Leningrad 42

Time: July 1942
Author: Douglas Wick (kes@ten.net)


This speculative scenario (and my other scenario, Barbarossa '42) 
were written as an attempt to write a complete Campaign 42
based on the possibility that Hitler put more emphasis on
winning the war in the West but was forced to attack the 
USSR in 1942 after being unable to win naval or air dominance
near Britain.  That project is (permanently?) on hold due to
technical difficulties and time pressure, but I am releasing 
Barbarossa 42 and Leningrad 42 at this time.  A new Moscow
42 will be finished this summer, and the three can be played
in order as a mini-campaign.  (Info elsewhere.)   I assume
larger-than-historical German forces have driven the British
out of the Middle East
but Sea Lion (the invasion of England) has not been feasible.
Mounting suspicion and mistrust between Hitler and Stalin and
the possibility of invading the Caucasus immediately have 
swayed the Nazis into invading slightly less than a year later
than they historically did.

I am assuming a "minor" victory in Barbarossa 42 would 
allow the Soviets time to entrench around Leningrad, requiring 
the diversion of your tank and motorized infantry forces to
aid the foot-infantry forces advancing through the Baltic nations.
A "major" victory would allow you (given sufficient prestige) 
to persuade high command to allow you to pursue the shattered
Soviet forces directly towards Moscow.  However I have not written
an "Early Moscow 42" scenario, so if you are playing the 
Barbarossa 42 and Leningrad 42 scenarios as a campaign and
you win a major victory in Barbarossa, choose
the "attack Kiev" (mentally substitute "Leningrad") option.

In Leningrad 42, the objective is to surround (not capture)
Leningrad and capture the railway line that leads to the port
on Lake Lagoda.  This is represented by the northernmost 
victory objective.  Numerous "peoples' army" formations, trained 
for a generous one to three day period, dug fortifications and
now man them with more bravery than skill; these are the several
strength-2 strongpoints you will encounter.  They reflect large
numbers of civilians that the Party have "encouraged" to 
volunteer.  The railway link will be defended to the last man, as
it is Leningrad's only hope of preventing starvation.  This 
is represented by a line of strongpoints and several T-28
units, representing prototypes, half-finished tanks, and 
wildly heterogenous formations improvised for the defense, as well 
as the hundred or so T-28s actually present in the area.  If 
commanded by a human, they should not advance past the line
of forts leading from Leningrad to Lake Lagoda.  If the computer 
should advance them to the front line sooner, you can rationalize
that patriots and partisans are rallying in a demonstration of
superior morale to make a foolhardy counteroffensive.  

Note on play balance:  I have not extensively tested this in
human vs. human play.  It is balanced to be significantly 
challenging in human vs. computer play as the German side.
As the Russian side, or in human vs human play, I recommend
a substantial prestige bonus to the German side. 

Strategy notes:
Russian:  Leningrad is home to many skilled workers and 
important tank and aircraft factories, as well as the 
vital naval center at Kronstadt Island.  Do not let it fall.
If you can mount a sufficiently aggressive counterattack in
the Luga area, the German high command, fearing that their 
Panzers in the East might be surrounded, will call off the
offensive.

If you have downloaded my version of panzequp.eqp, you will
have the powerful OK-220 in place of KV1-39's.  They are
powerful but not invulnerable, especially in forest terrain.

German: Foot infantry in the West must keep from falling behind
the mechanized and tank forces.  The Soviets have thrown all their
armored forces on the Northern front in this battle.  Fight them
piecemeal; you cannot face their mass.





 





