VOLGA INFERNO Ver.1.1 Scenario Notes:

WARNING: This scenario is massive and has steep memory and CPU
requirements. It pushes the limits of the E.F. game system. Even
if no one ever completes it - it sure is interesting to see what
this game engine is capable of. I would recommend at least 166mhz
with 32 megs of RAM, for starters, and save often, just in case.
Additionally you may need to turn off the all sounds (less chance
of crash), and start with a fresh reboot. With the new 1.07 patch, 
thankfully the memory leaks have been fixed, so this scenario is 
playing better and having allot less problems.

I created this scenario by using mainly the "Streets Of Stalingrad" 
boardgame as a reference and supplemented it with other sources. I 
made the hexes 300 meters since that is what the game was, since 
scaling it down would have been quite a task; as it was, it took 
about 100 hours to make. It was allot easier do to, with John Hill's 
research and Dana Lombardy & David Parham's boardgame design. It 
is a simple yet excellent simulation, especially for it's size. 
The orders of battle are comprehensive - so this is not a scaled
down scenario for playability or balancing purposes, my intent
is to show historically, all of the forces that where on this map 
in the initial 7 days of the offensive battle to take Stalingrad.
Each turn representing about an half an hour of day time, starting 
at sunrise on Sept. 13th, 1942.

All prominent locations have been named on the map, below I will 
just mention a few of the most important -

The "Big & Little Mushroom" fortifications (This is what the Ger-
mans named them): Were massive bunkers connected with deep trench-
es. The "Big Mushroom" was over 300 yards long X 125 yards wide. 
This is why I made that fort two hexes. They guarded the approaches 
and transportation lines between Rynok and Spartakovka (Stalingrad 
northern suburbs). Additionally, the Russian pillboxes in the north-
ern tip of the Orlovka salient represent buried immobile tanks, and 
at the end of the rail head in the city of Orlovka was an armored
train immobilized by Luftwaffe air attacks.

Dzerhezinsky Tractor Works: Also called the "Tractor Factory", was 
the pride of Russian heavy industry. This mile-long complex was 
designed in the early '30's by U.S. Ford Motor Company to produce 
farm equipment. When the German invasion happened it was converted 
to produce up to ten T-34 tanks and other vehicles per day. 

Red Barricades Gun Factory: Heavy artillery pieces were produced in
this complex of concrete buildings.

Red October Factory: Complex of steel foundries and machine shops
manufacturing armaments from smaller field guns to small arms.

Tartar Wall: Ancient raised dirt and stone sided wall built to 
defend against eastern invaders, didn't have much effect due to
the angle to the attack on the city. 
  
Mamayev Kurgan (Height 102 Meters): A burial mound of the ancient 
Tartars was being used by city residents for recreation until the
Russians and Germans struggled for it's control, since it command-
ed a view of most of the city and the Volga River.

Oil Tanks: Refining and storage facilities where lit afire by Luft-
waffe raids and artillery fire as they burned off their oil, creating
a thick heavy pall over many parts of the city as the wind shifted.

Red Square: The center of downtown Stalingrad.

Grain Elevator: Huge elevator dominated the southern area of the
city, it's silos were full of the recent harvest of wheat. Deep
cellars and concrete tools sheds made this group of buildings an 
unplanned fortress.  

M.T.S.: Stands for Motor Tractor Stations. They were collective farm 
maintenance, repair, and storage buildings. 

Balkas (Gullies): All along the map are depressions with the rough 
hexes in the middle, were a map compromise. They had steep sides and 
cliffs and an uneven bottom, basically deep dried up riverbeds, they
were all over the southern front. If you wish to play with more real-
ism do not allow any motor vehicles, tanks, and wagons to travel into 
or across or along them accept via a road.


Game play:

The Germans have 400 airpoints available on turn one but realistic-
ally you should not use more than 12 per turn to show more continuous 
air attacks. The Luftwaffe did many bombing missions over this bat-
tlefield. Its pretty amazing, if you read the accounts. It might 
have done more harm than good. Especially when trying to move through 
rubble, and giving the Russians more defensive terrain. This is why 
I used allot of blocking terrain at numerous points after looking
at a few aerial recon photos. It got much, much worse. The Russians 
additionally should not use more than 2 air attacks per turn.

The German Motorized Luftwaffe Infantry Battalion KG Stahel during
Stalingrad was used for defensive purposes, holding the Orlovka flank.
For more realism when you receive this reinforcement possibly start-
ing on turn 46 at 0,11 and 0,14 map edges, do not use this unit for 
close assaults or move it intentionally within 3 hexes of the enemy. 
The Luftwaffe loaned this unit to the Heer, only under the agreement
that it was not used for offensive actions. Though the 91st Flak 
battalion that arrives shortly just after it (attached to X), can 
be used offensively with other units.  

For more realistic artillery rules: Guns bigger than 105mm after un- 
limbering should wait 3 complete turns for the Germans, and 5 comp-
lete turns for Russians before firing (use a separate piece of paper 
to keep track), to represent more realistic set-up of artillery. 
Historically, the average was 24 hours for Germans and about 72 hours
for Russians, it was shortened by both sides having organized plans 
to orient these units into the indirect firing system. I delayed the 
German and Russian artillery reinforcements to reflect the delay it 
took to get hooked in to indirect fire control system of commun-
ications and supply. Additionally you should not move any artillery 
pieces over 105mm or the German 75mm howitzers (part of 29th Motor-
ized XX), unless they are threatened, just as a general rule.

Attempted to make as many leader names historical as possible about 
60 %, some had to be have guessed at, if you have better source 
material please e-mail. Additionally, for more realism you should not 
use 62nd Army commanders Lt. Gen. Chuikov or Commissar N. Khrushchev
(yes - the same Nakita Khrushchev; this was before he was famous),
or German Divisional/Corps commanders for offensive close-assaults, 
they were too valuable for this type of operation. 

If you looking at the OOB or the Reinforcement Dialog Box you may no-
tice "RPL". These represent reorganization and unit replacements. 
The German RPL's are assigned to specific Divisions/Regiments and the 
Russian RPL's are for the 62nd Army. Please try to keep them with the 
same units; T-34's in a tank X, ect. The "R" in the OOB means rein-
forcement.

Feel free to e-mail with comments or questions, I would like to hear 
from those who have played it.


Greg Allen  
SPI Grog Since '74.

EastnFront@aol.com

