Russian Front – Fall Blau

 

  1. Current Date:  June, 1942 (turn 13)

 

  1. Accumulated Replacements:  2 for “other” Axis allies. 

 

  1. Current Victory Level:  does not apply (see victory conditions below)

 

  1. Available Partisan Factors:  1

 

  1. Minefields:  Soviet minefields are placed in hexes B20 (Novorassiysk), and H23 (Rostov).  The Soviet player may have a total of three minefields on the board during this scenario.  Axis minefields are placed in hexes D17 and E18 (Kerch), J10 (Odessa), and I22 (Taganrog). 

 

  1. Hits:  The following hits should be marked, as desired by the controlling players, on the combat units.

1.      Soviet:  10 on infantry armies (no more than one hit per unit), 3 on mountain armies (no more than one hit per unit), 1 on the air unit, 1 on the Marine army in Sevastopol, and 1 on the flotilla in Sevastopol. 

2.     Axis:  1 on Romanian infantry (11th army), 1 on German infantry (11th army), and 3 on German Panzer Corps. 

 

  1. Set Up Restrictions:  All hexes of the “42” start line must be occupied.  The Soviet player sets up first.  Any Axis units not occupying the “42” start line may be placed in Reserve.  Parenthesis indicates the turn of the unit’s arrival in the regular game.
    1. Soviet Set Up:

a.     Bryansk Front (hexes U23, V23, W23):  13 inf. (I), 48 inf. (12), 60 inf. (7)

b.     Southwest Front (hexes O22, P21, Q22, R21, S22, T22):  6 inf.(2), 9 mt. (5), 21 inf. (I), 28 inf. (2), 38 inf. (3), 40 inf. (3)

c.       South Front (hexes I23, J23, K23, L23, M23, N22):  12 inf. (2), 18 inf. (2), 37 inf. (3), 51 inf. (3), 56 mt. (5), 57 inf. (7)

d.     Kerch Strait (hexes D18, E19):    44 mt. (8), 47 mt. (8)

e.      Sevastopol (hex D13):  BS Mar inf. (I), 2-2-7 BS flotilla (I)

f.       Rostov (hex H23):  1-1-7 flotilla

g.      Stalingrad (hex K31):  3 cav. (12), 7 air (7)

h.     Novorassiysk (hex B20):  4-4-7 BS fleet (I)

 

    1. Axis Set up:  With the exception of the units in the 11th army, Axis units may be placed anywhere West of the “42” start line as long as they meet the set up restrictions above.  Units of the 11th army must set up in the Crimea and no other Axis units may set up there.      

a.     2nd Army:  39th Panzer (C), 7th inf. (C), 13th inf. (C), 55th inf. (S)

b.     6th Army:  14th Panzer (S), 8th inf. (C), 11th inf. (R), 17th inf. (S), 51st inf. (2)

c.      4th Panzer Army:  24th Panzer (C), 48th Panzer (S), 4th inf. (S)

d.     1st Panzer Army:  3rd Panzer (S), 40th Panzer (2), 52nd inf. (S)

e.      17th Army:  57th Panzer (C), 5th inf. (C), 44th inf. (C), 49th mt. (S)

f.       11th Army (must set up in the Crimea):  ST (12), 42nd inf. (C), 30th inf. (R), 54th inf. (R), 1R mt. (R), 7R inf. (12)

g.      2nd Hungarian Army:  1H armored corps (H), 2H inf. (12), 3H inf. (12)

h.     3rd Romanian Army:  4R inf. (R), 5R inf. (3), 6R inf. (12)

i.       8th Italian Army:  3I inf. (3)

j.       Air units:  4th Air (S), 5th Air (S), 8th Air (C), 2R Air (12)

k.     Naval units:  3-3-7 German BS flotilla, 1-1-7 Romanian flotilla, 1-1-7 Italian flotilla. 

 

  1. Special Rules: 
    1. Soviet July Reinforcements:  1st Arm. army enters with 2 hits; 4th Arm. army enters with 3 hits.
    2. Axis Reinforcements:  All Axis reinforcements (not replacements) arrive “any” behind the “42” start line.  Any axis units that are eliminated and rebuilt must begin the game in their respective home countries. 
    3. Optional additional Axis Reinforcement:  add the 19th mountain infantry to the Axis turn 15 reinforcements. 
    4.  Baku The Soviets are limited to a single unit per turn utilizing off-board rail movement through Baku.  This does not effect the placement of reinforcements marked “any” in/around the cities of the Caucasus. 
    5. Axis movement restrictions:  Axis units may not cross the Don River at any point North of Stalingrad.  They may not cross the Volga River.  They may be placed “on” either river.  If, at the end of the Soviet September turn or the end of any Soviet turn thereafter, every hex of the Don River north of Stalingrad (with the exception of hexes R24 and P25) is not covered by a Soviet ground unit’s ZOC, Axis units may advance past the Don River north of Stalingrad (but not the Volga).  Optional:  Axis units may advance past the Don River north of Stalingrad (but not the Volga) after the Soviet December turn.
    6. Supply:  Units may trace supply off of the northern “edge” of the board (hex row V, inclusive) unless the hexes through which they trace supply would be considered in an enemy ZOC.  For example, a Russian unit in hex V21 could trace supply through either hex W21 or W22.  However if an Axis unit is in hex V20, its ZOC would negate the supply line traced through hex W21.
    7. Replacements:  All Soviet and Axis replacements are listed on the Replacement Chart.  The only exceptions are detailed below.  Rule 13.2.1.1.2 does not affect the Axis replacement rate for this scenario.  Off board factories do not affect the Soviet replacement rate for this scenario. 

a.     Each Axis controlled oil hex adds one replacement factor for Germany or any Axis ally per rule 13.2.1.1.1. 

b.     Axis control of Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, and Rostov adds one replacement factor for Germany per rule 13.2.1.1.3. 

c.      Each Soviet controlled oil hex adds one replacement factor. 

d.     Soviet replacement factors are reduced by the replacement numbers of Soviet replacement cities which are in Axis control or which are out of supply. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Replacement Chart: 

 

Turn

Germany

Other Axis

Russia

Partisans

July (14)

14

2

18

1

Aug (15)

14

2

22

1

Sep (16)

13

2

23

1

Oct (17)

12

2

23

1

Nov (18)

11

2

23

1

Dec (19)

10

2

26

2

Jan (20)

 9

3

26

1

Feb (21)

 9

3

26

1

Mar (22)

 9

3

24

1

Apr (23)

10

3

22

2

May (24)

11

2

21

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Victory Conditions: 
    1. Axis Victory Conditions:

·         Decisive:  Control (in supply) Stalingrad, Baku, and Maikop, at the end of any Axis turn.

·         Marginal:  Control (in supply) Stalingrad, Grozny, the oil well next to Grozny, Maikop and all cities on the Axis side of the “42” start line at the end of the game.

·         Tie:  Control (in supply) all cities on the Axis side of the “42” start line and any two major cities on the Soviet side of the “42” start line. 

    1. Soviet Victory Conditions:

·         Decisive:  Control (in supply) all cities and oil wells on the Soviet side of the “42” start line as well as one major city on the Axis side of the “42” start line. 

·         Marginal:  Control (in supply) all but one major city or oil well on the Soviet side of the “42” start line.

·         Tie:  Control all but two major cities and/or oil wells on the Soviet side of the “42” start line.

 

Playtest Notes: 

 

  1. The Axis must deny the Soviets control of Voronezh, Stalingrad, Stavropol, and Tuapse for as long as possible.  Control of these cities gives the Soviets forward air bases and air superiority follows very quickly.  This is especially true of Stalingrad.  Tuapse also gives the Soviets a dangerous naval base for marine landings.   
  2. There is only a single airbase that can support the Axis attack on Grozny (Stavropol).  Two German air units will need to be based there if you are serious about taking Grozny.  That puts the majority of the German air units in the far South and opens up the possibility of an early Soviet offensive across the Don. 
  3. Once the Russians rebuild enough Mountain infantry, the Axis have a difficult time with the drive to take Grozny. This is because the only supply line to Grozny runs right across the Caucasus mountain ranges and it is a long line to defend.  It would be worthwhile to send a small German “army group” through the mountains to make sure the Russians don’t flank the Grozny forces.  But is it worth sending the powerful German mountain unit?  It almost seems a waste since there may very little fighting in that area and German forces are normally stretched to the limit.   
  4. Losing more than one German air unit means losing the game. 
  5. The Russians must be aggressive and remember that there is the possibility of a lot of bad weather from October through May.  They cannot afford to simply wait the Germans out and expect to advance easily during the last few turns.  They need to do some damage early to succeed—and it’s not likely the Axis player will allow them to throw a noose around the 6th army. 
  6. It’s entirely possible that neither player will achieve the Victory Conditions posted above.  Players may then take a tie or may determine their own victory conditions as they see fit.