Prokhorovka. The Great Tank Battle

[Crossroads]

We just finished our first go with three vs three players on the Prokhorovka: The Ultimate Battle (TR) scenario. 

TR stands for team game version with Russian side going first. It is a slightly modified version of the German / Russian vs AI original scenario by Alan R. Arvold.

So. We are now switching sides to complete a sequential mirrored game to conclude on the game balance.

Meanwhile. If you want to enjoy a massive scenario as Soviets, getting a Major Win, while losing 498 (four hundred ninety eight) AFVs while at it, this would be it! 

The scenario covers the July 12th massive counter attack. I have not calculated the forces starting the battle from the OoB, but here's what Wiki says:

The German forces involved in the Battle of Prokhorovka were from the three Waffen-SS divisions of the II SS-Panzer Corps: Leibstandarte, Das Reich, and Totenkopf. On the evening of 11 July, the serviceable armour strength of the II SS-Panzer Corps was 294 tanks and assault guns, which included 15 Tigers. The armoured strength of Leibstandarte, Das Reich, and Totenkopf were 77, 95, and 122 tanks and assault guns respectively

The main Soviet armoured formation involved in the battle was the 5th Guards Tank Army, which controlled five corps by 12 July: the 2nd Guards, 2nd, 5th Guards Mechanized, 18th and 29th Tank Corps. All together they fielded 793 tanks and 37 to 57 self propelled guns for a total of approximately 840 armoured fighting vehicles.

What ever Wiki says, I trust the scenario more, for it is obvious Alan has put a huge effort with latest books and stats available on the battle. But I feel that's a pretty accurate description of both sides before the hostilities of July 12 commencing. 

So that's the background.

Here's the losses at the end of play:

Soviets:
- 140 T-70s
- 270 t-34s
- the remaining AFV losses are LL M3s, Churchills, KV-1s and SU-76/122s,
- for a total of 498 tank losses.

Germans:
- 66 mkIIIs
- 66 mkIVs
- 14 T-34s
- 48 stugIIIs
- 4 (four) markVIs
- the remaining losses are Marders (17) and pz Is and IIs (very handy for arty spotting and recon),
- for a total of 223 tank losses. 

Before the remaining turns and the desperate German push to keep the kessels open, they were down with 151 tank losses, before the "ramming" started. At that stage they had like a 3:1 advantage on tank kills. At this scale. So 150 lost almost 450 killed. Wow.

We were playing with No Exiting Map ROE, and it did get quite close and personal towards the end.

Way cool! 

[Crossroads]

Here's the losses at the end of play:

Germans:
- 66 mkIIIs
- 66 mkIVs
- 14 T-34s
- 48 stugIIIs
- 4 (four) markVIs
- the remaining losses are Marders (17) and pz Is and IIs (very handy for arty spotting and recon),
- for a total of 223 tank losses. 

I recall I killed two of those in what I believe was one really really lucky pot shot at four or five hex range. 

It was like There's three Tigers in a commanding hill top position Sir, so there's no way I can move forward with my T-34 battalion !!! 

Ha.

[Dan Caviness]

I still have my TWO....:O)

[Dan Caviness]

TWO TIGERS....looking at an ocean of steel with red stars on them...we had to clean out the tank...and our shorts...after the battle...:O)

[Crossroads]

TWO TIGERS....looking at an ocean of steel with red stars on them...we had to clean out the tank...and our shorts...after the battle...:O)

I bet you ran out of white paint to paint those kill markers on the gun tubes though.

 Probably had to put a longer caliber 88 in place too for them 

[Crossroads]

Would be cool if possible to review kills per unit:

I platoon Mk VI E: 58 T-70s, 47 T-34s, ....

[Crossroads]

But there was not even 15 Tigers were there? 10, more like it?

EDIT: 

Had to look. 16 Mk VIEs !!! Totenkopf 10, LAH 4 but with Lt Wittman present, then Das Reich with 2. No wonder this was such a cake walk for you guys 

[Crossroads]

I still have my TWO....:O)

So you were with Das Reich then. I was with the Northern shoulder + Vasilievka pocket. Didn't quite get that far to South to greet you guys 

[Crossroads]

The autopsy continues...

According to Strenght Dialog (and I don't trust it fully), Soviets had these AFVs remaining at the end  of the battle:

- 10 T-70s
- 140 T-34s (so we lost only 66% of them...)
- 6 M3Ms
- 13 Churchills
- 4 KV-Is
- 2 SU-76s
- 6 SU-122s
- 4 SU-152s
- 12 Ba-64 ACs
- for a total of 197 AFVs.

This puts the total Soviet AFvs at 695 (including ACs), which in turn puts our AFV loss ratio at 72%.

140 out of 150 T-70s lost...

Madness. 

[PawelM]

It was a fun game. I am looking forward to be subjected to the see of red steel this time round... One thing is sure, after playing this scenario, no other OOB is ever going to be huge. This scenario is a game changer for someone playing as Allies. Even with 3 players team, I had more units I could ever imagine of using...

PS: Dan if you were in command of Das Reich, your division must have been facing my sector...