A Trip Down the River

During World War Two the German forces launched a number of anti-partisan
operations across Europe. Many of these encountered fierce fighting and the Germans
deployed huge resources to counter enemy insurgents.
The following game is a fictional battle but based upon several operations conducted
by the Germans and their allies during the war. It was also inspired by several small
gunboats I have recently painted that can be seen on www.guildwargamers.com.
The game taes place on the river !ava in "ugoslavia. Germans forces are spilt into to
two fighting formations. #ne is land based and is moving on foot to its ob$ective%
while a riverborne force plans to mae an assault from the river itself. #pposing the
Germans are a variety of partisan units. It was designed to be played with &'apid (ire
)*+ on a ,+ - .+ table but can easily be converted to any ruleset. We have played the
game using the new &(orce-on-(orce+ rules from /mbush /lley Games as well as
'().
German Briefing - Operation Kessel , March 19
"our force has been assigned a ma$or role in the anti-partisan operation conducted by
0 !! Mountain 1orps. "our part of the operation is to attac and destroy partisan
weapon caches and also to breach the southern side of the partisan defences in the
area around what is believed to be one of their ma$or bases.
To complete this operation your force from !!-0olunteer Gebirgs$2ger-'egiment 34
has been assigned a number of supporting elements. The attac will be mounted from
two directions with one arm of the attac approaching the area from the west on the
main road and the second force entering the area by boat. !everal converted gunboats
have been sent to $oin the force along with their 5reigsmarine crews.
6oth forces are planned to arrive at the same time in the area and launch a combined
attac on the enemy positions. It is nown that the partisans do have prepared
positions in the region but it is unliely they will stand up against a concerted attac.
The force on land has been assigned a number of armoured vehicles from !!-7an8er
6attalion 9 in order to deal with any enemy buners or defended positions.
#b$ectives : To capture the road bridge over the !ava% search the village of 7rosti for
enemy supplies and destroy all partisans encountered.
"our force is detailed as follows;
River !orce " KG #pengler $enters the ta%le at the west river e&ge'
Damocles : Gunboat with ..mm Dec Gun% )<mm (la Gun and , crewmen.
/pollo : Gunboat with 49mm (la Gun% )<mm (la Gun and = crewmen.
Each boat may carry three &company+ si8ed units.
/d->oc 5M Defence 1ompany : . figures ?formed from boats crews@.
)A !!-0olunteer Gebirgs$2ger-'egiment 34 ?Morale : Elite% (iring : 'egular@
6TB >C : 1# D = figures% ) man #7 Team
=
th
1ompany : . figures
,
th
1ompany - . figures
9
th
1ompany - . figures
.
th
1ompany : ) - MMG% 3 - .<mm Mortar% E figures
(an& !orce " KG )en*mann $&eplo+s ,est of the re& line on the map'
3A !!-0olunteer Gebirgs$2ger-'egiment 34 ?Morale : Elite% (iring : 'egular@
6TB >C : 1# D = figures% ) man #7 Team
3
st
1ompany : . figures
)
nd
1ompany - . figures
4
rd
1ompany - . figures
F
th
1ompany : ) - MMG% 3 - .<mm Mortar% E figures
/ttached 7ioneer 1ompany : ) - (lamethrowers% ) - !atchel 1harges% 3< figures
3 - 1har 63 6is
) - >otchiss >4.
Gstascha /rmy 6attalion )<) ?Morale - 7oor% (iring : 'egular@
6TB >C : 1# D = figures
3
st
1ompany : . figures
)
nd
1ompany - . figures
4
rd
1ompany - . figures
F
th
1ompany : ) - MMG% 3 - .<mm Mortar% E figures
!upport Elements ?both #7 Teams may call on the guns once per turn@
3<=mm 6attery : 4 - 3<=mm Gun ?offboard@
3<=mm 6attery : 4 - 3<=mm Gun ?offboard@
-artisan Briefing " #ava Defence Region
German forces are suspected to be launching a ma$or operation against the )E
th
7artisan Division currently guarding the area around 7rosti and the !ava river. The
village and the river are vital parts of the logisitics chain and it is also being used to
store ammunition and supplies over the winter months. /lthough most of the stores
have been moved now its !pring% some remain. It seems liely that the Germans will
launch a ma$or assault against the 7rosti sector and the forces there have been
bolstered with some reinforcements. /lso the local commander has constructed a
number of trenches and buners to defend from attac.
"our forces are as follows;
-artisan .nfantr+ Battalion 1 $Reg/lar'
>C : 1# D ,% /nti-Tan 'ifle
3
st
1ompany : . figures
)
nd
1ompany : . figures
4
rd
1ompany : . figures
!upport 1ompany : ) - MMG% 9=mm Infantry Gun ?1lass F@% 3< figures
-artisan .nfantr+ Battalion 0 $Reg/lar'
>C : 1# D ,% /nti-Tan 'ifle
3
st
1ompany : . figures
)
nd
1ompany : . figures
4
rd
1ompany : . figures
!upport 1ompany : ) - MMG% .<mm Mortar% 3< figures
Defences $ma+ %e place& an+where on ta%le o/tsi&e German &eplo+ment 1one'
(our sections of trench ?each can hold a &company+ of infantry@
Two reinforced buners ?each can hold an MMG@
Two gun pits ?each can hold any support weapon@
#pecial R/les
Gunboats counts as &D+ class targets. They may however sustained twice the normal
amount of damage compare to standard vehicles. Therefore a boat may tae four
&heavy damage+ results before it is sun. The partisans may target the gun crews on
the boat and they count as in hard cover and :3 to the dice roll. This is to represent the
e-tra armour and protection the crews have placed on the ship. If a boat is sun% all
units onboard are lost.
Infantry on boats may not be targetted% but MMG teams on boats may elect to set up
to fire from the boat. They count as in hard cover but do not get the bonus for e-tra
protection.
6oats move at 3=H per turn% but if they wish to come to a halt to land troops they may
only move ,H during that turn. Troops may be landed anywhere on the south river
ban% but only at the $etty on the north ban due to the shallow depth of the river on
that side.
To search a building for supplies a German unit simply needs to enter the location. #n
a D, roll of si-% supplies are found and count towards victory points.
/ll infantry are assumed to be carry anti-tan grenades of one form or another.
)ictor+ -oints
Germans
1apture the bridge ?no partisans within ,H of bridge@ D =<
Each supply cache discovered D )= 7oints
Bo 7artisan Gnits on table at end of game D 3<<
Partisans
6ridge in partisan hands at end of game D =<
Each German unit &destroyed+ D 3<
Each boat sun D =<
Map