In the dying days of Summer 1942. German armoured forces fanned southeast to STALINGRAD towards the banks of the river VOLGA. Spearheading the 2 Panzer Armee advance against minimal opposition were 10 Panzer and 2nd SS Panzer divisions from 46 Mot Korps less Gross Deutchland, which had been engaged at TAMBOV junction.
48 MotKorps, comprising 17 and 18 Panzer divisions with 29 Motorised and 167 Infantry divisions, were echeloned northwards behind them. These formations were all well understrength and although coming to the end of their logistical chains, were benefitting from the opening of TAMBOV junction to rail traffic.
Opposing them was South Front comprising 2 Armies :
57 Army comprising 99, 150, 317 and 351 Rifle and 14 Guard Rifle division
and SouthFront troops comprising 3 Guards Cavalry division and 24 Tank division. Unusually fo rthis stage of the campaign, the operation had the characteristic of a meeting engagement.
Since bringing the infantry orbats in line with armour and artillery, I have received a few questions about how they should appear, and the difference between bases and stands. Bases are the individual components of a stand. There are usually 3 bases to a stand, but there can be more, or fewer.
For an all- infantry battalion it is fairly straightforward. Here is 4th Battalion,6th Rajputana Rifles , comprising a command and support stand (CS3), and a fighting stand (F3). They are tooled up for a fight , with 6 combat units (CUs) represented by the little airgun pellets on the spanking brand-new tinplate movement tray next to them, and the two stands can put out 2CUs per turn between them, for 3 turns, by which time they will have run out of ammunition.
Next, comes a motor battalion, 1st Battalion the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. They can be organised as previously shown, with a vehicle base and 2 infantry bases making one stand, and three stands in the battalion, or you could dispense with the infantry, and just have 3 vehicles with infantry glued into them to show that it is not just a logistic vehicle. Either way, it does not matter how you model the stands as long as both you and your opponent know what is happening.
Usually, I don’t add national insignia or serials to models, but for the Western Desert campaign I have been doing so as the toys look a bit plain without, and because the numbers of AFVs are so low. Of course, because of the operational scale, platoon markings are a bit superfluous. Happily, 15th Panzer Division only put company numbers on its tanks, so mine are numbered 1-5; a bit of a no-brainer really:
The Divisional HQ is using an SdKfz 251/10 platoon command vehicle, which is standing in as an SdKfz/3 radio vehicle. GeneralMajor Neuman-Silkow is in a car for comfort, but could be in a ‘251 or ‘250. If he is lucky enough to get a bit of armour later, he will probably pass his car on to someone else!
The Divisional Anti-tank Battalion has a Marder IIISdKfz 138 and Recce elements represented by an SdKfz 222, which will doubtless soon be off to another division, or corps recce.
The Divisional Engineer Battalion has teamed up with an ersatz ROCO 1/87 model representing the the Divisional FLAK Kompanie for this shot. It will be back off to grassier climes soon!
8th Panzer Regiment is equipped with Pz III Hs.
115th Infantry Regimental HQ is followed by the armoured battalion and motorised battalion. They would really like a heavier car than a Kubelwagen to tow that 37mm.
Once painted, these PSC plastic late-war Germans should be a good match for my older Peter Pig Afrika Korps infantry.
The Flames of War resin Opel Blitz 3-tonners look a bit stubby next to the Zvezda models, but they still paint up nicely and have a certain raffish charm.
33rd Artillery Regiment is still borrowing limbers and command cars (a stand-in Kettenrad that is destined eventually for the Ramke parachute brigade) until it can find an SdKfz 11 and perhaps a Saurer SdKfz 254.
Suzanne opened the Blog yesterday, came across “Manly Men in Desert Shorts” and professed herself quite taken by it. Continuing in the Festive off-topic Spirit, I give you things I like about … (feel free to add your own nations as an andidote to all these “ten Best” polls that are going around). It shows how far things have come since WWII.
Americans
Dolly probably owns the copyright to this one!
Unembarrassable (see above), Generous to a fault (prepared to offer us an Aircraft carrier in ’82) and good at Moon missions. Currently world’s Top Nation :
“Don’t run Sir, it worries the men!”
Belgians
They spend more time thinking about Beer chocolate and cakes than their Army or Navy. Any nation that could produce Tin Tin is fine by me.
I love their robust approach to health and safety, and also the idea that their treasure fleets in the 13th to 15th centuries did not set out to conquor, but to explore and trade. They used to be the world’s Top Nation and may be again:
We used to tit about on ladders when we were the world’s Top Nation. Now we devise safety posters to prevent it happening!
They are mostly mad, paid off their war reparations in full, produced Tove Jannsen and Poets of the Fall. You can wear a bowler hat and feather boa if you are hard enough, no-one will laugh at you. World’s most phlegmatic nation.
Germans
German stuff does what it says on the tin, but they rarely put their beer in tins, preferring it fresh, local and on tap – Prost!. I love Oktoberfeste, family Gastttaette that are still there 30 years after you last visited them, and knowing that if a restaurant looks good, the food will still be good. We will pass swiftly over the German’s attempt to be the world’s Top Nation: Epic Fail!
Italians
Gotta love pasta, those uniforms, family meals and their sculpture (Suzanne reminds me; cheeky girl!) What did the Romans ever do for us when they were the world’s Top Nation?
Japanese
Polite and cultured, the Japanese still managed to produce cringeworthy excesses of bad taste and hilariously funny Youtube moments:
Portugese
Tyey discovered the New World again after the Vikings and the Chinese lost it. Invented Madeira (wine), Port and caramel cakes!
Russians know a thing or two about trucks, river crossings, spaceships and Vodka. They are almost, but not quite as mad as the Finns, and they still think that they are the world’s top Nation.
“…not so impressive, is driven by my daughter! or:
titting about in trucks”
Aussies, Austrians, Brits, Bulgarians, Czechs, French, Hungarians, Kiwis and Poles are all up for grabs. You are not allowed to do your own nation, and the Americans and French are not allowed to do each other :)
Grosstransportraum – Famo SdKfz 9 limber (L3),Sonder Anhänger 116 (L3), a variable number of trucks, Axis and captured
15th Panzer Division (Generalmajor Walter Neumann-Silkow until 6 December (killed in action), then Generalmajor Gustav von Vaerst) Comd car (C3), Signals Sdkfz 222 (C3), 20mm Flak Truck (S3), Ammo Truck (L3), POL Truck (L3), Engineer truck (L3), 2 Engineer (F2)
8th Panzer RegimentComd PzII (CF3), 4 PzIII** (F3)
115th Infantry RegimentComd Sdkfz 250, 251 or 263 (CF3), 2 Comd car (1 may be an Sdkfz 250 or 251) (CF3), 37mm Pak (S3) + Limber (L3), 2 Sdkfz 251(F3), 2 Truck (F3).
21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Johann von Ravenstein until 29 November (prisoner of war), then Generalmajor Karl Böttcher) Comd car (C3), Signals Sdkfz 222 [or captured Dorchester or SdKfz 263] (C3), 20mm Flak Truck (S3), Engineer truck (L3), 2 Engineer stands (F2), Ammo Truck (L3), POL Truck (L3), Ambulance Sdkfz 251 (L3).
(Renamed 90th Light Africa Division from 28 November 1941) (Generalmajor Max Sümmermann until 10 December (killed in action), then Generalmajor Richard Veith)
Comd car (C3), Signals Truck (C3), 20mm Flak Truck (S3), Ammo Truck (L3), POL Truck (L3), Engineer Truck (L3), 2 Engineer (F2)
155th Infantry Regiment3Comd car (C3), 37mm Pak (S3), 2 81mm Mortar (s3), 2 Truck (F3), 2 Truck (S3)
61st Infantry RegimentAs V and XII Motorised Battalions.
62nd Infantry RegimentAs V and XII Motorised Battalions
46th Artillery Regiment1 Comd car (C3), 1 FOO (R1), 1 Truck Limber (L3), 1 105mm Gun (S3), 1 Light Truck Limber (L3), 1 47mm PaK [may be Semovente L/40 da 47/32] (S3)
*Trucks: 4 small trucks each carrying 2 stands, or 2 large trucks each carrying 4 stands. APCs carry the same as a small truck – 2 stands and have an integral MG stand that can dismount in defence if the APC is not destroyed. The non-motorised battalions would draw transport from a limited army pool.
3. This truck showcased on the Duchy of Alzheim Blog belonged to General Bergonzoli of the Centauro division and was not present at GAZALA. Even so, it would make an excellent signals truck for one of the armoured divisions.
Thanks to Mike and others who have reminded me that if you haven’t seen Table 12 in use, then it is not immediately obvious how it works. So here goes :
An Italian 47mm Anti tank stand takes on a Soviet T-34
Example 1 – A 47mm Italian anti tank company takes on a tank company from 1st Guards Armoured Tank Corps near Stalingrad. First point – the Light medium or heavy value of the two sides are flexible, depending on the scenario that the Umpire sets. It seems reasonable to assume Light for the 47mm anti tank gun attack and MEDIUM for it’s defence (Horrid little low profile company dug in on a reverse slope ) MEDIUM attack and defence for the tank company (driving forward in the open with 75mm guns and proper medium armour). Each company rolls one die per stand, so one light die rolls a 5 for the Anti tank and one medium die rolls a 6 for the recce. On table 12 light 5 against medium scores one pip, so a red pin goes onto the tank company and medium 6 against light scores 2 pips, so 2 red pins go onto the 47mm.
Brave Bersagliari see off a Greyhound!
Example 2 – Three Light infantry companies attack a light armoured recce company. They roll 3 light dice scoring 1,4,6. The 4 scores 0ne pip and the 6 scores two pips so a total of 3 pips go onto the Greyhound. In return the Greyhound rolls a 6 scoring 2 pips. The Italian player allocates them evenly on his troops putting one on each of two stands of his choice. Next move, if the Greyhound does not retire, it will be assaulted by the Bersagliari, who have won the firefight. As it has no effective fighting strength left it will be overrun. Time to pull out and reorganise!
