(COI) C "THE BUKRIN BRIDGEHEAD"

Published in the GENERAL volume 15 number 6: Updated 060213

50 MILES S.E. OIF KIEV, September 14, 1943: In mid September 1943, Manstein's Army Group South initiated a full scale retreat along the entire length of it s60 mil front. The plan was to fall back to the west banks of the Dnieper and redeploy for defense before the Russian could form any bridgeheads across the river. Once spot where the race was won by the Red Army was near the village of Bukrin where the Third Guards Army with the help of partisans cross the

BOARD LAYOUT

North

VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Russians win if at the end of the Russian 10th player turn there is no unbroken enemy squad or AFV with functioning armament within normal range and clear LOS of the Russian objective hexes. The normal range of infantry squads may be extended by functioning MGs. See SSR rule C.3. The German wins by preventing the Russian victory conditions. (There is no German Turn 9).

SCENARIO SEQUENCE:

Germans sets up first	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	END
Russians moves first

GERMAN FORCES:

AT START: Elements of the Armored Recon Battalion 19; set up west of road 5A6-5Y10-5GG6:
1x10-3, 1x9-2; 2x9-1; 1x8-1; 1x8-0;2x838, 4x467; 5x247; 1xHMG; 2xMMG, 4xLMG; 2xPzck; 2xDC; 1x50mm MTR; 2xRadio; 2xPSW233; 1xPSW231; 1xSPW250/9; 4xSPW251/1; 1x20mm/L112.6 Flak 38 quad (24); 2x81mm MTR; 1x9-2 Armor Leader; 1x8-1 Armor Leader
TURN 6: Miscellaneous reinforcements; enter via any one west edge road hex:
1x8-0; 4x436; 2xLMG; 2xPF43b; 1xSTGIIIF; 2xHeavy Truck

RUSSIAN FORCES:

AT START: Elements of the 51st Guards Tank Brigade; set up on any whole or half hexes of board 2:
1x9-2; 2x9-1; 1x8-0; 1x7-0; 12x628; 4x447; 4x237; 1x50cal; 2xMMG; 4xLMG; 4xATR; 1xRadio; 1x8-1 Armor Leader; 1xT34/76C; 1xT70; 1x76LART (AP; no heat); 1x45LLATG; 1x120MTR

SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES:

C.1: No infantry units may make smoke.
C.2: German have one module of 80+ mm offboard artillery commencing on turn 5; the Russians may use their radio to direct on-board artillery only.
C.3: After the Germans setup but before the Russians do, the Russians player must determine his objective by inverting, mixing, and randomly choosing one of the artillery chits which is kept secret from opposing player and set aside for end of game verification. The chit drawn determines the objective as follows: 1=4A5-4A6-4B5; 2=4I1-4I2-4I3; 3= 4Q1-4Q2-4R2; 4= 4Y1-4Y2-4Y3. For PBEM, copy the tournament administrator (or mutual agreed person) on an email requesting s random number 1-4.
C.4: 'Normal range' for rout and victory condition puposes for Guns & AFV main guns is 16 hexes, Guns & AFV main guns with IFE is 20 hexes; AFV bow and AA MG is 8 hexes; AFV cmg MG is 12 hexes.
C.5: Note the vehicle KK on the T70; Due to the commander also being the loader and gunner, a "-l" DRM should be added to all fire of the main armament. If CE, no weapons may fire.
C.6 [SQLA OPTIONAL]: The -3 To Kill DRM vs open topped AFVs with height advantage does not apply in the scenario; the -1 height advantage remains in effect (Both are eliminated in ASL; -1 applies to plane attacks only. Use of the -3 drm makes MMG/HMG halftrack killers as are immune to both To Hit and visibility concerns; killing on a 6 or less vs Germans SPWs in the front; 7 or less vs America, an halftracks in the front).
C.7: SIDE SELECTION PROCEDURE: Each player takes one marker of each nationality and simultaneously reveals their choice of side. If opposing sides are selected, those sides are assigned. If the same side is chosen, the players bid for side with the lower rated (seed) player bidding first. Bids may start at '0' and progress in whole numbers only. The bid is the number of dominate AT START squads to be added to the opposing side. The bid continues until one player accepts the opposing side whose force is augmented with that bid.

AFTERMATH: The combat troops of the recon battalion were hard put to contain the Russian push but by throwing in the supply and repair units and anyone else who could be scraped up, a near disaster was averted and the situation restored. The line had held, and although the Russian attempted for several more weeks to effect a breakout, they had become effectively bottled up. They would have to turn elsewhere to crack the Dnieper line.