(FoW) NKVD vs. Grenadiers in Stalingrad (kuvia, englantia)

[Second Stringer]

Early September 1942
Orlovka Suburb, North Stalingrad

Situation: Free for all
Forces: Soviet guards motostrelkovy bataljon vs. German grenadier company
East front, 1500 pts

Forces:
Soviet motostrelkovy bataljon
10th NKVD rifle division
(in this game referred as NKVD motostrelkovy battalion)
Led by stubborn lieutenant colonel of state security Kuznetsov

HQ:
NKVD Motostrelkovy bataljon hq

Combat platoons:
1. NKVD motostrelkovy co.
- rifle/mg platoon + smg platoon, commissar

2. NKVD motostrelkovy co.
- rifle/mg platoon + smg platoon, commissar

NKVD motorized mortar co.
- 2 mortar platoons (82mm), spotter

Weapons companies:
Medium tankovy co.
- 5 x T-34 obr 1941

Corps support: (from 1077th anti-aircraft regiment)
Anti-aircraft co.
- 2 anti-aircraft platoons


German grenadier kompanie:
389th ”Rheingold” infantry division
Led by recently promoted Hauptmann von Hasselhoff

HQ:
Hq + 1 panzerknacker

Combat platoons:
grenadier plt 1 (full) + panzerknacker
grenadier plt 2 (full) + panzerknacker
grenadier plt 3 (full) + panzerknacker

Weapons platoons:
grenadier mg plt (full)
grenadier mortar plt (4 x GW34)

Regimental support:
Grenadier A-T plt (3 x 7.5cm PaK40)
infantry gun plt (2 x leIG18)
heavy infantry gun plt (2 x sIG33)

Divisional support:
rocket launcher battery (3 x NW41)


Introduction:
In the first days of september the fighting has flowed wildly around Orlovka, one of Stalingrad’s northern suburbs. Yesterday the german 16th panzer division flushed the soviets out from the burning settlement. However, left without infantry support the panzers withdrew from settlement and continued their advance towards Spartakovka. The germans considered Orlovka ready for mopping up of the last remaining soviets. The task was given to 389th ”Rheingold” infantry division, who dispatched a kampfgruppe to do the job.

The germans were right, that Orlovka was practically cleared of the enemy – just one soviet AA-battery from 1077th AA-regiment remained concealed n the east side of settlement. However, what the germans did not know, was that Soviet high command had ordered an immediate counterattack to retake Orlovka and the strategically important Spartakovka railway line. The counterattacking force was detached from 10th NKVD division, including motor infantry, mortars and tanks…
Two forces advanced straight at each other…


Battlefield:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... _3176b.jpg
Orlovka and immediate surroundings. The settlement is badly mauled by previous fighting. We agreed, that ruined buildings are considered bulletproof cover and that los can be traced into them but not through them. Railway embankment gives concealment for teams that are next to it.
Objectives are marked with yellow circles. 3D objectives were used, but substituted fro flat ones if fighting flowed on top of them.
Both sides planned to hold the line around the southern objectives (unless a good chance to attack comes) and to do the big push at the northern objectives (in the lower end of picture).


Soviet north flank:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3178.jpg
The 2nd NKVD motostrelkovy company (capt. Nazaryan) and T-34 company (capt. Shvets), ready to move out from the brick factory.


Soviet south flank:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3179.jpg
The 1st NKVD motostrelkovy company (capt. Talgayev) and AA-company (capt. Mariya Kovolova) in starting positions.

German positions:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3180.jpg
German nebelwerfers and mortars set up next to railway line. Grenadier platoons set in front of them, ready to advance. 75mm at-guns are around the northern objective, the railway crossing.


Soviet north flank advances:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3183.jpg
Soviets get the first turn. In the soviet north flank, the tank company clatters forward, followed close behind by NKVD motor infantry. Urraah!


Soviet south flank advances:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3184.jpg
In southern flank the NKVD motor infantry also begins it’s advance into the ruined settlement. The women of AA company sensibly begin to dig in. It’s all menacingly quiet yet…

German advance:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3185.jpg
The german kampfgruppe also advances towards Orlovka from other direction… and soon a large formation of advancing soviets is spotted at the north sector! Germans open fire with every heavy weapon that can fire. Leading T-34 is destroyed, but the infantry losses are light.


Wheels of terror:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3188.jpg
The soviet advance continues. With the battalion commander leading, it’s difficult to pin this unit down. T-34’s drive forward and take positions to give soon fire support for advancing infantry.


Close encounter:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3192.jpg
German 2nd and 3rd grenadier platoons had pushed to the ruins of Orlovka as had the 1st NKVD motostrelkovy company. The few survivors of the following brawl usually tell, that it most likely were the soviets that charged first…


Charge!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3198.jpg
Soviet mortars and smg’s forced the germans to take cover – and then the charge hit home. An extremely brutal close combat followed. 2nd platoon with hauptmann von Hasselhoff broke away almost immediately. But also soviets took brutal punishing from german veterans of 3rd platoon. However, just more and more NKVD streamed in the melee…


Moment of silence – and then it all begins again:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3202.jpg
Finally also the remnants of german 3rd platoon had had enough and broke. The few survivors scattered and took no more part in this battle.
At the moment of silence, captain Talgayev looked at his battered company.
”The germans will counterattack! Secure the perimeter! Reload magazines and ready the grenades!”
Moments later the silence was broken by German machine-gun fire and yells of attacking grenadiers. The german 2nd platoon was back with vengeance.


Last, best and only remaining line of defence:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3207.jpg
From anti-aircraft gun positions it was hard to see what was going on…
Olga saw movement in the dust through her gun sight, some figures… ours or german?
Field grey uniforms. Oh no, the fritzes had nailed the NKVD boys…
Olga heard the voice of captain Kovolova as stoic as ever:”High-explosive shells, lock and load! On my mark, all guns, fire at will! Ready - - fire!”. Olga floored the pedal and the four 37mm cannons peppered the advancing germans with high-explosive shells. The first ones fell, others quickly scurried to take cover in ruins.

Meanwhile in the north flank…
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3208.jpg
In the northern flank NKVD motor riflemen had advanced to ruined buildings, that could be used as a platform for the decisive attack. Lieutenant colonel Kuznetsov knew that it would mean heavy fighting… but you know what they say: ”you can’t make blinis without breaking some eggs”.


Za Rodina! Za Stalina!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3213.jpg
The assault pushed forward. One ruined building was cleared, then another. The fighting was brutal even at Stalingrad standards. Slowly and methodically the soviet assault pushed forward over the bodies of their fallen comrades.
German 1st platoon was destroyed as were the infantry guns. During the fighting also Hauptmann von Hasselhoff went missing in action.


Objective in sight:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3216.jpg
The approaches to railway crossing objective was in sight. It was protected by german guns – but there was no stopping now. Lt colonel Kuznetsov urged his men to carry on the assault.
”Chekists! Once more forward! For Stalin and for motherland!”


It’s the final countdown:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3218.jpg
"Forth! Down fear of darkness! Arise! Arise, soviet soldiers! A sword day... a red day... and the sun rises! Charge now... charge now... charge! Charge for ruin and the world's ending! Death!"


Spartakovka railway crossing objective taken!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3219.jpg
2nd company attacked, endured the defensive fire and cleared the objective! German last ditch counterattack failed – just – and the objective was firmly in soviet hands. Of the 2nd NKVD motostrelkovy company just four teams (8 men) were remaining…
But the victory was theirs!


The last shots:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... G_3220.jpg
Leutnant Baumann, the second in command, was crouching in a shellhole. He had heard that the german firing from the north sector had died down. There was no possibility for him to continue to push forward while those damned aa-guns blocked the way. There was only one sensible option… retreat…

There was no point to die now in vain. They could take Stalingrad in another day.


Result: Soviet victory

[Druzhina Captain]

Miten nuo joukot kasattiin? Lähinnä kiinnostaa, onko noille NKVD-joukoille omaa briefiä vai käytittekö vain normaalia motostrelkovy bataljon listaa, mistä kirjasta?

[Second Stringer]

Molemmat joukot on kasattu uuden East Front- kirjan mukaan.

Grenadier kompanie on ihan suoraan kyseisestä kirjasta.

NKVD:lle on ollut olemassa antiikkisen wanha oma varianttilista, löytyy täältä:
http://web.archive.org/web/200702021218 ... icleID=956
Se on kuitenkin pisteiltään ja muilta viittauksiltaan auttamatta vanhentunut. Artikkelista kuitenkin saa hyvää osviittaa mitä NKVD:n kokoonpano olisi voinut pitää sisällään. Minulla normiupseereille on maalattu NKVD:n rajavartijoiden tummanvihreät koppalakit ja varsinaisille poliittisille ohjaajille siniset lähinnä sen takia että erottuisivat toisistaan.

Eli siis, NKVD motostrelkovy on ihan suoraan kirjan gvardiya motostrelkovy company (varustettuna värikkäillä koppalakeilla).

[Druzhina Captain]

Näin arvelinkin, että ne ovat jostain kaartilaislistasta. Mielenkiintoinen raportti ja nähtävästi jopa AA-konekivääritkin pääsivät toimintaan. Miten muuten toimii Hen & Chicks sääntö, kun kommentajan panssarituhotaan?

[Second Stringer]

IT-tykit tosiaan pärjäsivät paremmin kuin mitä olin uskaltanut ajatellakaan. :)
Oikeastaan tosin olin ottanut ne mukaan koska halusin testata konversoituja miniatyyrejä.

Hen and chickshän toimii peliteknisesti niin, että jos sosialistitankki liikkuu yli 6", komppania ei voi ampua. Eli komentajan menetys loppujen lopuksi kirpaisi ihan samalla tavalla kuin muitakin kansallisuuksia. Loppuvaiheessa T-34 komppanian rippeet sitten tosiaan jämähtivätkin pariksi vuoroksi paikalleen. Ihan lopussa pataljoonankomentaja sai ylennettyä toisen selviytyneistä tankeista uudeksi komppanianpäälliköksi, joten jos vuoroja olisi tullut lisää niin olisivat taas päässeet liikkeelle.

[Nummi]

Heh, ".... ,And the red sun rising! DEAAATH!" Mistäköhän tuo nyt voisi olla?
Hieno raportti, ja kuvat olivat erittäin mainio lisä. Harmittaa vain aina kun katsoo näitä kuvia, kun tuo salamavalo saa kaiken näyttämään niin rumalta. Tosin, kokeilin ilman salamavaloa raportin tekemistä kerran itsekin, ja siitä ei saanut mitään selvää, kun kentälle ei mitään studiota saa aikaiseksi.
Mainiota, and for the Motherland Comrades!

[Second Stringer]

Lieutenant colonel Kuznetsov having his Theoden moment. :)

Salama tosiaan muuttaa aina värisävyjä, mutta minkäs teet...
Näihin FoW taisteluraportteihin sopisivat tietysti parhaiten lievästi tuhnuiset mustavalkoiset kuvat - kuin suoraan Krasnaja Zvezdan syyskuu -42 numeron etusivulta!
:D

[kmh]

Heh, ".... ,And the red sun rising! DEAAATH!" Mistäköhän tuo nyt voisi olla?
Hieno raportti, ja kuvat olivat erittäin mainio lisä. Harmittaa vain aina kun katsoo näitä kuvia, kun tuo salamavalo saa kaiken näyttämään niin rumalta. Tosin, kokeilin ilman salamavaloa raportin tekemistä kerran itsekin, ja siitä ei saanut mitään selvää, kun kentälle ei mitään studiota saa aikaiseksi.

Avain on se, että salama on irti kamerasta. Otin tosiaan fow-turnauksesta ja conklaavistakin kuvia, joiden resepti oli: Salama kaapelin päässä kädessä, salama osoittaa kohti kattoa. Olettaen että katto on vaalea, toimii toi vallan mainiosti.

FOW-turnaus Lauttasaaressa
40k-turnausta Conklaavissa

Sen kummempi ei kenttästudion tarvitse olla :) Jälkimmäisen linkin zombie-kuvat on otettu niin, että salama on kamerasta irti, rakennuksen takana osoittamassa figuja kohti. Jälleen kerran, avainsana on se että saa salaman irti rungosta, niin johan saa hyvännäköisiä kuvia salamallakin.