Chain of Command - Sharp End Campaign Part 2 - The Soviets Background

Soviets
I have chosen a generic and fictitious regiment to base the platoon around. Since several of the newer regiments raised before the war were raised from drafts of troops all from the same region, I picked a Ukranian city to base the entire platoon out of.

Soviet Background

The men of the 1179th Rifle Regiment were raised from near the town of Kryvyi Rih. They were rounded up in a draft in late 1940 and quickly rushed to the border with Romania to man a line that the Commissars promised them was just in case as there was "no chance" that the Germans would try anything against Mother Russia.

The platoon is lead by Leytenant Yuriy Sergeyevich. Yuriy was a party man since graduating from Tekhnikum. His family were loyal socialists who managed to find their way through the changes that swept his country since 1917. He is a barrel of a man. The Starshina Pankiv Ilyich who was a worker on a collective farm outside of the city. He volunteered in a fit of patriotic ferver or was that Vodka induced? He is not sure now. The four squad leaders come from varied backgrounds. First squad is commanded by Serzhant Vitomir Stanislavovich, a mechanic by trade the man lives and breathes engines. He is a small wiry man but full of fight. He must have done something to offend the recruiter to have not been moved to an armored unit. Second squad is led by Serzhant Potap Konstantinovich who came from the same turnip farm as the Starshina. He differs from the Starshina by being a very tall thin man to the Starshina's very average frame. Third squad is led by Serzhant Ilya Timofeyevich. He was a factory worker along with the leader of third squad Serzhant Foma Grigorievich. Ilya is an average sort but Foma is a barrel of a man like his Leytenant.

Orders
Your company has been ordered to the border town of Annowka. From here, the company has dispersed the three platoon towards the border down the three main roads leading to the town. You are being pushed forwrad to patrol the border daily to see if you can see what is going on. The men are puzzled as to what they will see since the commissars are so sure that nothing is going to happen. You have some support for your patrol in the form of a Ba20 armored car from the divisional reconnaissance battalion. In the past few days, you have learned from the drivers of the armored cars that you can warm your means by resting them on the engine of the armored car for a few minutes before your meal. You will see what today holds.

Next up - AAR

I am thinking of running this campaign with my gaming group. I will run one branch as a solo campaign. The briefing above is for my solo game. I will run the other two with my gaming group. If all can go well, I think I can make progress on this one more than my previous Dex campaign attempt.

Chain of Command - Sharp End on the East Front

Background
I have decided to attempt a Chain of Command Campaign. I want to base this at the start of Operation Barbarossa. I am basing this on an ordinary rifle platoons. I have created a German and a Soviet platoon for this but have set up the campaign so that it is based on a company moving forward on three parallel roads towards the Ukrainian town of Annowka just north of the Romanian border. The town is the objective of the campaign. I am using only a half ladder campaign as it is an invasion.

Update There is a name generator that I used to come up with the names for my platoon leaders: http://fantasynamegenerators.com/russian_names.php#.UvKF87S1sa4

German Background

June 22, 1941 - Romanian Border with the Ukraine
Your unit has been ordered to move from Rommanian territory into Ukraine/Moldova to liberate the German population there. You are to push up the road toward the town of Annowka. There are 400 Germans suffering under yoke of bolshevism that must be liberated. Your company will advance in parallel to you to sweep the Communists from our path and liberate the Germans of the Ukraine.

The platoon is lead by Leutnant Emil Hartz, who was raised in the ranks of the Hitler Jugend and is taking his place leading his platoon in combat for the first time. He is assisted rather ably by Feldwebel Gerwin Radder who before the war was a simple waiter in Danzig. He moved in 1938 in order to don the uniform.

Note: I am using the platoon structure from the 1940 list rather than the actual structure at the start of Barbarossa.

The four squad leaders come from across Germany. Guntar Boche is a former dockworker from Hamburg. He is a huge and strong man. Jurgen Skroch was a gamekeeper for the Duke von Anhalt in Dessau before the war. Now he is an experienced soldier. Jules Herzing was an office clerk in Berlin before waking up after a drinking binge to find himself in the army. He has proven competent enough. Last is the youngest of the leaders, Kain Jutte. He was just recently a schoolboy who joined the colors in a fit of patriotic fervor.

Campaign Map
The campaign is semi-historical in that is it based off of actual maps from the period and contains plausible troops. The map is an extract from map M-35-136-C that is hosted on www.wwii-photos-maps.com. This is a great site and worth a visit.

Scenario 1 Preparation
The Germans can choose up to list 4 in supports. They are opting for an Adjutant and a Sdkfz 221.

Yet to come
I will post on the Soviet forces tomorrow. If Brian or Mark decide on joining in this madness, I will add their notes here as well.