Breakout at Libau : Barbarossa June 1941

With the half term holiday I am somewhat behind on blogs, this battle being fought about 4 weeks ago ! But we took a break from the ACW action and played another game in our gradually (very slowly) developing Barbarossa campaign. Sticking with Army group north the German 18th Army has pushed rapidly up the coast where a pocket of Russian resistance held out at Libau.

I managed (and this is part of the fun for me) to find the following detailed map of the engagement. The Russian forces consisting of the 67th Rifle Division have been cut off by the rapid German advance, this took place on the 25th June 1941. The Russian forces then attempted to break out in two directions. Our battle will deal with the northern thrust along the coast against the 506 Infantry Regiment under a Colonel Gurran.

Always nice to find a period shot as well, here the Germans are advancing into the town from the NE

I feel I need to add the following note as whilst researching the battle I discovered, and hadn’t known before that Libau was the scene of significant atrocities, the sad and depressing reality that humans being will inflict such harm on other humans beings. I suspect few ever remember such events but perhaps through the study and playing of our wonderful hobby we can keep the memory alive.

On to the action 😀 

One of the reasons for playing this scenario was to avoid the usual temptation to ‘armour up’ so both sides have very limited armour support the 506 IR have managed to drag some anti-tank guns into support the assault or defend against the break out ? Here they have built a barricade across the coastal road

Col Gurran manages the deployment of a heavy machine gun and additional ‘big guns’ in the Wood around the railway line

‘Ivan’ has massed his Infantry for the break out, but they have limited time to escape before reinforcements lock down the gaps

More German Infantry in the woods, but they are spread pretty thin

From somewhere the Russians have found the last KV1, this might just help the break through on the coast road, infantry can be seen running forward

The only German armour a Stug the rest of the Panzers have been sent further inland to support the advance

German heavy mortar team using the open space where the railway runs through the wood

Needless to say the Gun PAK 40 opens up against the KV

And after several attempts manages to damage the front tread, the KV won’t be escaping at least but it can still fire and provide support, the infantry make a dash for freedom

...and the only Russian armoured car attempts to escape down the railway line (we had some debate about whether this counted as a road but decided not)

The Germans have laid down heavy fire all along the front but are being overwhelmed more german infantry is thrown into the defence

The KV is stranded so the infantry must abandon it to get away

The leading Russian infantry is able to assault the anti-tank gun

Despite many attempts the Stug is largely ineffective against the advancing Russian infantry

And all the machine guns can do is reduce the number who escape .......

Finally in a Pyrrhic victory the Germans manage to take out the KV Hoorah !!! 

But it is too late and the Russians have escaped winning a well deserved victory. Here is a shot of the overall battlefield, coast road in the foreground, railway and woods in the distance.

A very fun way to spend the evening, we had about 12 units per side and played six turns. The outcome reflected history in that much of the infantry did escape but in doing so they had to abandon their vehicles.