Big Sunday Game - 28mm WW2 Zhukov's Counterattack Dec 1941

 For today's game, I used Co Pilot AI to create a scenario - I gave it roughly these instructions "Review 28mm wargame rules like Bolt Action, Chain of Command and Iron Cross" and create a game for 3 players per side based on Zhukov's counter attack outside Moscow in Dec 1941, played on an 18 x 6 foot table and timed to last 4 to 5 hours"

I then asked it to produce a map of the terrain 

As it turned out there were four players per side, but I was able to adjust the basic ideas the AI provided me with. Thanks to Andrew generously offering to umpire, I even got to play as part of the Soviet counterattack - Urrah!

I have to admit I probably got the force balance wrong, the Russians had three infantry units each to the Germans two, the Russians got to classify one unit as elite and the Germans had to classify one of theirs as "conscript" Each Russian player had two tanks (except Nick who had four but two were the tiny T70's). German tanks were PZ III with 50mm gun or PZ IV with short 75mm (the Ausf F1 version). They also had AT guns, but these were the underpowered PAK 36 37mm varieties. The Russians had eight T34 or KV1 between them .....

My defence is, my scenario was based on this - 

On December 5–6, 1941, Soviet forces under Marshal Georgy Zhukov launched a massive, surprise counter-offensive at the gates of Moscow, stopping the German "Operation Typhoon" and driving the Wehrmacht back 100–250 kilometers. The attack marked the first major strategic defeat for Nazi Germany in World War II, shattering the myth of German invincibility and marking a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. 

Key Aspects of the Counter-Attack:

Strategic Timing: Zhukov waited until the German Army Group Center (led by Fedor von Bock) was exhausted, frozen, and at the end of its supply lines before initiating the offensive.

Fresh Reserves: The attack was spearheaded by fresh, well-equipped Siberian and Far Eastern divisions (informed by Soviet intelligence (master spy Richard Sorge) that Japan would not attack from the east).

Winter Warfare: Using winter camo, ski troops, and Katyusha rockets, the Red Army utilized the harsh, sub-zero conditions—which had rendered German tanks and weaponry inoperable—to their advantage.

Targeting Flanks: Zhukov struck the overextended northern and southern flanks of the German salient around Moscow, forcing a rapid, disorganized retreat to avoid encirclement.

Outcome: The immediate threat to Moscow was removed, saving the capital. The battle cost the Germans 250,000–400,000 casualties and resulted in the removal of several top German generals by Hitler.

Anyway, here is what you came for - 50 pics of WWII 28mm action!

Initial set up - Russians on the left, Germans on the right. In preparation for the game, I invested in 6m x 148cm of cheap ($6 per meter) sweatshirt fleece from a local handicraft store and gave it a bit of a spay with grey aerosol paint. It was long enough to cover Barry's table but not wide enough, but we put the desert cloth on first and the "snow" was about three quarters of the width of the table.

Some fantastic winter buildings, built by Mark for our gaming mate Nick

Chris commanded one of the central Russian commands - 3 infantry with a KV 1 and T 34.

Opposite him was Julian with 2 units of German infantry in a shallow trench and a Pz III

On the German right flank was Barry

Attempting to hold off Nicks powerful Soviet force

Barry's force in the small village - some of my recently completed Warlord winter German infantry and a Pz III

Soviet infantry advance

I was on the Soviet right flank, assaulting a position defended by Rick.

First blood! Julian opened fire with the PZ III on Chris (or Mark) but failed to hit. In the return fire (a feature of Andrews rules) the Soviet tank was more successful!

Actually it WAS Mark - I took this picture to remind me!

Shortly thereafter, Nick had similar success against Barry's lone Pz III

Beautifully painted Soviet troops from Nicks collection

My command advances across the frozen tundra to evict Ricks Fascist Occupiers! The enemy Pak 36 is already a smoking wreck thanks to a 76mm round from a T34.

Marks command moves forward towards Julian's trench line

Meanwhile, Chris bides his time

My leading troops near the road 

Paul commanded the troops occupying the wrecked village in the centre of the German position, including their best asset, a Pz IV F1

Three shots of my infantry storming forwards!

The Russians in the centre move up towards the German defences

On our left flank, Nicks troops edge forward cautiously

This unit assaulted some Germans holding one of the village houses and suffered a rebuff

Barry's men line the trench adjacent to the village

The Luftwaffe makes an appearance, targeting the T34's. It needs a 9 on 2 D6 for a hit and a 12 will destroy a tank (and it adds +3 to the roll) - Barry was 50% successful - you target a unit or vehicle and can then roll again against one other unit that is within 4" of the primary target. The Stuka missed the first target but destroyed the second!

In the centre, Chris had now joined Mark in the assaults on Julian's trenches

Nicks force regroups after the shock of the Luftwaffe's intervention

View from behind the German lines opposite Nick

Julian's defensive hedgehog

From the rear of Pauls position in the wrecked village

The Russian advance in my sector - the unit between the two T34's has 4 hits and had to pull back - fortunately I managed to roll 9 in the next rally phase and get them back into the fight (must have been some NKVD troops lurking in the rear area?!)

Things hot up in the centre

Chris assaults Pauls troops in the wrecked village

I sent a T34 into the woods to assault a conscript unit carrying 4 hits - I was +1 and Rick was -2 - and the flukey bugger rolled 11 and stopped the tank in its tracks - literally!

Mark and Chris continue to pound Julian and Paul in the centre

Nicks force regained the upper hand over Barry's Germans and the advance on our left flank continued

In close combat, Nick deployed a flame thrower - that is +3 on the dice roll and negates any cover - ouch! The Soviet assault was successful and the Germans fell back

We are getting near the end now, my infantry has seized the village Rick was defending, and I have infantry and a T34 in the small wood

Chris has evicted Julian from his trench - for the second time!

The breakthrough on my flank - there were VP's up for grabs for holding various terrain features, but the Soviet aim was to get at least 3 units off the German table edge - Nick got at least two and I had a T34 off plus three infantry units well on their way

The Germans under Paul still putting up a fight in the central, ruined village area

On the left flank, most of Nick's command has exited the table after smashing Barry aside

In the centre, Russian armour moves up to support the infantry who have captured half of the German trench system

Final shot 

And below - two pics of Pauls new toy - a fully working replica of an MG 34 - or is it a 42 - probably the latter!

This is what comes of having been divorced for twenty plus years and having no feminine input to restrain your impulses!

Anyway, I enjoyed putting on this scenario. About 75% of the troops and vehicles on the table were mine, so it was nice to see everything assembled and painted over the last 18 months or so actually get into action (the Germans have had a couple of Blitzkrieg outings, but it's the first time the Russians have participated in a "big" game at Barry's). 

In retrospect, it was a tough day at the office for the Germans and maybe I could have balanced it a bit better, but the Russians only had a 2:1 numerical advantage in tanks and a 3:2 advantage in infantry - and they were attacking across pretty open ground. The problem the Germans had was their anti-tank capability wasn't up to the task - but I end with another historical justification for this set of affairs! (its something I prepared earlier and emailed to the guys after the game!)

Regarding Soviet Tanks - 

T34 

Initial combat reports from Operation Barbarossa often described the T-34 as invulnerable to standard German anti-tank weapons, leading to high-level demands to copy the design.

Initial Shock and Technical Assessments (1941–1942)

• 
  
• "Invincible" Status: Early reports described the T-34 as a "mighty juggernaut" with sloped armor that allowed shells from 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns to bounce off, earning the 37mm PaK 36 the nickname "Panzer-tapper".
• Superiority in Design: Generaloberst Heinz Guderian noted the T-34's "vast superiority" over German Pz.Kpfw. III and IV tanks in armor, armament, and maneuverability, even suggesting a direct copy of the tank.
• Combat Reports: A German company commander reported on June 23, 1941, that 37mm anti-tank guns fired a "drumroll" of shells against a T-34 to no effect.

KV1 

During the early stages of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, German contemporary reports and war diaries express a sense of profound shock and frustration when encountering the Soviet KV-1 heavy tank. The German Wehrmacht, which had largely succeeded with Blitzkrieg tactics, found its standard anti-tank weaponry nearly useless against this "Russian Monster". 

Key Contemporary Accounts and Observations

• 
  
• Ineffectiveness of Standard Weapons: Reports from 1941 frequently cite that the standard German 37mm Pak 36 (mockingly called the "door-knocker") and the 50mm Pak 38 could not penetrate the KV-1's armor, even at close range. The short-barreled 7.5 cm guns on early Panzer IVs were similarly ineffective.
• The "Invincibility" Factor: German units often watched helplessly as a single KV-1 would block entire roads, absorbing dozens of hits without being disabled. One famous instance at the Battle of Raseiniai   (see below) describes a lone KV tank holding off the 6th Panzer Division for 24 hours, surviving 50mm AT fire and 105mm howitzer shells.

• Ammunition-Free Fighting: Some reports described KV-1 crews who, having run out of ammunition, continued to fight by ramming German tanks and crushing anti-tank guns under their tracks.
• The 88mm Solution: Contemporary field reports conclude that the only reliable way to destroy a KV-1 in 1941 was through the use of the 8.8 cm Flak anti-aircraft gun in a direct-fire role, or by using heavy 10.5cm or 15cm artillery.
• Psychological Impact: The unexpected appearance of the KV-1 forced a complete reconsideration of German tank warfare. Diaries mention that soldiers were "horrified" by the tank's resilience and that the mood of units would "ruin" after failing to neutralize even a single immobile KV-1.

During the Battle of Raseiniai in Lithuania (June 1941), a single Soviet KV-1 or KV-2 heavy tank successfully blocked a crucial supply road for the German 6th Panzer Division for over 24 hours. 

Key Aspects of the Stand:

• 
  
• The Action: The tank, believed to be from the 2nd Tank Division, was likely abandoned or immobilized by lack of fuel/ammo at a crossroads, where it severed the German supply line, cutting off 5,000 troops.
• Invulnerability: German 37mm anti-tank guns and Panzer 35(t) tanks proved ineffective against its heavy armor, with 50mm shells leaving only shallow dents.
• Harassment: The tank destroyed multiple German anti-tank guns, supply trucks, and a 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun sent to destroy it.
• The End: After failing to destroy it with infantry explosives at night, the Germans finally knocked it out on June 25th using a distracted frontal attack with tanks, followed by an 8.8 cm FlaK gun firing from the rear.
• Respect: Impressed by the crew's bravery, the German troops buried them with full military honors.

The delay caused significant panic in the German 6th Panzer Division's rear echelon but did not stop the overall German victory in the battle, which saw most Soviet armored forces in the region destroyed