Russian Training Scenario 402

[Der Alte Fritz]

Victory! Finally managed to play one of these scenarios and win it first time around.

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Following sage advice, I put all the tanks on the right flank and drove forward to assault the wood, blasting likely looking cover along the way. Killed a shreck team that way. Sent the tank riders forward at a run to spot the enemy in the wood and then blasted them with the tanks. Lost two T-34s to an AT gun in the woods but the rest killed him. Meanwhile the SMG and pioneers went and cleared the woods beside the road to protect the left flank of the armour and got into the village. Sent the second platoon of tank riders forward to clear the houses at the edge of the village, moved the armour forward and starting blasting anyone that fired at the infantry.

The support group of MG mortars and ISU-152 set up in one of the central woods and blasted the left hand side of the village. Lost 2 HT to MG fire but we killed him in the end. Drove a ISU-152 and the Co HQ and 82mm mortar forward to just behind the infantry with the remaining HT.

Panther appeared at this point and one ISU fired at him, bounced a shell off his turret and retreated. Later the other got a keyhole shot and fired but missed and was killed by return fire. Panther unable to see T-34s firing from shelter of wood so worked round to the left straight into the keyhole sight of the remaining ISU-152 who blew him apart!

Infantry now well into rubble around flag, so final assault went in around move 12 with T-34 firing in support. Cleared flag house and also woods on left by move 14 so offered a ceasefire.

The firepower from my 4 T-34-85 was incredible and the speed of the assault was always at FAST with the tanks driving forward to keep up. Anyone who got pinned recovered quickly because the tanks killed the firer almost immediately. Main problem was keeping the support forces up with the infantry which left them vulnerable. The main casualties were from an artillery strike which caught resting pioneers and the HT mortar team on the edge of the village after we had taken the flag.

These were a great series of scenarios and I have learnt so much from them. I think the only thing they need is a scenario(s) at the end to show how these tactics fit into the history that one reads. For instance a scenario(s) set in late 43 that shows the sequence of the infantry breakthrough, the armour tactical use to defeat reserves and the use of armour in the operational hinterland. Perhaps the Operation Uranus series could be adapted to show this?

[JasonC]

Great report, thanks.

Yes Uranus shows some such issues, and Kutuzov will show more. I need to finish the darn thing, it is getting large. (OK, just 10 scenarios). Soon - like, sometime in September.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Can't wait to try Kutuzov but will play Uranus right through again (inc the Germans vs AI scenarios).

Since there are a couple more people playing through the training scenarios again, I will edit the collection of posts that I made. You have a copy.

I want to add at the end some standard 1500 and 3000 point forces. I have 1500 point ones for Motor Rifle Bn in 43 and Tank Bn - so the two arms of a Tank or Mech Corps. Could you post an idea of a 1500 point breakthrough Infantry force, the 3000 point versions and any variations for 42 or 44.

Also I will add a list of good scenarios to play at the end.

cheers

[JasonC]

If you mean 1500 actual points - like attack odds against 1000 points of defenders - here are some. Assault odds you'd be against 900 points of defenders and you'd get 1548 points, enough to add one gun or 82mm or a few more teams etc.

Standard rifle version, 1943 -

2 green rifle companies

1 regular pioneer company, 2 regular FTs

2 KV-1 (1941 model)

2 conscript 122mm gun FO

1 120mm mortar FO (line)

2 82mm mortars on map (green)

+4 Maxim MG (green, 6 total)

3 ATRs (green)

That version is based on pioneer support and KV armor, but there are options. The extra infantry could instead be SMG, or one Recon A and one platoon of pioneers, or just a platoon of Recon A plus better artillery support. The armor can switch to 3 T-34s or 4 SU-76M instead of KVs.

E.g. rocket support and SU variant

2 green rifle companies

1 regular Recon A platoon

4 SU-76M regular

+1 Maxim, 2 82mm, 4 ATR (green)

1 conscript 300mm rocket FO

2 conscript 122mm gun FO

1 regular 120mm mortar FO (line)

SMG variant

as first, drop pioneers and FTs

add regular SMG company

adjust teams etc.

Mix and match the forms of support, around the core of 2 green companies, the 3 120-122mm FOs, and added on map 82mms and weapons teams. Always some armor but you can pick the type among KV-1, T-34, OT-34, SU-76. A couple of on-map 76mm towed is another option in place of one platoon.

Guards version, 1943 -

2 companies regular Guards infantry

2 KV-1S

2 82mm mortar on map

+2 Maxim MG (6 total)

3 ATRs

1 vet sharpshooter

2 green 122mm gun FO (prep)

1 regular 120mm mortar radio FO

or swap the KVs for a T-34 platoon, drop an MG to pay the difference.

Notice, the standard rifle needs some specialist infantry taken as regular quality to stiffen the line. The Guards, regulars already, don't require it (and can't really afford it).

If you instead mean assault odds and a 1500 point defense, resulting in more like 2500 points of Russians, that is a much bigger battle. For those you'd take a battalion's worth of infantry (which might mean 3 companies rather than the full battalion) and double the armor support levels above. The 82mm support could go to 4-6 on map, and you can take your pick among supporting SMGs, pioneers, Recon A, rocket FOs, pairs of on map 76s, the odd sniper, etc.

I hope this helps.

[Der Alte Fritz]

One question on dates. When did the Red Army first start using its Mech force type attacks? Was it in April '42 when the first new style Tank Corps appeared?

cheers

[drjake]

Interesting read. I'm curious where can we download this scenarios?

[Der Alte Fritz]

They are available from www.blowtorchscenarios.com and if you get stuck you can ask the forums, search the forums using "Russian Training scenarios" for answers, or I have a lot of them in a single document that I can email. The author JasonC is very good at giving quick answers so often the best way is to simply post here.

cheers

[JasonC]

On mech style attacks, well they tried to use the pre-war mech corps in July 1941, but they fell apart on contact. And that wasn't really the evolved mech way of fighting they used later.

The next serious attempt was in the Kharkov counteroffensive in May of 1942. It failed pretty dismally. The new mech wasn't ready for prime time and infantry armies with modest sized supporting formations (brigades, regiments) did most of the work. Attacks that would have succeeded if the two side's forces had been equivalent, unit for unit, failed, showing a large continued tactical discrepancy. Tank attacks failed even against infantry division positions, due to gun fronts (artillery-armor cooperation was poor) and ongoing C3I and CSS deficiencies.

The first really successful Russian mech operation was Uranus in November 1942. They performed better against the minor allies or during the exploitation phase than during direct frontal fights against German units, still. But they were adequate in all roles, and operationally dealt with remaining tactical discrepancies with odds and redundant attacks with exploitation of the successful ones.

The only remaining weakness at that point was a tendency to push operationally to the point of logistic failure, as a result of which the foremost mech groups could become quite weak later in one of the offensives. That was cured by the time of the next round, the Kursk era summer offensives, starting with Kutuzov. Which featured rolling commitments at adjacent sectors to maintain momentum, and later regulated the advances well enough to keep the spearheads strong.

Last, they learned after the fall 1943 campaign, but not during it or the summer ones, to size and direct these rolling commitments to make effective encirclements, instead of broad front pushing. The earlier ones were not intended as broad front pushing but could devolve into that when the Germans retreated when they needed to and brought up adequate mobile reserves.

But those last two were operational rather than tactical lessons. Uranus already had a mech arm that fought the mech way tactically speaking, and was fully effective.