Historical Background:
By the end of August 1942, Army Group South (B) reached the Volga, north of Stalingrad. In a matter of days, 4th Panzer Army, with the 29th Motorized Division in the lead, headed for the river south of the city, effectively trapping Lieutenant General Chuikov and the men and women of the 62nd Army. Stalin’s order of July 27 - “Not a step back!” - was no longer just an obligation but a necessity, and its slogan “There is no land behind the Volga!” the harsh reality that now faced all of the city’s inhabitants.
Having witnessed firsthand on the Russian steppe the devastating effectiveness of German Blitzkrieg tactics, Chuikov turned the carpet-bombing of the city to his advantage. Anchoring his defense lines in bombed-out buildings that overlooked strategically important streets and squares, he ordered Soviet troops to “hug the enemy”. Always keeping the front lines as close to the Germans as physically possible, often a mere floor or door frame away, he successfully negated much of the Germans’ firepower and combined arms superiority. At such close range, German infantry soon found themselves forced to fight on their own; or risk taking casualties from their own close air and artillery support! Key landmarks, such as the South Railway Station - which changed hands 14 times in 6 hours; and the Grain Elevator - where combat raged for weeks, became part of history. A year later, the city’s defenders were collectively recognized for their courage with the gift of a ceremonial broadsword whose etching reads: “To the steel-hearted citizens of Stalingrad - the gift of King George VI - in token of the homage of the British people.”
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Briefing:
Axis Player
[Germany]
Take 10 Command cards.
You move first.
Allied Player
[Soviet Union]
Take 9 Command cards.
Conditions of Victory:
17 Medals.
The Central Station, South Station, Red Square and 2 Railroad bridges on the Allied baseline are Temporary Medal Objectives for the Axis forces.
The 5 hill and 2 forest hexes of Mamayev Kurgan form a Temporary Majority Medal Objective worth 1 Medal for whoever controls it. The Soviet player is in control of it at the start of the battle.
The 8 factory hexes of the Saw Mill, Red October, Red Barricades & Tractor Factories form a Temporary Majority Medal Objective worth 2 Medals for whoever controls the most of them.
Special Rules:
Combat rules are in effect.
Blitz Rules are in effect (Actions 15 - Blitz Rules). In addition, the Allies, like the Axis, roll only 1d per hex when playing an Air Power Command card.
Russian Overlord Command rules are in effect for the Allied player (Nations 2bis Overlord - Red Army).
Place a badge on the 6 German elite Infantry units (Troops 2 - Specialized Units).
The gullies running through both the left and right flanks of the city are Balkas (Terrain 65 - Balkas).
Many of Stalingrad’s named city landmarks had received extensive damage from the Luftwaffe prior to the advance of German ground forces. Play them like the hexes used to represent them however (ie Barracks & Factory hexes play like a Town), rather than as City ruins; in Overlord play, this conforms remarkably well to the difficulties of urban combat both armies experienced.
Many city landmarks are protected by sandbags. Use Hedgehogs as stand-in pieces, if necessary.
Air Rules are not in effect. The Air Sortie cards are set aside and are not used in this mission.
Scenario link
Setup Photo:
My first Overlord scenario was a great experience. We played with two players, where I took the Axis side and my opponent took the Allies. The Axis advanced in the center and left sections, quickly clearing all resistance and destroying the Soviet armor that had launched a counterattack on the Allies’ right flank. The battle for the hills was more intense, though. The Allies threw all their reserves into the fight and temporarily stopped the German advance, but then the Axis concentrated their forces on the right section.
The Axis launched more attacks in the right, capturing South Station. The Allies tried to counterattack the Axis unit holding South Station but only managed to reduce it to 1 figure. The Axis then destroyed the counterattacking Soviet infantry and easily won the game with a score of 17-6.
End Photo:
Hills are captured
South Station is captured:
For the second game, we switched sides and began the battle. The Axis adopted a strategy of firing from a distance, causing some losses, but they also lost many units due to the Allies’ very lucky dice rolls. Meanwhile, an Allied tank unit launched a counterattack on the Allies’ left flank, and the Germans lost 3 units before finally eliminating the armor unit.
During this time, the Allied reserve units withdrew to the factories, took control over them, and scored 2 medals. The Axis then shifted focus to their right flank and began an offensive, but their progress was slow, and they suffered heavy losses. The Allies sent one of their armor units to recapture the hills, which they successfully did, scoring one medal in the process.
The Axis responded with an infantry attack and, with excellent dice rolls, managed to tie the game at 15-15. However, the Allies then scored two more medals and won the game with a final score of 17-15.
End Photo:
Hills are still under Allied control:
Conclusion: If you’re looking for an urban scenario, this one might not be the best choice. It seems the focus was more on the early days of the German offensive, and as a result, the battle rarely takes place in the main town. I’m planning to try Rats in a Factory soon, and I hope that scenario will provide more urban combat.
If you’ve played this scenario, I’d like to hear about your experience!