Dear All
Finally and taking into account the latest patch here is V3.0 of the game. Any questions feel free to post here.
The Destruction of Army Group Centre 1944
A challenge for both players - The Germans can win (a tactical victory)!
Thanks and Credits to the oiginal designers and Volcano Mans alt version . This modified version has been under development since summer 2009.
This revision of the Minsk campaign has been the result of substantial PBEM testing with Carl Hebert ( every turn was played). 4 PBEM underway or completed.
I have attempted to pretty much keep the flavour of the alt version of the game but have made substantial revisions for play balance esp, to the PDT.
I have changed some parts of the OOB , the PDT and scn itself.
Intended optional rules used with these alternate scenarios are as per ALT:
Alt Assault
Artillery Set up
Recon Spotting
VST
Low Vis Air Effects
QFM
CBF
Night Fatigue
Programmed weather
Limited Air Recon
Fire Mod
Delayed disruption
FILES YOU NEED IN YOUR MINSK FOLDER TO PLAY, THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE EXISTING FILES
SCN
OOB
PDT
READ ME
V3.0 Sept 2011
A. Corrected a few OOB mistakes and varied a few units morale a little- reduced some axis repl units, improved one or two Soviet esp. assualt engineers. Just to add a bit of chrome.
B. Added new rule values in the PDT to reflect and make use of all the new rules , night value is set at 20,congestion removal at 10.
C. Removed a few of the bunkers and replaced with entrenchments where they were acting as supply as they were too tough to take if the Germans withdraw in good order.
D. Reduced VP values slightly for Soviets tally. -2000.
E. Slightly improved fortifications in front of 78TH STURM.
F. In light of the new rule on fading congestion - Added a couple of congestion / choke points representing the escape of rear area troops.
G. Reduced supply values in fortified towns ( 40 to 10) .
V2.0
A. Designated all Heavy Art over 150mm except SP Art guns ( to give them a little more flexibility )
B. Corrected PZ ( Max) strength for 20th Pz and FHH
C. Added a few more VP for the key Towns ( if you started under V1 you should add these to the Russian score )
D. PDT - Blowing of Bridges left in as Auto wired – added back in the values so it happens
E. One or two minor map modifications/ corrections
F. Corrected some errors in the oob. Armour is now more in line with alt Mc Namara data base with a few modifications
31 March 2010
V1.0
AIR
The air units for the Russians are a bit stronger according to the air research I have done the Russians enjoyed about 7-1 even 10-1 ratio
Air interception for the Russians has been increased as has the interdiction %. Axis air interception has been reduced.
AA UNITS
For both sides I have attempted to show a wider deployment for these units by giving them an abstract range and improved AA fire
I hope they will pose more of a THREAT to air units now. I also hope players will deploy them so they cover as many units as practical.
ART SET UP
Reduced for both sides 40% for the Russians and 80% for the Axis - this is the main historical mechanism to slow offensive ops in PZC ( ESP. THE Soviets )
RANGE MODIFIER
Now set at 1 to really give the long range guns( on turreted or open platforms ) an advantage and closed SP guns a historical disadvantage.
WIRED BRIDGES
The auto blowing of bridges has been removed.
DIGGING IN
Now at 20%
GENERAL REPL RATE
2% for the Russians and 3% for the Axis ( stragglers )
SUPPLY
Russian supply will begin to dwindle in the later part of the game ( it could stall the offensive ) , Axis supply will also reduce.
If you are the Russians you should consider this carefully.
TURNS
Now at 160 to allow the Russians about the historical time to capture Minsk
OOB
Important parts...
Substantial improvements the axis morale in general although there are a few poorer quality units mixed in as well. Same applies to the Russians
there are a few Bs in there mix but few poorer units as well.
Reduced all closed to SP guns to 1 hex hard attack range ( to simulate the defensive nature of these weapons a bit better )
MAP
Substantial improvement to the defences which are more significant than in the original game
The fortress Towns are not at first sight that good to take up any defence but they have supply hexes so isolation will not take effect
Added some rubble Town and Village hexes. It will be tempting for the Axis to try and hold these.
VP
As per VM modification from the original plus some hexes have been moved and or reduced.
I really hope you will give this a try - a lot of effort has gone into making the PBEM experience good for both sides.
All suggestions and comments are welcome
[email protected]
Michael Smith
Cavalry Corps Jan 2010
Notes on German Tactics By Carl Hebert
My Fellow Commanders:
Below are some random observations on playing Minsk which might improve the German chances. I have played an entire campaign through to the bitter end with Michael and we are currently replaying the campaign using his newly-designed scenario.
Time and terrain are the Germans' biggest allies. These two interrelated factors dilute the huge Russian strength advantage. Given the frequently soft ground conditions with attendant slow movement, the Russians must move forward relentlessly if they are to take Minsk, the big prize, before time expires. This means that the few all-weather roads are critical to Russian success. Therefore, the German commander must take every opportunity to create rubble, particularly on the all-weather roads. A few well-placed rubbled towns or villages can create logistical havoc for the Russians. This is particularly true when it is considered how difficult the game makes it to clear rubble. At one bottleneck I had no fewer than 7 engineers trying to clear the hex and I never did. My units had to bypass the hex at a significant cost in time, fatigue and armor breakdowns. The German should garrison important blocking villages and towns and then provoke defensive artillery fire by firing on adjacent troops. There is nothing more frustrating for the Russian commander than to studiously avoid creating rubble with artillery fire and then to have the game do it for you.
Demolish bridges at every opportunity. Certain terrain is just diabolical. For example, at hex
122,80 the road runs through a swamp to a bridge. Motorized bridge units cannot deploy in the swamp and therefore cannot build a bridge.
"The only alternative is to go "on foot" and build the bridge. However, a unit can only regain its transport by spending a turn with its HQ. Frequently, the HQ for the unit is a front or army HQ which, of course, is well behind the lines. Build enough bridges as the Russian and many of your bridge units become quite slow if they need to be redeployed. Infantry units should defend important roads in the swamp where Russian armor cannot deploy out of travel mode.
As the Russian I flanked many German positions by using the ferrying capacity inherent in every engineer unit except for the flamethrower units. However, this tactic creates casualties. Your infantry units arrive on the other side of the river in travel mode, where they promptly get shot up. Further, an engineer can only supply units across the river in an adjacent hex. Move your units one hex further away and you are out of supply. Having to assault across rivers also slows down the Russians. The lesson is to watch your flanks upstream and downstream of your position or you may find Russians in your rear.
German anti-tank units are deadly. Don't let them be consumed by trying to hold positions in the initial phases. Move them back to positions where they can block important river crossings. Villages with bridges are the best. The Russian does not dare shell the guns for fear of creating rubble on a vital road.
You will note that the all-weather roads funnel to certain towns and then to Minsk. They all go through swamps and marshes. A very few well-placed German units in good order and strength can cause significant delay. This means the German lines contract as the game progesses. Consequently, the German player should make every effort to conserve units by starting to withdraw them early to prepare blocking positions in the rear at strategic locations. If the units are too shot up and depleted they will not be able to hold the Russians when needed most. In the campaign game Michael and I fought I had entire armies laagered on roads, out of play, because another army was occupying the road ahead. In the end elements of only two or three armies took Minsk--the terrain and traffic congestion kept other armies, for example, the 43rd, 50th, 39th and 48th armies completely out of the game.
The Russians have no carpet bombers. You can stack units without fear of a devastating air attack. Further, the Russians are limited to two air strikes on the same hex per turn. Watch your armor against air attack. I used Sturmoviks against the German Panther and Tiger tanks. Eventually, attrition will wear them down. Keep your mobile AA units with the armor if they are to have a chance to survive late into the game.
Every Russian army has a brigade of assault engineers. Each brigade has 4 battalions. These boys are bad news because they have assault values of 18. So do the Russian flamethrower battalions and companies, which are separate units attached directly to the armies. Take every opportunity to grind them down with artillery fire. A stack of these units can overcome a strong position. Also beware the Russian flame tanks with an assault value of 24.
Russian infantry can usually only move one or two hexes a turn in soft, swampy mosquito-infested terrain. They also jam the roads and prevent armor from moving quickly. I learned to put together assault groups to clear the roads ahead of the main body of each army. These groups consisted of tanks and heavy self-propelled artillery, assault engineers, flamethrowers and heavy mortars. Mortars are very important to the Russians because they don't have to set up and are fairly mobile. On the other hand Russian artillery is frequently horse-drawn and therefore slow. Setting up creates further delay. The lesson again is to use scarce German resources to cause attrition in the Russian units which will cause the most damage. As an aside, the Russian SU-76 units are open to the sky and very vulnerable to artillery fire. As a Russian commander, I am not sure what earthly good these units are because they die so easily. Probably their value is in reconnaissance.
The command range of Russian division and corps HQ is considerably less than that of the Germans. Under the recent game updates, HQ units are now twice as likely to disrupt when hit by artillery fire. As Michael has taught me, aim for the HQ units, disrupt them and the Russian combat units will have a more difficult time returning to good order and therefore cannot assault. Because of their limited command range, the Russian HQ units will be close behind the lines and you will have your chances to shoot at them.
Partisans are a major problem. They will disrupt everything in a three-hex radius and block critical rail and road routes in the swamps. This tactic is quite galling when a motorized unit in rail mode runs into a 200-man partisan unit blocking a rail line in a swamp. The unit cannot deploy in that terrain and must turn around and go back to terra firma. Therefore, exterminate partisans ruthlessly with your rear security units. You will know that a partisan unit is nearby when a unit traveling to the front suddenly disrupts.
When the German lines rupture, and they will, watch for the sudden appearance of Russian combat units, for example, motorcycle units, in rear areas. They can take roundabout trips on secondary roads and begin tearing up railroads needed to move reinforcements to the front. One favorable factor is that by the time they get to the rear areas they are usually low on fuel and therefore have only half of their movement.
Whenever possible do not let units get eliminated. Once eliminated they cannot be rebuilt in rear areas. When playing Michael I swear I destroyed certain units of the 20th Panzer Division two or three times."
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Minsk 44 re balanced campaign for PBEM , new V3.0 of my mod
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