Encounter at Buchenau

29/1/45

Pictures of the Game

On 12/1/45 the Soviets launched their Vistula-Oder offensive with a storm of artillery fire. The German defences along the Vistula buckled, then broke, and the Soviet juggernaut smashed though the German lines. By the 26/1/45 some Soviet units had already reached their objective, the Oder river, which was to be their final pause before blasting their way to Berlin.

On the Oder River was the town of Raitbor. On the 28/1/45 the town was still in German hands, defended by the 8 Panzer Division. Unfortunately for the Germans there were almost no German troops to the north of the town. Their commander sent some elements of his Aufklärungs Abteilung and the divisional Panzerjäger to try and fill the yawning gap. On the 28/1/45 these meagre forces deployed in the small town of Buchenau.

The Soviet 1st Guards Cavalry Corps arrived over night and at dawn commenced its attack on the town. Pressure rapidly built and the Germans were forced to the west end of the town. Behind them was the Oder river  with a big intact bridge crossing it. It was wired for demolition but traffic across the bridge may have cut the wires...

Help was at hand, the 8 Panzer Division was mustering a counter attack for later in the morning. The scattered panzerjäger supported by a mish-mash of of scraped up forces needed to delay the Guards Cavalry long enough for the armoured fist of the 8 Panzer to restore the situation.

Map and Order of Battle

Deployment

All deployment areas are delineated by a broken pink line.

Kampfgruppe Baier deploys anywhere in deployment area B. As the KG has just retreated from the centre of Buchenau any stand in LOS of a Soviet stand, except the JgdPz-IV, is assumed to have been spotted the previous turn.

The Oderbruck Volksturm is deployed in deployment area C. Al stands are entrenched (-3 cover)

Teil 8 Pz AukK Abt can be deployed anywhere on the west side of the Oder

Panzergruppe 8 Panzer Division is a reinforcement. It arrives 11:30am (start turn 6) anywhere between points X & Y. Proximity of Soviet stands does NOT prevent entry.

[As the victory conditions stand the Germans have a tough job preventing a Soviet victory. In order to make it easier allow the Germans to enter anywhere along the southern table edge]

Forward HQ and the Recce Battalion 1st Guards Cavalry Corps start the game in deployment area A. All stands are presumed spotted in the pervious turn

1st Guards Cavalry Regiment is a reinforcement entering the table 09:30am (start turn 2). It may enter on any table edge in deployment area A. The mortar may start off table. Subsequently should the player wish to bring it on table it can be placed on the table edge in deployment area A at the end of any movement phase assumed to have done a full advance. This move to the table edge does not require an order.

The 152nd Tank Brigade is a reinforcement entering table at 10:30am (start turn 4). It may enter along road P or Q

The command/FO stand from the 58th Armoured Train Battalion is a reinforcement entering the table at 10:00am (start turn 3). It may enter along road P or Q

No Soviet reinforcement can arrive within12" and LOS of an un-demoralised enemy stand. 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

Reinforcement Summary

Unit Turn
1st Guards Cavalry Regiment 2
152nd Tank Brigade 3
FO 58th Armoured Train Battalion 4
Panzergruppe 8 Panzer Division 6

Terrain

The table is 6ft x 5ft at 1" =50m. North is towards the top of the page

The terrain represents the flood plain of the River Oder so is dead flat. It's open farmland, the borders of the fields not having hedges except as indicated. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground.

The red lines are the roads.

The thin blue lines are streams or drainage ditches. The water will be frozen but the banks will require a cautious advance move to cross. So if moving with a hasty advance order, the unit loses half its movement. If moving with a cautious advance order, a stand must start on one bank and will be moved to the other. Personnel stands within get +2 cover. No towed guns get cover in the stream/ditch.

The thick blue line is the River Oder. It is partially frozen but not safe for even infantry to cross. Impassable to all stands

The light blue area is a lake, impassable to all stands. There is a tree lined causeway over the lake. The trees give light cover  (-1 vs non HE) to all stands crossing the causeway. There is narrow path along the causeway so personnel stands can move along it without restriction. The path is narrow and difficult for vehicles. Vehicles and man handled guns cross at 1/4 speed.

The light green areas is are open woods. No impediment to personnel, half speed for vehicles and man-handled guns. Light cover (-1 vs non HE)

The grey areas are BUA. The larger squares represent a 4"x4" area, the smaller are 2"x2" areas that can contain but a single personnel stand or Class I/II towed gun. All BUA are stone (-3 cover)

The green dotted lines are tree lines, these provide light cover  (-1 vs non HE) and break LOS

The broken black line is a single track railway. It is on an low embankment which gives light cover (-1 vs non HE) vs. fire crossing the rails to stands touching either side of the railway

The broken pink lines are not terrain but indicate deployment areas

Special Rules

The game starts at 09:00am and finishes with the 14:30 turn (12 turns)

The JgdPz-IV is deployed in the KG Baier deployment zone. During the first orders phase roll 1d10. On a 6-10 the stand is removed from the table and will enter with the Panzergruppe. Historically there was a breakdown in communications and the JgdPz-IV retreated thinking Baier was lost.

The HQ of KG Baier can also give orders to any Volksturm Kompanie

The bridge over the Oder is rigged to blow - however historically the charges never went off

Victory Conditions

For a decisive victory the Soviets must have three tanks (T-34's or Valentines) on the table on west bank of the Oder at the end of the game. Morale state is irrelevant. There must be no German stands with a morale of pinned or better within 12" of the road N-O-P or N-O-Q (Soviet player's choice)

For a marginal victory the Soviets must have three tanks (T-34's or Valentines) on the table on west bank of the Oder at the end of the game. Morale state is irrelevant .

For a marginal German victory they must prevent the Soviets attaining their victory conditions

For a decisive German victory they must prevent the Soviets attaining their victory conditions and hold at least one of the BUA's in deployment zone C. Hold means have at least one stand with pinned or better morale in the BUA at the end of the game while the enemy has no stands with pinned or better morale in the BUA

Pictures of the Game