1941 Grodno pummelled- technical notes

From the comments made over the last few posts on WW2, I can estimate a few explanations of game mechanics and nomenclature will go a long way in a reader's understanding of the AAR posts. The 12/19/25 game was a teaching experience for the three of us.  Roger & Greg were portraying the command staff for the 4th Infantry regiment, the Russian forces were positioned by me, and the mechanics of the game took it from there. 

 

BUA's  are 4" by 4" areas, divided into one interior and 4 exterior spaces. Flimsy buildings are easier to destroy than the standard.

Mud is a ground condition that would mimic soft ground at riverbanks of a certain difficulty. 

Overall maps :

The game the maps are from runs six sheets of the maps from the Arctic circle  to the ground around the Black Sea.  Actual tactical maps are from sketches and based on generated terrain. 

The strategic turn has eight hours, each hour is two tactical turns each representing 30, minutes.  Map positions are adjusted each turn to allow bombing, reinforcements, fire support to be added or dropped off the scenario as per instructions losing support.

 We last left our Soviet defenders in the outskirts of Grodny, getting conflicting messages from the reports at Bialystok and Lithuania. Being cautious to render a strong defense of the town, all but four rifle companies were pulled back to East and North of the river. Waiting for the enemy advance, they did have the advantage of the cover in the built up sections the had occupied.  

Then 1000 hours arrived.  A barrage from the medium howitzer battalion came down on the flimsy buildings of West Pour.  A second bombardment, this of 105mm howitzers, came screaming down on the position just east of the bridge.  The  missions were preplotted, allowing some certain time and availability. 

  

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Sketch map to be used -----On both the Russian and German command posts. 

 

Fire missions at 1000 hours.Stars indicate artillery  missions 

 

Stars mark the approximate artillery strike point.  The first battalion, 4th Infantrie advanced  

I had mentioned to both German commanders that this was likely  as good as it was to get . Due to full battalion fire and and the preplotting.

 

Despite the use over 30 years,  the German command has remained unpainted. 

Supporting fire from infantry guns.

Bombardment in progress. 

The entirety of the German Medium howitzer battalion salvo came down on the nearest side of the river.  Despite the cover provided by the buildings,  casualties were high among the defenders. The light howitzer battalion salvo was as effective. The fire templates caught caught a total of six stands, four of which were casualties.  

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Even the skies were against the defenders as a Stuka attack arrived and contributed to the destruction. 

The rifle battalion took a morale test and failed by a large margin. The remainder of the 1000 and 1030 hour turns were spent mopping up surviving rifle battalion men from the rubble. No casualties were incurred by the German units.  ( Unit morale is effected by things such as casualties and proximity to enemy units or armor.

 

Oh good, now I can took off a few hours to get items like reinforcements, supplies, replacements sorted out, as well as an air and road usage schedule. 

 

Next report is likely the advance on Baranowice by the 5th Infantry regiment fresh on the heels of the victory over Bialyostok.

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