. All other red lines are dirt roads
The thick blue line is the impassable Mucharviec river. The thin blue lines are steams with boggy banks. Personnel are unimpeded. Tracked and half tracked vehicles take a BMA to cross. They are impassable to wheeled vehicles and manhandled guns.
The brown dotted lines are shallow ridgelines. They break LOS to stands over 6" away from the ridgeline. Any AFV stand within 6" gets hull down (-2 cover) vs. fire which crosses the ridge and which is fired by stands over 6" from the ridge. Always measure to the nearest point on the ridge for both target and shooter not along the line of fire.
The green dotted lines are tree lines. They break LOS and give +1 cover against fire crossing the line. Stands on a road are considered adjacent to a tree line flanking it
The green areas are forests. They are impenetrable to vehicles, half speed for infantry. Where a road passes through the forest max visibility down the road is 6" stand on the road still get +1 cover.
The grey areas are wooden open BUA. Inf within get +2 cover. Guns and vehicles within get +1 cover. there are no ROF penalties.
Air Support
The VVS was ordered to support the attack however it was the Luftwaffe that owned the skies
Each turn each side rolls 1d6. The German side gets air support on a 5-6. The Soviet player gets air support on a 6
The German player rolls on the following table: 1-2 Stuka, 3-4 Stuka & fighter, 5-8 2 Stuka, 9-10 2 Stuka + 1 fighter. The fighter can be a Bf-109E or Bf-110E
The Soviet Player rolls on this table: 1-4: Fighter, 5-8 Light Attack, 9, Light Attack & Fighter. 10 Il-2 Attack. The Fighter and light attack can be any of: I-152, I-16 or LaGG-3
If playing with my air rules the Soviets place planes first
Special Rules
Duration. The game lasts 10 turns with a 50% chance of an 11th (roll at the end of turn 10)
German Start. The German forces can not move turn 1 unless its parallel to and within 6" of the Warsaw Highway (DC)
Stragglers. The battlefield contains several groups of stragglers. 1 company form 1st Bttn 22nd MRR and 3 companies from the 6th Rifle Division. Each company has 1d3 Infantry stands. Each company is randomly placed on the table. Divide the table in to 10 2ft squares and randomise which the company is in. Within the square its the Soviet player's choice as to how they are deployed but they may not be within LOS and 12" of a German stand. The companies may start in poor morale. For each roll 1d6: 1-2 OK, 3-4 Shaken, 5-6 demoralised
Victory Conditions
The Warsaw Highway (DC) is the objective.
The Germans score points for the Panzer and Motorcycle stand (note one of each) closest to point C at the end of the game. One point is scored for each inch from point D
The Soviets score points for the Tank and personnel stand closest to point D at the end of the game. One point is scored for each inch from point C
The Germans loose 60 points for each Panzer or Panzerjäger lost (inc PzBefWg) and 30 points for each armoured car
Stands must be within 6" and LOS of the highway to score. Scores are calculated after to end of the last turn. Normally the side with the highest total wins however the Germans may trump this and win if no Soviet stands are within 6" and LOS of the highway at the end of the turn and at least one Panzer or Panzerjäger is.
Only stands that are not shaken and not demoralised score.
Historical Note
The scenario depicts the counterattack as it was ordered and how the Russians would have liked it to have gone. However although Russian sources claim some limited success, the German KTB neglects to mention the assault. Reading between the lines the 22nd Tank Division made a feeble probing attack, probably with only a fraction of its strength, which bumped some German infantry (almost certainly the Kradschützen). The attack was certainly not pressed as an hour and a half after the assault was started the 22nd Division was reporting its location 15km to the east outside Kobryn. Even defending the division did little to impeded the German onslaught and by the end of the day the Germans were in Kobryn.
References
3 Panzer Division KTB: http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/germandivisions/3panzerdivision/slides/3.Panzer-Division%20KTB%20%20048.html
14th Mechanised Corps: http://mechcorps.rkka.ru/files/mechcorps/pages/14_meh.htm
German WW2 Organisational Series Vol3/I - Leo Niehorster
Matrix Games Forum: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1918694
Panzer Tracts No.7-1, Panzerjäger, Tomas Jentz & Hilart Doyle
PzSfl-IVa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10.5_cm_K_%28gp.Sfl.%29