Graviteam Tactics: Raid AAR Part One

Into the Breach

12 Feb, 1943

It is the second winter on the Eastern Front. Buoyed by their victory at Stalingrad at the beginning of the year, the Red Army is in full winter offensive mode. Striking deep into German-held Ukraine, the Soviet offensive has torn a 100km gap between Army Group South and Army Group Don’s battle lines, with Soviet formations driving hard towards Kharkov. The situation for the Germans, whose units are exhausted and depleted from the relentless attack, is bleak.

However, as in the first Soviet winter offensive of 1942, the Red Army’s assault is slowly beginning to lose both coherence and momentum. Some Soviet formations have broken through further than their neighbors, creating gaps and salients in the Soviet lines, and the usual high casualties have reduced some Soviet divisions to shadows of their former selves.

 📷Nonetheless, von Manstein’s Army Group Don is beginning to falter and fragment. Hitler orders Manstein to hold firm in order to prevent a general rout of the German forces, as well as closing the massive gaps that have been torn in the German lines. The fighting continues through the first days of February, and in the process the German 320th Infantry division, which has been desperately resisting the Soviet onslaught at Ssvativo to the southeast of Kharkov, is cut off. The division’s commander, General Postel, organises the unit and it becomes a roving pocket, moving westwards amongst the advancing Soviet formations in an attempt to regroup with the German lines. The going is extremely tough however, as the 320th is having to move through as many as four advancing Soviet armies in freezing, snowy conditions. On top of this, the 320th has up to 1500 casualties who are in desperate need of medical attention. On 9 February Postel demands assistance from German high command to break through to friendly lines.

Help is on hand. Freshly redeployed from France and positioned just to the southeast of Kharkov is the elite SS Panzer Grenadier Division ‘Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler’ (LSAH). High command orders an element of this division, specifically 3rd Battalion, 2nd Motor Infantry regiment, to break into the Soviet lines at the village of Krasnaya Polyana, rendezvous with the 320th at Zmiiv, and escort them back to friendly lines.

Commanded by famed SS commander Joachim Peiper, this formation is titled ‘Kampfgruppe (KG) Peiper’. The scene is set for a daring raid, and this is where the appropriately titled Graviteam Tactics: Raid campaign begins.

The area of operations and initial troop dispositions. Note - unless otherwise stated, each icon represents a company

Area of Operations and Planning stage

The area of operations and my starting units for the campaign is displayed on the right.

The operation begins at 0430hrs on 13 February, 1943 in freezing conditions of -25C. The forward elements of KG Peiper, supported by an infantry company of the 200th Infantry division, are poised to cross the river Udy using the bridge at Krasnaya Polyana and drive several kilometres south to the outskirts of Zmiiv where it will link up with the 320th. The rest of the KG as well as further infantry support and trucks to both transport and resupply the battle weary troops of the 320th will arrive over the next few hours.

For now though, a plan becomes quickly apparent after looking at the map. Using the mobility of the KG’s halftracks and Stug assault guns, I will force a crossing at Krasnaya Polyana, driving south as quickly as possible down the MSR running between Krasnaya and Zmiiv. I will use the infantry companies at my disposal to screen the flanks of the more mobile KG, occupying Krasnaya Polyana once the town has been seized and defending it with the infantry until the KG returns with the 320th in tow.

Intel on the enemy in this sector is patchy at best. The constant and fluid nature of the combat in this area over the past few months means I can expect to be facing elements from any number of Soviet formations that have become mixed up in their advance through the snow. Initial recon info shows I can expect infantry defending both Krasnaya Polyana and the smaller village of Vodyanoe to the west, as well as elements of a Soviet ski battalion, the most deadly of winter infantry, in the woods on the heights to the south of Krasnaya. In the top right of the map a red arrow indicates I can expect some kind of enemy attack on the village of Vasyscheve which is where my reinforcements are scheduled to arrive from. The letters ’12 TC’ are concerning – it indicates I may be facing forces from the Red Army’s 12th Tank Corps – which will no doubt include the fearsome T-34 tank. Time will tell if the intel is correct, and for now I will hold my infantry company in the village of Sharnoshavka to hopefully spoil an enemy attack if one comes.

Another main concern is the stretch of road that runs through the open ground south of Krasnaya. Marked on the map as ‘open ground’, the eastern side of this stretch of road is lined with an elevated treeline which will provide perfect concealment for enemy troops, tanks or guns. If I get caught in the open unprepared here it will not go well for me. I am planning to utilize the KG’s mobility and firepower to overcome anyone brave enough to fire at them. Fire and maneuver is the name of the game.

First Contact

The first battlespace of the campaign. Visible are the three half track platoons of 1st company and their support mortar platoon. Not pictured is the Stug platoon which has deployed just to the north and will also push south through the village. The dark red arrows represent both my planned line of advance and the MSR.

0500hrs, 12 February

Weather: Clear, -25C

Leading the attack into Krasnaya will be Peiper’s 1st company, supported by the 7 Stug assault guns. Having maneuvered the units on the strategic map as per my plans, I hit the end turn button and a battlespace is generated. It encompasses Krasnaya Polyana itself, as well as a portion of the terrain to the south, including a stretch of the MSR I will be advancing down. At the southern end of the battlespace is a crossroads where the smaller road from Vodyanoe links up with the MSR. Securing a safe passage through Krasnaya and down the MSR to this crossroads will be my

main objective during this first engagement.

- 3rd Battalion, 2nd Motor Infantry Regiment, SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler

-11 Company, 2nd MIR, SSLSAH

- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Platoons:

- 1x SPW251/210 command half track

- 3x Sdkfz251 halftracks + 30 Panzergrenadier infantry

- Heavy support platoon:

- 1x SPW251/210 command halftrack

- 3x Sdkfz251 halftracks

- 4x MG-42 tripod mounted machine guns

- 2x Sdkfz251/2 ausf. C mortar half tracks

-Infantry gun platoon

- 1x SPW251/210 command halftrack

- 2x 7.5cm lelG-18 infantry guns

- 3 Sdkfz251 halftracks

- Stug Assault gun Platoon

-7 Stug III ausf. F/8 assault guns

In total for this engagement there are 257 men under my command. They will be facing an unknown number of enemy troops, however intel suggests Krasnaya is defended by only a small detachment of infantry.

I have deployed my troops approximately 500 metres north of the bridge that leads into Krasnaya. The main road leading into town runs through the centre of my line, running directly south towards the bridge. Advancing down it is out of the option, at least at first. I have no idea what kind of anti-tank weapons the enemy in the village might possess, and the open-topped half tracks my infantry are mounted in are very vulnerable if caught in the open by anything more powerful than small arms. The ground surrounding the road is mostly open, save for small a patch of woods on the western side of the road between where I have deployed and the river. Clearing and holding these woods will both ensure my half tracks on the road don’t meet any nasty surprises as well as hopefully giving the troops in the woods a line of sight into the village.

The job of securing the woods falls to 1st platoon. Dismounting the infantry, I leave the half tracks in an overwatch position that will be able to suppress the woods should any Russians appear. Cautiously, the pixeltruppen advance. I have them in a relatively close formation - it is still pitch black and if any of them stumble into any Russians I want the immediate fire superiority that a close formation gives.

It doesn’t take long for the troops to stumble into something. There is a rattle of machine pistol fire and four Soviet snipers, hiding exactly where I thought they might be, are dead. Doubtless they were a scout team sent to observe the road leading into town. After pausing for a few minutes to ensure there are no other enemy troops around, the panzergrenadiers move on. No more enemy are encountered and by 0515hrs my men are on the northern banks of the Udy.

With my right flank secure I begin to move up 1st platoon’s halftracks. As they move towards the woods there is a loud crack and a pinging noise, followed by several more in quick succession. The half tracks are under fire - and the culprit is soon identified. A squad of enemy anti-tank riflemen, deployed in the buildings to the south of the bridge with a clear line of fire to everything north of the river save where 1st platoon’s infantry are in the woods. The enemy continue firing, scoring several more non-critical hits on the half tracks which I have ordered to keep moving forward out of the kill zone. Soviet PTRS anti-tank rifles are definitely capable of taking out a half track and these enemy riflemen are now my main priority. The solution, as it turns out, is a simple one. The commander of my support platoon which has two mortar half tracks actually has a partial line of sight into the village where the anti-tank riflemen are positioned. I hastily order a fire mission and within seconds 80mm mortars are falling around the enemy troops, who rapidly stop firing and slink out of view. I’m not sure if I killed them, however 1st platoon’s half tracks are now free to move up to their supporting infantry unmolested.

It is now 0519hrs and I am starting to plan moving a platoon down the road to try and secure a foothold at the bridge. These plans are put on hold though when 1st platoon begins to take fire and identifies a group of enemy soldiers in the woods to their west. The enemy troops must have crossed the frozen river on foot. My men return fire, but I start to take my first casualties. The enemy fire intensifies and I realise I may be facing some kind of counterattack. Ordering first platoon to take cover, I also move the spotter for the mortars closer to the fighting, hoping to throw back the enemy troops with another mortar barrage. All of a sudden, there is a whoosh of flames and one of 1st platoons halftracks explodes. The crewmen bail out, aflame. The enemy are now close enough to be throwing molotovs and I have just lost my first vehicle of the campaign.

Not wanting to give an inch of my foothold along the river, I now order 2nd platoon, with 3 Stugs in the lead, to move down the road. This early in the campaign I need to minimize casualties as much as possible and 1st platoon the woods is still losing men. They need support and the road is the quickest way to get that to them. As 2nd platoon advances, my mortar spotter manages to radio some coordinates to the mortars and shells start landing amongst the enemy troops in the woods, who are still firing but haven't managed to take any ground since the halftrack went up in flames. I now estimate this force attacking me in the woods is about platoon sized.

2nd Platoon advances with the Stugs

The mortar bombardment soon stops the enemy from firing, and the Stugs begin to hose the woods with high explosive fire as 2nd platoon moves in to support 1st. By 0530hrs I an not taking any fire and am confident all of the Russians north of the river have been dealt with. It is now time to cross the bridge.

My first unit over the bridge is one of the Stugs. Covered by it’s squadronmates on the northern side of the river, I advance the assault gun over the bridge cautiously. I have no idea what may be lurking in the village. As it turns out, there was nothing to worry about. As I follow up the first Stug with both 1st and 2nd platoons and my infantry begin to filter through the village, it becomes apparent that the enemy force I engaged in the woods was the enemy’s main force in this area. Krasnaya Polyana is empty. By 0545hrs, I have all of the Stugs and both 1st and 2nd platoon formed up in the village and still no more Russians have been spotted.

This changes with alarming speed. Just as I am beginning to order 3rd platoon to race down the road from where they are still deployed north of the river, 2nd platoon, which has been deployed in the western side of the village, makes contact with what is rapidly identified as another enemy infantry platoon. They have managed to use the last of the fading darkness to creep up to right within the village without my men noticing.

The fighting over the next couple of minutes is short and bloody. My men are in cover amongst the buildings of the village and the Russians are not. The enemy troops are cut down. As the last one falls, I order both platoons in the village to pause. Standing still gives them the chance to listen for any more enemy troops. After several minutes and no further contacts, I order them to press on. It is now 0600hrs and the crossroads are by all accounts free real estate. The task of confirming this falls to several of the Stugs and 2nd platoon, who by now I have mounted in the half tracks on the road near the tiny hamlet of Sofkhoz. I give them the order to advance down the road. 10 minutes later in the glow of dawn, the crossroads are mine. Krasnaya Polyana and the vital MSR through the village are now in German hands, and the other elements from the battalion can now head south.

Conclusion

I was quite happy with the result of this fight. End of battle statistics show I killed 30 enemy troops and wounded twice as many, so that is roughly an entire enemy company disabled on the strategic map. My own casualties numbered only 5 killed and 10 heavily injured, as well as the single destroyed half track. While this particular skirmish is nothing compared to the massive scraps in Graviteam that encompass entire battalions, this fight was a test of skills in another way. There are still 9 more turns in the campaign left. My panzergrenadiers have a lot of ground to cover, as well as enemy to fight, before all is said and done and at this stage I need to be doing my utmost to prevent unnecessary casualties. Something I felt I did moderately OK at in this battle.

Next up, a Russian counterattack catches one of my companies while on the march. Thanks for reading and tune in next time!