Tactics in 'Sinister Forces'
Part I: Never Underestimate
a Schoolteacher with an Attitude
By Doug McNair
March 2006

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our new Panzer Grenadier: Sinister Forces book supplement is that it’s not limited by nationalities, geography or timeframe. The Waffen SS and the Soviet NKVD fought battles from Scandinavia to the Caucasus, in all kinds of terrain, against Finns, Romanians, Americans, etc, as well as each other. And because Sinister Forces follows the SS and NKVD all over the European Theater, it lets us see how these political troops developed in combat effectiveness over time. It also gave us at Avalanche Press the luxury of selecting only the most interesting tactical situations for scenarios.

A fine example is “Schoolboys with Sabers,” in which the cadets of the Novocherkassk Cavalry School, the Ordzhonikidze Infantry School, the Rostov Artillery School and the Poltava Tractor School fight a desperate battle on August 8, 1942, to stop the advance of the SS Viking Division at the Kuma River. Like our Winter Fury game, it pits an invader with massive advantages in firepower and numbers against a small but highly mobile defender which can use terrain to its advantage. In addition, “Schoolboys with Sabers” illustrates the primacy of leadership and morale in Panzer Grenadier, and shows how a superbly-led force can stymie a much stronger enemy who fails to guard against carelessness and impatience.

That last bit is an unfortunate description of me in a recent game session. Playing the SS, I thought to teach these insolent youths a lesson in the art of maneuver, crossing the river at several points to outflank their positions and push on with minimal losses. Unfortunately, I found out too late that a single thrust with a patient application of concentrated firepower would have served me much better. As it happened, the boys’ crusty old schoolmaster had taught them well, and was a demon with a saber himself. . . .

Game Summary

The two sides stack up as follows:

Elements, SS Viking Division

• 29 infantry platoons (INF, MG and pioneer/engineers)
• 6 tank platoons
• 2 AT gun platoons
• 3 mortar platoons
• 1 infantry gun platoon
• 4 x 16 offboard artillery
• 11 Random Leaders
• Random air support
• Numerous trucks and transports

Morale: 7/6

Initiative: 3 (reduced by 1 for every 5 steps lost, with tanks counting double)

The T-35, the Red Army’s land battleship.

Elements, Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery and Tractor schools

• 8 cavalry platoons
• 6 HMG platoons
• 1 T-35 tank platoon
• 1 107mm artillery platoon
• 1 76.2mm artillery platoon
• 1 76.2mm MTN artillery platoon
• 1 45mm AT gun platoon
• 8 handpicked leaders, 2 Kommissars, 1 tank leader

No air support, no offboard artillery, but all units can begin dug in.

Morale: 8/5

Initiative: 1 (reduced by 1 if six steps or a single leader is lost; tank steps count double)

So, the Germans have an approximate 2:1 advantage in numbers, and more than 2:1 in firepower. The German leaders are very good as always, but the Soviet leaders (being instructors from elite schools) are the best of the best, and Soviet morale is higher than German (until a unit takes a step loss, at which point its morale drops dramatically). This creates a sticky situation for the Germans — if they get cocky and put themselves in exposed positions without enough support, the higher-morale Soviets will fail to break under fire and will throw the Germans back across the river. But if they can inflict some step losses on the Russians, dropping their morale to 5, then they can push them aside.

Boards

Four boards are set up in a rectangle oriented east-west, with two boards to the north and two to the south. A major river runs east-west through the middle of the northern two boards, and is crossed by two bridges, one per board. Roads run south from each bridge to the southern board edges.

Victory Conditions

The Germans enter at the north board edge, and must exit as many steps as possible off the south board edge, eliminating Soviet steps along the way. The more they eliminate and the more they exit, the higher their level of victory. For the Soviets, the more German steps which are eliminated, demoralized or north of the river at game’s end, the higher the Soviet level of victory.

Set Up

The Soviets set up three dug-in HMG platoons in the two hexes just south of each bridge, blocking any Germans who wish to cross south from the bridge. They put four cavalry platoons in woods near the eastern bridge, and another four with Schoolmaster Colonel I.P. Kalyuzhny in the town south of the western bridge. They also place the AT platoon there to cover the western bridge, and the 76.2mm gun in woods near the eastern bridge. They put the T-35 tank in a town southeast of the eastern bridge, where its Direct Fire range of 8 can cover the bridge and the riverbanks east of it. Finally, they place their remaining two artillery units in hilly woods on the southern boards to provide long-range bombardment support.

A Soviet machine-gun crew has made the final sacrifice for their people.

Turn 1 — 0930

The players roll for initiative and the Germans win, getting two activations before the Russians can activate. Four infantry platoons each, plus an engineer platoon and leaders, enter at the eastern and western board edges. They move south toward the river, intending to cross it and then close on the bridges to outflank the defenders there. Long-range opportunity fire from the T-35 platoon to the east is ineffective.

The Soviet player passes to see what the Germans will do next.

Thirty-two points of German offboard artillery hit two Russian HMG units defending the western bridge crossing. One HMG is disrupted.

The Soviets pass again.

Two Panzer IIIJ tank platoons lead the advance down the western road toward the bridge. They stop just north of the bridge — entering it would put them next to the Soviets, who could assault them and get +2 column shifts for higher morale and leaders, while still blocking the bridge. Tank steps count double for victory conditions, so the Germans want to protect their tanks and let artillery, direct fire and the flanking maneuvers dislodge the defenders. Then the tanks can charge down the road with infantry on trucks behind them, and exit en-masse from the south board edge for a major victory.

German infantry and HMG platoons follow behind the tanks, and the Soviet HMGs guarding the bridge open up with long-range opportunity fire, rolling a 2 on the 16 table. That’s a 2X result, eliminating a German HMG unit. Colonel Kalyuzhny smiles, ever so slightly. . . .

The Soviet artillery in the woods to the south fire and disrupt one German infantry unit near the western bridge. German offboard artillery replies, hitting the defenders at the eastern bridge, but is ineffective. Then the Soviet 45mm anti-tank gun in the town south of the western bridge fires and rolls an 11, killing a step from one of the two PzIIIJ tank platoons just north of the bridge. The half-strength tank unit fails its morale check badly and is demoralized. The colonel gives the AT commander a nod of approval, and a cheer goes up.

Two German armored platoons (PzII and Pz 747r) enter at the center of the northern board edge. They move south toward the riverbank, where they will wait until the Russian defense of one of the bridges collapses. They will then fire at Soviet units as they move east or west from the other bridge to stop the Germans breakthrough. Three German mortar units enter the north board edge at the same time and take up position in the woods there.

Seeing that all is going well with the defense of the western bridge, Col. Kalyuzhny mounts up and takes his cavalry west into the woods, moving toward the Germans who will shortly be attempting a river crossing at the western board edge. A Soviet major stays in town to oversee the defenders.

The Soviets pass. Then the Germans bring in their two 50mm AT gun platoons, towing them to a copse of woods near the east board edge. The AT guns’ eight-hex range will let them fire at the T-35 in the town south of the river. The Soviets pass again, and the Germans bring on the rest of their tanks and infantry, moving down the road toward the eastern bridge with tanks in the lead. The HMGs defending the eastern bridge open up with opportunity fire, and disrupt one German HMG following the tanks. For their last action of the turn, the Soviet 76.2mm gun fires at the tanks leading the advance down the eastern road, but misses.

The Germans roll to see if they get an air unit this turn, but they don’t.

0945

German initiative is still 3, and they win the initiative roll, getting two activations before the Russians again. They hit the defenders of the western bridge with another 32 points of OBA, rolling an M2 result. But the captain leading the defenders has a morale of 10, and gives them a +1 bonus, raising their morale to 9. Even with the –2 penalty, they all make their morale check. The German mortars open up and hit the same hex again, but Soviet morale still holds (who said school is for sissies?).

The Soviet 76.2mm gun covering the eastern bridge fires, and destroys one step of the Germans’ strongest tank platoon (PzIVE). The other step fails morale by 2 and is disrupted.

German OBA and tanks, and Soviet AT and artillery trade fire but are ineffective. Then a German leader with a combat bonus combines fire from HMGs and Infantry north of the western bridge, disrupting the second Soviet HMG on the road south of the bridge. Both HMGs there are now disrupted. More infantry advance behind the firing units, and the Soviet HMGs disrupt their major with opportunity fire.

Col. Kalyuzhny takes his cavalry to the northwestern edge of the woods, waiting to move into position for a charge against the river-crossers when the time is right.

More units at the eastern bridge trade fire but are ineffective. The Soviet cavalry in the woods by the east bridge start moving east to oppose the German crossing.

The Soviets are done activating, so the western river-crossers move up to the river, and the demoralized half-strength German PzIIIJ platoon by the bridge fails to recover and flees northward.

1000

German initiative is now 2 due to step losses. The Soviets win the initiative roll and get one activation before the Germans. Both sides’ AT guns and artillery trade fire, but are ineffective. Then the two disrupted HMG units on the western road try to recover morale, but only one of them succeeds. This gives the Germans a chance to advance without massive Russian opportunity fire, so the PzIIIJ moves to the bridge while infantry and HMGs hit the defenders. They disrupt and demoralize the two remaining good-order Soviet HMGs and a German infantry unit then follows the tank onto the bridge.

Soviet cavalry moves to the eastern town, south of the river-crossers there. The Germans pass, and the Russian HMG that was just demoralized by German fire at the western bridge fails to recover and flees south to the western town.

The engineer at the west board edge enters the river. The infantry move adjacent to the river and make ready to cross, while the 75mm infantry gun they took with them unloads and unlimbers so it can fire at the Soviet cavalry. Since the Germans there have all activated and can’t use opportunity fire, Col. Kalyuzhny orders his cavalry to break from the woods. They use their superior overland mobility to ride to a position two hexes south of the engineer, putting the engineer between them and the German infantry and 75mm gun. That means that if the Germans activate first, only the engineer could fire at the cavalry (the engineer itself blocks the fire of the other units). The Colonel tells his men to prepare to charge.

The 50mm AT guns north of the eastern river crossers open up on the T-35 in the town south of the river, but they just barely fail to damage it (they rolled a modified 8 and 9). The German engineer unit there then enters the river, and the T-35’s opportunity fire fails to harm it.

A Soviet Kommissar moves to intercept the HMG that fled from the western bridge. Then, the Germans north of the eastern bridge fire and disrupt the Soviet captain who had been combining the fire of the three HMGs there, demoralizing one of his HMGs in the process. The rest of the Germans there advance to the bridge. The HMGs there can’t combine fire now, but they are still able to inflict one step loss on the advancing Germans and disrupt another unit. Then the disrupted Soviet captain there recovers, but his demoralized HMG fails and flees south. A Kommissar moves toward him. Once again, there is no German air support.

1015

German initiative is still 2. They win the initiative roll and get one activation before the Soviets. The Germans put maximum OBA into Col. Kalyuzhny’s hex, hoping to scare his horses (fire on cavalry gets a +1 column modifier) so they can’t charge the engineer unit setting up the western river crossing. But even his horses seem to have learned well, because he and his cavalry all make their morale checks.

Na Zapaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!

The engineers drop their pontoons and fire at the incoming cavalry, but the opportunity fire is ineffective and two platoons plus the Colonel charge into the Germans. The Russians get a +3 column modifier (for a leader, superior morale, and the charge), and roll a 5 on the 24 column of the Assault Table. That’s 2 step losses, which wipes out the engineers and leaves the rest of the Germans stranded on the north bank. As a dying gesture, the engineers roll a 5 on the 5 column of the assault table, getting an M1 result. One cavalry platoon is disrupted — the rest celebrate while the helpless Germans hurl curses across the water.

Seeing this, the Germans would really like to pound the Russian cavalry to the east before they can charge the river-crossers there, but the cavalry are in town and outside of spotting range. So, the PzIIIJ and infantry on the western bridge fire point-blank at the remaining Soviet HMGs there. They roll poorly and get an M result, which the Soviets shrug off with ease.

The recovered Captain defending the eastern bridge now combines the fire of the two remaining HMGs with him (they’re in separate hexes), firing point-blank on the tank and infantry on the bridge. The two infantry units there are disrupted and demoralized, respectively. The two sides then trade fire but are ineffective, except for German OBA on the western road defenders. A disrupted Soviet HMG there becomes demoralized, but the OBA gets a friendly fire hit on the German infantry on the bridge, disrupting it (very annoying — it could have assaulted the demoralized Soviet HMG). However, the HMG fails its recovery attempt and flees south to the town — there is now only one Soviet HMG defending the western bridge.

The Germans north of the eastern bridge fire and advance onto the bridge, with one demoralized German unit failing to recover and fleeing northward. Then the Soviet cavalry there break from the town and advance to a charge position south of the German engineer in the river hex. On the way, opportunity fire from the Germans north of the river demoralizes one cavalry platoon — there are only 3 left for the charge. Then, three German infantry pile into the river hex with the engineers. They are NOT going to be taken in a weak position like those other guys! However, the T-35 in town opens up on them with opportunity fire as they enter the river. It demoralizes one of them, and deals a step-loss to another one. Suddenly, those horsies over there are looking a lot meaner. If only those verdammt AT gunners could shoot straight!

Hearts and Minds. Viking Division combat engineer torches a Belorussian village.

There is more movement, with Kommissars bringing fleeing Soviet HMGs to good order, and German infantry moving to flanking-fire positions on the western bridge.

1030

German initiative is still 2, and they win the initiative roll, getting 2 activations before the Russians. German OBA hits the eastern cavalry twice, but these preternaturally well-educated horses stand their ground, and charge. Opportunity fire from the weakened and disorganized river-crossers is ineffective, and all three cavalry platoons plow into them. The Soviets roll on the 30 column of the assault table while the Germans roll on the 13 column. Mercifully, the Soviets score only 1 step loss, killing the infantry unit that took the step loss from the T-35 last turn. All the rest of the Germans become demoralized, while only one cavalry unit becomes disrupted.

Seeing the flanking maneuvers meeting with unmitigated disaster, the order goes out to mow down the bridge defenders at all costs. A leader with a +2 combat bonus combines fire from three hexes on the eastern bridge defenders, but the Soviets make their morale checks. The leader is adjacent to the bridge, so he sends the infantry and HMG on the bridge to assault the Russian HMG and captain south of the bridge (he can’t activate the tank in the bridge hex – had he been in the bridge hex then he and the tank leader could have both activated together and all gone into the assault hex at once).

The Soviets are dug in and get to fire first. They roll a 6 on the 13 column of the assault table, doing 1 step loss to the Infantry unit there and forcing an M2 morale check. The infantry becomes demoralized, so the HMG will assault at half-strength because it’s initiating an assault without a support from an infantry unit (demoralized units can’t assault). It gets an M result only, but is able to disrupt the Soviet HMG. More German units move onto the bridge.

The remaining Soviet HMG defending the western bridge fires point-blank at the units on the bridge. It rolls a 12 on the 16 column, scoring a step loss and demoralizing the unit it damaged. German mortar fire hits the HMG but is ineffective, and then Soviet artillery fire hits the flanking-fire group west of the bridge, demoralizing one unit and disrupting another. The flankers shoot at the HMG but are ineffective.

The Soviet 76.2mm gun then kills one step of the PzIIIJ on the eastern bridge that couldn’t join the assault. The remaining tank step becomes demoralized. More German flanking fire at the west bridge is ineffective, and then the HMG which the Kommissar re-educated in the western town rushes up to reinforce the sole HMG defending the western bridge.

The Germans on the western bridge include a tank unit, two infantry (one of which is demoralized) a regular leader and a tank leader. Since all units in the same hex can activate together no matter what, and since both types of leaders (tank and regular) are in the bridge hex, they all activate and move to assault the just-reinforced Soviets south of the bridge (the demoralized infantry has to stay put and recover). Their hope is to tie down the Soviets there and have other German units cross the bridge behind them and move south to the road. If they can kill the HMGs while the other units go south and take the town, then they can bring the trucks across the river and head south to victory.

Only one of the Soviet HMGs is dug in, so for the fresh HMG to defend in the assault they must forego First Fire. The two sides assault simultaneously, with the Germans on the 18 column and the Soviets on the 24 column (they get a +2 column shift for their leader and superior morale). Both players roll 6, scoring two step losses each! Both Soviet HMGs take hits and are demoralized and the Soviet Captain is disrupted (the lieutenant who brought the fresh HMG unit in is OK). The German tank and infantry both take step losses, the tank is disrupted and the infantry is demoralized (their leader is OK, but doesn’t have much to work with anymore. . . ). And just to add insult to injury, the demoralized German infantry back on the bridge fails to recover and flees north. . . .

Colonel Kalyuzhny tries to ride to the sound of the guns, but on the way he gets thrown from his horse due to opportunity fire and is disrupted. The cavalry stops to tend to him.

Finally, the 50mm AT guns crews northeast of the eastern bridge figure out which end is which, and kill one step of the T-35 in the town. If they’d done that 15 minutes ago the river-crossers could have mown down the charging cavalry with opportunity fire and/or defended at full-strength on the Assault table. The remaining T-35 step becomes demoralized (it’s tough when your base morale drops to 5).

The offroad Soviet HMG by the eastern bridge (next to the assault hex there) fires point-blank on the German HMG that entered the bridge after the assaulters left it. It rolls a 3 on the 16 column and scores a step loss. Then one of the demoralized half-strength Soviet units in the western bridge assault fails to recover and leaves the hex (the other succeeds and covers its retreat).

The demoralized T-35 in the town rolls a 2 on its recovery roll, skipping disruption and regaining good order immediately! Their chief instructor at the Tractor School will get a medal for this. The Soviet HMG in the assault hex south of the eastern bridge recovers morale as well. Then, all the demoralized river crossers east of the bridge fail to recover and flee, leaving the river hex, meaning there is nobody to guard their retreat.

The cavalry who charged them get a free shot at the retreating Germans. They score another step loss and force an M2 morale check, which causes two more units to suffer step losses from compound demoralization. That’s three step losses total due to failed recovery and no rearguard! Dumbstruck by the massive slaughter at the hands of boys on horseback, the Germans who were waiting to cross the river behind their comrades open up on the cavalry at point-blank range, disrupting two of them.

1045

The Soviets have now inflicted 22 step losses on the Germans (tanks count double, to say nothing of the fleeing demoralized units), which is all they need for a major victory. But the Germans still have a large and potent force, and if they can force the bridges, kill just six more Soviet steps, and then mount their trucks and speed south and off the board, they can get a major victory themselves. That will force a draw, meaning the battle will go down in history as “Inconclusive,” as opposed to the SS Viking Division going down as “A Shameful Disgrace — Playthings for Children — A Pimple on the Face of the Aryan Race!”

Sooooo — the Nordic Hitlerites fight on for the Führer.

But to no avail. Their forces are scattered, and their initiative has now dropped to zero. That lets Soviet artillery or units in the towns south of the bridges fire first, disrupting and demoralizing German infantry as they cross. This further discombobulates the German advance, forcing leaders to go back north of the river to fetch demoralized units. Any Soviet units which become demoralized flee right into the benevolent arms of the Kommissars, who quickly bring them to good order or kill them for cowardice (either way, the situation is resolved). Survivors of the failed river-crossing attempts move toward the bridges, but the Russian cavalry on the south bank are faster and keep ahead of them.

A Soviet victory! The dialectic is upheld!

So, by the time the Germans clear out all the HMGs from their dug-in positions, the surviving HMGs are in new defensive positions in the roads and towns to the south. Meanwhile, the Russian cavalry have all relocated so they can charge the German flanks as they head south on the roads. And with so many German units disrupted, demoralized, and/or scattered north of the river, the number of good-order units per side south of the river is now about equal. The Germans have lost their advantages of firepower and numbers, while the Soviets still have their advantages of morale and leadership. It’s all over for the SS . . .

And the Russians win a major victory!

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