Embedded Files
TOURNAMENT WINNERS
First Place - Nate . Second Place - Howard.
Congratulations to Nate and Howard, the first and second place winners, respectively.
The highest ranking Axis player faced off against the highest ranking Allied player, with three squads each. They fought three rounds of Close Combat until Nate had the last squad standing.
Thanks to everyone for playing, Scott and I very much enjoyed presenting you with these challenging scenarios and we hope you enjoyed them as well. Until next time...
AXIS AND ALLIED RANKING
MATCHES
GAME 1 Nate F vs Chris E, Allies
GAME 2 Dave VG vs Bill T, Allies
GAME 3 Monty J vs Tom, Allies
GAME 4 Howard R vs Superbee, Axis
PLAYER OPINIONS OF THE SCENARIO
"A great scenario, just the right mix and number of tanks and infantry and artillery. Despite the overwhelming Russian numbers the German player still has a viable chance of winning."
"The Russian infantry did their part by immobilizing one tank and destroying a second German tank in CC."
"The Germans reverse slope defense was being flanked and collapsed into an ever smaller circle."
5th Guards Tank Army map.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
22 June 1944. The Soviets were set to employ their strategy of “deep battle” against Army Group Center and Minsk. First they would break through German tactical zones and forward defenses. Then mobile operational reserves would exploit the breakthrough and encircle the enemy on an Army Group scale. The 5th Guards Tank Army (5th GTA) was one such exploitation unit.
Hitler assisted the Soviets by establishing Vitebsk, Orsha, Mogilev, Minsk, Bobruisk and others as Feste Plätzes and denying his commanders any operational mobility. No commander was allowed independent action and this helped the Soviets encircle and annihilate large pockets of German forces.
On 26 June 1944 the 5th GTA was advancing down the Moscow-Minsk highway toward Borisov, attempting to capture the city and stop the withdrawal of German troops to the east of the Berezina river. On the 28th at Krupki they met the 5th Panzer Division (5th PD), re-equipped and at full strength. These units would fight for Borisov until the 5th PD finally withdrew to avoid encirclement by other Soviet forces already across the Berezina. On the night of 30 June, they blew the bridge over the river.
The 5th GTA was then ordered to cross the Berezina and advance north-west to the communication hub of Molodeczno. Its rail line was crucial for evacuations and reinforcements like the 170th Infantry Division that had arrived the day before. The 5th GTA and the 5th PD would continue their thrust and parry, with a sharp conflict occurring at Pleshchenitsy on 1 July.
On 3 July the Russians would enter Minsk as German forces withdrew north-west through Molodoczno. To the east entire German armies were cut-off and annihilated. Over the following weeks only a very few small groups of Germans soldiers would reach their lines to the west. After the capture of Minsk, the Russians continued to press west, meeting little resistance. Their momentum carried them to the Vistula river where they, spent, rested to re-supply and re-equip themselves.
On 17 July the Soviets held the “Parade of the Vanquished” and marched 57,000 German POWs through the streets of Moscow. Even at a quick pace and twenty abreast, it took ninety minutes to pass. Operation Bagration saw the elimination of three German armies, 400,000-540,000 killed, wounded or missing and vast amounts of territory recaptured. The German army never recovered from the loss of men and materials. This was the greatest Russian victory of the war in numerical terms.
RUSSIAN ORDER OF BATTLE
Third Byelorussian Front (Chernyakovskiy)
5th Guards Tank Army (Rotmistrov)
3rd Guards Tank Corps (Bobchenko)
29th Tank Corps
3rd Guards Cavalry Corps (Oslikovskiy)
3rd Guards Mech Corps (Obukov)
GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE
ARMY GROUP CENTER
Fourth Army (later XXXIX Panzer Corps)
Kampfgruppe von Saucken
5th Panzer Division
Schwere Panzerabteilung 505, subordinated.
170th Infantry Division
Other elements
22 June Initial positions and Feste Plätzes map.
TIMELINE OF 5TH GUARDS TANK ARMY AND 5TH PANZER DIVISION
RESOURCES
Adair, Paul (2004) [1994]. "Hitler's Greatest Defeat: The Collapse of Army Group Center, June 1944". Weidenfeld Military.
https://archive.org/details/hitlersgreatestd0000adai/page/192/mode/2up?view=theater
Wikipedia. The Minsk Offensive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsk_offensive
Wikipedia. Operation Bagration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bagration
FitzGerald, Charles Lieutenant Colonel, “Operation Bagration”, Military Review. May 1964
https://cdm16040.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p124201coll1/id/656/rec/9
King, Curtis, Major “Operation Bagration: A Soviet Victory”, Military Review. April, 1994. pg 89/93
https://cdm16040.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p124201coll1/id/452/rec/3
Hinze, Rolf. "East Front Drama - 1944". Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc. 1996.
Zaloga, Steven. "bagration 1944: the destruction of army group center". Westcourt, CT. Praeger Publishers. 1996.
Veal, Stephen Ariel. "The collapse of the German army in the East in the summer of 1944 (Volume 1)" (1991). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4301.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.6183
Connor, William, Lieutenant Colonel. "Analysis of Deep Attack Operations: Operation Bagration, Belorussia 22 June - 29 August 1944". Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. March 1987
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a483385.pdf#page=54
Single Round Split Competition
This is a dual competition for the best allied player and the best axis player. This provides a level playing field between opponents and reduces the effect of an unbalanced scenario.
Pace
The tournament is paced for PBEM of a seven turn scenario. Players have fourteen weeks to complete the match or one player turn a week for a seven turn scenario. Scenarios of greater length have the same fourteen weeks and pace must be managed by players. Matches that fall behind should meet face-to-face on VSQL to ensure timely completion.
Rules and Conventions
Generally, all rules are in play unless mutually agreed upon in advance. The Tactical Training Series explicitly state rules in effect. The twelve original scenarios use the rules through those introduced.
The Squad Leader Academy Conventions are in effect, they answer rule questions from prior SQLA tournaments and provide guidance to the Administrators in rule disputes. Players are advised to read them beforehand.
Significant conventions
31B requires passengers to 'bail-out' when an AFV fires or is hit to prevent the 'panzergrenadier' hack. They may not move to an adjacent hex nor fire that player turn.
36B crews may not attempt AFV immobilization.
48B an ATG crew is only effected by a hit on the gun. This is a departure from the example but agrees with the rule.
57A Units may not advance 'up-and-over'. This prevents a unit entering close combat from outside the defender's LOS during the dfph.
The Supplemental Rules of Combat compile rules by firing unit type and target types. Use this to find the related rules in one paragraph and to resolve uncommon situations
Rule disagreements should be resolved in the following steps:
Players should discuss between themselves.
Roll the dice by mutual agreement.
Ask the Administrator, he resolves the dispute to continue play. Please post questions to BGG - Squad Leader forums for quickest response.
Medium
The official medium is VASSAL's SQUAD LEADER module. Players may use another medium upon mutual agreement.
VASSAL version 3.6.19
VSQL version 4.3.5
Boards version 5 SK
ACTS is the official dice roller, it verifies rolls and it facilitates play-by-email. You can create an account and log in here.
You should use the Squad Leader Series Module in ACTS, a template for our games.
Quick and easy ACTS
Place fire and target counters on VSQL board and type Firepower, modifiers and terrain.
Copy and paste this into ACTS Dice Roll comments and roll dice.
Copy and paste dice roll results into VSQL and resolve shots.
Players not desiring the additional record keeping may use VASSAL's internal dice roller, subject to agreement of both players.
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