Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes
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Cara al Sol
Blue Division #14
(Defender) Spain vs Soviet Union (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Soviet Union 72nd Rifle Division
Spain 250th Infantry Division
Spain 250th Replacement Battalion
Spain 262nd Infantry Regiment
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for BluD014
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 4
Overall Rating, 5 votes
5
4
3
2
1
2.4
Scenario Rank: 907 of 940
Parent Game Blue Division
Historicity Historical
Date 1943-02-10
Start Time 06:45
Turn Count 40
Visibility Day
Counters 159
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 2
Maps 9: 1, 15, 18, 19, 20, 3, 4, 5, 7
Layout Dimensions 129 x 84 cm
51 x 33 in
Play Bounty 204
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 4
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Rural Assault
Conditions
Entrenchments
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Blue Division Base Game
Eastern Front Maps + Counters
Red Warriors Counters
Road to Berlin Maps + Counters
Introduction

The "Black Day of the Blue Division" came on a Wednesday, when three Soviet divisions took aim at part of the division's lines in front of Krasni Bor, southeast of Leningrad. On the Spanish left flank, a reinforced Soviet rifle division faced two reinforced Spanish battalions. After an enormous artillery bombardment, the Red Army came forward, led by "punishment companies" of released prisoners to help clear the Spanish minefields.

Conclusion

Steady personnel rotation had given the Blue Division a very different character than the professional force that entered the Soviet Union in the late summer of 1941. The new troops, little more than conscripts, proved willing enough to fight as long as their officers led them by example. When Soviets broke into his trench lines, the portly Capt. Alfredo Miranda Labrador of Replacement Battalion 250 grabbed a submachine gun and led his headquarters staff in a doomed counter-attack while bellowing the Falangist hymn, "Face the Sun." Miranda and his orderlies were mowed down, and by nightfall only two platoons of the once-proud battalion still resisted.

Additional Notes

The Soviet Penal units (PEN) come from Red Warriors.


Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Soviet Union Order of Battle
Army (RKKA)
Spain Order of Battle
Army

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 951

The reduced direct fire value in Kursk: Burning Tigers is 4-4.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 993

Kommissars never get morale or combat modifiers. Ignore misprints.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (2)

Not enough spanish to hold back the Soviet Wave.
Author GeneSteeler
Method Solo
Victor Soviet Union
Play Date 2010-06-28
Language English
Scenario BluD014

I'll try to update with a detailed summary later. For the time being it probably is enough to say that the Spanish got annihilated. Only two Spanish units remained on the map at the scenario end. limited number of entrenchments and massive Soviet artillery allowed the Soviets to breakthrough the lines. They then proceeded to mop up the Spanish an entrenchment at a time using a combination of assaults, artillery, and armour. Nasty.

Fun scenario but probably impossible for the Spanish to win results in a 3/5

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Push Back the Falangist Mob
Author treadasaurusrex (Soviet Union)
Method VASSAL
Victor Soviet Union
Participants Tubac52
Play Date 2023-02-11
Language English
Scenario BluD014

This was a 6- session play-through with the able, Tubac52, leading the defending Spanish side. Luckily, I drew the attacking Red Army, which has armor in the counter mix! My most frequent opponents in Southeast Arizona, have been focusing on scenarios with little or no armor to force me to fight in infantry-dominated situations for the last 3 months or so. This is a very tough row to hoe for a former-tankie like me!

We used the FOW, consolidation, extended assault, excess initiative and smoke/illum optional rules. Both sides drew generally middling leaders, but the Spanish had better senior leadership. In this action, we experienced 14 FOW-shortened turns of the 31 we played, before the inevitable, but costly, Soviet triumph.

As others, have included in their AARs, I am sorry to report, that in spite of my indomitable opponent's fierce brand of leadership & tactical skill, this was an ugly & bloody Russian walk over in which the Spanish went down fighting to the last man. All Spanish units were eliminated by the end of game turn 31. The Spanish set up should have included significantly more entrenchments, some wire and minefields to make this a fairer fight. Despite my throwing 19 combat 7-die rolls for the Bolsheviks, many Soviet OBA strikes, and adjacent-hex firefights, proved quite deadly.

This encounter was fun to play with a crafty and gracious opponent, but as others have reported, this overlong (40 turns - 10 hours) and unbalanced scenario is virtually impossible for the Spanish to win. I give it a generous 2, and recommend it for SOLO play only. This one may be an accurate historical simulation, but IMHO, it needs a thorough rewrite.

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