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Valuable Assets - Scenario Briefing

Somewhere near Kursk, during one of the Soviet counter-offensives, Summer 1943...

Historical Situation

This scenario is set in the Central-Northern Russian countryside at the time of the great Kursk battles, in 1943. A German attack has been cut in two by the brave Russian defenders of the motherland, and some German forces remain isolated from their main force. A German Heavy Panzer platoon is desperately trying to salvage some equipment and get back behind German lines to lick their wounds. Meanwhile a German Infantry Division is trying another futile counterattack along a 2-3km front to gain control of an important railway line. The stout Russian defenders have orders to hold the strategically important high ground they captured just recently and destroy any retreating Germans, while they wait for their relief forces to arrive to help them resume the offensive and crush the invaders.

Map

See the photos in the After Action Report that follows for the general layout required. For 15mm figures (on 30mm bases) the table size is approximately 2m x 1.5m (6' x 5') - ours was slightly larger. There is a Railway running diagonally across the table, it crosses some high ground and elsewhere is raised on an embankment. In one corner near the rail line is a German held village which part of the German Infantry Division are counter-attacking out of. In the diagonally opposite corner is another village, where the retiring Tiger Platoon has just come on the edge of the table (as mentioned see the photos on following pages). In between are the Russians!

German Player

Morale: Regular (Tank Crews are Veteran)

1 Rifle Battalion HQ:
    1 BC (+1)
1 Mortar Platoon, with:*
    2 81mm Mortar Stands
    2 FOs
1 MMG Platoon, with:**
    1 PC (+1)
    2 MMG Stands
2 Rifle Companies, each with:
    1 CC (+2)
    1 Tank-Hunter Team (Panzerfaust)***
    3 Rifle Platoons, each:
        1 PC (+1)
        3 Rifle Squads

1 Heavy Panzer Platoon, with:
2 Tiger I (one disabled)
1 Panzer IIIN or M or Panzer IIF

1 isolated Infantry Platoon (accompanying the Tigers)
Either Infantry (PC & 2 Rifle Squads) or MMG (2 MMG Stands, no PC)

* On or off table with 6 Fire Missions for each stand.

** Can be attached out to Rifle Companies & Platoons (dispense with the PC).

*** Tank-Hunter stands are assumed to be armed with multiple Panzerfaust 30's (the early model) - allow each stand to fire twice in the game before removing (to represent them exhausting their supply of one-shot Panzerfausts).

German Objective

Get both of the Tiger tanks back safely to friendly lines.
Capture the two pieces of high ground in the middle of the table.

German Deployment & Special Rules

Deploys Second and has First Initiative.

One Tiger was disabled and was being towed by the other Tiger (i.e. The Valuable Assets), with the Panzer III providing escort. They start the game in the eastern village. The towing Tiger is fully operational, but the one being towed has mechanical problems and a disabled armament (it is assumed to have a reduced crew on board). The German player may not ditch the towed Tiger unless it is somehow destroyed - which means a failure to save the Tigers for victory purposes.

Each Initiative phase the German player has to roll a 3+ (same as a pin result for veteran troop types) to move the two tanks approximately 6 inches along the road. Since the lead Tiger is towing, we downgraded its manoeuvrability to very-slow (see our vehicle house rules which should be on the website here soon).

Tigers are safe once they get inside the German held western village the infantry are counter attacking from.

Soviet Player

Morale: Regular

1 Rifle Battalion HQ:
    1 BC (+1)
    2 ATR Stands
1 Rifle Company, with:
    1 CC (+1)
    2 Rifle Platoons, each with:
        1 PC (+1)
        4 Rifle Squads

1 Divisional Reconnaissance Element, with:
1 BA-10 Armoured Car (or similar)

1 Mortar Platoon, with:*
2 82mm Mortar Stands
2 FOs

* On or Off table with 4 Fire Missions each.

Soviet Objective

Hold the two lots of high ground against the German counter-attack.
Prevent the Tigers reaching safety or destroy them.

Soviet Deployment & Special Rules

Soviets deploy First (using hidden deployment) and have Second Initiative.

Soviet reinforcements arrive on a roll of 5+ each Soviet Initiative Phase. Roll a second D6 to see what arrives:
    1-2 a Rifle Platoon (as above),
    3-4 a Rifle Platoon (as above) with an attached ATR Stand,
    5-6 a T-34 Tank Platoon (3 x T-34/76, one is PC +1).
Each reinforcement can only occur once (re-roll if it occurs a second time). The reinforcements arrive at the centre or corner of either long table edge furthest from the German starting positions (there are effectively 4 places they can arrive so throw a die to determine which for each reinforcement, with 1-2 a centre edge, 3 a corner, 4-5 the other centre edge, and 6 the other corner).

Victory Conditions

There are 3 Objectives, the 2 pieces of high ground (see photos) and the Tigers. Any 2 will give a side a marginal victory, all 3 a major victory. If the Germans get Tigers home safely but don't gain the high ground, they can try and claim a draw by virtue of morale for boasting rights, but the Soviets will still have won!

Scenario Special Rules & Rules Variants

We used a moving clock with 6 Hours (12 periods). It advanced half an hour each Soviet initiative on a roll of 5+ (see "Hit The Dirt" for explanation).
Vehicle and AT rules are our own and we will have them available on this site soon. We haven't played this with the standard rules in the book (note our ATRs - Anti-Tank Rifles - can never destroy an AFV even with multiple hits, they only have an effect similar to Pins & Suppressions).
Fields are in season and block LOS but do not provide protective cover.
Hills (the high ground) are higher than the railway embankment and troops on the hills see over the latter and can be seen.
Troops on the hills can see into a terrain feature as normal but not into any features behind that one.

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