Tank Panic at Fedorovka

[jivemi]

TANK PANIC AT FEDOROVKA
OR
FINDING THE “A” IN OCOKA

SPOILER ALERT

This is an AAR of scenario #766 depicting one historical episode during the Second Battle of Kharkov in May of 1942. It is a Russian assault by a beefed-up infantry battalion, including an attached engineer company with 4 flamethrowers and satchel charges along with a tank company of 7 each Matilda II’s and Valentine III’s. Artillery support consists of 2 82 and 4 120mm mortar sections, a pair of 76mm pack howitzers, 2 76mm off board “Rat’s Tail” batteries, one 122mm battery and 2 observers. Two 45mm AT guns round out the force.

Opposing them is said to be a depleted ad hoc German infantry battalion with limited anti-armor support which is not expected to pose much of a threat to those British tanks. They are however considered very experienced veterans and well-fortified with trenches, barbed wire and minefields to confound any attack. These works begin halfway across the map in 3 main clusters placed crosswise. (Curiously though there is a fairly large space to the south which has no apparent defenses. More on that later.)

The battlefield is 6 kilometers from east to west and 5 kilometers from north to south. A road passes lengthwise through its center, crossing a bridge over a wood- and swamp-lined stream that effectively separates the antagonists. (It is believed that the German side is heavily mined, especially along the road.) Further west terrain rises from 10 meters in successive slopes to between 60 and 90 meters where enemy trenches are located. In front of all 3 clusters the ground is mostly open with clear fields of fire. Off to the left (south), though, where there are no fortifications, only an orchard stands with open ground to its east, 80 meters in height. Between this orchard and field is a belt of woods separating it and (hopefully) blocking LOS from most of the southernmost trench complex around Hill 199, which is the main objective.

Trouble is, there are thick woods west of the stream on that avenue of approach so it would take a very long time to pass through them. No doubt there will at least be pickets there who may use signal flares to warn of any advance. Russian troops are practically green and would likely rout in any heavy barrage on pre-registered positions. But what’s the alternative? Advancing straight ahead over open ground will more likely provoke the same result, with direct fire added in good measure.

In any case first orders are to cross the stream, then clear the road and surrounding areas of mines so future decisions are put on hold. This task proceeds well enough behind a reinforced smokescreen and by turn 11 (of 44) paths are cleared on the road and laterally.

As this process---curiously uninterrupted by artillery--- was going on the Godlike commander recalled something about a British veteran of WW I with a strange name who wrote a book on strategy. It was about something called “the indirect approach” which advised circumvention of strong enemy positions with maneuver and flanking to achieve surprise and avoid heavy casualties. He certainly had the means to do this; his troops might be green but they had plenty of armor and firepower to back them up. Could it be that having British tanks was some sort of omen to bless such an undertaking? It was certainly worth a try.

Fresh orders go out: most troops already across or near the bridge will proceed diagonally southwest up the slope towards that belt of woods leading to the unfortified sector. Those further east will proceed south along a transverse road, then turn west into the woods. A couple of engineers with FT’s will advance to set up ambush positions in trees along the central road while scouts are sent to warn of any surprises further north.

Likewise scouts are sent SW to scout ahead there as troops and armor preceded by engineers follow them through gaps in the trees. A couple squads widely separated from their platoons are mounted on tanks and head for their mates. One infantry platoon, a platoon of Valentines, a couple 50mm mortars and Maxim HMG’s are held back to await any German counterattack. The 2 AT guns crawl closer to the bridge; there ain’t no prime movers to help them.

By turn 18 the flanking operation is well underway with no serious opposition. A couple Spaehtruppen are encountered on either flank but are destroyed before they can raise any alarms. Some infantry short-cutting diagonally are already through the partitioning woodline to reach the open 70-meter high level; the orchard/open field level is next. Most tanks have reached that same level on the northern side, absorbing direct hits from a 45m AT gun with no ill effects. After awhile it’s finally spotted and smacked with artillery which routs its crew. Meanwhile some units going around Robinson’s Barn have already reached the woods' western edge while others stream close behind. Still no enemy artillery fire. This indirect approach is almost boring, eh?

That impression soon fades as explosions erupt on troops in open ground at the 70-meter level and shelling is an almost constant companion from then on. Some take casualties though most units manage to rally and get out of the immediate target areas. Advanced units including tanks move onto the 80-meter level to miraculously find no enemy at all before them except for one infantry squad in a southern extension of the Hill 199 trench network. It is quickly dispatched by small arms fire from infantry and tanks (none of which have any HE, just one lousy MG each).

By turn 24 most troops are on the 80-meter level angling toward a slope and strip of open ground just south of the treeline. A few squads and a couple tanks have already gone up to the trench extension and fired through a gap in the woodline on a routed infantry squad in the Hill 199 trench cluster; one squad had blundered into an AT rifle team entrenched along the trees and taken it out at the cost of 2 casualties. Only a handful of laggards are still on the 60-meter woods level. The main objective is now in sight a few hundred meters away. A smokescreen with carefully hoarded smoke ammo is plotted to shield an incipient advance.

By turn 36 the main objective trench is captured along with its 4 V-hexes (of 12 total at 100 points each) and largely occupied after an “invisible” HMG firing just a couple hundred meters away is finally located and destroyed. It had pinned and damaged several squads over several turns. A machine gun nest facing the wrong way in a forward trench is destroyed with a flamethrower One German infantry squad has been routed and destroyed; another routed but immobile squad is approached by a scout to give it the coup de grace. A loose column of tanks and infantry preceded by a lone engineer squad proceeds off-road toward the final map-edge objective.

Soon after another uspotted HMG starts firing at close range. Again nobody can see it, and again it pins and damages several squads. They pop smoke to avoid its fury. Four Valentines proceed north along the side road behind Hill 199 to try and spot it. They don’t see it but they do see the routing crew from that first HMG, firing on it but failing to kill it. Finally on the next turn the second HMG is spotted on the main road(!) and its short-lived glory trip is ended.

A couple Valentines edge closer to the main road to finish off the fleeing HMG crew; one fires at it again, missing again, then WHAM!! A 50mm Pak with regular AP penetration rating of 90mm and sabot rating of 160 (!) hits a tank in the right side hull but only damages it; thankfully it’s just buttoned, not immobilized. Both tanks scurry back south to a gap in trees lining the road with at least one more shot hitting them on the way. Miraculously neither is destroyed, only damaged, but they’re still in LOS of that venemous Pak; alas, they have no smoke rounds or dischargers. An infantry squad dashes over to lay some down but is hit by yet another MG from god-knows-where. Another infantry squad has a go---same result. Finally a third makes it and blocks them off. WHEW! That was too close for comfort and shows the folly of succumbing to exasperation at minor annoyances or needlessly padding a lopsided victory.

At any rate by turn 45 (the scenario was extended by 1 turn for some reason, perhaps assuming Russian forces will make another stupid mistake?) all objectives have been taken with all units out of immediate danger. Additionally an 82mm mortar battery has been mostly destroyed. Some infantry move forward to take their revenge on the routed crew of that 50mm Pak which has now been blasted by artillery. As usual they don’t do any damage. On that minor note the battle ends.

Final score was 1546 to 62, more than enough for a decisive win. No units on the Russian side were lost, although if those two Valentines had been destroyed---as almost certainly should have happened---the ratio would have fallen into marginal territory. Lady Luck smiled, perhaps in recognition of my enthusiasm and appreciation for playing this marvelous game once again.

Author’s Note: A hat tip to Ts4EVER for creating this challenging scenario (and many more besides). During my 2 1/2-year “sabbatical” I had the pleasure of watching (or re-watching) many of his Combat Mission viddies. He’s clearly a master at that game system; its battle planning and tactical schemes can often be applied to SPWW2 as well.

TBH I’d already played this battle some years back but didn’t remember until several turns in. During that previous attempt IIRC Russian forces attacked the Hill 199 trench cluster first before shifting south to the orchard area. At that point though unspotted direct and indirect fires had pinned or routed so many troops that there wasn’t enough time to assemble enough rallied forces to take both Hill 199 and the western map-edge road objective with its 5 V-hexes. Plus IIRC 1 or 2 tanks blundered into panzerknackers or that Pak 50 looking for those “invisible” HMG’s so it ended in a draw or marginal win.

That’s about it folks. Thanks for reading this long-winded AAR and good luck gaming. Cheers !