Stalingrad Redux

A while ago we decided to do a Chain of Command Stalingrad Campaign. It went really quite well but broke down when our platoons were "non combat effective" (as Holly said, They're dead Dave). In some ways this was a very successful campaign with a historically accurate result. Battles in urban areas were ridiculously bloody, (They're all dead Dave) and we burned through the reserves and reinforcements in a couple of games. The result was that after a while our units became more and more static - we could reasonably expect to hold our positions but had no chance of expanding them. Those that were still breathing that is. It was an interesting lesson.

We had decided to do it again - but this time with some changes to learn the lessons from our previous experience - and then the lock down began (!)

Anyway I thought I would share our cunning plan, just in case anyone else feels the need. We will be using the campaign rules from "The Sharp End" campaign system from Two Fat Lardies . This is really, really the best buy you can get for a tenner, even if you don't play Chain of Command. Seriously, if you play any WW2 set of rules, Bolt Action, Disposable Heroes whatever, just pick them up here from Two Fat Lardies store. They're full of great ideas that will easily transfer to your favourite system. Do yourself a favour - buy them.

Ours will be a ladder campaign, based on a vaguely historical series of locations \ events rearranged in a more Hollywood sequence, with the results of each battle dictating when and where the next game will happen. If the attackers win they will push through to the next "rung" on the ladder, and if they lose they can be pushed back. The campaign will end with either the Germans capturing the banks of the Volga or being thrown back past the city outskirts. Or everyone dying. My money is on the latter tbh.....

Anyway - Stalingrad 5 step ladder campaign – thoughts & suggestions

Campaign Zones as follows – each would be a different scenario\play style

1. Outskirts (Soviet Campaign Objective- campaign start)
2. Train yards and factory
3. Fallen Heroes Square inc railway station
4. Workers Housing \ Pavlov's House
5. Oil tanks and the Volga bank (German Campaign Objective)

Suggested Terrain. We've raided our terrain boxes and also the local club and we are planning the following:

1. Outskirts – Mostly wooden buildings \ burned out small houses with fences etc. Looking at photos these are arranged in fenced off blocks so table should have 4 – 6 blocks each of a couple of houses plus sheds etc. Paul has printed some burned down shacks with only the chimney remaining. We have about a dozen, plus a sawmill and similar, so we can cover a table with suitable bits.

2. Train Yards and Factory area. Large industrial buildings separated by large open areas with lots of blocking terrain.

3. Fallen Heroes Square. A public square surrounded by ruined buildings with a central open area. The square can contain wrecks, fountains, statues etc for cover. I have a 1:48 He111 that I built and chopped up - details here: crashed He 111 . Paul has also printed the railway station building - it's a burned out shell, but fits our requirements perfectly. This will be our neutral table - the mid point of the campaign.

4. Workers Housing – Larger ruins of workers housing with wide streets between them. Paul has a rather ambitious plan to print Pavlov's House, which will fill the centre of a 6x4 quite easily. Looking at the photos and the maps (Island of Fire by Jason D Mark has some amazing maps) there is an awful lot of space around the individual blocks so this could be a bit "interesting" with lots of trenches around the table edges.

5. The Volga Banks. Oil tanks, pump houses and pipes, plus some smaller industrial \ warehouse style buildings. Of the Germans can take this area they will have reached the Volga and cut off the Soviets in the city. The oil tanks are now going to be my Covid terrain project. I've been watching The World at War episode on Stalingrad and in addition to some film of an Ampulomet in action, there's also some pics of troops moving around the collapsed oil tanks - I think I can build them using some plastic paint buckets and chop them down. These have several terrain opportunities as they cover a fair chunk of the table at minimal cost. Possibly. Watch this space.

All areas should have plenty of appropriate scatter terrain – whatever we can grab as available but lots of shell holes, barricades etc.

Forces. To avoid the premature end of the campaign (They're all dead Dave) we're going to give each player 2 platoons, and allow them to swap them around on a scenario by scenario basis. Progression up and down the ladder will be based on aggregate results. To give the Germans an advantage initially, to get them into the city, the Soviets will have to keep the same platoon in the front line 'til the third game. Soviets will only get reinforcements once the game gets past the middle of the campaign, Germans will only get them up to that point.

I'll go into the lists we're using next time........