Bolt Action - Game Report 31

Operation Suvorov - Dukhovshchina offensive August 1943

Introduction

Roger and I agreed that after the D-Day experience it would be good to get in more games. We decided to meet at our favourite Wargaming Venue, Entoyment, or a leisurely Friday morning game. I agreed to provide my Soviets as worthy opponent for his Germans. Interestingly, and beneficially, a table had been left laid for a game of Battlegroup, so it was a matter of moments to replace the buildings with 28mm scale buildings and add some finishing touches; et voila a Bolt Action battlefield.

We diced for scenario and it came up with “Surrounded” a scenario I hadn’t played before but one which was incredibly fun and challenging.

Situation

The Offensive started well until the Germans counterattacked. In doing so they managed to break through our hasty defensive positions and encircle elements of the 1075th Inf Regt at the Bridge over the River INISTIA. It was imperative that the situation was restored. However there was considerable confusion across the battlefield and the Regimental commander would be forced to cobble together a reserve to reach the surrounded troops.

Enemy Forces

The Regimental HQ S2 had limited information on the German forces. There were indications of both Wehrmacht and SS troops in the counterattack. No tanks had been reported but these troops were mobile.

Friendly Forces

Surrounded at the bridge over the INISTIA, on the south bank of the stream, were an artillery observer, some tank hunter teams a mortar, Zis-3 field gun and a Maxim MG for close protection and a Sniper team.

The relieving force would be lead by Lieutenant Boris Yagarov’s with his inexperienced Rifle platoon, a M5 Scout Sar, a section of the Regimental Scout Company, and a SU-76 that was ordered to support the attack.

Mission

Lieutenant Yagarov is to relieve the forces at the INISTIA crossing, and to destroy all German units in the vicinity.

Post Mission Report

The harassing bombardment from the Germans was effective at forcing the defending forces to take cover, while the Soviet preliminary bombardment had little impact on the German forces.

The Zis-3 was well placed with the Mortar team to provide fire support for the relieving forces, as well as protecting the bridge across the INISTIA.

In the distance the Soviet forces heard the sound of heavy vehicles approaching the bridge from the northern side of the INISTIA. It appeared to be heavy artillery support, and immediately the Forward observer contacted his battery for fire support. The fire support managed to suppress the artillery piece, but the artillery response from the Germans was devastating, it destroyed the ZIS-3 before it could come into action. Worse an enemy sniper destroyed our sniper’s observer and forced him into cover. The need to get Yagarov’s platoon into action was imperative, however, they were delayed in arriving.

Meanwhile, from the east more vehicles could be heard with an approaching half track which dismounted an infantry section and flamethrower team, which immediately came forward to engage the MG team. The Maxim MG was reduced to its operator Efreitor Vitaly Gregarvich who despite the bullets flying around him fought on. Lieutenant Yagarov was forced to lead a solo counter attack to support the MG team. On the Northern bank of the INISTIA a German rifle section is advancing to close with and destroy a Tank Hunter team.

Next to the Bridge the reinforcing SU-76 and anti-tank rifle team supported by an infantry section are engaging what appears to be a Nebelwerfer and half track. The fire is more than sufficient to pin the enemy but it is not destroying anything.

Lieutenant Yagarov died a terrible death in the field when he was attacked by the enemy flamethrower. But Gregarvich continues to keep his MG firing. Help is on the way as the two other infantry sections of Yagarov’s platoon converged on the battlefield, supported on their left by an M5 half track.

On the North bank of the INISTIA the Germans finally managed to move their halftrack and supported by an infantry section they start to advance down the western flank. Our brave sniper has counter-fired against the German sniper and killed him. Fire continues to rain down on the Nebelwerfer, but it does manage to get a round of ineffective fire before it is destroyed.

Seizing the moment the Scout Squad launch an attack from the west, however there fire was ineffective and merely forced the German infantry section into cover.

While the Flamethrower team advanced, engaged and destroyed the Soviet infantry section to their rear, the rest of the soviet infantry move forward to counter-attack. The SMG fire from the forward observer and the tank hunter team causes the SS infantry section to cower on the edge of the tarmac.

The scout squad turn to engage the German officer and his supporting teams. Again, their fire was less than effective, and exposed in the open they were overran by a counter attack from the reserve German infantry squad.

Although the Flamethrower team was eventually overran by the Soviet Infantry this was not before Unterscharführer Otto Klemmer rallied his section and assaulted the building killing the Soviet artillery observer.

Outcome

A stunning German victory, in part achieved by the inability of the Soviet’s to shoot straight and to kill any Germans.

Honours and Awards

Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded posthumously to Efreitor Vitaly Gregarvich for his bravery by manning his Maxim MG by himself, to delay and kill as many Germans as he could despite his wounds.

Unterscharführer Otto Klemmer was awarded the Iron Cross 3rd class for outstanding leadership in keeping his men alive and then rallying them to take the fight to the enemy and to destroy them.

Gefreiter Wilhem Sonnheim was awarded posthumously the Iron Cross 1st Class for wielding his flamethrower as effectively as Thor’s hammer in destroying several hundreds of Soviet troops.