Battlegroup Kursk Game- May 25, 2013

We played a 750 point Battlegroup Kursk game on May 25.  It was an Attack/Defense scenario (Defense Line) with a Russian Infantry Division defending against a German Panzer Division.   The Germans were played by Alex A. and Dan A.   The Russians were played by Don N. and Tony G, with yours truly filling in when Tony A needed to leave.

The lists were as follows (approximate).

Russian

Forward HQ
Radio Truck
Infantry Platoon (all with AT grenades and 1x Maxim MMG)
2 x T-34/43
Off-board 120mm Mortar Btty.
Off-board Katyusha Btty.
2 x Trench lines
2 x AT gun position with Zis-3 AT guns
Artillery Observation Post
5 x Minefields
Dug in KV-1E

German 

Forward HQ in Pz IVH
StuG IIIG Platoon
1 x Pz IVH
Armored Pz. Gren Platoon
    HMG team
    Pak 40
    81mm Mortar
    Grille K
    Combat Medic
Motorcycle Recon Patrol
Forward Observer
2 x Off table 81mm Mortars
Wespe
Marder IIIm
Supply Column

The battlefield featured a wooded hill on the left side of the Russian line, clear terrain in the center, and a small village on the right.

The German table edge was open except for a small stream bordered by marshy ground on their right flank and a wheat field on the right (provided concealment for infantry).   No cover to shield them as they moved to attack the Russian lines.

The Russians deployed a trench line manned by infantry  and AT position on the left on the wooded hill along with the dug-in KV-1.   The covered their center with mines and also placed the Artillery Observation post there.  The right of their line was held by another Trench Line manned by infantry and supported by the other Zis-3 AT gun position.

The T-34's, Maxim MMG, Platoon Commander and 1 Infantry Squad would come on as reinforcements.

View from behind Russian Artillery Observation Post toward German Table Edge

Russian Trench Line;  Dug in KV-1 in back round

Left side of Russian line.  Infantry manning the Trenches waiting for the Fascists ! 

Zis-3 in AT gun position on wooded hill, Russian left flank.

Minefields 

Minefields and Infantry manned Trench

The Germans decided to concentrate their attack on the Russian right, avoiding the difficult ground of the wooded hill  defended by a Zis-3 AT gun and the dug in KV-1.

They attacked first with the Wespe, Grille and Recon Patrol, intending to soften the defenses. Direct fire from the Wespe and Grille managed to knock out the Zis-3 AT gun protecting the Russian right, leaving the way open for the armored attack. 

German Recon Patrol calling mortar fire on Russian Defenses

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The Wespe and Grille were followed by German armor and the Forward Commander.  These came under fire from a fairly devastating Katyusha barrage.  Two Stugs destroyed and the Forward HQ pinned. 

Nonetheless, the attack proceeds with only an infantry squad in a trench between the Germans and the objectives beyond the Russian defenses.

German infantry arrives in a second wave.

The remaining Stug attacking on the right manages to get a flank shot on the dug in  KV-1 knocking it out.

Meanwhile, the German infantry dismount and advance against the Russian right

Russian reinforcements rush to shore up the hard pressed right flank.

Ura! Ura!

The T-34's engaged in a cat and mouse duel with the Stug III and the Pz IVH's in the village but were both eventually knocked out. 

The Russian infantry rushed to occupy the village but were overwhelmed the German numbers.  

The Russians reached their BR limit for a German Victory. 

Battle of Salem Church AAR

On May 5 we re-fought the Battle of Salem Church which occurred on May 3, 1863.   So this was a 150th Anniversary remembrance.  

The players were Beverly (Russell), Brian C. (Wilcox), Byron (Brooks/Bartlett), Phil (Brown), and Tony (Semmes). 

The battle was a part of the Chancellorsville campaign.  Sedgwick's VI Corps was trying to force its way from Fredericksburg to take the Confederates in the rear and come to the aid of the beleagured main Union army around Chancellorsville.  General Wilcox's brigade of Alabamans (part of McLaw's Division) fought a running delaying action after Sedgwick's Corps had successfully taken Marye's Heights in the morning.   Wilcox turned stopped to face the advancing Union forces at Salem Church ridge where they expected to be reinforced by other elements of McLaw's division.

The scenario we used was written by John Hill (I believe) for Johnny Reb III.   I converted it for Regimental Fire & Fury and substantially reduced the width of the map.   So the game we played was on an 8'x6' battlefield (2,400 yards by 1,800 yards).   The figures are 15mm. 

The scenario starts with Brooks's Division of three brigades, Brown's, Bartlett's, and Russell's, attacking Wilcox's brigade who is waiting to be reinforced by Semmes' Georgia brigade.

Here is the map:

The battle field looking from Salem Church ridge toward the Union  lines.

Bartlett's Brigade

Brown's Brigade moves out.

Wilcox's regiments await the attack

Brown's Brigade faces off against dismounted cavalry.  This brave regiment of Virginians would hold off two  Union infantry regiments for several turns before finally succumbing to superior numbers.

The attack becomes general

The Confederates are hard=pressed

Russell's Brigade rushes to reinforce the Union attack up the  center.

The weight of numbers tells and charged by multiple Yankee regiments the Confederates are driven out of the  thicket and back towards the Salem Church ridge.

Wilcox's tired regiments reform on the other side 

In the meantime, Semme's Brigade has arrived on the field and formed up to defend the ridge.

The Union forces approach the ridge as dusk falls, too late to break through and move on toward Chancellorsville this  day.

Wilcox's brigade was roughly handled and its regiments were all worn or even spent and the Confederates had reached their "Heavy Casualties" threshold (in this scenario 1200 casualties).   But  Bartlett's and Brooks' brigades were also worn out.   Semme's brigade and Russell's brigades were untouched, but with night falling the Union had not  cleared Salem Church ridge and thus had not acheived their objective.  A marginal Rebel victory.