Korsun '44 Infantry Regiment Deployment

The aim of this article is to teach the basics of unit deployment and tactics to members of the Panzer Campaigns Club German Army and to enrich common knowledge through the examination of unit employment at the regimental level. The information given below relies totally on my gaming experience in HPS Simulations Panzer Campaigns® series titles and is NOT definitive. The article is meant to be a guideline. Tactical situation, force quality and terrain will dictate unit deployement most of the time. All scenarios assume that the enemy is conducting a direct attack (from the river towards the Regiment).

This text was created through the use of HPS Simulations Korsun ’44 ® game.

The scenarios are NOT part of a playable scenario and are created only for the purposes mentioned above. In all the examples given below the “Locking Zone of Control” option is used. If you are not familiar with the option please refer to your Korsun ’44 users manual before proceeding any further.

Before proceeding further some information should be given in order to clearify the establishment of a German Infantry Division of early 1944. This is to give you an idea of German Infatry Division formation and is not definitive in its numbers.

A typical (book strength) German Infantry Division in 1944 (i.e. 320th Infantry Division) is made up of:

3 Infantry Regiments (each regiment consisting of roughly 1000 men)
1 Fusilier or Grenadier Battalion (roughly 400 men)
1 Panzer Jager Abteilung (12 A/T guns)
1 Artillery Regiment (made 48 guns)
1 Pioneer Battalion (roughly 400 men)
1. F.E. Battalion (roughly 350 men)

Total : 4000-5000 men

Once again, remember that this is a book strength establishment and there were Infantry Divisions defending the front at half their establishment strength or with a compliment of an attached Battalion or Regiment for a total of 6000 men.

The building block of the first scenario –an Infantry Regiment- is composed of the following:

HQ Company
2 Infantry Battalions (3 Infantry companies, 1 Heavy Weapons company each)
1 Fusilier Company
2 Infantry Gun companies
1 A/T company; for a total of roughly 1000 men, 10 guns.

I have used the 585th Grenadier Regiment of the 320th Infatry Division in this pack. Here is the establishment of the Regiment :

HQ Company 142 men

1st Infantry Battalion 255 men
1st Inf. Batallion HWeapons Company 95 men

2nd Infantry Battalion 342 men
2nd Inf. Battalion HWeapons Company 126 men

Fusilier Company 114 men

Infantry Gun Companies total of 6 guns

A/T Company 3 guns

Total : 1074 men (932 combatants, 9 guns)



Infantry Regiment Defensive Deployment (Maximum Frontage) (Figure 1)

In order to defend as wide a frontage as possible, an Infantry Regiment has to be broken down to its smallest possible units –companies. Each company should be deployed with a space of 2 hexes from the next one. The front should be held at all times by Infantry companies, since A/T or Infantry guns are few in number and are easier to destroy. Each Battalions’ Heavy Weapons company should be positioned behind the Infantry Company in the middle, in order to support all companies to some extent. Each Battalion should be assigned one Infantry gun company for fire support and the Fusilier Company should be held in the rear as a tactical reserve. The second line of defence should be prepared 2 hexes behind the first one in order to have a clear field of fire from the second lineof defence in case the enemy forces the German units to fall back to the second trench line. A/T company and Fusilier company can occupy the rear trenches in order to prevent them from being vacated; thus losing thier defensive value. Remember that German Infatry units have practically no A/T capability so make sure you have some mobile A/T units behind your defensive line –either Korps level Stug. units or A/T guns. Thus deployed an Infatry Regiment can hold 16 hexes of frontline with a second line of defence just behind. This positioning however, removes the possiblity of creating any tactical defensive depth.
Figure 1

Note : It is technically possible for an Infantry Regiment to cover 30 hexes by positioning all its units on a single line front with 2 hexes between each unit.. However, employed that way, the Infantry Regiment will not form a defensive line, only a thin line in the snow.


Infantry Regiment Defensive Deployment (Balanced Deployment) (Figure 2)

As with the first example, the Infantry Battalions are broken down to companies. However, this time there is a gap of only one hex between each Infantry company. Thus, in the event of an enemy attack 2 companies will be able to fire on the enemy instead of one as in the previous example. The left and rightmost Infantry companies are covered by Infantry guns or Heavy Weapons companies and the Fusilier Company is located midway through the defence as before, acting as the tactical reserve. The defensive depth is again 2 hexes with the rear hexes held by Infantry guns and A/T units. Thus deployed an Infantry Regiment can hold a frontline of 10-11 km. The shortening of the defensive line creates an increase in firepower.


Figure 2

Infantry Regiment Defensive Deployment (Maximum Firepower) (Figure 3)

Although I have had the luxury of using an Infantry Regiment in defence in this manner only a few times, this example shows how an Infantry regiment should be deployed in order to maximize its firepower. Unlike the previous examples, here the Infantry Companies are COMBINED and Infatry Battalions are used as single units for maximum effect. Heavy Weapon companies are again located behind Infantry Battalions. Both Infantry Gun companies are located between two Battalions to maximize their coverage and enable them to support both Battalions. The Fusilier Company is positioned again as the tactical reserve. Thus used, an Infantry Regiment can literally pour fire on enemy units since two Infatry Battalions (roughly 600 men!) will be able to support each other to maximum effect. The HW Companies can cover both Infantry Battalions so they can fire to support both Battalions as needed; provided the visibility allows their parent Battalions to spot the enemy. Thus employed an Infantry Regiment can cover a front of 5 hexes with a defensive depth of 3 hexes.

Figure 3

Infantry Regiment Defensive Deployment (Optimum Deployment) (Figure 4)

This last example is designed to show what the author thinks is the Optimum (best balance between firepower and defensive depth) deployment of an Infantry Regiment. The Infantry Battalions are again broken down into companies but this time the Battalions maintain 1 company (3rd company) 2 hexes behind the frontline as tactical reserve and have 2 companies in the frontline. The HW Company of each Battalion is located in the same hex as the 3rd Infantry Company; thus covering all axis of approach to both companies located on the frontline. Both Infantry Gun companies are located midway through the second line of defence and are able to support all four of the frontline companies. The Fusilier Company again forms the tactical reserve while the A/T company is located on the THIRD line of defence and checks flank penetrations. Thus deployed, the Infantry Regiment covers a frontline of 7-9 hexes and a depth of 5 hexes.


Figure 4

Conclusion and key points

Please keep in mind that this pack is created for Korsun ’44 and come of the lessons may not be applicable to other titles in the Panzer Campaigns Series®.
It is clear that the essential point in employing a 1944 German Infantry Regiment in defence is to keep in mind that it is primarily an anti-infantry force. It is not until later that German foot infantry gets A/T capability. German forces almost always fight at a numerical disadvantage but make up for it through their generally higher morale and firepower. Whenever possible combine infantry companies of the same unit to increase their firepower and fatigue recovery level. The smaller the unit the more fatigue it receives in the face of enemy fire thus the easier it is distrupted.
Always maintain a defensive line behind your primary line. In the case of a withdrawal to the second line, make sure you keep one clear hex between the first and second lines in order to have the enemy fight in open terrain while you enjoy protective cover.
I do not suggest using A/T and Inf. Gun units in active combat unless pressed to do so since generally their numbers are low. They are best employed as rear guard units holding trenches –so the trenches are not “vacated”- and acting as sentries to check enemy penetrations thus giving your withdrawing troops time to escape isolation. If you can combine A/T or Inf. Gun companies however, their effectiveness increase and you will be able to employ them effectively in front line combat.


Notes

1) A German Heavy Company has a range of 3 hexes.

2) A German Infantry Gun company has a range of 3 hexes.

3) A German Regimental Gun company has a range of 5 hexes.

4) When defending a river (as in this example), I suggest positioning your troops one hex behind the river in order to save them from enemy direct fire. Units that are considered “hard target” can recon the river banks totally immune from enemy infantry opportunity fire. In the case the enemy crosses the river he will have to do it in T mode. Your troops will get an automatic defensive fire once they cross the river in T mode (since you are one hex behind the river the crossing unit will face your troops vulnerable) and another one when they change from T mode to normal mode.

5) Remember to check the river banks at every turn in order to make sure the enemy is not building a bridge away from your LOS. This recon is especially important from dust until dawn when the visibility drops to 1 hex and your units holding the river front will not be able to see the enemy. The enemy (on the average) has 4 turns to construct a bridge from dusk until dawn and if you fail to recon the bank you might have a nasty surprise at hand.

6) Holding a front only with Infantry against enemy units with greater mobility than your troops is especially hard. Remember that Germany lives as long as he has a fighting Army at the front so do not hesitate to withdraw in order to shorten your lines and avoid encirclation. When you have to sacrifice a unit in order to save another one remember that companies are the cheapest to lose.


This text may be reproduced and distributed as long as no changes are made to the text and credit is given to the author. The author would like to thank Oberst Ozgur Budak and members of the Panzer Campaigns Club “Kampfgruppe Guderian” for their encouragment and valuable assistantance to the project.


Good Hunting

Ucar Sayil Gundem
ucargundem@hotmail.com

1st Release : December 2003
2nd Edition : November 2004