Making Holes in Panzers

 

Range inspector says "Range closed for napping"

But let us consider a Panzer IVh and a Soviet 45mm M2 anti-tank gun.  The Panzer IVh is a Strong AFV with a frontal armor of 6.  We will assume that everyone is regular.

The panzer moves up within 12" (but not by pre-measuring), where it can sport the Class I gun stationary in the open.  The Soviets engage in opportunity fire in the hopes that the Germans will not get a chance to fire in general fire.

AT 12", the 45L66 (a late version of the weapon, so not a popgun) has to hit of 5 and penetration of 6.  ROF 2 and +1 for opportunity fire for 3 shots.  At 5 or less to hit that's and 87% chance of at least one hit.  So lets assume a hit.

We then roll again [19] for the result (of each hit).  Penetration 6 vs armor 6 is 0, plus the result of our D10 roll can give

• Roll 1-3 and no effect
• Roll 4-6 and the panzer is forced back -- full BMA or until in cover
• Roll 7-10 and it's a dead tank (platoon that is)

If the gun was a somewhat more popgun-like M32/37, the 46L46 penetration is only 5 at the same range, changing our potential result to

• Roll 1-4 and no effect
• Roll 5-7 and the panzer is forced back -- full BMA or until in cover
• Roll 8-10 and it's a dead tank

Note that regardless of raw penetration value (greater than 0) a 10 always kills at close range and at least forces back at medium and longer ranges.

A note on knocked out vehicles; the smoke blocks roads for movement but they do not block line to sight.  They are instead Open Blocking Terrain [11.2.3].

Next time I will look at how artillery works.

A Command Decision Exercise

Setup 

I should have done this before the last game.

Anyway, a simple tactical problem

On the left, two companies of a German infantry battalion with a StuG company and an armored scout car attached.  Additional support from a single MG stand and a mortar. 

On the right, two companies of Soviet rifles led by their political officer with an MG and anti-tank rifle in support.

Both are regular, and the Soviets are basically on the receiving end.

Note that the soviets are not spotted, since they are in light cover, stationary and not firing [1.2.2 & 11.2.7]  Germans are visible in the open out to 60".  The two formations are 15" apart.

The Germans order cautious advance.  It's hard to see, but the leftmost StuG has an overwatch order.  The Soviets order a hold.

Turn 1

Germans with the initiative.  No prep fire so to Germans move

The armored car (cautious advance) stops 2" short of the Soviet infantry as it spots them in the woods [11.2, 11.5.2]. Note the overwatch StuG held back, the infantry have moved all 6" of their BMA and the supporting StuGs have kept pace.

The Soviet ATR is at a poor angle to cover the infantry front so it takes a long range pot shot at the scout to prevent the spotting.  Note that I might have the firing angle of the antitank rifle (ATR) wrong, something to re-check.  Unsurprisingly  it misses so it is now visible along with the company near the scout car.

No Soviet movement so now it's general fire phase.  

The German company on the left with the supporting MG fires at the ATR.  Note that the MG as an Heavy Infantry Weapon so it can fire supporting fire through it's own troops.  The AFV MGs do not have that option.  Also, if it had moved more than its BMA it could not fire at all.  With four stands firing with -1 on the target number, there is only one hit which forces the ATR to retreat.  

The two StuGs with field of fire and the armored car fire at the MMG in the Soviet center.  With ROF 2 and firing HE [14.2.9] they score two hits, one no effect and one force back.  The pintle mounted machine guns on the StuGs add their effect, with one hit resulting in an elimination.  The armored car is left with it's designated target gone.  Note I may have messed up hit distribution here since two stands were visible.

Lastly, the Soviet infantry decides to have at the Weak AFV that is an open topped armored car.  With 1 -3 modifier on the target number, there is only one hit, with a force back.

At that point the range inspector arrives and the exercise is suspended.  I will do a few more of these set pieces since they give me a chance to look up all the rules and set them in place. 

A Bit More Planning

 A note on versions

As the war progressed, while the organization might remain the same the equipment and especially tanks and tank-adjacent vehicles like the Panzerjägers and SUs  changed rapidly.  

That has two implications:

• Formations such as medium tank battalions will need versions by year.  The obvious Soviet case is the T34/76 vs 85.  For the Germans in 43 and 44 we have multiple PZIV versions, but also Panthers, Panzerjäger IV, and even Stug IIIs deployed as tank battalion equipment.  The  plan is to have at least one battalion or regiment in each option.
• Sometimes infantry stands will have figures carrying anachronistic equipment.  I intend to simply ignore it -- only some infantry heavy weapons have specific applicable use periods where the incorrect representation might be jarring.

Now on to the Germans

I am just looking at 1944 for now, since the organization did shift

• From a regular infantry division. Some elements such as the AT guns are motorized, but mostly the formation is leg and horse.
• Divisional troops
• A fusilier battalion (mounted on bicycles!)
  
  
  
• An antitank battalion
• An engineer battalion
• An infantry regiment
• Regimental troops
• 2 infantry battalions 
• Observers plus one direct support artillery battalion modelled.
• From a Panzer Division
• Division troops
  
• Antitank battalion -- probably using Marders
• Reconnaissance battalion -- a complex formation that will probably be completed incrementally.
• Engineer battalion
• Antiaircraft battalion
• Panzer Regiment
• regimental troops
• two panzer battalions.  This is where the variation comes, since both battalions may the the same type or different types.
• Panzer Grenadier Regiment (Gepanzert)
• Regimental troops
• Armored panzergrenadier battalion
• Motorized panzergrenadier battalion
• Artillery regiments
• Panzer artillery battalion (Wespes and Hummels)
• From a Luftwaffe field division. Much like the Heer infantry buy differences in detail and equipment.  And inferior training.
• Divisional troops
• A fusilier battalion (mounted on bicycles!)
• An antitank battalion
• An engineer battalion
• An infantry regiment
• Regimental troops
• 3 infantry battalions 
• Observers plus one direct support artillery battalion modelled.
• From a fallschirmjäger division, divisional kit and one 3 battalion regiments as above.
• From a Volksgrenadier division, shitty divisional kit and one regiments as above.
•  A schwere Panzerabteilung with Tigers

The next 3 have a lot to do with how many of the models I already have.  There actually might be multiple of each,

• A schwere Panzerabteilung with Tiger II
• A  Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilungen with Nashorn
• Ditto with Elephant
• Ditto with  Jagdpanther

   I know that I am missing a lot there, but it is a framework to crack on from.  Next, the minor Axis on the eastern front.

A Start of a Plan

 I have two sets of rules I want to plan armies for; and by armies I mean an effective mix of figures to be able to deploy as large a force on my biggish table as the rules can sustain and substitute out to cover multiple years and strategic directions.  All, at least for now, in the context of the Great Patriotic War.

So lets look at Command Decision: Test of Battle first; a set of stand=platoon rules with extensive TOE material available.

I want to start with the years 1943 and 1944.  Equipment in this period evolved rapidly, but at least Soviet organizations were reasonably stable; starting with 1944 will get the task started.  German organizations were a bit more volatile so I will probably work back from 1944.  Some of the paper changes are interesting, but also the fact that I have seen a picture of a burnt-out Valentine in Germany from 1945 suggests that "waste not/want not" was a basic principal.

I will also work from battalion building blocks so a will leverage modularity where I can.

So lets set a target based really on a number of options with no one division type represented by an impossible number of figures.

I'll set down the red army today:

• From a regular Rifle division.  Note that this formation, except for the division command, is totally horse traction.
• Divisional command
• Engineer Battalion
• Antitank Battalion
• One Rifle regiment of 3 Rifle Battalions.
• One Artillery Battalion including guns and limbers for on table deployment.
• From a Mechanized Corps
• A mechanized brigade
• Brigade troops
• A Tank regiment (it's kind of small)
• 3 motor rifle battalions
• a mortar battalion
• a light artillery battalion
• An antiaircraft regiment
• A heavy SU regiment
• A medium SU regiment
• A light SU regiment
• An armored car battalion
• A motorcycle battalion
• Engineer battalion
• Guards Mortar battalion (Katjusha)
• Corps troops
• From a Tank Corps, add the following to leverage overlap with a Mechanized corps.  Because of the modular nature of Corps, this could as easily be part of the Mechanized Corps
• A Tank brigade
• 3 Medium tank battalions
• 1 Motor Rifle battalion
• From a Cavalry Division
• A cavalry regiment 
• A horse artillery regiment
• Divisional troops
• Separate Heavy Tank Regiment
• Both KV-1 and IS-2 versions
• Naval Infantry Brigade
• Brigade troops
• 2 (or more) rifle battalions
• Mortar battalion
• Antitank battalion
•  SMG Battalion
• Engineer battalion
• Artillery Battalion
• Artillery
• Army level artillery generally only need be represented by observers, but I have two of those lovely 203mm Howitzers and their tractors, and they will be represented.
  
  
  

Now this doubtless seems like a lot, but I have a truckload of painted and unpainted minis, so I just need to work on the plan for the sequence of operations.  And of course actually paint figures.