Escape from Minsk, 1944 A Flames of War Mega … from Minsk, 1944 A Flames of War Mega-Game Scenario With the almost total collapse of the German Army Group Center during the initial

Escape from Minsk, 1944

A Flames of War Mega-Game Scenario

With the almost total collapse of the German Army Group Center during the initial stages of Operation

Bagration, Soviet forces switched to rapid exploitation mode, fighting a "deep battle" as per their doctrine. The

major prize awaiting them was Minsk, the largest city in Belarus and a critical logistics and communication

center.

On July 3, 1944, after the collapse of the German remnant forces trapped in a pocket east of the city, the Red

Army entered Minsk. As the city was both the logistics and HQ center for the German Army Group, critical

rear area troops and supplies hastened to evacuate back to Germany.

This scenario uses two large tabletops to show a scaled down version of the area. One table focuses on the

northwestern escape route, towards Vilnius, while the other focuses on the southwestern escape route.

towards Baranovichi. For smaller games, either board can also be played as a stand alone scenario.

Although a decisive Axis defeat in history, the battle offers a good showcase for using German rear area forces,

including several armored trains, facing off with Soviet exploitation forces and partisans.

Special Terrain rules:

Buildings – the scattered villages of the region were used by both sides for defensive cover. Any stand

touching or inside a building should be treated as in concealing terrain and bulletproof cover.

Marshes – Byelorussia has a high proportion of marshy terrain, which made it difficult for vehicles in

many areas. Marshes are treated as difficult ground (very difficult to wheeled vehicles, except American

4x4 trucks) and provide concealment to any infantry or man-packed gun team touching them.

Peat bogs – peat bogs and cuttings were quite common in this region. Peat bogs are treated like

marshes, except that they provide no concealment

Railroads– due to the marshy nature of the ground, railway lines offered a decent level area for vehicle

movement. Any vehicle moving along a railway line can ignore any difficult areas crossed for movement

purposes (move as if in clear terrain, cross-country). Railways are not elevated and provide no cover

or concealment for stands in contact with them.

Rivers – rivers in Byelorussia were significant obstacles. Rivers are treated as very difficult terrain for

vehicles, and restrict infantry and man-packed guns to using the river crossing rules. The river has a

bridge for both the railroad line and the highway, with no fords. The bridges are objectives.

Fields – the board should reflect numerous fields in the areas not covered by woods or villages. The

crops were not yet high enough to offer significant concealment, but fields were tough to traverse, so

they are treated as slow going for vehicles.

Deployment:

Soviet partisan forces start deployed on each board as indicated. No German forces start deployed on the

board. The game starts with German forces commencing their retreat from the burning city of Minsk

(deployment areas A and D).

The German forces will take the first turn, entering from their noted entry sectors.

Map:

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Forces – Western Table:

German Forces – Northwest Table

Armored Train # 21 –

Core List: Captured Armored Train from Grey Wolf (p. 122)

Points: 500

Deployment: enter on turn 1 from Axis sector B

[Armored Train #21] __________________________

221st Sicherungs Division –

Core List: Sicherungskompanie from Grey Wolf (p. 118)

Points: 500

Prohibited units: no Divisional Support platoons

Added units: one free FlaK nest

Deployment: deployed on table anywhere within 18” of Rakaw

[xx Sicherungs Regiment] __________________________

Kampfgruppe von Saucken –

Core List: Sperrverband or Ersatz Pionierkompanie from Grey Wolf (p. 94, 98)

Points: 1500

Prohibited units: none

Added units: Minsk refugees (4 wagon teams), may field von Saucken and Windgruber warriors for no point

cost

Deployment: enter on turn 1 from Axis sector A

[KG von Saucken] __________________________

German Forces – Southwest Table


Core List: BP44 Armored Train from Grey Wolf (p. 122)

Points: 750

Added units: one free FlaK nest in deployment area

Deployment: deploy on table, locomotive must be within 18” of Dziarzinsk

[Armored Train #71] __________________________


Core List: BP44 Armored Train from Grey Wolf (p. 122)

Points: 750

Deployment: enter on turn 1 from Axis sector C

[Armored Train #72] __________________________

1066 Walkure (Replacement) Regiment –

Core List: Walkure Kompanie (.pdf file on FOW website)

Points: 750

Prohibited units: no Divisional Support platoons

Added units: one free FlaK nest

Deployment: deployed on table anywhere within 18” of Kublinka

[1066 Walkure Regiment] __________________________

Sperrverband Minsk –

Core List: Sperrverband or Ersatz Pionierkompanie from Grey Wolf (p. 94, 98)

Points: 1500


Added units: Minsk refugees (4 wagon teams)

Deployment: enter on turn 1 from Axis sector D

[Sperrverband Minsk] __________________________

Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division* –

Core List: Hungarian Puskas Szazad from Grey Wolf (p. 216)

Points: 1200


Deployment: enter on turn 2 from Axis sector C

[Hungarian Cavalry] __________________________

Soviet Forces – Northwest Table:

3rd Guards Mechanized Corps –

Rating: units are rated as specified in the list

Core List: Gvardeyskiy Tankovy, Peredovoye Otryad, Rota Razvedki or Motostrelkovy Batalon from Red Bear

(pp. 66-78)

Points: 1500

Added units: none


Deployment: enters on turn 1 from Allied sector 1

[3rd Gds Mechanized Corps] ________________________________________

3rd Guards Cavalry Corps –


Core List: Gvardeyskiy Kazachiy Polk from Red Bear (p. 86)

Points: 1000

Added units: none



[3rd Gds Cavalry Corps] ________________________________________

Rakaw Partizan Brigade –


Core List: Partizanskiy Brigada from Red Bear (p. 112)

Points: 1000

Added units: none



[Dziarzinsk Partizan Brigade] ________________________________________

Soviet Forces – Southwest Table:

4th Guards Tank Brigade –


Core List: Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Batalon from Red Bear (pp. 66)

Points: 2000

Added units: none



[4th Gds Tank Brigade] ________________________________________

4th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade –


Core List: Peredovoye Otryad, Rota Razvedki or Motostrelkovy Batalon from Red Bear (pp. 70-78)

Points: 1500

Added units: none



[4th Gds Motorized Rifle Brigade] ________________________________________

Dziarzinsk Partizan Brigade –


Core List: Partizanskiy Brigada from Red Bear (p. 112)

Points: 1000

Added units: none



[Dziarzinsk Partizan Brigade] ________________________________________

24th Guards Tank Brigade* –


Core List: Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Batalon from Red Bear (pp. 66)

Points: 1500

Added units: none



[24th Gds Tank Brigade] ________________________________________

Minsk Refugees:

Minsk, as the headquarters for the entire Armygroup Center, was filled with critical supplies and command and

control equipment. As the Soviet forces pushed into Minsk, a desperate struggle was waged to load up critical

equipment and personnel to escape through the remaining open routes, to the northwest and southwest.

To represent this, on each escape route table the German players will have 4 wagon units representing critical

equipment. For each wagon that is able to exit the table via either sector B or sector C, the Axis player

receives a bonus for scenario victory conditions (see Winning the Game).

Wagons on their own may not be targeted by Soviet units, but are destroyed if they are under Soviet control

(they are controlled in the same manner as a normal objective). Wagons may be transported in a train, using

either an infantry or assault car (if emptied). The train must be stationary and in contact with a wagon team to

load or unload it. Each empty infantry or assault car can transport up to two wagon teams. Note that Soviet

units may target trains carrying wagons. If the transport car is destroyed the wagon(s) are also destroyed.

Airpower:

The aerial action over the areas west of Minsk was fierce but almost totally one-sided in the favor of the Soviet

forces.

To reflect this, each turn on each table the CiC for each side rolls a d6. Subtract the German die roll from the

Soviet die roll and compare the results on the table below:

Differential Outcome

-3 or less German force receives 1x 1 plane air strike

-2 No air support for either side

-1 to 0 Soviet CiC receives 1x air strike

+1 or more Soviet CiC receives 2x air strike

Weather:

The weather throughout the battles around Minsk was variable, but generally good. There is a chance for

intermittent thunderstorms during the afternoon. To reflect this, the German CiC on each table rolls a d6 at

the start of each turn commencing on turn 4. On a roll of 6 there are thunderstorms for the turn. Note that

the weather is rolled separately for each table.

Thunderstorms reduce visibility for the turn to 24” and all rolls to spot, range in and hit receive an additional -

1 modifier. The German player adds 1 to his airpower die roll on a turn with thunderstorms.

Winning the Game:

The German forces begin with wagons of suplies and equipment. If they manage to exit at least 50% of them

through Axis sectors B or C they win a significant victory.

If the German forces fail to exit at least 50% of their wagons, then the Soviet players will win if they control at

least ½ of the objectives by the end of the game. Any other result is a draw.

Optional Rules:

Playing Single Table Games:

Either of the two tables can be played as a stand alone game. Victory conditions are as above, with the

exception that only objectives on that table are counted.

Optional Units:

The later arriving units (marked *) may be added or left out depending on the number of players desired.

Documents

Escape from Minsk, 1944 A Flames of War Mega … from Minsk, 1944 A Flames of War Mega-Game Scenario With the almost total collapse of the German Army Group Center during the initial