Wargaming |
Megablitz
A Dot in Russia - A Megablitz Scenario
Posted 07 Jun 2009
The Megablitz rule book includes a 1940 scenario called Dot Sur La Mappe. It is a fictional scenario and, as the name suggests, is a bit tongue in cheek. I understand the orders of battle just reflect the forces available to Tim Gow (the author) at the time.
My own forces are Eastern Front so I've tried to transfer the scenario to 1941 and Operation Barbarossa. I believe the scenario name, Dot Sur La Mappe, becomes Mnogotochiye na Kartye (Многоточие на карте) in Russian but that is a bit of a mouthful so I didn't use it to describe the scenario.
Situation
Setting: South-western USSR; Jun 1941
It is June 1941, Operation Barbarossa has just begun, and the Germans are cutting their way through the Soviet armies. Lieutenant-General M.P. Kirponos, commander of the South-Western Front, recognizes the danger of a deep penetration and orders all available armoured formations – 8th, 9th, 15th 19th and 22nd Mechanized Corps – to attack the flanks of von Kleist's Panzer Group 1. Elements of the Front reserve - including 36th Rifle Corps - are also committed. Violent armoured clashes occur over several days as the Soviet units come up.
It is now 27 Jun 1941 and veteran 16th Panzer Division is fast approaching the town of Mnogotochiye na Kartye. The town is the local transport hub with North-South and East-West roads and a railway terminus on the northeast side of town. The railway leads to/from Moscow. The western road passes through the smaller town of Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye (Меньшее многоточие на карте).
Elements of the Soviet 36th Rifle Corps are already engaged with trail blazing Panzer Grenadiers in Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye. 16th Panzer is approaching from the west and will arrive on the scene shortly. The Soviet counter-attack force is Feklenko's well equipped 19th Mechanised Corps. This formation is unusual in that it has a complement of new T-34 and KV tanks. On the down side they have to make a 50 km road march overnight to reach the conflict zone. They will arrive in a haphazard fashion due to vehicle breakdown and the attentions of the Luftwaffe. The 19th is approaching Mnogotochiye na Kartye from the north-east.
Map/Terrain
When adapting the original map from Dot Sur La Mappe scenario I flipped the map over so
- the German arrive from the west, not the east.
- the Soviet counter-attack comes from the north-east not the south.
Each square on a map is 1 foot on the table.
6' x 3' table; 60 x 30 km; ground scale 1:33,333 i.e. 1 foot ~ 10 km
Map produced in CC2
Key features are:
- There are three built up areas:
- Town of Mnogotochiye na Kartye
- Town of Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye
- Unnamed village
- Farms and fields dominate the western part of the map near Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye.
- Forests dominate the eastern part of the map.
- Blank terrain on the map is actually rolling countryside.
- The railway line from the east terminates on the outskirts of Mnogotochiye na Kartye.
- The road crosses the railway line via a bridge.
- The Germans deploy to the west of the line A-A and the Soviets to the east.
- B and a pre-determined point on the line C-C are Soviet entry points.
- D is a German entry point.
- Towns and woods are difficult going. Every thing else is good going.
Pre-game preparation
- The Soviet secretly selects a entry point between on the line C-C.
- The German writes the order of march of 16th Panzer Division.
Russian Player (Counter-attacking)
You are Major-General N.V. Feklenko commanding the 19th Mechanized Corps. Your lead unit, the 43rd Tank Division, has just completed a 50 km road march to enable you to counter-attack an enemy tank formation known to be advancing to the east. In the absence of other units from your Corps you have been assigned elements of the Soviet 36th Rifle Corps from Front reserve - they are already engaged at Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye. Your mission is the grind the fascists into the dirt.
Objective
Inflict serious casualties on the Germans.
Forces On-table
Elements of the Soviet 36th Rifle Corps. Not all of the Corps is present, partly because they have to cover a wide front and partly because the component units have suffered under Luftwaffe attacks.
(Rating = Trained)
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corps HQ | Command | 1 | - |
| Signal Battalion | Command | 1 | - |
| Corps Transport | Truck or Wagon | 2 LOG | - |
|
|
|||
| 102nd Rifle Division | |||
| 16th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 30th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 40th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 1 | - |
| Reconnaissance Battalion | Armoured Car or Light Tank or Motorised Infantry in Truck | R1 or r | - |
| Armoured Car or Light Tank or Motorised Infantry in Truck | R1 or r | - | |
|
|
|||
| 106th Rifle Division | |||
| 43rd Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 188th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 236th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 1 | - |
| Artillery Regiment | 76mm Gun | 3 | 5km range |
| Horse Limber or Tractor or Truck | 2 LOG | ||
| Artillery spotter on horse back or in Truck | r | Observation stand | |
|
|
|||
| 140th Rifle Division | |||
| 96th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 258th Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 2 | - |
| 283rd Rifle Regiment | Infantry | 1 | - |
| Pioneer Battalion | Engineers + Truck | 1, 2EP | - |
Deployment
36th Rifle Corps can deploy anywhere east of the north-south line (A-A) running through Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye.
Air Support
The Soviet Air force can provide the following air support units:
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ?? | Light Bomber | 2 | Locally based with enough fuel for two sorties |
Reinforcements: Infantry Support (Tank) Brigade
The Infantry Support (Tank) Brigade starts off table to the south. Roll 2d6 at the start of every turn after the Germans move west of line (A-A). The Infantry Support (Tank) Brigade arrives on the turn that two sixes are rolled. (You can stop rolling then.) The Infantry Support (Tank) Brigade moves from the north on the road to Mnogotochiye na Kartye (from entry point B) and places itself under 36th Rifle Corps command.
(Rating = Trained)
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry Support (Tank) Brigade | T-26 | 1 | - |
Reinforcements: 19th Mechanized Corps
19th Mechanized Corps starts off table to the northeast. Each turn roll 1d6 for each unit (units have names in the table below; most have one stand and some have two). On a roll of six the unit appears at the pre-selected entry point on the line C-C. The stand may move as if under 'T' or 'M' orders. The corps is unusual for the period as it had complement of new T-34 and KV tanks
19th Mechanized Corps is under strength partly because they have to cover a wide front and partly because the component units have suffered under Luftwaffe attacks.
(Rating = Trained)
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ | Staff Car | 2 | - |
| Corps Transport | Truck | 2 LOG | - |
| Truck | 2 POL | - | |
|
|
|||
| 43rd Tank Division | |||
| Reconnaissance Battalion | Armoured Car or Light Tank or Motorcycles | R1 or r1 | - |
| Tank Regiment | T34 | 2 | - |
| Tank Regiment | T34 | 3 | - |
| Motorised Regiment | Infantry + Truck | 3 | - |
|
|
|||
| Tank Division | |||
| Tank Regiment | KV1 | 2 | - |
| Tank Regiment | T34 | 3 | - |
| Pioneer Battalion | Engineers + Truck | 1, 2EP | - |
| Artillery Regiment | 152mm Gun | 2 | 12km range |
| Limber or Tractor or Truck | 2 LOG | ||
| Artillery spotter and car | r | Observation stand | |
German
Player (Attacking)
You are the commander of the 16th Panzer Division. You must keep heading destroying any enemy in your way but not slowing down unduly. You have been told there are no significant enemy formations ahead of you although some Panzer Grenadiers are pushing some enemy stragglers out of a town - Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye - immediately ahead of your column.
Objective
Exit 16th Panzer Division off the eastern table edge.
Forces On-table
A depleted Panzer Grenadier Regiment, with supporting armou,r is engaged with the Russians at Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye. This unit has been depleted by earlier combat. It is not part of 16th Panzer Division
(Rating = Regular)
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panzer Grenadier Regiment | |||
| Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 1 | - |
| Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 2 | - |
| Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 2 | - |
|
|
|||
| Assault gun | StuG III C and D short-barreled 7.5cm StuK 37 L/24 | 1 | - |
| Transport | Truck | 1 LOG | - |
Deployment
The Germans begin the game deployed west of the north-south line (A-A) running through Myen'shyeye mnogotochiye na kartye.
Air Support
The Luftwaffe can provide the following air support units:
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bf 109 fighter | Fighter | 3 | Based on distant airfield |
| Ju 87 "Stuka" | Dive Bomber | 3 | Based on distant airfield |
| Ju 87 "Stuka" | Dive Bomber | 3 | Based on distant airfield |
Reinforcements: 16th Panzer Division
16th Panzer Division begins off table. They arrive at entry point D in a order of march pre-determined by the German player. Only as much of the division can arrive in one turn as can fit on the road.
(Rating = Veteran)
| Unit Name | Type | Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ | Kubelwagen or Pz Befwg I | 2 | Forward HQ |
| Staff/Signals | Bus | 1 | Rear HQ / Staff |
| Feld Gendarme Battalion | Military Police + Car | 1 | Traffic Police |
| 16th Divisional Transport Column | Truck | 3 LOG | - |
| Truck | 3 POL | - | |
|
|
|||
| 2nd Panzer Regiment | |||
| I/2nd Panzer Battalion | PzKpfw III | 6 | - |
| II/2nd Panzer Battalion |
PzKpfw II or PzKpfw IV Ausf E 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 gun |
5 | - |
|
|
|||
| 64th Panzer Grenadier Regiment | |||
| I/64th Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & SdKfz 251 | 5 | - |
| II/64th Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 4 | - |
| 79th Panzer Grenadier Regiment | |||
| I/79th Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 4 | - |
| II/79th Panzer Grenadier Battalion | Infantry & Truck | 4 | - |
|
|
|||
| 16th Panzer Artillery Regiment | 105mm leFH 18 | 4 | 10km range |
| Truck | 2 LOG | - | |
| 16th Panzerjäger Battalion | Panzerjager I (Sd.Kfz.101)(4.7cm PaK(t) (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B) | 3 | - |
| 274th Flak Battalion | SdKfz 7/1 + 20mm Flak Gun | 2, 3AA | - |
|
|
|||
| 16th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion | SdKfz 222 | R1 | - |
| Sdkfz 231 (8 rad) | R1 | ||
| Sdkfz 232 (8 rad) | R1 | ||
| M/C combination | r0 | ||
|
|
|||
| 16th Panzer Pioneer Battalion | Engineers & Truck | 4, 3EP | - |
Victory Conditions
The German is trying to exit 16th Panzer Division off the eastern table edge. The Russian is trying to inflict serious casualties on the Germans. The game ends when any of these events occur:
- all German stands are off table or
- 6+ Germans stands have been killed or
- two game days have elapsed
| Victory Conditions |
16th Panzer Division stands exited from the eastern end of the table |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-12 | 13+ | ||
| German stands killed | 0-2 | Draw | German Victory |
| 3-5 | Soviet Victory | Draw | |
| 6+ | Soviet Victory | Soviet Victory | |
Note: the Panzer Grenadiers on table at the beginning of the game are a special case. They are not part of 16th Panzer Division so earn the German player no credit if they exit the eastern table edge. But they do earn the Soviet player credit if he manages to kill them.
Scenario Special Rules
- A day comprises five day-light turns and an overnight turn.
Notes
This scenario is based on a 1940 scenario called Dot Sur La Mappe in the Megablitz rule book.
19th Mechanized Corps and 36th Rifle Corps really did counter attack Panzer Group 1 in late June 1941 but I don't have any other details except that they fought it out near Dubno. See my notes of Erickson for more context.
I drew three versions of the map. This is because the map in the original scenario was for an area 60 x 30 km which corresponds to a 8' x 4' table at 1:25,000. The trouble is I've only a 6' x 4' table and this is 45 x 30 km. So I thought I'd try the 1:50,000 scale which is a 4' x 2' table but my 15mm figures would probably be too crowded. At Martin Rapier's suggestion I tried the version above which is a 6' x 3' table which is 1:33,333 or approximate 1 foot = 10 km.
6' x 4' table; 45 x 30 km; ground scale 1:25,000
4' x 2' table; 60 x 30 km; ground scale 1:50,000
References
Erickson, J. (1993). The Road to Stalingrad: Stalin's war with Germany: Volume One. London: Weidenfeld.
Gow, T. (n.d.). Megablitz: Rules for fighting large actions of the Second World War. Strategem.