OPERATION HUBERTUS

STALINGRAD, RUSSIA, 11 NOVEMBER 1942:For Paulus, the battle for control of Stalingrad had become the battle of attrition he feared. Shortages of ammunition and heavy weaponry were serious but the crucial deficit lay in combat troops. None of the German divisions were at normal strength and the only reinforcements were convalescents returning to front-line duty. Paulus repeatedly appealed for major reinforcements as the offensive power of his army drained away. He felt strongly that time was running out for his Sixth Army to secure the remaining tenth of the city still held by the tenacious Soviet 62nd Army.

As his forces regrouped in early November, Paulus worried. Intelligence reports of increasing Russian activity along his northern flank augured an enemy offensive. Paulus turned to his commanders for a final desperate attempt to clear the city rubble – Operation Hubertus. New units, some four battalions of pioneers then preparing to fly in to Stalingrad, would lead the assault. A dozen experimental assault guns mounting 150mm guns would join other armoured vehicles in the street fighting to reduce certain strongpoints. General Paulusemphasised these extraordinary preparations in an order to his troops on the eve of the attack.

When the officers of the pioneers arrived in Stalingrad on 9th November, they were met by Major Josef Linden who was to command their phase of the operation. Among the targets shown to them was the Barrikady Gun Factory. Linden appraised it with glum foreboding: “Loosely hanging corrugated steel panels that creaked eerily in the wind; a perfect mess of iron parts, gun barrels, T-beams, huge craters.” Cellars were turned into strong points, trench lines were often just ditches scraped in the rubble, every unturned stone threatened a booby trap. In the Barrikady sector the combat engineers were ordered to aim their first assaults at two Russian strongpoints – one called the ‘Chemist’s Shop’ and another called the ‘Red House’.

The Soviet defenders were well aware that an offensive was in the offing. Compressed into a zone only six miles long and one mile deep with the freezing river at their backs, the weary defenders entrenched themselves in cellar bunkers protected by heavy-machineguns and anti-tank guns. Penal companies were organized into tank-killer close assault groups. Heavy artillery shells were in short supply but Chuikov was able to distribute sparse ammunition and food supplies to the men still in the factories. In the predawn darkness he sent a despairing message: “Deliveries of supplies have fallen through for three days running. Reinforcements have not been ferried across and our units are beginning to feel the acute shortage of ammunition and rations.” The weeks of fighting had begun to take a toll on even the stolid Russian morale and commissars of the 62nd Army were ordered into the front lines to maintain discipline.

At 03h00 on 11 November Hubertus opened with a short and violent barrage. Tenbattalions of German infantry supported by tanks and pioneers moved out towards the Barrikady factory the Red October factory and nearby buildings. Paulus had launched his latest, and last, bid to capture the city.

YOUR ORDERS

GERMAN:Although your battalion is understrength it has been reinforced with fresh detachments of Combat Engineers and has assault gun support. It won’t be easy, but this could be the final chance to break through to the Volga bank and wipe out the Ivans before we have to go on the defensive during winter.

SOVIET:To say that the fighting for the KrasnyOktabr and Barrikady factories and the surrounding suburbs has been savage is a gross understatement. Whole divisions have been reduced to battalion size or smaller, but still we cling on. Your unit (138th Rifle Division) has absorbed several shattered formations from the 37th Guards Rifle Division and has the remnants of the 1053rd Rifle Regiment in reserve. There is no land beyond the Volga for the 62nd Army!

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

  1. This scenario is best-suited as a big multi-player game. I would suggest that both teams agree to limit of number of turns and call an end to the game after that.
  2. The Soviets deploy first east of the front line (marked in orange on the map). The 1053rd Regt can only deploy in the marked area, while the remainder of the 138th Rifle Division can deploy anywhere. Then the Germans deploy, up to six inches, or across a major road, from Soviet positions.
  3. German reserves arrive on the West table edge behind the original German front line. Soviet reserves arrive on the marked area on the South edge.
  4. Infantry teams (not pioneer or gun teams) have the option of using improvised AT weapons (Molotov Cocktails or Sticky Bombs) with the below rule:

All infantry teams have Tank Assault 2, or may choose to use Molotov cocktails counting as improvised anti-tank weapons with Tank Assault 3. If using Molotovs self destruct on a 1 on the “to Hit” roll. The choice to use improvised weapons is made before the assault begins.

  1. The Germans have the first turn.

ENDING THE GAME

The battle ends when:

  1. The turn limit as agreed upon is reached. Due to the ferocity of the fighting in Stalingrad neither side can fail a company morale check.

DECIDING WHO WON

Tot up the number of objectives that the German player holds at the end of the game:

1 – 2 Soviet Victory

3 – 4 Draw

5 + German Victory

SCENARIO MAP

  1. The table size is 5 x 9 foot.
  2. Objective Areas:
  1. Fuel Tanks
  2. School Number Two
  3. Lazur Chemical Plant
  4. ‘Red House’
  5. ‘Comissar’s House’
  6. Barrikady Factory still held by Soviets
  7. Hotel
  8. 62nd Army HQ Bunker on edge of Landing Stage Gully
  1. The whole table is covered in rubble as per the above picture, and will count as slow going. In addition bog and skill checks for vehicles may be required if they venture into buildings, craters or piles of rubble.
  2. The major tarred roads are marked, but these could be covered by piles of rubble or cratered.
  3. Buildings coloured black should be big multi-room ones. Those marked with an ‘F’ are the factory halls of the Barrikady factory complex. The remainder of the built up area, which is semi-shaded, is a mixture of warehouses, apartment buildings and workers houses, all heavily damaged.
  4. Brown hatched lines are the bluffs leading down to the Volga bank, which are very-difficult going for vehicles.
  5. The stream is shallow and fordable anywhere, counting as difficult going.
  6. The green area south of the ProspektLeninaboulevard is ruined parkland which should be cratered and covered by shattered trees.

SCENARIO FORCES

GERMANS (CONFIDENT VETERAN)

KAMPFGRUPPE HQ and BATTALION ASSETS

Bat HQ: 1 x Rifle CinC team

1 x Rifle 2iC team

*AT Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

2 x Pak 40 75mm

1 x Pak 38 50mm

*MG Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x HMG teams

*Both AT and MG assets can be attached out to Pioneer/Infantry Platoons.

PIONEER COMPANY

Coy HQ: 1 x Pioneer SMG CiC Team

1 x Pioneer SMG 2iC Team

First Platoon: 1 x Pioneer SMG Command team

8 x Pioneer SMG teams

1 x FT team

Second Platoon: 1 x Pioneer SMG Command team

8 x Pioneer SMG teams

1 x FT team

Third Platoon: 1 x Pioneer SMG Command team

8 x Pioneer SMG teams

1st GRENADIER COMPANY

Coy HQ: 1 x SMG CiC Team with Panzerknacker

1 x SMG 2iC team with Panzerknacker

First Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

Second Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

Third Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

2nd GRENADIER COMPANY

Coy HQ: 1 x SMG CiC Team with Panzerknacker

1 x SMG 2iC team with Panzerknacker

First Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

Second Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

Third Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

6 x Rifle/MG teams

244th STUG BATTALION

Assault Gun Platoon: 2 x 105mm Stug III

ARTILLERY SUPPORT

2 x Observer team spotting for off-table 105mm Howitzer Battery (Four guns)

RESERVES

Grenadier Platoon: 1 x Rifle/MG Command team

9 x Rifle/MG teams

1 x HMG team

4 x Trucks

Assault Gun Platoon: 2 x SIG 33B

DELAYED RESERVES

Assault Gun Platoon: 3 x Stug

Pz Pioneer Platoon: 1 x Pioneer MG Command team

8 x Pioneer MG teams

1 x FT team

5 x Sdkfz 251

SOVIETS (FEARLESS CONSCRIPT UNLESS STATED)

ELEMENTS OF 138th RIFLE DIVISION

HQ & HQ Assets: 1 x CiC Rifle team

1 x 2iC Rifle team

2 x Battalion Komissars

2 x Snipers

2 x 45mm AT Guns

2 x PTRD ATRifle Teams

1 x Dshk HMG

5 x Pioneer Rifle teams

4 x Minefield

5 x Trench lines

MG Platoon: 1 x Rifle Command Team

2 x HMG Teams

AT Platoon: 1 x Rifle Command Team

2 x Zis3 76mm

Mortar Platoon: 1 x Rifle Command Team

2 x 82mm Mortar

Shock SMG Company: 1 x SMG Command Team

11 x SMG Teams

1st Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle Command Team

20 x Rifle Teams

1 x HMG Team

2nd Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle Command Team

20 x Rifle Teams

1 x HMG Team

1st Guards Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle/MG Command Team (FT)

12 x Rifle/MG Teams

1 x HMG Team

2nd Guards Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle/MG Command Team (FT)

12 x Rifle/MG Teams

1 x HMG

REMNANTS OF 1053rd RIFLE REGT (FT)

HQ: 1 x CiC Rifle team

1 x 2iC Rifle team

1 x Battalion Komissar

1 x 57mm AT Gun

1 x PTRD ATRifle Team

1st Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle Command Team

19 x Rifle Teams

1 x HMG

2nd Rifle Company: 1 x Rifle Command Team

19 x Rifle Teams

1 x HMG

DELAYED RESERVES

84th TANK BRIGADE

Tank Platoon: 3 x T34/76

Guards Heavy Tank Platoon: 2 x KV1 (FT)

Tank Rider Company: 1 x SMG Command Team

17 x SMG Teams