Forcing the Mogliev

 

Soviet Situation

 

Soviet troops have deployed in three main groups on the river.  In the north the first group is built around an entrenched rifle battalion defending the river line with #1 company supported by an AT gun and an IG gun.  A single KV1 is also deployed west of the river to break up German motorized concentrations attempting to bounce the bridge.  A T34 company with #2 rifle company sitting in reserve as a counter moves force.  The #3 company sits on the Southern flank of Gorki with a HMG covering the right flank of the Krichev bridge. 

The second group is also based on a entrenched rifle battalion with #4 company providing flank security South of Kirchev, #5 company with AT gun, IG gun and HMG deployed around the Kirchev bridge and #6 company indepth and in reserve.  A T34 company is held as a counter moves force.

The third group in Kirchev and west of the town and is under the direct command of the SOviet CO, it consists of a FAO (1 122mm Battery on call), one recce company, a light tank company with a single KV1 in support, and a motorized engineer company.

Comissars are deployed with all COs and HQs.

The Soviet plan is in 3 phases:

 

Phase 1 Channeling - Light Tank company supported by the Recce company will delay the Germans in front of Kirchev.  The Heavy tank company will prevent the Germans from forcing the Middle bridge on the stream to channel the Germans into the Kirchev Bridge.

 

Phase 2 Delay - Recce, Light Tank coompanies will delay back into Kirchev supporting and finally handing over to the engineer company in Kirchev the delay battle.  The Engineer company will delay the German as the #4 company withdrawals to East Kirchev.  The Engineer company will then pass through the infantry and over the bridge and take up defensive positions in Gorki.  The #4 infantry company will conduct a fighting withdrawal over the Kirchev bridge.

 

Phase 3 Main Defense and Counter Moves - With the German bottled up in the Kirchev pocket, Soviet forces will conduct a defensive battle to hold the Kirchev bridge.  At the right time, a counter moves force of 1 KV1, 6 T34s with rifle platoons on the back deck under the Soviet CO will move over the Gorki bridge and into the flank of the German advance.  This will bottle the German forces in Kirchev where their motorized ability will be useless and they can be destroyed with ease.

 

German SItuation

 

The Germans have three battlegroups east of the Kirchev road junction. 

In the North a motorized force built around a panzer battalion and a motorized battalion.  This battlegroup is broken into combat teams built around a motorized company and a panzer company, two under an HQ and one under the German CO.  Each combat team is task tailored for a specific mission.  One has added HMG, SP IG and AT Gun to act as a fire base and is lead behind recce, one combat team is the assault force with added combat engineers and infantry in half tracks and a Marder, the third is an exploitation force with added HMG.  FAC and FAO (with 2 105mm batteries on call) accompany the CO who is behind the lead combat team.  In front of the North group is a Recce battlegroup of 1 Mixed Recce Company and 1 Pz Bn Recce Platoon under a Recce HQ.

In the South in the village of Kopys is an infantry battalion battlegroup with added STUG3e battalion in support.

The German Plan is in 3 phases:

 

Phase 1 Advance to Contact - Infantry battalion battlegroup will advance east into the fields in front of Mogliev cutting the road junction of mogliev from the town proper.  Infantry will be strictly holding denying the Soviets Kirchev as a counter moves base.  The recce battlegroup will support this move by fire onto the SOviet flanks and advance as far as the road junction before turning north to secure the middle bridge.  Combat team 1 will act as reserve throughout.  FAO support will be available as required.  Once middle bridge is secure mobile battlegroup will deploy to the north bank of stream and prepare a deliberate attack on Gorki bridge.  This phase will be complete once the Middle Bridge is held and secured from enemy fire and the infantry battlegroup holds the fields west of Kirchev with no enemy forces to their rear.

 

Phase 2 Capture of Gorki - During phase 2 infantry battlegroup will push into Kirchev if possible to secure the West bank of Mogliev at Kirchev.  Recce battle group will go into reserve on left flank of infantry battle group.  Mobile battlegroup will sieze the Gorki bridge with a fire base combat team (less infantry) south of Gorki Bridge and using 1 company of tanks with 2 dismounted companies of grenadiers as an assault force coordinated with artillery and air support.  Exploitation team will be in reserve north of middle bridge.  This phase will be concluded once infantry and tanks are over the mogliev at Gorki.

 

Phase 3 Clearing the East Bank - Using the bridgehead at Gorki, Exploitation COmbat Team will push through Gorki SOuth to the Gorki road junction at Kirchev bridge.  Assault Combat Team will clear Gorki North. Fire Base Combat Team will follow SOuth and guard the right flank by clearing the ground between the road and the river.  Recce Battle group will remain in reserve throughout at the Gorki Bridge.  Infantry Battle group will push hard to gain Kirchev and the west bank of the Mogliev River with the intention of linking up with mobile forces at the Kirchev Bridge.  This phase will be complete when the Kirchev bridge is held by German Forces.

The forces are now in place and the first move is the German.

 

 

Turn 1 started with the Germans moving the infantry battalion forward by first moving one rifle company forward toward Kirchev then moving the assault gun bn forward with another infantry company riding on the back deck.  Next the Panzer recce was ordered to move forward but failed to get the order twice!  AN order to move the infantry battalion forward another bound failed as well, frustrating the German players and ending their turn.

 

 

The Russian turn 1 consisted of moving the light tank company forward for 3 bounds where they ended up deployed in front of the fields around Kirchev facing the road which the German recce was covering.

 

 

Turn 2 for Germans saw the infantry move forward another bound successfully and then failing to the second order.  This time German Panzer Recce got the order and moved out of the woods on the North into the open ground. Orders to move the main panzer battle group forward failed but an order of the Panzer HQ got the first combat team moving forward.

 

 

Turn 2 for Russians saw a failed attempt to get the Light tank company firing at the German recce at 40cm away.  Frustrated the Russian turn ended.

 

 

Turn 3 for Germans saw a successful number of orders for a general advance of the Panzer Battle group.  2 Combat Teams have now entered the broad, artillery and mortars have deployed, FAC and FAO have taken up positions of observation. In the South the Infantry battle group has two companies forward with assault gun support nearing the road junction. With a number of failed orders the German turn ends.

 

 

Turn 3 for Russians developed well as the recce company deployed to support the light tank company by securing their left flank against the on rushing German infantry.  Recce company deployed with motorcyle troops facing the German infantry and the armoured car facing the German Panzer recce so that they could add their firepower to the light tank company.  The Russians failed in their attempt to bring fire on the German panzer recce.

 

 

Turn 4 for Germans started with several German units using their initiative to engage Russian units.  Panzer recce fired at the Russian light tanks scoring some hits. Assault guns and infantry fired at the Russian motorcycle troops suppressing one and killing the other. German 50mm AT gun took on the rear of the Russian armoured car but failed to cause any hits. NOw the German orders a general advance of all units to press their advantage but after a couple of moves the command start failing to get through again and the turn ends. Infantry battlegroups forward elements are now even with the flank of the light tank company with only a wood and a Russian armoured car separating them from the road junction.

 

 

Turn 4 has the Russians worried as the German closes in without taking much damage, this is supposed to be a delay but the German seems un-delayed! Russian intiative is spent with the light tanks firing at the German recce company causing only a single hit in two tries.  The Russian armoured car takes on the assault guns but scores no hits.  Russians attempt to re-dress the balance by ordering a KV1 forward from it's entrenched position covering the middle bridge.  The KV1 makes it as far as the middle bridge road but fails to get the order to fire on the Germans. In the South the Russians retreat their recce company in the face of the infantry/assault gun advance of the Germans, redeployed to the fields of Kirchev where they can guard the road junction from the south.

 

 

Turn 5, with 2 combat teams deployed forward of the road woods and a third on the road, the German start to psuh their firepower advantage. German intiative in the north sees 5 tanks and 3 armoured cars fire at the light company causing hits on all 3 T70s and killing one.  In the south German infantry and assault guns push forward and clear the woods at the road junction, they can now dominate all movement out of Kirchev to the west with fire and are square across the Russian light tank company's left flank. German initiative has provided a toe hold in the fire fight but now superior German command breaks the Russian delay.  German tanks engage the Russian light company causing more hits and suppression. The German FAC calls in two stukas on the the KV1 causing 8 hits and only 1 save - KILL!!!  Infantry continue to move up their reserve and AT guns and pass across the rear of the Russian light company but then fail to get the order to move into close assault on the armoured car. In the North the German panzer recce cuts to the North and it's next objective - middle bridge.

 

 

 

Turn 5 is over quickly for the RUssians as their command system breaks down but the second KV1 manages to fire at a Sdfz 232 at max range causing no hits but frightening the Germans anyway.  1 T70 fires at an assault gun in the flank without much success. The Russians order their recce to retreat toward Kirchev and an order to the T70s to retreat fails.

 

 

Turn 6 opens with the German intiative firing on Russian motorcycle recce platoon with 2 infantry platoons and an assualt gun causing a kill. Tanks fire on the last T70 and make another kill. Germans continue to order advances all along their line in the North.  In the south Infantry battle group advances their las elements out of Kopys toward Kirchev but an attempt to cover this movement with smoke from mortars fails. Satisfied the Germans end their turn.

 

 

Turn 6 sees the Russians attempting to restore their situation, initiative causes a BA10 to fire at an assault gun without success. WIth the Germans in the south now threatening the left flank of the still silent Russian FAO, the FAO retreats. The BA10 attempts to retreat but fails to get the order, as does the KV1 in the north.

 

 

Turn 7 puts the Germans in the fields south of the Kirchev road, on the road junction and just south of middle bridge. All German forces are now on the board and deployed into the open ground. Panzer battalion anti-aircraft assumes the duty of guarding the road junction as infantry battle group troops press up the road toward Kirchev. In the north, the KV1 faces a barrage of tank guns and armoured car guns on three sides causing hits, suppression and finally a kill. CO orders the recce to get over middle bridge quickly before more KV1 show up!  In the south infantry attempt to close with the stalled BA10 but fail to get the order.  Further orders fail and the German turn ends.

 

 

Turn 7 is a bust for the Russians as intiative produces a single hit on an assault gun.  Russians continue to move their FAO to a position of observation but the German situation is too fluid for them. The commissar in Kirchev decides to retreat over the bridge as the Germans near.  Russian CO attempts to retreat the infantry company covering Kirchev south into the town but fails.

 

 

Turn 8 opens with German intiative on the Russian FAO who in turning onto the main road exposed his rear to an assault gun 30cm away on the same road, 2 hits!  German commands continue to move the Panzer forces over the middle bridge and the infantry battlegroup into the fields of Kirchev.  Numerous attempts to move the recce further along fail so the Germans end their turn.

 

 

Turn 8 for the Russians and the BA10 attempts to inflict damage on an assault gun again with a single hit scored. The Russian players now attempt to consolidate around Kirchev by withdrawing the BA10 and the infantry company into Kirchev.  The Russian FAO retreats further toward the Kirchev bridge but is outpaced by the commissar.

 

 

Turn 9 comes about as German intiative scores a KILL on the BA10 just before it enters Kirchev by 3 assault guns ordering together. Germans continue the advance again in the north getting more units over the middle bridge as recce clears the ground between middle bridge and Gorki bridge. German combat temas are delpoyed on their FUP as they prepare for a deliberate attack on the Gorki Bridge. In the south the infantry battle group consolidates on the ground in front of Kirchev as it moves to the edge of town. The German turn ends as the infantry battle group AT gun takes up a position covering the road out of Kirchev to the west. 

 

 

Turn 9 for the Russians continues the consolidation of defenses in Kirchev as infanty company takes up depth positions in town to support the defense of the Russian engineer company. In the rear, the Russian move the southern T34s to the north, move all soft skins further to the rear.  The commissar, FAO and RUssian CO all quit kirchev over the bridge to the east.

 

 

Turn 10 and the Germans now own 1/2 the table and control a further 1/8 by fire. But they are extended in the south and still far from battle deployment in the north. This turn the Germans re-group their infantry battle group for the break in to Kirchev successfully bring forward their 75mm IG to the left flank of Kirchev. In the north, combat team 1 deploys as a fire base south of the Gorki-middle bridge road while combat team 2 moves the left flank to assault the Gorki bridge.  Recce has move the left rear flank in order to move to its final objective (covering north Kirchev) once the road and middle bridge are clear of combat team 3. Lastly, the infantry battle group feels out the Kirchev defense by destroying a Russian engineer platoon on the edge of town behind a stone wall (after this we begin using the entrenched infantry rule requiring them to be dug out by close assault).

 

Turns 11 to 20 and 50 more pictures are coming!