SOVIET SPECIAL RULES

lhe following special rules are characteristic ofE nemy at the Gates forces, reflecting their own style ofe quipment, tactics, and approach to battle.

ENEMY AT THE GATES_ KOMISSAR Every Soviet citizen longs for the day that the hated Nazi Traitors, deserters, and other anti-Soviet elements had no place invader is driven from the beloved Motherland. in the Red Army. Political education combined with draconian punishments ensured that every Soviet soldier did their duty. While their Komissar team is In Command, a Unit has a better Motivation, as shown in the Komissar column NOT ONE STEP BACK (marked * ) on the Unit Card. In the Red Army, it is a crime to retreat and tankers who aban­ don a that isn't burning face severe consequences. URRAH Tanks with Not One Step Back have a better Last Stand rating. Thrown into battle with little training and orders to win or die, Soviet soldiers shouted 'Urrah' then ran headlong at the enemy FLAME TANK to minimise the inevitable heavy casualties. Sitting next to a tank offlame-thrower fuel tends to make one Urrah Units may move 6"/15cm (instead of 4"/lOcm) when cautious about getting too close to enemy tank hunters. Charging into Contact. Flame Tanks have worse Motivation and Assault ratings. REDEMPTION HEAVY TANK Soldiers who retreated, whether due to cowardice or KV tanks have heavy armour and know that they have little to bewilderment, were given a chance to redeem their crimes with fear from either infantry or guns. their blood through service in a penal battalion. There, they Heavy Tanks have a better Councerattack rating. would lead attacks and undertake dangerous missions until they redeemed themselves through their wounds or death. LITTLE TANKS When a Penal Unit is placed on the table during Deployment Despite their small size, the Red Army uses the T-60 (but not if it is placed ourside the normal Deployment Area as a battle tank rather than for reconnaissance. using the Spearhead rule), the player may immediately Move In missions with Deep Reserves, you may only field one Tank its Teams at Tactical or Dash speed. Unit of Li ttle Tanks, one Tank Unit with Fronc Armour of This movement may not use any Movement Orders, and 3 or more, or one Aircraft Unit on the table at the start may not take a Team within: of the game. 16" /40cm of an enemy Team it is not Concealed from, TURRET-REAR MG 8"/20cm of any enemy Team, KV tanks have a machine-gun at the rear of their turret to 16"/40cm of the enemy Deployment Area or any prevent the enemy boarding the tank in assaults. This allows Objective outside your own Deployment Area. them to get in close and crush the enemy under their tracks A Penal Unit may not be placed in Reserve. with impunity. A Penal Unit never benefits from Bulletproof Cover. Tanks with a Turret-Rear MG have a better Assault rating. A Penal Unit can prevent the enemy from Holding an SECONDARY WEAPON Objective, but cannot Hold an Objective. Ignore a Destroyed The lend-lease M3s Lee tank has both a hull-mounted gun and Penal Unit when calculating Victory Points. a secondary turret-mounted gun. While both can be fired at the FLAME-THROWER same time, the tank's commander can only assist the gunner of Flame-throwers spew a stream of burning fuel making them the main gun to find targets, leaving the turret gunner to his terrifjing and lethal weapons. own devices. Infantry, Gun, and Unarmoured Tank Teams re-roll success­ A Tank may fire its Secondary Weapon at ROF 1 at the ful Saves when hit by a Flame-thrower, and the Unit is auto­ same time as its main gun. If they do this, the Secondary . matically Pinned Down. Armoured Tank Teams use their Weapon suffers a + 1 penalty to hit. Each weapon may fire at Top armour for Armour Saves when hit by a Flame-thrower. a different target. Flame-throwers may shoot in Defensive Fire. However, INFANTRY while a Unit that is Hit by a Flame-thrower is Pinned Down, this does not automatically stop the assault. The defender FOR THE MOTHERLAND still needs to score five (or eight) hits as normal to stop Soviet infantry fight bitterly in hand-to-hand combat, seeking to free their beloved Motherland from the enemy. Infantry with For the Motherland have a better Assault rating. SNIPERS UNSEEN KILLER Ihe Red Army placed a high value on specialist marksmen, SNIPER'S HIDE fielding platoons ofthem for maximum effect. These expa~s were Snipers sneak out in the dim light before dawn, constructing a deadly shots, firing from carefully-chosen concealed posztzons to hide from which they will ambush unwary enemies. cause maximum chaos and confosion. Sniper Teams are always Gone to Ground. The target player cannot use the Mistaken Target rule if Sniper Teams can be held in Ambush in addition to any other the Shooting Team is a Sniper Team. Teams permitted by the mission. If held in Reserve, they If an Infantry, Gun, or Unarmoured Tank Team is may still be placed from Ambush once they arrive on table. hit by a Sniper Team, its Unit is Pinned Down. When placed from Ambush, Sniper Teams may be placed in their own Deployment Area or in No Man's Land. ARTILLERY Teams from a Sniper Unit are separate Independent Teams rather than a Unit, and are ignored when determining SALVO whether or not the Formation is In Good Spirits. Salvo rocket Launchers Like the Katyusha were generally inaccurate, substituting volume offire over a large area for pinpoint accuracy. As such, they cannot be used too close to friendly troops. Weapons with a ROF of 'sALvo' are Artillery weapons and fire Artillery Bombardments, but use a 10"/25cm square Salvo Template rather than the normal 6" I l 5cm Artillery Template. A Salvo Template may not be placed within 6"/15cm of a friendly Team. AIRCRAFT FLYING TANK Ihe IL-2 Shturmovik protected the pilot and the engine in an armoured 'bathtub' making it very difficult to shoot down, but also slow and unmanoeuvrable. Flying Tanks have a worse Is Hit On rating, but a better Save. ENEMY AT THE GATES FORCE

Your Force must contain at least one Formation, and may contain as many Formations as you like.

TANK FORMATIONS

KV-8 FLAME-TANK COMPANY MS126 OT-34 FLAME-TANK COMPANY MS127

ANTI-TANK ANTI-TANK

~A ~A LIGHT TANK-KILLER LIGHT TANK-KILLER COMPANY COMPANY ARTILLERY ARTILLERY MS132 MS132 HEAVY TANK-KILLER HEAVY TANK-KILLER COMPANY COMPANY ~~:..:.. ~~:..:.. MS133 MS133 122MM ARTILLERY 122MM ARTILLERY BATIE RY BATIE RY MS131 MS131 76MM ARTILLERY 76MM ARTILLERY BATIE RY BATIERY MS130 MS130

FORMATION SUPPORT WILDCARD You may field compulsory Combat ? Units (with a black box) • from Soviet Formations from Enemy at the Gates and Red Banner as Support Units. You must field one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box. Note, this Formation has no HQ Unit. ARMOUR ....,ARMOUR KV-1 -..... T-34 tEARLY~ VALENTINE TANK COMPANY TANK OMPA Y TANK COMPANY MS101 MS104 MS105 KV-15 VALENTINE M3 STUART TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY MS102 MS105 MS109 T-60 TANK COMPANY MS106

INFANTRY ~111 SMG COMPANY MS113 HERO SMG COMPANY MS123

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

The 76mm cannon crashed back, the breech expelling the spent shell case onto the floor. The German machine gun nest was a smoking crater, bodies scattered around it. The tank commander, Lizvinskiy, peered through his periscope, scanning for the next target. Scurrying figures in field grey uniforms, scattered away in all directions. The fascist invaders knew the power of his KV-1 tank was unmatched. Lord of the battlefield, it feared none of the German tanks. The enemy infantry were simply cockroaches to be crushed under the wide rattling tracks. There was only one weapon to fear in the entire German army - the long-barrelled BBmm guns. They could kill a Kliment Voroshilov tank with a single shot, but they were huge guns, mounted on massive crucifix platforms. Hard to hide. Soviet infantry appeared behind him, finally advancing now that the enemy had been cleared out. Lizvinskiy looked around at the carnage and gave a satisfied nod. Here the had learned that Russia was not theirs. Like all previous invaders, they would be defeated. With a massive roar, the KV advanced again. KV-1 TANK COMPANY

CONFIDENT 4+ Co~~~~:t~~ck 3+ Sx KV-1 (76mm) tt.•4·ll~•tt Nol~;: ~~~:d ck ]+ 4x KV-1 {76mm) lfl4•ll~•ti 3x KV-1 (76mm) GREEN 5+ t?•4·ll~••t Turret-Rear MG Assault When they realised the effectiveness of modern anti-tank guns in the Spanish Civil War, Soviet tank designers switched from the huge, multi­ turreted, but lightly-armoured, heavy tanks of the 1930s to smaller, heavily-armoured designs like the KV-1.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES UNSTOPPABLE: The KV-1 heavy tank is the most HEAVY TANK: The KV-1 is designed to withstand heavily-armoured tank in the world, with up to 120mm infantry attack, so the crews do not fear close combat. (4.7 inches) of cast steel armour on the turret. Few OVERWORKED: The KV-1 placed the commander in enemy tanks {or even anti-tank guns) have any chance of an unusual position, right at the front of the turret, where penetrating its thick hide. they had a limited field of view, making it difficult to SLOW: The downside of such thick armour is that the command the tank effectively. As a result, the 76mm gun KV-1 is also one of the slowest tanks around, moving at the suffers a +l penalty when shooting on the move. pace of the infantry it supports. TURRET-REAR MG: With an extra machine-gun BIG GUN: The KV-l's 76mm gun gives it both good mounted in the rear of the turret, it is difficult for tank­ anti-tank capability and good performance against dug in h unters to get close to the KV-1, allowing it to roll over the troops and guns. enemy with impunity.

HEAVY TANKS: ON THE TABLE

There are two different heavy tanks for you to choose between: the modernised KV-1 s, or the older, heavier KV-1. The key differences are highlighted below to help you pick the right tank for the job.

KV-1 KV-1s Front Armour: 9 Front Armour: 7 Side Armour: 8 Side Armour: 6 Tactical Speed: 8"/20cm Tactical Speed: 10"/30cm Dash Speed: 12"/30cm Dash Speed: 20"/SOcm Cross: 3+ Cross: 2+ Other: Overworked

KV-1 • Big, slab-sided turret • Smaller, rounded turret • Bulbous gun mantlet • Integrated gun mantlet • Single large, central top hatch • Raised cupola with smaller hatch beside it • Flat, angular engine deck • Curved, sloped engine deck CONFIDENT 4+

Sx KV-ls (76mm) t1tl:Z1ll~•it 4x KV-ls (76mm) lfl:Z•ll~•it 3x KV-ls (76mm) GREEN 5+ f?l:Z•H~i'j Turret-Rear MG Assault 4+ While it proved to be tough, the low speed of the KV-1 prevented it from operating effectively with other tank types. The KV-1 s (s for skorostnoy, or high-speed) reduced the tank's armour and used a better transmission to make this heavy tank faster than most medium tanks.

FEATURES WELL ARMOURED: Although not as heavily armoured deadly 76mm gun as the original KV-1. as the original KV-1, the KV-1 s is still better armoured than almost any other tank in service. SPECIAL RULES HEAVY TANK: Like the KV-1, the KV-ls is designed FAST: The KV-ls combines this heavy armour with high to withstand infantry attack, so the crews do not fear speed and excellent terrain-crossing ability. close combat. GOOD TURRET: Unlike the original KV-1, the KV-ls TURRET-REAR MG: With an extra machine-gun has the commander placed at the back of the turret. mounted in the rear of the turret, it is difficult for tank­ The commander's cupola gives them a good view of the hunters to get close to the KV-ls, allowing it to roll over battlefield as they coordinate their own crew and the rest of the company. the enemy with impunity. You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

ARMOUR ARMOUR

.....T-34 {EARLY) .....VALENTINE TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY MS104 MS105 VALENTINE T-60 TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY MS105 MS106

INFANTRY ~111 SMG COMPANY MS113 HERO SMG COMPANY MS123

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation. T-34 (EARLY) TANK BATTALION HQ

CONFIDENT 4+

1x T-34 (76mm)

When their speedy, but lightly-armoured, tanks suffered heavy losses in the Spanish Civil War, the Soviet tank designers built a replacement with thicker armour and a bigger gun - the T-34. Entering production before the German invasion, this tank continued to fight through­ out the war, becoming the most-produced tank of the Second World War. ~T_-3_4_(M_G_sl___ ~---~-~--~~~~------~

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES FAST: The T-34 has a powerful aircraft engine and excellent OVERWORKED: In order to fit a powerful engine, thick top speed. Its Christie suspension gives its big wheels plenty armour, and a big gun in such a small tank, the designers of travel for good cross-country performance. had to make some trade-offs. The most important TOUGH: Despite its high speed, the T-34 has the thickest compromise was the compact turret that made the gunner armour of any medium tank in the world. Its well-sloped also the tank's commander. frontal armour can shrug off almost any anti-tank gun. The limited visibility from the gunner's position leaves Its side armour is almost as thick, eliminating a weakness the overworked commander unable to assist the driver in found in many tanks. avoiding obstacles, and reduces their ability to react to or BIG GUN: The 76mm gun mounted on the T-34 combines avoid the enemy around them. good anti-tank performance with a powerful explosive round for knocking out anti-tank guns or dug in infantry.

There are two different medium tanks for you to choose between: the Soviet T-34 or the short and long-barrelled American M3 Lee. The key differences are highlighted below to help you pick the right tank for the job.

T-34 M3 LEE {SHORT 75MM) Front Armour: 6 Front Armour: 5 Tactical Speed: 12 "/30cm Tactical Speed: 10"/25cm Dash Speed: 20"/SOcm Dash Speed: 18"/45cm weapon Range: 24 "/60cm •w.weapon R ange: 24"/60cm Anti-tank: 9 Anti-tank: 9 Other: Overworked Other: Forward Firing, Secondary Weapon T-34 (EARLY) TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• CONFIDENT 4+

lOx T-34 (76mm) lfl:Z•ll~ij;j 9x T-34 (76mm) tfl:Z•ll~lj;j 8x T-34 (76mm) tfl:Z•ll~lj;j 7x T-34 (76mm) lil:Z•ll~••t 6x T-34 (76mm) 111:z.11~•tt Sx T-34 (76mm) flfl:Z•ll~••t 4x T-34 (76mm) tl•:Z•ll~lj;j 3x T-34 (76mm) ltfl:Z•ll~••t 4 4 2

Artillery exploded along the line of small houses as a T-34 crested the ridge, its wide tracks throwing a rooster tail of dust towards the tanks trailing behind. The tank halted. Leytenant Smirnov, peering around the huge hatch, coughed as the dust blew back on an errant gust. A wave of the flag he held, and the rest of the company roared forward into line abreast of his tank. Another wave and seven hatches clanged shut. Moments later the seven steel monsters of his company roared back into life, sprinting down the ridge towards the village below. M3 LEE (LONG 75MM) Smirnov's world narrowed to what he could see Front Armour: 5 through the gun sight. The tank rocked back Tactical Speed: 10"/25cm and forth, racing across the fields towards the Dash Speed: 18"/45cm village. As a house came into view, he fired a Weapon Range: 28"/70cm shot, lost in the tumult that engulfed the village. Anti-tank: 1 0 A flash showed where a German gun was Other: Forward Firing, Secondary Weapon hiding, its round parting the tall grass, speeding towards his tanks. Smirnov had no idea whether the shot had hit or not, and had no time to look about. Without slowing, Smirnov fired another shot in the direction of the German gun. Speed was more important than accuracy if the village was to be taken. A long duel would favour the German gun, a tank assault favoured his tanks. As the range closed, the tanks began firing their machine guns. The T-34s ploughed straight through wooden fences and raced between the buildings, glimpses offleeing Germans amongst the smoke and ruin making the scene surreal. VALENTINE TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• CONFIDENT 4+

lOx Valentine (2 pdr) t?•:Z•ll~•tt 9x Valentine (2 pdr) ffl:Z•ll~•tt Bx Valentine (2 pdr) IPl:Z•1i~ltt 7x Valentine (2 pdr) lfl:Z•ll~•tt 6x Valentine (2 pdr) lft:Z•ll~•tt Sx Valentine (2 pdr) lfl:Z•ll~•tt 4x Valentine (2 pdr) ll • l:Z•ll~ltt 3x Valentine (2 pdr) W : l:Z•ll~ltt Valentine (MG)

Britain and shipped over 3000 Valentine ranks to The compact Valentine was not fast, but it was well armoured the as part of their lend-lease aid. Although and capable of long marches. It was so well liked that, when the British viewed the Valentine as a heavy infantry-support the Soviet Union eventual ly ceased production of light tank, the Red Army considered it a rather heavy light tank tanks, they continued to request shipments of Valentines to when compared with their own medium and heavy tanks! fill their need for light tanks.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES HEAVY ARMOUR: Despite its role as a light tank, the OVERWORKED: W ith a tiny two-man turret, the Valentine is even more heavily armoured than the T-34 commander of the Valentine is also the gunner. This made medium tank. it hard to keep track of the tactical situation leading to SLOW: Designed as an infantry-support rank, the decreased accuracy. Valentine is quire slow. Ir is however, reliable, and its thick NO HE: Having lost so much equipment at Dunkirk, armour makes it hard for the enemy to stop. the British focussed on anti-rank ammunition to stop the GOOD ANTI-TANK GUN: For a light rank, the Valentine German panzers rather than explosive rounds for anti­ mounts a powerful gun. Its 2 pdr gun can penetrate any infantry work. This limits its usefulness against infantry German medium rank from the front. and unarmoured targets.

Leytenant Ivanov swung the cupola of his Valentine, checking that his company were keeping up, their line extending left and right. Valentine, the name always made him think of his little Valentina waiting for him back home. She'd laugh to think this odd-looking English tank had her name. T-60 Off to the left, earth fountained amidst the smoke Front Armour: 2 shrouding the village as tanks and artillery pounded Tactical Speed: 10"/25cm the Germans within it. Another village sacrificed to the DashSp eed: 16"/40cm Motherland, to the war to expel the invaders. .Weap on Range: 16 "/40cm Anti-tank: 5 The Valentines ploughed on, turrets traversed to Firepower: S+ watch the village, catching a glimpse now of the bigger M GROF: 3 T-34s racing towards it. A German gun somewhere in Other: No HE the village was working its deadly trade. At least-two tanks had careened to a halt, burning. Closer now, and Ivanov could see the German infantry starting to run from the back of the village as the remaining Soviet tanks entered from the front. Now! Now it was his turn. Depressing the trigger, his tank's machine-gun banged noisily, like the metal­ stamping machine he used to operate. In his sights the running Germans tumbled. T-60 TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• LITILE TANKS• CONFIDENT 4+

lOx T-60 (20mm) •lil•ll~•tt 9x T-60 (20mm) M : l:t•ll~ltt Sx T-60 (20mm) ••:Z•ll~•tt 7x T-60 (20mm) Mfiit•ll~itt 6x T-60 (20mm) •t:Z•l•~•tt Sx T-60 (20mm) Clij1ll~lti

With many of their tank factories still rebuilding after being evacuated to Siberia, the Red Army needed a tank that could be made in automobile factories. The T-60 was that tank. Light, simple, Despite being approximately the same size and weight as the British and powered by a copy of a Ford truck engine, , the T-60 was expected to take its place in battle along­ it was easy to make the 'sixty' in the needed side the T-34. quantities.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES CHEAP: The greatest virtue of the Ii ttle T-60 is that it is easy NO HE: The 20mm gun fires mainly armour-piercing to make and requires only two crew members. This enables rounds, so is ineffective against infantry and guns. As a the Red Army to make up their tank numbers quickly. result, T-60 tanks rely on their co-axial DT machine gun SUB-CALIBRE AMMUNITION: The powerful 20mm to tackle enemy infantry and unarmoured vehicles. gun was a modified aircraft cannon firing a high-velocity LITTLE TANKS: The T-60 fights as a battle tank alongside tungsten round capable of penetrating the flanks of most the T-34, rather than as a li ght scout tank. When the tanks German tanks. are held in deep reserve, the T-60 is also in reserve.

LIGHT TANKS: ON THE TABLE

1here are three different light tanks for you to choose between: the light Soviet-built T-60, the tough British-built Valentine, or the fast American-built M3 Stuart. 1he key differences are highlighted below to help you pick the right tank for the job.

VALENTINE M3 SIUARI Front Armour: 6 Front Armour: 3 Tactical Speed: 8"/20cm Tactical Speed: 12"/30cm Dash Speed: 14"/35cm Dash Speed: 24"/60cm Weapon Range: 24"/60cm Weapon Range: 24"/60cm Anti-tank: 7 Anti-tank: 7 Firepower: 4+ Firepower: 4+ MGROF: 3 MGROF: 5 Other: No HE, Other: Overworked Overworked You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

ARMOUR

..M3 LEE TANK COMPANY MS108 M3 STUART TANK COMPANY MS109

INFANTRY ~~1~ SMG COMPANY MS113 HERO SMG COMPANY MS123

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation. l x M3 Lee (short 75mm) ••:Z•l•~•.-t l x M3 Lee (long 7Smm) WJ4•ll~itt

While the Red Army had a bunch of derogatory nicknames for the American M3-S (5 for Sredniy or Medium), such as 'Three-storey Tank' and 10"/25CM 12"/30CM 18"/45CM 20"/SOcM 4+ 'Grave for Seven Brothers', they fo und it to be ROF ANTI· FIRE· WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES the most effective of the lend-lease tan ks that M3 Lee (long 75mm) 28"/70CM 2 1 10 3+ Forward Firing they received in 1942. Its armour was good, M3 Lee (short 75mm) 24"/60CM 2 1 9 3+ Forward Firing as was its gun, particularly the later model's M3 Lee (37mm) 24"/60CM 2 1 7 4+ Secondary Weapon longer-barrell ed gun, and most importantly, it M3 Lee (MGs) 16"/40CM 4 4 2 6 was very reliable and rarely broke down.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES WELL ARMED: The early short-barrelled M2 75mm FORWARD FIRING: The sponson-mounted 75mm gun gun in the M3 Lee is very similar in performance to the can only engage targets to the front of the tank. Soviet 76mm gun in their KV and T-34 tanks. It is effective SECONDARY WEAPON: Although each gun has its against both enemy tanks and dug in infantry and guns. own gunner and loader, the tank's commander is too busy The later, longer, even more powerful M3 75mm gun has directing fire of the main 75mm gun to assist the turret even more penetration against tanks, while retaining the gunner to locate targets for his 37mm gun. When it fires same effectiveness against other targets. Adding to the at the same time as the 75mm gun, it has ROF 1 and a +l fi repower, the smaller 37mm is a useful back-up weapon. penalty to hit its target. WELL PROTECTED: While not as heavily armoured as the KV or T-34 tanks, the M3 Lee still has good all-round armoured protection for a combat tank.

Every ridge or bump sent the M3 Stuart light tank flying through the air before landing with a jouncing crash. These American tanks were fast, and the drivers had only one speed - flat out, so they left their bigger companions behind. The tall M3 Lee tanks positively lumbered in comparison to the swarms oflight tanks. Leytenant Chernov led his Company onward, into explosions, bursts of flame, and half-seen glimpses of dark shapes in the swirling dust clouds of a summer battle. Chernov ordered his driver to angle left. They would sweep around the enemy flank, the enemy's side armour exposed to his 3 lmm guns. Over-eager gunners in the Soviet tanks were already firing, but at a range that offered little chance of damaging the black panzers. Enemy return fire was accurate, with the first casualties swerving to a halt, their crews baling out. There was no order any more - the battlefield was chaos. As a German T-3 breached the smoke and dust in front of him, Chernov fired. The sound of the shot and the clang of the hit mixed together. The enemy tank rolled to a halt, before German crew burst out of the hatches as Chernov's tank raced on. M3 LEE TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• CONFIDENT 4+

lOx M3 Lee (short 75mm) l~l:Z•Jl~ii-t 9x M3 Lee (short• 75mm) l!•l:t•U~itt Sx M3 Lee (short 75mm) l!rl:Z•U~ii-t 7x M3 Lee (short 75mm) lil:Z•Jl~ii-t 6x M3 Lee (short 75mm) ID:Z•Jl~l't 10"/ 25CM 4+ 5x M3 Lee (short 75mm) E!l:Z•Jl~li-t WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI· FIRE· NOTES 4x M3 Lee (short 75mm) I f : l:t•U~it.t HALTED MOVING TANK POWER M3 Lee (long 75mm) 28"/70CM 2 1 10 3+ Forward Firing 3x M3 Lee (short 75mm) ltl:Z•Jl~itt M3 Lee (short 75mm) 24"/60CM 2 1 9 3+ Forward Firing M3 Lee (37mm) 2 1 Secondary Weapon OPTIONS 24"/60CM 7 4+ • Replace any or all M3 Lee (short 75mm) M3 Lee (MGs) 16"/40CM 4 4 2 6 with M3 Lee (long 75mm) for The rather unusual looking M3 Lee mounted its 75mm gun in a sponson + 1 point each. at the front of the hull, and a 37mm gun in a small turret on top (with a machine-gun in an even smaller turret on top of that one!) . This unusual measure allowed the tank to be designed and rushed into production quickly while a more conventional rank with a turret-mounted 75mm gun was designed and put into production. Despite its odd appearance, the M3 Lee was an effective tank with a good balance of armour, firepower, and mobility.

M3 STUART TANK COMPANY

CONFIDENT 4+

lOx M3 Stuart (37mm) lfl:Z·ll~•tt 9x M3 Stuart (37mm) llfl:Z•ll~•tt Sx M3 Stuart (37mm) •t•:Z·ll~l'j 7x M3 Stuart (37mm) lfJ:Z•ll~ltt 6x M3 Stuart (37mm) ''':Z•l•~•tt Sx M3 Stuart (37mm) ••:Z•ll~•tt 4x M3 Stuart (37mm) Ml:Z•ll~•tt 3x M3 Stuart (37mm) Mfl:Z•ll~li-t

The provided the Red Army with nearly that the M3 Stuart's light armour was insufficient to allow it 1700 M3 Stuart light tanks. To distinguish the M3 Stuart to operate alongside the well-armoured T-34 medium tank light tank from the M3 Lee medium rank, the Red Army as an assault tank. referred to it as the M3-L (L for Legkhiy or Light). The M3 Stuart came at a time when their Soviet tank pro­ As a classic light tank, combining speed and light armour, duction was at a low point because of the evacuation of the the M3 Stuart fit in readily with the existing Soviet doctrine tank factories to the Urals. The Stuart allowed the Red Army for exploiting breakthroughs. However, experience showed to build up its tank forces during this difficult time.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES FAST: The M3 Stuart is even faster than the T-34, racing OVERWORKED: Like most of the tanks the Red Army along at 58 km/h (36 mph) flat our. operated, the M3 Stuart had a small and poorly-laid-out GOOD GUN: The 37mm is an effective gun, allowing the turret. The co mmander also acts as the gunner, making it M3 Stuart to engage German ranks from the front or flank. hard to use tactics any more sophisticated than a reckless charge at the enemy. LIGHT ARMOUR: The M3 Stuart is lightly armoured, so needs to use its speed to avoid anti-tank weapons. You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

INFANTRY --~)~ RIFLE COMPANY MS111 PENAL COMPANY MS112

ANTI-TANK ~;\ 76MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY MS117 45MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY MS116

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

8ZOTH ARTILLERY REGIMENT

l 80x Sapper.<. Sx "'.'6mm guns Sx "".'6mrn guns 4x I 22mm howiu.crs 4x I 22mm howir1.ers

12x 45mm anti-rank guns 36x P rRD AT rifles Sx 76mm guns 4x 122mm howitzers RIFLE BATTALION HQ

• INFANTRY FORMATION • URRAH •

2x M1891 rifle team ••:Z•l•~·-

The Red Army lost 200 rifle divisions in the first months of the war. Yet, by early 1942 they had 400 new divisions at the front, and the number ROAD OASH CROSS kept increasing, despite horrendous losses. These AUTO had been formed in weeks, then immediately committed to battle, lacking training and equip­ ment. They made up for this with sheer deter­ mination to protect their beloved Motherland.

2S4TH 'TOMSK' RIFLE DIVISION AT STALINGRAD

On 21 September 1942, the 284°' 'Tomsk' Rifle Division By 9 October, reinforced back ro half strength with replace­ began to cross the Volga River into Stalingrad. Initially only ments and soldiers returning from hospitals (and now one the 1043'd Rifle Regiment crossed, as the other two regi­ of the strongest divisions in Stalingrad), the division rook ments were still waiting ro be issued weapons. Crossing the over the frontage of the 95'" Rifle Division, freeing them next day, the other two regiments went straight into action ro reinforce the factory district. Over the next six weeks the ro counterattack the Germans, who had almost reached the division held its positions, while sending 'storm groups' ro river banks. After four days of heavy fighting, the division lead counterattacks in other parts of the city. had already lost a quarter of its strength (the equivalent of an By 20 November, although each of its battalions had been entire rifle regiment), but pushed the Germans back to their reduced ro just a single, weak company, the 284tl' Rifle original positions near the Mamayev Kurgan (a huge burial Division went back on the attack to support the efforts ro mound forming a large hill in the centre of the city) . encircle the German forces in the city. They retook the crest The fighting continued at this high intensity with a of the Mamayev Kurgan, but were unable ro advance further. major German attack on 27 September. Two days later, a It took over two more months of heavy fighting to recapture counterattack by the 1045'h Rifle Regiment supporting the the remainder of Stalingrad. 95'h Rifle Division rook the crest of the Mamayev Kurgan, In March 1943, the division was awarded the title 79'h 'Order being reduced to one-third strength in the process. The of the Red Banner' Guards Rifle Division. Fighting all the Germans responded with their own attack on 3 October, way to Berlin, the division received many other awards and retaking the hill. accolades by the end of the war. MASSED CHARGES: Not permitted to stop and take KOMISSAR: Political education, combined with draco­ cover, for fear that they will not advance again, the soldiers nian punishments, ensures that every Soviet soldier will do of the Red Army suffer heavy casualties under fire. their duty. While their komissar is with them, a company fights more bravely. FOR THE MOTHERLAND: The soldiers of the Red Army frequently demonstrate their lethality in close URRAH: With little training in sophisticated tactics, rifle quarters assaults. Fighting to rid the beloved Motherland companies can do little more than race headlong at the of the fascist invaders, they show little mercy. enemy, closing as fast as possible.

RIFLE COMPANY

28x DP MG and MI89I rifle team GREEN 5+ Ix Komissar team For the Motherland Assault I9x DP MG and MI89I rifle team

Ix Komissar team 8"/20CM AUTO

ROF ANTI· FIRE- OPTIONS WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES DPMG& • Add up to two Maksim HMG teams M1891 rifle team 16"/40CM 1 1 2 6 OPTIONAL for +l point each. Maksim HMG team 24"/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon OPTIONAL Add up to two PTRD AT rifle teams PTRD AT rifle team 16"/40CM 4 2 5 5+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon, No HE OPTIONAL Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon, for + 1 point each. SOmm mortar team 16"/40CM 3 2 2 4+ Overhead Fire OPTIONAL Flame-thrower, Heavy Weapon, • Add one 50mm mortar team for +I point. Flame-thrower team 4"/10CM 4 4 2 AUTO PinnedROF2 • Add up to two Flame-thrower teams for +2 points each. Stalin purged the officer corps before the war, removing any officer even remotely suspected of hostility to the regime. Combined with the terrible The Unit Leader is one ofthe DP MG and losses suffered during the first few months of the war, this left the Red Ml891 rifle teams. It and the Komissar team are Army desperately short of trained officers (let alone experienced ones). mounted on a small base (see page 52). To compensate, their tactics were reduced to blunt frontal assaults. The Komissar team shoots as a DP MG and Commanders dictated how, where, and when their subordinates would Ml891 rifle team. attack, and tolerated no argument. They then expected their attacks to be carried out until successful - or until there were no soldiers left to attack.

M1891 RIFLE: Designed in 1891 and updated in 1930, PTRD ANTI-TANK RIFLE: At just over 2m (79") long, the '3-line (0.30-inch) rifle' designed by Masin and Nagant the PTRD-41 is a huge single-shot rifle firing a big 14.Smm is a conventional bolt-action rifle. In most rifle squads, it is bullet with enough force to punch through the armour of a supplemented by DP machine-guns, SVT-40 self-loading light tank. The Red Army uses them en masse to maximise rifles, and PPSh submachine-guns. their effectiveness. DP MACHINE-GUN: Nicknamed the 'record player', the SOMM MORTAR: The 50mm PM40 light mortar throws DP-28 light machine-gun has an unusual magazine in the a 850g (30 oz) explosive round in an arcing trajectory, form of a circular pan mounted on top of the weapon. The making it good at knocking out machine-gun nests. DP is light and easily handled in assaults, but does not have FLAME-THROWER: The Red Army attaches large num­ a high sustained rate of fire . bers to assault battalions. Faced with a stream of burning MAKSIM HEAVY MACHINE-GUN: While the Model fuel, most troops will run. Flame-throwers are especially 1910 Maksim machine-gun is big and heavy with its lethal against infantry, guns, and trucks. Interestingly, the wheeled mount and small gun shield, it is solidly reliable. ROKS-2 flame-thrower is disguised as a normal rifle to Being water-cooled, it can maintain a high rate of fire for make its function harder to discern until it opens fire. as long as the ammunition supply allows. Red Soldier Pyotr Volkov looked at his new rifle, and tried again to scrub off the bloody hand print on the stock. He hoped it worked-he'd been given it on the way to the ferry across the Volga. His comrades looked nervously about, trembling hands rolling coarse tobacco into tattered pieces of paper, matches flaring as they lit up. The komissar standing on a broken plinth in front of the battalion drew his attention as he began. 'Now it is our turn, Comrades! We wiU sweep the enemy away, kill them aU, and cleanse Stalingrad of their German filth!' With a roar the men responded, 'For Stalin - Urrah! For Mother Russia - Urrah! For the Revolution - Urrah! : and suddenly he was surging forward as the men around him advanced in a mob, sweeping forward, 'Urrah!'. He shouted in time with those around him, 'Urrah Stalin!: the madness and fervour infecting them a{{ as they ran desperately into the enemy fire storm. Men feU, flung down as buUets punched home. Screaming, yelling, he foUowed those in front across a square, scrambling over debris, and into a building. Madness reigned inside. A snarling German swung at Pyotr-he blocked with his rifle and then thrust back, the bayonet sinking deep as his assailant folded over, clutching at the rifle. Pyotr jerked it back, then kicked the body away. Someone shouted, 'Forward Comrades!' Pyotr foUowed, charging into a corridor as the enemy fled out the far end. Already enemy fire was increasing, ricochets bouncing off waUs covered in peeling waUpaper. Pyotr looked at his blood covered hands - none of it his - and marveUed at his survival. They had beaten the Germans ... it could be done!

PENAL COMPANY

• INFANTRY UNIT • KO MISSAR • • REDEMPTION • URRAH •

MI89I rifle team GREEN 5+ I x Komissar team

Punishment I9x MI89I rifle team Ta ctics 6 I x Komissar team I f : l:Z•ll~ltt

f.i4hff.i ROAD DASH CROSS The Unit Leader is one ofthe M1891 rifle teams. 8"/20CM AUTO It and the Komissar team are mounted on a small base {see page 52). The Komissar team shoots as a M1891 rifle team.

O n 28 July 1942, Stalin issued Order No. 227. The order due to cowardice or bewilderment' would be put in difficult stated 'Ir is time to finish retreating. Not One Step Back! sectors and given 'an opportunity to redeem by blood their This should now be our main slogan'. To enforce this he crimes against the Motherland'. ordered that any officer who allowed a retreat would be court Once assigned to a penal company, the only way out was a marshalled, and that each army would form penal companies serious wound or death. Their fatalistic acceptance of casu­ where 'soldiers who have been guilty of a breach of discipline alties made these units difficult to stop when they attacked.

NO FRILLS: With weapons of all types in desperately SPECIAL RULES short supply, there are no automatic rifles or machine-guns KOMISSAR: Political ~ducation, combined with draco­ to spare for penal units. As a result, their ability to shoot on nian punishments, ensures that every Soviet soldier does the move is limited by their slow-firing bolt-action rifles. their duty. While their komissar is with them, a company PUNISHMENT: The Red Army's penal companies fights more bravely. are assigned to clear the way for the rifle battalions that -REDEMPTION: Penal companies are sent in to attack follow, either by taking the German positions, or simply particularly strong or important enemy positions. They by drawing enough German fire to allow the following will always be in the lead of the attack, never in reserve, riflemen to reach the enemy positions and clear them. and are often ordered to begin their attack early, entering There is no room for subtlety or tactics in this plan. They No-Man's Land ahead of the battalions that they are sup­ are expected to charge the enemy and win or die trying. porting. They are not permitted to stop and take cover, FOR THE MOTHERLAND: Like all Red Army soldiers, and not trusted to hold an objective until their supporting when they successfully close with the enemy, the penal riflemen arrive. companies use their bayonets to great effect, earning their URRAH: Penal companies can do little more than race redemption with the blood of their enemies. headlong at the enemy, closing as fast as possible. SMGCOMPANY

•INFANTRY UNIT• KOMISSAR • URRAH •

22x PPSh SMG team lx Komissar team

15x PPSh SMG team

l x Komissar team TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS

OPTIONS Add up to two Flame-thrower teams

for +2 points each. OPTIONAL Flame-thrower team 4 4 2 The Unit Leader is one oft he PPSh SMG teams. It and the Komissar team are mounted on a small Every regiment had one or more submachine-gun companies. These base (see page 52). assault troops had massive short-range firepower to suppress the enemy The Ko missar team shoots as a PPSh SMG team. defences, then ki ll them in close combat.

PPSH-41 SUBMACHINE-GUN: The PPSh-41 sub­ FOR THE MOTH ER LAND: In the PPSh-4 1 submachine­ machine-gun is cheap and easy to produce. It only has a gun, Red Army soldiers has found a weapon that makes short range, but with a high rate of fire and a big 7 1-round them even more deadly in assaults than rifle-armed troops. drum magazine, the PPSh-41 is a deadly weapon.

MAKSIM MG COMPANY

• INFANTRY UNIT• HEAVY WEAPON •

12x Maksim HMG team M ; l:t•ll~itt GREEN 5+ 9x Maksim HMG team Heavy Weapon •tw:t•Ji~ltt Assault 6 6x Maksim HMG team Rlit•ll~ltt 3x Maksim HMG team Wl:Z•ll~itt

Fire support from the old, reliable Maksim 8"/20CM AUTO machine-gun gives the ri fle battalion the ability ro keep the Germans pinned to the earth and ~!! . !iii.,!ii.!i)iilfl.\l!,l)i),j . ~ unable to fire while the riflemen close and over­ Maksim HMG team 24"/60cM 6 2 2 6 run their positions. PTRD ANTI-TANK COMPANY

•INFANTRY UNIT• HEAVY WEAPON•

6x PTRD AT rifle team ••:t·l•~•tt GREEN 5+ 3x PTRD AT rifle team WJ:t•Jl~itt

The Red Army used massed PTRD anti-tank rifles to protect their infantry from tanks. While one anti-tank rifle might not be particularly TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS deadly, a dozen or more can be very effective, 8"/20CM 12"/30CM AUTO exploiting their speed and mobility to ge t flank shots in a way that anti-tank guns cannot.

45MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY

•GUN UNIT• GUN SHIELD •

4x Short 45mm gun Mfl:Z•ll~itt GREEN 5+ Short 45mm gun Gun •l:t•ll~•tt Assault 6 Long 4Smm gun • ; •:t·ll~•tt Long 4Smm gun ••:t·ll~•tt ROAD DASH CROSS The 45mm gun was the standard Soviet anti­ tank weapon. The long-barrelled gun started to replace the earlier model at the time of the Soviet counterattacks to surround Stalingrad.

76MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY

•GUN UNIT• GUN SHIELD•

4x 76mmgun ll•l:Z•11~•tt GREEN 5+ 2x 76mmgun &t:t•ll~i4i Gun Assault 6 The motor rifle brigades fielded the bigger 76mm gun as their anti-tank weapon, although the rifle divisions sometimes positioned some TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS of their 76mm guns from the artillery forward 4"/1 0CM 4+ in an anti-tank role as well. These guns were more powerful, but not as mobile as the lighter 45mm guns. 82MM MORTAR COMPANY

• INFANTRY UNIT• HEAVY WEAPON •

9x 82mm mortar Mfl@•ll~itt GREEN 5+ 6x 82mm mortar Cl:l•ll~itt Heavy Weapon Assault 6 3x 82mm mortar Wl:l•ll~i_.i

The battalion 82mm BM-41 mortar was well suited to the Red Army's requirements. It was d4ii§·' frl·r·liii·'Wj•HiJ+i"ii' •HM ROAD DASH CROSS light and cheap, and did not need lots of training 8"/20CM 8" /20CM 12" /30CM I 12"/30CM AUTO if they were placed where the crew could see the ~!!.!lii.ii!.1111.llflS9,!libi~ target for themselves. 82mm mortar 40"/lOOcM ARTILLERY 1 4+

120MM MORTAR COMPANY

•GUN UNIT•

Bx 120mm mortar M : l:Z•ll~ltt GREEN 5+ 6x 120mm mortar Gun •tfl·ll~••t Assault 6 3x 120mm mortar ••:t•ll~•tt

The regimental 120mm PM-38 mortar reflects the Red Army's love of ever-bigger guns. This TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS mortar packs the punch of a field howitzer, 4"/10CM 3+ while still being cheap and simple enough for infantrymen to use.

ARTILLERY: When the heavy guns of the artillery PORTABLE: Soviet mortars have built-in wheels, so the batteries are otherwise occupied, it is useful for the infantry mortars can move quickly to keep up with the infantry that to have their own indirect-fire weapon. Mortars can be just they are supporting. as good as the bigger guns at digging infantry out of cover. You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

INFANTRY --~)~ HERO RIFLE COMPANY MS1 21 STORM GROUP MS1 22

ANTI-TANK ~~ 76MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY MS117 45MM ANTI-TANK COMPANY MS116

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation. HERO RIFLE BATTALION HQ

• INFANTRY FORMATION •

2x M1891 rifle team ••:t·ll~·-

After a few days of battle, rifle battalions would be reduced to the strength of a weak company. While this reduced their theoretical combat power, the survivors were hardened by their experience in the furnace of battle, and had learned how to fight and stay alive.

HEROES: Having learned the cost of headlong charges A HARD LESSON: Watching hundreds of your and the value of keeping their troops alive, experienced comrades being mowed down by German machine-guns battalion commanders allow their troops more latitude in tempered even the most ardent Communist's enthusiasm. how they fight. The survivors of the battalion's first battles A Hero Rifle Battalion can't be pushed as hard as a fresh go on to fight a long and heroic struggle, placing a greater and inexperienced unit, even with the leadership of their emphasis on the eventual victory of the Soviet Union than political officers. They will break off the fight rather than victory at any cost today. die to the last man.

HERO RIFLE COMPANY

• INFANTRY UNIT• KOMISSAR •

lOx DP MG and M1891 rifle team GREEN 5+ lx Komissar team

7x DP MG and M1891 rifle team lx Komissar team 8"/20CM AUTO

ROF ANTI· FIRE· NOTES OPTIONS WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER DPMG& • Add up to two PTRD AT rifle teams M1891 rifle team 16"/40CM 1 1 2 6 OPTIONAL for + 1 point each. Maksim HMG team 24"/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon OPTIONAL • Add up to two Maksim HM G teams PTRD AT rifle team 16"/40CM 4 2 5 5+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon, No HE for +I point each. OPTIONAL Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon, SOmm mortar team 16"/40CM 3 2 2 4+ Overhead Fire • Add one 50mm mortar team for + 1 point. OPTIONAL Flame-thrower, Heavy Weapon, Flame-thrower team 4"/10CM 4 4 2 AUTO PinnedROF2 • Add one Flame-thrower team for +2 points. No longer as reckless as they were, the handful of survivors quickly learned the benefits of taking cover and wearing the enemy down rather than just The Unit Leader is one ofthe DP MG and charging straight in. M 1891 rifle teams. It and the Komissar team are mounted on a small base (see page 52). When their division was rebuilt and their battalion filled out with hun­ The Komissar team shoots as a DP MG and dreds of new replacements, enthusiastic new officers would soon get the M1891 rifle team. majority killed, and it would be up to the same old handful of heroes to keep the war going until the next time.

Small fountains of snow spurted up as German machine-gun fire marched towards Grigoriy. He hurled himself forwards, tumbling into the trench just as the enemy fire reached the parapet. His laboured breath fogged around his head in the bitter cold as he reached inside his coveralls and pulled out a bottle. 'Not even broken!: he smirked, passing it to Pyotr. 'Drink up Volkov - next time its your turn!'. Pyotr took a long gulp - even a few weeks ago, he would have been coughing from the burn of the potent alcohol, but one grew up fast in Stalingrad. He passed the bottle on to the next man. There were only a few of them left from the battalion that had crossed the Volga together, but they knew how to fight the Germans now. STORM GROUP ~)~ • INFANTRY UNIT• 7x PPSh SMG team 2x Maksim HMG team 1x PTRD AT rifle team lx 50mm mortar team f.i4iifi ROAD DASH CROSS PPSh SMG team Sx 8"/20CM 12"/30CM AUTO 2x Maksim HMG team ROF ANTI- FIRE· 1x PTRD AT rifle team WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES 1x 50mm mortar team PPSh SMG team 4"/10CM 3 3 1 6 PinnedROF 1 Maksim HMG team 24"/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 4+, Heavy Weapon OPTIONS PTRD AT rifle team 16"/40CM 4 2 s S+ Assault 4+, Heavy Weapon, No HE Assault 4+, Heavy Weapon, • Add one PTRD AT rifle team for 50mm mortar team 16"/40CM 3 2 2 4+ Overhead Fire OPTIONAL Flame-thrower, Heavy Weapon, +2 points. Fla me-thrower team 4"/10CM 4 4 2 AUTO PinnedROF2 • Add up to two Flame-thrower teams The most experienced and self-reliant soldiers of the battalion are gath­ for +3 points each. ered together into a hand-picked storm group. Backed up with plenty The Unit Leader is one ofthe PPSh SMG teams of heavy weapons, they storm a German-held building, then bring up and is mounted on a small base (see page 52). their supporting weapons to hold what they have taken. In the ruins of Stalingrad, these units are invaluable.

UNSTOPPABLE: Hardened fighters armed with PPSh-41 submachine-guns, grenades, and sharpened spades are some of the most deadly troops in Stalingrad. Once they get into a building, the storm group clears it quickly. FIREPOWER: Storm groups have a range of heavy weapons to enable them to knock our enemy machine-guns, preparing the way for the assault, and then hold the building once they'd stormed it.

A tank crawled out of the rubble ahead and rolled towards them, machine-guns blazing. German soldiers struggled along in its wake. With a clanking roar, it crossed their trench. A German landed on top of Sergei, smashing him back against the edge of the trench. Pyotr clubbed the Fritz in the head, as Sergei struggled in the enemy's grasp. 'Thanks brother: Sergei gasped. Pyotr pulled a grenade from the twitching German's boot, armed it, and hurled it into a knot of enemy infantry. The explosion scattered them, and he fired short bursts finishing them off. 'Just another day in Stalingrad, Comrade. ' HERO SMG COMPANY

•INFANTRY UNIT• KOMISSAR • ~111 7x PPSh SMG team 1x Komissar team •iiZ·U~ii-t Sx PPSh SMG team 1x Komissar team llEliZ•Jl~li-t

• Add one Flame-thrower team fo r

+2 points. OPTI ONA L Flame-thrower team 4 4 1he Unit Leader is one ofthe PPSh SMG teams. It and the Komissar team are mounted on a small The sub-machine-gun company is more Bexible than a storm group, as it base (see page 52). is nor as specialised. They are the regiment's assault unit, and experts in 1he Komissar team shoots as a PPSh SMG team. close-quarters combat, whether clearing a wood or a vi ll age.

Flares spat up intermittently, bathing the ground below in red or white. Perfectly still, Kholkov peered over the shattered remains of the wall. He had been watching the Fritzes for days, memorising their routines, preparing for this mission. To get a 'tongue: a live German for interrogation. The rest of his squad sprawled nearby, sharpening combat blades and cleaning weapons. A final check that nothing rattled, as they tugged on each others straps and clothing. It was time. 'Up! Moving!: he hissed as he slithered across the wall. One by one, his men followed. Crawling over the blasted earth, shell holes and rubble covered their approach. They could smell the Fritzes now - wet leather and cabbage. Kholkov waited for the latest flare to die out, then rushed forward. Leaping over the debris, he tackled the target, slamming his helmeted head against the ground. The other Fritzes fell beneath a flurry of hacking and stabbing, overwhelmed too rapidly to raise any alarm. Blood spread out from under the corpses, steaming in the cold night. Anatoly stuffed a grenade under one of the corpses - a quick, crude trap. Another flare. They froze, but something must have alerted the Fritzes. Tracer rounds began to hammer out as the enemy machine guns opened fire. 'Run!: Kholkov shouted, already racing towards friendly lines, he and Anatoly dragging their prisoner by his arms. Counter-fire erupted from their own Maksims. Within moments a deadly network of tracers laced No-Man's Land. Two of his men fell, a third stumbled but carried on. Tumbling into cover, panting, they waited for the excitement to die down before covering the last stretch and handing the Fritz over to the waiting interrogators. Vodka and tobacco appeared, and gruff congratulations were handed out. The impending assault against the Germans would have the latest intel to guide it. SCOUT PLATOON

•INFANTRY UNIT• SCOUT• SPEARHEAD• FEARLESS 3+

9x PPSh SMG team lfl:Z•ll~•tt 7x PPSh SMG team ll•l:Z•ll~•tt TRAINED 4+ Sx PPSh SMG team Scouts Ml:Z·ll~l ..t Tactics 3+

The Unit Leader is one ofthe PPSh SMG teams and is mounted on a small base (see page 52). f.i4H§.i ROAD DASH CROSS 8"/20CM 12"/30CM AUTO The regimental scouts locate the enemy outposts and machine-gun nests, then lead the assault troops forward, avoiding the enemy.

SPEARHEAD: Guided by the scouts, your assault infan­ SCOUTS: Slipping like ghosts through the trees, the try and their supporting guns can slip unnoticed into scouts avoid enemy fire and shun close combat, preferring No-Man's Land prior to the battle. to reach their objective unopposed.

SNIPER PLATOON

•INDEPENDENT INFANTRY TEAMS• FEARLESS 3+ •SNIPER'S HIDE• I · I 4x Sniper team M : l:l•ll~ltt 2x Sniper team Kl:Z•ll~l~j TRAINED 4+ ,.. 3+ ] lx Sniper team Sniper Wl:Z•ll~lf;t Tactics 3+

TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS 12" /30CM AUTO

Unlike others, the Red Army entered the war with a well-established tradition of marksmanship. Scoped sniper rifles were widely issued and specialist snipers trained long before other armies had even considered the matter. SUPPORT UNITS

KV-8,FLAME-TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• RELUCTANT 5+

Sx KV-8 (4Smm) tl • l:l•ll~••t 4x KV-8 (4Smm) lfj:Z•ll~••t 3x KV-8 (45mm) t?•:Z·ll~••t

The Red Army developed flame-tanks before TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS the war to assist their infantry to overrun and 8"/20CM 14"/35CM 3+ destroy enemy positions. The KV-8 was the latest ROF ANTI· FIRE· WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES and toughest in this long lineage. It mounted an KV-8(45mm) 20"/50CM 2 1 7 4+ Overworked AT0-41 flame-thrower in the rurret in place KV-8 (Flame-thrower) 4"/10CM 5 5 2 AUTO Flame-thrower of the machine-gun, with a smaller 45mm gun KV-8(MG) 16"/40CM 3 3 2 6 Forward Firing replacing the 76mm gun to make space.

FEATURES SPECIAL RULES FLAME-TANK: Both the KV-8 and OT-34 mount the FLAME-THROWER: Faced with a stream of burning deadly AT0-41 flame-thrower. The KV-8 is carries more fuel, most troops will run. Even those brave enough to fuel, making more lethal than the smaller OT-34. stand and fight need to muster their courage to attack DUAL PURPOSE: The 45mm gun mounted beside the again. Flame-throwers are especially lethal against infantry, flame-thrower allows the KV-8 to engage targets outside guns, and trucks. the range of the flame-thrower. The OT-34 retains its OVERWORKED: Cramming lots fuel into the tank forces powerful 76mm gun, trading reduced flame-thrower fuel for the tank commander to do double duty, making it difficult greater versatility than the KV-8. to command the tank and still hit the enemy with the main HEAVY ARMOUR: The KV-8 has heavy armour that is gun while moving. proof against most German anti-tank weapons. The OT-34 also requires the driver to control the flame­ FAST: The OT-34 is fast, racing in to flame the enemy. thrower while driving the tank. This makes it rather inaccurate when moving. FIRE RISK: Both the KV-8 and the OT-34 had big tanks of flame-thrower fuel inside the crew compartment, so are reluctant to take risks if they can help it. OT-34 FLAME-TANK COMPANY

•TANK UNIT• ~ RELUCTANT 5+ lOx OT-34 (76mm) lfliZ•Jl~li-t 9x OT-34 (76mm) !fJiZ·Jl~ll-i GREEN 5+ 8x OT-34 (76mm) !EliZ•Jl~il-t 7x OT-34 (76mm) liliZ·Jl~it.t 6x OT-34 (76mm) Ii liZ•Jl~ii-i TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS 12"/30CM 24"/60CM 3+ Sx OT-34 (76mm) fl~iZ·Jl~itt WEAPON ROF ANTI· FIRE· 4x OT-34 (76mm) llliZ·Jl~il-t RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES OT-34 (76mm) 3x OT-34 (76mm) 24"/60CM 2 1 9 3+ Overworked l[~iZ·Jl~ll-t Flame-thrower, Forward Firing, ~- OT·34 (Flame-thrower) 4"/10CM 3 3 2 AUTO Overworked

OT-34(MG) 16"/40CM 3 3 2 6 Lighter, faster, and cheaper than the KV-8, the OT-34 flame-tank mounted the AT0-41 and relied more on its fearsome nature than accuracy for effect. The tank flame-thrower in place of the hull machine-gun. retained the 76mm gun of the line tanks, giving it the capability to oper­ Oddly, the flame-thrower was fired by the driver ate as a gun tank if necessary.

BA-10 ARMOURED CAR PLATOON

•TANK UNIT• SPEARHEAD• CONFIDENT 4+ Armoured Car Counterattack 6 3x BA-10 (45mm)

Once, the Soviet Union had thousands of pow­ TRAINED 4+ Armoured Cor erful BA-10 armoured cars. Now, they make Assault 6 do with the handful of survivors. Armed with TACTICAL a 45mm gun that could easily destroy oppos­ 8"/20CM ing armoured cars, the BA-10 led the advance. Dashing along the road ahead of the tanks, it located enemy concentrations so that they could be attacked or flanked. KATYUSHA GUARDS ROCKET BATTERY

4x Katyusha • ; •:Z•ll~•tt 2x Katyusha ••:Z•l•~•~t

The Red Army was also a world leader in the field of rocketry. They used truck-mounted TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS salvo rocket launchers against the Germans right 8"/20CM 28"/70CM 5+ from the start of the war. These saturated a large area with explosives, quickly pinning down the enemy and causing widespread casualties.

FEATURES needed, then deliver a devastating bombardment. On the ELITE GUARDS: The Red Army's rocket artillery is other hand, these large rocket launchers can not be dug in, considered a secret weapon, so it is always manned by elite making them somewhat vulnerable to enemy fire. Guards crews. Extra training, plus the ease of hitting the SPECIAL RULES general target with a rocket salvo, allows them to range in quickly on new targets. FORWARD FIRING: The rocket launcher 1s mounted MASSED FIRE: Although each individual rocket is not firing forward across the cab of the truck. very accurate, each truck fires 16 rockets at once, making SALVO: Rocket launcher bombardments saturate a larger sure that at least one rocket will be on target. area than conventional artillery, enabling them to pin MOBILE: The Karyusha rocket launcher is mounted on down and destroy more enemies in a single salvo. the back of a truck, allowing it to move to wherever it is • Letkov and his crew were heaving the 76 out ofyet another pothole as a group ofblood-spattered scouts ambled past, offering amiable insults and curses, swathed in clouds of dense tobacco smoke. 'Put your backs into it!' he shouted. By morning the gun needed to be in place, camouflaged, and ready to fire. Letkov's gun was to eliminate a pair of heavy machine-guns hidden in a massive department building. As day broke, a red flare soared overhead. 'First target. Doorway, HE!: he ordered. Gorash, the gunner, needed little guidance. One of the scouts had returned in the pre-dawn darkness and pointed out the target for them. The gun banged, leapt up and back. The target was obscured in dust and debris. Enemy fire erupted, lines of tracers stitching back and forth as they searched for targets. ~ 'New target! First floor! Third balcony!: just as they'd rehearsed. The barrel slowly lifted as Gorash wound the elevation wheel. Machine-gun rounds began to spatter off the gun shield. Gorash fired and the balcony r disintegrated, falling away from the facing to collapse in a pile on the ground. Aleksei was reloading when the mortar round struck, flinging the crew in all directions. Letkov staggered upright, blood streaming down his · face, and hauled a stunned Gorash with him. It was up to the frontovik infantry now... 76MM ARTILLERY BATTERY

•GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • LARGE GU N•

4x 76mmgun M:l:t•Ji~ltt GREEN 5+ 2x 76mmgun Large Gun ••:t·l•~•tt Assault 6 The Red Army's standard artillery piece was the 76mm ZIS-3 field gun. Ir our-ranged German artillery and delivered an effective shell against a TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS wide range of targets. The light 76mm field gun 4"/10CM 4+ was easy to manoeuvre into position, and could be rolled forward to engage the enemy over open sights for maximum effectiveness.

122MM ARTILLERY BATTERY

• GUN UN IT• GUN SHIELD • LARGE GUN •

4x 122mm howitzer W:l:Z•ll~iti GREEN 5+ 2x 122mm howitzer Large Gun ••:Z·l•~••t Assault 6 The 76mm gun was backed up by the heavier 122mm model 1938 howitzer. Throwing a bigger shell than the equivalent German how­ TACTICAL ROAD DASH CROSS itzer over a longer range, they destroyed guns, 6 tanks, and infantry with equal ease. When rolled up to point-blank range, their brutal shells easily

eliminated any target. Or Direct Fire

FEATURES SPECI AL RULES LIGHTWEIGHT: The 76mm gun is light and mobile. BRUTAL: A single direct hit from a 122mm shell will They can be massed for a sustained bombardment, roll destroy most infantry and guns hit by direct fire. forward for direct fire, or engage enemy tanks as needed. FORWARD FIRING: The guns could not rotate to follow HARD HITTING: The 122mm howitzer is bigger and fast-moving targets, so could only fire at units to their front. heavier, and fires a more destructive shell. Their main role GUN SHIELD: The gun shield gave the crew bulletproof is to pound the enemy into submission. cover against fire from the front. DUAL PURPOSE: The 122mm howitzer and 76mm gun SLOW FIRING: The 122mm howitzer is too cumbersome are more versatile than mortars and rocket launchers. Both to fire on the move, and its low rate of fire makes it difficult were protected by gun shields and function as anti-tank for it ro hit targets when pinned down by enemy fire. guns and infantry-support direct-fire weapons as needed. 'Enemy tank! 250 metres!' Valeriev tapped his gunner and pointed. Kovrov fired and the gun bucked. The round took a German panzer in the flank. Shavikov slammed in another round, slapping Kovrov on the shoulder. The gun fired again, adding to the staccato banging of the other guns. 'They're on the right! They've flanked us!: shouted Valeriev. Without another word, the tank-fighters lifted the trail of the light gun, dragging it around to face the new threat. Three black panzers were advancing slowly, spraying bullets from their machine-guns. Despite bullets sponging into the gun shield, Kovrov took an extra moment before firing. The shot slammed home right where the turret met the hull. The big black tank slewed sideways before a column of fire shot out of the cupola. Other hatches burst open and bodies tumbled out, slapping at flames. Another panzer shed a track, and the third began to reverse before lurching to a stop, black smoke pouring out the top. Valeriev peered around. Two guns had been destroyed. It was just Azarov's gun and his own left now, but the Germans weren't pressing them. They had been bloodied and stopped this day. LIGHT TANK-KILLER COMPANY

• GUN UNIT• GUN SHIELD• 41\il.~ 4x Short 45mm gun ll•liZ•Jl~itt VETERAN 3+ 2x Short 45mm gun Gun •tiZ·Jl~itt Assault 4+ 4x Long 45mm gun l~liZ•Jl~itt 2x Long 45mm gun ~•iZ•Jl~itt

The elite tank-kill ers of the 'fighter' anti-tank regiments were hand-picked. Their skilful han­ dling of their weapons accounted for 70% of the German panzers destroyed by the Red Army. Long 45mm gun 2 ~-----~---~-~~-~-~~------~ HEAVY TANK-KILLER COMPANY

• GUN UNIT• GUN SHIELD•

4x 57mmgun lf : liZ•Jl~itt VETERAN 3+ 2x 57mmgun Gun lliliZ•Jl~itt Assault 4+ 4x 76mmgun l[liZ•Jl~itt 2x 76mmgun • : liZ•Jl~itt f.i4iig.i ROAD DASH CROSS The tank-killers were experts at ambushing 4"/1 0CM 4+ enemy tanks from concealed positions. They also rolled their guns forward to knock our machine­ gun nests and other obstructions with direct fire to help the infantry.

HAND-PICKED: Realising that the German panzers were LONG 45MM GUN: As 1942 progressed, a modified a major threat, the Red Army established 'fighter' anti­ version of the 45mm with an extra-long barrel entered tank regiments and brigades to deal with them. The crews service. Light and mobile, like the standard gun, the long receive hazard pay ('double pay - triple death') and a 45mm has excellent penetration. special insignia on their uniform to reflect their elite status. 57MM GUN: The 57mm anti-tank gun uses the same DO OR DIE: The soldiers of the elite tank-killer formations chassis as the 76mm filed gun, but mounts an extra-long have a fatalistic approach to the dangers of their trade - barrelled 57mm gun. This gave it outstanding anti-tank 'a long gun, a large salary, a short life!'. capability, but limits its effectiveness against infantry and SHORT 45MM GUN: The standard 'short' 45mm gun unarmoured targets. is still longer than many foreign anti-tank guns, and has 76MM GUN: The 76mm field gun is big and cumbersome greater penetration than the German equivalent. These for a Soviet anti-tank gun, but it packs a good punch and guns are cheap and efficient. is deadly against a wide range of targets. DSHK AA MG PLATOON

CONFIDENT 4+

3x DShKAAMG

The 12.7mm DShK heavy machine-gun is the Soviet equivalent of the American .50 cal machine-gun, and is used in a similar role. Mounted on a light truck, the gun is mobile enough to accompany the brigade as it advances.

IL-2 SHTURMOVIK ASSAULT COMPANY

2x 11-2 Shturmovik

The Il-2 Shturmovik ('Assault Trooper' in Russian), is a ground attack aircraft. Slow and rugged, it was an easy target for enemy fire, but that didn't matter as its thick armour shrugged off the hits. Carrying a wide variety of weaponry, the Shturmovik was deadly to any type of target.

BOMBS AND ROCKETS: The Il-2 Shrurmovik carries GUNS: Against light armoured vehicles or pinpoint a variety of ordnance, including RS-132 rockets, FAB-100 targets, the accuracy of the Il-2 Shturmovik's 23mm bombs, and PTAB anti-tank bomblets. These are effective ShVAK cannon often makes them more effective than against clusters of enemy troops, guns, or tanks. bombs and rockets.