Operation Nordlicht - Leningrad 1942

Version 1.0.7

The Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Demyansk Pocket and Ramushevo Corridor Autumn 1942

TOAW IV (Version 4.1.40)
:: PBEM ONLY ::

Date: August - November 1942
Location: Leningrad, NW Russia
Unit scale: Battalion/Regiments
Length: 75 turns

Designer: Stefan Overgaard Kristensen (Snefens)
( stefanoverkris@gmail.com )

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HOUSE RULES
(summary):
 
1) Only units dug in may destroy bridges.
2) Off-Map hexes are for movement only. Partisans are not allowed to enter these.
3) Once/turn a unit may disband from an airfield hex. All units may disband from off-map hexes
4) No Germans allowed in Finland.
5) Finns not allowed to move or attack into or beyond any Neva River hexes (Super River)

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BACKGROUND:

11th Army had captured the fortress of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula by July 1942. This army, along with heavy siege artillery, was to be sent to Leningrad, where several offensives were being considered by the army group following the freeing up of forces after the destruction of 2nd Shock Army in the Volkhov salient. Some of the plans considered were the destruction of the Oranienbaum pocket, the elimination of the Pogoste pocket, which was the bulge formed by the 54th Army in the Lyuban' offensive, and finally the ultimate capture of Leningrad, known as operation Nordlicht. In the end the decision was made to concentrate on Nordlicht before diverting to the other operations, in order not to dilute the few available forces.
STAVKA, well aware that the Germans were planning an offensive in the Leningrad region in the late summer, sought to do a preemptive strike. First by trying to fully encircle II. Korps at Demyansk again, tying down German forces with a number of attacks over the summer, while they were rebuilding 2nd Shock Army. Mid august Leningrad Front attacked from the west across the Neva River by the Tosno River, as Volkhov Front was still building up forces for the offensive from the east. This was finally started on Aug 27th, still not having fully completed it's preparations. While the crossing of the Neva River gained little more than some tiny bridgeheads, the 8th Army penetrated deeper into the German positions from the east. Reinforced by the 2nd Shock Army, the Soviet forces reached 7km away from severing the corridor. In this situation some of the forces ear-marked to the Nordlicht operation was needed to reinforce the defense in order to prevent the collapse of the front, thus postponing the operation indefinitely. The reinforcements allowed a counter-attack by the German 11th Army, once again striking at the root of the Soviet penetration.
By the end of September the front lines had been restored and the 2nd Shock Army had practically ceased to exist for the second time in less than a year. At Demyansk the Ramushevo corridor was also able to be widened by the Germans, but the attack on Leningrad never materialized before 11th Army moved away from Leningrad on November 21st, to stop the Soviet breakthrough at Stalingrad.



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UNIT COLOURS

Soviet:

Leningrad Front - Red Backgound
Volkhov Front - Brown Background
NW Front - Tan Background
Kalinin Front (part) - Orange Background

Fronts and subordinated formations - Gold text
Shock Armies and Guards Corps - White Text
Regular Armies - Black text

VVS and PVO - Red on Olive Background
Red Banner Fleet - Blue on Olive Background
Partisans - Brown on Olive Background

Axis:

Finns - Light Blue on White Background

AGN - Dark Grey Background
11. Armee - Blue Grey Background
16. Armee - Green Grey Background
18. Armee - Grey Background

AGN and subordinated formations - Gold Text
Armee units - White Text
Divisions and Corps - Black Text.

Luftflotte 1 - Blue on Blue Background
Flak Units - White on Blue Background
Navy - Grey on Dark Blue Background 



SPECIAL SCENARIO VARIABLES

MRPB: 3
Attrition Divider: 25
Naval Attrition Divider: 50
AAA Lethality Level 300%
Readiness Cost for Movement: 75%
Supply Cost for Movement: 50%
Combat Density Penalty: 50% 
Entrenchment Rate: 60%
Mud Scalar Level: 600%
Supply Range: 6
Overextended Threshold: 5


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**FEATURES**
(alphabetical)


ACTIVATIONS:

On first turn, most Germans formations will only be available for orders if attacked, the exception being 170.Inf.Div and 5.Geb.Jg.Div and most Korps units. This reduces the amount of counter-battery fire Soviets will suffer in first day of attacks. From turn 2 all Axis units will be active, except parts of the arriving units in XXX. Korps which activates turn 3 and 4.
Soviets will have 23rd Army inactive from start of game until enemy activity adjacent, or if activated by option if pressure on Leningrad rises. At Leningrad some formations will only activate once Axis is adjacent to them. (Workers Milita, Internal NKVD brigade).


AIR UNITS:

All aircrafts have their range limited to 200km. The chance of units supporting hexes near the limit of their range is much lower, so you should place your units close to where you need them the most. (watch artillery near front)


ARTILLERY:

Ranges of many mixed-types artillery units have been lowered to allow shorter ranged equipment to always be in range. Players are allowed to increase this value for each unit if they like. 


BRIDGE DESTRUCTION:

Only units in a dug in state (D, E or F) may destroy bridges, either before and/or after they have moved.


DEMYANSK:

-(Option) Suspend supply flights into Demyansk (+1VP/turn) Available from turn 1 (two activations possible).
Supply point at Demyansk airfield are removed. 1 VP will be gained each turn starting after 3 turns.
*Note* Majority of Demyansk salient will be overextended at minimum supply if this option is selected when you haven't improved access into the salient.

-(Option) Open air bridge into Demyansk. Available if supply has previous been halted. (two activations possible)
Restore supply points at Demyansk airfield. It will appear after 3-4 turns. +1VP/turn will cease.
After second activation, no more stopping and resuming of supply is possible and it will remain active for remainder of game.


DISBANDING:

All (non-embarked) units in off-map hexes are allowed to disband.
For each side, ONE unit per day are allowed to disband if deployed (D, E, or F) on an airfield. Representing being airtransported away. 


FINLAND:

Finnish army is inactive from the start of the game.
Except for the airforce, Finns will only become active if attacked directly or if Soviet player activates the opposing 23rd Army by Theater Option available if Leningrad comes under bigger pressure
No Finnish units are allowed to move or directly attack into or beyond any of the Neva River hexes. (Super river only) No German units are allowed in Finland north of the Pre-1940 border line.


LADOGA/LENINGRAD:

-(Option) Halt Ladoga supply shipping. (+1VP/turn) Available if Sinyavino is captured (two activations possible). Selecting Operation Vega is not required for this option to become available.
Supply point at Osinovets and in Leningrad are removed. 1 VP will be gained each turn starting after 3 turns.
*Note* Leningrad will be out of supply if this option is selected when you haven't established a land corridor to the city.
Option will become unavailable if Germans have advanced too far in Leningrad/Neva sector.

-(Option) Resume Ladoga supply shipping. Available if supply has previous been halted. (two activations possible)
Restore supply points at Osinovets and Leningrad. They will appear after 3-4 turns. +1VP/turn will cease.
After second activation, no more stopping and resuming of supply is possible and it will remain active for remainder of game.


NAVAL MOVEMENT AND TRANSPORT:

The Red Banner fleet is located in Leningrad and Kronstadt fortress. Any movement in the inner waters are very restricted as ships will be within range of German and Finnish shore batteries. 
Unless these batteries are silenced, movement of units into Oranienbaum Bridgehead can only really be done across the naval forts using regular movement. It will take a couple of turns and not possible by motorized units.
Movement across Lake Ladoga can be done by normal sea transport. It is recommended to only use the northern port hexes unless German coast batteries are destroyed.
For information the range of Axis coast batteries are shown by use of exclusion zones.


OBJECTIVES:

On the map several locations will have either a red star (soviet objectives) or a yellow diamond (German objectives). These are objective locations mentioned under each operation. If captured without having selected the appropriate operations first, they act just as a normal 5VP value hex.


OFF-MAP HEXES:

The ranged hexes in the edges of the map is Off-map hexes. Units are not allowed to attack into these hexes.


OPERATIONS, GENERAL:

On first turn, each side will get several operations to choose from. They can select any (from none to all). See map for overview of codenames.
The choice is hidden from the opponent until a later time (3 to 6 weeks) when they will be revealed by an "INTEL" text under news, at which time the cost is also deducted. Any capture of objectives will reveal operations early.
The effect of selecting these is that any objective hexes in the chosen sectors will now give an additional 20 VP on top of the on map value.
You don't have to wait for the INTEL text until capturing any objectives, but you should avoid capturing objectives before or on the turn you select the option as you will not get the extra VP for that objective. VP will gained or lost the turn after the objective is captured or recaptured.
Any Operations not selected on turn 1 will become available again on turn 3 (disappears turn 50), but the cost will have risen 33%. The delay before objectives are revealed are also reduced to 3-7 days.
For clarity, for Operations chosen on turn 1 you need to capture half or more objectives to off-set the cost. If you chose an operation later, you would need to capture at least two-thirds of the objectives.
If you advance too far into areas where objectives from unselected operations are located, the option to launch that particular operation will be removed.

-(Option) Operation BETTELSTAB [Beggar's staff] (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) German offensive for the elimination of the Oranienbaum bridgehead west of Leningrad.
Objectives: Sepelovo(51,37), Krasnaya Gorka(56,37), Oranienbaum(68,39)

-(Option) Operation CAPELLA (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) Soviet offensive to gain bridgehead across the Volkhov River by Chudovo.
Objectives: Radishchevo(120,74), Chudovo(121,71) and Gruzino(128,70)

-(Option) Operation CASTOR (Cost=-20/-27VP, 2 Objectives) Soviet offensive to capture the important town of Staraya Russa.
Objectives: West Staraya Russa(114,117), Staraya Russa(115,118)

-(Option) Operation ERIKA (Cost=-30VP/-40VP, 3 Objectives) German offensive for the elimination of the Volkhov bridgehead north of Novgorod.
Objectives: Krasnyy Udarnik(119,86), Kiprovo(123,78), Selische(123,81)

-(Option) Operation GEMMA (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) Soviet offensive to gain bridgehead across the Volkhov River by Novgorod.
Objectives: Cross-road(112,93), Novgorod(112,95) and Podberez'ye(115,89)

-(Option) Operation NORDLICHT [Northern Light] (Cost=-90/-120VP, 9 Objectives) German offensivie for the capture of Leningrad. The Germans had planned an initial thrust north through Kolpino sector across the Neva to cut off supply over Ladoga for good, supported by the Finns (Finnish assistance was speculative). Then an assault from the east on the city itself.

-(Option) Operation POLARIS (Cost=-40VP, 4 Objectives) Soviet offensive for the capture of the Leningrad-Moscow highway between Ul'yanovka and Lyuban'. Polaris is only available later in game, if land corridor has been opened into Leningrad. 
Objectives: Ul'yanovka(97,50), Tosno(99,54), Ushaki(103,57), Lyuban'(109,62)

-(Option) Operation POLLUX (Cost=-20/-27VP, 2 Objectives) Soviet offensive to capture the traffic hub of Kholm.
Objectives: DZ(110,151), Kholm(111,152)

-(Option) Operation MOORBRAND [Peat Fire] (Cost=-20VP/-27VP, 2 Objectives) German offensive for the elimination of the Pogost'ye salient north of Lyuban'. For a cost, Soviets can activate supply by air into pocket if it is cut off.
Objectives: Konuya(118,55), Pogost'ye(120,52)

-(Option) Operation RIGEL (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) Soviet offensive to reduce Kirishi salient and regain control of rail line into Pogost'ye salient.
Objectives: Posadnikov Ostrov(126,55), Kusino(126,61) and Kirishi(130,58)

-(Option) Operation SIRIUS (Cost=-70/93VP, 7 Objectives) Soviet offensive to Destroy II. Korps in Demyansk salient.
Objectives Sokhnovo(143,131), Lychkovo(146,119), Demyansk(147,131), Luzhno(149,124), Demyansk Airfield(149,129), Shishkovo(150,133), Istoshno(159,132)

-(Option) Operation SLINGPFLANZE [Vine] (Cost=-40VP,-53VP, 4 Objectives) German offensive for the widening of the Ramushevo corridor to the north, giving proper road access into Demyansk salient.

-(Option) Operation SPICA (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) Soviet offensive to cut off land corridor into Demyansk salient.
Objectives: Ramushevo(123,124), Vasil'yevshchina(129,124) and Zusovo(130,127)

-(Option) Operation VEGA (Cost=-30/-40VP, 3 Objectives) Soviet offensive on south shore of Lake Ladoga to open up land corridor into Leningrad.
Objectives Sinyavino(105,42), Slisselburg(103,39) and Mga(104,44)

-(Option) Operation WINKELRIED [Angle Reed] (Cost=-30VP,-40VP, 3 Objectives) German offensive for the widening of the Ramushevo corridor to the south, allowing for the construction of a narrow gauge rail line.


PARTISANS:

Partisan forces are present in the German rear. They have the ability traverse swamps and major rivers, but are quite weak and will wither away if they move around too much or try to fight. They activate on turn 2.
They have several safe havens in swamps where they can't be reached, in order to regain supply.
Their main objective is really to try to destroy rail lines and tie down security units.
They may not move into off-map hexes.

POGOST'YE:
-(Option) Supply Pogost'ye salient by air. (Cost=-1VP/10turns) If the salient becomes too exposed, the soviets can opt to create a 35% supply point at Konuya representing supply drops. This will remain until game ends.


RECONSTITUTIONS

German were transitioning the structure of their infantry divisions, down to 3 regiments of 2 battalions. If any Inf.Rgt has 3 battalions, the III./ will NOT reconstitute. Also it will receive far fewer replacements.
Note, this doesn't affect Divisions with only two regiments (Jg., Geb.Jg and Mot). Other notable units not to reconstitute is the two battalions of the HGN unit of Pz.Reg.203.
For Soviets, ski-brigades and rifle brigades mentioned in theater options don't reconstitute.


RECON:

Theater Recon is set to 0%. Only adjacent units, firing artillery and air units are visible.


REFORM:

-(Option) Soviets can select to form rifle divisions from two disbanding rifle brigades. If selected, the brigades disband automatically and a rifle division arrives the following turn. This division will have to receive replacements before ready for action, advicably by disbanding it immediately to use the forces from the brigades to reform in 2-4 weeks.


REPLACEMENTS:

Germans may capture a small fraction of tanks in destroyed Soviet tank units. Otherwise replacements follow the regular table.


REINFORCEMENTS:

Besides the regular scheduled reinforcements, each side have a few extra formations they can request for a cost

-(Option) Request 4th Guards Rifle Division from STAVKA Reserve (Cost=-10VP) (Available turn 1-75)
The division is part of 4th Gds Rifle Corps. It arrives 3-5 turns later

-(Option) Request 8th Rifle Corps from STAVKA Reserve (Cost=-18VP) (available after 4th Gds Rfl Div arrives)
8th Rifle Corps (Estonian), with 7th and 249th Rifle Division arrives 3-5 turns later

-(Option) Request 72.Inf Div diverted to AGN. (Cost=-12VP) (72.Inf.Div arrives 4-6 turns later)

-If Germans advance deep into Volkov and NW Front rear, rifle divisions will arrive from Stavka reserve as reinforcements.


SKI BRIGADES:

Soviets will begin to receive Ski Brigades during the game for most of the armies. These were formed in part by using internal manpower from each army in preparation for the winter and so will need to fill up using normal replacements.
These units don't reconstitute, so if they are of no use, they can be disbanded.


SUPPLY: 

Both sides have full supply source from off-map hexes. Besides this both sides have supplementary supply sources on map, most notably in Leningrad and Demyansk pockets. Some of these can be changed by own or enemy actions. Even with these from the start of the game, some of the most remote part of the front line on both sides are overextended (hexes with less than supply value of 5)
In Oranienbaum pocket, the 40% supply source will be removed if Axis forces reach the Coastal Sector hex in Leningrad, but the 20% source at the airfield will remain.
Both sides can remove their own supply sources in Leningrad and at Demyansk, if they have improved their position enough to rely on land supply. This will gain a running VP bonus. (see these)


WEATHER:

Weather starts warm and fair. It will eventually grow colder throughout the scenario, but will never reach any frozen level before the end of the scenario.
Storms happens for 1-2 days at a time throughout the game, more frequent later in the game.



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Designed by Stefan Overgaard Kristensen (Snefens)
( stefanoverkris@gmail.com )