Operation Winter Storm (Now with pictures!)

general Hoth · Operation Winter Storm (Now with pictures!)

Operation Winterstorm

"the revolving armored battle at Verkhniy Kumskiy"
13th Decembre 1942

from General Raus' memoirs:

"Panzer regiment 11 had every right to be proud of its achievements on 12th December. In a single day the panzer crews had won two battles while fighting their way forward nearly 70 kilometers without sustaining losses. This was recognized as a favorable prelude to the Stalingrad operation, but it was still far from a triumph. Our objective remained far distant, and everyone knew that hard battles remained. To general Hoth, Kirchner and me the task of defeating the Soviet tank forces blocking the road to Stalingrad, given their great numerical superiority, seemed almost insoluble."

The stage is set,
Having secured a small bridgehead over the Akay river, General's Raus pushes ahead and only the village of Kumskiy seperates the Germans from Stalingrad...

Maps:

South- Map 15-Map D2 (upside down)-Map D1 (upside down)-North

The maps you will need:

http://s668.photobucket.com/album...n=view&current=zAAMMapD11.jpg

http://s668.photobucket.com/album...n=view&current=zAAMMapD21.jpg

http://s668.photobucket.com/album...n=view&current=zAAMMap151.jpg

To create the small German bridgehead place a village tile on the other side of the river on map 15. So you have 2 village hexes over the river.
To create the village of Kumskiy place a village tile on each side of the city hex on map d2 containing a road.

the German player sets up first

Roll for initiative.

Soviet XIII Tank Corps:

sets up up to 4 hexes from the North Side

T34 commander
T34 model 42 x5
T70 x4
cossack captain
cossack cavalry x8
ptrd 41
grenadier x3

Soviet IV Mechanized Corps:

Enter on turn one on any east edge hex of map 15.

T 34 model 42 x2
T70 x2
veteran NCO
mosin x4
maxim mg
ptrd x2
grenadier

6th Panzer Division:

Enter on turn one on any west edge hex of map 15 and D2.

Panzer IV commander
Panzer IV ausf g x3
Panzer IIIausf F x3 (no smoke)
elite Panzer IV x2

Panzer Regiment 11:

set up on or around the village of Kumskiy on map D2

Wehrmacht Oberleutnant
Pak 40
Pak 38
light mortar
mg 42
mauser x3
Sdkfz 250

Headquarters, Panzer Regiment 11:

set up on or around the 2 bridgehead hexes on map 15

SS leader
Pak 40
mg 42
mauser x4
Marder II

Victory conditions:

At the end of turn 7 the winner is the player holding more village hexes. Cool

Play Balance (this will favour the german player):

Luftflotte Support:
Add 2 Stukas to the german line up.

A few pictures from the battle:

http://s668.photobucket.com/albums/vv48/generalhoth/Winter%20storm/

acs0424

Hm, I like it, nice job!

Clamzoni_of_RI

Looks fun to me, I just need to build a collection big enough to play it. Sad

general Hoth

hello boys,
dont worry i do not own 7 T34"'s model 42, just the one. The rest was made of my good old original T34s.
This scenario could have been titled "the revolving battle" as those of you who will try it will experience a real "moving" battle. the soviets arrive from north and south East (as they did then) and the germans have a few detachments already in place while the bulk of 6th Panzer division returns on the map from an other engagement further west.
the germans have the bigger guns but weaker armor... Cool

have fun.

general Hoth

I hope you enjoy my Winter Storm scenario. Cool

I've just started playtesting my new baby "Kursk, the Nothern Pincer". It still needs fixing here and there but prepare yourself for a new Verdun!

Elefant, lots of artillery and prepared Soviet positions...all on one map!

general Hoth

I understand it's a bit heavy on your tank collection Razz

But give it a try and give me some feed back.

general Hoth

Edited with links to the maps needed. Cool

RedBaron

You have 8x T34's for the soviets vs 4x Pz IV G's. Then you have other 6x T70 plus lots of fast moving cavalry.

I think the Germans have no chance in winning on any map.

The T34 1942 has 6 frontal defense + sup.arm. 2. With what do you take these out? The Pz IV G is a good tank but no match for the T34, it has 11 dice at extended/long range and no armor on the back. To damage a T34 1942 with one shot you need 8 successes from 11 dice, that is hard. On the other hand, the T34 need 6 dice from 10 to damage the best german tank frontally, a little more the half. And the numbers are in favor of the Soviets 2:1, not the other way around Laughing

The Elite Panzer 4 D's are fragile, have Crack shot but only 8 dice and no extended range. With 3 defense these are out at first shot of any enemy. Remains the Marder which is also a fragile unit that is not any danger for the T34's I would say.

And about the T70's: for these tanks you have Speed and the numbers. I would play them at sacrifice and damage with them the Elite P4 and Marder, even the Panzer III F's.

It's a "no win scenario" for the Germans as it stands, so, I think you should revise the builds unless the German player is supposed to lose every time Smile

regards,

general Hoth

I agree its tough for the germans Cool

But at this particular battle they were outnumbered and could count on only a limited amount of panzer IV ausf G. That's why i completed their tank line up with weaker tanks and a fair number of AT guns/ panzerfausts.

I think that for a german win you have to do two things:

1/Have a close look at the map. Wink

keep your ausf Gs together with the tank leader(keep in mind special SA ruthless), and also probably an elite panzer. Use the cover offered by the hill hexes on the middle map and for the first couple of turns play around with your extended range shots.
Coupled with this fire, from the village of Kumskyi use your AT guns to pin down the T34s. Their 1942 armour will be tough to crack but believe me i've seen it done.
Your mg and mortar plus supporting infantry could easily deal with the fragile cavalry.
Ok they're fast moving so you can expect to be overunned but hold fast.

2/With the rest of your units (HQ KG) deal as fast as possible with the mechanized corps coming from the east.

If you can stop the couple of T34s coming from there and also pin down his infantry you can then focus on your main threat: the tank corps.
If you manage this, once again have a look at the map: the 3 hex long right in the middle of the map village should give you ample cover to redeploy and then finnish off the soviets in a big final melee as by then they should have reached/ bypassed the central village.

Just my battle tips. Cool

And for the soviets its an altogether different story:

Move or Fight?

I'll try to post a few pics soon.

RedBaron

Well, it is true, I did not study the maps and deployment... but unless the Soviets are forced to stand ground, I believe there is no chance to little for the German player.

5x T34 1942 will smash 7-8 P4 G's without big problems. Unless the German player is a DICE GURU. And here you have double the number of T34 with repect to P4's.

Yes, the Commander ausf. H is a good tank, but if I play the soviets, that will be taken out first or at list damage it, so to speak. Depends on the SOviet opponent but, in my opinion, he must be a real rookie to lose to the germans in this case.

Yes you have also the PAK 40 guns... did not mention them before. They may be of help but... still, I see it very "grey" for the Germans.

Anyway, did anyone play this? Smile

I would for sure, but I do not have these maps. I may look for some maps similar to recreate this story.

PS= I am told that the Sherman arrived, did not see it, but the letter arrived, so thanks again. I will give you +1 on the Good Traders List.

regards

general Hoth

i'm glad you got it in one piece and that it will help you with your scenario line up. Cool

regarding the scenarios (in general) i read somewhere on these forums that we are too historical compared to other sites.

I plead guilty, i love historical scenarios Very Happy

I'm gonna have another game of winter storm (maybe tonight) and see how it goes. But out of the 7 games i have already done i had 3 german victories and 4 soviet. If the soviet win i'll see to post some play-balance rules, like i did for the ss schwere panzer abteilung 503 scenario.

I'll keep you posted. Wink

.

general Hoth

Scenario Edited with a play balance rule.

Battle Report:

I have just played a game of Winter Storm tonight using the new rules.

It could almost be a Kursk scenario with so many tanks rushing for victory. Wink

I played the soviets with an "aggressive" doctrine. and the couple of first turns looked liked a nightmare to the 6th panzer division!
But by turn 3 it was difficult to tell what would happen once the first panic moment had gone. The soviet cavalry struggled to get into the village due to suppressive MG 42 fire while in the meantime the T34s outflanked the village from West and East. Further South the HQ kampfgruppe with AT and Marder support contained the soviet advance with the help of most of the panzer battalion.

With a few tanks already in flames, turn 4 saw a massive tank battle which left all of the tanks either disrupted or damaged (except a T34 and A panzer IV). The 6th panzer division had to withdraw further South though.
In the South the Marder and 2 T70s went up in flammes. The soviet infantry tried an assault onto the bridegehead but failed.

By turn 6 very few units were still alive. The germans firmly held their bridgehead over the Akay river and two hexes of the central village hexes were completely contested by the soviets but for the central hex still held by a german MG 42 team.
Meanwhile the tank battle had died down with one panzer IV, one disrupted t34 and 2 damaged t 70s left.

Turn 7 saw the german win hands down with 4 village hexes still in their hands. Cool

general Hoth

Edited with a few pics from the battle. Cool