
Dyhernfurth Raid Scenario for Tigers on the Hunt

I have adapted this scenario from a miniatures game that our club hosted using Battlefront Rules 
(Predecessor to "Flames of War" Rules), many years ago. It is imagined from an actual German 
Counterattack described in the notes below. The Russians had weakly defended the area, not knowing
its importance. The Germans crossed the Oder in the early pre-dawn hours and re-occupied the
village and the chemical works. The scenario begins as the Russians launch a weakly coordinated
assault into the area.

5 Feb 1945; Eastern Front; Near Breslau
Game Length: 12 Turns
Scope: Large
1 x 3 sector map area
Mixed Holding Action/Meeting Engagment

All units start set up on both sides. There are some AI special units that deploy as reinforcements.

Scenario best played as German Human vs. Russian AI.

Map Notes:
Paved Road: represents a railroad that ran through the area and serviced the Chemical Works.
Bridges: One of the bridges (all by itself) represents a pontoon bridge that was deployed for the battle. 
The other bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Oder.
Castle: The castle was in disrepair during the war and consisted of several large palace type buildings rather than a traditional 
walled castle and keep.

Scenario Background: Dyhernfurth Raid
5 Feb 1945
After sustaining weeks of crushing Soviet advances into Poland and Germany, the German High Command enjoyed a
brief respite while the Central Soviet Forces on the Oder came to an unexpected halt. Early February 1945 finds the
Soviet Forces suffering from an overextended supply lines, shortage of useable airfields, morale problems through
indiscipline, threats to their flanks and unconquered German "Fortress" Garrisons to their rear. This afforded the
German High Command a brief opportunity to launch limited counterattacks supported by temporary command of the
air.

Near Breslau within the Silesian Sector on the enemy held banks of the Oder, lay the village of Dyhernfurth. This small
hamlet and castle has been occupied by Soviet forces which threatened a further prize - containers of the secret
chemical weapon Tabun. The Germans used the temporary halt in Soviet advances to cross the Oder, secure the
chemical weapons factory near Dyhernfurth and pump the containers of Tabun into the river before the Soviets realize
the value of the factory and its contents. On the morning of February 5th, a hastily formed Kampfgruppe under Major
General Max Sachsenheimer crosses the Oder via a partially intact railroad bridge and by using assault boats.
Sachsenheimer's troops are able to cross the river, secure the hamlet and factory and then hold off Soviet counterattacks
while two scientists and eighty technicians work to destroy the chemical weapons.

This game uses this raid as a basis for a hypothetical Battlefront Scenario, Sachsenheimer's Kampfgruppe must hold the
factory, hamlet, and the bridge (enabling the scientists to dump the chemicals in the river and make good their escape)
against a formidable Soviet counterattack. The Soviets must drive the Germans from the factory so they can figure out
just what makes this area interesting enough to warrant a German attack.

German Briefing:
Situation
Dyhernfurth Raid, 5 Feb 1945
The Russians have steadily pushed your forces back to the Oder, but have reached the end of their supply lines and
been forced to pause on the Oder river line. Unfortunately, they overran the German Chemical Weapons complex at
Dyhernfurth, but intelligence has indicated that they do not know of its significance. A quick counterthrust was
launched to recapture the complex, accompanied by some scientists who will destroy evidence of its purpose. You must
defend this position long enough to enable its destruction while holding open a line of retreat back across the Oder. The
Russians have just become aware of your presence, so you can expect a counterattack soon. The only force that you
now have contact with is in the castle, where a drunken party seems to be in full swing. So far you have elected to "let
sleeping dogs lie".

Mission
Hold the Chemical Complex at Dyhenfurth. If possible, hold the village of Dyhernfurth and the railroad bridge to allow
your troops a quick line of retreat after the scientists have done their work.

Briefing for Russian Commander of forces near Dyhernfurth
Situation:
Dyhernfurth Raid, 5 Feb 1945
Our recent offensives successfully pushed the Facists back to the Oder, and are now regrouping and starting to prepare
for the final push on Berlin. While we prepare for our next big push, you have been the task of maintaining security
around a strech of the Oder. Your troops are making the most of this temporary lull, and you have had some trouble
controlling looting and indiscipline. However, this is just revenge after what the Hitlerites inflicted on the Motherland.
You have just received word of an unexpected German counterattack in your sector. The village of Dyhnfurth and
small factory complex are the only objectives in your sector, but they hardly seem worth an attack. You are gathering
up some scattered troops to push the Germans back so you can discover what makes this area so interesting.

Mission
You must push the German troops out of the Factory complex and cut off their retreat across the Oder by capturing the
bridge and the village of Dyhernfurth.

Scenario Design Notes-
This scenario was originally designed for use at gaming conventions, using Fire & Fury's Battlefront Rules for 15mm Miniatures. 
While this was an actual raid and battle, great liberties and artistic license was used in creating the scenario.

The late war backdrop to the scenario is rather interesting, Zhukov's forces had overrun their supply lines and the Polish
airfields under Soviet control were rendered unusable by the spring thaws. The Germans were able to gain temporary
air superiority and launched over 5,000 sorties on February 2nd and 3rd. The Russians were also concerned with their
flanks and unsecured German Fortress Garrison to their rear and to make matters worse, Russian indiscipline due to
looting (and worse) was hampering operations. This allowed the Germans a brief window of opportunity to move
against the Dyhernfurth Chemical Factory which held the secrets to their poison gas program. The Russians would not
learn of the Chemical Works until after the war was over and reacted to the raid as if it was one of many typical
German counterattacks.

In the actual raid, Sachsenheimer's forces crossed the Oder on the morning of February 5, 1945 with whatever forces he
could scrap together and managed to secure the Chemical Works before the Russians new what
was happening. The Russians, in turn, launched uncoordinated and half hearted armored counter attacks from
Seifersdorf and Kranz. These were beaten off by infantry armed with panzerfausts (the Germans had no tanks
available) and by day's end, Sachsenheimer's 2 scientists and 80 technicians had emptied whatever Tabun remained in
the Chemical Work's storage tanks into the Oder (where was GreenPeace?).

The main source used for the basis of this scenario was "Red Storm on the Reich," by Christopher Duffy. The author
provides a bare bones map and sketch of the raid on pages 128-132. Duffy also sites two German books; "Der Kampf
um Schlesein" and "So Kampfte Breslau" by H. Ahlfen as sources for more detailed information on this raid.


