Tank on Tank Central Front: The Bridgehead (The Game)

See my last post for the scenario details, here is how the game played out!
Click photos to enlarge

Turn 1

NATO Phase

Task Force 1/114 INF (TF Dagger) is the first unit from 3rd brigade to arrive and immediately attacks the BMP company holding the town, but with little effect.

Soviet Phase

The defenders in the town respond with a devastating volley of AT-3 Sagger missiles that knock an Infantry Company out of the fight.

Turn 2

NATO Phase

The rest of TF Dagger shifts to take cover and engages the Anti-Tank Company on the high ground west of the town.   The BDRM-3's had not had time to prepare defensive positions and the M1's were able to eliminate them as a threat.

Soviet Phase

The first battalion from the 364th Guards Tank Regiment arrives to reinforce the bridgehead, accompanied by a section of Mi-24D Hind attack helicopters.  The Hinds unsuccessfully engage the tanks of TF Dagger with missiles.

Turn 3

NATO Phase

The action intensifies, from left top right:

• TF Dagger eliminates the 100mm anti-Tank gun battery remaining on the high ground west of town as a threat.
• A-10's roll in on the Tank Battalion crossing the bridge.  They should be sitting ducks... yet the strike is completely ineffective. (they rolled a 3, maybe they were worried about MiG's off table or SA-7's from the BMP company drove them off.)
• The Stinger section unsuccessfully attacks the Soviet attack helicopters
• TF 3/313 (TF Saber)  Armor arrives in the area

Soviet Phase

The 1st Tank Battalion deploys, reinforcing the town and swinging west to engage ineffectively the M1's in the woods.  The Attack Helicopter redeploy to face the new threat from TF Saber and knock a company of M1's out of the fight. (You can also see the Regimental Artillery Group in the lower left corner)

Turn 4

NATO Phase and Soviet Phase

TF Saber takes cover in the woods, intending to use it as a jumping off point for an attack on the town.  TF Dagger destroys the tank company west of the town.

The Soviets respond with ineffective air strikes and helicopter attacks against TF Saber while the 2nd Tank Battalion arrives along with a battalion of 152mm SP guns in support.

Turn 5

NATO Phase

A lull in the fighting this turn, but you can see TF 2/114 INF (TF Hammer) arriving in the upper left-hand corner.

Soviet Phase

2nd Battalion deploys on the high ground west of the town and brings the M1's to their front under fire, but to no great effect.

Turn 6

NATO Phase and Soviet Phase

TF Hammer moves into the woods west of town, while it's Anti-Tank Company eliminates the BMP-R platoon on the high ground so that it cannot interfere with this maneuver.

Both sides exchange ineffective fire, including the Hind Section that attempts to work behind TF Saber.  3rd Battalion of 364th GTR arrives to reinforce the bridgehead.

Turn 7

NATO Phase and Soviet Phase

The long awaited support from the Division Aviation Brigade finally arrives and quickly dispatches the Mi-24D Hind flight.

3rd battalion of the 364th GTR deploys west of town to counter the threat from TF Hammer and add to the fires from the units on the high ground concentrating on the M1's of TF Dagger, which is knocked out of the fight.

Turn 8

NATO Phase and Soviet Phase

TF Hammer Attacks and knocks out a BMP company on the flank while sporadic firing occurs around the rest of the battlefield.

Turn 9

NATO Phase and Soviet Phase

 TF Saber launches an unsuccessful attack on the east side of the town.

Turn 10

NATO Phase

 Things heat up, with the Cobras starting to take a toll on the Soviet armor, TF Saber's Mech Infantry Company is knocked out of action, TF Hammer moves into position to assault the west side of town.  One of the defending BMP companies is eliminated.

Soviet Phase

In a desperation move, the last company of T-72's deploys from the high ground to counter-attack.

Turn 11

NATO Phase

The final turn.  The Cobras fire TOW's into the rear of the T-72 Company, eliminating it as a threat and TF Hammer barely manages to push it's way into the town, cutting off the Soviet Bridgehead.

A very fun game, here are a few random observations:

• The piecemeal arrival of troops on both sides made the game fun and challenging
• Casualties were high (even assuming that a "destroyed" company is just combat ineffective for this battle.  But, I would expect that for this kind of action, with the action around a fixed terrain point.  Plus the frontage for the main fighting was around 10-12 km, so feels about right to me.
• I have updated the rules (see link to the right) to include logistics packages and give units the option to go hull down on hills (which would have made the blocking force more survivable.)

The scenario itself was great and was I think the key component fo the game.

All in all a NATO hard-won victory.  6th Armored Division is no longer threatened on its flank and a Soviet Tank Regiment was destroyed, but with significant losses.   All for the failure of a detonator to destroy the bridge.

This game was so much fun, I am going to skip the game decider and put soem more Tank on Tank Central Front onb the table until I weary of it and then back to the game decider.  I hope you enjoyed this battle report, good gaming!

Tank on Tank Central Front : The Bridgehead (The Scenario)

I can not remember who said it, but one fo our wargaming forefathers said in one of his books that gaming "off the table" can add quite a bit to our tabletop encounters.  I believe this is especially true for solo gaming.  So, I will take a little space to walk through how I set up the game and the scenario.

Selecting the Scenario and Forces

So the first roll on my random Game Decider came up a 1, Tank on Tank: Central Front.  To select the scenario, I randomly selected from the scenarios in One-Hour Wargames and rolled a 5, Bridgehead.

I will not reproduce the entire scenario from the book (buy the book!) but here is a summary of the situation:

Given I am playing the Central Front circa 1985, I chose to make NATO the "Red" side and the Soviets "Blue."

• To generate the forces, I use Ivan Sorensen's table from FiveCore Brigade Commander, an excellent set of rules at the same scale, 1 base = 1 company. They are only $9.99 and packed with useful stuff beyond the rules, which are excellent.  I used the Army Generator on page 51, combined with my own impeccable (?) military judgment and my knowledge of TOE's of the period.

First I rolled to see what sort of force each side would have and I named my overall forces to help immerse me in the game.  I rolled:

• US Army 3rd Brigade / 6th Armored Division: (Hereafter 3rd Brigade)
• 43 = An Infantry Brigade
• Soviet 364th Guard Tank Regiment: (Hereafter 364th GTR)
• 88 = An Armored Brigade

Next is to see how many "Main" troop types I will have. The tables assume a 9 company Regiment so I will tweak a little as both units would be organically combined arms. This is fine, as Ivan encourages you to use his rules as a toolbox.  I decide that 3rd Brigade is "stretched" as it is being hastily thrown into the fray and the 364th Guards TR is "average," as it has been in the second echelon and not suffered too badly yet.

I roll the dice and get:

• 3rd Brigade
• 33 = 5 Main
• I interpret this to mean that 3rd brigade has 5 maneuver companies.  I organize them as:
• 1/114 Infantry (Mech): 2 x M113 Companies
• 2/114 Infantry (Mech): 2 x M113 Companies, 1 x M901 Anti-Tank Company
• 364th Guards Tank Regiment
• 58 = 7 Main
• As in my organizations, a Tank regiment has 3 x battalions consisting of 2 x company size units, I interpret this to mean the unit is slightly under strength, so the Regiment will have 5 x T-72 companies split between its 3 battalions

Next is to roll for "Secondary" units

• 3rd Brigade
• 73 = 3 Secondary Units
• I will make these armor, so 3rd Brigade has attached 3/313th Armor of 3 x M1 Tank Companies
• 364th Guards Tank Regiment
• 93 = 3 Secondary Units
• The Regimental Motor Rifle Battalion is at full strength, with 3 x BMP Companies

I use the Attachments table next to see what each unit has besides maneuver units, with 3rd Brigade as "Well Equipped" and 364th GTR as "Moderately equipped"

• 3rd Brigade
• 36 = 3 Attachments
• I select:
• 1 x M3 Scout Platoon
• 1 x Stinger SAM Section
• 1 x AH-1 Section from the Division Aviation Brigade
• 364th Guards Tank Regiment
• 61 = 4 Attachments
• I select:
• 1 x Regimental Artillery Group (122mm SP Guns)
• 1 x BMP-R Scout Platoon
• 1 x Regimental Anti-Tank Company (AT-5)
• 1 x Mi-24D Attack Helicopter section from Army Aviation

You can see the forces are starting to come together and as I go through the process, I am building a story for each unit in my head, that I will share at the wrap up at the end.  Next up is Fire Support using the "Packets" collumn and for each unit, I roll:

• 3rd Brigade
• 08 = Zero Artillery Support!
• 364th Guards Tank Regiment
• 18 = 1 Fire support
• I select a Battalion of 152mm guns in direct support

Each side next gets 3 rolls on the Support table, this should be interesting...

• 3rd Brigade
• 1 additional AH-1 Section from Division Aviation Brigade
• 1 A-10 Flight for air support
• 1 x Logistics Package (LOGPAC)
• I rolled "Supply" so decided that a LOGPAC will be a one-time boost to a company's firing dice of +1. And I get to use one of my truck logistics units...
• 364th Guards Tank Regiment
• 1 x SU-25 Frogfoot Flight is direct support
• 1 x SA-9 SAM platoon
• 1 x battery of MT-12 100mm Anti-Tank guns from the Division Anti-Tank battalion

Here are the final complete forces, organized and with a description for each commander:

364th Guards Tank Regiment

Briefing:

Your division has been in the second echelon during the first seven days of the war and has now taken the lead, although you regiment is in the Division second echelon.  You are still at fairly high strength, having been lucky enough to not be hit by NATO interdiction air strikes and your maintenance is good.

Your Division commander tasks you with providing a blocking force to cover a bridge crossing site along the Streslau River.  It is assumed that NATO engineers will destroy the bridge shortly and it is not along the Division's primary axis, so the Division commander just wants to secure it against any local counter attacks by the enemy.  You assign the mission to your Motor Rifle Battalion Commander and assign him a force of 1 x Motor Rifle Company (BMP), The Regimental Anti-Tank Company, and a Battery of M-12 100mm Anti-Tank Guns from the Division Anti-Tank Battalion.  The other two Motor Rifle Companies are attached to Tank Battalions within your regiment.

The MRB commander calls you over the regimental net highly agitated.  He has found the bridge intact and undefended!  You immediately order him to establish a bridgehead and pass the report on to the Division Commander, who orders your regiment to change direction and immediately take advantage of the situation and expand the bridgehead.

Besides the blocking force, your Regiment consists of:

• 1st Battalion: 2 x T-72, 1 x BMP, 1 x BMP-R Platoon
• 2nd Battalion:2 x T-72, 1 x SA-9 Platoon
• 3rd Battalion: 1x T-72, 1 x BMP
• The Regimental Artillery Group (RAG) of 122mm SP guns
• 152mm SP Battalion from DAG in direct support
• 1 x Mi-24D Section from Army Aviation
• SU-25 Fogfoot Flight in support

The blocking force is already in place on the north side of the river in a town and on high ground.  You will create a March Order for your regiment, 3 serials, each based around one tank battalion.  Place them in order and they will arrive on the highway on the south edge of the table on:

• 1st Battalion: Turn 2
• 2nd Battalion: Turn 4
• 3rd Battalion: Turn 6

Your air support isavailablee on Turn 1 and the Mi-24D's can arrive with any battalion.

3rd Brigade / 6th Armored Division

Briefing:

Your Brigade spent the first 6 days of the war on the FEBA and has taken a battering.  Your two Infantry battalions are down to ~60% strength and your Armor Battalion has been assigned to another Brigade. The Field Artillery Battalion you had in direct support is in even worse shape, suffering from airstrikes and what remains of it's batteries are pulling equipment from POMCUS stocks.  Right now you are in Division rear refitting and hoping to take on replacements and reinforcements soon.

But, your respite is short lived.  Demo charges planted by engineers failed to detonate and the Soviets have unexpectedly seized a bridge across the Streslau river.  The Division commander has contacted your TOC and ordered your Brigade to immediately eliminate the bridgehead before befor the Soviets can reinforce it and threaten the Division's flanks.  

You have organized the brigade as follows:

• (TF Dagger) TF 1/114 Infantry (Mech): 1 x M113, 1 x M1, 1 x Stinger Section
• (TF Hammer)  TF 2/114 Infantry (Mech): 2 x M113, 1 x M901, 1 x LOGPAC
• (TF Saber) TF 3/313th Armor: 2 x M1, 1 x M113 , 1 x M3 Scout Platoon
• 2 x AH-1 Sections from 2/263 Aviation (Attack)
• A-10 Flight in direct support

Your task forces are arriving piecemeal to the battlefield, as time is of the essence, you must destroy the bridgehead fast before it can be reinforced!  Your A-10's available on Turn 1.  Number each battalion task force and the aviation support 1-4.  Each turn listed below, randomly select one to enter that turn.  Also roll a d6 to determine the entry point: 1-2 = NW corner, 3-4 on Road, 5-6 NE corner.

• Turn 1, 1 Battalion on highway (skip random placement)
• Turn 3
• Turn 5
• Turn 6

The Map

Here is the table set up and ready to go.  You can see the blocking force in position north of the river.  Next time, on to battle!

Tank on Tank: Central Front, Play test 2

First an admin note, I have added a section on the left of the current book I am reading.  Not that I think I am an academic, but I have found some great recommendations from other historical gamers and someone may find this useful.  My current book is only $0.99 for Kindle, so how can you go wrong!

Ok, on with the show.

Motor Rifle Regiment Hasty Attack

After the decisive defeat of the Forward detachment and lead Motor Rifle Battalion earlier in the day, the brigade has completed deploying to it assigned positions.  The Brigade commander has pulled C/3-44 Armor and cross attached it to 2/93 INF.  3-44 AR has been assigned C/2-93 INF (Mech) mounted in M-113's and deployed them as battalion reserve.

3-44 AR does not have priority for fires or air support as another sector is under greater threat, so in the next round, it will have to depend on its organic weapons.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Motor Rifle Regiment commander gathers the survivors of the initial probe (which is a single BMP Company) and calls up his other two Motor Rifle Battalions to assault the now identified NATO defensive position.

(In the previous game, NATO units started hidden, but as all 3 tank companies were scouted and fired during the last game and have not repositioned, they will NOT start this game as hidden)

Here is the initial deployment. I did change up the terrain a bit, so the Soviets were not as exposed in their initial assault.  The Soviet plan is to left hook with the two MRB's straight down the corridor to the town while the A/T company and the BMP company left over from the forward detachment protect the flank from A and D company.

 Right out of the gate, the Soviets mass fire on B company, whose positions had been scouted in the previous game, and render the company combat ineffective.

9A few turns later) 3-44 AR has redeployed A company to cover the gap with the scouts, and long-range fire has started to take its toll on the advancing MRB's.

 A BMP company has made it all the way to the town, but is repulsed by C/2-93 INF.  The AT Company and BMP company in support have moved to flank D company to shift them from their position.

 D company has fallen back to avoid being flanked and close assaulted by the infantry.  The Soviets knock out the battalion scout platoon (which had been hindering mobility, they do no damage but reduce movement top 1 hex for enemy units within range.  This may have been too much of an effect and I might revisit, see the rules link in the last battle post)

They also close with to assault A company

 A company also falls back to avoid being close assaulted in terrain.  The MRR continues to take casualties.

 D company finally succumbs to repeated ATGM attack and is combat ineffective at least for the time being.

The MRR attack is finally stopped.  the battalion mechanics and the Brigade's Forward Support battalion will have their work cut out for them, though.  I will use some sort of random mechanic to see which units are ready for the next fight, as combat ineffective does not necessarily equal destroyed.

I still think the rules are working well, next game I will add more artillery and air support and air defense units to exercise those parts of the rules.

All comments are welsome!

Tank on Tank: Central Front (Rules and test game)

Tank on Tank: Central Front

This is a brief introduction to my modifications to Lock ‘n Load Publishing’s outstanding Tank On Tank series for 1980’s Central Front on the tabletop. Despite the rules being free, you should pick up a copy of one of the original games and help support a great company.  I have East Front and it is going to see a lot of use on my table!

This project was not original to me and was completely inspired by these guys, check out their projects and thoughts!

• Peter's WW2 North Africa Campaign
• Norm's review of Tank on Tank

Assumptions (in no particular order)

• Each unit is a company sized formation
• Attachments and recon units are platoon-sized units that add special capabilities such as air defense or engineering 
• Each hex is roughly 1 km across
• 4 units can fit in a hex
• Concentrating units makes control easier but makes them vulnerable to artillery and air strikes
• ATGM's have a slower rate of fire than tank guns
• Destroyed units are not physically destroyed but combat ineffective for the rest of this fight
• Helicopters and aircraft represent flights
• Scouts and recon units should be used to screen friendly defensive positions, locate enemy positions when on the attack, destroy enemy screens, screen flanks, and perform other economy-of-force missions
• Helicopters are always at a tactically appropriate altitude

To try them out, I have resurrected my 5Core Brigade Commander solo campaign from 3 years ago.
Here is what that game looked like then...


As I am just testing the rules, I have trimmed out the helicopters and electronic warfare assets.  Let’s see how it plays.

You can find my rules HERE

CENTAG, August 1985: Campaign Game 1

I will be following the fictional 2nd Brigade, 6th Armored Division.  The division forms part of the US V Corps, and is in the process of completing the implementation of the Division '86 reorganization. All subordinate units have reorganized to the new H series MTOE, but only 2 of the 4 infantry battalions have upgraded from M-113 to M-2 Bradley's.

The Warsaw Pact has launched a short notice assault across the Inter-German border, after a few weeks of escalating tensions for the stated purpose of liberating the FRG from fascism.  The Soviets have announced that they will not use chemical or nuclear weapons and they intend to stop at the Rhine River.

At the outbreak of hostilities, the division's front is covered by elements of the Corps Armored Cavalry Regiment.

2nd Brigade consists of:

• 1/44 Armor
• 3/44 Armor
• 2/93 Infantry (Mech)
• 1/198 Artillery (direct support from DIVARTY)

2/93 is equipped with M-113, the two armor battalions with M-1's (105mm)

As the Brigade scrambles to roll out of their motor pools, the ACR if engaging lead elements of the 205th Motor Rifle Division...

Game 1: Screening Mission

3/44 Armor has been given the mission to rush to meet the Soviet spearhead and act as a screening force to give time for the rest of the Brigade to form up.  They are to perform a mobile defense / delay in sector.  They have 1/198 FA firing in direct support.

The lead elements of the 205th Motor Rifle Division have rushed passed the Armored Cavalry units on the border and are moving towards 3/44 Armor's position.  Their orders are to identify the enemy position, and bypass resistance encountered.  If they are unable to bypass, they will hold in place and wait for the rest of the lead Motor Rifle Regiment to arrive and perform a regimental attack.

The Soviet forces consist of the Division Forward Detachment (at top of photo) consisting of the Division recon battalion, 1 tank company, and 1 Motor Rifle Company (BMP). Immediately behind is the lead battalion of the Motor Rifle Regiment.  They are reinforced by the Regimental Artillery Group of 122mm guns in direct support. 

Here is the initial setup, with 3/44 Armor in defensive positions screening about an 8km frontage with the Forward detachment probing forward.

Here is the Motor Rifle Battalion (BMP) + that will be following the forward detachment.

The Soviet recon elements scout the NATO forward positions, while excellent gunnery knocks out the lead T-72 company.

The Soviet scouts do their job and pinpoint the NATO forward positions.

The Motor Rifle Company of the forward detachment is eliminated, while the 155mm guns in direct support of 3/44 Armor attrite the follow on MRB.

And here we have the conclusion, with the Forward Detachment and the lead MRB in smoldering ruins.

A few quick observations:

1) I LOVED the way the rules played.  So far so good, but no major changes yet.  That may change 

2) My terrain setup was poor.  It was basically a gunnery range for the tankers of 3/44 Armor.  4-5km visibility, which is very uncommon in West Germany, and the advancing Soviets had no cover or concealment, something they would take maximum advantage of in real life.  So, next game, I will give them a better terrain setup.

Until next time, good gaming!