Kursk: Burning Tigers
Scenario Preview, Part Two
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
May 2023

Over the years since we released Panzer Grenadier: Kursk, Burning Tigers, we gave much less support to the game than to others in the Panzer Grenadier series. That didn’t seem to matter, as the game sold very well and became one of the most popular Panzer Grenadier titles. After all, it had Kursk in the title, and delivered on that promise with plenty of tank battles.

The new Playbook edition gives us an opportunity to correct that oversight, and reinforce success. Burning Tigers will get all those trimmings we like to add to games: Daily Content, Gold Club Premium Content, Campaign Study scenario books, and of course the Golden Journal.

Chapter Two of Burning Tigers is all about the actions of the German 78th Storm Division, an infantry division lavishly equipped with extra firepower (chiefly, many more machine guns and anti-tank guns). Golden Journal No. 49: Storm Division gives you special assault infantry pieces for the Storm Division, and five more scenarios drawn from the battles north-east of Ponyri Station.

For now, though, let’s have a look at the Storm Division in Kursk, Burning Tigers:

Chapter Two
The Storm Division
The German 78th Infantry Division had seen no action in the first two years of the war, seeing its first action during the 1941 advance toward Moscow. It fought at Rzhev in late 1942 and suffered enormous casualties there, leaving the front at the end of the year with just 1,500 men left.

That made the division a prime candidate for a new, experimental organization. As a “storm,” or “assault,” division, it would have much less infantry but vastly increased allotments of machine guns, mortars and the new 75mm anti-tank guns. At the division level, it added assault guns, heavy mortars, rocket launchers and extra anti-aircraft guns. All of that armament gave the outfit enormous firepower, but limited mobility – while the heavier weapons had half-track prime movers, the infantry still marched.

At Kursk, the Storm Division would have the assignment of advancing on the left flank of XXXXI Panzer Corps, to fend off Soviet counter-attacks aimed at the “shoulder” of the expected German penetration.

Scenario Seven
Deadly Toys
5 July 1943
The Storm Division’s first task would be to break through the thick minefields laid in front of the Soviet 148th Rifle Division’s 469th Rifle Regiment. To assist them, all of the divisions on this front had been assigned companies of the B IV “Goliath” demolition vehicles. In essence, miniature unmanned tanks that would blow up the mines and clear a path for the German armor to follow. In this case, the Storm Division had an attached battalion of Ferdinand tank destroyers (later renamed “Elefant”) and its own assault gun detachment.

Conclusion
Very few of the toy tanks reached their intended minefield targets, but those that did so blew enough holes in the defenses to allow the massive Ferdinands to waddle through, followed by the storm troops. With strong air support, the Storm Division advanced ten kilometers on the first day of the offensive, the greatest penetration of any Ninth Army division. That success would not be equaled again during the Kursk campaign by any Ninth Army formation.

Notes
The Storm Division comes with toys: those cute little Goliath demolition tanks they can use to try to blow up Soviet defenses. Plus Elefant (Ferdinand) tank destroyers and a whole passel of less elaborate heavy weapons. They’re trying to fight their way through a pretty hefty Soviet defensive line just bristling with heavy guns of its own, manned with plenty of infantry, and backed by tanks. Not a lot of subtlety involved in this one.

Scenario Eight
Pre-Emptive Attack
7 July 1943
The Soviet 74th Rifle Division had halted the Storm Division’s morning attack, causing Ninth Army commander Walter Model to order a renewed effort in the afternoon. But the Red Army struck first, with 74th Rifle Division supported by tanks making a fresh attempt to wrest the battered village of Protasovo from the Storm Division.

Conclusion
The Germans quickly rallied after the initial Soviet shock of impact, and managed to blunt the first attack on Protasovo. Nine more times the Soviets came on only to be turned away with increasing difficulty each time. The Germans began to withdraw during the eleventh attack when a company of powerful Ferdinand tank destroyers arrived and restored their position. After dark the Germans pulled back without informing the tank destroyer crews. At dawn Soviet riflemen rousted the surprised sleeping crewmen and captured their huge vehicles.

Notes
The German defense has a large number of heavy weapons and a hefty morale advantage, but the Red Army brings numbers and firepower to the battle. It’s a pretty straightforward assignment: the Soviets must smash their way forward, regardless of losses, while the Germans have to stop them, also regardless of losses (though there aren’t that many Germans, so even though there’s no victory point penalty for losses the German side could easily run out of defenders).

Scenario Nine
Afternoon in Hell
8 July 1943
In its morning attack, 78th Storm Division took Hill 257 from its Soviet defenders. That advance made it imperative that the 74th Rifle Division renew its own advance against Protasovo, and relieve the pressure on the 307th Rifle Division, fighting desperately on its left flank to hold onto Ponyri Station. The previous day’s attacks had seen most of 74th Rifle Division’s supporting armor left burning on the battlefield, but a few replacement tanks had been brought forward. After the 12th Artillery Division finished a preparatory bombardment, the Soviet soldiers went forward once again.

Conclusion
The greenest lieutenant on either side could have foretold the outcome of the attack before it began. When used correctly, the German heavy weapons put up an impenetrable wall of fire. The few supporting Soviet tanks failed to get within range of the Elefants supporting the defenders before breaking off the attack. This allowed the massive Sturmpanzers to work over the Soviet infantry at their leisure.

Notes
This one’s tough on the Red Army of Workers and Peasants, as they’re forced to assault a well-armed German defender with only a handful of tanks in support and the mighty Elefant waiting to attack them when they break cover. The Elefant’s pretty wimpy against mice (foot soldiers) but on defense it makes for a powerful armored pillbox.

And that’s all for Chapter Two. Next time, we charge into Chapter Three.

You can order Burning Tigers (Playbook edition) right here.
Please allow an extra three weeks for delivery.

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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published a great many books, games and articles on historical subjects; people are saying that some of them are actually good. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children, and new puppy. He misses his lizard-hunting Iron Dog, Leopold.

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