Toaw Scenario: The Battle Of Stalingrad

Russia,
August 23, 1942,

Axis army of 178 units opposed to Russia army of 235 units
for a battle of complexity 1.66 at Regiment(III) level
on a 2.5 Km/Hex map
for 88 turns of Full Day each.

by PEF submited on 18-11-2002

Rugged-Defense Playing Statistics

Download (current version (total) )
Links	Vol I	Vol II	WotY	CoW (49 KB)	Vol III
Downloaded	( 0 )	( 0 )	( 0 )	( 598 )	0 ( 0 )

If you like this scenario, vote for it:

Briefing
THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD Date: August 23 - November 19, 1942 Location: Stalingrad Map Scale: 2.5 km per hex Time Scale: Full Day Turns Unit Scale: Regiment Length: 88 turns Version: 2.0 (07/06/02) ********************* Best Played as Human Axis v. PO Soviets ******************* SIGNIFICANT EVENTS German occupation of Pavlov's House shatters Soviet morale; Russian forces at 60% shock level. There is a 50% chance Sgt. Pavlov survives and resurfaces within a week; if this happens, Russian forces rally. German occupation of the Ferry Terminal reduces Russian replacements to 65% of normal value. Recapturing of Ferry Terminal does not restore replacements. German occupation of Mamaev Hill allows spotters to direct artillery and air attacks on vessels crossing the Volga; Russian replacements are reduced to 90%. Recapturing Mamaev Hill does not restore replacements. For each day past October 30, 1942 that the 62nd Army HQ remains secure, Soviets gain +10 VP per turn. On turn 75, the tally increases to +15 VP per turn; on turn 82, the tally increases to +20 VP per turn. German capture of the 62nd Army HQ ends Soviet VP tally. If the Soviets hold the grain elevators past September 20, 1942, they receive +10 VP. For every five days thereafter that the Soviets hold the grain elevators, they receive increasing VP tally: Turns 35, 40 and 45: +15 VP; Turns 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80: +20 VP; turn 85: +25 VP. ******************* OBJECTIVES The German objective is to seize all of Stalingrad, including the northern Factory district, as quickly as possible. Knocking out the Russian Air Force should also be a priority. As German forces occupy more riverside city hexes, Russian reinforcements will no longer reenter in Stalingrad; instead, they will reenter across the Volga and be ferried over. If all of Stalingrad is occupied by the Axis forces well before November 19, 1942, Stalin cancels Operation Uranus, as Stalingrad has been essentially pacified and the Sixth Army has been able strengthen its northern and southern flanks. The objective as the Russians is to hold onto as much of Stalingrad as possible. City hexes adjacent the Volga are critical, as control of this area allowed the Russians to continually send reinforcements into Stalingrad. Of particular value is the factory district in northern Stalingrad. If the Russian side is in possession of numerous riverside hexes in Stalingrad on November 19, then capitulation of the Sixth Army is accelerated, as the Sixth Army is not only entrapped but also deprived of Fortress Stalingrad. The scenario is designed to be a draw if the German forces capture all of Stalingrad only by November 19, 1942. Historically, the Sixth Army had cleared nearly all of Stalingrad when Operation Uranus began. Thus, if the last Stalingrad objective hex is captured on November 19, a draw is very likely. ******************* HISTORY In June 1942, Adolf Hitler unleashed Operation Blue, which he promised his soldiers would be the knockout blow that would bring the war in Russia to a victorious close. Operation Blue began with a foretelling of the misfortune that would eventually befall the entire 6th Army: initial delays and poor coordination, coupled with savage Russian resistance in the city of Voronezh, allowed a sizeable Russian army to retreat with the bulk of its men and weapons intact. The Russians quickly learned to "fight with space" and drew the Axis spearhead deep into Southern Russia. On August 23, German Panzers crossed the Don; the 16th Panzer Division reached the outskirts of Rynok and north Stalingrad, and an intense German air raid reduced Stalingrad to rubble, killing thousands of civilians. The value of Stalingrad did not escape Marshals Vasilevsky and Zhukov - by early September the two had conceived of Operation Uranus, and forwarded the plan to a skeptical Joseph Stalin. Chuikov was ordered to hold the city of Stalingrad, which German bombs and artillery had transformed into a fortress, to give time for a massive Russian force to gather on the north and south flanks of the German 6th Army. On November 19, 1942, a prolonged Russian artillery barrage opened Operation Uranus, and the Russian counteroffensive smashed through the Axis flanks lightly guarded by Italian and Rumanian troops. By November 23, Russian spearheads met at Kalach, entombing the Sixth Army in Der Kessel ("The Cauldron"). The incredible Russian victory was not readily apparent to either side: Operation Blue had failed; Germany would be forced to withdraw the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army from the Caucasus through Rostov; the 6th Army would be lost; and the Axis would never again gain the initiative on the Russian Front. ******************* HISTORICAL DEVIATIONS The OOB is loosely based on Beevor's "Stalingrad" and Craig's "Enemy at the Gates." For example, the 16th Panzer Division does not begin at the outskirts of Rynok; elements of the other Soviet armies besides the 62nd Army on in the theater before their historical arrival. These deviations are mainly due to time constraints; researching the entire OOB, including unit arrival dates and relative size, would have been an undertaking beyond the scope of this simple scenario. ********************* Comments to the scenario designer are welcome - send them by e-mail to pefranz@ieee.org.

Briefing

THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

Date: August 23 - November 19, 1942
Location: Stalingrad
Map Scale: 2.5 km per hex
Time Scale: Full Day Turns
Unit Scale: Regiment
Length: 88 turns
Version: 2.0 (07/06/02)

***********************
Best Played as Human Axis v. PO Soviets

***********************
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

German occupation of Pavlov's House shatters Soviet morale; Russian forces at 60% shock level. There is a 50% chance Sgt. Pavlov survives and resurfaces within a week; if this happens, Russian forces rally.

German occupation of the Ferry Terminal reduces Russian replacements to 65% of normal value. Recapturing of Ferry Terminal does not restore replacements.

German occupation of Mamaev Hill allows spotters to direct artillery and air attacks on vessels crossing the Volga; Russian replacements are reduced to 90%. Recapturing Mamaev Hill does not restore replacements.

For each day past October 30, 1942 that the 62nd Army HQ remains secure, Soviets gain +10 VP per turn. On turn 75, the tally increases to +15 VP per turn; on turn 82, the tally increases to +20 VP per turn. German capture of the 62nd Army HQ ends Soviet VP tally.

If the Soviets hold the grain elevators past September 20, 1942, they receive +10 VP. For every five days thereafter that the Soviets hold the grain elevators, they receive increasing VP tally: Turns 35, 40 and 45: +15 VP; Turns 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80: +20 VP; turn 85: +25 VP.

***********************
OBJECTIVES

The German objective is to seize all of Stalingrad, including the northern Factory district, as quickly as possible. Knocking out the Russian Air Force should also be a priority. As German forces occupy more riverside city hexes, Russian reinforcements will no longer reenter in Stalingrad; instead, they will reenter across the Volga and be ferried over. If all of Stalingrad is occupied by the Axis forces well before November 19, 1942, Stalin cancels Operation Uranus, as Stalingrad has been essentially pacified and the Sixth Army has been able strengthen its northern and southern flanks.

The objective as the Russians is to hold onto as much of Stalingrad as possible. City hexes adjacent the Volga are critical, as control of this area allowed the Russians to continually send reinforcements into Stalingrad. Of particular value is the factory district in northern Stalingrad. If the Russian side is in possession of numerous riverside hexes in Stalingrad on November 19, then capitulation of the Sixth Army is accelerated, as the Sixth Army is not only entrapped but also deprived of Fortress Stalingrad.

The scenario is designed to be a draw if the German forces capture all of Stalingrad only by November 19, 1942. Historically, the Sixth Army had cleared nearly all of Stalingrad when Operation Uranus began. Thus, if the last Stalingrad objective hex is captured on November 19, a draw is very likely.

***********************
HISTORY

In June 1942, Adolf Hitler unleashed Operation Blue, which he promised his soldiers would be the knockout blow that would bring the war in Russia to a victorious close. Operation Blue began with a foretelling of the misfortune that would eventually befall the entire 6th Army: initial delays and poor coordination, coupled with savage Russian resistance in the city of Voronezh, allowed a sizeable Russian army to retreat with the bulk of its men and weapons intact. The Russians quickly learned to "fight with space" and drew the Axis spearhead deep into Southern Russia.

On August 23, German Panzers crossed the Don; the 16th Panzer Division reached the outskirts of Rynok and north Stalingrad, and an intense German air raid reduced Stalingrad to rubble, killing thousands of civilians. The value of Stalingrad did not escape Marshals Vasilevsky and Zhukov - by early September the two had conceived of Operation Uranus, and forwarded the plan to a skeptical Joseph Stalin. Chuikov was ordered to hold the city of Stalingrad, which German bombs and artillery had transformed into a fortress, to give time for a massive Russian force to gather on the north and south flanks of the German 6th Army.

On November 19, 1942, a prolonged Russian artillery barrage opened Operation Uranus, and the Russian counteroffensive smashed through the Axis flanks lightly guarded by Italian and Rumanian troops. By November 23, Russian spearheads met at Kalach, entombing the Sixth Army in Der Kessel ("The Cauldron"). The incredible Russian victory was not readily apparent to either side: Operation Blue had failed; Germany would be forced to withdraw the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army from the Caucasus through Rostov; the 6th Army would be lost; and the Axis would never again gain the initiative on the Russian Front.

***********************
HISTORICAL DEVIATIONS

The OOB is loosely based on Beevor's "Stalingrad" and Craig's "Enemy at the Gates." For example, the 16th Panzer Division does not begin at the outskirts of Rynok; elements of the other Soviet armies besides the 62nd Army on in the theater before their historical arrival. These deviations are mainly due to time constraints; researching the entire OOB, including unit arrival dates and relative size, would have been an undertaking beyond the scope of this simple scenario.

***********************
Comments to the scenario designer are welcome - send them by e-mail to pefranz@ieee.org.