A Crossfire scenario featuring a duel between a Russian SU-72 and a German armoured car.
Eastern Front
During World War II the Axis powers tried and failed to defeat the Soviet Union. The Germans called this theatre the “Eastern Front Campaign” or “Russian Front Campaign” but to the Soviet citizens it was the “Great Patriotic War”. The battles on the Eastern Front constituted the largest military confrontation in history. Fighting in this theatre was characterised by unprecedented ferocity, wholesale destruction, mass deportations, and immense loss of life variously due to combat, starvation, exposure, disease, and massacres. Fighting lasted from the Axis invasion of the USSR (22 June 1941) to until the Soviet capture of Berlin (9 May 1945).
Crossfire For Novices – A Scenario to Introduce Newbies
If you’re completely new to the Arty Conliffe’s Crossfire then Nikolas Lloyd has a good Description and Review and some Advice on Play, and also check out Rob Wolsky Tactical Advice.
German Motorcycle Troops in WW2
Mentioned by John Moher on the Crossfire forum:
Bessonov – Tank Rider “Mount the Tanks!”
Bessonov is one of many memoirs coming out of the former Soviet Union. Evgeni Bessonov was a young Russian officer in a Tank Rider unit during World War II. In two years of fighting he led his unit from the Orel Offensive (Aug 1943) to Berlin. Bessonov (2003) is his own account of those years. I found it one of the better memoirs. It is a good read and I enjoyed in insight into the life of tank rider.
River Crossings – Suggestions for Crossfire Scenarios
John (?) asked the Crossfire group for advice on a scenario where the attacker is channelled through a single bridge:
Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5 – A Big Crossfire Scenario during Kursk
I volunteered to run a day long Crossfire multi-player event for my old club in Guildford. This scenario represents one attack and counter-attack cycle of the battle around Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5 on 7 July 1943. The parameters were:
- WW2
- 6-8 players
- one big table (’cause I wanted to try out the Multi-player Rules with the Guildford chaps)
- playable by a mix of Crossfire novices and more experienced gamers
- using the kit I have available (Germans and Russians)
- must finish in about six hours of gaming (set up and pack up time was in addition)
This is what I came up with.
Timeline for Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5
My timeline on the action around Ponyri Station in the Battle of Kursk. Details primarily taken from Remson and Anderson (2000).
Sources for Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5
An annotated bibliography for Ponyri Station in the Battle of Kursk.
German Order of Battle at Ponyri Station
The German massed a strong strike force against the sector containing Ponyri Station in the Battle of Kursk.
Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5 – The Northern Sector of the Battle of Kursk
Hit the Dirt, the supplement for Crossfire, has a scenario set at Ponyri on the northern flank of the Kursk Salient during WW2. It is one of my favourites and I’ve played it several times. But it was obvious that there was a much bigger story behind the brief outline in the HTD. I wanted to find out more. It seems Ponyri Station was the focus of heavy fighting and was viewed as a “little Stalingrad”.
Waterborne Troops in Crossfire
Some musing on waterborne troops in Crossfire. Standard Crossfire doesn’t cover this. See also my musing on crossing rivers.