Operational warfare on Eastern Front series

[Grymme]

White death

I am developing a scenario based on the old GDW boardgame White death from 1979.

Here is the briefing for the scenario me and Vic is currently battleing out on the AAR forum. Some of the events in the briefing have changed since we started the game (most notably there isnt any forced march cards for the soviets.


Briefing.

WHITE DEATH - Velikiye Luki, the Stalingrad of the north (Purkayev´s attack)


1 BACKGROUND

This scenario simulates the initial soviet offensive around Velikiye Luki in november-december 1942 on the eastern front. The 3rd Shock Army with units from the 2nd Mhz Corps, 8th Estonian Rifle Corps and the 5th Guards Shock Corps attacked the area around Velikiye Luki which initially was only defended by two understrenght german divisions and the garrison troops nearby. The german AG Center quickly sent what reinforcements they could muster to save Velikiye Luki and the important railway runningh through it.

This could possibly be the first scenario of several in the campaign, so some features might not be in Purkayev´s attack

1.1 Scale
Each SFT point represents 15-20 infantry, 6-10 heavy guns, 10-15 light guns or 10-30 vehicles. German units are battalions if not otherwise marked (sometimes companies). Russian units are regiments or battalions if not otherwise marked.

Each turn is 2 days long.

During the campaign no side had access to any meaningfull airsupport, so there are no airunits in the scenario. There are no naval units either.


2 SPECIAL RULES & RULE CHANGES

Counterbattery fire is activated.

AI is blocked from creating new units.

Movement on roads is increased slightly.

Ski units can move over lakes.

Neither side can build new units (or rather new units & HQ cost 1 000 PPs).

Basic HQ power increased from three to four.

All basic units can carry two rounds of supply.

Supply Action Range increased from 250 AP to 450. Supply penaltie rangess similarly increased.

2.1 Weather
Each round there is a 25 % chance of bad visibility. If there is bad visibility in a round artillery range is one less. This means mortars will not have artillery capability. Also kill chance of artillery is halved for that round.


3 REGIMES & PEOPLES

The following "peopletypes" exist in the scenario

German

Russian

Guards
Russian Guards division fight with higher morale than normal troops. They have a 60 in normal morale value.

Abwehr
The german Abwehr units from the Brandenburg regiment fight with an 85 in normal morale value.

SS
SS units fight with 60 in normal morale value.

Estonian

Luftwaffe


4 RESEARCH & PRODUCTION etc.

Research is disabled.

Minor supply locations produce 1 000 BPs of supply each round. Supply bases produce
4 000. Neither produce PPs.

Both sides recieve reinforcements on certain turns. The german side also recieves some replacements on one turn. Note that using the “free setup-variant” makes the game last one round longer and that reinforcements are also one round later (but added at the correct time in the scenario).

4.1 Producable locations
Fortresses, airfields and makeshift ports cannot be built.

Fortifications can be built. They cost 1 PPs to build. USSR start with 2 PPs. Germany starts with 5 BPs. This means that USSR normally can build 2 fortifications and Germany 5 during the course of the game.

Units move the same on railroad as on road except for rail type units that use 5 AP on railroad and cannot move anywhere else. Railroad and road are for all other intents and purposes equal (its just for visual effect). All railroads have effectivly roads going beside them. Engineers can construct normal roads.

4.2 Axis Reinforcement order
Round
2 1st Ski Jaeger Battalion

4 I/1st Lehr Rocket Battalion, 564th Security Battalion, 591st Security
Battalion

7 90th Motorized Infantry Regiment, 505th Infantry Regiment, 8/11/29th Tank Company, II/3rd Rocket Battalion, II/1st Lehr Rocket Battalion, 2nd Antitank Battalion, 391st Security Battalion, Replacements

8 662nd Engineer Battalion, 505th Engineer Battalion, 8th Panzer Division

4.3 Soviet Reinforcement order
Round

2 331st Rifle Division

3 357th Rifle Division

4 21st Guards Rifle Division, 46th Guards Rifle Division, 34th Tank Regiment, 3 SA Engineer Brigade, 3 SA Artillery Brigade

7 9th Guards Rifle Division, 19th Guards Rifle Division, 31st Rifle Brigade, 45th Ski Brigade, 5S Engineer Brigade, 5S Artillery Brigade

10 33rd Tank Brigade, 68th Motorcycle Battalion, 18th Mechanized Brigade



5 UNITS

The following are new SFT types or such that have been altered.

Commando
The commandos are well trained and have much better equipment than normal riflemen. They have good recon values, hidepoints, can blow bridges and can also carry 4 rounds of supply with them.

Ski SMG
Function like normal SMG but move much faster than normal infantry and can ski over lakes. They have good recon and hide values. Can carry 4 rounds of supply.

Mortar
Has artillery rating fires with ca 20 % efficency of artillery. Artillery range 1.

Artillery
Has range of 4 in scenario.

Military Police
Has about half the attacking power of rifle but otherwise the same.

Construction Worker
Like engineers but only produce 1 EP/round, attacks at half strenght and has less chance of blowing bridges than normal engineers.

Observation Specialist
These attack with 50 % efficiency. They have exceptional recon abillity.

Train
Travels on track. Has 2000 railcap. No carry ability. Otherwise like trucks.

Trucks
Have only 1000 in landcap in this scenario.

Rocket artillery
Moves on wheel, can carry 5. Otherwise like normal artillery.


6 SCENARIO VARIANTS

6.1 Agressive USSR AI
Makes the AI more agressive. Choosing this setting also makes bridges indestructible. This is because the high amount of artillery and bridges would slow the AI down a lot if bridges were constantly destroyed.

6.2 Boardgame rules
Gives an initial round of peach with movement increased by 100 to allow free setup of units. Using this option makes the game 1 round longer because there is no war on the first round.

Garrissons in Velikiye Luki, Isotcha and Nowossokoljniki may only be moved inside their cities. The units in the 3rd Mountain division sector (south of the railroad, east of Lowatj and west of Kunja Creek and) may only move within that area) and the units in the 83rd Infantry division may only move in its designated area (east of Lowatj, west of Kunja Creek and north of the Railroad. (this is enforced by a temporary regime called setupbarrier that dissapears at the start of round two).

Using the boardgame rules also gives the soviet side access to two forced march actioncards. Using a forced march actioncard gives the soviet player a movement increase of 300 % for the current round. But it also gives soviet units a -90 % reduction of offensive power for the round.

6.3 German AI
This is an atempt to make an competetive german AI for the scenario. Its still in the experimental phase. It changes AI aggressivnes, makes some hexes have higher VP and removes VP from some hexes that wouldnt be threatened by the soviets anyway.

6.4 Count losses
Using this option creates two “locations” with flag sprites on hexes X23Y39 and X0Y20. These locations will have an VP value for each side that is equal to quantity of german losses/250 for the location in soviet territory and soviet losses/200 for the location in german territory. Example. If soviet has lost a total of 520 SFTs so far during the game then the location would yield germany 2 extra VPs.

6.5 Woehlers responseThis scenario variant extends the game another nine rounds. It is not yet available.


7 VICTORY

Game lasts 12 rounds. Whomever has more VPs at the start of round 13 wins. All urban hexes are worth at least 1 VP. The following german controlled hexes are worth 5VP; X23Y11, X23Y12 (Velikiye Luki), X26Y25 (Guschtschino), and X24Y34 (Nowossokoljniki)

[Grymme]

Operational combat series

I renamed the thread. I will make several similar scenarios and they might as well have the same thread.

I am in the process off developing at least three operational scenarios for the eastern front in WWII. All scenarios are of relativly unknown battles fought during the war. Anyone heard of Soviet airborne operations or amphibious landings during the war?

They are based on three wargames that i happened to pick up rather cheaply at a game store.

White Death, (scenario almost finished) http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13016
Black Sea, Black Death (havent started yet), and http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5752
Kanev -parachutes across Dniepr (work about halfway through) http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5264

Black Sea, Black Death will really be a challenge to make scenario of. It simulates the soviet amphibious landings around Novorossisk on the Taman peninsula in 1943. Its really detailed.

Meanwhile

Here is a screenshot of the map in Kanev - Paratroopers across Dniepr

[Grymme]

Kanev - Parachutes across Dniepr

Here is the briefing for the second scenario in the series.

Kanev – Parachutes across Dniepr


1 BACKGROUND

This scenario simulates the largest Soviet Airborne operation in World War II. The battle was one of the most dramaric during the soviet crossing of the river Dniepr in september 1943. Operation Zitadelle has failed and Army Group South is withdrawing towards the Dniepr and better defensive positions. As the germans retreat a gap opens up between the the german 8th and 6th armies. As the germans withdraw soviet forces reach the river crossings in the Bukrin loop. In an atempt to impede the german buildup and facilitate the crossing of the river to secure a major bridghead on the far side of the river the Stavka decides to release the 1st Airborne Corps.


1.1 Scale
German units are regiments to companies. Soviet units are Divisions to Battalions.

Each turn is 1 day long.

Division and corps units are generally researched. Units on regiment & battalion level are sometimes researched, but more often not.


2 SPECIAL RULES & RULE CHANGES

This scenario is part of the Operational Combat series and shares a lot of the same rules as the other scenarios in the series.

Counterbattery fire is activated.

AI is blocked from creating new units.

Movement on roads is increased slightly.

Ski units can move over lakes.

Neither side can build new units (or rather new units & HQ cost 1 000 PPs).

Basic HQ power increased from three to four.

All basic units can carry two rounds of supply.

Supply Action Range increased from 250 AP to 450. Supply penaltie rangess similarly increased.

Aircraft movement is trippled.

2.1 Weather
There is no weather effects in the scenario.

3 REGIMES & PEOPLES

The following "peopletypes" exist in the scenario

German

Russian

Guards
Russian Guards division fight with higher morale than normal troops. They have a 60 in normal morale value.

Abwehr
The german Abwehr units from the Brandenburg regiment fight with an 85 in normal morale value.

SS
SS units fight with 60 in normal morale value.

Estonian

Luftwaffe


4 RESEARCH & PRODUCTION etc.

Research is disabled.

Minor supply locations produce 1 000 BPs of supply each round. Supply bases produce
4 000. Neither produce PPs.

Both sides recieve reinforcements on certain turns.

4.1 Producable locations
Fortresses, airfields and makeshift ports cannot be built.

Neither side has any PPS so no location other than roads can be built.

4.2 Axis Reinforcement order
Round
2 73rd Pz Grd Reg/19th Pz Division, 10th Panzer Grenadier Division, 112th Infantry Division

3 Rest of the 19th Pz Division.

8 72nd Infantry Division

9 7th Panzer Division

4.3 Soviet Reinforcement order
Round
1 Partisans are placed randomly on territory west of Dniepr. (2 battalions of 5th Gds Airborne Bde if AI is not selected)

2 40th Army support units

3 2* Rifle Divisions, 6th Gds Tank Corps

4 7th Gds Tank Corps, 1* Rifle Division (2 battalions of 3rd Gds Airborne Bde if AI is not selected)

5 9th Gds Mech Corps

6 3* Rifle Divisions

8 2* Rifle Divisions

Also there is roughly a 30% chance each round of airforce support arriving in Zalov for the germans and Perislav Khemelnitsky for sovet.

5 UNITS

The following are new SFT types or such that have been altered. Some of them might not be used in this scenario.

Commando
The commandos are well trained and have much better equipment than normal riflemen. They have good recon values, hidepoints, can blow bridges and can also carry 4 rounds of supply with them.

Ski SMG
Function like normal SMG but move much faster than normal infantry and can ski over lakes. They have good recon and hide values. Can carry 4 rounds of supply.

Mortar
Has artillery rating fires with ca 20 % efficency of artillery. Artillery range 1.

Artillery
Has range of 4 in scenario.

Military Police
Has about half the attacking power of rifle but otherwise the same.

Construction Worker
Like engineers but only produce 1 EP/round, attacks at half strenght and has less chance of blowing bridges than normal engineers.

Observation Specialist
These attack with 50 % efficiency. They have exceptional recon abillity.

Train
Travels on track. Has 2000 Landcap. No carry ability. Otherwise like trucks.

Trucks
Have only 1000 in Railcap in this scenario.

Rocket artillery
Moves on wheel, can carry 5. Otherwise like normal artillery.

Partisans
Has about half the attacking power of rifle but otherwise the same. Good recon and hide values. Can carry 5 rounds of supply.

Airborne Mortar
Like normal mortar but can paradrop and carry four rounds of supply.


6 SCENARIO VARIANTS

6.1 USSR AI

Using this option makes the soviet AI more aggressive. It also simulates soviet airborne operations by randomly landing soviet airborne units on round three. There is also a roughly 50 % chance that more airborne units will be landed on two other rounds.


7 VICTORY

Game lasts 10 rounds. At the start of round 11 victory is calculated according to how many VPs the soviets hold according to this table.

Hexes marked with red names are each worth 1 VP.

9 or less – Decisive german victory
10-11 – Minor german victory
12 – Game is a draw
13-15 – Minor soviet victory
16 or more – decisive soviet victory

[Grymme]

Here is a screenshot from a game against the USSR AI. It is round five of ten

Dont know how to make a nice brown in the weather colour modifer


The scenario is imediatly downloadable through this link

http://web.comhem.se/olvmyr/At%20mod/Kanev.html

[Grymme]

I found some old sprites on the internet. So i am experimenting a little with some building graphics.


The problem i am having is mainly that the AT buildings are seen almost from above while the sprites i found are seen at another angle.

I am probably going to keep the fish cannery at least though.

[Grymme]

As predicted the third scenario "Black sea, Black death" is proving to be the most challenging of the scenario.

Just as an example. Here is the list of different soviet naval SFTs

Cruiser
Destroyer
Gunboat
Torpedoboat
Patrolboat
Minesweeper
Coastal Minesweeper
Rocket Minesweeper (the Ska)

Launch
Seiner
Barge
Tug

Its a lot of work individualizing the different ships in a somewhat realistic fashion. Not to mention the difficulty in moddeling the naval invasion vs the german coastal batteries.

Screenshot shows the mountain front

[Grymme]

Finally finished soviet initial setup. It was huge and took a couple of hours. Now its just the germans left.

Here is an inital forces picture.

The reason why there is everything from army to battalion HQs is that certain battalions were separated into what can only be described as some soviet version of Kampfgruppen.

EDIT. Just realized i havent added airforces yet. But they are thankfully not so plentifull.

[Grymme]

I cant seem to get my russians to do some amphibious invasions in this scenario. Anyone know any more or less creative ways to encourage this?

[Joshuatree]

Haven't got a clue... but why don't you ask Victor?

[Grymme]

Hmm... thanks joshua.

I think Vic reads most posts on this forum.

Have been experimenting with cutting pictures out of airphotos.

Here is Novorossisk as of right now. Notice the cement factory, the fish cannery, the mud baths and the old fort. The old fort is actually the genuine old fort taken from an aerial overview.

[Grymme]

A strategic overview of the map.


Looking for someone to play this with.

[Grymme]

Here is the current (very unfinished) briefing

Kanev – Parachutes across Dniepr


1 BACKGROUND

This scenario simulates the largest Soviet amphibius operation in World War II. In spring 1943 the german armygroup A was retreating up along the Taman peninsula. German forces had constructed a powerfull defensive line called the “gothshead line” in front of the major port Novorossisk. In an effort to circumvent the line Stalin ordered the 47th Army and the Black Sea fleet to perform operation Morsky. An amphibious landing south of Novorossisk in an effort to flank the german defensive lines.


1.1 Scale
Units are battalions or or companies. HQs are battalion to corps.

Each turn is 1 day long.

Most units are researched.


2 SPECIAL RULES & RULE CHANGES

This scenario is part of the Operational Combat series and shares a lot of the same rules as the other scenarios in the series.

Counterbattery fire is activated.

AI is blocked from creating new units.

Movement on roads is increased slightly.

Neither side can build new units (or rather new units & HQ cost 1 000 PPs).

Basic HQ power increased from three to four.

All basic units can carry two rounds of supply.

Supply Action Range increased from 250 AP to 450. Supply penaltie rangess similarly increased.

Aircraft movement is quadruppled.

Amphibius action is not possible on mountainous terrain.


2.1 Weather

There is a 25 % chance of fog during each round. Fog halves all artillery ranges and make airmissions virtually impossible.


3 REGIMES & PEOPLES

The following "peopletypes" exist in the scenario

German

Russian

Guards
Russian Guards division fight with higher morale than normal troops. They have a 60 in normal morale value.

Abwehr
The german Abwehr units from the Brandenburg regiment fight with an 85 in normal morale value.

SS
SS units fight with 60 in normal morale value.

Estonian

Luftwaffe

Turkmen

Azerbaijan

Romanian
Romanian units have a base morale of only 25.

Marine


4 RESEARCH & PRODUCTION etc.

Research is disabled.

Minor supply locations produce 1 000 BPs of supply each round. Supply bases produce
4 000. Neither produce PPs.

Both sides recieve reinforcements on certain turns.

4.1 Producable locations
Fortresses, airfields and makeshift ports cannot be built.

Neither side has any PPS so no location other than roads can be built.

4.2 Axis Reinforcement order
Round

2 Kampfgruppe von Hake
3 249th Stg Battalion, 10th MC Battalion, 28th March Battalion
7 125th Infantry Division, Luftwaffe reinforcents



4.3 Soviet Reinforcement order
Round

3 80th & 238th Static Battalions, 613th Punishment Battalion, 588th Officer Punishment Battalion, Gelenjik School Battalion, Voroshilov, Boiki, Sposobny, Krasny Azerbaijan, 3 Minesweepers, 1 Patrolboat, 1 Launch
4 Partisans appear
5 62nd Tank Battalion, 897th Mountain Regiment, 1167th Naval Artillery Regiment
6 107th Infantry Brigade
7 51st Infantry Brigade
8 50th Tank Battalion


5 UNITS

The following are new SFT types or such that have been altered. Some of them might not be used in this scenario.

Commando
The commandos are well trained and have much better equipment than normal riflemen. They have good recon values, hidepoints, can blow bridges and can also carry 4 rounds of supply with them.

Ski SMG
Function like normal SMG but move much faster than normal infantry and can ski over lakes. They have good recon and hide values. Can carry 4 rounds of supply.

Mortar
Has artillery rating fires with ca 20 % efficency of artillery. Artillery range 1.

Artillery
Has range of 5 in scenario.

Military Police
Has about half the attacking power of rifle but otherwise the same.

Construction Worker
Like engineers but only produce 1 EP/round, attacks at half strenght and has less chance of blowing bridges than normal engineers.

Observation Specialist
These attack with 50 % efficiency. They have exceptional recon abillity.

Train
Travels on track. Has 2000 Landcap. No carry ability. Otherwise like trucks.

Trucks


Rocket artillery
Moves on wheel, can carry 5. Range 6. Otherwise like normal artillery.

Partisans
Has about half the attacking power of rifle but otherwise the same. Good recon and hide values. Can carry 5 rounds of supply.

Airborne Mortar
Like normal mortar but can paradrop and carry four rounds of supply.

The following new SFTs appear in this scenario specificly

HQ light tank
Like normal light tankII but with some staff capability

Cruiser
Has an artillery range of

Destroyer
Has artillery power equal to roughly 50 % of a destroyer and with a range of


Heavy artillery
Heavy artillery is like artilleryII but with a range of 9.


Coastal Artillery
Huge coastal batteries with a range of 20.


Gunboat
Carry 80. Small artillery capability with range 4.


Minesweaper
Carry 20

Coastal Minesweeper
Carry 20

Rocket Minesweeper
Carry 20, Artillery with a range of 10.

Patrol boat
Carry 20.

Barge
Very slow moving large cargo ship. Carry 120.

Launch
Fast moving small cargoship. Carry 40.

Tug
Carry 120

Seiner
Carry 60

6 EVENTs

Forced March

Each side has 2 forced march actioncards. Playing an forced march actioncard has the following effect for the rest of the turn. All land movement is trippled. All offensive actions has a -90 % modifier.


6 SCENARIO VARIANTS

6.1 USSR AI

Using this option makes the soviet AI more aggressive.

6.2 German AI
Tries to simulate german defenses.

7 VICTORY

Game lasts 10 rounds. At the start of round 11 victory is calculated according to how many VPs the soviets hold according to this table.


less than 26 VPs - a desicive german victory
26-50 VPs - a marginal german victory
51-75 VPs - a marginal soviet victory
76-100 VPs a tactical soviet victory
more than 100 VPs a desicive soviet victory.

[Grymme]

Have updated the White Death scenario after input from Vic during our game.

Reduced the importance of Velikiye luki a little and put some more effort on the phlanx by giving some cities 2 VPs and reducing VPs for some Velikiye Luki hexes.

Gave the soviets and the germans each 2 actioncards that lets units force march at 300 % for the rest of the active players turn. But at the same time gives a -90% offensive action.

[Grymme]

Playtesting is on for Black Sea, Black death.

Made some small changes based on playtesting results.

- Added an airfield for germany.
- Beefed up coastal artillery power a little.
- Added scenario "optional reinforcments" for both soviet and german side. If checked then some small extra reinforcments arrive on a random turn based on the number of soviet VPs at the start of the round.
- Changed VP conditions. In the boardgame there is a VP system for sinking soviet ships. Historicly 50 VP of soviet boats was sinked so i simply added 50 VPs to each level.
- forced march was to strong with 400% movement. Changed it to get 60 % discount instead of quadrupeling it.
- Updated briefing accordingly.

[Grymme]

Found a pretty nice NATO mod that i am thinking of introducing.

Other small changes

- Infantry gun renamed assault gun
- New SFT called Penal infantry
- SMG renamed pioneer
- Construction worker renamed Railroad Engineer

[erichswafford]

I would like to just say a big Thank You from an old OCS fanatic. I once set up Guderian's Blitzkrieg II in my office and played it solitaire for a few months.

I'll shoot you an email (and a donation).[&o]

- Erich

PS - Please do Hube's Pocket one day. I'm trying to find a copy of the boardgame for you! Not easy, but I found GBII so anything's possible.