PANZER BLITZ & PANZER LEADER

RULES FOR COMMAND AND CONTROL

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR – ARTILLERY, WRECKS, DEFENSIVE FIRE

1
 PANZER BLITZ & PANZER LEADER
RULES FOR COMMAND AND CONTROL

1. Designer’s notes
As with many tactical wargames, Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader fail to address
command and control issues. They allow players to observe everything and react to
anything with anything at any time. It makes it near impossible to make a feint and get
the enemy off balance as any good tactician would want to do in real life. They reflect
a battlefield where both sides have drones continuously overhead, feeding information
to commanders at every level who are all equipped with radios and a fantastic
computer network allowing a level of situational awareness and ability to control
troops unsurpassed in military history. World War 2 was nothing of the sort.
Most of the situations reflect combat at the regimental/brigade level. In real life the
commander would have held an orders group where he would have explained his plan
to his battalion commanders and given them their tasks. The battalion commanders
would have had to plan their operations and given their orders to their company
commanders. And so it goes all the way down to platoons and sections.
After heading off to battle, any major adjustments or changes would have taken time
to implement. For example, imagine the
regimental commander talking over the phone
or radio with his battalion commanders, who
in turn plan and adjust before talking to their
company commanders etc. You get the picture
– it takes time. Not only that, some were faster
than others. The German Army was known to
be able to make decisions quickly and display
initiative. The Soviet Army were less flexible
and had fewer radios making it more time
consuming to adjust to a changing situation.
So why not try and reflect this intriguing aspect of battle.

2. Intention
The intention is to provide rules for command and control (C2) which will force
players to plan the battle, and create friction by making it time consuming to change
the plan.

3. Scheme of manouevre
In order to achieve the intention, the scheme of maneouvre is to create a chain of
command, make a plan a regiment/brigade level with tasks for battalions and
regiment/brigade troops, introduce a construct where command posts play a role, and
changing the plan and orders requires an effort.

4. Chain of Command
To start with, create a chain of command. Each regiment/brigade will consist of
approximately 3-5 battalions, and each battalion will consist of about 3-5 companies.
As an example, let us use the following Soviet forces.1

1
Assumption – Soviet tank and anti-tank counters are platoons and infantry counters are companies.

2
.

Out of this pool of units we will

create a tank corps as shown on
the right, consisting of from left
to right, two tank brigades, a tank
destroyer company, and an
antitank company. All of these
units will receive their orders
directly from the corps
headquarters (HQ).

The 1st Tank Brigade (Bde) will

be organised into a tank battalion
and a rifle battalion as shown.

3
The 2nd Tank Bde will
be organised into an
armoured
reconnaissance
battalion, a tank
battalion, a rifle
battalion, and an
antitank company as
shown.

The corps troops, the

tank destroyer company
and the antitank
company are organised
as shown.

5. Plan and tasks

Before starting the game, each side makes a plan with tasks for subordinate units. The
following map shows in black the start line (SL), the boundary between bde’s (X), objectives
10, 11, 20, 21, and in blue the bde’s and the corps troops (reserves.)

4
Intent Isolate enemy Infantry Bn.
Plan
The corps will attack with two bde’s
abreast. The left bde will seize objectives
10, 11. The right bde will seize 20 and 21.
Corps reserves will consist of a tank
destroyer company which will be ready to
exploit success and an antitank company
ready to counter enemy armoured
counterattacks.

Tasks

1 Bde. Left bde. Seize 10 and 11.

2 Bde. Right bde.Seize 20 and 21.
Tank destroyer company. Corps reserve
1. Deploy in woods, grid XXXX. On order
detach to 1st Bde or 2nd Bde in order to
exploit success.
Antitank company
Corps reserve 2. Deploy at crossroads, grid
YYYY. On order detach to 1st Bde or 2nd
Bde to in order to defend against armoured
counterattack.
Coordinating instructions
H-hour. Game turn 1.

6. Command Posts
Make sure that there is a command post (CP) for each formation HQ down to
battalion. They will play a role in the C2 construct. Give them a movement rating
equal to a suitable vehicle already listed in the scenario. Give CP’s a range of 20
hexes. The range is meant to restrict them to an area close to their formations. For real
they would have different means of communicating, using radios, telephone lines,
dispatch riders, etc. and some radios could reach more than 20 hexes. If the CP is
destroyed you are in trouble and heading for a C2 breakdown. Any unit would have
contingency plans with another CP ready to take over. Therefore, in your subsequent
game turn, roll a die. On a roll of 1-3, a new CP will be set up in a hex with another of
your units in your following player turn. For example on game turn 1 your regimental
CP is destroyed by artillery fire. On game turn 2 your roll 1 to reconstitute a CP. On
game turn 3 your new CP is placed in a hex consisting one of your units.

7. Giving orders
Unless you have a plan that requires no change, at some point you would need to give
new orders to stay current with developments. In order to do this, at the start of your
player turn, the superior HQ in play will prepare a new order. Write it down and
preferably depict it on a map. Roll for communications check. In case of failure, keep
trying in your subsequent player phase. If the order goes through, in your next player
turn, the subordinate formation or formations will start planning their tasks, rolling on

5
 the Planning and Execution Table. Once acknowledged,
the new order will be executed the following turn by all
units within command range.

Example
It is game turn 3. 1st Bde has been hit hard by enemy fire
and is unable to advance. 2nd Bde has already taken
objectives 20 and 21. The corps commander therefore
orders the 2nd Bde to execute a flank attack and seize 11
and then 10 and reorganize towards NORTH. He contacts
the 2nd Bde (rolls a 10 for communications check) and
tells them to get going.
On game turn 4 the commander of 2nd Bde commences
planning and execution and rolls an 8 and needs more
time.
On game turn 5 he rolls a 7, which means that the plan is ready and the battalions have
acknowledged and will be ready to go the subsequent turn.
On game turn 6, 2nd Bde executes and moves to seize 10 and then 11.

Game Turn 3 Game Turn 4 Game Turn 5 Game Turn 6

Corps issues a new 2nd Bde Planning and 2nd Bde Planning and 2nd Bde executes the
order to 2nd Bn. execution. execution continues. order from corps.

Planning and Execution Table

Roll two dice below number for
acknowledgement.
German, Finnish 9
Soviet 7
British/US 7

Communications check die roll.

Roll two dice 11, 12 – Fail.
10 or below, success.

8. Initiative
Normally, an operation does not go as planned. An unexpected opportunity may
suddenly present itself. German and Finnish units were known to display initiative in
such cases. On the other end of the scale, Soviet units were expected to follow plans
and not display initiative. To illustrate this, allow battalions to try and give themselves
an order at the start of the player’s turn. Roll on the initiative table. If the result is
below the number given, the battalion may seize the initiative by giving themselves an
order and execute it immediately on the same turn.

Roll two dice below number for initiative.

German/Finnish 7
British/US 5
British/US Paratroopers and 6 commandos 7
Soviets - no initiative roll.
 9. On Order
Units can be given on order tasks. Once acknowledged, an on order task will be executed
when additional orders to do so are issued. On order tasks require recipients to prepare all
necessary measures in order to be ready to execute the task immediately if ordered to do so.

Example
It is game turn 3. The corps commander wants the tank destroyer company (coy) to execute
one of its on order tasks - Detach to 2nd Bde in order to support success. The communication
die roll is 9.
The tank destroyer coy executes on the same turn since all preparations have already been
made as it is an on order task.

ADDITIONAL RULES - ARTILLERY

10. Designer’s notes
In order to use your artillery on enemy targets in woods or built up areas, the original Panzer
Blitz rules require you to move a unit adjacent to such hexes in order to act as spotters for
artillery before you can do so. In real life it is not so. Already during World War 1, artillery
fire plans could be based on maps, meaning that you could plan artillery fire on targets which
you could not see.
For instance, when the Soviet Army started their attack on the Karelian Isthmus on 9th June
1944, in order to paralyze the Finnish
defenders, the Soviets plastered them with
artillery fire lasting several hours, focusing
on hitting command posts, vantage points,
depots, and artillery and mortar positions.
Direct firing guns targeted Finnish forward
positions, minefields, and barbed wire
entanglements, while artillery pieces struck
the second and third lines of defence. Finnish
troops found maintaining situational
awareness difficult because artillery fire
broke all the telephone lines and there was also interference on radio channels.
The original Panzer Blitz rules would never allow such a thing to happen since you need to
move a friendly unit next to an enemy unit in woods or built up areas before you can fire.
It is fair to assume that the Soviets did not know where all the Finnish positions were.
But some of them had been found by patrols, and air reconnaissance. It is also fair to assume
that some of the artillery fire was directed at locations where they expected the defenders
would be.
Another aspect of tactics which the original rules fail to reflect is counter battery fire. Based
on observations, sound, air reconnaissance, artillery would be able to fire at enemy artillery in
order to silence or disrupt them. This type of artillery duel is not possible in the original
Panzer Blitz game due to the limitations of the rules. The purpose of the artillery fire plan
rules are to allow more realistic artillery tactics which allows players to target command posts
and artillery, as well as expected enemy positions, without having to have a unit next to those
hexes.

11. Artillery Fire Plan

To increase realism, before set up, allow both sides to plan artillery fire on any hex
within the intended set up hex of their artillery units. This allows players to study the

7
 map and plan fire on locations
where they expect enemy
units, artillery, and command
posts will be. Write down
which artillery unit will fire on
which hex.
Once play commences, the
artillery units will fire on their
targets according to plan until
they are ordered to cease firing
after which they are subject to
normal spotting rules.
If the artillery fire is not being
observed by a unit when it
lands make an accuracy roll.
Use one die. On a roll of 1-2,
the hex hits the right hex. Any other result, roll again for direction and the fire lands in
a next to the target, roll for direction.

12. Wrecks
Panzer Blitz rules do not allow vehicle wrecks to be removed. Real life is different. A
wreck from a soft vehicle does not pose a big challenge for a heavy tank. Tank crews
are trained to tow other tanks. That is what their towing cables are for.
Therefore, allow any tank to remove a wreckage counter from soft vehicles by paying
2 extra movement points. Allow a tank to tow away a wreckage counter from tanks of
similar weight or less, by spending 2 game turns in the hex.

13. Defensive Fire

Panzer Blitz does not reflect the devastating effect of defensive power. You can drive
right up to the enemy’s lap without receiving incoming fire. Panzer Leader introduced
the opportunity to fire during the enemy’s movement. However, if you do, you can no
longer fire or move when your turn comes. A valid argument could be that defensive
fire is more lethal than that. For example, a German 75 mm anti-tank gun could fire 14
rounds per minute. The T-34 tank could travel at about 50 kilometres per hour, making
it possible to cover 800 metres in about a minute. A 75 mm anti-tank platoon of 3 guns
defends against a three tank platoon of 3 tanks, with 9 tanks in total, which will need
to cover 3 hexes which is about 750 metres. In reality the anti-tank platoon could fire
42 rounds during the time needed to cover the distance. Given that there are 9 targets,
that amounts to 4.6 rounds against each target! However, the rules allow the anti-tank
platoon to fire on one enemy platoon only, allowing the remaindering attacking tanks
to drive straight into its field of fire.
Therefore, to level the field and
introduce more realism, allow a defender
opportunity fire during enemy movement
without the penalty of not being allowed
to fire or move during the subsequent
player turn.

8
 14. Comments on World War 2 military organisations
In the example used for C2 and organisation, a Soviet tank corps consists for several
brigades. Terms varied. For example, a British formation consisting of several
brigades would be called a division. A Soviet Rifle division consisted of several rifle
regiments, as did German and American divisions. What was known in British
parlance was known as a regiment would be the equivalent of a battalion in most other
armies.

Photos are downloaded at

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/85990674107814845/

http://www.battledetective.com/battlestudy15.htm

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/german-command-post.html

http://albumwar2.com/deputy-commander-of-the-144th-regiment-of-the-49th-guards-
division-david-meister-one-hour-before-his-death/

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/world-war-two-september-1941-battalion-
commander-sets-a-news-photo/498863333#/world-war-two-september-1941-battalion-
commander-sets-a-task-to-his-picture-id498863333

https://www.dalademokraten.se/kultur/bocker/krigets-fasor-skapar-djupa-sar

https://armyhistory.org/u-s-and-german-field-artillery-in-world-war-ii-a-comparison/
http://waralbum.ru/25465/