Small Threat to the Flank – A Crossfire Scenario

This is the small version of Scenario 2: Threat to the Flanks from “Scenarios for all Ages” (Grant & Asquith, 1996) converted to Crossfire. It follows guidelines for Crossfire Scenarios for all Ages. It is a “small” game because there is only a company defending.

Very Draft


Mission

Setting: Eastern Front; June 1941

It is June 1941 and the Axis forces are thundering into the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa. As a German force approaches a river, they receive reconnaissance reports indicating that a Soviet force is entrenched on the high ground beyond the main ford. This could be a hard nut to crack frontally, but luckily reconnaissance also reports a smaller ford up river. There might be an opportunity to turn the Soviets flank, so the German commander sends a small force towards the southern ford while is main force pins the Soviets.

What the Germans don’t know is the Soviet commander is aware of the secondary ford and has detached a force to deal with it.


Map/Terrain

The map is based on the map for Scenario 2 from Scenarios for all Ages. However, following my conversion guidelines I have shrunk the table to 4′ x 4′. I have also added more terrain that blocks line-of-sight, particularly near the ford the flanking forces are headed towards.

Threat to the Flank Map 4x4 v6
Threat to the Flank Map 4×4 v6

Key features are:

  • Hills, woods, rough ground, in-season fields, contour lines, a river and a stream.
  • The river is impassable except at the marked fords.
  • The tributary stream is fordable for its entire length.
  • A farm spread from the river to the top of the big hill.
  • The smaller farm buildings are 1 SQ capacity and the larger ones are 2 SQ capacity.
  • The farm building on top of the hill is an objective.
  • The Soviets deploy hidden in their main deployment zone (SM) and flank zone (SF).
  • The Germans deploy hidden in their main deployment zone (GM) and flank zone (GF).

Pre-game preparation

Soviet main force deploys hidden.


Russian Player (Defending)

Objective

Hold the house on the hill until dark.

Forces Available

This is a small game for both Crossfire and Scenarios for all Ages, so the defending Soviets have a company of infantry.

Soviet Order of Battle

  • Soviet Main Force – Deployed hidden at SM
    • 1 x CC (+1)
    • 1 x HMG
    • 2 x Rifle Platoons: PC (+1)1; 3 x Rifle Squads; one squad has ATR
    • 1 x on-table 50 mm Mortar (12 FM)2
    • 1 x FO for off table heavy artillery (4 FM)2
    • 1 x T26
  • Soviet Flanking Force – Deployed visible at SF
    • 1 x Rifle Platoon: PC (+1)1; 2 x Rifle Squads4; one squad has ATR
    • 1 x FO for off table 82mm Mortar (6 FM)3
    • 1 x T34-76
  • Command & Control: Poor
  • Morale: Regular
  • Total fighting stands: 14 with AFVs counting 2
  • Break level: 9 killed with AFVs counting 2
  • Points: 92.254

Notes:
(1) My conversion guidelines give both sides +1 commanders so I have ignored the normal ratings of +1/0 for Soviet PCs.
(2) My conversion guidelines give an 81mm mortar with 12 FM and heavy artillery with 2 FM. Given an Soviets companies have a 50mm mortar, and not a 81mm mortar, I have upgrade the number of FM of heavy artillery.
(3) My conversion guidelines suggest a 75mm gun but as the Soviets included 82mm mortars in the battalion structure.
(4) A fairly straight conversion gave the Soviets three squads in the platoon of their flanking force. However, to balance the points I dropped one squad.

Deployment

Deploys first. The main force deploys hidden in the area labelled SM. The flanking force deploys visible in the area labeled SF.

Reinforcements

None.


German Player (Attacking)

Begins scenario with initiative.

Objective

Capture the house on the hill by dark and/or destroy the enemy force.

Forces Available

This is a small game for both Crossfire and Scenarios for all Ages, so the attacking Germans have a reinforced company of infantry.

German Order of Battle

  • German Main Force – Deployed at GM
    • 1 x CC (+1)
    • 1 x HMG
    • 3 x Rifle Platoons: PC (+1); 3 x Rifle Squads; one squad has ATR
    • 1 x on-table 50 mm Mortar (12 FM)1
    • 1 x FO for off table heavy artillery (4 FM)1
    • 1 x Panzer IV E
  • German Flanking Force – Deployed at GF
    • 1 x Rifle Platoon: PC (+1); 3 x Rifle Squads; one squad has ATR
    • 1 x Panzer III G
    • 1 x FO for off table 7.5cm gun (6 FM)
  • Morale: Regular
  • Command & Control: Good:
  • Total fighting stands: 18 with AFVs counting 2
  • Break level: 11 killed with AFVs counting 2
  • Points: 90.52

Notes:
(1) My conversion guidelines give an 81mm mortar with 12 FM and heavy artillery with 2 FM. Given an early war German company has a 50mm mortar, and not a 81mm mortar, I have upgrade the number of FM of heavy artillery.
(2) My Balagan Points System for Crossfire doesn’t give equal points to each side. In this scenario the Germans get 90.5 and the Soviets 92.25, because the Germans are attacking (giving them more points) with good command & control (giving less points).

Deployment

Deploys second. Visible. The main force deploys in the area labelled GM and the flanking force in GF.

Reinforcements

None.


Victory Conditions

Terrain and Casualty (AD) objectives.

The game starts six hours before nightfall and uses the moving clock. The game ends when nightfall arrives or immediately when the either side suffers 60% casualties in fighting stands.

The game ends immediately, and a side loses, when that force sustains 60% casualties amongst its fighting stands. Fighting stands include BC, CC, HMG, Rifle and SMG Squads, Tanks, Guns, but not PC or FOs. Armoured fighting vehicles, i.e. tanks, count as two fighting stands each.

If neither side sustains 60% casualties, the game ends at nightfall. There is one terrain objective, a house on the hill. The player that controls the terrain objective on top of the big hill at nightfall wins. A player controls the terrain objective if their stand occupies the feature or was the last to occupy it, and the feature is/was not physically contested by the enemy.


Scenario Special Rules

  • HTD Special Rule 4: The Moving Clock is in use. The Scenario begins at 1600 hours and ends at 2200 hours. The clock advances 30 minutes on 5+ at the end of each defender initiative.
  • The river is impassable except at the marked fords.
  • The tributary stream is fordable for its entire length.
  • HTD Special Rule 5: Bogging down is in use. Vehicles bog down in woods, rough ground, crossing the river ford, and crossing the stream on 4- on 1d6. They unbog on 5+, becoming permanently mired on 1.

Weapon stats

Type When ARM ACC PEN MG HE/EFF Smoke HD Spd CC Comment
Anti-Tank Rifle -1 -3 0
T26 2/1 -1 -2 4 2/1 n 2 +3 2 man turret
T34-76 3/2 -1 -1 4 4/2 n 3 +3 2 man turret
Pz III G 2/1 0 -2 4 2/1 y 2 +3
Pz IV E 3/2 0 -2 4 4/2 y 2 +3

Notes

Inspired by Scenario 2: Threat to the Flanks from Grant and Asquith (1996).


References

Grant, C. S., Asquith, S. A. (1996). “Scenarios for all Ages”. CSG Publications.

The book is available from Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.

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6 thoughts on “Small Threat to the Flank – A Crossfire Scenario”

  1. My first gut reaction is that some of the features are much too large! A 1ft x 1ft wood and a couple of 6″ x 1 ft woods? A lot of the rough ground is oversize as well. Shouldn’t you break these up?
    Dick Bryant

    Reply
    • Aargh! You are quite right. I had a scaling problem between my table grid and my Crossfire features so all the features were too big. And didn’t notice it. Oops. New version of the map, with correct scaling and more, smaller, features, now available.

      Reply
  2. Where can we get this scenario book? I would like to help bu don’t have a copy.
    Dick Bryant

    Reply
    • Yes, the internet does highlight discrepancies in prices. Second hand copy for US$683.80 or brand new for UK£12.95.

      Reply

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