Wargamer's Guide To Panzer Blitz

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If one were to credit the birth of the board
wargame phenomenon to our publication of
TACTICS II in 1958, he would be setting the age of
the "art" at 18 years as of this writing. Within those
years few, if any, games have approached the degree
of impact which PA NZERBLITZ has levied on the
wargaming industry. Its arrival not only gave birth
to an era of tactical games bUl started a veritable
landslide of such simulations and sounded the death
knell of the traditional "D Ell M" Divisional level
game.
PA NZERBLITZ deserves to reign as king of the
wargame world if only by sheer force of numbers.
1976 will see it replace BLlTZKRIEG as the best
seller of all time with over 150,000 units sold (unless
you classify the broader market items of a Parker
Brothers or Milton Bradley as true wargames). We
estimate that it :,viII continue to sell at the healthy
rate of 25,000 copies per annum for years to come.
PA NZERBLITZ was also the first of the
Scenario games which gave the player a series of
different combat situations in the same game.
Giving the buyer many games for the price of one
has been a marketing maxim ever since. The
unquenchable thirst for new situations is reflected in
this very booklet by a variety of exotic and down-to-
earth scenarios designed to renew your interest in
the game.
PANZERBLITZ also gave birth to another
design stratagem Wilh the introduction of "Open
Ended" games, i.e. a game wherein the players are
actually encouraged to add their own scenarios,
rules, or mythical engagements. The multitude of
such variants in this work will attest to the fertile
imagination and capabilities of wargamers in this
regard.
ot all has been perfect however. The game is
nOl without its faults or detractors. In fact, so
unbalanced were the 1970 situations, that they had
to be revised the following year. The expense of
changing plates being what it is, to this day the
Examples of Play card still incorrectly halves the
AF of a Marder in the Normal Combat example.
You can check to be sure you have the revised cards
by checking for the revised printing date (in red) on
the Situations Introduction card.
Perhaps the ultimate testimonial to PA NZER-
BLITZ is the success of its siSler game PANZER
LEA DER. The latter originated from the marriage
of the PANZERBLITZ game system experience
and outstanding salability. Despite the comparative
marketing flop of such games as FRA NCE, 1940 we
were inclined to go ahead and design a French
Campaign game using the PA NZERBLITZ system.
That we covered our tracks by improving lhe system
where time and thousands of consumer games had
revealed weaknesses should not take away from the
fact lhat the PANZERBLITZ system was the basic
design formula adhered to. Although PANZER
LEA DER is a far more complex game. it can be said
with a fair degree of certainty that the rules are
easier to understand. Just how much of this is
attributable to the prior PANZERBLITZ experi-
ence is open to conjecture.
Given this understanding, I direct your attention
to the pages which follow. As you'll see, they include
a wide variety of topics ranging from variants to
strategies and consist of both new and reprinted
anicles. The new articles are included for the benefit
of long time GENERAL readers. As for the reprints
I could not bring myself to omit such fine pieces as
Larry McAneny's "Pieces of Panzerblitz" and
thereby end the availability of this classic work.
Hopefully. you will accept my marriage of virgin
and prior published material in this format as a
concise guide and lasting tribute to an extraordinary
game.
The story on PANZERBLITZ will probably
neYer be complete. Vol. 12, No.5 of the GENERAL
featured Larry McAneny's sequel to his original
"Pieces of Panzerblitz." This article, "Panzer-
blitz-Hex by Hex" is an in-depth analysis of the
PANZERBLITZ terrain and playing board and no
comprehensive study of the game would be
complete without it. Similarly, other fine PAN-
ZERBLITZ material is published regularly in the
GENERAL. No true student of the game should be
without a subscription. &
Copyright 1990 ISSN 0888-1081
2
The Pieces of Panzerblitz
15 A 8
By Larry McAneny
=-=
=jJi=
think of them as units. So naturally they tend to
be decisive. None of them move, and they are all
strictly defensive. The only use for them is to
monkey with the normal terrain; to make pre-
dictable paths for your enemy; to channel his
attacks.
Forte: Permanency. There's no way your enemy
can get rid of them once they are placed.
Foible: Porosity. Eventually your enemy can move
through a block.
Threat: Channelizing. No one will move through a
block if he can find some other way.
Pals: Artillery, to give covering fire.
I. Fortifications
Forte: Defense factor.
Foible: Movement factor. When you deploy a
fortification it stays deployed. You can't retreat it
if your enemy concentrates on it; you can't send it
elsewhere if you misjudged the direction of his
attack. Therefore, deploy carefully.
Threat: Channelizing. Expect an enemy to go by
some other path.
Pals: Heavy artillery, inside the fort. An infantry
unit outside helps to make things rough on close
assaulters. It also prevents vehicles from moving
over the top of the fort.
Natural Enemies: Heavy artillery supporting
infantry assault.
Probable Fate: Survival. You may lose one fort in
a game; if you lose two, you are doing something
wrong.
Loss: Demoralizing. For 2 reasons; (I) When you
lose a fortification you generally lose something
else with it, possibly as many as three other units.
(2) When you lose a fort you often lose a
geographical advantage: The fort guards a crucial
hill or bars an attack corridor.
Deployment: Hilltop hexes. Covered positions are
a nasty trick, since moving adjacent to forts in
order to spot them is work for suicide squads.
Uncovered positions are temporarily tenable, but
eventually your opponent will master enough force
to do you in.
2. Blocks
sustained popularity in the polls. There are five
factors printed on a Panzerblitz counter, and one
or more of them always implies some weakness,
some vulnerability. To fill the chinks in each
other's armor, the units must work together. As in
chess, the essential concept of play is the combi-
nations. No unit exists which is so strong that it
can perform all necessary operations unaided. (Can
that be said of Bulge?)
As in chess, it takes a lot of thinking to put
together a brilliant Panzerblitz combination. So
you can spend all kinds of time thinking out your
move, designing perfect defenses, concocting alter-
nate attack plans ... but, as in chess, unless you
are a top-grade player you will risk alienating
friends by slow play or, alternately, frustrating
yourself when your grand schemes fall through.
I advocate taking a loose-and-easy stand on
Panzerblitz combinations. Your play will be slop-
pier, you'll lose some games, but you may have
more fun (and, I might add, a better simula tion;
strategic and operational commanders spend hours
pondering their next move, but tactical com-
manders haven't that luxury).
In this kind of hip-shooting game you will have
little time to think out combinations; so you must
do your thinking earlier, before you set up. Then is
the time to decide what units work together best,
and how, and to what end; and if you go into a
game with those problems resolved you will find
that luck occasionally brings a smart-looking
combination ready-made to your hand.
Please don't misunderstand. I don't mean that
cooperating units must be stacked together-that
would be a little too Napoleonic-I simply mean
that you must think of each piece as a part of a
certain kind of fighting machine and that you must
make sure that the other parts of that machine are
available at the proper range, and not otherwise
occupied. That is how a "combined arms" oper-
ation works.
Let me put my thesis in a nut shell: To make the
best use of your Panzerblitz units you must
consider not only the material factors printed on
each counter but alsc a "social" factor-how they
work together and occasionally a "morale" facto.r
- what your opponent thinks of them.
The Static Counters
The static counters are the least interesting
counters in the game. Most garners don't even
Panzerblitz counters are beautiful. Particularly if
you have an older set with the red or black
backings. They are bigger than most counters: no
fumbling. They are easy to read. The gray and
brown tones on the front have a vaguely historical
flavor. Some of them come equipped with silhou-
ettes.
Some non-obvious beauties appear only after
several games. The units move farther and more
often and in more different directions than units
do in other games. The units have a greater number
of functionally distinct types than units in other
games, and among the types the individual vari-
ations are more complex.
The complexity has two effects on my play:
First, I am far more aware of the historical
identities of my Panzerblitz units than I am of, say,
my Bulge units; because in Bulge one 4-4 is the
same as any other, no matter what regiment it is.
But when I play Panzerblitz every unit has a
slightly different factor. I am forced to learn their
names just to keep me straight. I have to know, the
game forces me to know, each of their weaknesses
and strengths; and since I know a little military
history as well, I find that all of a sudden the
counters take on a life of their own, and I am
following the fates of individual units, cheering this
one on, holding that one back, mourning when one
gets X'd out of existence.
My wife doesn't understand this.
In point of fact, it does sound a little on the
twiddly side - but I've had a couple other garners
confess to the same feelings and I've observed the
symptoms in a bunch who'd never confess. And it
happens in other games, in naval games like
Bismark (aren't you always just a little uneasy
bringing the Hood into battle?) and in miniatures
(cL Featherstone), and in other land games (re-
member the look on that Russian's face when you
smashed his 7-1 0-4?).
Here's the point: each wargame unit has an
invisible psychological factor which affects the way
the player thinks about and utilizes that unit. This
is sometimes true for Bulge and five times as likely
for Panzerblitz. And occasionally you can use that
factor against your opponent. Occasionally.
To repeat: Each Panzerblitz unit has a psycho-
logical shading which affects the way you and your
opponent think about it.
The second effect of the complexity of Panzer-
blitz units is the chess-like nature of play. This
characteristic goes far to explain Panzerblitz's
3
Anti-Tank Artillery
8. German 88mm A/T
Forte: Attack Factor and range.
Foible: Defense factor.
Threat: Pressurizing. The 88 tends to hinder
movement in the enemy backfield and to lean
pretty heavily on any concealed position: Once an
88 is trained on you, you have to fear every
potential spotter.
Prey: Everybody. The 88 made its reputation as a
tank killer, but it worked well against ships, planes,
infantry, and artillery. Some garners forget this and
save their 88s for the tanks alone. It's a mistake;
the 88 is worth firing at anything it can spot.
Range: 4-20 hexes. Whenever enemy infantry gets
closer than 4 hexes, load up and move back. Being
a German with an 88 is like being a tall boxer with
long arms; you can hold the short guy off with a
hand on his forehead while he wears himself out
swinging at the air. Don't let him get close to you;
he might land a punch.
Execution: Against hard targets, a kill at close
range and a dispersal at long range. Against
infantry, half a chance to disperse out to 20 hexes
- an 88 makes for a slow approach march.
Pals: One halftrack, to get on and off hills in a
hurry. Rifle platoons to do the spotting. On
defense, fortifications, mines and blocks.
Enemies: Russian infantry. When you see that the
Russian has enough vehicle-borne infantry close
enough to rush in and swamp you with troops, it's
time to limber up. If you wait for the rush it'll be
too late.
Fate: Decided by battle. An 88 can be killed, but
not quietly. A massive tank attack will kill, with
high Russian losses. An infantry assault will also do
it in, but then the German has a chance to pack up
and get out, or to reinforce for a fight.
Loss: Shocking. Because of its fame and high
combat value, the German player may become
depressed or disinterested after he has lost an 88.
Then again he may not be historical; he may think
88 is a turntable speed. But watch for the signs of
shock anyway, and if you detect them attack
harder, take a few more risks. You may be favored
with a careless blunder or even a resignation.
Deployment: Woods or town hexes, on hilltop
hexes, if possible; wherever you find a long field
of fire.
Pals: Forts if available, also mines and blocks.
Infantry a hex or two in front.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: Death after a delay.
Loss: Annoying. For the Germans especially, such
a loss is tolerable but represents a definite decrease
in fighting power.
Deployment: Woods hexes on hill tops or in the
flat. When the Russians are wealthy in artillery
they might consider deploying a 76.2 mm A/T
behind and above a 45mm A/T; the 45 will do the
stopping/spotting and the 76.2 will do the heavy
hitting.
Historical Marker: The German weapon is the
7.5cm Pak 40, big brother to the Pak 38. A good
gun but too heavy. The Russian weapon is a
puzzle. Aberdeen Proving Grounds has a number of
specimens of 76.2 mm artillery, some labelled field
artillery and some label1ed anti-tank, all slightly
different. But as far as I can tell from what I have
read - there was real1y only one 76.2 gun-
howitzer, a field artillery piece, and since this
weapon served a dual purpose, the Russians built
no anti-tank gun in this caliber. The German
infantrymen called the gun a "Crash-Boom" and
held it in some respect.
20 A20
s a A m ~
1 " 0
12 A 5
1 6 ~ m m
2 35 0
7. German 7Smm A/T; Russian 76.2 mm A/T
Forte: Attack factor.
Threat: Channelizing.
Prey: Vehicles.
Range: Either I hex or 5-6 hexes; seldom in
between.
Execution: Dispersal, with normal luck.
6. German SOMM A/T; Russian S7mm A/T
Foible: Range. Better, but still inadequate.
Prey: Vehicles.
Range: I hex.
Execution: 1/2 chance of dispersal.
Pals: Infantry and trucks.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: Death after a delay.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: As 45mm A/Ts.
Historical Marker: The German weapon is the
5.0cm Pak 38, successor to the 3.7cm Pak 36 with
which they started the war. The Russian weapon is
late second generation A/T gun similar to the
British 6 pdr.
S. Russian 4SmmA/T
Foible: Range.
Prey: Vehicles. On the offense the Russian will
have a lot of these weapons straggling along behind
the tanks. Trying to find offensive tactics for A/T
guns is historically weird and about the most
difficult thing in the game. I have found 4
offensive uses; (I) To count for units across some
line in the victory conditions. (2) To guard
exposed flanks of an attacking force. (3) To
infiltrate the enemy line in halftracks or trucks and
then deploy to delay retreat. (4) To surround and
contain bypassed targets while the real warriors
push on. Notice that the last 3 uses are really
defensive actions as part of an offensive strategy.
Likely Range: I hex.
Expected Execution: About 1/3 chance of dis-
persal. Most of the time the best you can hope for
is to slow your enemy down a little. (I figure this
category on the basis of Selective Attacks for fire
weapons on the most common target. A combi-
nation attack is rarely profitable and then only for
large weapons firing on weak targets.)
Pals: Infantry to ward off close assaults. Heavy
artillery for covering fire. Trucks for "offensive"
use. Carts for reserve.
Natural Enemies: Infantry. With an A type weapon
and a low defense factor, a lone A/T has little
chance against infantry.
Probable Fate: Death after a short delay. The first
tanks to reach a 45mm may only disperse it, or
may even be dispersed by it. But the infantry will
surely close assault it when they come up, or a
herd of tanks will overpower it. When you deploy a
45mm, expect to trade it for a little time.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: Woods hexes where the enemy is
likely to travel. Not alone in town hexes - that
quadruples vulnerability to tank attack. Don't
bother deploying on hill tops; this weapon hardly
has the range to reach down the slope.
4. Wrecks
A
A
The Panzerblitz anti-tank gun is in a bad way.
Historically, the advantage of the A/T artillery was
that it was low to the ground and easy to produce.
But here no real concealment is possible, and the
A/T gun is worth as much as anything else in the
victory conditions. An opponent is never surprised;
he either goes around, if he is weak, or attacks, if
he is strong. Accordingly the A/T guns are most
difficult to deploy effectively.
3. Mines
Forte: Attack factor. A sure 2-'1-
Foible: Movement factor.
Prey: No one. Who's crazy enough to move into a
minefield he can see?
Range: 0 hexes.
Execution: Eternal dispersal.
Pals: Artillery. Always cover your minefields ifat
all possible; you want to blow him away before he
gets lucky and rolls a six.
Enemies: Engineers.
Probable Fate: Survival. Rarely does one get past a
mine. Rarely can one destroy it.
Loss: So what? No cost in victory points. No loss
of face.
Deployment: In the open if possible. Gullies are a
particularly good place. Try to form continuous
lines of mines and green hex sides.
Historical Note: Mine counters haven't much
glamour, but don't underrate them. The combi-
nation of the mine and the hand-held infantry
anti-tank weapon ended the blitzkrieg sometime in
1942-3. The presence of 6 mines in your OB
should be far more important than a half dozen
Jgpz Vs. That's why scenarios I and 6 had to be
rewritten.
Forte: Permanency.
Foible: Cost to Deploy.
Threat: Channelizing. On a road a wreck works
more or less like a block except that you can
deploy it during the game if you have the spare
armored unit to sacrifice.
Pals: Artillery to cover.
Natural Enemies: None.
Certain Fate: Survival.
Loss: Impossible.
Deployment: The damnedest thing about wrecks is
that positioning often works against you. There are
lots of helpful places for deliberate wrecks, on road
hexes mostly; but those accidental wrecks left over
from an attack you didn't quite calculate right are
terribly annoying. Two wrecks, and a hex is
forbidden to Russians; three wrecks and Germans
can't stay there either. If you mix too much armor
into your assault force you stand a good chance of
making a second breastwork around your enemy's
position.
Certain Fate: Survival.
Deployment: Roads in the open and as slope
hexes. Don't put blocks on lateral roads between
or behind your own lines. It louses up your
communications and makes it hard to reinforce
threatened sectors.
4
4 H 10
, ~
1 07 0
40 H20
121m..
1 ,,0
Threat: Pressurizing.
Prey: Russian infantry.
Range: 4-12 hexes.
Execution: Dispersal half the time.
Pals: A halftrack or a truck.
Enemies: Russian Infantry.
Fate: At the hands of infantry, a quick death.
Faced by tanks, a Parthian shot.
Loss: Damaging.
Deployment: This unit is hard to use effectively
because its short range and low mobility make it
vulnerable to enemy attack, while at the same time
the attack factor is a little too large to allow a
cheerful sacrifice. In a static situation it makes a
good mobile reserve - large enough to add some
real weight to the threatened sector, with the
added attraction that the range will be reasonably
constant.
- ~
Mortars
When I talk about mortars I always assume that
the Indirect Fire Optional is in effect. Otherwise
mortars would be like any other artillery, and CPs
would be a useless liability, as they are in scenario
I. The beauty of the mortar is that it is a high
trajectory, low velocity weapon small enough to be
hauled around easily and capable of hitting targets
without exposing itself.
14. Russian 122mm Howitzer
Forte: Attack factor and range. Each as good as
that of any other Russian unit.
Prey: German infantry and tanks.
Range: 4-20 hexes.
Execution: Kill. You might even try Combination
Attack with a unit this size as a delaying tactic.
You can hope to disperse a stack of German
infantry every other turn.
Pals: Russian Infantry well ahead to spot. This is
true for offense or defense. Tanks can spot also if
the target is worth the risk.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: Decided by battle. Life or death after a
whopping fight, which the value of the piece forces
the Russian to make as soon as he notices the
danger. Expect him to reinforce if he can.
Loss: Shocking. This unit is a big eye-catching unit.
A Russian player is likely to put it at the core of
his defense. So if .he loses it, his defense breaks
down a little and so does he. When the Russian is
on the offensive I suppose the shock reaction
would still apply; but I have never seen it, because
few Russians would care to move a piece of this
size far enough forward to face serious risk.
Deployment: The main artillery position: the
woods hex on the hill crest with a wide field of
fire. Fortified if possible.
Historical Marker: Why can't these big batteries use
indirect fire? Surely they had the equipment.
15. German 81 mm, Russian 82mm Mortars (both
motorized and foot)
Forte: Movement factor. These units are the only
artillery units which can move around on their
own. Their range is also very good for their size.
Foible: Attack factor.
Threat: None. The small mortars are like sniper's
rifles firing from hidden positions. If the enemy is
going to overlook any unit, it's likely to be a
mortar. With their ability to change positions
I I. German 20mm quad
Forte: Attack factor. This is not the same weapon
as the single 20mm. Twice the number of 20mm
barrels more than triples the attack factor.
Prey: Infantry.
Range: 4-10 hexes.
Pals: Trucks. The A/T gun which the single 20mm
needs is not necessary here because the greater fire
power of the quad is a protection in itself.
Enemies: Russian Infantry. Against a close assault
you will not have the chance to intensive fire.
Fate: If attacked by infantry, a quick death. If
attacked by tanks, a possible Parthian shot, pro-
viding you use the intensive fire rule. (I recom-
mend it.) A single T-34 may still cost you the
quad, but the quad will take the T-34 with it when
it goes. Large H class weapons tend to be vindic-
tive.
Loss: Annoying. There will be a gap.
Deployment: This weapon is heavy enough for a
main artillery position. It can serve as the principle
armament of a fort.
12. German 75mm Howitzer.
Russian 76.2 Howitzer
Forte: Range.
Foible: Attack factor. Never enough.
Threat: None.
Prey: Transports and artillery. Another good
weapon for factoring up to 4 to I.
Range: 1-12 hexes. Unless you have ample ad-
vanced warning of an attack these weapons are too
small and cheap to worry about limbering up and
rescuing. Since they are the last thing anybody
worries about saving, they will often fight until the
enemy gets right up to the gun barrel.
Execution: Dispersal half the time. This makes it
wasted effort to shoot at transported units if you
don't suspect your enemy of wanting to dismount
them right away.
Pals: Carts for reserve; Trucks, for offense if you
have plenty. A/T guns.
Enemies: Tanks and Infantry.
Fate: A quick death.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: Shoulder positions. If you are using
these howitzers with carts or trucks as a reserve, I
suggest placing them to one side of your enemy's
advance rather than to his front -leave that to the
infantry and the A/T guns.
Historical Marker: The Russian weapon may be the
"Crash-Boom" again in its other incarnation or it
may be an antique short-barrelled infantry gun.
The German weapon is either the 7.5cm lelG 18 or
the 7.5 cm leFK 18, probably the latter, smce the
infantry gun would presumably have a little better
movement capability.
13. German 150 mm Howitzer
Foible: Range. Rather short for an artillery piece
of this caliber.
Fate: A quick death. Possibly without firing an
effective shot.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: As with all weapons in the category
of artillery: towns, woods, forts only. Never in the
open. The simple 20mm is another good weapon
for the shoulders of a heavy artillery position.
14 H 10'1
lo1
m
1 '" 0
10. German 20mm
Forte: Range.
Foible: Movement factor and defense factor, as
always with artillery. But the weak attack factor is
the real problem.
Threat: None.
Prey: Transport and transported units. Note that
the attack factor is just big enough to do in
anything being carted around. Your opponent may
not lose much that way, but he will have to be
careful to run from cover to cover within your
range. And of course this is a good unit for adding
that last factor needed for a 4-1.
Range: 1-10 hexes. Not worth moving.
Execution: Kill - if you get to shoot.
Pals: Trucks for offense. A/T for defense.
Enemies: Tanks and Infantry.
9. Russian 12.7mm MG
Forte: Attack factor. Large for a small cheap
weapon.
Foible: Weapon class. An T weapon can't do much
against tanks.
Threat: None. Most likely no opponent will give
the presence or absence of this unit a second
thought.
Prey: Infantry.
Range: 1-6 hexes. You might as well let an
attacking German come get you; saving the piece is
a waste of time and effort unless every other unit
has already been evacuated.
Execution: Half a chance of dispersal.
Pals: Infantry and one class "A" weapon. The
12.7mm is an infantry support weapon, and should
be sited above and behind the infantry with at least
one A/T stacked with it or close by to ward off the
tanks the 12.7 can't hit.
Natural Enemies: Tanks.
Fate: A quick death if attacked. The best you can
hope for is that this unit will block an important
hex for a crucial turn. If it does, don't badmouth it
for dying. "De mortuis nil nisi bonum."
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: A good place for this weapon is on
the shoulders of a main artillery position. For
example: with a heavy artillery piece on IM4, you
might site a 12.7 on INS overlooking the woods
where an infantry attack is likely to come.
Historical Marker: Is this weapon the U.S..50 cal.
Browning machine gun shipped to Russia as part of
Lend-Lease? Or is it one of those ghastly, wheeled
machine guns the Red Army was always lugging
about? The poor mobility would imply the latter.
I-:--:::c Howi tzers and Flak :::c ~
Historically, howitzers are the great kIllers, the
weapons tha t do most of the blood letting. In the
game this is not true - but most of the game
scenarios take place away from the front lines,
where the howitzers are at the disadvantage of
their low mobility, entailing the smaller ammuni-
tion supply which they can haul around and the
resulting lower rate of fire. In the scenarios where
the line has had a little time to consolidate the
howitzer comes a bit more into its own. (cf.
scenarios 5, 8, 12)
Flak is a anomaly. There are no Sturmaviks in
Panzerblitz, so flak can never be used in its primary
role. In effect the flak units are converted to
howitzers and operate in the same manner - a use
which made the real-life flak commanders tear hair
out by the handful. In the German army particu-
larly, the anti-aircraft people had to battie con-
stantly to retain or regain their weapons for air
defense.
5
20. German Security and Russian Reconnaissance
Units
Threat:. Mobilizing.
Prey: Artillery.
Range: I hex. I've never found the German range
factor to be any significant advantage for security
units.
to blow it apart again. When a strong point holds
out, it is wasteful to send the tanks toward it;
infantry will be cheaper and possibly more ef-
fective. And when ground has to be held the best
holders are infantry. Panzerblitz shows all this
rather well, and also the chief defect: Infantry is so
slow. Even when you carry your troops on trucks,
it takes a while to rally the boys and mount them.
3' I 4
@j
19. Engineers 10 '" 1
Forte: Unit type. That horizontal E is far more
valuable than any of the factors, because it allows
the deadly increase of effectiveness in close assault
that is an engineering specialty.
Foible: Attack factor. Too small when the unit is
alone.
Threat: Mobilizing, most of the time. That is to
say, when you see an engineer unit in company
with infantry approaching your position, the
tendency is to move out so that the close assault
which is coming will have no target. Now, some-
times the opposite will occur, and the threat will
be Antagonizing: An important artillery unit, say a
Russian 122mm, will be caught unlimbered by a
close assault force assembling under cover two
hexes away. If the Russian unit limbers, both it
and its transport will die in the attack. So a
desperate Russian will bring in something nasty,
like a Guards company, to bolster the close assault
odds and provide a counterattack. In this case,
instead of producing a retreat the threat of a close
assault wiII produce a terrific fight. You can judge
which will happen by the value of the immobile
unit threatened.
Prey: Artillery.
Range: Adjacent. Close assault is the preferred
weapon for infantry. You aren't bugged by types,
ones can be Heaven, and if the thing doesn't work
you can try a bit of spotting next turn. A close
assault by engineers against a unit in the open is as
good as a tank attack.
Execution: Dispersal is certain, an eventual kill is
likely.
Pals: Fellow infantryman, plus a fast tank or
halftrack to ride on.
Enemies: Artillery and assault guns.
Fate: Blown away by fire. Engineers are a prime
target, and always seem to be the first to go,
particularly Russian Engineers, who are not much
weaker than German Engineers in concrete terms
but are a good deal weaker in relative terms.
German Engineers are the strongest of the German
infantry units, and so in a stack they have some
protection from selective attack. Not so Russians,
who are almost the weakest of their kind.
Loss: Damaging. Sometimes one badly needs engi-
neers, especially where minefields are encountered;
in those special situations the loss of an engineer is
a hard blow.
Deployment: Infantrymen love woods, and engi-
neers love being close to other infantrymen. Don't
put engineers in towns, and don't leave them alone.
An engineer and a few infantry in trucks make an
excellent reserve for defensive posi tions - a real
hole plugger.
I
15 M20

2 .. 0
17. German 120mm mortar
Forte: Range.
Foible: Attack factor - not quite big enough.
Range: 4-20
Pals: A truck or halftrack; tanks or infantry
forward to spot. And CPs, of course.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: The quick death or the Parthian shot. A fight
for this unit's survival is unlikely. If the German
has many other units, he will probably have a
Wespe or a Hummel, making the mortar less vital.
If he has only the long range mortar, his force will
probably be too small to allow a figh t.
Loss: Damaging. Particularly when this unit is the
German's only major artillery piece.
Deployment: On defense, a good reserve unit. On
offense, a fine unit for deploying in static positions
to hold a door open or to destroy an opposing
artillery piece once it is spotted.
18. CPs
Forte: Ra nge.
Foible: Movement factor and defense factor. One
would think 6 guys and a radio could move around
pretty well, and conceal themselves well, too.
Threat: Pressurizing. It is not pleasant to have
someone watching your every move.
Prey: Anybody, but mostly soft targets.
Range: On a clear day you can see forever.
Execution: Depends on the type and number of
weapons tied to the system.
Pals: A truck or halftrack. SPA's and mortars. A
large A/T gun deployed close by is also very
helpful.
Enemies: Infantry and tanks.
Fate: A quick death if alone. Otherwise the unit's
fate rests on the outcome of the battle for the
position.
Loss: Shruggable (?!) A CP has no glamour at all.
Actually with its capability for tying widely
separated weapons into one system, and its high
victory point value in some scenarios, the loss of a
CP ought to be considered more damaging - but
nobody ever seems to feel that way about it.
Deployment: Covered hilltops with good views.
The historical positioning is forward of the artil-
lery, and there is some merit to this disposition in
the game, particularly when tied in with SPA's,
which can't use the CP at short ranges. CPs are
easily destroyed if caught alone, but then the
enemy has still to deal with the gun itself. In
effect, a forward deployment gives the gun two
lives. A position in the rear has its merits also: The
vulnerable CP is protected, and the mortar or SPA
may move forward in dead ground to extend its
range.
Historical Marker: Judging by function, these CPs
are really OPs. Whoever named them deserves KP.
Infantry
The infantry unit is the most economical engine
of war which can be built from the raw materials
of conscription. Everything else requires a lot of
time and fancy hardware. Remember this if you
design YOLir own scenarios, and don't burden the
board with a plurality of tanks.
The odd thing about infantry is that while it
seems VUlnerable, being composed of soft-fleshed,
unarmored humanity, it is really the toughest force
available. When the front solidifies it takes infantry
I
[ill]
24 M20
12o!mtrl
2 " 0
Loss: Damaging. Almost shocking, but mortars
don't get much glamour.
Deployment: Main artillery positions. There's not
much point in kidding around with this piece in
gullies and such, even if you do have some CPs.
The Russian is often artillery-hungry, and finds the
120mm mortar a handy direct-firing companion
for the 122mm howitzer. If he wastes a large
weapon in an indirect-fire position, his chances for
interlocking fields of heavy fire are much de-
creased.
Historical Marker: If you design your own sce-
narios, you should plan to have a 120mm mortar in
half of them. When the Russians were almost
overrun in 1941 they lost much of their artillery;
the big mortar - cheap, simple to design and to
operate, quickly emplaced and potent - became an
essential portion of the Soviet artillery arm for the
rest of the war.
16. Russian 120mm mortar
Forte: Attack factor, Range.
Threat: Pressurizi ng.
Prey: German infantry.
Range: 4-20 hexes.
Execution: A kill half of the time.
Pals: CPs, a truck for the offensive. Infantry and
tanks to the front to spot.
Enemies: German infantry.
Fate: Decided by battle. Another fine Soviet
artillery piece, much better than the German
weapon, which Ivan will have to put up a fight for.
constantly, and their relatively long range, it's a
strain to keep track of the field of fire of an
enemy's mortars.
Prey: Transport and transported units. It is alto-
gether too easy to forget when there is an infantry
counter loaded under the tank counter which has
ventured out from cover. That infantry counter
becomes a perfect mortar target. A mortar is also a
good weapon for factoring up to odds.
Range: 3-12 Hexes - but most of the shooting will
be done at the longer ranges. The small mortars need
not limber quite so soon as other artillery. because
they can often retreat a hex or two to the
protection of another unit.
Execution: Dispersal. A second unit usually will be
necessary to make the kill.
Pals: CPs and a truck. Infantry, to keep enemy
infantry at bay. Mortars get along well stacked
with or close by a larger artillery piece: The mortar
provides an all-around defense and can contribute a
last factor that will up the odds on the larger unit's
attack.
Enemies: Infantry. Tanks don't pose as much of a
problem, since the mortar has a chance to retreat
before an adjacent tank may fire.
Fate: Killed if caught. But often these little
artillery pieces will be surprisingly tough, able to
retreat one or two hexes before they are finally
cornered. And most of the time they can count on
a larger unit intervening to save them. Less mobile
artillery does not have this safety margin.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: Mostly hilltops - Never alone in
towns, as they quadruple vulnerability to class A
weapons and are hard to retreat out of as well.
With a CP unit in hand the possibilities of
deployment are marvelously increased. Any posi-
tion hidden from the enemy will do: Woods on the
ground level, gullies, reverse slopes. Hidden clear
terrain is temporarily possible, but not wise if the
enemy has any armored vehicles at all.
6
Situation 18 in particular proved useful ill
conducling lactical exercises in LI. Hannoll's
ROTC unit. They adjusted it to utilize US Army
laclical doctrine and superior commanders iso-
lated in separate rooms connected only by field
telephone.
Suggested rules for all silualions: 12.7mm
MG's may fire from inside halflracks providillg
neilher unil moves during thai turn. Also, CPOs
may spot from halftracks bUI cannOI move all
the turn Ihey SPOI for indirect fire.
Beyond Situation 13
MORE PANZERBLITZ SCENARIOS
by 2nd Lt. Robert D. Harmon >

PANZERBLITZ has inspired a rash of "Situ-
ation 13" varian IS, many of which have appeared
in this magazine. Many of Ihese variants - 10 call
Ihem whal they are - have required the players
to make counlers; the Orders of Battle oflen look
like they've been drawn from a revolving drum.
Here, we offer twelve situations - something
for everybody. All are reasonably plausible; all
are geared to one set of counters - they're ready
to be played. The "mini-game" concept in Situ-
ation 19 consisting of 10 or less units per side.
played on one board in 8 turns or less was firsl
suggested by Randy Reed but the situations are
those of Robert Harmon.

GERMAN REAR AREA RAID: WESTERN BYELORUSSIA
[D
19/441. During and after the great 1944 offensives. there would be
Situation'
periods when no stable. c1earlydefined front existed. A German
f !
reconnaissance battalion (reinforced I has penetrated Russian lines
and is now in striking distance of a Soviet army headquarters.
FORCES
..,
ti GERMAN FORCES
, r
The Russian CP represents army HQ (it can still spot); the reeon
Enter West edge of Board 2 on Turn 1.
companies represent hastily.mobilized HQ personnel (clerks. cooks,
etc.).
Enter East edge of Board 1 on Turn 1 :
1:
5
A 87 A I :r
2
A I rI
40 ";1
16 A5 2 I 813M 12 A ;\,JA 8
2":1
..- 1:2$1 1:2$1 m ' ...
3"A-,
-,. -- ...-
#te 10':5'r11 3 0 1 glf.c 1 1 2l 0 15':;, 9
6 3 6 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 1 3
1'6' 8
oc :1
13 I 4
2':':1

IffiJ
10 1 4"1:\"10
2 12 1 6
Golod & any 2 adjoining hexes: Bednost & any 2 adjoining hexes:
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
I; A 35 I :1
0
C :r .';11
6
I I :1
9
',1
Award each side the following points for destruction of units: CP:
1:2$1 ... ".r:" ,,,_ 1:2$1 ..,l.. 12; reeon: 3; AFV (excluding halftracks): 2; all others: 1. Double
3 0 1 1'::12 3 A1 2 $0 1 2010 4 1 3 n 0 the Russian total and compare to the German total - the side with
'I 3 t 2 1 5 2
the most points wins.
mJlr
1irst
END Turn
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SOVIET REAR AREA OPERAnONS: MORSHANOVO
GJ!EJ
PanzerBlitz.
DIAGLEVO REGION. VYAZMA SECTOR (10/2/421. In early
1942, numerous Russian units were cut off in the confused fighting
around the German stronghold of Vyazma. The 1st Cavalry CorpS
Situation#15
and the 8th Airborne Brigade, two such units, managed to evade
- I
their pursuers and return to Russian lines in the early summer of
'42. They owed their survival to the co-operation of partisan forces
and to captured German supplies.
Elements of the 8th Airborne, supported by cavalry-corps and
The German CP represents the HQ and supplies of the 5th Panzer
Division. The CP may be captured by CAT attack (X or 00 if
partisan formations. Reeon & wagon companies represent Russian
preViously dispersed l. Upon capture, replace with 1 Russian CP
partisans. These may disband anytime during the game when it is
counter which may not spot in any manner but can be transported
not within 5 hexes of any German unit. and be regarded as
normally. The Germans can recapture the CP in the same manner.
evacuated. No unit may reassemble once disbanded. No other units
Prior to its capture by the Russians, the German CP may spot for
may disband.
Enter Turn 1 on North edge: indirect fire.
In Golod, Adski.or Grabyosh: SOOnost: On Board in Opustoschenia:
[,S I 43 81:
2
A :1
3
"':r
O
I reo 7 A
1
2
"4 C :1
12 A 8

1:2$1 ". ___ .. - .....
1 3t 1 0-;:;10 g'lH 11 2 0 1'=,2 3 0
.. I!!!J
#'8 7-::'f
I
S to 112 1 1 5.3 0 1 lfI1 0
9 3 2 4 2 4 12 4
I 3 3 I I I
On Board; one each within 3 squares of any
13 I 10 C :1
5 villages:

EnterTurn10nheX1A3r I
40"11
5.
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
5
,..t, ."8
5"= 8
5
8 11m 12 5.31 18 5 JlD
Award Russians 16 points for capture and evacuation of CPo Award
3 3 I I I
each side points for destruction of units as follows: AFV's (all) and
Enter Turn 2 on East edge: Enter Turn 3 on East edge:
recon: 2 points each; all others !including CPI: 1 point each. Double
13 leO C A ; I
A ;r:r C :1
the German total and compare to the Russian's. Side with most
points wins. Russians can leave board by East or South edges. Any

8 0
Russian units not evacuated or disbanded by end of game are
considered eliminated for victory purposes.
6 6 4 10 I 1

END
Turn
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
21. Russian Rifle and Guards Companies
Foible: None beyond the general disadvantages of
infantry.
Threat: Mobilizing/Antagonizing.
Prey: Artillery. German infantry platoons.
Range: I hex. The Guards Might have a rare chance
to fire at full range now and then.
Execution: Dispersal.
Pals: Trucks and tanks for transport. Artillery to
his spotted units.
Enemies: What, me worry?
Fate: Occasional dispersal. Except when these boys
tangie with a Wespe or a Hummel, they can expect
to survive the game. Of course an oversight can
always lose you one if you expose the unit while
being transported.
Loss: Annoying. It would be damaging, except the
Russian has such a store of these that losing one is
not that serious. Still, they are hard to move up to
the front, so the Russian would be advised to keep
track of how many he has lost. If it is too many
the Russian will be hard put to attack or defend.
Deployment: Almost anywhere. A superb unit for
a static line. In advance against weak German units
with little armor it is feasible to move right out
into the open - but calculate the German's
strength carefully. Mess up, and the infantry will
be shot up by a battery of Wespe's or crushed in a
multiple overrun. In a retreat one of these units
makes a dandy road block, holding out for a
couple turns even when surrounded. The Guards
may die but they never surrender.
Historical Marker: The flesh of the Red Army.
Tanks are only the bones. Too often in "Scenario
13" the Russians go into battle with the skeleton
of a giant.
22. German Rifle Platoons
Foible: Attack factor. Not enough to do battle
with a Russian company, as they are often asked to
do.
Pals: Artillery, to shoot whatever these units spot.
Tanks make pretty good transport; these units
aren't much more vulnerable riding on a tank than
footing it.
Enemies: Tanks and larger infantry units.
Fate: Blown away by fire.
Loss: Shruggable. Expendable units.
Deployment: On offense, spotters to be directed
against the enemy's secondary artillery positions.
Good sacrifices for overburdening. On defense,
best place these units with important artillery
pieces to give a little protection against close
assault.
Historical Marker: Both these units are curious.
The Germans used a hodge-podge of new recruits,
veterans on leave, foreign volunteers, and local
levees for security; I suppose Panzerblitz security
units are vaguely representational, in that they are
weaker than front line troops. The Russian recon-
naissance troops were often an elite group; but in
the game reconnaissance is not really necessary,
since both terrain and enemy positions are known.
So the Russian elite troops wind up looking much
like the German second line: just weaker infantry.
The arms of both units appear to be the same as
the arms of more powerful units on their respective
sides and it is not clear to me why the ranges vary.
the ranges of all the infantry units in the
game are a sort of average, depending on the mix
of automatic weapons and rifles.
7
PanzerBlilz.
GERMAN ARMORED OFFENSIVE, CENTRAL POLAND
mIJ
(12/44). A hypothetical situation. Hitler comes to his senses and
Bilualion#11
cancels the Ardennes offensive, ordering the units involved to attack
the Soviets instead. Situation depicts a German Pz. Division Z I -
colliding with an advancing Russian tank corps.
*RUSSIAN FORCES
.... !fi
, r GERMAN FORCES
Russian Tank Corps sets up on Board 1. Russian sets up first. Elements of the 1st SS pz Division enter Turn 1 on West edge.
1:
51
;r I TIT I r
l
:1",,01401102C(I):1
114 18 18 I 20 16 I12 lSI 12 20120 14 110
..- .- ., - -- - ... '.1- ..J.-
12
1
,11 1 4 'lJ' 1 3 0 2 0 1s'Uf
1
7 16':4l17 8"r.:"812,'='O 8 "2' 2 93 0 9 0'0
1
'8 8: 1 41 0 t. 53 0
6 6 5 4 6 2 2 6 12 12 18 4 1 2 2 2
I :1
'8
' I .',1
0
C I 110 3
12 I822'12 12 I 83 I 4
-- [j1!J ..J..-- ... '" - ., - .-
51 I __ ___ l!!iJ
8IU' 3"/"0 5'= 8 8-:-. 1 201 0 16 ...,6 12'\;j
Ii
8 to m 1
9 2 2 2 17 2 2 1 3
2
3 2 4 1 2 3
Award German 2 points for each armored unit (excluding half-
/:31 82":r I C02 8
tracks) off the East edge, and 1 point for every other unit so
14 K 10 5011 12
removed.
... ... ;
3 J:\4 :it, 16 8 1 1 12 u' 6
Award Russian 2 points for each unit on Route 61 at the end of tha-
I 3 6 16 game. Hig_hest total wins. 11 2 2 1

Turn END
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PanzerBlilz.
POCKETING ACTION, VISTULA RIVER LINE (13/1/451. With
Map ConfiAuration
the start of the Russian offensive on January 12. 1945, break
1& throughs were achieved all along the Vistula River with the aid of
massive artillery barrages. Intact defending units. as in all over
i
1
Bilualion#17
whelming offensives, often found themselves in ,dan,ger of encircle-
ment. 'n this situation, a German recon battalion races to safety
with disordered Soviet mobile units in hot pursuit.
*RUSSIAN FORCES
....
, r GERMAN FORCES
Turn 1:
Enter on
Enter on North edge of Board 1:
South edge of Boar!:! 3:
German enters on East edge, turn 1_
I:\7 I :12 .1:1
3
H':10 C rc 1:1 ,.tt .... '" _ 'II1'Jfttr
8 ":\\"3 3 03 1 2 0I':r,o 3
6 5 r2 I ;\; I 8 13 I 8
3112 3r!kJ4
r2 K4
2. 4
4 1 2 1 4 3 1 4 e
..--
-
4-
I: I I :1
5
I r
urn2
'
'." 16 3 8 1
6 10
3 IJ 1 to 111. 1
IIt- .... Enter on hex 3AB:
3 1 2 3 1 1 2 1
2 , 0 gll!J 11 3 0 1
1 6 2 1 2
2
I r
l
i I r
nte
,onSouthed
g
eOl
.,-" ...
... IIt- Board 2:
4' 10
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
1 9 11 3 I' 0 2 I 0
1 6
3 f 1 Award German 1 point for each unit moved off North. South, or
Enter on
IS I 8
16 A 8
8I I TIT I
West edge of board 1.
East edge:

--
5 ptsor under - Russian Decisive 12 pts or over - German Marginal
15':.":8
8 pts or under - Russian Tactical 15 pts or over - German Tactical
6 2 2 1 1 1

'1 pts or under - Russian Marginal 18 pts or over - German Decisive
mJlr
tillt
Turn
END
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: Artillery.
Range: I hex or 5-6 hexes. German riflemen have
rather a dandy range; if you are looking for that
last attack factor, don't overlook your rifles.
Execution: Dispersal half the time. But that means
a kill if Wespe and Hummel are around.
Pals: Tanks, not only as transport but as a bolster
to defensive power. Other German infantry. And
of course, the SPA's.
Enemies: Russian infantry companies. And
SU-152's.
Fate: Blown away by fire - from heavy artillery
only. German rille platoons can hold out a long
time in a sea of Russian tanks, but when the
Russian infantry comes up expect to be dispersed
immediately and eliminated a turn or two later.
Loss: Damaging. German infantry are seldom
many, and often they are vital to any counter-
attacking or defensive blocking functions.
Deployment: In wooded areas, blocking roads. Not
in towns alone.
Historical Marker: Some players mistake the
quality of German infantry. 1 have said that the
foible is the attack factor; but that is not strictly
true: The real flaw is the three little dots over the
infantry symbol. German platoons are simply
outnumbered 3-1 by Russian companies; players
who do not take unit size into account do the
German rifle units grave injustice. To see how good
they really were, stack three units together to
make a company. You get a unit like this:
8
When you have plenty of infantry units to go
around, I recommend maneuvering in companies
rather than in platoons. This is a little clumsy,
since you have to break the company up to
transport, and the Germans can never put as many
men into a single hex as can the Russians; and to
make matters worse the company is always vulner-
able to piecemeal destruction - but not by close
assault. In an infantry action alone between equal
forces (Le., a ratio of 3 German counters to one
Russian) you can count on the Germans getting the
upper hand. Alas, the game is mostly post-
Stalingrad and post-Kursk, anJ German parity in
infantry is a thing long past.
23. Submachine gun units
Foible: Defense factor, if only because the SMGs
are the weakest infantry in the stack. Otherwise
movement factor.
Threat: Mobilizing/antagonizing.
Prey: Artillery. And infantry for the Russian.
Range: I hex. Close assault is the name of the
game. The German range advantage is usually
worthless.
Pals: Tanks. These are the boys to do the old
panzerblitz assault trick. Halftracks are also good.
The Russian T-34 carrying SMG is the most
fearsome combination on the board - expect to
see it often - because the T-34 provides what the
SMG most lacks, mobility, and the SMG has the
close assault capability the T-34s need to remove
road-blocks.
Enemies: Towed and self propelled artillery.
Assault guns. For the Germans, Russian infantry.
Fate: Blown away by fire. Generally while being
transported.
Loss: Damaging, particularly for the Russian. The
Germans may expect to lose some SMGs but they
can do a fair job with their superior tanks alone.
The Russians need the combination.
Deployment: Not in towns alone. Good reserve
units with transport. Best of all in the forefront of
the attack.
10 I 3

24. Cavalry
Forte: Attack factor. The best close assault
weapon in the game.
Foible: Movement factor. Cavalry is weird. As long
as everybody's on foot, cavalry is the fastest
infantry around. But in a motorized army the
cavalry can't keep up. Not being able to mount in
trucks makes the cavalry useless in pursuits and
dead in retreats.
Threat: Mobilizing/antagonizing.
Prey: Artillery. And German infantry.
Range: I hex.
Pals: Engineers and other infantry.
Enemies: Artillery, and the tanks which can spot
for them.
Fate: Blown away by fire half the time, generally
while trying to cross some open space. The other
half of the time the cavalry never gets into the
flight.
Loss: Annoying. There are only 4 of these units,
and they have rather special qualities,
Deployment: Not in towns. Woods are a cavalry-
man's delight, because those pesky green hexsides
can be ignored. If there is any question of a long
retreat, cavalry should do the blocking: the units
will be lost anyway.
PanzerBlill.
Map Configuration
COMBINED RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE: SOMEWHERE IN RUSSIA
rnJ
(1944). A theoretical situation. Two heavily reinforced rifle
regiments and an independent tank brigade take on a German
f ! 1
Silualion#18
infantry regiment. An illustration of problems of unit boundaries -
and of the infantry support capabilities of certain German armored
vehicles.
Soviet forces may not cross from one board to another (e.g., from
board 1 to board 2, etc.l. They may, however, fire from one board
GERMAN FORCES
to another.
ij) . .'" ,i)
Russians set up first east of Route 61.
, r
110 C :16 I I 13M H103 I :140H201
Set up west of Rt. 61 after Russian.
c:8J I2':sJ ,,1.. ",1 "1- c:8J "1-
1 388 129102620 4
1
m
1
l1 nO
1 3 2 8 17 3 5 2
12 ;1
3
.1.
63
M co

Enter on East edge. Tur!:l: 1
kZI " ,.
r;1
9
r:1'8' 81
0
C I :I
7

aU:'s 8 1 3 1 2 ! 0 3
5
Board 2: -e- <lAo. _Izi- *.
1 1 4 18 2 2 4 1 10 \lS2 11 3" 0 2 11 0 12 m B 1 431 12 2 1 0 3 13 0
G 1 1 1 7 1 1
1
3
I 4 8 r H'TO H12 131 C 8
6 I
:1:
2
:1-'4 ;1
12
A:/9 . 41
6
I :/0 C
@J ,*. :J:. ,,. *,. ....

Boa'd 1: J.. t ...
to ,Il 1 3 n 0 2 61 0 2 " 0 2 J? 0 1 12 120" 6
II.. Ill .. ' IS __ 12.1_
3 ,4 0 2 :l2 0 12 11 9 11 3 " 0 2 , 0 1 12
3 1 3 1 3 10 2 6
1 1 2 6
t t
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Boa,d3: I'SA TA:1
12
A:1'2. :\:2. C 1:1
Award points as follows: Germans get 1 point for each eliminated
1\.. ... 1'1 u ... Russian unit; Russians get Y2 point for each eliminated German unit
13 m 10 3 0 9 9 2 0 9 11 1 r: 12 4 1m- 1
and 1 point for each Soviet unit off the West edge of the map.
."
."
...

Turn
END
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
THE MINIGAME APPROACH: THE CONVOY 12/431. AGe'man
Map Configuration
PanzerBlill.
front-line unit is hard-pressed and needs supplies and ammunition.
U
The relief convoy must reach them through partisan-infested
territory. The Germans win if all 5 trucks (which are fully loaded
Silualioo#1B
and can't be used for transport) get off the board by way of row
GG. The partisans win if any trucks are destroyed. The swamp hexes
are frozen and considered clear hexes except at gUllies. Any other
result is a draw. Game Length: 8 turns. Germans move first.
*FORCES
f2 M C J3 I
,T.1 :1
2
C(J)4 0 C :1
c:8J
FORCES
311 4
1
1:\rl
, r
...
2 4 4
1 2 2 5
Set up on board:
Enter on row A:
THE MINIGAME APPROACH: THE CROSSROADS 11/421. The
THE MINIGAME APPROACH: THE PROBE (6/421. A Soviet recon
first winter on the Eastern Front was one of thinly stretched lines
battalion learns more than it bargained for. Award Germans 1 point
and bitter holding actions. Here, a Russian motorized SMG battalion
for each eliminated Russian unit; award Russians 1 point for each
contests a vital road junction with a German fusHier company. The
unit that leaves board by row GG. Any Russian unit still on board at
side occupying 2 or more squares of Bednost at the end of the game
end of game is eliminated. Game length: 6 turns. Germans move
wins. Game length: 6 turns.
first.
RUSSIAN FORCES
GI5
* ...
RussIans move first. Enter on any edge:
17 :18 I I 0 C :13 M
1
2
C(J) TIT I : I0 C :1
e- 111

3 II 0 12 185 11m 12 3 87 1
1 3 5 1
1 1 4 4

e

, r FORCES
,
GERMAN FORCES
<,Tit;):.- :_ ..
, rEnter on row A:
1
3
I I M
12
1 I l:t C 1
6
I : I
I' A4
2 IT. 12 13'
8
o ".. n 0
c:J
8 1 3 1 2 to, 1m
l
3 6
1
,:l 1

.. 0 ,J.:,.
8 1 3 1 2 33 0
1 1 1 4 2
... ":I t t
Turn
EA
D
1 2 3 4 5 7
Execution: Depends on what the halftrack is
spotting for. Halftracks may also do a little
up-factoring against soft targets attacked by
friendly artillery. But let me stress that both
spotting and firing functions are secondary. The
business at hand is transportation.
Pals: Infantry, particularly SMG units. Very impor-
tant artillery.
Enemies: Tanks and halftracks. Trucks may block
trucks, but halftracks have the capability of
escaping encirclement with trucks by fire or
overrun.
Fate: Sacrificed to spot or to overburden an enemy
piece. Germans are the real offenders here. The
Russian is generally a little desperate for transport
27.
Forte: Movement factor. And being armored helps,
too.
Threat: Pressurizing/Antagonizing. However
unrealistically, halftracks are potential spotters. If
they carry infantry, a wise opponent will be
uneasy.
Prey: Immobile artillery.
Range: 10 hexes. Movement distance.
Transport Units
Transport is vital to a combined arms force,
particularly for a force on the attack. Without
transport neither artillery nor infantry can keep up
with the battle. Now, most Panzerblilz games are
so short that you rarely see the aftermath of a
battle, when the survivors have to pick themselves
up and move along. And so if the transport is all
shot up, most players don't realize how badly the
force is crippled. In point of fact, Panzerblilz
encourages one to be a truck-burner. I find that
almost all the transport which is lost is sacrificed,
deliberately sent out to die while spotting, block-
ing, or unloading adjacent to an enemy. None of
this is realistic, arid it might not be a bad idea to
double or triple the victory point value of trans-
port killed in order to persuade us truck-burners to
mend our ways.
26.Trucks
Forte: Movement factor. On road.
Foible: Movement factor. Off road.
Threat: Pressurizing/Antagonizing if the trucks
carry infantry.
Pals: Infantry or artillery.
Enemies: Tanks, halftracks, and enemy trucks. To
trap a truck bent on staying alive it is usually
necessary to surround it with vehicles and green
hex sides.
Fate: Killed if caught. Frequently sacrificed.
Loss: Shruggable.
Historical Marker: These units really do belong
with the infantry. The effective use of the horse as
a shock weapon died at Balaclava (which, World
War II freaks, is nOI a Turkish pastry) and cavalry
thereafter was best used as mounted infantry, into
which category the Russian unit falls. Sensible
cavalrymen fought on foot; the noble steeds were
for transportation, like carts. By World War II
charges were laughed at by everyone except
military romantics.
25. Wagons
Forte: Weapons class 'C'. This is all that justifies
their existence.
Foible: Movement factor. Soooo slow.
Threat: None. There is an excellent chance your
enemy will never even notice what your wagons are
doing.
Pals: Artillery, almost solely. It isn't worth the
trouble to transport infantry in carts. The increase
in speed is minor; the increase in vulnerability is
terrific.
Enemies: Tanks.
Fate: Caught and killed. Wagons "neither have the
heart to stay nor wit enough to run away."
Loss: Shruggable. If you have a friend you are
anxious to alienate, I suggest that, when he
eliminates a wagon unit early in a scenario, you
leap up, congratulate him warmly for his general-
ship, and resign the game. He will not miss the
sarcasm.
Deployment: Behind a static front, on a road
junction hex, perhaps loaded with a defensive
reserve unit. Wagons will rarely have the speed to
make it across open terrain, so it is best to deploy
them where there are patches of cover. In an
advance wagons are sure to be left beltind; during a
long retreat wagons may be expended as blocks,
since they will be caught and killed anyway. A
road hex on a reverse slope is a good place; a
wagon there will slow enemy vehicles for 2 turns.
Of course blocking tanks with horse-carts is a
Nasty Trick, totally unrealistic; but it is not
specifically forbidden in the printed rules.
9
2 A 4
-
6 10 iIE
_!
..
.' .............., - .
28. Lynx
Forte: Movement factor.
Foible: Attack factor. The weakest attack factor in
the game.
Threat: Very little, A Panther or a halftrack can go
wherever a Lynx can.
Prey: Russian transport.
Range: 9 hexes.
Execution: Dispersal half the time, unless you
overrun, and if that leaves the Lynx out in the
open someone will blow it away. Not worth doing
unless whatever was in the truck was very valuable.
Pals: Infantry carried as a passenger will help the
blocking function.
Enemies: Russian tanks.
Fate: Sacrificed for spotting/overburden.
Loss: Shruggable. If the German is at all daring
with this piece, he may expect to wind up with a
missing Lynx,
Deployment: As far forward as possible.
Historical Marker: Contrary to what the Campaign
Analysis book tells you, this vehicle is not a PzKw
III. It is a PzKw II Ausf L The designation was
later changed to Panzerspanwagen II to indicate
that its function was strictly reconnaissance. In
mid-1943 the Germans finally gave up on scouting
tanks and ceased production of this vehicle.
them, all they can do is harass, block, and
transport friendly units.
Note the difference between the actual Lynx (top) and the Pzkw
III (below) which it is falsely labeled in the Campaign Analysis
booklet.
END
12 11 10 9 8
2
other vehicle listed, ZIS-33. is a halftracked version
of the ZIS-S truck which equips some of the trllck
units, As far as I know. neither wheeled nor
halftracked version of this vehicle (A Ford imi-
tation dating from the early 30's) was armored or
armed.
Reconnaissance Vehicles
All the reconnaissance vehicles in Pall:erhlil: are
German. The Russians had some - you might find
T-70 light tanks and an assortment of armored cars
still around in 1944 - but they had found them to
be less than useful and were phasing them out.
In the game you are likely to find the German
recon units less than useful. Everything is known -
terrain, encmy positions, enemy strength. The
recon units are not armored well enough to spot,
and, because they are frozen in place during the
opponent's move, their speed is no defense for
them, With their reconnaissance function denied
A German recon battalion sets up on or west of row Y on board 1.
7
&
;rr GERMAN FORCES
6 5
PANZER DIVISION IN DEFENSE: MAGNUSZEW. POLAND
(8/8/44). After the collapse of Army Group Center. Russian units
made deep inroads into occupied Poland, some reaching as far as the
Vistula River. The 2nd Tank Army crossed at Magnuszew
(pronounced MAG-noo-shav) and was stopped by the 19th Panzer
and Herman Goering Divisions - 40 miles SE of Warsaw. gripped by
a major Polish uprising.
4 3 2
and has no halftracks to spare: a Russian who
burns halftracks may have difficulty moving his
infantry away from the road.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: In the forefront of the attack - but
don't run away from your passengers.
Historical Marker: The Russian counter may be
another "averaging" counter rather than a counter
representative of one type of vehicle. The silhou-
ette is that of a lend-lease U.S. M3 halftrack,
roughly similar to the German Sdkfz 251. The
SPW - "",,,,,,,
14
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
* RUSSIAN FORCES
A Soviet tank brigade, backed by motorized infantry sets up first on
board 1, lj)n or east of row Z.
SCREENING ACTION (HYPOTHETICAL), SOMEWHERE IN
P II
-I RUSSIA, 1944. Often in defensive operations. light mobile units
anzer I t
such as a reconnaissance battalion will be called upon to screen the
flanks of line units. or fill a gap in their absence. Ideally. the enemy
Silualion#20 in these ::uat;ons Wf be by fiTwe,. w:1out;r
lY

Panzerllilt
Silualion#21
Award Russians 1 point for each unit moved off west edge of board
3. Award each side one point for each enemy unit destroyed. The
side with the highest total wins.

Turn
1
Award each side 1 point for each enemy unit destroyed. Award
Russian 10 points each for clearing Bednost and/or Opustoschenia.
Highest point total wins.
29. Sdkfz 234/1
Forte: Movement. This is the fastest unit in the
game.
Threat: Pressurizing/Antagonizing. The dandiest
trick to pull with this unit is to slip through your
opponent's lines and take up some ambush position
on the other side where you can block reserves,
delay reinforcements, and generally annoy. Often
when you do this, your opponent will feel insecure
enough with you back there to form a hunting
party to attempt to trap the armored car, thus
pulling in reserves needed elsewhere and possibly
creating a weak point.
Prey: Transport.
Range: 15 hexes.
Pals: Another scout car, to insure that an overrun
will really be effective. Infantry passengers fDr
blocking.
1
END
10 9 8 7
Battle Group of the Herman Goering Division sets up first on boards
2 and 3.
&
;rr GERMAN FORCES
6 5 4 3 2
*RUSSIAN FORCES

Turn
1
10
rnA
un
END
10 9 8 7
2 4 1 6
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
;!I!;;
;rr GERMAN FORCES
f
'2 8

Forward units of the 6th Mountain Division set up anywhere on
board.
German wins if Russian cannot fulfill victory conditions.
unit in the SPA. class is its movement factor; in
pursuit or retreat, the Maultier is just nimble
enough to be able to choose its own range.
Execution: A kill half the time.
Pals: Other SPAs. Infantry in front to spot. A
wirbelwind is handy for up-factoring.
Enemies: Russian infantry. A close assault will give
the Mule no chance to kick.
Fate: Eliminated if surrounded. Since that isn't
easy, the Maultier will probably survive the game.
Loss: Damaging.
Deployment: Because of the short range it is futile
deploying the Maultier in orthodox SPA positions
on hilltops. If you do, you will likely find that
your targets scurry around carelessly at the end of
your reach or beyond. Better to give up the
visibility advantage of height and deploy in cover
at ground level, closer to the front than other
SPAs, with as good a field of fire as the situation
will allow
6 5
INSTALLATION DEFENSE: TARNET. NORWAY 122/10/441.
When Finland dropped out of the war, the German 20th Mountain
Army, operating on the Arctic coast, found it necessary to withdraw
into Norway. Soviet forces did not enter Finland but did cross the
narrow Russo-Norwegian frontier in pursuit. The Germans. pausing
to evacuate civilians and material through the port of Kirkenes,
nearly came to grief when the city's electric power supply was
threatened.
MEETING ENGAGEMENT, DERBERCEN. HUNGARY
(12/10/44). Occasionally during the desperate weeks of autumn,
1944, German panzer units found themselves able and willing to
strike back at the Russian onslaught. Armeegruppe Woehler,
reinforced by fresh units from Budapest, pocketed Cavalry-
Mechanized Group "Pliyev" near Debrecen. The 6th Guards Tank
Army struck back resulting in one of the wildest melees of the war.
4 3 2
*RUSSIAN FORCES
PanzerBlilz.
Silualiol#23
Advance elements of the Soviet 131st Rifle CorpS enter on East
edge.
PanzerBlilL
Silualion#22
1
,:ilU20 14 A 8;1:2 A 6: 1:0 C 0
,.- ....... ...
2 l 0 12 11 g .. ;;: 11 1 '=12
2 2 6 15
Russian wins by: 1.) clearing the power plant lBednosd of all
German units, or 2.) cutting both power lines west of the plant
lalong the 2 roads leading from Bednost to the edge of board 2).
This is accomplished by leaving a unit on the road - uninverted -
for a full turn. When the wire is cut the unit is automatically
eliminated. The process must be repeated on the other road.

Turn
1
14 3 I :1:8 I :[7 A30 "":1'40120:1'5.8 3 12!1 1:3 I 88 1:1'8 A:1

3
12
15 1 2O;\:3 I 4:12.122011:1
.1_ .1_ .1_
8 'W t 6 'If t 3 l' 0 3 ! 1 2 " 0 10 "1 1 2 0 2 0
93632125 186242341
31. Maultier
Foible: Range factor.
Range: 3-12 hexes, most likely at the long end of
that range. The Nebelwerfer is an odd weapon to
deploy, since it lacks the sine qua non of self-
propelled weaponry; i.e., long range. There is a
temptation to give it an armored escort and send it
in to do assault-gun work - but it is so weak that the
move is likely to be a suicide against any organized
opposition in strength. The factor which keeps this
Without the backup threat of shellfire his thin
defensive lines will be overrun. Therefore, both
historically and in the game, the German's SPAs
are pillars of strength to him - with plenty of
Slavonic Sampsons loose on the premises.
30. Sdkfz 234{2 (Puma) and Sdkfz 234{4 13 A 8
tI5"
Foible: Defense factor. '
Threat: Pressurizing{Antagonizing.
Prey: Transport.
Range: 13 hexes.
Execution: A kill.
Pals: Infantry for blocking.
Enemies: Tanks. Even these heavily armed cars
cannot afford to trade salvos with tanks, not even
if they get in the first shot.
Fate: Eliminated if surrounded.
Loss: Shruggable{shocking!? Some people are
armored car freaks.
Deployment: Far forward.
Historical Marker: These armored cars were heavily
armed in the hope that they might protect German
armored cars from other armored cars. In the open
desert it might turn out that way. On your
Panzerblitz board the best use for these units is as
anti-tank blocks. You will note that these units are
the equivalent of 50mm and 75mm A{T guns. The
main differences are the magnificant movement
factor and the abominable defense factor against
tanks, only a fourth as good as a towed gun's. Still,
they block a tank, and if you assign them that job
at the right spot and the crucial time, that ITiay be
good enough to warrant the sacrifice.
Enemies: Tanks.
Fate: Sacrificed for overrun. Eliminated if sur-
rounded.
Loss: Shruggable.
Deployment: As far forward as possible. An
excellent unit for blocking in pursuit or retreat. A
Nasty Trick, possible also with halftracks, is to sit
this unit out in the open on a swamp-road hex. If
your opponent blows it up, the road is blocked. If
he leaves it alone in the hope that you'll move it,
the road is still blocked. Unrealistic and unsport-
ing, but legal.
1
END
12 11
221
10 9 8 7
;!I!;;
;rr GERMAN FORCES
1
,14 A 88 A :1
3
I
6
1
3
12 6 I CUl 4: ro C 0
... w_ ,,_ .. --
8"l(j,'8 3 0 8 1 3 1 6 1 1Ire 12
10 1 13 3 3 8 14
3 842
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Russians win if they have cleared a corridor, 3 hexes wide and free
of German units, from East to West edges. Germans win if they can
maintain a similiar corridor from North to South edges. Anything
else is a draw.
Armeegruppe Woehler (elements of the 8th Army) set up first
anywhere on board.
6 5 4
7 7
o C 0:1:2 CUI ':\
... -
nOD IIl.liIl
1 4:012 200: 10
3 2
1
1
,6 8
6th Guards Tank Army
15';''':8
*RUSSIAN FORCES
(;-MG Pliyev enters from the West edge; 6th Guards Tank Army
from East edge.
C-MG Pliyev
1
:
2
A 6:1;5 A 81;l4M20:li4011O:18 I :1:
6
I
5
1
3
M 4,1
4i ".!u ..... II!.. ,J_.
g'J;.C 1110'A'r11 2 920 16
1
:.7
1
1 1 18?1 3 1 31> 0
7611475 1

Turn
1
Schwerer Panzer Spah Wagen - 1938 Heavy Armored Reeon
Vehicle 231233 model which was the forerunner of the 234/2.
SeIf-PropelIed Artillery
Only the Germans have self-propelled artillery.
Because of a czarist tradition of close-in combat
dating back to Napoleonic times, the Soviets
virtually avoided the development of motorized
artillery, and remained faithful to the towed gun
until the end of the war. The strength of the Soviet
army depended largely on infantry and tank units
which do not fight effectively at a distance.
Unquestionably this Soviet doctrine cost them
something in the way of continuous fire support
during an offensive; but before you sneer too hard
remember who won the war.
The Soviet infantry and tank units, massively
numerous, form a broad base; the Soviet army may
be clumsy, but the destruction of only a few units
will not shake it. The German army, however, rests
like an upside down cone on the fire support of the
self-propelled artillery. Without the big guns to
smash obstacles the German's tanks will stall.
11
Deployment: Main artillery positions; Hilltop
hexes. The Wespe has enough range to deploy on
open, "bald" hilltops, providing no Russian unit is
within shooting distance. Be careful with such a
deployment during mobile retreats - it will take a
T-34 in the target area only two turns' unimpeded
movement to reach firing range, so an exposed
Wespe might well have to flee before doing much
damage. The basic skill in using SPAs is to move
very seldom so as to spend as many turns shooting
as possible. Cover is still best for this.
34. The Nashorn
Forte: Range.
Prey: Vehicles. And infantry, if delay is necessary.
Range: 4-20 hexes.
Execution: Against vehicles, dispersal at long
range, a kill at short range. Against infantry there is
about half a chance of a dispersal.
Pals: H class SPAs. Infantry to spot. Infantry,
incidentally, should not ride on any of the SPAs.
They are vulnerable to fire, and if the SPAs are
used properly the infantry will never make it to the
front where it can be used.
PzFH IBM - "Hummel" features thicker armor, a larger gun
1150mm), and a pz IV chassis.
33. Hummel
Forte: Attack factor. Largest on the board.
Prey: Everybody.
Range: 5-24 hexes.
Execution: A kill half the time. All the time on
armor at close range.
Pals: CPs; other SPAs; infantry and tanks to spot.
Enemies: Infantry. Close assault will not give even
a Hummel a chance to fire.
Fate: Decided by battle.
Loss: Gott ein Hummel!! The German may resign.
Deployment: Hilltops with cover.
PzFH 18 - "Wespe" - mounts a 105mm gun (L/281 on PZ II
chassis.
Range: 5-32 hexes. The Wespe can fight closer, but
in a mobile situation it is seldom worth the risk. If
anybody gets that close, just move back and blast
them.
Execution: Dispersal for infantry targets. At close
range a kill is likely on armored targets.
Pals: Other SPAs. CPs. Infantry and tanks to the
front to spot. Self-propelled artillery is almost
fficient; a few pieces positioned with inter-
locking fields of fire will make destruction of any
one piece quite expensive.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: Decided by battle. Expect a terrific fight.
Dispersal will generally mean destruction on the
following turn. Russian attackers should keep in
mind what happens when a Wespe uses intensive
fire.
Loss: Shocking. Expect extreme German demoral-
ization.
32. Wespe
Forte: Range. Highest on the board.
Threat: Pressurizing. The Wespe makes it hard for
the Russians to move for great distances. Even
infantry must hide. Every possible spotter becomes
a deadly menace.
Prey: Any Russian unit.
Historical Marker: The Maultier is an improved
imitation of a Russian weapon not included among
the counters - the famed M-13 Katyusha mounted
on a truck. This weapon is given among the
additional units in the Campaign Analysis booklet.
It is almost the only true Russian self-propelled
artillery.
PanzerBlilt
SOVIET ASSAULT ON FORTIFICATIONS, BALAKLAVA
D!IJ
SECTOR (7/5/441. At the end of the spring, 1944 campaign in the
Crimea, German and Rumanian forces were pushed into an
ever-shrinking ring around Sevastopol. As 'he Kriegsmarine
l J !
Silualion#24
attempted to evacuate the 17th Army, the rear guard occupied a
final defensive line just outside the city. The Russian objective at
the southern end of the line was Sapun Heights, from where artillery
could cover the whole anchorage.
*RUSSIAN FORCES
-'Iii t!!
GERMAN FORCES
, r
Assault elements of the Independent Coastal Army set up on board
The German Fusilier Company and JagdTiger set up on Hill 132. All
1 East of the road running between 1A3 and 1GGB, after the
other units set up anywhere on boards 1 and 3 West of the Board 1
Germans.
road running between 1A3 and 1GG8. Germans set up first.
1'2' 6 ;\:HW
8 I I 1'21 8
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VICTORY CONDITIONS:
I I 221 "I
Russians get 1 point for each unit on Hills 132 and 129 at end of 11 _ Fusilier Company
game (hilltop hexes onlyl. 1 6 13 A1 18.",5
Germans get 5 points for each unit on those hills. Side with most
1 2 1 1
points wins.

END
Turn
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 11 12
PanzerBlilt
BLOCKING ACTION, MADONA SECTOR, LATVIA (22/9/441. Map Configuration
The collapse of Army Group Center left AG North stranded in the
[tt]
Baltic states. As AG North withdrew into an enclave on the
Courland peninsula, Russian spearheads reached out, attempting to
Silualion#25
split the Germans and defeat them in detail. The worst crisis came
when the 2nd Baltic Front smashed the German 10th Corps at
Madona; a short dash to Riga and the whole evacuation from
Estonia and Latvia would be intercepted.
*RUSSIAN FORCES
t!!

, r GERMAN FORCES
A spearhead of the 3rd Shock Army enters on Eastern edge. A battle group of the Nordland Division enters first on West edge of
board.
I 47 ':1
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1 0 12
12 ;',:' 8 1 0
16 1 42 0 1 ':W 12
2 2 2 6 2 2 6 3 2 10 12
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Award each side 1 point for every enemy unit destroyed. Award the
Russians 2 points for each unit moved off the Western edge of the
map. Side with the most points wins.
I1IJtr
first
Turn END
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 11
12
~ 1 4 H 1 2
37. StuH 42 ~ ....
Forte: Defense factor.. __.. 12 730 8
Foible: Attack factor. Not big enough to handle
Russian infantry.
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: Infantry.
Range: 1-12 hexes. This vehicle has the armor to
get up close even while alone.
Pals: Infantry.
Enemies: Tanks.
Fate: Occasional dispersal. But the StuH 42
should be kept out of the major tank battles; it
can't do much good there and is too valuable to
lose.
Loss: Damaging. This is the best assault gun the
Germans have, and there is only one unit of
them.
Deployment: As close to enemy infantry as
possible.
JdPz Vlb - the "Hunting Tiger" mounted a 128mm gun, L/55.
PAK 80.
Threat: Mobilizing. Why should anybody stick
around to fight this monster?
Prey: Infantry. Of course the Jagdtiger would like
to beat up on some Russian tanks, but no T-34s
are likely to make themselves available. Infantry
is all this vehicle will catch.
Range: I hex.
Execution: Infantry targets will be dispersed half
the time. Tanks would be obliterated if shot at.
Pals: Infantry. As with the SU-152, the infantry
should go ahead by other means and let the
JgdPz VI come up to the battle.
Enemies: Small mammals which eat the eggs?
Fate: Survival. I suppose an SU-152 might
disperse it, but that would be an unlikely
meeting.
S ~ u H 42 is sh.own above without the skirts depicted in the line
draWing. Such SIde panels were relatively rare. This mounts a
105mm howitzer on a pz III chassis.
38. JgdPz VI
Forte: Attack factor. Weapons class 'A' ought to
take this vehicle out of the assault gun category:
but the Jagdtiger is so slow that it is hard to
imagine how else it might be used. It is a poor
tank destroyer - too easily flanked, and worth-
less in an advance.
Fate: Occasional dispersal. An SU-152 ought to
survive the game.
Loss: Shocking. The Russian army is a little
better balanced than the German, so that the loss
of any single unit is not so damaging as the loss
of a Wespe or Hummel: but if there is any
Russian unit which embodies that kind of
psychological vulnerability, it is the SU-152. This
is unfortunate because the German units can
operate from safe positions; but the Russian must
expose his SU-152s to danger if he is going to get
full value from them. The Russian must overcome
his tendency to hold these valuable units back
from the assault.
Deployment: Up front. Only when the action
becomes completely static is an artillery position
for an SU-152 justified.
Historical Marker: One Russian nickname for this
vehicle was "Conquering Beast". The name is
important because it shows how the SU-152 was
used. The SU-152 regiments were for offensive
purposes only; once the front became static the
Soviet high command would pull them out for a
new offensive elsewhere.
howitzer.
36. GW38(M) and Wirblewind
Forte: Range.
Threat: Mobilizing.
Range: 10-12 hexes. These units simply do not
have the defensive strength for close assault
attack. Yet to some extent the distinctions
between SPA and assault gun are blurred with
these units, and with the Maultier. Neither has
the range for the SPA role, and the GW38 lacks
the speed as well. The best way to employ these
two alone is on flat ground as close to the target
infantry unit as possible without risking a close
assault.
Pals: Tank destroyers or heavy tanks stacked with
these units will allow them to carry out their
functions without fear of close assault counter-
attack even while adjacent. A halftrack is helpful
in such cases also, to serve as weakest unit in the
stack, and to haul the cooperating infantry.
Enemies: Tanks and close-assaulting infantry.
Fate: Blown away by fire, if not handled care-
fully.
Loss: Annoying. But not surprising.
Deployment: Up to the front, opposite the
enemy infantry.
Historical Marker: Actually neither weapon was
quite intended to be an assault gun proper. The
GW38 is a heavy infantry gun, a transitional
design dating from 1940, kept in service more
because of lack of a substitute than for aptness
for a now more clearly defined role. The other
vehicle was an anti-aircraft weapon simply
hijacked by infantry commanders to do support
work. The flak panzers were never intended to
stand up to much more than aircraft cannon.
mounts a 150mm L/12
Jzpz Nashorn - The Rhino mounted an a.Scm PAK (Panzer V5.
cannon) model 43/1, L/71 gun mounted on a pz IV chassis but
using a pz III transmission.
Enemies: Infantry.
Fate: Decided by battle.
Loss: Shocking, although less shocking than the
loss of a Wespe or Hummel. But there is only one
Nashorn in the game, so its loss is psychologically
hard to bear.
Deployment: Hilltops with cover.
Historical Marker: I have classified this vehicle as
an SPA by virtue of its poor defensive capability
and excellent range. If it is used as a tank
destroyer, it stands a fair chance of being lost
without ever using its full capability. However,
none of the special SPA rules apply; the Nashorn
cannot use indirect fire, and may make overruns.
Incidentally, this vehicle uses the same chassis as
the Hummel. Originally the vehicle was called
"Hornisse" (Hornet); but in early '44 Hitler
decided that he didn't want his armor named after
insects. He ordered that the names "Hornisse", and
"Hummel" be abolished. Thereafter this unit was
called the "Nashorn": the other two were still
called "Wespe" and "Hummel" - but very quietly.
Assault Guns
Assault guns are used against enemy infantry
positions. Generally they are heavily armored,
carry low-velocity, high-explosive weaponry, and
move somewhat ponderously. Their reach is
generally too short to allow them to double as
SPAs. The best way to use them is up close. No
commander can do very wrong if he places his
assault gun alongside an enemy.
35. SU-152'-"
Threat: Mobilizing. An SU-152 works like a
bulldozer. You move it up against an infantry
block, and when it's your turn to move again the
block is no longer there, one way or another.
Prey: German infantry. An SU-152 can also take
on most German vehicles.
Range: I hex. The most frequent mistake I see is
somebody trying to use an SU-152 like a Wespe.
It doesn't work that way: Even though the range
is long for a Russian unit, it is not long enough
to keep the SU-152 in contact with the enemy at
a distance. If you station your SU-152 on a
hilltop artillery position, you will find that the
mobile battle moves away from you and that it
will be sometime before you can get your
behemoth back into the fight. The only way to
use an SU-152 on the offensive is to move right
up against the German to scare him out of his
position and then to follow along behind him as
closely as possible. If he ever slows down you can
kick him in the pants.
Execution: A kill almost certainly against infan-
try and probably a dispersal against tanks.
Pals: Infantry, but not transported. The infantry
should travel ahead by other means to begin the
assault. If the troops ciln delay anything, the
SU-152 will kill it when it comes up.
Enemies: Very heavy tanks. Heavy artillery.
........
13
14 A 8
......--
12 11
43. SU-85
Foible: None really. A well-balanced unit.
Prey: German tanks and artillery.
Range: 1-10 hexes. This unit has the speed to do
overruns, and the strength to engage close in.
Pals: Infantry, especially SMG units. T-34s make
good friends, particularly T-34/85s blessed with
the same speed and the same range.
5u-76 - the first Soviet assault gun mounting a 76.2mm gun,
L/41.5.
Foible: Range. The SU-76 is not a very strong
unit defensively, but the short range forces the
Russian to use it up close.
Threat: Channelizing. It is best to use this unit
mostly for defense.
Prey: German armored vehicles.
Range: Adjacent. Either the German walks right
up to you or you walk up to him. Overrun
opportunities are rare.
Pals: Infantry. T-34s.
Enemies: German armored vehicles.
Loss: Annoying - nearly shruggable.
Deployment: This is a unit which is often found
working with the infantry. As such, it may
constitute almost the only vehicle a rifle regiment
will have, a case which justifies its being taken
away from its TD role and used solely for special
transport missions. Scenario 2 is a fine example
of such a situation. Otherwise the SU-76 should
serve as a reserve for a static line or as a tail-end
Charlie for a tank assault.
Historical Marker: The "Crash-boom" again, on
tracks.
42. SU-76
Fate: Depends on the shootout: Dispersal
probable.
Loss: Damaging.
Deployment: In the main line of defense or
offense - not the forward line.
Historical Marker: The early JgdPz IV's mounted
a long 75mm like the StuG Ill's. The version in
the game toting a still longer 75, turner! out to
be overloaded and likely to break down.
JgPz IV - the first "Hunting Tank" mounting a 75mm, l/70 on
a Mk IV chassis.
12 A 8
.......

StG III (above) JgPz 38 "Hetzer" (below) were both
excellent tank destroyers.
Prey: Russian tanks and artillery.
Range: 1-4 hexes. It is important to keep the
Hetzer close to the action because of its low
speed. It is a great help to both units to have
their attack factors doubled.
Execution: Dispersal most of the time. A lone
sturmgeshutz attacking the average Russian tank
at close range is not likely to kill it or be killed
by it. Whichever side reinforces first will win the
duel.
Pals: Infantry, to administer a follow-up close
assault. Other armor is always helpful if available,
particularly the pz IV. Wespe and Hummel help
to crack infantry.
Fate: Depends on the shoot-out. In an individual
duel dispersal is likely.
Loss: Damaging.
Deployment: The front of the battle. The rear of
the retreat. The reserve of the static line. Good
units for spotting in all three situations.
-.1.
41. JgdPz IV
Forte: Range. Better than that of its contempo-
raries, StuG III and pz IV.
Threat: Pressurizing. Essentially a souped-up
replacement for the Marder III, the JgdPz IV
likewise lacks the requisites for close-in combat,
and should be used to apply pressure rather than
for violent assault.
Prey: Russian tanks.
Range: 3-12 hexes.
Execution: Half a chance of a kill at close range.
Pals: pz IV; StuG III.
Enemies: Russian tanks. Infantry can also be
worrisome.
40. StuG III and Hetzer
Foible: Movement factor. The Hetzer is especially
slow.
Threat: Mobilizing/Antagonizing. Most tanks and
tank destroyers of medium weight or more will
threaten to surround and spot an opponent's unit
if they can reach jump-off positions in cover
within four hexes. If the unit is worth saving, a
wise opponent either moves it or reinforces it.
.. "-

.,
, .
n +
u
Marder III - AUSF M mounted on a Czech 38 {t I tank chassis.
Pals: The heavier armored vehicles can help with
spotting; StuG III and pz IV travel at the same
speed and will augment firepower on targets at
the same range.
Enemies: Infantry and tanks. Alone a Marder is
not quite a match for either.
Fate: Depends on the outcome of an armored
shoot-out. Any reasonably speedy TD can duck
out of an argument; for strategic reasons you
may prefer to have it stay to fight. When a
Marder stays to engage there will generally be so
many other units in the battle that the Marder's
fate is insignificant. If the Marder does engage in
a duel, there is about a half chance of its being
killed in the first exchange of shots.
Loss: Annoying. Nobody can shrug off the loss
of a TD or a tank other than the Lynx.
Deployment: On the offensive: to the middle of
the force, far enough forward to shoot, far
enough back to avoid trouble. On the defense: in
reserve unless other reserves are available.
Tank Destroyers
A tank destroyer is a turretless tank. Some
folks - Guderian, for example - seemed to feel
that there was a functional as well as a mechani-
cal distinction between tanks and tank destroyers.
If so, the distinction is not apparent in
blirz. Historically, the tank was the weapon
preferred by the experts: yet in a TD
unit seems more powerful than the tank from
which it borrows its chassis. You can explain
away this phenomenon for German units by
pointing out that the TD units have one more
vehicle than tank units - TDs come in six-PAKs,
like beer - but what do you do when you come
to the Russian units? It looks as if there is
something which a tank unit can do and a TD
unit can't do that is not taken into account in
the rules.
Loss: Possibly shocking - more likely just sur-
prising.
Deployment: As far forward as you can get it.
39. Marder III
Forte: Range. Large enough to keep the Marder
out of trouble.
Foible: Defense factor. Small enough to get the
Marder into trouble.
Threat: Pressurizing. The Marder should stay in
cover to do the shooting and let somebody else
do the spotting.
Prey: Russian tanks.
Range: 3-8 hexes. Keep the range open in order
to (I) avoid close assault and (2) avoid doubling
your opponent's class weapons.
14
Loss: Almost shruggable. What is one dead rat to
the pack?
Deployment: As far forward as possible in attack,
and generally with infantry passengers. You
should rarely see a T-34 unit alone, and rarely on
the defense. Uncle Joe will have held them all
back for the big counter-punch.
Historical Marker: The T-34/76 is something of a
graybeard in the game. It is essentially the same
tank that met the Germans in 1941, but the
German tanks from that era are not included
among the counters. And the T-34c is by no
means obsolete. By the time of Kursk (Scenario
10) the Germans were just beginning to overtake
the Russian technOlogical lead.
47. PzKpfw IV
Range: 1-8 hexes. The German can afford to
close with this tank only because he has a
quantity of them, and not infrequently nothing
else to work with.
Fate: Spent in spotting or in shoot-outs. An
attacking Russian player should lose half of the
T-34s in his starting OB; if he loses less he is
moving too slowly; if he loses more he had better
watch it or he will soon be faced with a tankless
job.
Pals: Infantry in attack situations only. If possi-
ble it is better to let Panthers or SGlIl's do any
spotting that needs to be done.
Enemies: Russian tanks and infantry.
Fate: Spent in spotting or in shoot-outs.
Loss: Damaging. The German wealth of tanks is
seldom so great as the Russian. So each loss hits
harder.
Deployment: The van of the attack; the rear
guard; the mobile reserve.
PzKw tV AUSF F2 with 75mm KWK 40. The workhorse of the
German Panzer Divisions.
48. KV-85 and Tiger I
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: Enemy armor and artillery.
Range: 1-6 hexes. With either unit, close the
range as much as possible.
Execution: A kill half the time.
Pals: For the Russian: T-34s. For the German; pz
IVs - and SPAs.
Enemies: Enemy armor.
12 A 6
.-15
9 T ! I ~ 11
...
--- - - ~ . 46. T-34c
Historical Marker: The JSU-122 is not to be
confused with the SU-122, a l22mm howitzer
mounted on a T-34 chassis which was employed
as an assault gun but was inferior to the SU-152
and not much good against armor.
Tanks
The only reason that tanks and tank destroyers
are in a separate category is that I am sentimental
about such things. In the game the tactical
doctrine for each type is the same. Both units
work as much by threat as by actual fire. The
recurring pattern in the game is for the tanks
(and TDs) to roll up adjacent to an enemy unit,
which then either retreats if it can or dies,
exacting whatever casualties it can before it is
killed. If both have a large number of tanks, an
equilibrium is reached in which neither side dares
to advance. The situation then becomes static and
the slower moving arms, infantry and artillery,
become dominant.
Most of the actual firing with tanks occurs
when one side uses tanks to block the other's
mobile stack. At that point firing breaks out
between individual units and is either quickly
resolved or becomes a miniature engagement,
with each player trying to bring more fire to bear
on the enemy's engaged units. These are the
actions I have referred to as tank shoot-outs, and
they are peculiar to the armored forces; you
seldom see artillery engaging in individual duels,
and somebody always horns in on an infantry
fight to break it up.
Actually the most efficient way to use a tank
is to Overrun. Unfortunately there are several
factors which limit overrun opportunities. First, a
target in the open where it can be overrun is
likely to be destroyed by fire before the tank can
move up to it. Secondly, an unsuccessful overrun
always leaves one adjacent to an enemy unit
capable of spotting and inclined to be a poor
sport about the matter. And finally, even a
successful overrun will generally leave the over-
running tank out in the open where it can be
fired upon or overrun in turn. As Dr. Johnson
said, the pleasure is transient and the position is
ridiculous.
Foible: Range.
Range: 10 hexes. Generally the Russian has
enough T-34s to burn that an overrun becomes a
serious worry for the German. When the Russian
makes fire attacks he should try to be as close as
possible.
Execution: Dispersal most of the time.
Pals: Infantry. The T-34 and the SMG or the rine
company is the Russian stock in trade. If that
combination goes wrong, nothing will be right,
Tovarische.
Enemies: German tanks and artillery.
16 A 8
....-
45. SU-IOO and JSU-122 15 ~ ; : . 8
Forte: Attack factor and defenseL.-,.-fa-c...,t-o-r....JL----J
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: German tanks and artillery, possibly even
infantry. As with the JgdPz VI these units are so
slow that the distinction between TD and assault
gun is blurred.
Range: 1-8 hexes. Get as close as you can.
Execution: A kill half the time at close range.
Pals: Russian heavy tanks and the SU-152's.
Enemies: Wespe and Hummel, very heavy German
tanks and tank destroyers.
Fate: Depends on the shoot-out, but survival is
likely, with only an occasional dispersal.
Loss: Annoying. The Russian has plenty more
where these came from.
JgPZ v - the "JagdPanther" or "Elata"." mounted an 88mm
PAK model 43/2 gun.
44. JgdPz V
Forte: Just beautiful all over.
Foible: Again, none.
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: Russian armor and artillery.
Range: 1-12 hexes. Try to get in close. This unit
has the speed to do it.
Execution: A kill at close range.
Pals: Panthers. Infantry on the attack only.
Enemies: A multitude of Russian tanks. But no
single tank need give pause except perhaps the
SU-152.
Fate: Depends on the shootout. Survival of this
vehicle is pretty likely, with a dispersal suffered
only half the time in single combat.
Loss: Damaging, almost shocking.
Deployment: Well toward the enemy.
Historical Marker: This is the unit depicted on
the box.
Enemies: German armored vehicles, including
Wespe and Hummel.
Fate: Depends on the shootout. Dispersal is likely
in duels.
Loss: Annoying. A little more so than the loss of
a T-34, because there are always plenty of T-34s.
Deployment: The front of the battle; the rear
guard in a retreat. An excellent mobile reserve
unit, preferably with an infantry passenger.
SU-l00 - the improved version of the SU-85 mounted a 100mm
gun, U54.
15
The addition of truck units have terrific
implications, given the preponderance of Soviet 'A'-
class artillery; the cavalry units can traverse green
hex-sides without even slowing down. And the
engineer units have implications all their own.
This is as concise a presentation as can be
managed. Behind the discussions of each situation
lies much specific data, data that each wargamer
must infer from this text, and discover in his own
experiences. That, each of us will have to discover
ourselves. But this treatise does provide a founda-
tion for that experience-a pattern of analysis, and
should be studied accordingly. Unless a wargamer
understands his mistakes-and withmrt a good
overview of the situation, the process of learning is
apt to be slow. &
FINAL COMMENTS: The difference between
what the Germans might do in #8 and what the
Russians can't do in #12, is mainly a matter of
terrain. although the Russian lack of transport
doesn't help either. This scenario can be balanced by
the simple addition of one of the following to the
Soviet OB:
Fate: Survival with an occasional dispersal. Only
in an all-ou t retreat is this unit involuntarily
endangered, and in those cases you may as well
pick a good blocking position and wait for your
foes to come at you. No King Tiger will out run
a T-34.
Loss: Damaging, if only because of the fame and
reputation of this vehicle.
Deployment: Keep the Tiger close to the enemy.
If there is a concentration of Russian infantry,
the Tiger may be used like the Jagdtiger in an
assault gun role.
*****
COMMANDER'S NOTEBOOK
. Continued from Page 32
52. JS-II and JS-III
-10 truck units, or
-4 cavalry units, or
-2 engineer companies.
Photo Credits: Bruno Sinigaglio
Threat: Mobilizing.
Prey: German tanks, artillery, and even infantry.
Range: I -8 hexes. As close as possible.
Pals: Russian assault guns. Russian infantry.
These heavy tanks cannot keep up with the more
mobile forces, but work well in support of
infantry.
Enemies: Wespe, Hummel, German heavy tanks.
Fate: Depends on the shoot-out.
Loss: Damaging.
Historical Marker: The JS-III nicknamed "Pike"
because of its pointed huH, really has no place in
a World War II game. I have never read an
account of its being employed against the
Germans before hostilities ceased. The nature of
its design as well as the nature of its employment
puts this vehicle in the Cold War Era, and that is
beyond the scope of Panzerblitz.
15 A 81
~
~
~
50. T-34/85
Threat: Mobilizing/ Antagonizing. The T-34/85
will scare an opponent on the basis of quantity,
not quality. If T-34s are scarce, the German will
reinforce and stand his ground.
Range: 1-10 hexes. Overruns by this vehicle will
be deadly, if costly.
development. The Russians had had some of
these same problems. but had solved most of
them by 1943. However, when it worked the
Panther was superb - and it always works in the
game.
Execution: Dispersal almost certainly.
Pals: Infantry, especially SMG units. T-34/76s
and SU-85s can keep right up without trouble.
Enemies: German tanks and SPAs.
Fate: Spent for spotting or in a shoot-out.
Loss: Annoying. These units are not quite so
expendable as T-34c's. The Russian should plan
to lose only a third of his OB, and that many
ungraciously.
Deployment: Close to the enemy - but if
possible these vehicles should hang back a bit and
let the more expendable T-34/76's do the
spotting.
T34/85 - most heavily produced Soviet tank - over 19,000
made. This particular one was captured in the Korean War.
51. Tiger II
Threat: Mobilizing. Nobody stands in front of a
moving van.
Prey: Russian tanks and infantry. By the time a
Tiger II makes it up to a Russian artillery
position, the guns will be long gone.
Range: 1-6 hexes. To keep the Tiger II in action
you have to keep it close to its targets.
Execution: A kill at close range.
Pals: Hardly any needed.
Enemies: Not many.
PzKw Vlb - the "King Tiger" - armed with a special 8.8cm,
KWL 43. L/71.
Fate: Great for spotting or in a shoot-out. It is
difficult for even a single Pzkpfw V to be
surrounded and killed if the German wishes to
refuse battle. The firepower and range make an
approach difficult; the speed is enough to guaran-
tee a getaway in most cases. The Panthers that
burn, burn voluntarily, generally after a turn or
two of dispersal in a shootout.
Loss: Damaging.
Deployment: Close to the enemy.
Historical Marker: Supposedly a perfect vehicle.
However, you might notice that the Russian
tankers preferred their T-34/85. All through its
life the Panther was plagued by mechanical
difficulties built into the design during its hasty
49. Panther
Forte: Very well balanced.
Foible: No faults, in the game.
Threat: Mobilizing.
Range: 1-12 hexes.
Pals: Wespe and Hummel. Infantry for the of-
fensive. With the SPAs to pound any concen-
trations of infantry a mass of Panthers can be
very hard to stop.
PzKw VI AUSF E - better known as the Tiger; it carried an
8.8cm, KWK 36, U56 gun.
PzKw V - the Panther - supposedly the best tank of WWII.
Fate: Depends on the shootout. In duels dispersal
is likely.
Loss: Annoying. When the heavy tanks are about;
there are usually enough mediums to replace any
losses.
Deployment: Keep as close to the enemy as
possible.
Historical Marker: These are first generation
heavy tanks, not so markedly different from their
contemporary mediums that any separate tactical
role can be clearly envisioned. The KV-85 is an
upgunned version of the KV-I, which had the
same 76.2mm gun as the early T-34. The KV
chassis was fitted with a new turret which served
as a prototype for the turret eventually fitted to
the T-34/85. Once that latter tank came out the
KV-85 was taken out of service. The Tiger was a
German attempt to one-up the Russian T-34. The
attempt failed because the design was difficult to
mass-produce. When the Panther entered service
the Tiger I was gradually phased out.
16
Another Situation 13: Parablitz
AIRMOBILE PANZERBLITZ
by Christopher Chyba
Paraforce Entrance Table
dieroH Guards Rifle SMG
1 1 2 2
2 2 2 2
3 2 2 3
4 2 2 3
5 3 3 3
13 3 3 4
Turn 2: To begin with, the Russian player must
first determine if the wind speed or direction has
changed. If the wind speed on the previous turn
was no, low, or medium. the Russian consults the
determine the size of his paraforce, as well as
when it enters the board. To determine the
para force size, the Russian player rolls the die
separale/y for each of the following columns:
Russian Paraforce Table
c
c
Rb
Rb
w
Lb
Lb
Rb
Ra
die roll low med. high
1 no no low low
2 low low med.
3 no low moo. moo.
4 low low med. high
5 low moo. high high
6 low high high high
Wind Direction Change Tables to determine how
much, if any, the wind has changed direction.
Wind Direction Change Tables
no low med. die roll ww
1 La
2 Lb
3
4
5
6
die roll
1
2
3
4
5
6
PARADROPPING
A - The Russian player may never paradrop a
unit after the turn that its paraforce is assigned
to drop on by the Paraforce Entrance Table. The
units may, however, drop anywhere on the entire
board. The Russian player need not plan ahead
where to drop his para-units, rather, he makes
that decision when he drops them.
B - Paradropping units are subject to being
scattered throughout a number of squares. Here-
after, this scattering will be known as "dispersal".
This is not'to be confused with combat results.
C - The unit being paradropped is first placed
onto the square which the Russian player wishes
to drop it on (Hereafter known as the "target
square".) The unit being paradropped is then
subjected to dispersal. dependent upon speed and
direction of the wind.
D - How badly the paradropping unit is dis-
persed is determined by the Paradrop Dispersal
Table.
Explanation: The die roll is cross-indexed with
the wind speed of the previous turn to determine
the wind -speed of the present turn.
After wind speed and direction is determined,
the Russian then paradrops all units, if any. that
must be paradropped on turn two. He is also free
to paradrop any units which enter on a later
turn. The Russian is then free to move and
attack. He has the option of entering any or all
of the units of his attack force onto the western
half of board three. Once any Russian unit has
entered or moved adjacent to board three, the
German player is free to move and attack on this
board. Whether Russian units have entered board
three or not, the German then takes his half of
the turn. This procedure is followed for the rest
of the game.
Wind Speed Change Table
Paradrop Dispersal Table and Dispersal Charts
die roll no low moo. high
1 ABC 0
2 BCD E
3 BCD E
4 BCD F
5 ceo F
6 C D E F
Explanation: The die roll is cross-indexed with
the speed of the wind. If a "ww" or a "w" is
rolled, the Russian player then consul ts the
second table. If an "a" results in the second
table, the wind changes direction two hex sides.
If a "b" results, the wind changes direction one
hex side, and if a "c" results, the wind does not
change direction. The presence of an "L" or a
"R" before the letter determines whether the
wind shifts in direction to the right or to the left
of the way it is presently blowing.
After wind direction is determined, a change in
wind speed is resolved on the Wind Speed Change
Table:
12 34 56
2 3 4
5 6 7
die roll
paraforce 2
paraforce 3
Explanation: The Russian player cross-indexes the
paraforce number with the die roll. The resulting
number is the latest turn that the Russian player
is allowed to bring that paraforce onto the board.
If the Russian player does not bring that para-
force in by that turn, it is considered eliminated,
although the German player need not be told of
its elimination. Paraforce I must always paradrop
on turn one.
Example: In determining which turn the second
paraforce enters, the Russian rolls a five. This means
that paraforce 2 may never paradrop after turn four.
However, the second paraforce may paradrop on
any turn before turn four, at the Russian player's
option.
These "die roll dependent forces", though they
may turn many of you off, are necessary to
maintain the element of surprise for the Russian.
As in real life, the German player will not know
exactly how many Russian units will be dropping
upon him from the sky. However, it should be
noted here that only enough variance has been
built into these charts to insure uncertainty on
the part of the German, without affecting play
balance considerably.
Step 4: The Russian player must separate his
main paraforce into three separate smaller ones.
The number (not type) of units in each of these
paraforces must be made to be as equal as
possible. Any leftover units which cannot be
divided evenly are distributed as the Russian
player wishes. In dividing his units into separate
paraforces, the Russian player needs this infor-
mation:
A - The first Russian paraforce always must
paradrop on turn one.
B - To determine on which turn the second and
third para forces must drop on, the Russian player
consults the Paraforce Entrance Table.
OUTLINE OF PLAY
Turn I: After determining the size of his forces,
wind direction, and wind speed, the Russian
player drops onto the board all units in paraforce
one, as well as any, none, or all of his para-units
which paradrop on a later turn. The Russian has
the choice of dropping his units on any or all of
the boards.
The German units are then placed on the
mapboard. They are free to move and attack.
except that they may not enter board 3 unless
Russian units have paradropped into or immedi-
ately adjacent to it.
Wind Speed Table
ParaB/ilz was conceived out of a desire for a
totally unique PANZERBLITZ situation.
Although the following rules are laden with
various charts, ParaB/ilz is not really very com-
plex.
The situation dealt with in ParaB/ilz is that of
an attempt by the Russians to stop a German
offensive before it begins. The Germans are
beginning to mass forward elements of a tank
regiment on the western half of board two.
However, most of the regiment is still over a
week away. Behind the forward elements of the
regiment is a vast road network which is suscepti-
ble to Russian counterattack, especially counter-
attack from the air. To the protection of this
road network, the Germans have assigned
remnants of an assault gun brigade as well as
elements of a reconnaissance battalion.
The Russian objective: Force the forward
elements of the German tank regiment back, at
the same time cutting roads within German held
territory. The more roads the Russian cuts deep
within German territory, the farther the main
German battle force must push to get back to its
original starting point.
However, the Russian's forces are very limited.
Although the exact size of his force is not known
to the German player as the game progresses, it
consists of elements of a tank brigade and a SP
artillery regiment, along with the Russian para-
force.
roll speed
1 no Wind
2,3 low wind
4,5 medium wind
6 high wind
GERMAN FORCES: one 20(4)mm, three Security,
two Rifle, two Wagons, one Puma. three Sdkfz
234/1, one StuH 42, one GW 38(M). two Wirble-
wind, one Lynx, three MklYh, one Panther, two
Hetzers, and a Maultier.
Step I: The German secretly records the po-
sitions of all his units, which may be set up
anywhere on boards one and two. No German
unit is placed on the board at this time.
Step 2: After the German records the position of
his units, the Russian rolls the die to determine
wind direction and speed.
To determine wind direction, the die is rolled
once. If a one is rolled, the wind is blowing to
the north. If a two is rolled, the wind is blowing
northwesterly, and so on. To determine wind
speed, the Russian player rolls once again, con-
sulting the Wind Speed Table. Wind speed and
direction should be kept track of carefully, as
they are very important with regard to paradrops.
Step 3: The Russian player then rolls to deter-
mine the size of his main battle force. The die is
rolled separale/y for each of the columns in the
Russian Attack Force Table.
Russian Attack Force Table
The number of Russian units in the main
battle force is never revealed to the German
player. The Russian player must also roll to
die tal! Su85 T-34c T-3485 SU152 Trucks Reeon
1 0 2 1 0 0 0
2 1 2 1 1 1 1
3 1 2 1 1 2 2
4 2 2 2 1 2 2
5 2 3 2 1 2 2
6 2 3 2 1 2 2
-I C'li CW')I
~
17
The Russian player rolls the di.e once for each
unit being paradropped. The die roll is cross-
indexed with the wind speed on the Paradrop
Dispersal Table. The resulting letter is matched
with the correct row in the Dispersal Chart
corresponding to the unit being paradropped.
Immediately behind the corresponding letter in
the correct chart is a number or series of
numbers. The first number in the series designates
the number of breakdown units of the para-
dropping unit which landed in the target square.
The following number designates the number of
breakdown units which dropped into the next
adjacent downwind square.
Example
The Russian player is attempting to paradrop a
SMG Company into target square X in a medium
wind. He rolls a 6 which he cross-indexes with
the column "medium" in the Paradrop Dispersal
Table. The result is an "E" which, when matched
with row "E" in the SMG Dispersal Chart, gives
the result of 0221 110l. Thus, no breakdown
units land in target square X, but they are
scattered in a string downwind from it. Note also
that, due to the zero just before the last I in the
result, no breakdown units land in square Y. No
breakdown units drop past square Z.
E - Breakdown units may never separate. How-
ever, they may join together. For example, five
Rifle breakdown units may join together to form
an entire Rifle Company, but the Rifle Company
may never separate into five breakdown units.
This holds for any amount of breakdown units in
the same square belonging to the same company.
F - Breakdown units, until (if ever), they have
joined together to form an entire company, may
be attacked selectively, in combination, or in any
other manner subject to the normal rules.
G - Breakdown units' defense and range are
cumulative. For example, two Guards breakdown
units stacked together have a combined defense
of six and a range of two. However, each may
fire separa tely, in which case their ranges are one.
Range is cumulative because range is dependent
upon how much fire one can accurately pump
into a square. Obviously, the fewer guns one has
to shoot with, the fewer bullets which will
accurately reach the square being fired upon.
Thus, the unit's range of accurate fire is reduced.
Breakdown units' combined range may never
exceed the range of their entire company when
whole. Units of different companies may not
combine ranges.
H - The only exception to the above is that
when seven SMG breakdown units are stacked
breaks into 8
German
Marginal =7 or less German units destroyed
Tactical = 4 German units destroyed
Strategic::: 2 German units destroyed
PLAY BALANCE
Generally, the game is well balanced. However,
if you find the German winning very easily, use
hidden movement. If you are using third person
hidden movement, consider breakdown units
landing within four squares of a German unit to
be seen by the Germans. If the Russian player
wins too easily (a more likely occurrence), use
Jerry Thomas' Experimental PanzerBlitz rules as
given in the General, Volume 10, No. l.
Russian
Marginal::: 17 points
Tactical = 21 points
Strategic = 25 points
STRATEGY
German: In general, your A-class vehicles should
be set up on the western half of board three,
ready to repel the Russian Attack Force. Your
H-c1ass should be guarding the roads one and
two, ready to respond quickly to Russian para-
drops. However, you must be careful nol' to
commit all of your rear guard in one area. Be
prepared for a Russian second and third para-
drop. You should be able to tell by what the
Russian drops on turn one roughly how many
units he has left to drop. You must respond
quickly to a Russian drop, but not with every-
thing you have. Garrison road intersections
heavily, especially the intersection at J-5.
You should keep in mind that you only have
to destroy one breakdown unit to keep the
Russian from forming an entire company from
the remainder of those breakdown units and
gaining engineer capacity. It is much better to
make a selective attack on one breakdown unit
from each company, rather than to attempt 'to
destroy one entire company at a time.
Russian: You must keep the German guessing. Do
your best to keep him from knowing if you have
any para-units left to drop. If the German
commits most of his force in one area, seize upon
that chance to land para-units wherever he isn't.
This will give you time to group your breakdown
units into complete companies.
On the first turn, don't paradrop units directly
upon road intersections, for the German will
probably have them well guarded. Usually it is
best to paradrop most of your units onto board
one, since roughly half of board two (and of
course, all of board three), should be liberated by
your attack force. However, give consideration to
landing some of your para-units on board three
to give your attack force a hand.
Remember that the later you drop your para-
units, the less time the German will have to blast
you off the road. However, due to the Paraforce
Entrance Table, you cannot simply drop all of
your units as late as you wish. You must decide
whether it is best to drop your entire force
together on turn one, or to drop parts of each
paraforce separately on different turns.
If at all possible, the Russian should risk
counterattacks on the Maultier. It is not as
difficult as it might seem to get good odds
against the German, if you have some whole
companieS to act as engineers.
Also, remember that when considering victory
conditions, a wagon is just as valuable a target as
a Panther. This is admittedly unrealistic, and I
probably could have worked out a point system
for German units. However, I doubt if any of
you could have stood another chart.
Points for Cutting
1
1 each
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
3
Road
Opusloschenia to Grabyosh
Grabvosh to Bednost (2)
North-South road through Bednost
Bednost to Golod
Gatod to Usc has
Uschas to G'O
Usc has to 0-9
J-5to Q9
J-5 to A-3
J5 to Q.,
VICTORY CONDITIONS
Basically, the Russian player tries to cut roads,
while the German player attempts to prevent the
cutting of roads with minimum casulties.
Cutting a road is defined as having any unit,
except unloaded transport, occupying any square
along the length of the road at the end of the
game. In some cases, holding an intersection will
block two roads simultaneously.
To block a road from a city square, it is
necessary to hold the city square into which the
road first enters.
The Russian player receives the following
amount of points for cutting the following roads.
Obviously, the deeper into German territory the
cut road is, the more it hurts the Germans, so the
more points the Russian receives for cutting it.
together, their defense becomes ten, not seven.
Also, when six are stacked together, their defense
is eight. When five are stacked together, their
defense is merely five. However, SMG breakdown
units of different companies cannot obtain this
bonus by stacking together.
I - To represent the advanced training of Russian
para-units, these units may act as engineers, if,
and only if, they have formed into one complete
company unit. These para-units need not be
stacked with another unit to gain engineer
capacity.
J - In order to form a complete company, the
breakdown units must begin their turn in the
same square. In the turn of forming the
company, the breakdown units may not attack in
any manner, although the complete company
may move in that turn (but not at the road
movement rate). Breakdown units of different
companies may never join together as one
company.
K - Notice that landing "A" on all three
Dispersal Charts has all of the breakdown units
landing in the same square. These units may form
into a company no sooner than the turn after
they paradrop.
L - Para-units may not attack or move until the
turn after they paradrop.
M - Breakdown units which, as a result of
dispersal, land off the board, are considered
eliminated.
N - Breakdown units which paradrop onto a
German unit other than a lone wagon are
considered eliminated. If breakdown units land
on a lone wagon, that wagon must vacate that
square on its next move. If breakdown units land
on a loaded wagon, the wagon immediately
unloads and the breakdown units landing in that
square are eliminated. German units of all types
except lone wagons may not move or fire in a
turn which Russian units paradrop directly onto
them.
0- If a Russian player picks as a target square a
square in which the German player has a Wirbel-
wind, that complete para-unit is eliminated (Its
plane was shot down.)
P - The same stacking rules exist for the Russian
as always, except that now fractions must be
taken into consideration. A stack in which a
Russian AFV is stacked with breakdown units
which, when totalled, eqllal less than one
company, is considered to be an armored target.
1 1
18I
3 1
1 1
t8I

1
l8J
I
1 1
breaks into 6
breaks into 5 of
these breakdown
units:
Guards SMG
A 6 A 8
B 321 B 332
C 2211 C 2222
0 021111 0 221111
E 02020101 E 02211101
F 010101 01 01 001 F 00200201010101
5 I 4
16 1
6 I 5

Rifle
A 5
B 221
C 2111
o 011111
E 02010101
F 001010101001
18
Robert Harmon is presenting another in the
never-ending series of moderated PANZERBLITZ
variants to appear in the GENERAL. However,
PANZERNACHT is one with a definitely new
twist; it simulates night warfare - not just the
'fog of war' and offers PANZERBLITZ fanatics a
chance to really be in the dark.
Mr. Harmon received considerable help in the
development of the system. Chief among the
contributors was CPT C. W. Kiilehua who origi-
nated the concept and added his combat training
and experience. Also, deserving literary kudos are
Messrs. P. Idian, W. McNeal, and Andrew Tegl.
Last but not least in the credits dept. is Tom
Oleson whose "SITUATION 13" which appeared
in Vol. 8, No. I and 2 of the GENERAL
originated the "unit-value" system utilized in this
article and which still serves as the bible for
enthusiasts who devise new PANZERBLITZ
situations.
I. SETUP AND PROCEDURE
PANZERNACHT requires three players: the
two opposing players, and a maderator. Addi-
tional players can play on either side as desired.
The game is set up as follows. Each player sits
opposite the other, each with a complete game-
board. The two boards are separated by a screen.
The moderator sits so he can see both boards.
Once the game is started, neither player can see
the other board. NOTE: PANZERNACHT
requires TWO PANZERBLITZ games.
II. MOVEMENT
Movement is as specified in PANZERBLITZ
rules, with these additions:
- Each player, on his move, fires his units
ONE AT A TIME, watched by the moderator.
The player then moves his pieces ONE PIECE AT
A TIME, for ONE HEX AT A TIME, watched by
the moderator.
- The moderator is to STOP a moving unit
when it enters an enemy-held hex. The moving
unit is moved to the adjoining hex from which it
tried to enter the enemy hex. That piece's move
is ended.
- If the enemy-held hex is in open or hilltop
terrain (as per PANZERBLITZ over-run rules),
the player can ask the modenitor if an over-run
can be executed. If the moderator sees that there
are no obstacles in the hex and no enemy units
behind (directly on the other side) that hex, the
moderator can say yes.
- All fire and all movement is irrevocable;
once done, no action can be taken back. This
applies to each hex of movement.
m LINE-OF-SIGHT AND ILLUMINATION
No unit can see outside its own hex unless
"daylight" conditions are created by artificial
means. Line-of-sight is only considered when the
target is visible.
Units can create illumination as follows:
- SPA units, l20mm mortars: a 19-hex area
consisting of the hex of impact and an area 2
hexes in every direction.
- 8lmm, 82mm mortars: a 7-hex area con-
sisting of the hex of impact and an area I hex in
every direction.
- all other units: I adjoining hex.
A mortar or SPA unit firing illumination does
so instead of its normal fire or movement
capabilities. Other units can fire* and move or
shoot.
Illumination can be fired before other
shooting, and can be used to illuminate that
turn's targets. Units revealed by illumination can
be fired on that same turn.
Illumination can be fired at any hex within the
firing-unit's range, regardless of LOS (unit fires
using map coordinates).
ll1umination does not automatically reveal
units in town or woods hexes (as per PANZER-
BLITZ Spotting Rules).
ll1umination lasts only during the player's half
of the turn.
The enemy is to be told the location and
extent of each illumination, and any friendly
units revealed by it, as well as 'his own.
Wreck counters permanently illuminate the hex
they are in.
IV. NOISE
A player is to be told (by the moderator) of
all gunfire, vehicular noise (only armored cars are
silent), and land-mine or internal explosions
caused by enemy units, and their general location
(within 20 hexes) indicated.
19
V. FREE FIRE
At any time during the firing portion of his
move, a player may elect to engage in FREE
FIRE. Basically, he can fire into any hex within
range and not obscured by standard line-of-sight
considerations (as in normal PANZERBLITZ). He
does not have to have seen enemy units there; all
he needs is to suspect them.
Only H, M, or I units can engage in FREI!
FIRE.
Armored (does not include half-tracks) targets
in a Free-Fire zone are IMMUNE to Free-Fire.
Units riding on armored vehicles ARE NOT.
Armored units can only be fired on by a
player if they are SEEN (illuminated).
Moderator does not announce any targets
caught by FREE FIRE; he merely declares odds
and announces result. (Dead, dispersed, or unhit
ONLY - casualties are never revealed. Moderator
CAN announce secondary explosions or fires.)
Odds and terrain effects in FREE FIRE are the
same as in a normal attack.
VI. ORDERS OF BATTLE
PANZERNACHT can be played with standard
PANZERBLITZ scenarios.
If players elect to use self-made OBs, they are
to organize their forces as follows:
- each player is limited to a total of 1150
points, as indicated by the point-value charts.
- no less than 825 of these points must be
made up of the Battalion, Regiment, and Brigade
level units listed. The extra 325 points can come
out of the smaller units in any configuration the
players desire. Unit and counter organization
within these restrictions is up to the players.
Under this system, the game lasts 11 turns.
Objective of each side is to have the most
number of units at the end of the game. Board
configuration can be decided by mutual agree-
ment. Either, both, or neither side can start on
board, depending on players' desires; if both sides
start on the board, it is suggested that Route 61
be used as a FEBA, with opposing players facing
north and south; or, the center board can serve as
an initial "DMZ" with each player on the eastern
and western boards.
*illumination flares
SEQUENCE OF PLAY: In each player's turn:
a. He (Attacker) may fire.
b. Each player is next told of visible effects of
fire (which differ for Attacker and Defender).
c. Attacker moves and makes overruns and close
assaults.
d. Both players are told what they can see. At
any time, players may mark suspected enemy
positions with unit counters.
RealisllI alld playability buffs have 10llg been at
odds 01'01' tl,,' issue of hiddell 1lI0Vemellt alld many
have ball the articles which put forth possible
solutiolls to the problelll - aI/to 110 avail. It seems
that the lalld bailie gallles are destilled to go
without the excitelllellt alld suspellse that this
fea/llre provides ill MIDWAY. lall Straus presellts
us wilh a good altemalive for those blessed with a
willillg third part)' to aCl as referee.
SET-Up: The players need a referee and two sets of
gameboards. The boards are oriented in the same
direction and separated by a divider (such as the
game boxes) so the opponents cannot see each
other's boards. The referee sits where he can
observe both boards.
Play is as usual, using the standard Panzerblitz
rules with non-optional indirect fire, except as
indicated in this rules addition. Each player moves
his own units on his board. The referee makes the
boards interact.
BLIND
Panzerblitz, still Avalon Hill's best game, lacks
realism because the players can see all their
opponents' units. I am far from the first to suggest
refereed hidden movement: see Riley R. Geary's
article in The Gelleral. Mar-Apr 1971. But Geary's
system of hidden movement rules is too time-
consuming for face-to-face play, complicated, and
requires unlearning large parts of the standard
Panzerblitz rules.
In contrast, the refereed-hidden-movement rules
below were developed with emphasis on simplicity
and playability in face-to-face play. As for realism,
the players are put in the real position of modern
combatants: the enemy is usually unseen. But you
must still fire and maneuver against his probable
position.
VISIBILITY RULES: There are three sources of
information given to the players: ordinary
visibility, fire, and movement.
Ordillary visibility:
a. Only undispersed units can see, unless specif-
ically excepted below. They can only see what
they could fire on under the standard Panzerblitz
ntles.
OFFICIATING: The referee tells the players what
they can see and combat results on their own units.
He calculates odds and rolls the die but reveals the
combat results (or lack of visible results). He keeps
track of movement, and makes the game work.
*
* Point-Value
S2
halftracks
wagons
truCKS
SOVIETS:
?
KV85
Cavalry
CP
SUI52
JS3
JSU122
SU76
SU85
SUIOO
T34/85
T34c
Unit
Aslt Gun:
INF:
ARTY:
TO's:
TRNSPT:
Tanks:
~
. . . ,
. ~ .
.....-..,.,.., " ;,.." .. -
,pO
"SMG
*
* Points shown are for units equipped with 2 SU85s and
I SUI 52; second figure shown if for units equipped with
2 SUlOOs and ISUI52.
** Can be achieved only when using two sets of counters.
* CP's are worth 5 only when used under Indirect Fire
rules. If no Indirect Fire rules are used, or if the
Experimental IF rules are used, CPOs are worth 1 point.
*
.!I!:::
'iIF
PANZERBLITZ UNIT POINT-VALUES:
Platoon and Company level
PANZERBLITZ UNIT POINT-VALUES:
Battalion, Regiment, and Brigade level
PointValue
mm
mm mar ar
Unit
50mm AntiTank
20ml11/Quad AA
150mm hwtzr
GERMANS:
88111111 AT
120mm mortar
75mm owitzer
AMOCARS:
INF:
dI!:
;'IF
ARTY:
TRANSPT:
SPArly:
Ash Guns:
TO's
TANKS:
::W.
;'IF
GERMANS:
* Point totals are for PzIV/pzV.equipped units
** Point totals are for StG/Hetzer.equipped units
+ Unit OB exceeds available counters for one set. First
point total is optimumpointtotal if sufficient counters are
available; second figure is if unit OB is filled within
limitations of one sel of counters.
The unil must be filled to the maximum possible; in
PANZERNACHT two sets of counters are always avail
able.
~ l f ' "
I
'PzG
~ 1 1 1
="!;s
'PzG
CD
20
PANZERBLITZ
by Ian L. Straus
3. Outpost lines and reconnaissance become
useful, as they are in reality.
EXAMPLE OF PLAY:
Given this situation on the number..-one board segment at the beginning of the Russian's turn: German sees the SU-152; Russian sees nothing.
but his rifle company had heard the rifle platoon's 1
4
type weapons firing last turn:
Russian fires at the rifle platoon's square with the SU-152 and T34c. That is 46 factors (halving the T34 for the soft target); halved because
Russian is firing uphill :: 23. Halved yet again because the square is observed but not spotted, ::11. The referee calculates odds of 11; rolls the
die and gets a 2 (add 1 for the forest and it's a 3), Dispersal. He inverts the rifle platoon counter and tells German that H- and A-type fire hit
there and the SU-152 fired, but Russian is nOt told of the dispersal.
Next, Russian moves his rifle company to 1-L-6 and close assaults the rifle platoon's square; moves the T34/85 to lM-4. End of movement.
The referee tells Russian he can't get to 1-M-4 and places the T34 company on 1-L-4. He rolls the close assault (odds are 58:: 121. Die roll
is 1; and 1 for the forest and subtract 2 for the CA. and you get DD: German platoon destroyed.
The referee tells German he can see the T34/85 and the SU-152; and since the SGIII is next to the destroyed infantry. announces that it was
destroyed by Close Assault. The Russian is told that he destroyed the infantry platoon and that he can see the SGIII.
German suspects the location of the Russian infantry. but has no identification. He marks the suspected location with a unit counter and
intends to mortar that square in his turn.
7. Lower defensive troop densities are practical.
In view of (6) above, you should balance the
situations by weakening the defender.
You have seen that there is no referee's control
board. Control boards double playing time, since
every unit must be moved twice; but in return for
this boring slowness they only give marginal help
to the referee. Since speed is a major component of
playability (and since you get away with it in
Panzerblitz; and you can't with, say, a Blitzkrieg)
forget the control board.
8. Mines become fearsome. Normally you
should value them at 10 Oleson points; but if they
are invisible they are worth 25.
4. It is dangerous to send your assaulting
infantry in on trucks.
6. I n normal Panzerblitz a 2-1 advantage
(measured by the Oleson point system - see The
General. May-June 1971) is sufficient for victory.
Playing blind, you need 3-1 or better.
5. You can fire an artillery preparation before
an attack. You can also fire counterbattery fires.
b. When units cannot move as far as ordered,
for whatever reason, they move as far as they can
and then pile up. Exception: If units move onto a
minefield, only the first unit moves on unless the
units are specifically ordered onto the mines.
c. The referee does not indicate blockage of
movement until the movement turn is over. He
then rearranges Attacker's units to allow for the
blockage.
COMMENTS:
2. The armor of armored vehicles seems to
become more important.
When you play Panzerblitz blind, you are not
quite playing the same game. The spotting rule is
partly cancelled: which is reasonable, since t ~
ongll1al spottll1g rule was a compromise between
realism and the two-player game. It turns out that
most changes are toward realism. A few tactical
hints are appropriate:
I. Antitank guns (formerly worthless) suddenly
become valuable because you can ambush.
MOVEMENT:
a. Any unit may fire on any square in LOS.
Units capable of indirect fire do not need LOS.
b. When units fire on unspotted targets, their
attack factors are cut: (I) by Yz if the target square
is in LOS but not spotted. (2) to Ii. for targets
neither in LOS of the firing unit nor of an observer
("CP") unit. In addition, such unobserved fire
strikes any of Attacker's units in the 6 hexes
adjacent to the target hex. (Explanation: with no
one adjusting it, this fire may be off target, hitting
friendlies; and being shelled by your own guns is
demoralizing. This rule also keeps people honest
about not using optional indirect fire.)
c. Indirect fire directed by observer units
("CP") is observed fire, just as if the firing unit had
LOS.
d. Mines "fire" automatically at the beginning
of fire.
e. In unspotted hexes all units combine in
defense: Only combination attack is used.
f. If odds are less than 1-4 or if there is no unit
in a target area, the referee should avoid giving the
attacker that information and should roll the die
anyhow.
Results of movement:
a. Units moving Yz their Movement Factor in
view of. or moving at all next to, an undispersed
hostile unit - will be reported to the hostile
player.
b. Tracked velucles may be heard moving at a
range of 4 squares, counting forest and slope
squares double. Direction is given but range is not.
FIRING:
Results of fire:
a. Attacker is told of motorized uni ts destroyed
in Line Of Sight (they burn); of dispersals of units
adjacent to his (he gains fire superiority); and of
destruction of visible units.
b. Defender is told of any fall of shot (of
non-I-type weapons) in his Line Of Sight (LOS).
c. Defender is told the general type of any
enemy units firing 2 squares away in LOS (their
firing draws attention to them).
d. When Ius units are fired on, Defender learns
the type(s) of fire if (I) The unit survives, even
with a dispersal; or (2) there are adjacent friendly
units.
b. Minefields are invisible. Obstacles (blocks)
and fortifications can be seen as if they are troop
units.
a. Units are moved individually along indicated
routes.
21
CHOPPERBLITZ
HELICOPTERS IN PANZERBLITZ
by Phil Kosnett
A Panzergrenadier battalion with armored support,
along with one Helicopter battalion enter on West
edge.
14 A 8 15 M20
o C 0 14 A 5
.. 110 1",.,
......
8"'t,," a 2 9' 0
5 20 8 20
GERMAN FORCES
, r
7
7
3
1
2
6
1&
I 2 3
- - -
1
2
18
1
3
1
4
9
2
GERMAN HELICOPTER INSERTION/AR-
MORED ASSAULT (22/6/41). In the initial
attack, Helicopter companies were landed in front
of the panzer divisions to assist their breakthroughs.
Configuration
Ger. Map
moves first
Turn
10
the U.S. Army expects to make greater use of
helicopters for conventional combat in any future
high-intensity war. That is why there are two
airmobile divisions stationed in Germany.) The
major drawback to the use of helicopters is that they
cannot be successfully used unless there is friendly
local air superiority. Therefore these scenarios only
extend until 1943, when the Luftwaffe lost any
chance of even air paril.!' at Kursk.
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Decisive: Fewer than ten Russian units destroyed.
Substantive: Fewer than fifteen. Marginal: Fewer
than twenty.
6 1 9 3
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Decisive: Clear a path eight hexes wide free of
Russian units from east to west edge, plus exit eight
tanks or halftracks off east edge. Substantive: Plus
six tanks or HT's. Marginal: Plus four tanks.
5 I 4 a I 1 <!4 M20 0 & 0 0 & 0
C8J C8J
121i11
---

16 1 12m 1 2 9' 0 1':'if 12 1 3
*RUSSIAN FORCES
One Rifle and One Cavalry regiment set up on
Boards One or Two.
10 I 3 7 A 3 2 M 12 3 H 10 3 M12

1
19
15:1:
111
1'!1I0
11 mil
3110
3 ., 1
2 " 0
3 .4 1
4 H10 3 12 3 I 6 2 &(1) 4 0 & 0

111

--
IIIrt
1 " 0
3 81 1 8 f
1 12
SCENARIOS
Unfortunately. there are no historical scenarios
showing the uses of helicopters in World War II, so
we'll have to make due with hypothetical situations
showing how they prohab!y would have been used.
For this, I have borrowed heavily from U.S.
doctrine. which defines the role of heliborne troops
as ,'erri<'a! enve!opmenr. Vertical envelopment
means making commando raids in the enemy rear,
dropping in front of advancing friendly ground
forces to assist their progress, taking key terrain
features by surprise and holding them until reached
by ground forces, and moving quickly to troubled
sectors to delay advancing enemy forces. (In the
only war fought in which helicopters were widely
used, Vietnam, vertical envelopment usually meant
search and destroy sweeps and rescue missions. But
COMBAT RESULTS
'X' destroys the Helicopter and any passenger.
'0' means that the Helicopter cannot fire next turn,
but it may move; the pilots are worried more about
getting out of the way or moving toward their
objective than returning fire. 'DO' result means that
the Helicopter may not fire next turn and may not
move next turn; the Helicopter is immediately
placed at High Level. This represents the pilots
evading fire by moving vertically out of range. '0' or
'DO' results scored against Helicopters at Ground
Level prevent the Helicopter from loading or lifting
off. Helicopters. being unarmored. do not become
Wrecks.
FACING
By now you're probably wondering how you're
going to keep track of Level and dispersion state
without paperwork. The best way is to face the
units: towards the Northeast means High Level;
East means High Level dispersed; Southeast means
High Level special dispersed; Southwest means Low
Level; West means Low Level dispersed; Northwest
means Ground Level; Northwest inverted means
Ground Level dispersed. It's easier than it sounds,
and much better than paperwork. Just be sure both
players know what the facings mean.
TRANSPORT
Utility Helicopters may carry infantry units in
the same manner as trucks. They may nol carry
artillery units. To load, the Helicopter spends a full
turn at Ground Level in the same hex as the
infantry. To unload. the Helicopter moves to
Ground Level and the infantry dismounts.
STACKING
An unlimited number of Helicopters may
occupy High or Low Level airspace. Helicopters at
Ground Level count against the normal German
stacking limit of three.
MG units (at normal range). or by tanks, tank
destroyers. and assault guns. All tanks, TDs, and
AGs attack Helicopters with a strength of '4', to a
range of four hexes. This strength represents the
12.7mm MG sometimes turret-mounted on the
vehicles. (True. they were seldom available, but the
Soviets need some AA capability or the Helicopters
would be invulnerable.) Helicopters at Ground
Level are treated as normal soft targets with a OF of
'I '. The only time artillery can attack Helicopters is
when they are at Ground Level. Helicopters at
Ground Level may be attacked by close assault or
overrun. When firing at a Helicopter at either Low
or High Level. terrain is ignored; this is because the
Helicopter is above the terrain.
COMBAT
Attack Helicopter units represent five vehicles
armed with two twenty millimeter cannon. Utility
Helicopters are unarmed. The Attack Helicopters
may only fire their weapons while at Low Level.
Helicopters may spot and fire over woods and hills
while at High or Low Level. but may only spot into
woods or town hexes if they are at Low Level,
adjacent to the hex. Helicopters may spot for
friendly ground units. The Attack Helicopter's
weapons are treated as normal 'A' weapons,
doubled when firing at half range or less. Helicop-
ters may move up to five hexes on a turn they fire
their weapons.
Helicopters at High Level can be attacked only
by 12.7mm MG units; the range of the MG is cut to
four hexes due to the problems of elevation.
Helicopters at Low Level may be attacked normally
by infantry, cavalry. and halftrack units, by 12.7mm
RULES: MOVEMENT
Helicopter units (both Utility and Attack) have
twenty Movement Points. It costs Helicopters one
MP to enter any hex; i.e., they ignore the effects of
terrain. Helicopters can be at either of three levels.
At High Level. units may move over enemy units. At
Low Level, units may not move over enemy units
(buzzing the enemy in such a fashion would be
foolhardy). At Ground Level, units may not move.
Movement between levels costs four MPs, and
landing (moving to Ground Level) costs ten M Ps.
Units may land only in all clear terrain hexes.
The helicopter was invented in the early 1930's,
but few people-especially in the military-took it
seriously. It was just too ugly, too clumsy looking-
and how could you ever mount weapons on
anything so fragile') Apparently these men forgot
that the airplane had once been slow. fragile, and
clumsy. In any event. no country had an organized
program to develop military helicopters. The only
use of a helicopter in World War II (to my
knowledge) was a single British chopper which
evacuated casualties in Burma-one man at a time.
BUI. what if things had been different? Postulate:
In 1935 Hitler hears of a new kind of aircraft being
developed by an American named Sikorsky. Hitler,
the first sponsor of h!ilzkrieg tanks and planes. is
eager to add the helicopter to Germany's arsenal.
Goering takes the Fuehrer's pet project under his
wing. ever eager to gain favor. By 1938, the
Luftwaffe has test-flown helicopters which can
carry ten heavily armed men into battle, and tank-
buster copters armed with twin 20mm cannon have
shown their worth in secret trials. Still, Goering
considers the copters unnecessary. just like the jets
that have been tested. After all, the war is only going
to last a few months. So when the Wehrmacht
charges into Poland, there are no helicopters
overhead.
Twenty-one months later, however, the situa-
tion has radically changed. Crete had shown that the
Luftwaffe's gliders and paratroops were too
vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. Perhaps the long
forgotten helicopters could bring back to Germany
the vertical envelopment capability lost over Crete.
And Fa!! Barharossa was only three weeks a-
way ... A furious construction program is undertak-
en. dozens of utility and tank-buster copters being
cranked out of factories in Schweinfurt and
Regensburg. General Kurt Student's XI Air Corps
paras (those who were left after Crete) undergo a
crash course in helicopter tactics. When the
Wehrmacht crosses into the Soviet Union. three
helicopter battalions are with them.
22
on on 3QI1:- 2
3 3 3 3
In Grabyoslr On 2W6'
*RUSSIAN FORCES
12 , 6
5 I 4 0 e 0 3 II 12
e5
-
"l..
9 ';jIll
16 1 12 3 .. 1
6
12
12
9
3
4
6
1
1
1
3
3
12 , 8
15' 12
16 , 12 14 , 8
..- ..- ..
at

12'':'''' 8

2
2
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
5 I 4
8 I 1 0 e 0 2 II 12
-
l19
" 1111
16 \'11' 1 12 1 1 12
3 " 1
Enter north side of Board One:
Marginal: Destroy 15 Russian units. Substantive:
Destroy 20 units. Decisi e: Destroy 40 units.
GERMAN FORCES
, r
9 3 8 2
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Marginal: Have six units left on Board Three.
Substantive: Have 10 units left. Dccisive: Have 20
units left.
3 II 12 13' 6 6 I 3 o C 0
14 A 5
Ill

In _
N
3 8' 1
2 J2 0 8ml
40"32 20'20
2 em 4 0 e 0 3 I 8
... ;\ ... ... .....
5 8 4 ''.\W'10 l'lll' 12 8 ',': 1
6 3
5
9
2
6
3
5 I 4 6 I 5 0 e 0
..
16 1 18 1 1 12
@
3 II 12 3 I 1
1l1l! .. n!..

2 ., 0
3 '"' 1
4 1

6 5
6 I 6
X
o e 0

-
2 , 0 1 12
18
Enter on any map edge:
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Marginal: Destroy ien German units. Substantive:
Destroy fifteen units. including three Helicopters.
Decisive: Destroy twenty units.
*RUSSIAN FORCES
Deploy on Hill 132:
2 2 __4
Enter on East edge on I urn 5'
GERMAN FORCES
;wr
OCo 14 A 5
3 I 8 3 I 4
6.1. 3

IffiJ
[8J
5 20 8
8 'lllI 1 10 113 1 6 \:J 1
o e 0
-
1 12
12 , 5
9 9
2
8 I 1
12 1
2
In Golod:
1&
2 I 3
- -
3
o e 0
-
12
3
In Bednost:
.
10 I 3 5 I 4 0 e 0

16 1 1 3
lituatioo#2
Ger,.
moves irS!
Turn
8
GERMAN HELICOPTER RAID (Sept. 1941).
Intelligence had learned that a high level staff
conference was being held near the front. Heliborne
troops were detached to kill or capture generals.
Receive 2 points for each infantry unit destroyed. 3
points for each helicopter destroyed.
0 C 0 14 A 5
3 I 6 6 I 3

I2j I2j
5 20 8 20
8 1
6 1
GERMAN FORCES
, r
Receive I point for each infantry or artillery unit
destroyed. 3 points for each armor unit destroyed. 8
points for each recon unit destroyed. (Recon units
represent gcnerals and bodyguard.)
4
3
Rus ,.
moves irS!
Turn
10
3
17
2
3 2
4
2
8
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE (August. 1943). To delay
the Russian counterattacks after Kursk. it was
necessary fa" the Germans to rely upon fast recon
units and helicopters.
Situatiol#5
-I I MI
6 I 6 3 II 12 7
, 3 2 C(I) 1
o C 0
llt.. 121m. ..J...
.-. ..
2,0
3 89 1 3 IJ 0

1 '=12
..
-
12 , 6 15 , 8 14 , 8 8 I 1 5 I 4
e5 ........
g'J;' 11
12 12m 1 16 1
*RUSSIAN FORCES
Russians enter on south edge of Board Two
4 6 4
7 , 3
12' 5
X
..J...

3 13 0 2 J6 0
GERMAN ARMORED ASSAULT (KURSK
CAMPAIGN). NORTHERN PINCER (12/7/43).
The weak pincer ran into trouble and called for the
airmobile troops to dig out the AT guns.
Situatiol#'
I MI
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Marginal: Destroy three mortars. Substantive:
Destroy six mortars. Decisive: Destroy six mortars
and lose less than four Helicopters.
On Board Two. cannot enter Board Three until
Germans do:
*RUSSIAN
Ger
f
On Board I:
12
6 12
3 2 I
-
6 18
Enter on anyone map edge:
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
litualioo#3
Ger,.
moves irS!
Turn
12
12 , 6 12 , 5 14 , 8
40" 10
e5 ........
---
11
9 9 12 11 16 7
GERMA HELICOPTER ASSAULT (.lune.
1942). A Russian Fort Complex had proven
invulnerable to Luftwaffe attacks. and the artillery
within had been very successful in aiding Russian
infantry holding a line to the east. Helicopters were
called in.
12 2 2 2
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Destroy H or more German units for Marginal.
Substantive: Destroy 15 or more. Decisive: Destroy
20 or more.
23
Marginal: 25 or fewer Russian units on Board
Three. Suhstantive: 15 or fewer. Decisive: 10 or less.
14 A 12 A 8 2 em 4 2 H 4

....... ... ..
3"':'3':"16
RESCU EMISSION (Septemher, 1943). A German
infantry force was trapped on a small hill hehind
Russian lines. A Helicopter force was sent to hring
them out.
Enter Tum Three on west edge:
/9. 5 20
18
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Decisive: Exit 15 Infantry units off west edge.
Suhstantive: Exit ID. Marginal: Exit 6.
COMMENTARY
If these Helicopters seem slow, rememher that
they aren't jet-powered. The inability of the
Helicopters to land on hilltops will cause problems,
especially in Situations #3 and #6. If you wish to
convert this system to Pan::erLeac!er. be sure to give
the copters to the Allies-the Germans could never
contest the airspace with sufficient certainty to
commit Helicopters. And feel free to change these
situations: you should use the Realspace Line-of-
Sight rule with them.
o C 0 o C 0 o C 0 o C 0
.... .... .... ....
5 20 5 20 5 20 5 20
14 A 5 14 A 5 14 A 5 14 A 5

8 20 8 20 8 20 8 20
2
4
o C 0
1 12
4
6 I 5

2 Enter Two tn south
5 I 4 2 C(I) 1 0 C 0 3 I 1
...
1 2"','j:'10 1':l!f12 4 1
15 2
6 .. 6 3
hd
2
Enter I um One on nor! e ge:
Set up on Hill 132:
6 6
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Enter Tum One on east edge:
Decisive: Destroy 2D German units. Suhstantive:
Destroy 15. Marginal: Destroy 10.
3 I 6 3 M 12 0 e 0 6 I 3
11111111 f/!hrr
8 1
3 B3 1 1 3
6 1
.!I!. GERMAN FORCES
;rr
12 A 6 8 I 1 2 e(l) 1
0 e 0 6 J 6
-.5 ...
9 I,'Ja' 11 12 ',:; 1
1 12 2 I 0
*RUSSIAN FORCES
1
1
3
6
1&
3 2
J
- -
-
2
2
1
9
1
Rus f'
moves list
Turn
8
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
=a= GERMAN FORCES
;rr
Germans set up on Board Two or Three.
4OH32 2OA20
0 e 0 3 J 6 3 M 12
6!
,*-
....

'1lmm
5 ":r.' 8 1 41 0
1 12 8 1 3 R3 1
by Tom Oleson
Panzerblitz Situation 13
The general enthusiasm for Panzerblitz seems
tempered by criticism of the situations provided.
This is easily remedied, since inherent in the
game is scope for variants limited only by the
ingenuity of the gamer. Here are the rules for a
situation I've found to be well-balanced, and
amply supplied with that nail-biting tension so
essential to wargaming pleasure! Moreover, the 12
units on each side for which no situation is
provided can be used.
Each player has 1000 points from which to
select his combat force. Each unit has its own
point total, arrived at as follows:
L Tanks and tank destroyers
Add the sum of all four factors, for example:
16 AF (attack factor)
12 RF (range of factor)
12 OF (defense factor)
10 MF (movement factor)
50 points = I Panther tank unit
Other examples would be 52 points for a
Joseph Stalin III tank unit, or 54 for Tiger lIs.
Therefore, with the 1000 points provided, one
could select, just as an example, all 12 Panthers
(12 x 50 = 600 points), plus 400 points-worth of
other units.
2, Assault guns
These are all "H" (howitzer) class weapons,
able to employ their full attack factor against
armored vehicles only at \I, range. Moreover, some
of the "H" class weapons, such as the Russian
SU-152, are quite "expensive" (high in point
value). For this reason, count only Y2 their range,
for example:
40 AF
5 RF (\I, of 10)
16 OF
7 MF
68 points = I SU-152 unit
Another example would be 33 points for the
German Wirbelwind.
3. German self-propelled artillery
Treat it just the same as assault guns, for
example, Hummel = 86. Even so, these units are
expensive when one has only 1000 points to spend.
4. German armored cars
Treat the two types with an armor-piercing gun
just as tanks, that is, add up all four factors. For
the SdKfz 234(1, which mounts a 20 mm
howitzer, take only Yz of the range. Examples:
28 points - Puma
23 points - SdKfz 234/1
5. Transport
Wagons = 4.
For trLicks, add together the OF (1) with
one-half the MF (6), for a total point value of 7.
Once off roads, trucks are so hampered by terrain
that their value is excessive if full MF is counted.
Half-tracks also cost too much if all 4 factors are
added. Since there is no way they can attack any
armored target, or each other, and since they can
not use close assault, do not count either AF or
RF:
OAF
oRF
4 OF
10MF
14 point value of a German halftrack unit
(Russians = 12).
6. Russian cavalry
Like infantry, cavalry are most effective using
CAT. Therefore, the range of 3 is of little practical
benefit over a range of just I.
lOAF
I RF (not 3)
8 OF
I MF (not 3)
21 points for a cavalry squadron.
7. CP's = I point.
8. Infantry
As explained above, the extra range which some
of these units have is seldom used, and therefore
would handicap them unfairly. So, consider all to
have a Range Factor = I, and add that with the
other 3 factors:
26 points - Russian guards company
9 points - German security platoon
9. Towed guns
These units suffer from 3 defects: a nominal
Defense Factor, little or no mobility, and in some
cases, an Attack Factor so negligible that you think
they must be throwing rocks at the enemy I
Therefore, I've found that it works well to count
only Yz of the AF and the RF, adding it to the OF,
such as it is, and the MF, if any. For example:
lYz AF
6 RF
3 OF
24
I MF
II Y, - Russian 82mm (horse-drawn) mortars.
A German "88" costs 21 points. Lest you think
this makes guns too cheap, repeat my experiment
of taking 70 units - mostly trucks and guns - and
watch a much smaller (in number of units) force
chew them up!
Victory conditions
That player wins who has the most units on the
center board at the end of the 12th turn. Equal
numbers would mean a tie. In order to equalize the
difference between Russian and German forces, an
alternative is to play two games, the winner being
the player having the most units on the center
board, considering both games. For example, if I
am Russians in Game I, and at the end have 3 units
less than you, but then, with sides reversed, in
Game II, I have only 2 units more than you, you
would win by I unit. This isn't necessary, however,
to have a very close, hard-fought contest. There are
no "shades" of victory, as in the other Panzerblitz
situations. With the exception of an equal number
of units at the end (rather unlikely), there is always
a winner and a loser.
Sequence of play
Each player selects his army, taking 40 or 50
units, or whatever he chooses, for a total of not
more than 1000 points, as explained above.
Speaking from the experience of a number of
games using this system, I have found that a
well-balanced force comprising units of all types is
best. This will usually total 45-55 units. Neither I
nor my adversaries have done well either with a
small but powerful force, or a very large force, but
I'm willing to be proven wrong!
Only after making their selections do the players
reveal what they have chosen; no fair changing
then' Since the player with less units must be the
aggressor, he enters first. In case of a tie, Russians
enter first.
Terrain
A very experienced war-gamer once told me that
he would relish a game in which he would not have
that intimate familiarity with the terrain that
comes after you'd played it many times. To
achieve this element of surprise, I suggest a random
determination of the board configuration, to be
made only after each force is chosen. This also puts
a premium on a balanced force, capable of fighting
it out on board I, 2, or 3. Nor need the center
board be one of those 3. It can be a combination
of half of one board abutted with half of another,
with the 3rd board joined in a symmetrical way.
A die can be rolled to determine the jux-
taposition of each board with the others. Chance
can also determine the opposite coordinates from
which the contending forces enter, to meet head
on in combat for possession of that center board!
The ideal situation is to have just one unit less than
your opponent, so you get the advantage of
entering first without having to kill too many units
to catch up.
A final word: one of the beauties of Panzerblitz
is its infinite expandability. I personally enjoy this
situation 13 even more when several extra board
sections are added next to the center board. The
rules can remain the same, but there is more room
for maneuver. &
Tom followed up on his Situation 13 theme in
(he verr next issue o(rhe GENERA L (Vol. 8. No.2)
,ri(h (he following:
More Panzerblitz Variants
by Tom Oleson
In the May-J une issue of The General, I sug-
gested a system for giving each unit a relative
weight, making possible a contest between equal
forces. Many other situations are possible, and here
area few:
13Y,. Time did not permit a few corrections to
situation 13 -
a. Obviously, in order to make the con-
tested center board something new by matching up
halves of any two of boards I, 2, and 3, while still
retaining a symmetrical lay-out, it will be necessary
to use more than 3 boards. Although I personally
prefer novel board arrangements, I do not find it a
majority view, nor is it at all necessary for this
situation.
b. The reason for assigning cavalry a cost of
20 points (incorrectly totalled at 21 in the article)
is this: alone among all the units of low or no
mo bility, it cannot be transported. Therefore, if
calculated on the same basis as infantry, its value is
artificially high, and as one becomes familiar with
the game, cavalry is not used. So, count MF as only
I, for a total of 20.
c. When using the optional indirect fire rule
(optional, not experimental), count C.P.s not 1,
but 5.
d. Considering their CAT value, engineers
obviously have more combat strength than any
other infantry unit. To fairly reflect this, double
the Attack Factor. Thus, German engineers would
cost 18 points, Russian, 16.
14. "He who defends everything, defends noth-
ing." A maxim seldom heeded either by Hitler or
Stalin, when things were going bad. In the early
stages of the war, hundreds of thousands of
Russian troops were surrounded, sometimes when
timely retreat would've saved them. Later, partly
because of Hitler's fanatical aversion to retreat,
partly because the vast distances made a well-
defined front difficult, the Germans used hedge-
hogs - strongpoints ready to resist attack from any
side. This is the background of this situation.
Use the same point system as corrected above
(true of all the situations described here). The
defender is also allowed to use, anywhere on any
or all of the 3 boards, the 8 bunkers, 12 road-
blocks, and I I mine fields supplied with the game.
To man these defenses, the defender has 500
points from which to choose his force, the attacker
1000.
The defender sets up first, anywhere on any or
all 3 boards. The attacker moves first, entering at
any point on the edge of any board but the center
board. Nor must he enter aJl his forces in one
place; they may be spread out in any fashion he
chooses, so long as all are brought on during his
first turn.
Note that the defender moves last. This is to
prevent the attacker from "hiding" throughout the
game, then rushing onto the center board at the
last moment. It would work if the attacker moved
last.
And for this same reason it has been suggested
to me that in situation 13 the attacker (that force
with less units) should not be obliged to move first,
but should have the option of moving first, or last.
It's an interesting idea.
To return to situation 14, although the defender
may set-up anywhere he wishes, the contest, as in
13, is for mastery of the center board. The winner
is that player having the most pieces on it at the
end of the 12th and final turn, NOT counting
bunkers, road-blocks, or mines.
IS. Board configuration: numbers vertical (like
situations 7 or 8), random juxtaposition.
Defender gets 500 points plus 4 bunkers, 6
blocks, 6 mines, all of which he sets up first
anywhere on any or all or the 3 boards.
Attacker gets 1000 points and moves first,
entering aJl forces on the initial turn anywhere on
the left edge of the left board.
25
Victory condition: attacker must pass through
the center board to the right hand board, because
he wins by having more units on the board, not
counting bunkers, blocks, or mines. Note: although
the defender sets up anywhere, only those units
which he has on the center board at the end count
towards victory.
All of these situations last 12 turns.
16. Board configuration: numbers horizontal
(like situations 3 or 4), random, as usual.
The defender gets 500 points - that's it.
Attacker, 1000.
Sequence of play: attacker enters first on far
left edge of left board (left and right die figured
vis-a-vis the defender's side). Defender enters
thereafter, at anyone point (one only) on either
edge of the center board. Needless to say, an
external edge, and only one, not both! In all of
these situations, all forces must enter immedi-
ately.
Victor - that player having more units at
game's end on the right-hand board.
A comment on play-balance: situation 13
seems quite even, despite the German stacking
advantage. The only way to achieve such a
dependable balance in situations 14, 15, and 16 is
to playa set of two games, like a race run in two
hea ts, the winner being the player with the better
total both games considered. If this is done, it is
a good idea for both players to select both their
forces in advance, so that the lessons learned in
the fITst game won't unfairly influence the
second. Personally, I dislike this play balance
solution, but there are so many' different board
combinations, not to mention the infinite number
of forces which can be selected on a 500 or 1000
point basis, that it is difficult to be sure that
500/1 000 is the right ratio. The defender's view
of 500 points as an adequate force depends a
great deal on which board he is defending, and
the units he and his opponent have picked!
<9
COMMANDER'S NOTE BOOK
Analyzing the 12 Scenarios by Bob Harmon
y
In analyzing PANZERBLlTZ, a warga mer has
a unique challenge-he must approach each
scenario as an individual entity. True, the tactics
and rules are common to all; nonetheless, the
differences in orders of battle, and especially in
objectives, is telling. Some scenarios might possibly
be mastered; the game itself never runs out of
surprises.
The most important consideration, of course, is
the objective: know what you want and strike for it!
HOll' you achieve it, of course, depends on the
orders of battle-what you do will depend on what
your force is capable of doing, and what the enemy
is able to do to you. Thus, any discussion of strategy
and tactics in PA NZERBLITZ must deal with each
situation in turn.
WHITE RUSSIA:
(Note: this and all subsequent discussions are on the
revised situations-in # I the German signal units
and forts must go on the summit hexes on hills 132
and 129, and a third hex no closer than three hexes
from either of the other two.)
,
I
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Situation 1: The suggested German defense is illustrated.
Numbers represent actual unit designations; X = blocks; 0 =
mines; CP =Command Post; and a :: forts. Numbers inside a box
represent units inside the fort.
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: The objectives
for both sides solely concern German casualties,
particularly to the signal units. Terrain objectives
and Russian casualties are of minor importance. It
is incumbent on the German player to protect his
forces as best he can.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The Russian force
has limited mobility and firepower, but at close
range can be deadly. The Germans have a mass of
infantry and some antitank capability, but individu-
al units are weak; the German force has no mobility
whatsoever.
German forces break down roughly into two
groups: infantry and artillery. The artillery is
unusually powerful for a force this size-but is
susceptible to selective attack; unless placed in
towns or forts, the artillery can be picked off by
gunfire from Russian dismounted troops. As
always, the artillery must be protected by infantry.
German infantry is a major but underestimated
strength. Combined with artillery in town hexes, it
can provide defensive strength; when massed,
infantry can be effective both with gunfire and CAT.
Conservation offorces, of course, is only slightly
less important than protecting the German signal
units. The forts provided can prove to be good
strongpoints, and havens for artillery (since the
forts already have strong defense factors, infantry is
of little use there and should not be placed inside,
which would waste their defensive benefits.)
The Russian force must act as a team. The 'A'-
class weapons-mainly the AFYs-have just
enough for a 2-1 on a fort at close range, as well as
the ability to deal with town hexes. But it is the
infantry and cavalry that must follow up the AFY
fire to ensure destruction of the enemy. In any event,
firepower is limited, and so is time: the Russians
must get to the enemy quickly, and engage him-
particularly the signal units, the main objective.
The two main elements in the Russian force
consist of eight units: the AFYs and the cavalry; all
other units are expendable but they aren't. The
cavalry must particularly be kept away from
German infantry fire-merely dispersing some
cavalry for a few turns will serve the Germans well.
Wherever the cavalry and AFY are focused, it will
be up to the SMGs and light artillery to keep the
Germans busy.
TERRAIN ANALYSIS AND DEPLOY-
MENT: Two German forts are on two different
hills; the third should support one or the other, and
the other units should be divided between them,
with the majority supporting the two companion
forts. Setup #1 indicates a defense with twin forts in
the south, and the entire force defending the two. If
a third fort is to be placed in the south, it can either
be buried in the woods at 2Q3, Q4, or Q5, or as
shown; anywhere else puts it in the open or too far
away. (A less viable alternative would be to put the
third fort in support of Hill 129, placing it at H4 or
E8, but that would split the defense into two
groups-three if Kolkhoz 69 is involved-rendering
mutual support difficult and exposing some artill-
ery.)
The idea here, as any consideration should be in
# I is mass-concentrating the infantry and throw-
ing Hill 129 to the wolves. The obstacles block key
roads and slow the Russians down; the mines are
used to deny access to key positions (this use of
obstacles and mines should apply to any situation in
which they are used). If the Russians go for Hill 129,
they will have to take time redeploying (leaving their
carts and artillery behind in the bargain); ifthey go
after Hill 132, the other fort would be safe (Note:
any Germans left on Hill 129 would have been
wasted. (Salient lesson: determine your objective
and concentrate everything on it! The mission
comes first, whatever the price; don't waste units
26
doing secondary tasks-in every situation, deploy
and move every unit, every time, with a de.finite
purpose in mind.)
Assuming that the Germans do put most of their
units in or around Bednost, the best Russian
approach is from the south-quick, direct, and
accessible to the slow-moving cavalry. The Russian
must always consider 2X7 and W7 as key hexes for
opening the assault-they provide the best cover
and the easiest approach. In any event the Russians
must go for the largest cluster of German units-the
main consideration is eliminating as many Germans
as quickly as possible. Going after scattered units
can be wasteful in terms of time.
FINAL COMMENTS: This situation is possi-
bly the most intriguing of all. As a simple and
straightforward scenario, it has introduced many
novices to the game, but can be bloody. In
competent hands, though, it is balanced-and
challenging; it also provides a look at cavalry
operations, a fascinating aspect of the Eastern
Front.
NIKOPOL (5/22/44):
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Binary. The.
Russians have only to place a unit 8, 12, or 18 hexes
from the north edge to gain victory; the Germans
must try to destroy at least 10 units of an infantry-
heavy force.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The Russian force is
predominantly infantry. There are only four
transport units and one AFY; since these are
important to Soviet objectives they will spend most
of their time trying to infiltrate German lines. The
infantry will have to walk. Russian artillery is
powerful-more so than German artillery for
once-and can range across most of the board.
The Germans have little of anything-the most
numerous forces are six AFY and 10transports, the
latter for blocking (but not Russian infantry!), the
former armed with the wrong weapons for opposing
infantry. They can what? Overrun? Ever try to
flatten an anthill with a flyswatter? Not much
artillery, either.
TERRAIN ANAYLSIS AND DEPLOY-
MENT: The Soviet forces advance in three
columns, across the width of the board. Board I can
be contested, perhaps board 2. Board 3 is indefensi-
ble north of Opustoschenia; its openness is only
advantageous to the Germans in that Russian
vehicles can't hide easily.
The German deployment instructions mean that
they have to come on boards I or 2 (not 3-the gap
between Zabvenia and Opustoschenia makes that
route unattractive). Board I is preferable-if the
Germans lose ar.y ground on # I to motorized
advance units they probably won't be able to take
much back.
A good idea would be to put the 120mm on or
near 205; it will have to cover both 2 and 3 but can
possibly disperse the head of each column, slowing
the trailing infantry somewhat. Two 81 mm's at 3Q6
will keep the Soviet Recon's on that board busy.
Prognosis: The German might be able to prevent
a Russian decisive; don't count on much else.
FINAL COMMENTS: "Do you expect me to
hold back the sea with my hands?"-Napoleon, at
Placenoit, 18 June 1815.
VYAZMA:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: The Russians
have only to maintain a coherent line; the Germans
must establish a corridor three hexes wide across it.
Fortunately, the revised scenario has the Russians
defending a line across all three boards.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: Similar to #2.
Although the PzIII's and 50mm's may be effective in
battering down strongpoints in towns, they're
almost useless against the heavy Russian companies
if the latter are in woods. With three rifle platoons
and little else, that's not much.
The Russian infantry has only to stand and hold.
There's not much artillery, but the A1's are good for
local (strongpoint) defense and the howitzers and
mortars are good for fulfilling the victory condi-
tions, especially if the Russians want to put a thin
second line of artillery across the north end of the
board. Two 82's and two 76.2mm field guns would
do it. Not much mobility but careful deployment
can offset the German advantage there.
ANALYSIS OF TERRAIN: The south ends of
all three boards are dreadful. The Russians can elect
to scatter all 13 companies across the area south of
row X and deny it to the Germans, putting the rifle
units at I BB3 and BB6; 2004, 005, 009 and
DDIO; and 3Z4 and Z5. Putting two SMGsand two
76.2 ATs in Uschas and two Guard companies and
more ATs on board 3 southwest of Zabvenia-with
a third Guard unit on a truck in reserve-and you've
completed a setup that makes you wonder why the
Germans did so well in 1941. Any setup on this
pattern will make the German player suggest a game
of MONOPOLY. Unless more Russian units 'go to
town' (and Uschas doesn't have to be held) the
Germans don't have much of a chance. Maybe if the
Russians base their defense on strongpoints in
towns ... after all, the 1941 war was not one of
direct assault but of bypass and isolation; the
Russian defenses shouldn't have to be so porous.
FINAL COMMENTS: Changing the deploy-
ment instructions so that the Russians are required
to place, initially, five units each in Opustoschenia
and Bednost, and two in Uschas, may balance the
situation. Experiment with it, anyway ... this
situation is different enough to be worth it.
MINSK:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Wildly vary-
ing. The Germans are required to keep the Russians
off board 3; the Russian objective is not board 3 but
the enemy. The German, therefore must stand and
fight on board 2, with inadequate forces, against an
enemy who has orders to devour him.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES:The German force is
quite novel-JgPzlV and the Nashorn make a
cameo appearance; artillery is unusually preponder-
ant in such a small force. The six most powerful
German units-the 88mm and the five AFVs-are
capable of hurling 244 factors at nearby armor.
Unfortunately, they are limited in that those 244
factors can't be divided any more than six ways-
against a mob of assault troops that's not enough.
Firepower is the German's sale asset. Low
defensive factors and a lack of infantry and tanks
mean that the German has no mass; he has
firepower and mobility but little else.
The Russian force is powerful in theassault-12
infantry companies and 12 AFV, including an
SU152. A mass transport is at hand, as is some
rather redundant light artillery. The sale weakness
in all this is the low number of AFV: 12 AFV,
instead of the usual 15-25 or so. If those get knocked
out the attack will slow down quickly, even with the
number of trucks at hand. Unfortunately, if the
Russian wants any kind of cross-country mobility,
at least II companies will have to ride on the AFV-
not that the Germans could stop them i/'theyattack
in une big mass. An attack of six AFV and six
dismounted infantry will be quickly annihilated-
but a dispersed attack of even' infantry unit
available, backed by the AFVs, will make things
hot.
DEPLOYMENT AND ANALYSIS OF TER-
RAIN: This situation narrows daVIn rapidly. Board
I is generally not used; since the Germans can't
expect to get away with overruns on turn I without
getting immolated in turn, then they have to get
ahead of the Russians and set up a defense, which
means that the crucial fighting will take place on
board 2 between the creekbed and the edge.
The whole scenario turns on two hexes: 2K4 and
2K6. If the Germans sacrifice two halftracks by
placing them there on turn I, the wreckage will close
the fords. A Russian countermeasure: on their own
turn I, the Soviets can put an unloaded truck at
2K4-it'1l just barely reach-to prevent a German
roadblock. The Germans can overrun and occupy
the hex, of course, but it would expose all three
halftracks-maybe more than that-and leave K6
open. (Since the Germans are offboard until the last
half of turn I. their firepower isn't operable on turn
I.)
An able Soviet player can swarm across the
creekbed anyway, and probably destroy anything
east of Kolkhoz 69. As the situation stands, the
difference is between overwhelming and total
Russian victory, as the Germans can't give up board
2 without a fight.
(Of course, the Germans can enter on 2-A I and
run for board I, hoping for a draw. But since the
Russians can move their AFVs 22 hexes down the
road each turn, the Germans might be outrun-and
that's hardly a 'delaying action', but at least they
can't threaten to 'transfer you to the Eastern Front. ')
FINAL COMMENTS: The situation might be
balanced-change the German victory conditions
to keeping the Russians off the No. I board; the
whole idea of delaying action is to trade space for
time. according to U5 Army doctrine-why require
the delaying force to stand and fight? Note: A draw
or even a German marginal victory is possible as was
proved by Richard Plock in Vol. 12, NO.2 of the
General.
LUTEZH BRIDGEHEAD:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Although this
scenario is described as a 'reconnaissance in force,' it
is actually a raid. The Germans have to infiltrate a
Soviet defensive line, leave the board to take out an
objective, then return the same way. The Russians
must prevent this.
If you subtract the three turns that the Germans
must spend off-board, the game is actually not 12
but nine turns long, in effect. Not as long as it would
seem.
RAIN: Getting there is the whole game-the
Germans must avoid combat as it can only delay
them. As setup #5 indicates, the Russians can ignore
most of the northern half of board I. As long as
access to the Uschas road is closed, that part of the
map-undefended-can frustrate the Germans.
The woods are major obstacles. The Russian
infantry can stand and hold them, or hide behind
hexsides if the artillery gets nasty. And, the long
stretches are themselves impassable. As the setup is
oriented, the Germans have three narrow axes of
advance: across the north, along the Hill 104-126
ridge (slow and exposed), or right across Hills 109
and 135, provoking time-consuming combat.
27
Situation 5: Numbers represent actual unit designations; x:::
blocks: 0 0 mines: R 0 Rifle: So SMG: T 0 Truck: W =Wagon: A =
SU 76; any combination of two equals a carrier/passenger
status.
Obstacle counters are important, but care must
be taken to keep the enemy Engineer unit away from
the mines. One mine forces the Germans to avoid
IA4 and stay on the ridge where the 122mm can see
them. Another mine closes the road through the
marshes; two others close key access routes. The
blocks are more tactical-they free the rifle units for
other duties. The gap at PIO can be filled by mobile
units if necessary-and access by one or two hexes is
risky for the enemy with the artillery looking on.
This defense is not the 'only' way-moving the
blocks to 152, P5, 05, K4, J4, and V6, moving a'
minefield to L5, leaving the other minefields in their
present positions. and backing it up with a 120mm
and 122mm each on N5 and M4-and the entire
north and center is closed off; the infantry can all go
to the southern half of the board. The defense has an
easy task: it doesn't have to stop the Germans- it
merely has to slow them down. Coming and going.
FINAL COMMENT: This scenario is like the
'Stalingrad' game-German chances for victory
depend on what the Russian player allows them to
get away with.
DNIEPER RIVER (28/11/43):
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Straightfor-
ward. The Russians must force their way through
the enemy: losses are important but take a back seat
to the need to gain yardage. The Germans must
trade space for time. and make the enemy pay an
additional price in blood as well.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: A study in oppo-
sites. The Russian force has mass and a direct-
assault capability-it has an advantage in numbers.
durability. and close-in hitting power. Not enough
firepower to stop the Russians in their iracks. but
enough to gouge big chunks out of the onslaught.
The Russian force is big-it's T34s alone can
generally push the Germans back merely by
intimidation. But there is not much infantry-six
S MGs and some recon units-and a lot of time will
be wasted in loading and unloading them. The
Russians should not unload SMGs unless he is sure
they will either force a German evacuation or
actually destroy a unit. The somewhat-redundant
45's and recon units can always serve to dislodge
German units without much risk.
The T34s serve a double purpose in that they are
better transport than what the Russians get-
mostly trucks, with all the attendant movement
problems. Better to follow a Soviet tradition and
keep the infantry on the AFV.
The German force cannot afford to stand and
fight until the final turns. A prime requirement is to
hold the Russians back. but not to stick around for
the inevitable retaliation. One simple means of
doing this is to use the loaded halftracks as blocking
units-line them up and close every approach, then
withdraw a hex or two when the enemy gets close,
the artillery and armor harassing the deployed
Russians. As long as the Germans can keep a lot of
halftracks in the enemy's way, the Russians will
have to keep redeploying and taking losses, IF the
German can keep all the gaps plugged.
One important note: The German should never
allow his units to receive fire or CAT-even at 1-3.
One Dispersed result and that unit will be eaten
raw. A retreat is always preferable to defeat-it is
better to pull back units to stand fast elsewhere, than
lose them and have nothing to meet future
emergencies. This is one scenario where the German
can take no chances. All gaps must be filled, all
contingencies anticipated, all avenues of approach
covered by fire.
The overall situation revolves around the SU 152
units-the sole Soviet long-range units. As long as
the Russians have them, the German must keep his
own artillery under cover. With the SU's gone, the
Germans can dominate the board. If the SU 152sare
ever exposed, the Germans would be well-advised to
concentrate everything on them. The Russian player
should never expose those units to SPA or
concentrated fire. They can be used to force key
positions-from behind green hex-sides-as they
are well able to survive fire from individual units.
But they must never be left in the open.
RAIN: The Germans have the difficult terrain on
board I in which to stall the Russians. Sooner or
later the Soviets will get to board 2, but if they can be
kept off until turn 6 or 7 they probably won't get to
board 3. The German must use the blocking terrain
available, mainly by filling in the holes with
halftracks.
The German initial setup and first move allows
the German player to cover the # I board as far east
as the R row. From 2A8 and B8, the German must
cover I R3 and R9 at the very least. These cover the
two initial Russian approaches, which will be
termed the 'south' and 'north' roads respectively.
The South road is difficult to cover initially-the
Germans can get no further than R3. With the
Russians capable of getting to S2 on turn I, t h ~ e is
little the Germans can do in turn 2-unless the
Russians forget to put an AFV force at SI,covering
the gap at P3. A German line on P3, Q3. and R4 or
Q4 would close that approach for another turn, as
long as the rear was covered at P5. (Putting the
Panther unit at R3 on turn 1 might cause trouble if
the Russians had an all-AFV force approaching-a
'D' would close the square to following units-but if
infantry were unloaded nearby it wouldn't be worth
il.)
The North road must be carefully-defended-a
force at the R9 vicinity must also have units at Q9,
P8. and 08 if it is not to be bypassed and cut off by a
Soviet advance over the hill. Later defenses must
cover the slopes and top of Hill 135 as well if the
Russians are to be kept from swarming into the rear.
One special note on artillery positions. Hill 126
is a protected position, but not too good for artillery
as it has limited fields of fire, and poor observation
into the woods east of Hill 104; those woods are
especially important for a turn-to-turn delaying
action about turn 3-4. Oddly enough, the best
artillery position is atop Hill 104-as long as the
SUI52sare kept at bay. With the SPAson Hill 104,
German gunners can look right down the north
valley and the South road. With the 88 and 120 in
supplementary positions on Hill 126, the Germans
can cover everything-until the SU 152s arrive at
I K6. Which is why the Germans shouldn't unload
any dismounted artillery on 104-or let exposed
S U152s escape unpunished. (Of course, you could
put a CP on 104, but that means lowered
effectiveness against a predominantly-armored
force-check the WEe. Direct fire is better.)
What was said about the Germans, is true in
converse for the Soviet player. Any holes the
Germans leave must be exploited-penetrate,
envelop, destroy. Push the Germans if they'll run,
crush them if they stand: but avoid losses unless they
can be traded off for enemy units-on a one-for-one
basis the Germans will suffer as they cannot afford
any losses, tactically or in terms of their mission.
Stay under cover otherwise-and use SMGs to
threaten CATs on stubborn units (but be sure to
keep two SMG companies loaded up at all times-
don't overcommit them as there'll always be a need
further down the road. The trucks can always pick
up what the tanks dump 01'1'.)
FINAL COMMENTS: Incompetent hands, the
game is surprisingly balanced. #6 is fast-moving and
demands much ingenuity-but is never, never dull.
It is mobility, and not set-piece combat, that will
carry the day and guarantee an entertaining game as
well. Since its revision (in which AH confiscated the
Germans' mines and blocks), #6 is probably the
finest scenario in PANZERBLITZ.
KIEV (23/11/43):
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Diverging.
Ostensibly, the side with the most units on board 2
wins-which is another way of saying that the
objective for both players is tactical control of the #2
board. But the Russian player, with 50 units to the
German's 32, has only to occupy board 2-the
outnumbered German player must attack savagely
if he is to have any chance of victory.
28
RAIN: The revision 01'#7 required both sides to stay
in column and follow Route 61 at 12 hexes/turn
until contact-which means that instead of the Sovs
getting the entire plateau immediately, the Germans
at least get much of the woods and west slopes of
Hill 132. As control of the road-junction will
determine tactical control of much of the game, it is
at Bednost that the Germans must strike.
Hill 135 provides excellent fire-support
positions-again, as in #6, the Germans must use
SPA direct-fire against a tank-heavy force. Much of
the plateau itself is open and lends itself to
overruns-which makes the woods and town on
Hill 132 vital. Woe betide the player who deploys in
the open first-for with the preponderant armor
available, overruns can rapidly turn Hill 132 into a
smoking ruin. If either side leaves a town or wood
hex vacant-particularly those on or south of the R
row-it should be grabbed by the opposing player.
The peculiar deployment instructions mean that
the Germans break column first on turn 3, with most
of the Russian force still strung out along the road.
The German must grab everything open-
particularly the wood and town hexes just south of
Route 61. Turns 3 and 4 will determine the entire
game.
Therefore: with the limited number of German
units available, it is VITAL for the German player
to take every unit he has and hurl it onto the plateau
on those two turns, leaving only the SPAs to
support. Too many German players I've seen have
piddled their forces away on probes toward the
north and south. The principles of unity of effort,
mass, and objective require that all units be involved
in one main effort-either assaulting, in reserve (few
as possible), or supporting (SPAs, 120).
The German must hit hard, with everything. The
SPAs aren't THE decisive factor-the massed fire
of all 16 'A'-class AFV is: at close range, the AFVs
have 450 faclors-not counting the AT guns-as
compared to the artillery's 115.
For both sides, the game is the utmost test of a
player's tactical skill-but ruthlessness is the
decisive factor, all other things being equal.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: Similar in makeup.
Other than # I0, this is the only scenario in which
both sides have an armored, mobile force. Other
than in numbers the only disparity is in artillery-
the two S U152s being outclassed by the range and
slightly-higher firepower of German SPAs. The
requirement of deploying dismounted troops from
transport (rather than T-34s) means that the
Russian will have a lot of trucks and halftracks in his
way, which could affect casualties and the game.
The German player should be mindful of Road
Movement rules D and E-and watch his opponent
like a hawk; for once, it is not a good idea to spend
your opponent's move reading through old Gener-
als while he can practice slight-of-hand. The serious
#7 player must not only be ruthless but a perfect
SOB.
For once, the light artillery on both sides is not
fated to aimlessly trail the assault. In a stand-up
fight like this the AT guns are vital-albeit
expendable-additions, and should not be camp-
followers as is often done in #4, 6, 9, II, or 12. Even
the 12.7mm has its uses if German infantry or 75s
are present.
Both sides should use their assault guns-mainly
the StG's and SU85s-to gain and hold key
positions, as their defense factors make them useful
in this respect. They should hold kep places in the
march-order, preceded only by the more potent
Panthers and T-34/85s. The T-34c's and the pzlVs
should be kept out of as much danger as can be
helped, particularly the latter as one T-34c at close
range can get a 3-1 on a PzIV.
FINAL COMMENTS: Between competent
players, 7 can be an exciting situation, even though
unbalanced. But for both players, particularly the
German, it is a supreme contest of will, requiring
ruthlessness, determination, and a degree of moral
courage.
Situation 8: Numbers represent unit designations of heavy
guns. X :: blocks; 0:: mines; CP:: Command Post; R :: Rifle; G ::
Guard; S = SMG; A = SUS5; Re = Recon. The 4 S2mm Mortars
outside M4 and 07 actually occupy those hexes. but are on top of
instead of inside the forts.
KORSUN POCKET:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVE: Basically sim-
ple. must attempt to break through a
positional defense and get off the board; the
Russians must either prevent this or destroy much
of the enemy if he does break through. Simpler than
that: killing a German unit effectively prevents its
stopping a German breakthrough
altogether will prevent victory.
Of course, the German player can sit on board 2
and refuse a fight-and get a draw automatically, as
the Russians can do in # 12. But, unlike # 12, the
German has an encircled force, and is at least
morally compelled to attack.
RAIN: Deployment is a simple proposition: the
Russians have a virtually-immobile force. If the
Russian player sets up an unbroken line of
obstacles, and deploys his immense forces properly,
he will probably win. But if he leaves any
weakness-anywhere-he will lose.
The US Army lists 10 fundamentals of defense.
Four of these are applicable here: proper use of
terrain, integration and coordination of defensive
measures (particularly mines and blocks as related
to fire planning), mutual support, and flexibility (of
firepower; this principle incorporates the first three
fundamentals). Despite the lack of mobility, each
sector need not be on its own with an interlocking,
mutually-supporting defense. Not all forces will be
able to fire even one shot in anger against a
concentrated German attack-but intelligent de-
ployment, and careful planning of fields of fire will
maximize a defense.
With the lack of transport, defense in depth is
impossible, so the Russian player must revert to the
Soviet doctrine of an all-or-nothing linear defense.
With the conspicuous exception of the S U85s, every
unit must be on the front lines-with nothing held
back. If the Germans break through, the Russians
have had it anyway.
Setup #8 illustrates a tested defense. With
German engineer units on the loose, minefields must
be carefully guarded-preferably placed in the
open. The mines near Hill 104 and Uschas are so
placed as to keep the engineers away-or in exposed
positions. The minefields around the front of Hill
135 serve to keep the mines under the full protection
of Soviet artillery-the mines in turn protecting the
artillery. (The blocks can take care of themselves-
the German can't waste time crossing them.
Nonetheless, all are under fire-the one at I P4
neatly closes off the road and the P5 gap; the block
at A4 is covered by the fort on Hill 126. Two 76.2's
can engage anything there-B4 is visible from Hill
135 (see TET).
The infantry is a formidible block north of Hill
135-the Germans must cross broken (and often
exposed) terrain, to face a solid line of infantry. The
infantry cannot only attack, but shift laterally; not
very fast, but each turn the line shifts adds one more
reinforcement to the holding force. And, the
infantry both north and south of Hill 135 can fall
back behind the hexsides.
Note the peculiar arrangement near Uschas. The
fort on IAA9 closes the road (that's a swamp hex
next door, and road movement must be followed
until reaching passable terrain), and the fort at X8
can't even be touched by SPA artillery, unless it
moves next door and takes its lumps.
Above all, the artillery is sited so as to cover
every route through the line. Only the forest north of
135 is approachable-and that is impassable as well.
Buttressed by sustained, fierce infantry counterat-
tacks, the line will hold.
Once again, the German player must concen-
trate his effort. His engineers will probably be able
to open only one hex-even if the Russian is careless
there will probably be no more than one hole.
Concentration of force will ensure that a) there is a
greater chance for breakthrough, and b) that if
breakthrough occurs, most or all units will be able
to exploit it.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The heart of the
Soviet defense is its heavy artillery--the I20's and
122's. These must be both protected and in a
position to cover everything. This is further
'restricted by the fact that the CP's have only 4 hexes'
leeway from the 120s. The CPs can be five hexes
apart-the length of Hill 13j-if the 120s are in
between. Good use of the CPs can increase Soviet
firepower immeasurably.
29
If artillery is the heart of the Russian defense, the
infantry is its shield and sword. The infantry can
hold most positions-but if it is to avoid SPA fire it
must disperse any adjacent units, which it can do.
Russian infantry must attack energetically and
often -if only to disperse the enemy. Time is
valuable and each '0' result buys much more of it.
The forts provide good shields for the artillery
(the infantry. as in # I, don't especially need it.)
Placed on hilltops, they are especially hard to
destroy (but placing them on Hills 123, 130, 127, or
104 is neither advisable or useful).
The two S U85s provide flexibility and a limited
mobility. They can greatly supplement a position-
as added artillery. But they are neither a bona-fide
'tank' force, nor a panacea for mistakes in
deployment. The SU85s are important but not
decisive, and should not be overestimated.
The most important part of the German effort
are the two Engineer platoons-everything else is
more or less expendable, individually. The SPAs
can be left behind to support the breakout from the
hills of board 2; the infantry can be unloaded with
the Engineers to protect them from CAT charges-
and both units can be left behind when and if their
job is completed and the mines removed.
The ubiquitous StuH.42 can be useful at close
range-as an armored H-c1ass gun it can deal with
infantry; its defense factor is also suitable for
protecting the engineers. The GW.38 is less useful in
this respect-it is more properly regarded as a
scaled-down, direct-fire SPA; good for support, but
not as an assault gun.
The mortars should not be unloaded if it means
risking their safe departure. Every unit will count
after breakthrough-the mortars and their trans-
port add up to no less than 10 units-I /3 of the basic
German objective.
FINAL COMMENTS: This scenario is right
out of the textbooks-a beautiful study of the
defense. It is one of the best situations-and rather
nun-balanced. Unless the Russian player is extreme-
ly competent, neither side can justifiably claim a
biased or unbalanced situation. An observant
player can quickly produce the unexpected.
STALINO:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Dual. The
Russians must traverse a German blocking position
and get off the board, and take a gouge out of the
enemy in the process. The Germans must stall the
Russians if they can, and destroy as much of them as
they can. The basic objective, of course, is survival
for the Germans, as they are the weaker force; the
Soviets cannot win merely by bypassing them.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The Soviet force is
not as mobile as it should be, but is certainly
powerful. Although there is not as much armor as
usual for a Russian attack force, there is a strong
infantry force, with SU 152s available to provide
backup. The only inherent disadvantage in all this
strength is that most of it must be remounted later
and carted off, sharply limiting Russian time. The
Russian artillery is largely useless, and even the 120s
should not be dismounted unless absolutely neces-
sary.
The Russians have a severe disadvantage in
transport, which has several disadvantages despite
the copious numbers available. None of it.is very
well-protected, and the trucks have poor mobility. If
the Germans maintain control of the road junction
at Bednost, the trucks will have to go cross-
country-which will mean being exposed at times.
The German force is uniformly weak-there are
two 120s and a 150mm available, but are liinited in
mobility and usefulness. As in # I, the infantry is a
viable force only when gathered in one large lump.
M
N
g,
8 . ~
Situation 9: The presentation symbols established earlier are in
use again.
The light artillery is useful in picking off Russian
transport (or tank-carried infantry-even Guard
units can be destroyed by one 81 mm that way), and
the Engineers and 75s add strength to local defenses.
With Russian time limited as it is, the German
should strive for '0' results rather than destruction
of Sov units-particularly considering the weakness
of his own units. A lot of I-I sand 2-1 s are better
than a few 3-1 sand 4-1 s-dispersing a Russian unit
is easier, prevents it from killing German units
and! or spotting, and wastes a turn out of the few the
Russian player has. The exception to this maxim, of
course, is loaded Russian transport-which should
be immolated on sight; of only slightly less
importance is the infantry's transport-destroying
them may just chain the infantry to the board.
Sooner or later, the Russians are going to have to re-
mount-and at that point the Germans should cut
loose with anything they have left.
That is the key to the situation-the Russian
must see to it that the German can't hit back when
time comes to leave-the German must hold out for
the intervening 6-8 turns.
RAIN: The German has neither the transport nor
numbers to hold a wide front as in #8 or #12-so
defense in depth (limited) is forced mainly because
of the delicate nature of the regimental artillery.
Besides, if the Germans spread out and attempt to
physically stop the Russians, they'll get run over-
and with little ability to hit back, given German
firepower weaknesses. As in # I, the only solution is
to mass on a major terrain feature--Bednost.
Holding the junction will slow the enemy down
measurably.
Setup #9 illustrates a centralized German
defense. The obstacles serve a three-fold purpose-
protecting the position from a frontal attack,
denying key or adjacent hexes to the enemy, and
closing off the entire mountain to Russian transport
units. Other than the attack force, Russian
transport will have to bypass the mountain
entirely-no hope of punching through' Wherever
they go, they'll be exposed at least part of the time.
The German artillery on 2Q I is ready to be
deployed to IQ7 on turn I, to cover the rear of the
town, as well as most of board 2. The trucks and
other units seen at 2P I and Q I will be deployed
along Route 61, the three infantry at 109, PIO, and
QIO, a wagon at R9, and the trucks beyond L7 by
turn 2. Various light artillery covers the northern
approach.
The town is mainly oriented to defend the more-
open rear, with both 75s facing to the rear, and the
infantry available to defend in either direction.
Getting on or off Hill 132 will be difficult for the
enemy, with obstacles scattered around the slopes.
The topography of Hill 132 is already so well-
known that little more comment is needed.
FINAL COMMENTS: Deployment and selec-
tion of attacks put heavy demands on the German
player-offset by the equally strong demand for
continued Russian mobility. A situation demanding
finesse.
PROCHOROVKA:
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Heavy empha-
sis on the Russian status. The German commander's
mission is to destroy Russian units; the Russian
player's mission is to maintain forces on board 3.
Which means, basically, that the Russians have
every encouragement to dig in-a defensive mission
for a numerically superior force.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: Both forces are
roughly similar. The Russians have 24 AFV vs. 21
for the Germans, plus 3 SPA. Each side has credible
amount of infantry-although the Russians' 57
attack factors to the Germans' 18 in this category
means that the Russian infantry alone is capable of
more than just spotting. In addition, the Russians
have an initial holding force of six 76.2mm AT
batteries.
Given the open country of board 3, it is AFV
that will be decisive. The Russians have an edge in
numbers (the SPAs are not 'front-line', in that they
can't overrun or take punishment), in mobility--
important where overruns are possible, and in
defense factors (236-226, counting the SPAs). This
last is offset by the German advantage in basic
firepower-476-348. However, the weakness of the
PzlV defense factors mean that 112 factors of this is
somewhat vulnerable (as compared to the 110
factors of the less-vulnerable Panthers and Tigers).
And, the fact that the Russians can go on the
defensive will give them the first shot.
RAIN: With the Germans entering on the far end of
board I (revised version), and the Russians only
having to stay on any part of board 3, the imperative
for action rests on the German. As long as any two
AT guns are combined, even the best German AFV
(12 OF) must hazard a 4-1. And one wreck on the
main road will scotch things good. Not to mention
the passive blocking value of the six trucks,
imitating the German role in #6.
Theoretically, the best German approach would
be to take out the AT guns with infantry. But that
would take one turn to clear the road only if a) the
infantry cleared the road by gunfire at the start of
the turn, rather than by CAT at the end, although
30
the latter is more reliable, and b) if the ATs didn't
disperse an infantry unit or two in the process,
delaying it. If the German player uses infantry to
clear away ATs, I will assume he is astute enough to
keep his units off the road, avoiding a mess of
dispersed infantry and wrecked transport that
would block it up just as well as any Russian unit.
\\
Situation 10: Trucks are rep.resented bya small "t"; SU85's bya
'T'; and Su76'5 by "SU" "A" 0 a T34C.
Then there's board 3. Once the Germans emerge,
the Russians have only to set up in a defensive
posture, as setup # Iindicates. The Sovs don't have
to try and drive the enemy off the board-all they
have to do is sit there, and maybe move the irucks
and camp-followers in at the end of turn 12 to claim
victory.
It's up to the Germans to forcibly take the board
away, but how') Move up next to the Russians and
spot them, that's how. Unfortunately, board 3 is
wide-open for overruns. Russian tanks have 12
factors each, as compared to the 12 OF on the better
German AFVs. Three T-34s can knock off a
Panther, Tiger, or StG before the Germans can
shoot back-and if the dead units were trying to
spot the hex the T-34s disappeared into, that's just
too bad'
The Germans have some options of course-
against a defense such as this, the first spotting units
can be something expendable, like infantry or
mortars-anything. The SPAs can support at a
distance; other mobile units can block up enough
hexes to prevent easy overruns. In fact, the Germans
can advance behind Hill 107 as long as they can
control the reverse (north) slopes between 319 and
F8-otherwise the Russians can counterattack
without worrying about the SPAs (usually In
Opustochenia by then).
Whatever their actions, the German attack in
open country must be stacked no more than one
unit/ hex, if any units are to have a hope of exacting
revenge. The Russians can less afford losses than the
Germans, but they can inflict paralyzing casualties
unless the Germans are careful.
One note on Setup #IO-all positions can be
reached in one turn of movement. A more-
adventurous player can put two SU 152's at 313 and
three recons and one 82mm in Opustoschenia, to
delay the Germans some more-and extort some
early casualties. The Opustoschenia force should
have one unit on each hex, with the transport being
evacuated the next turn.
FINAL COMMENTS: Against an equal player,
the German has little chance of victory, given the
adverse terrain. Besides, in the original campaign
(as in most circumstances involving armored-
reserves) the release of Gen. Yatutin's reserves
produced a savage Russian counterattack in the
Prochorovka-Belgorod sector.
To reflect this-and balance the
of the following should be adopted:
I) eliminate board I the Soviet 26th AT
Bde-entirely, starting the Germans on the west end
of board 3 on turn 3, credited with six destroyed
Russian units.
2) give the Russians the same sort of victory
conditions as the Germans, to wit: Marginal-
destroy 15 Germans; Tactical-destroy 25;
Decisive-40.
3) add an entire motorized infantry battalion to
the German 0 B-and throw in an Stu H.42 as well.
BUCHACH (10/4/44)
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Coextensive.
The Germans win if they can batter a hole through
the Russian lines and hold ii-the Russians win if
they don't
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The Germans have
the largest armored force for any situation-31
AFY, plus II halftracks. Although the Germans
face an infantry force, they can batter down isolated
strongpoints, but not much more, however: which
means that the Germans will have to use mainly A-
class weapons (there are no CPs for the SPA units to
use) and the scant number of infantry (9 platoons-
against 13 Soviet companies-and as we all know,
German infantry is not, in itself, terribly powerful in
the attack, or as a part of one). The main German
assets are mobility and (limited) firepower: they can
,easily penetrate the Russian front-he hasn't
enough units to cover the entire front safely. The
German should NOT confuse his (admittedly-large)
numbers with strength, and attack the main Russian
force-rather, German planning should aim for the
weakest point on the Russian line. Besides, the
German objective is NOT the Russian force, but a
simple breakthrough-if the German player gets
carried away and tries to attack, say, the road
junction at IQ9, he will quickly get bogged down if
the Soviet player is even halfway competent.
German tank units can't make much headway
against Guard units'
In this light, we must examine the Soviet force.
He has an adequate amount of infantry-IO
companies, not counting the Recon units-not
enough to hold a line as in #8, but, given mobility,
quite useful. Considering the fact that the only
major artillery backing this up is a single 120mm,
the Russians simply can't make a do-or-die stand
along the entire board. A key principle of any
defense is mutual support-there are a lot of AT
guns, but those are suitable for local positions, as
are the 12.7 and 82mm units. And 4 T-34/85s are
useful only for support-any other use of them in
the face of the German armored horde, and they've
had it. Obviously the Russians can't satisfactorily
defend.
So, there's only one thing to do: attack!
Of course, delaying actions in the face of the
German advance shouldn't be neglected, if for no
other reason than to keep them busy. But the
Russians have an unusual amount of mobility
available. And, once the Germans near their
objective of a 3-hex-wide path across the board, it
will be Iher who will have to defend-with a line
extending the way across three boards, with an
understrength infantry battalion and no AT guns
available. (Not much good for anything else-and
German armor isn't terribly good at static defense).
The key to the game is not whether the Russians
should try to stop the mistake many
novices try to accomplish-but whether the Ger-
mans can maintain their ill-gotten gains against an
enemy who can keep a reserve behind a delaying
screen and strike at will.
Make no mistake: the Russian force has a good
mix of transport, light artillery, and powerful
infantry units. As long as they avoid the main
German force, they can take and hold ground. It is
entirely up to the Russian player to seize the
initiative, and put the German player on the
defensive.
ANALYSIS OF TERRAIN: Board I gives the
Russian player even more reason not to rely on a
linear defense. The west slope of Hill 135 is not a
very good firing position, with poor visibility and
somewhat vulnerable to direct attack; Hill 126 is
even less suitable. With the Uschas-Bednost road so
close to the Germans, and only broken terrain
behind it, the entire northern half of the board is
hardly defensible. Other than a delaying force in
Uschas, and a small force north of Hill 123 to deny
that road to the Germans, the Russians shouldn't try
to hold up in the north.
About the only really defensible position facing
the enemy is the road junction at IQ9. As long as an
initial screen of recon, MG, and/or 82mm units
keep the Germans in the open long enough for the
120mm and the T-34s to get some shots in, the
position can probably hold out for a while, if the
Russians send in some infantry. In any event, the
Russians should post a 120mmand at least one T-34
on IQ7 to kecp the SPAs honest, because they have
terrain problems all their own.
The German heavy artillery-I 80 factors of it,
counting the GW38-needs to fire direct, owing to
the shortage of CPs (unless the German is
unsporting enough to use the Experimental Rules-
the Russian player shouldn't allow it in that
situation or any other, except maybe #4, where it
would help, or #10, where it wouldn't mean much
anyway); few firing positions for the German
artillery are available, however. The ragged edge of
Hill 132 happens to be its blind side-unless the
German enjoys putting his artillery on open hill-
hexes, the only useful hexes are 2X7 and W7-
suitable only for covering an attack in the Adski
region. Hill 129 offers some useful positions for
either a northern or central approach, mainly the
latter-although Hill 129 does look down the entire
valley between Hills 135 and 109, the artillery would
take some time to reposition after the spearhead
turns the corner. In an 8-turn game, that could be
something of a disadvantage, especially since it
takes all of turn I and turn 2 to get to Hill 129
anyway. Besides, the S PAs are the biggest guarantee
against Russian mischief, so either way.
FINAL COMMENTS: This situation deserves a
lot more attention than it usually gets-and there's
more to it than meets the eye. The German can have
lots of fun playing with the numerous AFY he gets
(for once), but an aggressive Soviet player can show
him that numbers aren't everything. For either side,
the instrument of attack should not be a sledge-
hammer, but an ice-pick.
An excellent mobile situation.
NIKOPOL BRIDGEHEAD (20/11/43)
ANALYSIS OF OBJECTIVES: Basically
simple. The Russians must chop their way to board
3; the Germans must take a chunk out of them.
Comparable to #8 in that, given the defending
player's minimal mobility, the attacking force must
be stopped cold.
Of course, a crafty Russian player can simply
refuse to attack, automatically gaining a draw. But
31
Situation 12: The German long range artillery is not shown in
the defense as it occupies board 1; the Hummels at Q7, and the
Wespe's at AA9. The abbreviations are as used previously with
the addition of 5e :: Security and StG :: StG III.
Scott Moores
this is not sporting, nor is it realistic-any Soviet
commander attempting that would get his order
suddenly countermanded by his Political Officer's
revolver.
ANALYSIS OF FORCES: The German has 26
infantry units, including 3 engineer units. He also
has 120 factors of H/ M fire, not to mention 240
factors' worth of divisional artillery. He also has 19
blocks and mines to cover a 33-hex front, much of
which is closed to vehicles anyway. Because of all
this, and for reasons of terrain discussed later. the
German can put together a formidible defense. his
Championship Situations
The German and Russian objectives within each situation appear on separate pages to simulate the
conditions at Lake Geneva where neither player was informed of his opponent's objectives. During the
championship series, Situation No. I was not counted. Winners were determined from a point system in
which overall totals were gleaned from play of Situations No.2, NO.3 and NO.4.
Objective: Keep as many of the hill tops as possible on board one while holding hill
tops on boards two and three secondarily. Avoid excessive losses. Judging
will be by a point system. Keep track on a piece of paper of all hills lost and
all units lost and have your opponent ok it at the end of turn 10.
Forces: Set up on boards 1 and 2 only! 2 CPs, 2150 howitzers, 2 50mm AT, 3 road
blocks, 2 mines, 1 fortification, 4 rifle, 1 SMG, 3 trucks, 2 81 mm mortars,
3 M IV, 1 MV, 1 SG III. Russian to enter from north edge.
Note: enter losses of fighting units ON LY, do not count mines, road blocks
or trucks.
North
ITE
South
German - defense
::!I!:: Board Configuration
PANZERBLITZ Tournament Game NO.2

Time Limit: 12 turns
by Lenard Lakofka, President IFW
In the early 70's Len Lakofka was an influential ament at the 4th Annual Lake Geneva Convention
wargamer and one oj' the most prolific oj'It-riters oj' remain. In 1971, a new game was cause for
that era. This was hrought on at least in part hy his considerahle excitement and so large was the initial
role as President ofthe International Federation oj' following oj' PA NZERBLITZ that the convention
Wargaming. That organization, the ani.\' trulv that I'ear j'eatured it exclusivell'. We trust vou'll
national wargaming club to ever exist, has long enjOl: thisfirst atlempt at comp;tition
since ceased its acrivities, but these silUation 13'5 scenario desi[;n.
especialII' desi[;nedfor the PA NZERBLITZ tourn-
lack of mobile units notwithstanding. As long as he
pays attention to the principles of defense enumerat-
ed in the above discussion of #8, and considers
cover/concealment and sound fire planning, the
German player should be able to set up a strong line.
The Russian force is formidable on paper-25
infantry companies, backed up by lOA FV units and
256 H/ M-class factors, counting the S U152s. An
unfortunate weakness is a lack of transport-a total
of 22 units, much of it horse-drawn-not enough to
carry even the infantry. Of course, some of the
infantry can walk, and much of the artillery can
deploy on board 3 and sit there, but the less-essential
artillery will be useless, probably the AT guns-
unfortunate, as the AFV will have to batter down
forts and town hexes.
StilL the Russian force is powerfuL The
infantry-the main arm of attack, this scenario-is
fearsome, and hard to destroy; the artillery is readily
capable Of destroying any exposed German units.
Unfortunately, it is up to the German to make these
mistakes.
Main disadvantage to the Russians is the lack of
transport vis a vis the victory conditions. Assuming
the Russians do break through, and assuming that
all but 2 vehicle units survive, and assuming that all
but 2 vehicle units survive, and assuming that each
vehicle manages to carry a unit onto board 3
without trying to storm the German artillery
positions-under even those circumstances, the
Russians only have a slim hope of a tactical victory.
Essentially, considering the German victory condi-
tions, the Russian strategy must be geared to
breaking through-German casualties do not
(directly) affect the game's outcome.
Forces: 381 mm mort., 2 eng., 3 rifle, 3 SMG, 4 trucks, 4Y, tracks, 1 wirblewind, 2 SG
111,5 M IV, 2 M V, 1 M, VI b.
Objective: Enter on north edge of board one and move armor off of south edge of South
entire board configuration; keep track of units that have exited and Units
that have been lost. Do not count trucks or half tracks in either tabulation.
POINT SYSTEM (Victory Conditions)
Game NO.2: Give the Russian one point for each German infantry or armor unit destroyed plus these
points for hill tops captured by undispersed Russian units or through which the Russian
was the last to pass: 104,126,107 I point each; 129,132 2 pts. each; 109, 127, 130
3 pts. each; 135, 123 4 pts. each. Give the German one point for each Russian infantry
for armor unit destroyed. (do not count wagons, liz tracks, or trucks).
Decisive German victory: Russian with 6 pts. or less
Tactical German victory: Russian with 10 pts. or less
Marginal German victory: Russian with 15 pts. or less
Marginal Russian victory: Russian with 19 pts. or less
Tactical Russian victory: Russian with 23 pts. or less
Decisive Russian victory: Russian with 24 pts. or more
Set up on the far eastern two boards only. 6 rifle, 3 SMG, 1 120mm mort,
1 150mm how, 3 75mm AT, 1 Jgd pz IV, 2 Jgd pz V, 6 M IV, 2 M V,
1 M VI b.
North
tffij Board Configuration
German
German
North
2-
. 1. I _
Configuration
advance west if possible, otherwise hold a mobile defense keeping as much South
terrain with minimum losses. Keep track of all armor lost. Record the
position of each armor unit, not dispersed, on turn 12; i.e. record on which
board it is located (not grid number).
Forces:
PANZERBLITZ Tournament Game No.4
Objective:
Time Limit: 10 turns
Continued on Page 16, Column 3
RAIN: The German defensive considerations are
threefold. First, the German should try to block off
every hex across board 2, using the terrain, his
obstacles, and his units. As setup #12 indicates, this
is not difficult. Second, he should make sure that all
approaches are covered by fire, and all obstacles
covered by fire or potential CAT (as US Army
doctrine points out, no obstruction is an obstacle, if
not covered by fire); special attention should be
given to deployment of CPs and divisional
artillery--the latter shouldn't be too close, but it
would help if they could cover some turf with direct
fire. Third, the German player should try to keep
out of Russian artillery fire, keeping to reverse
slopes of hills and hexes behind woods (in the setup,
only hex 217 is really visible-and the only access is
thru H8-with 40 factors close by-and a CP.)
The German should NOT worry about whether
or not he can hit Soviet artillery. Board 3 allows
lousy deployment opportunities, and as long as
Soviet units aren't on Hill 107 (0) all the Germans
have to do is stay off the forward slope hexes
(especially 2X7 or W7-NEVER put a fort there)
and the Russians have to rely on direct assault.
A nasty version of this setup would be to put
four forts between 2D6 and G7, containing one
(expendable) unit each, leaving the blocks and
mines where they are, and putting the other German
units ANYWH ERE behind that line. Blowing those
forts would give the Russians a board that would be
thoroughly impassable to vehicular traffic.
As long as Hill 129 is covered from its reverse
slope (at least 8 infantry), it can block off the
Russians even without the drastic measures listed
above-as long as it is heavily covered by artillery.
Setup # 12 illustrates one means of this-although
the CP can't cover the ridgeline, all five 105/ 150mm
units can.
32
Objective: prevent German infiltration of this area and exiting from south edge of board.
Avoid excessive losses.
Forces: 2 engineers, 2 recon., 2 guards, 2 rifle, 6 wagons, 3 trucks, 2 SU 76, 2 SU 85,
2 SU 100,2 KV 85, 2 JSU 122,1 SU 152,1 T34/85. Russian may enter on
the two roads of the north edge of board three or the farthest west road on
board 1.
Objective: Capture as many hill tops as you can, give preference to the ones on board
one, but hills on boards 2 and 3 are of value. Keep track of each hill you
capture and of each unit you lose, for losses count fighting units only-
do not count trucks and wagons in the loss column. Your opponent is
keeping a similar list. At the end' of turn two compare lists. If there is any
argument as to hill ownership CALL A JUDGE! The specific point value of
hills is known only by the judge. Avoid excessive losses.
Game No.3: Russian points: one per German ARMOR unit destroyed or dispersed in turn no. 12.
German points: one per Russian ARMOR unit destroyed or dispersed in turn no. 12. 3 point
for each German armor unit off south edge of board.
Decisive German victory: German has 18 points or more
Tactical German victory: German has 13 points-I? points
Marginal German victory: German has 8 points-I 2 points
Marginal Russian victory: German has 3 points-? points
Tactical Russian victory: German with zero-2 points or Russian with 1-2 points
Decisive Russian victory: Russian with 3 or more points.
Game NO.4: German points: one point for each Russian ARMOR unit destroyed or dispersed in turn
no. 12. 5 points for each German armor unit on the far west board. 4 points for German
armor unit on the far west board no. I; 2 pts. each for German armor units on the eastern
board no. I.
Russian points: one point for each GERMAN ARMOR unit destroyed or dispersed in turn
no. 12; 4 points for each armor unit in far eastern board; 3 points for each armor unit in
eastern board no. I; 2 points for each armor unit in western board no. I.
The followill& modifICations are offered in order \0 make target xquiiilion 3 bit more The:
follo\O'ing diarl sives the rlIndom number or die roll for target a,quJ$.llion for nrioU$ f;1nIlC$ and
c:bsscsoftarget.
RANGE I 2 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 hexes
Class I ()'9 -4 -2 -) -I 0 ============
1-6)22 II
Classll 0-9 -8 -6 -5 -5 -4 -4 -3 -2 -2 -2 -I -I 0 =======
1-6-55-4-4-3-3-3-2-2-2 I II
(.1asslll 0-9_8_7_6_6_5_5_4_4-4_3_3_2_2_2_1_1_100
1_6_5_5_4_4_4_4_3_3_3_3_3_2_2_211 III
Class IV may be spotted at allY range
Class 1 targets are allY units in woods or towns. Class 1I targets are \'ehieu13.r units in
woods or towns and nonvehieular unil' in th" open. Class 111 targets are vehieular units in th" op"n.
Firing rnisesa target oncclassif]eat;on so Class IV targclsaN: vehicular units firing in the open.
As a confirmed "Panzerblitznik," Author
Bradie has felt all along that something should be
done to reduce the disproportionate advantages
of concealment inherent in the game's structure.
He includes here how to rectify this situation
withOUf introducing unnecessary complexities.
Does the Wespe commander think that 20 is, 2
ern cannon are just breezes sighing through the
foliage? Or the sound of 340 throats screaming,
"Urra!" the song of the Ukrainian cuckoo? Is our
commander hideously farsighted and misses 500m
that which he can spot at 8,000m? No, dear
friend, he is simply bound by the accepted rules
for concealment in Panzerblitz.
Panzerblitz
Concealment
by Peter R. Bradie
A gentle breeze ruffles the grasses on the
Kalmyk steppes, bringing a promise of clear
weather to the gunners of Wespe battery 621. The
battery commander calls out the coordinates to
the guns and brings down devastating fire on a
Soviet infantry company deployed along a dirt
track five miles away. Five hundred meters away,
in a small clump of scrub, two SU-152 Assault
Gun batteries with two Guards companies hang-
ing onto every projection are blazing away with
all available guntubes.
Russian
Russian attack
PANZERBLITZ Tournament Game NO.2
12 turns
Forces: Set up Board one only: 3 rifle, 1 SMG, 1 120mm mort., 2 76mm AT,
3 trucks, 2 T34/76, 1 T34/85. Board two only: 2 fortifications, 2 minefields,
2 guards, 1 120mm mortar, 2 SU 100,2% tracks. Keep track of all ARMOR
that you lose and all infantry units (including mortars and AT groups).
Russian
Range is measured from the nearest firing unit
to the target, or CP if used for target acquisition.
While "I" type weapons have no effect on
armour, their tracers are used for targeting.
Trucks and wagons, since they cannot put out
offensive fire, may only spot adjacent units. If
the spotting unit has a height advantage over the
target, I is subtracted from his die roll or random
number. Mixed class stacks are treated under
Weapon-to-Target Relationships, note A in the PB
rules.
Forces: Enter on all roads on far western edge. 2 57mm AT, 1 120mm mort,
1 122mm how, 2 engineers, 6 rifle, 2 guards, 4 wagons, 2 trucks, 2% tracks,
2 JSU 122,2 SU 100,6 T34/85, 2 JS 11,2 JS 111,2 KV 85, 2 SU 85.
Objective: push the German back to the far eastern board, or reduce total German armor
forces significantly with proportional losses. Keep track of each armor unit
lost, count JSU, SU, KV, JS, and T34 only. Keep track of each armor unit
that enters the far east panel and is still there at the end of turn 12 in fighting
position (not dispersed).
Only in Situation No.3 have we altered from
the original Lake Geneva script: here, it is
extended to 12 turns; and one Russian T34/85
has been added. Otherwise, you will be playing
exactly as if p/lrticipating in the Lake Geneva
championships.
Here is how each side fared during the cham-
pionships: Situation No.2 produced 4 Russian and
4 German winners; Situation No. 3 produced 3
Russian and I German winner; and Situation No.
4 produced I Russian and I German winner.
For readers interested in more complete details
on the championship series, and IFW information
in particular, I invite your continued correspond-
ence. 8
For example, let us consider an 88 bty at 2N3
and a Security pit at 2L8. A T34/85 co moves
onto the nose of Hill 129 at 217. Security fires to
spot for the 88; range 3, type II, odds 2: I. Die
roll is 5 (unlucky). Target is spotted but gunfire
has NO EFFECT (+1 for woods on CRT). The
T34 may now fire at the 88; range ?, class II
(raised from I by' muzzle flash), odds 4+: I. With
-I given by the height advantage, a roll of 1,2,3
or 4 will allow killing fire to be delivered.
This proposed addendum to normal assaults
should add greater mobility to the game by
reducing the overwhelming advantage of conceal-
ment, and greater emphasis to screening/recon-
naissance tactics.
33
Increm.ental
tree and gully, etc.) or Panzer BLITZ?
I ~ -
.. ~ ... :
by Andy Lavis, Tom Olson,
a-nd jim Snellen
PANZERBLI TZ, one of the most well-received
g'!mes in AH history, has at times been referred
to as Panzer-BUSH by some players. This is due
to the fact that enemy units can scurry around in
front of friendly positions with impunity by
moving from forest hex to forest hex or gully to
gully. The following is a very playable method
for reducing this effect to a minimum.
We've decided it's time to clue some of you
dedicated wargamers in on a fantastic, playable
adaptation of PB. We know it is playable, because
we've been using it exclusively, and extensively,
for a year now. We know it is learnable because
we've taught it to six of our friends. They all
agree that it makes PB truly realize its great
potential.
Our desire is for a simultaneously moved, yet
playable game. To do this, minimum movement
on each round is essential. We've broken each
turn of regular PB into 16 "increments." Accord-
ing to the chart below, units spread their move-
ment factors (MFs) evenly across the 16 incre-
ments. For example: scout cars move one hex
across open terrain each increment (they are our
base, and the reason for chosing 16 increments);
but, a Panther moves only on increments
1,2,4,6,7,9,10,12,14, and 15 - it still moves one
full hex each of these increments, but there are
only 10 opportunities to move in any given full
turn, as the normal MF would allow; likewise, a
T34c moves only on increments
1,2,4,5,7,8,9,11,12,14, and 15; a JgPz VI moves
only on increments 3,6,9,12,15; and so on. The
increments that each particular unit may move on
are hereafter called its "movement increments."
Along roads, units move at the rate of two
hexes per movement increment; any unit that has
entered a hex at road movement is considered to
be on the road. Consequently, no other unit may
enter that hex at road movement, although any
unit may enter it at normal movement rate,
modified according to terrain. If you wish, on the
subsequent MOVEMENT INCREMENT, the unit
may "pull off the road" (while physically remain-
ing in the same hex), allowing units behind it to
advance at road movement rate. This is especially
useful for advancing units quickly through a
column along road hexes. For example, if a JgPz
VI enters a road hex at road movement on
increment 12, a Panther may not enter the same
hex AT ROAD MOVEMENT on increment 14. If,
however, the JgPz VI spends another movement
increment on that road hex, increment 15, it may
be considered off the road and the Panther may
pass, also on increment 15, at road movement.
Hexes which require multiple MFs to enter
(slopes) or exit (gullies) are handled as follows:
move the counter to the new hex, put a piece of
paper on it with the number of the increment on
which it will arrive there. When the proper
increment arrives, remove the paper at the end of
the movement. We have found it convenient to
make up a set of counters labeled individually I
through 16 for this specific purpose. For ex-
ample, a Panther moves out of a gully to open
terrain on increment 2. It will arrive on incre-
ment 7. Move it onto the open terrain hex on
increment 2, place a marker labeled "7" on it,
and at the end of movement on increment 7
remove the marker.
If two opposing units both enter a hex on the
same increment, possession of the hex must be
settled before the game proceeds any further. The
two units (or groups of units) contesting the hex
fire at each other (no other units may participate
in this combat); each player then has the option
of withdrawing from the hex in the direction
34
from which he came, or continuing to contest the
hex. If both players continue to contest the hex,
then they repeat the procedure until one either
concedes and withdraws, or is destroyed. With
the exception of overruns, no unit may enter a
hex already occupied by an enemy unit. How-
ever, a unit may attempt to move into an
occupied hex in order to detect concealed units
or to occupy the hex if enemy units should move
out of it on the same movement increment.
Finally, it takes one movement increment for a
transport unit to load or unload passengers. For
example, a truck may load or unload units on
increments 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,13,14, and 15
only.
Fire is simulated as follows: there are five fire
increments - 4,7,10,13,16. No change in odds
computation is made, but it takes four "hits" to
kill a unit. An "X" on the normal chart is a full
hit, a "DO" is a half hit. When a unit is damaged
by fire and then close assaulted on the same fire
increment, the effects of the close assault are
raised - an "X" becomes I\12 hits, "DO" becomes
a full hit, and a "0" becomes a half hit. Records
of these hits must be kept, since hits are
cumulative. However, we have found it quite
easy, since generally you are only keeping track
of 3 or 4 units at anyone time. The unit
identification codes are used. All units which
have fire capability may fire on every fire
increment. Any unit which fires, however, must
give up its next movement increment (stationary
artillery gives up the next movement increment
of its transport). Finally, odds over 4-1 are
broken into the maximum number of 4-ls, with
the remainder forming the residual 3-1, 2-1, etc.
For example, a 15-1 becomes three 4-1 s and one
3-1; a 16-1 becomes four 4-1 's. This means units
can be, and often are, destroyed on one fire
increment.
THE ULTIMATE -
HIDDEN MOVEMENT
This system works best under hidden move-
ment conditions. Each player has a station in a
different place and has a board and his units. A
referee tells each player what he can see, using
common sense spotting rules. First, spotting
ranges are set - e.g., 15-10-5. The first number
indicates the maximum range at which a unit
may be seen. At this range one can detect
movement in the open. In the middle range
transport, tanks, and infantry (as well as howitz-
ers and guns) can be distinguished from each
other. The short range indicates where definite
identification is made. Units in a town, or the
woods, can be detected only when you are
adjacent. Obviously, hills and other obstacles as
defined in the basic PB rules block units from
sight. The LOS is best determined by using a
string from center to center. Outside of maxi-
mum ranges, no reports of movement are made at
all. Infantry and unarmoured guns, if they are
under cover, can be seen only if you attempt to
enter that hex, until then they are concealed.
Vehicles that are not dug in (see "DIG IN"
below), but are under cover (woods and towns)
cannot be spotted until an enemy unit is adjacent
to the hex. The spotting ranges can be adjusted
for each game - we've used 15-10-5, 12-8-4,
9-6-3, even 3-2-1. It changes the complexion of
the whole game.
MOVEMENT VARIANTS - Tanks and assault
guns may move thru a green hex side at a cost of
three MFs, but trucks, half-tracks, and armoured
cars may not penetrate a solid green hex side.
Slope movement is adjusted as follows: It cost
two MF's to enter and two MF's to leave a slope
hex. Movement between slope hexes costs 3 MF's
as always. Trucks, obviously, move all non-road
hexes at one additional MF - e.g., slope move-
ment for them is now 3 and 4 respectively; open
terrain costs two MFs. Trucks may not be used
to block the road to enemy tanks (if they try,
they are shoved aside).
DIG IN - A vehicle may "dig in" (conceal
itself) in towns and woods. It COStf; two incre-
ments (not MFs, just increments) to do this. An
enemy may only spot a dug-in unit by attempting
to enter that hex. Such concealed units are used
either for ambush or reconnaisance.
LINE OF FIRE (LOF) - a unit may not fire
through more than one Russian or two German
units when engaging targets with direct fire. Units
on slope or hilltop hexes may, of course, fire
over units that are below them. The sides of a
hex containing 2 Russian or 3 German units are
considered to be blocked hex sides in terms of
the LOS as measured from the center of the
firing unit's hex to the center of the target hex.
You can fire at a unit if you can trace an
unobstructed LOS to the target hex. In this case,
however, if the LOS passes along a blocked hex
side without passing through the blocked hex
itself, the LOS is considered to be unobstructed.
INDIRECT FIRE - is handled as optional PB
rules Indirect Fire and Experimental Indirect Fire
with a few exceptions. Any Russian unit except
empty trucks may perform the function of a CPo
Indirect fire onto a hill top hex is not halved. All
howitzer units can use indirect fire, at more than
half range. Mortars are always halved against
armoured targets since they always fire indirect.
They can fire indirect at any range.
DISCRETIONARY FIRE - any hex that can
be engaged with fire if spotted can be fired on
unspotted at half the normal effect (the referee
computes and rolls this fire). If a hit is scored on
a vehicular unit, the attacking player is informed
that there were secondary explosions. The at-
tacker can confirm destruction or exact damage
to a unit only by spotting it.
BURNERS (WRECKAGE) - 'burners' may be
removed from roads and bridges, etc, by tanks or
assault guns only, at a cost of 3MFs. A 'burner'
blocks a road, but not a ford. If a unit was
specified as being off the road when it was blown
up, it does not block the road. Deployment on
'burners' is allowed as follows: one German or
Russian unit may deploy on one Russian 'burner.'
Two German or one Russian unit may deploy on
one German 'burner.' One German or Russian
unit may deploy on two German 'burners.' No
units may deploy on three German or two
Russian 'burners.'
TOWN DEFENSE - To reduce the defensive
potency of towns, units may be attacked individ-
ually, but 2 is added to the die roll instead of I.
PANZERBLITZ INCREMENTAL MOVEMENT CHART
4-1 CORRECTION - To remove hair-tearing
frustration from the game; 7 and 8 on the 4-1
Combat Results Table become "DO" instead of
MINES - a 2-1 is thrown immediately upon
landing on a mine. Do not take terrain into
account. You must then retreat from whence you
came on the next movement increment. Each fire
increment you remain on the mine means another
2-1 attack. A unit on a mine field may not fire at
anyone, although it may receive fire. Engineers
may roll a die every fire increment to attempt to
clear a mine field. Four" I 's" (accumulated) are
required to clear it.
AMBUSH - Units under cover may pinpoint in
advance one hex as an "ambush hex." If an
enemy unit enters that hex, the ambushers may
attack at full effectiveness on that increment,
regardless if it is a fire increment or not. The unit
ambushed cannot return fire until the next fire
increment. It takes two increments to set up an
ambush. The maximum range of an ambush is
two hexes. Once a specific ambush has been
thrown, the position is exposed, and the ambush
may not be thrown again unless it is set up again
by waiting two increments without being spotted.
SCENARIO DESIGN - the most important
part of hidden movement is designing your own
scenarios. Most of the PB scenarios do not adapt
well to this gaming system. The best way to do
this is to specify one person as referee. He
designs the scenario - assigning units, tasks, and
victory conditions. He will be the only one
totally aware of the happenings of the game. This
is when hidden movement PB reaches full
frui tion. You are moving simultaneously, you see
only units that you could see under realistic
conditions. You do not know the enemy's
strength, his objectives, or even where he is. This
style of Panzerblitz is the wargamer's dream come
true. One caution to budding designers! Panzer-
blitz is a tactical game, and it does not play well
with large scenarios. 10-30 units on a side seems
about optimum. Good luck and happy wargam-
ing!
,-----'"
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
16 X
14 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
12 X X X X X X X X X X X X
11 X X X X X X X X X X X
10 X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X 9
X X X X X X X X 8
X X X X X X X 7
X X X X X X 6
X X X X X 5
X X X 3
1 X
35
Q. May units being transported by tanks be .Q. Can CAT be used against units that arc on a
CAred without involving the tanks? minefield'?
A. No! Rules state that all units in stack must be A. Yes.
totaled for Defense in CAT. Therefore, infantry
while being transport.ed is ignored
PANZERBLITZ ERRATTA
The following list of questions and answers
pertain to the 197 [ edition of PA NZERBLITZ. If
you have an earlier version of the game we suggest
you update it by purchasing the new Situation
cards. Especially important rulings or those
differing from earlier GENERAL rulings are
marked by a dot (e). Players are reminded that
PANZERBLITZ rulings do not necessarily apply
to its sisfer game PA NZER LEA DER. These are
merely nteral interpretations of the PA NZER-
BLITZ We have made no attempt to
improve 'the rules here-only to clarify their
intent.
Observant players will notc that oftentimes
the answer to these .questions for the PANZER
LEA DER rules is quile different and more
realistic. Those who feel this way may be well
advised to'adopt a blanket usage of the PA NZER
LEA DER r'!les for thier PA NZERBLITZ games.
We will co"ntinue to answer PANZERBLfTZ
questions by\ the letter of the PANZRBLITZ
rules however.
MOVEMENT:
Q. When units entel\'tl.!e game toard, may they
st<lrt on the partial
A. Yes. but such placemenl''.c:ounts as a full hex
traversed against their M
Q. May wagons move fran; ,a gully to -:l. slope
square?
A. Yes. any movable unit can always move I
square regardless of movement cost. Forbidden
movements are still forbidden: vehicles may not
move into swamps or through green hex sides.
Q. Are cavalry considered 'vehk.\es" on the
TEe?
A. Yes, except that they can pass through green
1H.'x sides without cost.
Q. Can a carrier move after it has unloaded if it
has MF left?
A. Yes.
Q. Can two carriers unload on the same square in
the same turn'!
A. Yes. but they must have MF remaining to
enable them to move off the hex.
Q. Does a unit move at the normal road
ment rate even on a road that goes up a slope?
A. Yes.
Q. If ;Hlllor is UllitS. v.. lllch an: atLackeu
and \',:hat happens?
A. The passengers are unloaded. If this would
violate stacking limits they are eliminated.
Q. The TEC states that it costs a truck unit 2
MF to enter a clear terrain hex, does this mean
EACH clear terrain hex?
A. Yes. This applies for all movement penalties
of this sort.
Q. Does a unit moving along a gully have to pay
J M F to leave the gully in addition to moving
into the ford hex'?
A. No. The rules state that fords allow a unit to
leave a gully at no extra cost.
Q. The rules state that stacking limits do not
apply during movement-only before and after
movement. Therefore, may units pass through a
hex already occupied to its maximum stacking
ability by wrecks'!
A. Yes. except as qualified by the road movement
rules.
COMBAT:
Q. Do terrain qualifications affect odds or die
rolls in a CAT?
A. Yes-note that in PL only die rolls are
affected.
Q. Ira unit moves onto a minefield can it CAT or
Overrun in that turn'?
A. Yes.
Q. Since units in towm, and forts are treated CIS
armor targets, can they be attackd by I unit,
that are two squares away?
A. No.
Q. If a defending unit gets a DD and a D in
the same turn. is it elimmated?
A. No. Just dispersed.
8070099
Q. Are units outside of a fort totaled in with the
fort's defense in the cases of CAT and combina-
tion attacks?
A. Yes.
Q. Can a truck, wagon, or halftrack drop in-
fantry for a CAT attack, and then retreat?
A. Vehicles may unload units and move off but a
passenger unit may not fire in the turn of
unloading.
Q. Assume three AT guns (attack factor = 7
each) are firing at an infantry unit. Is the total
attack factor 3+3+3=9 OR
7/2+7/2+71''.=21/2= 10"
A. 9. Units are halved and fractions lost individu-
ally. Note this is the converse of PL.
Q. ran ovt'rrun be conducted on a unit
on a stream ford?
A. Yes. a stream ford is a plain
square.
Q. The CRT shows results for die-roll subtraction
to but it is possible to have a 3 subtraction.
What happens?
A. On a die roll of I take the result from the -I line
of the next higher odds column. Therefore: -3 at 1-
4 odds =DD: -3 at 1-3 odds =X.
Q. Are units on hilltop hexes such as the plateau
like hill top on board 2, that are not forest or
town hexes, subject to the overrun rule by
armored units?
A. Yes, only hexes with orange sides are hilltop
hexes. A clear hex is a clear hex, no matter what
its elevation is. Clear hilltop hexes are clear
hexes.
Q. If a unit is fired upon from a woods hex or a
town hex, can it return fire without meeting the
SPOTTING RULE conditions?
A. No. This would be true in PL however.
Q. If there are several units on a hex that have
identical defense factors, how is it decided which
is the "weakest"?
A. You may attack any of the units in this case.
Q. When a unit becomes dispersed. does he still
have on the hex he occupies?
A. Yes, enemy units may still not move through
a dispersed unit. The dispersed unit also retains
its normal defense factor.
Q. Maya unit fire through a green hex side
through the width of a road in that hex?
A. No-unless the units are adjacent in which
case the road is not necessary any way.
Q. Since armored units cannot use the road
movement rate while executing an overrun attack.
can they still use the road to go through obstacles
such as or up hills while moving at
the non-road movement rate?
A. No. This is a very major difference between the
PB and PL rules. To utilize roads in PB you must
move at the road movement rate of Ih M F per hex
traversed. This is why another unit in a road-
woods hex always blocks movement of another
vehicle when crossing a green-hex-side. Similiarly.
a vehicle moving up a slope on a road hex without
the road bonus movement rate would pay 3 M F
per hex--not I.
MINES:
Q. While dismahtling mines. do engineers undergo
the mine attack?
A. Not as long as they observe the proper
procedure for dismantling mines. If they attempt
to cross them in the normal manner they are
subject to attack just like any other unit.
Q. May engineers make a mine removal attempt
and attack in the same turn?
A. No.
Q. Do units which move onto mines in woods or
town hexes still add I to the minefield attack?
A. No.
Q. If two engineer units are adjacent to a
minefield, can they 'att<Jck" it twice in one turn?
A. Yes.
OBSTACLES & ELEVATIONS:
Q. Isn't it true that the TET is incomplete and
therefore misleading as a quick reference?
A. Yes. Add the following toyourTET: Note A to
units Firing from Hilltops at Ground Level; Note
E to Units Firing from Hilltops at Slopes; and
Note E to Units Firing from Slopes at Hilltops.
Q. If I had a unit on a slope hex directly behind
a brown hex side is my unit in the LOS of a unit
firing from a hilltop (assuming no other
cles)?
A. Yes. Brown hex sides block LOS only when
the target unit is on ground level (See TET).
Q. Does a colored hex side obstruct the line of
fire?
A. In some cases, yes. It depends on the respec-
tive elevation of the attacker and defender.
Consult the Target Elevation Table and the
Examples of play card as there are many
ent situations.
SPOTTING:
Q. Can trucks and \'iagons spot?
A. Yes. unlike in PL.
Q. Can you explain "spotting" morc.'
A. There are four things to keep in mind. First.
since firing occurs prior tv movement. a spotting
unit must be in place at the beginning of a turn.
It cannot Illo.... e into pOSition (/nd spot for firing
in the turn. Second. even after a unit is
spotted. the finng unit must still have a clear
line-of-fire to the target (unless the optional
Indirect Fire rule is being usedl. Third. if the
spotting unit moves away. fire may no longer be
dire(ted at units that were previously spotted.
Fourth, if you are using the Indirect Fire rule.
the CP must be able to "see" the spotting unit.
POSITIONAL DEFENSES:
Q. If a fort is occupied, call eremy units trave.l
directly through that square?
A. No. They may move onto the fort in one
turn, but they cannot move o;f until the next
turn.
Q. If there arc three German Ul1 ts in a fort, can
there also be three German units m that fort'?
A., Yes. Or two Russian units.
Q. Are units outside of a fort destroyed if the
fort is eliminated?
A. No.
Q. Can block units ever be destroyed by
gineers or artillery?
A. No. unlike in PI-.
Q. If a unit moves TO a fortification, does it
cost him a movement factor to enter UNDER the
fortification, rather than just sit on top of it?
A. There are no movement penalties for moving
onto or into a fortification counter.
Q. If only a transport or CP unit is placed under
a fortification counter, does the fort counter still
have its full defense factor?
A. Yes, any unit with people in it will do it
(granted, it's not realistic, but it saves a whole lot
of hassle).
Q. If an infantry unit starts its turn next to a
block. may it move onto the block and execute a
CAT attack in the same turn'?
A. Yes.
OPTIONALS:
Q. Must a CP unit unload to observe?
A. Yes!
Q. Using the INDIRECT FIRE rule maya friend-
ly unit call in artillery fire even though a friendly
CP unit does not see the enemy unit?
A. No using the Experimental Rules.
Q. On the optional rules concerning Panzerblitz
36
assault, MUST the infantry attack the overrun
unit or may it attack any adjacent unit?
A. It must attack the unit being overrun.
SCENARIOS:
Q. What happens in Situation I if 3 German
units are destroyed?
A. Decisive victory (a printing error).
Q. In situation I may all the CP's be placed in
one fort or may two be placed in one fort or
may only one be in each fort?
A. All three may be in one fort, but the fort, as
stated, must be on a HILLTOP hex (one with six
orange sides).
Q. For victory conditions do you count tflick
and wagon units?
A. Yes, but you don't count counters which
contain no men (such as mines, blocks and
fortifications).
Q. In Situation No.5, do all German units have
to move off the easl :iide of board 2?
A. No. But before any given unit can count
toward the victory :onditions, it must leave and
stay off for the three complete turns.
Q. In situation 7, the "meeting" occurs on the II th
hex of the Russian 2nd turn. What is the
movement situation from that point?
A. The Russian column stops and beginning on
turn 3 units of both sides may leave the road and
proceed at full speed in their respective turns.
Remember there is a time/space ratio to be
satisifed here. If a column moves at the set rate of
12 hexes per 6 minute turn. it must of necessity use
11/12 of its movement capabilities by the time it
reaches its II th hex.
Q. In Situalion No. 8 it states that CP's may
only spor for 120mm mortars {with 4 hexes).
Does thiS refer to the Within 4 squares or
the 120mm mortars'?
A. The CP's must be Within 4 squares of the
120\ to spot.
Q. In Situation 12, Wespe and Hummel units
cannot move. Can they be transported by trucks?
A. Yes. In this case.those units represent towed
divisional artillery.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Grid co-ordinates are printed on the mapboards.
Examples are: hill 126 at I D7, hill 107 at 3J9. the
square with "Bednost" at 2U5.
Q. If the Germans have to get t. nits onto board
2. for example. {.) satisfy victor:" condItions. are
the units that are on squares ; hat are half on
board 2 and half on another board considered on
board 2?
A. No.
Q. Can either side voluntarily destroy their own
armored vehicles?
A. Yes
Q. Are mines placed in towns subject to the
"add 1 to attacker's die roll" rule of the TEC?
A. No.
When submitting questions to us for answers,
please note the following:
1.) Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
The letters that include one are answered first.
Those that do not are answered last; as a result,
these letters get back to you at least a week later.
2.) If your question refers to a specific
lion, please include a diagram of the situation. It
takes a good deal of time to answer the letter
otherwise, which will delay your reply.
3.) We wish we could answer technical
lions and do research for you, but the large
amount of mail we receive prohibits this. We will
be glad to answer questions on the play of the
game, but we cannot, unfortunately, answer those
on technical or historical points nor can we
research data for those of you designing your
own games.
4.) Keep orders and other mail separate from
questions. Separating the items of your letters
into different departments takes time and delays
your reply.
Y-5314 10/84

Wargamer's Guide To Panzer Blitz

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** The AVALON

14 3 I :1:8 I :[7 A30 "":1'40120:1'5.8 3 12!1 1:3 I 88 1:1'8 A:1

PANZERBLITZ Tournament Game NO.2

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