Encounter at Rasianiai

24/6/41

v2.0

Pictures of the pre-test game (link fixed)

On the first day of Operation Barbarossa 6 Panzer Division advanced about 60km and took the town of Rossienie (German spelling Rasianiai is the Lithuanian spelling). The division pushed out spearheads to the Dubysa river beyond the town and had established small bridgeheads by the evening.

At first light on the 24th the Soviets counter-attacked. The tanks of the 2nd Tank Division, 3rd Mechanised Corps smashed into the southern bridgehead held by the 6 Kradschützen Bataillon.  The Germans had no intelligence on the Soviet KV tanks and their appearance came as a great shock. The invulnerable monsters ignored the puny 37mm guns of the motorcyclists and the KV's blasted their way through the bridgehead, scattering the Kradschützen.

There was no pause at the Dvina river, the Soviet tanks pushing up the steep slope beyond on to the plateau defended by the 114 Schützen Regiment. By this time the Germans were marshalling their reserves and the scene was set for a tank battle between the old Czech tanks of  6 Panzer and the new dreadnoughts of the 2nd Tank Division

1940's map of the battlefield from: http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/

Map and Order of Battle

German Deployment

Germans have the only units starting on table so deploy first

The 6 Kradschützen Bataillon is deployed within 6" of the bridge over the Dubysa river. It must be deployed on the eastern side, but not in a BUA

The I/114 Schützen Bataillon  is deployed within 6" of the ford over the Dubysa river.

The III/76 Artillerie Abteilung is deployed within 6" of Gruzdiške.

The III/59 Artillerie Abteilung is deployed within 6" of Pareigiai.

The I/3 FlaK Abteilung is deployed within 6" of road junction X.

The Stab Gruppe Seckendorf, Logistics Gruppe Seckendorf, Logistics Gruppe Metz, II/11 Panzer Abteilung and 2 Kp 57 Pioneer Bataillon are deployed within 6" of Rasianiai. The panzers may not be deployed further north than the northernmost part of the town.

Stab Gruppe Metz and 611 Artillery Abteilung enter the battle turn 6 via Rasianiai

The majority of Gruppe Koll (Stab, 65 Panzer Abteilung (-), I/11 Panzer Abteilung and Logistics) enter turn 7 between points A & B.

III/52 Nebelwerfer Abteilung enters turn 8 via Rasianiai

II/114 Schützen Bataillon enters turn 9 between points A & B

616 Panzerjäger Abt enters the battle turn 9 via Rasianiai

Soviet Deployment

No Soviet units start on table. All units enter between points C and E

The 3rd Tank Regiment enters turn 1

The 4th Tank Regiment and Divisional Staff enters turn 2

The Recce Company enters turn 3

The 1st Motorised Rifle Battalion enters turn 4

The 2nd Motorised Rifle Battalion enters turn 5

The 3rd Motorised Rifle Battalion enters turn 6

The 2nd Artillery Regiment can fire turn 1 from off table. It may enter the table starting turn 7 if the Soviet player wishes.

Terrain

The table is 6ft x 4ft if playing 6" = 1 km. North is towards the top of the map

The open terrain is mostly fields without significant field boundaries and counts as open terrain

The green areas are unmanaged woods

The turquoise areas are boggy, though still cultivated

The brown squares are villages counting as scattered BUA

The grey squares represent town centre BUA

The red lines are roads which have no game effect

The blue line is the Dubysa river which counts as a steep river. (Actually the banks are OK but the river is in a steep sided valley)

The triple line bisecting the river is a ford which is treated as a defile

Aircraft

Starting turn 7 the Germans may roll d6 each turn for aircraft. On a 5 one Ju-87B arrives, on 6 a pair of Stukas arrives

German aircraft can only hit enemy to the east of the river

Special Rules

The game is 12 turns long. Soviets move first

II/11 Panzer Abteilung may not move until turn 4 unless a Soviet unit gets within 12"

1^st and 2^nd Tank Battalions of the 3rd Tank Regiment has special rules associated it

• It gets a left shift when shooting

• It never suffers penalties for being flanked (in all cases: activation, shooting or close assault)

Although Russian tanks are rated as V they recover stands as if they are rated as R

The German pioneers have Wurfrahmen. These give a right shift in any combat them participate in - once only. Once this has been used replace the SdKfz-251 with a truck

Victory Conditions

The Soviets gain a victory point for each inch (or part thereof) that a big base unit has moved from point D. Only the furthest unit counts. Measure to the most distant point of the qualifying unit.

The Soviets score no victory points if both the bridge and the ford are held by the Germans

The Soviets lose 10 VP if one or the other of the bridge and the ford are held by the Germans

The Soviets require 40+ victory points for a win, 30-39 VPs is a draw

To hold the bridge or ford the Germans must have the only big base unit touching it.

VPs are measured at the end of the game

(Thanks to John at the BBB day who suggested the change)

References

3rd Mechanised Corps: http://mechcorps.rkka.ru/files/mechcorps/pages/3_meh.htm - link defunct

3rd Mechanised Corps: AMVAS site similar to the above but in English: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/formation/mechcorps/3mk.htm

6 Panzer Division: http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany/41_organ_army/41_div_pz-06.html

Initial Period of the War on the Eastern Front by David Glantz

KV Technical History & Variants by Neil Stokes

KTB 6 Panzer Division: http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/ - use the FTP site linked (big thanks to Alan McCoubrey for the translation)

Lexicon der Wehrmacht (details of supporting artillery and flak): http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/inhaltsverzeichnis1.htm

Panzers of the Eastern Front edited by Peter Tsouras.