Guards Tank: The Battle of Prokhorovka, July 1943 Turn 1A The SS Panzer Corps is charged with by E.R. Bickford breaking through the Soviet fortifi ca- The fi rst business is to bust through tions and pushing on northward to the fi rst line of Soviet fortifi cations Production: ultimately capture Prokhorovka as which is defended by the 52nd Guards C.J. Doherty well as positions on the eastern and Corps and the 375th Guards Corps. western fl anks, which are marked with The defense looks formidable. © 2010 Decision Games the German cross. The Panzer Corps Bakersfi eld, CA. is made up of three divisions and will Turn One 5 July 1943 launch a three-pronged attack. The Totenkopt Division is deployed on German Player Turn the left fl ank and will proceed on the western side of the Donets River, even-even- Reinforcements: tually crossing the Psel River towardtoward The Axis player receives 8 air mis- the road to the west of Voroshilov. The sions. Three are medium bombers center is covered by the LAH Division and 5 are ground attack missions. which must push through the fi rst line of fortifi cations and then cross Movement Phase: the Donets pressingpressing alongalong thethe railroadrailroad None toward Prokhorovka. The right fl ank is assigned to the Das Reich Division Final Protective Fire Phase (Soviet): which must also cross the river. Then The 23rd Guards Corps is able to place moving along the eastern fl ank toward two artillery units in command. The the objective hex near Maloyablonovo. 52nd Guards Artillery Regiment misses, WORLD at WAR 13 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | AUG–SEP 2010 A1 Guards Tank recon battalion (1st SS Recon) is elimi- nated. The LAH units advance. The fi nal attack on the line is led by the 680 Engineer Battalion. The 375th GD AT is eliminated as it must retreat through an enemy ZOC (Zone of Control) Remaining Axis artillery bombard- ment manages to suppress the Soviet 375 Guards artillery. The Luftwaffe makes an appearance to barrage the 52nd Guards Artillery, which is just north of the fi rst line of fortifi cations. Somehow the pilots miss the target. Since all of the German units continue to be in command, they may all participate in the 2nd wave combat phase with the exception of the suppressed units from the LAH. Axis Second Wave Combat: The Totenkopt launches attacks on Turn 1B the western position, which is held by the 3/375 GD Regiment. This attack but the 375th Guards Regiment manag- to launch against the fortifi cation employs the Mobile CRT. TheThe SovietSoviet 3rd es to suppress part of the LAH Division. hexes. One of these attacks will be Regiment is forced to retreat. Next the satisfi ed by an artillery unit using Totenkopt goes after the 28th AT Brigade Axis First Wave Combat Phase: ranged fi re soso thatthat groundground fforcesorces ccanan which has been suppressed by artillery On the German right, Das Reich be concentrated. The fi rst attack is fi re. The Soviet AT is still holed up in opens the attack against the 52nd launched on the Assault CRT againstagainst fortifi cations, but is completely sur- Guards. All of the defenders are in the westernmost position, which is rounded. The Assault Table is used and fortifi cations, which gives the defender held by the Soviet 3/375. The Totenkopt unfortunately, the result is Exchange. a 2 column shift. The fi rst battle units have the advantage of using The 0-6-7 (28th AT) is eliminated but so results in an Exchange. A Soviet 3-6-2 engineers against the fortifi cation. is the German 4-4-8 (T 2/6 infantry bat- infantry (2/52 Rgt) is eliminated and (Engineers gain a favorable column talion). Next the 680 Engineer and the a German 4-4-8 motorized infantry shift when assaulting fortifi cations). 2/2 LAH attack the suppressed artillery battalion is sacrifi ced. The Axis This forces the 3rd Regiment to fall unit using the Mobile CRT. The Soviet gains one VP and the Soviets gather back. The second attack is an Assault artillery manages to escape via retreat. 2 VP’s, but lose a fortifi cation hex. against the 2/375 Regiment, again in On the eastern fl ank, the DR division fortifi cations. Artillery is used as fi re attacks a lone artillery regiment that is Tally: support. The defender survives but situated behind the fi rst line of fortifi - Soviets 2-1 must retreat. The artillery handles the cations. The artillery retreats one hex. Soviet 28th Anti-tank brigade, which In the fi nal attack, the Axis 2/4 and 3/4 The attacks continue and the Axis becomes suppressed as a result. battalions attack the 52 GD AT and 6th commander employs three ground GD Army artillery. Both sides retreat. support missions as well as three Next, the LAH attacks the center of the artillery units fi ring in support. By Soviet fi rst line fortifi cations. The 1/375 Recovery Phase: the end, Das Reich forfeits two 4-4-8 Guards Regiment is fi rst. The LAH The suppressed LAH units automati- infantry battalions while the Soviets has suppressed (by Soviet FPF) units cally recover as they are in command lose two 3-6-4 infantry regiments involved which is a disadvantage. (A control range. With the recent losses eliminated. Four fortress hexes have negative column shift on the attack.) the score stands at Soviets 9 VP and been captured from the fi rst line. Despite this the 1/375 is forced to the Germans 5 VP’s. (Not counting retreat. (This retreat is for an additional terrain objectives.) (Photo 1) Tally: hex due to over-stacking). In the next Soviets 6-3 VP’s. attack, the LAH strikes the 27th AT Score: Brigade. The German artillery adds Soviets 9 Axis 5 VP’s The German left fl ank attacks next. its weight to the attack and the result This is handled by the Totenkopt is Exchange. The 0-6-7 (27th AT) is Division, which has three attacks eliminated and the German 5-3-12 A2 WORLD at WAR 13 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | AUG–SEP 2010 The Battle of Prokhorovka, July 1943 Soviet Player Turn Reinforcement Phase: The Soviet player rolls the die to release his reinforcements. The 183rd Division and 9th Guards Airborne Division are both released. These units also bring along one asset each from the 6th Guards Army. Since the Germans have units north of the 1st FortifiFortifi eded Line,Line, thethe Soviets also roll for the release of the mechanized units from the 5th Guards Tank Army. Only the 5th Mechanized Corps Detachment is released with an attached AT regiment (chosen randomly) from the 5th Guards Army. The Soviets receive no air power until the launch of the Orel Offensive via the event phase. The Soviet commander uses his one Replacement Point to attempt a rebuild of the 0-6-7 27th AT Brigade, but this fails and the unit is permanently destroyed. Turn 2A Movement Phase: The 23rd Corps attempts to fall back The turn ends with the Soviets is out of command, so the rest have toward the north. Enemy ZOC’s lock leading 9 to 5 VP’s. their full movement allowance. some of the units which must use disengagement to break free. Two Photo 2 Soviet Final Protective Fire: units manage to cross the Donets Only two of the Soviet artillery units River viavia thethe railroadrailroad trestle.trestle. InIn Turn Two 6 July 1943 can fi re. The fi rst fi res at the DR the rear, the 5th Mechanized Corps units due west of the Donets River. ItIt advances forward to Stalinsk. The Events Phase: misses. The second 6-3-3 fi res at the 183rd Rifl e Division advances toward No Event LAH in the center. This is somewhat the 6th Guards Army HQ which is in successful and the target retreats. the 2nd Line Fortifi cations. Last, the Axis Player Turn 9th Airborne advances to Stalinsk. Axis First Wave Combat: These units do not get very far Reinforcements Phase: The fi rst attack is against the with their slow movement rates. The Axis receives 2 RP’s plus an addi- 3-6-4 infantry regiment which is tional RP for capture of the fi rst line holding the Soviet army’s right Final Protective Fire Phase: fortifi cations. The fi rst replacement is a fl ank. The Totenkopt has brought There is none since none of the Soviet 4-4-8 infantry from Das Reich, but it is overwhelming strength to bear units are adjacent to German units. permanently eliminated, failing the die and uses the Mobile CRT. The roll. Another 4-4-8 infantry battalion is 3/375th Guards retreats one hex. Soviet First Wave Combat: eliminated too. The LAH replaces the The commander of the 6th Guards 5-3-12 recon battalion. Two additional Another Soviet 3-6-4 infantry Army orders his available artillery Ground Attack missions are received as unit is defending in forests in the to bombard the advancing Germans are three Medium Bomber missions. center. The Totenkopt and LAH join with ranged fi re. The 28th Artillery in an attack employing the Mobile Brigade fi res at the DR Engineer Movement Phase: CRT. This results in a DE and the Battalion which becomes suppressed. Since the Soviets have attempted to fall 2/375 Guards is eliminated. back from the fi rst line fortifi cations, Second Wave Combat Phase: the Totenkopt Division will continue The 6th Guards Army HQ is caught off None to press forward on the German left guard by the LAH.