The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario

The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario
with Dr. Michael L. McSwiney.

The Soviet Vistula-Oder offensive was designed to strike west to the Oder River, cross it, and then drive on to Berlin. The lightly-held German defences initially faltered, but as the Soviets reached the Oder River itself, German resistance strengthened. Although the Soviets were able to establish several bridgeheads on the western bank the Oder, the key transportation hub of Küstrin on its eastern bank stubbornly held out providing the Germans their own bridgehead in the Soviet rear areas. Hitler declared Küstrin a fortress city on 25 January 1945 setting the stage for a lengthy siege.
Learn more about the history of the Siege Of Küstrin here...
Rather than attempting an immediate assault of the city, the Soviets initially built up their own trenches to prevent a German counter-attack from Küstrin while simultaneously attempting to compete the encirclement of the city. Many key German units including 25. Panzergrenadier Division fought through February and most of March 1945 to keep the key supply corridor to Küstrin open, but by 19 March 1945 this key unit was exhausted and was pulled from the front allowing the Soviets to complete their encirclement on 22 March.

The Germans continued to try and reopen the corridor to Küstrin for several days after the encirclement was complete, but by 28 March it was obvious that Soviet forces in the sector were too strong and the city was abandoned to its fate. The Soviet 8th Guards Army spearheaded the advance into the city with the final unit of Volkssturm surrendering on 30 March 1945 at 0500 hours by which time the city of Küstrin had virtually ceased to exist.
The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario
German Situation Briefing
Since January we have bravely defended the city of Küstrin against Bolshevik assault. Our defences are strong and held by brave Pioneer and Volkssturm units. Thus far we have pushed back their best infantry forces and tanks. Though the Red Army has taken the Neustadt, we hold onto the Altstadt and will continue to defend our city and the Fatherland street by street until our brave forces to the west are able to re-open the corridor to the city.
German Forces

Headquarters

Beach Defence Grenadier Company
(Page 18 D-Day: German)

Ersatz Pionierkompanie Headquarters
(representing Pionier Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 68)
Beach Defence Grenadier Company HQ
(2x MP40 SMG team with Panzerfaust)
Combat Platoons
Formation Units
Ersatz Pionier Platoon
(Pionier Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 68)

Beach Defence Pioneer Platooon
(7x MG42 & K98 rifle team with Panzerfaust, 1x sMG34 HMG team, and Pioneer Platoon command card)
Grenader Platoon
(representing regular infantry defenders)

Beach Defence Pioneer Platooon
(7x MG42 & K98 rifle team with Panzerfaust, 1x sMG34 HMG team)
Grenadier Platoon
(representing regular infantry defenders)
Beach Defence Pioneer Platooon
(7x MG42 & K98 rifle team with Panzerfaust)
Volkssturm Platoon


Beach Defence Pioneer Platooon
(7x MG42 & K98 rifle team with Panzerfaust with Ost Battalion command card ratings)
Heer Support Platoons
Support Units
Mortar Platoon
(representing mortar support)
Beach Defence Mortar Platoon
(4x 8cm mortar teams)
Artillery Battery
(representing Festungs-Artillerie-Abteilung I/3132)
10.5cm Artillery Battery (4x 10.5cm howitzers and 275th Infantry Division 10.5cm Howitzer command card)
Luftwaffe Support Platoons
Support Units
Luftwaffe Light Anti-Aircraft Gun Platoon 2cm Light AA Platoon (4x 2cm AA gun)
Luftwaffe Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Platoon 8.8cm Heavy AA Platoon (2x 8.8cm AA gun
with 8.8cm Assault Flak command card)
Küstrin Street Fortifications
Area Fortifications
 

2x Street Barricades (see below), 1x Panther Turret (see page 88 Bagration: German)

The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario
Soviet Situation Briefing
For too long have the Germans held up our brave troops on the banks of the Oder. We will now attack this thorn in our side from two directions and then march on toward Berlin! The 8th Guards Army will attack the Fascists from the west while the rest of our forces will attack from the east. Undoubtedly the fighting will be fierce, but we will show the Fascists the mettle of the workers and peasants of the Soviet Union!
Soviet Forces

Guards Army Companies
Hero Shock Rifle Battalion
(page 33, Bagration: Soviet)

Guards Strelkovy Batalon Headquarters Hero Shock Rifle Battaion HQ (2x PPSh SMG team)
Guards Strelkovy Company
(representing various Guards rifle divisions facing Kustrin)
Hero Shock Rifle Company
(13x DP MG & M1891 rifle team, 1x Komissar team, 1x Maksim HMG team)
Guards Hero Heavy Tank Company IS-2 Guards Heavy Tank Company (2x IS-2 (122mm))
Guards Hero Tankovy Company Hero T-34 (85mm) Tank Company (4x T-34 (85mm))
Guards Rocket Mortar Batallion Katyusha Guards Rocket Battery (4x Katyusha)
Red Army Companies

Strelkovy Company
(representing various standard rifle divisions facing Kustrin)
Hero Shock Rifle Company
(13x DP MG & M1891 rifle team, 1x Komissar team, 1x Maksim HMG team)
Strelkovy Mortar Company
(representing persistent mortar fire from Soviets)
82mm Mortar Company (6x 82mmj mortar)

Motorised Artillery Battalion
(76mm guns and Katyushas seem to be the most common types reported at Kustrin)

76mm Artillery Battery (4x 76mm gun)

76mm Artillery Battery (4x 76mm gun)

The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario
Bloody Küstrin Scenario

The Siege of Küstrin Scenario uses the Ambush (page 103 of the rulebook) special rule.

Your Orders
German Player
You have the honor of defending the Fortress City of Küstrin. It is vital you hold because every moment you do is a moment we can use to prepare the defence of the Fatherland!

Soviet Player
The city of Küstrin must be captured if we are to make an assault on Berlin. Its crossings are needed to get our shock troops lined up to smash the Fascists utterly and completely.

Preparing for Battle
1. The Soviet Deployment Areas are marked on the map to the right. Guards Army companies and the headquarters company deploy on the bottom, while the Red Army companies deploy on the top.

2. The German Deployment area is the centre of the table on the opposite banks of the river from the Soviets.

3. Places two Objectives at the designated points on the map. The top one is the city of Küstrin and its citadel. The bottom one is the vital bridges over the Oder.

4. Starting with the German player, the players place Ranged In markers for all of their deployed (including in Ambush) Artillery Units.

5. Next the German player nominates one Unit to be held in Ambush, then Deploys the remaining Units.

The Siege Of Küstrin Scenario

6. The Soviet player now Deploys their entire force according to the appropriate Deployment Areas.

Beginning the Battle

1. The Soviet player has the first turn.

2. As both sides' Infantry and Gun teams start in Foxholes and all teams start Gone to Ground.

Ending the Battle
The battle ends when either:

• the Soviet player has Taken any of the Objectives at the end of their turn, or

• the German player starts any of their turns from turn six with no attacking Infantry, Gun or Tank teams within 8”/20cm of either Objective.

Deciding Who Won
The Soviet player wins if the game ended because they ended one of their turns holding an Objective. They have captured one of the two vital points in Küstrin, making it possible to secure the crossing for the final assault on Berlin.

Otherwise, the German player wins. The city remains in German hands as a beacon of resistance against the Bolshevik onslaught. Comrade Stalin will have to spill more blood if he wants to enter the Fatherland!

Calculate your Victory Points using the Victory Points Table on page 101 of your Flames Of War rulebook.

~ Dr. Michael L. McSwiney.

Street Barricades

A Street Barricade is modelled as a barrier up to 2"/5cm deep and up to 8"/20cm wide to cover the width of a street, building to building. If your street on your table is wider use two or more Street Barricades to span the width.
An Infantry team moving across a Street Barricade must pass a Skill test (or test to Cross a Minefield if better) or immediately stop moving.

Street Barricades are Impassable for all Tank and Gun teams. Street Barricades are Short Terrain and Bulletproof Cover.


Last Updated On Friday, December 16, 2022 by Wayne at Battlefront