Hommage to the Guard

For many many of us, the first time we played a squad level wargame, it was a scenario about the Russian Guards fighting in the hell of Stalingrad. For many many of us, this scenario was the hook. It was …

1942-10-06

BM2

For many many of us, the first time we played a squad level wargame, it was a scenario about the Russian Guards fighting in the hell of Stalingrad. For many many of us, this scenario was the hook. It was called "The Guards Counterattack" and it was the first Squad Leader scenario. Thanks and respect to John Hill. Here is a free adaptation for LnL. For the first time in the war, after a successful summer campaign, the Germans have to face their equal in combat. As they almost succeed in taking the famous tractor works, the Russians counterattack, sending their best men to the front : the 37th Guards.

Stalingrad, Russia

In the Battle of Stalingrad, Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in Southern Russia. Marked by fierce close-quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians in air raids, it is one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with an estimated 2 million total casualties. After their defeat at Stalingrad, the German High Command had to withdraw considerable military forces from the Western Front to replace their losses. The German offensive to capture Stalingrad, a major industrial and transport hub on the Volga River that ensured Soviet access to the Caucasus oil wells, began in August 1942, using the 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army. The attack was supported by intense Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The battle degenerated into house-to-house fighting, as both sides poured reinforcements into the city. By mid-November, the Germans had pushed the Soviet defenders back at great cost into narrow zones along the west bank of the river.

Wikipedia: Battle of Stalingrad

Russian

Germany