Fronte Russo Scenario 46
The Defense of Bolshoy
By Ottavio Ricchi
with developer’s commentary by Doug McNair
December 2007

The fourth in our series of bonus scenarios for Fronte Russo is a classic battle of quality vs. quantity at the end of the first week of the Soviet assault across the River Don. Here Novara Cavalry Regiment, the only reasonably intact Italian formation in the Bolshoy sector, fights to hold Bolshoy against the same unit it stopped two days before, the Soviet 38th Guards Infantry Regiment. Each side gets victory points for killing enemy steps and taking town and hill hexes on Board 2.

The Guards have numerical superiority for the first half of the game (until Italian reinforcements show up), and the Germans on the Italian right flank will provide only grudging support. But this time the Italians have decent artillery support, and most of their units are high-morale members of Novara Regiment. That plus deadly Italian cavalry charge capabilities will force the Soviets to once again be very cautious in their attack. They should move southwest to cross the gully at the undefended bridge on Board 5, thus forcing the Italians to stretch their lines westward and thin them out. Once across the gully they should move aggressively to take the hill west of Bolshoy (the town in Board 2) and drive into Bolshoy itself before the Germans on the eastern boards can arrive to assist the Italians there. And in general they need to grab as much hill and town terrain on Board 2 before Turn 15 so that when Italian reinforcements arrive it will be the Axis trying to dig Soviets out of defensible positions rather than the other way around.

Fronte Russo Scenario 46
The Defense of Bolshoy
27 August 1942

Despite Novara Cavalry Regiment’s successful delaying action against the Soviet Guards two days earlier, Generale Giovanni Messe ordered them to withdraw from the sector on August 27. This virtually sprang the door open for the Soviets and effectively exposed the flank of German 79th Infantry Division. A strong reaction from the Germans (which included the temporary firing of Messe) resulted in Novara being sent back to its former position. Inexplicably, the Soviets had not occupied the village of Boloshoy while Novara was gone, so the Italians dug in in front of the town and waited for events to unfold. The Russian attack started at 5 a.m. of the 27th.

Note: This scenario uses boards and pieces from Eastern Front and Road to Berlin, and pieces from Red Warriors. Only use Soviet Guards leaders from Red Warriors.

Game Length: 30 turns
First Turn: 0500
Other: Treat all town hexes on Board 7 and 3 as woods with roads running through them. Treat the river on Boards 3, 20 and 5 as a gully. Treat the river on Board 7 as a road, which runs through hex 0717 on Board 2 to connect with the road in the next hex.

All Italian/German units set up first.

ITALIANS
Novara Cavalry Regiment and Remnants, 54th Infantry Regiment
On Board 20, anywhere south of the gully. All units except CAV and trucks that don’t set up in town or woods hexes may begin Dug In:
2 x INF
2 x HMG
3 x SCIA
3 x CAV (reduced)
1 x 47mm
2 x 81mm
1 x Truck (German)

Leaders: 1 x MAG, 2 x CAP, 3 x TEN (the Italian player designates any four of these leaders as cavalry leaders)

2nd Group, Voloire Regiment
Anywhere on Board 2 and/or anywhere on Board 20 south of the gully:
3 x 75/27 Voloire

Leader: 1 x TEN

Reinforcements
1st Motorcycle Company and 6th Footed Company, Novara Regiment
The Italian player rolls one die at the start of each turn beginning with Turn 15. On the first result of 1 or 2 the following enter anywhere on the west edge of Board 7 that turn (stop rolling after they appear):
3 x MTC
3 x SCIA
3 x Truck (German)

Leaders: 1 x MAG, 1 x CAP, 2 x TEN

GERMANS
Elements, 79th Infantry Division
All units and leaders are German.

Set up within one hex of the hill on Board 5. All may set up Dug In:
3 x INF
1 x HMG

Set up in town hexes of Board 15 (two units per hex):
3 x INF
1 x HMG

Set up in any woods hexes on Board 15:
3 x INF
1 x HMG

Leaders: 1 x CAPT, 3 x LT, 1 x SGT
Morale: Artillery, CAV, SCIA, MTC and Germans: 8/7; All others: 7/5
Initiative: 5
Off-board Artillery: Italian: 3 x 8, 2 x 14; German: 2 x 16 (see Special Rules 3 and 4)

38th Regiment, 14th Guards Rifle Division
All units and leaders are Guards, except for the trucks and wagons. Enter anywhere on the north edge of Board 20:
19 x INF
6 x INF (reduced)
5 x HMG
2 x HMG (reduced)
5 x SMG
3 x 45mm
4 x 82mm
2 x ATR
2 x 120mm
2 x 76.2mm
5 x wagon
6 x Truck

Leaders: 1 x MAJ, 3 x CAPT, 6 x LT, 1 x KOM

Initiative: 5
Morale: 8/6
Off-Map Artillery: 2 x 14

Special Rules
1. Italian initiative decreases by one for every 3 steps eliminated.

2. Soviet initiative decreases by one for every 3 steps eliminated.

3. German units and leaders cannot move outside Boards 5 and 15 and German offboard artillery cannot target hexes outside Boards 5 and 15 until the Soviets take control of any hill or town hex on Board 2. After that German units and artillery are unrestricted. At all times, only German leaders can spot for German offboard artillery.

4. Only Italian leaders can spot for Italian offboard artillery.

5. The East Front Panic Rule applies to both Italian INF units.

6. SCIA units have a movement allowance of 3 since there is no snow to ski on.

Victory Conditions
Players score victory points as follows:

Soviet