Ponyri Station

7/7/43

V2.0

Pictures of the Game - from V1.0

On the 4th July 1943 the Germans unleashed their summer offensive on the Eastern Front: Operation Zitadelle, a pincer movement aimed at cutting off  the Kursk Salient. The Soviets were prepared and waiting and made the Germans fight for every inch of soil. On the northern side of the salient some of the fiercest fighting took place around a town called Ponyri Station. The battle for the station started on the 5th and finally petered out on the 8th. The decisive day was the the 7th when the Germans made a pincer attack on the town from the east and west with the 292 Infanterie Division and the 656 Panzerjäger Regiment participating. The heavy reinforced 307th Rifle Division held the town and surrounding area for the Soviets.

The scenario starts half way through the day. The Germans have struggled into to the northern part of Ponyri station in spite of very heavy Soviet artillery fire, however they are still short of their day's objectives. The Soviets have unleashed a counter-attack to wrest Ponyri station from the invaders.

Map and Order of Battle

Deployment

The Soviets deploy first, though this should only be critical in the case of the 3rd Battalion 1019th Rifle Regiment

The 3rd Battalion 1019th Rifle Regiment is deployed in the row of BUAs (brown squares) labelled XY. Each stand must be in a separate square and no more than two stands may be in adjacent BUAs

All other Soviet units must be deployed in their deployment zones shown on the map with pink dashed lines

No stand of the 1023rd Rifle Regiment, 129th Tank Brigade or the 27th Guards Tank Brigade can start within 18" of a BUA of Ponyri Station

The 2nd Battalion 837th Artillery Battalion FO  is deployed with the 1023rd Rifle Regiment

The 2nd Battalion 1019th Rifle Regiment is deployed in an around the 1st of May Farm. The stands of the unit can be deployed within 12" of any BUA of the farm, however they may not be deployed  north of the road, as indicated on the map.

The 1st Battalion 837th Artillery Battalion FO  is deployed with the 2nd Battalion 1019th Rifle Regiment

Most of the German units are deployed in the zones delineated by the pink dashed lines. All AT guns start limbered and may not start in a BUA. No German stand may start in a BUA occupied by a Soviet stand

Kampfgruppe 653 sPzJgr Abt is a reinforcement. It enters the table within 6" of point A the turn after either: 1) The 292 Div Btl has two stands within 6" of a BUA of the 1st of May Farm at the end of the opportunity fire phase or 2) 292 Div Bat has lost two stands.

Terrain

The map is a 5ft x 8ft area if playing 1"=50m. North is to the top of the page.

The red lines are roads the are all poor dirt roads and have no effect on the game.

The thin blue line is a stream. it has steep banks and is uncrossable by vehicles. Infantry take a BMA to enter the stream and a BMA to exit. Infantry in the stream get +2 cover from direct fire. Movement along the stream is at half speed.

The light green area is orchard. It does not break LOS. Its riddled with craters and foxholes so any personnel stands within (not towed guns) get +2 cover. Other stands get +1 cover.

The brown squares are mostly wrecked wooden BUA and gardens. They do not block LOS, They are riddled with craters and foxholes so any personnel stand within (not towed gun) gets +2 cover. Other stands get +1 cover.

The grey square represents the station. It gives +3 cover and breaks LOS. It may not be entered by vehicles or towed guns.

The dashed brown lines are shallow ridge-lines. They break LOS. AFVs touching them can claim hull-down status verses fire that crosses the ridge-line.

The broken black line is a single track railway - it has no effect on the game

Air Support

Both sides had many aircraft in the sky on the 7th July. The players get aircraft on a random basis. Each turn roll for air superiority (d10) on a 1-5 the Soviets have superiority this turn, on a 6-10 it belongs to the Germans.

The side with superiority rolls on the following table (d10): 1-6 no aircraft, 7-8 1 ground attack aircraft, 9-10 two ground attack aircraft.

German ground attack will be Fw-190A5, Ju-87D or Hs-129B. Soviet ground attack will be Il-2m

If using CD air ratings than randomise the type - if using the simple air rules then pick which one you like as the rules don't distinguish the types.

Special Rules

The game runs for 10 turns with a 50% chance of an 11th turn. Roll the chance at the end of turn 10

Both sides had enormous amounts of artillery fire, most of which is not shown in the OB. Within 12" of any BUA of Ponyri Station the following apply:

Ponyri station BUAs are those within the 507 & 508 GR deployment zones

Victory Conditions

There are 4 victory locations

To win the Germans must gain all 4 locations. For a draw they need three. If they have two or less the Soviets win.

To control the station (grey BUA) the Germans must have the only stand within at the end of the game. The stand must be in good morale or the Germans must have been the last side which occupied the BUA unopposed with a stand in good morale.

To control Ponyri station (brown BUA) there must be no Soviets stands in any BUA in good morale at the end of the game.

To control the 1st May Farm there must be no Soviet stands in any BUA in good morale at the end of the game.

To control road ED the Germans must have both an AFV and a personal stand touching it, in good morale, at the end of the game.

Good morale means not shaken and not demoralised.

References

129th Tank Brigade: http://tankfront.ru/ussr/tbr/tbr129.html 

307th Rifle Division: http://www.poisk-pobeda.ru/forum/index.php?topic=3631.10;wap2

Objective Ponyri - Martin Nevshemal