Rearguard at Zyzmory
13/7/44
v1.1
From 23 June 1944, the Red Army conducted a major offensive operation under
the code-name Bagration, liberating Belarus, and driving towards the
Polish border and the Baltic Sea coast. By the beginning of July the front line
had been torn open at the seam of German Army Group Centre and Army Group North,
roughly on a line from Vitebsk to Vilnius. While a large part of the Soviet
force was employed to reduce the German pocket east of Minsk, following the
Minsk Offensive Operation, the Soviet high command decided to exploit the
situation along the breach to the north, by turning mobile formations towards
the major traffic centre of Vilnius, in eastern Lithuania.
Stavka issued a new order, number 220126, to the troops of the 3rd Belorussian
Front on July 4. This required them to develop their offensive towards
Maladzyechna and Vilnius, capturing the latter no later than 10 July, and to
force crossings of the Neman River.
The German defenders were still in comparative disarray after the Minsk
offensive. Remnants of Fourth Army that had escaped the encirclement, and units
of the 5th Panzer Division fell back
to form a defence before Maladzyechna, an important rail junction; but the 5th
Guards Tank Army was able to cut the route between there and Minsk on July 3
Chernyakhovsky ordered that his main mobile 'exploitation' forces, the 5th
Guards Tank Army and 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps continue their advance from Minsk
on July 5 in the direction of Vilnius, with the aim of reaching the city by the
following day: they were to encircle Vilnius from the south and north
respectively. The rifle divisions of 5th Army were ordered to follow and close
up to them. To the south, the 39th Army was directed to move on Lida, while the
11th Guards Army would advance in the Front's centre
Soviet reports suggested that units on their northern flank advanced to
schedule, noting some resistance from scattered remnants of the destroyed VI
Corps of Third Panzer Army, but stated that the 11th Guards Army in particular
encountered strong German resistance and several counter-attacks. The 5th Panzer
Division was, however, unable to hold Maladzyechna. The Soviet 5th Army was able
to advance to the outskirts of Vilnius by July 8, while the 5th Guards Tank Army
encircled the city from the south, trapping the garrison
On 12 July, the garrison's parent formation, Third Panzer Army, counter-attacked. 6 Panzer Division, attacked eastwards from outside the encirclement (the divisional commander and Colonel-General Reinhardt personally accompanied the advance group). The opposing Soviet forces, taken by surprise and hampered by extended lines of supply, were not able to hold the cordon and 6 Panzer's forces were able to advance some 50km to link up with forward elements from the Vilnius garrison. A fierce battle on the banks of the Neris ensued as men of the Polish Home Army unsuccessfully attempted to stop the relief troops whom managed to rescue about 2000 troops of the garrison
(Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilnius_Offensive )
The scenario depicts the retreat of the 6 Panzer Division from Vilnius on the 13th July back to its start line, escorting a convoy of trucks carrying the survivors of the city. The action centres around the town of Zyzmory.
1935 Polish map of the battlefield from Mappywig
Map and Order of Battle
German Deployment
II/114 PzG Abt is deployed on table within 6" of any BUA of Zyzmory
1Kp 57 Pio Btl is deployed on table within 6" of bridge W
Teil 6 Panzer Aufklärungs Abt is deployed on table, and may be within 6" of points X, Y or Z
3 Bttr 76 Panzer Artillerie Regiment is deployed on table within 6" of road AH
The I Abt Pz Regt GD is a reinforcement. entering along road A in convoy. 3/4 Kp enters turn 3, Stab turn 4 and 1/2 Kp on turn 5.
500SS Fallschirmjäger is tank riding on the Panthers. The Stab 500SS is on the Panther Stab, 1Kp 500SS rides 1/2Kp of the Panthers and 3kp ride 3/4 Kp of the Panthers
The Division Stab and 2 Kompanie 24 Fallschirmjäger Pioneer Btl enter along road A in convoy. Their arrival is random, roll a d6 before the orders phase of each turn. On a 5 or 6 they will arrive in the next turn. They automatically arrive turn 5 if not before
The trucks carrying 1067 Grenadier Regiment arrive randomly along road A each turn 1-5. Before the orders phase of each turn roll 1d6 to determine the number of tracks: 1 1 truck, 2-3, 2 Trucks and 4-6: 3 trucks. Note the special rules for 1067 and the trucks below
Vehicles arriving in convoy lose 3" of their move when entering the table for each vehicle that went before the same turn
Soviet Deployment
The 75th Motorcycle Battalion arrives in convoy down road D on turn 1
The 25th Tank Brigade arrives turn 3 in convoy along road B
The 1st Guards Motor Cycle Regiment arrives in convoy on turn 6 down road A or on turn 7 down road A or B
The 31st Tank Brigade arrives in convoy on turn 7 down road A or on turn 8 down road A or B
Elements of the 62nd Rifle Division and the 6th Wilno Brigade of the Polish Home Army appear at random throughout the game. Each turn (including "turn 0") in the orders phase roll 1d6 - on a 1-4 elements of the 62nd Rifle Brigade are placed, on a 5-6 elements of the Polish Home Army are placed. For both roll a d6
1-2: 0 stands (re-roll if no stands will appear turn 1)
3: 1 Infantry Stand (self order)
4: 1 Command Infantry Stand & 1 Infantry stand
5: 1 Command Infantry Stand, 1 Infantry Stand (& 1 PTRD Stand, 62nd RD only)
6: Special - roll again
PHA: 1-2 1 Infantry Stand (self order) - integral Panzerfaust, 3-4: 1 Infantry Stand (self order) + cratering charges, 5-6 Brigade Command Stand - Maj. F. Koprowski (all PHA stands are subordinate to this stand - it may appear only once, if rolled a second time then 1 Infantry Stand (self order))
62nd RD: 1-2: 1 Command Infantry Stand, 1 Infantry Stand and 1 MMG stand, 3-4: 1 82mm Mortar Stand (direct IDF and H&I only), 5 1 BA-64, 6 roll twice on the standard table above.
See special rules for placement
Terrain
The map depicts a 5ft x 10ft board where 1" = 50m. North is towards the top of the page
The open ground is very open farmland
Dark green areas are dense forest, impenetrable to vehicles and man-handled guns. Half speed for foot troops
The light blue areas are boggy. Foot troops are unimpeded. Tracked (inc half tracked) move at half speed. Wheeled vehicles and man-handled guns are prohibited from entering
Light green area is also boggy and all the rules for the light blue areas apply to troops within. It is lightly wooded and max visibility within in 6". The terrain is not hard edged so those stand without spotting those within can see in 6" from the edge and visa versa. Stands within do not get cover.
The dark blue area is a pond, it is impassable to all stands
Grey squares are wooden BUA giving -2 cover to those personnel stands within. The simple town fighting rules are in effect ONLY for Zyzmory. In all cases towed guns and vehicles in BUAs do not get cover from shooting
The thick blue thin is the Streva River. It is impassable to all vehicle stands and man handled guns. Personel take 2 BMA to cross.
The thin blue lines are streams they are no impediment to tracked vehicles and personnel. Wheeled vehicles and manhandled guns take a BMA to cross. Where the stream is tree lined the stream and tree line are considered a single obstacle
The green dotted lines are hedge rows or tree lines,. they break LOS to all stands not adjacent and give +1 cover.
Brown dashed lines are ridgelines. They break LOS. AFV's touching the line get hull down against all fire that crosses the ridgeline.
Red lines are roads. Where hedges line the road stands on the road are assumed to be adjacent to both hedges.
Special Rules
The game lasts 12 turns
Neither side may use the travel march order
The Polish Home Army and 62nd Rifle Division units do not move onto the table but are PLACED on the table before the opportunity fire phase. They are not considered to have moved that turn. The 62nd RD units may only be placed north of road AH. The Polish Home Army may be placed anywhere on the board.
Stands must be placed in cover to all enemy stands, but may be in LOS. So placing stands behind a hedge is OK as long as there are no enemy stands on the same side of the hedge as the stands being placed.
The one exception is the BA-64 which must be placed out of LOS of ALL enemy stands
Polish Home Army stands may be removed from the table at the end of a turn when there are no enemy stand in LOS. They must remain off the board for a turn before being placed on the table the turn after that.
The PHA cratering charge will stop stands using road movement bonus over it. The charge is successfully placed if the stand is touching the road for an entire turn and is not shot at. The charge explodes after the general fire phase.
The trucks carrying the 1067 Grenadier Regiment are not fully under the German player's control
Each truck gets a "free" hasty advance order (i.e. not requiring a commander) as long as they are on road AH. The order will point to exit H. Trucks off the road will need to be given an order as normal Trucks off the road will need to be given a order to leave the road beyond the normally allowed deviation in a move. They are subordinate only to the Division Stab.
Trucks need not take morale rolls.
If a truck is shot at, and it is not forced back, then the troops within may dismount adjacent to the truck without being given an order. The number of stands in each truck is random. The stands may remount for "free" as long as they remain adjacent to the truck.
Roll d6 to determine how many Infantry Stands in each truck: 1-2: 0, 3-4: 1 and 5-6: 2 stands. The contents of each truck count as a company for morale purposes. If a truck is attacked more than once in a game, the contents are randomised each attack.
Trucks that have had stands dismount may not move (unless forced back) until either: a) the stands remount, b) the stands are destroyed or c) the stands are removed from play (see below)
Dismounted stands are removed from play immediately there are no enemy stands in LOS
Bridge W is wired for demolition by the 1Kp 57 Pioneer Abt.
Engineer stands may completely destroy KO'd tanks by spending an entire turn halted adjacent to the vehicle. The vehicle is destroyed after the general fire phase.
Victory Conditions
The Germans are trying to get stands off point H, the Soviets are trying to stop them.
Germans get points as follows:
Fallschirmjäger or Engineer stands: 1
pt
Truck or half track: 2pt
Panzer, PzBefWg or Hummel: 5pt
Division Stab: 5pt
Germans lose points if a Panzer or Hummel is knocked out: -5pts. This is reduced to -3pts if the vehicle is destroyed by an engineer stand (see above)
If the Soviets get a tank off edge GI the Germans loose 10 pts
For a stunning victory the Germans need 80pts
Standard victory: 60pts
Draw 50pts
Soviet standard victory: 40pts
Soviet stunning victory 39 points or less
References
5th Brigade Polish Home Army: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_Wile%C5%84ska_Brygada_AK
5th Guards Tank Army: http://militera.lib.ru/h/dorogami_pobed/09.html
29th Tank Corps: HTTP://TANKFRONT.RU/USSR/TK/TK29.HTML
I/26 Pz Abt aka I/GD Pz Abt: http://www.panther1944.de/en/sdkfz-171-pzkpfwg-panther/truppenteile/kurzchroniken-der-panthertruppenteile/177-ipzrgt-26-ab-2311945-ipzrgt-brandenburg.html
German Battle Tactics on the Russian Front, Steven Newton
Map 1935: http://www.mapywig.org/m/WIG100_300DPI/P29_S39_KAISIADORYS_%28KOSZEDARY%29_1935_300dpi.jpg
Map Modern Russian: http://loadmap.net/download/204249362/100k--n35-037.gif
Map of the Vilnius operation: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/maps/1944W/3BF/5A_Art_SAVO135_July7_14_44.jpg
_1935_300dpi.jpg){kind=link}
