Golpe de Mano

 Golpe de Mano

Pushkin 10 kilometers from Leningrad (21^st November 1942)

General situation

The serious fighting of March/April the Blue Division was withdrawn from the line to rest and refit. Fresh volunteers arrived from Spain to fill out the depleted infantry companies.

On September 10th the Division re-entered the line this time only 10 kilometres from Leningrad. At this period both sides were exhausted and the front had stabilized into a period of static trench warfare.

Painting by José ferre Clauzel

For many men in the Blue Division this must have seemed to re-create their time during the Civil War when the Nationalists surged forward seemingly unstoppable only then to become bogged down on the outskirts of Madrid. The war in the east had changed from a “Crusade against Bolshevism” to a desperate struggle for survival. In an effort to keep the enemy off balance and maintain the initiative Division Staff have decided to introduce punitive raids “golpe de mano” (literally: slap of the hand) against Russian positions. This would have the triple effect of keeping their own men alert and active; continuously threatening the Russians with attacks and finally allows for reconnaissance gathering and prisoner taking. These raids are a step back into history where the Foreign Legion created a special unit Hijos de la Noche (the Sons of the Night) to attack and raid their Riffi enemies in Morocco nearly twenty years previous.

The golpes de mano consisted of a small assault strike force. The number of troops involved would range from about seven to as many as forty. These were led by either an officer or NCO, depending upon the size of the objective. They were armed with automatic weapons, hand grenades, bayonets and knives (though axes, sharpened spades and even meat cleavers were reported). Sometimes the assault force would slowly work its way across no-mans land, defusing mines and marking a safe escape route, then after quietly eliminating the sentries they would pour fire and throw grenades into their objective to inflict the maximum casualties and chaos before withdrawing.

 At other times the Division would use its artillery and mortars to hit the Russians all along the front, but no other action would be taken – hence causing confusion and alarm with not attack. At other times the artillery would cover an assault elsewhere along the line, all adding to the frustration and confusion within the Russian lines. The assault would never last more than twenty or thirty minutes after which time they would regroup and withdraw usually covered by machine guns, mortars and artillery. The general idea was to keep the Russian guessing, was the artillery just that or the prelude to an attack. If the Spanish weren’t attacking along the whole front, which part of which sector would be attacked, if any?  

 The scenario

This scenario is to simulate a raid (golpe de mano) by Spanish forces against a Russian outpost. It should play well with any set of commercial skirmish rules; I’ve not given any specific rule mechanics so you can convert the scenario without difficulty.

Table & terrain

We played the game on a 4 feet by 2 feet table, with the opposing trench lines and a valley in between. The valley was dotted with areas of trees and bushes which would provide line of sight cover for the attacking Spanish patrol. The Russian defender was allowed to place some concealed booby-traps and mines (positions written down before the start of the game).    

Spanish briefing

You are a brigada (sergeant major) serving with 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 269th Infantry Regiment. You are to lead a “golpe de mano” against a Russian observation post that overlooks your lines. The plan calls for artillery to lay down fire north of your target whilst battalion mortars lay smoke to the south, this should confuse the enemy allowing you to attack with surprise. You are to take prisoners and recover any papers, before you return conceal a satchel charge with a delayed fuse to bring even more death to the communists.

Spanish Patrol

Brigada (PPSH41 + 3 grenades)

4-6 soldados (SMGs + grenades, 1 sachel chage)

Russian briefing

You are an ensign with the 42nd Infantry Regiment; you are in command of an observation post overlooking the enemy’s front line. Your orders are to observe and direct local artillery fire upon the enemy trenches.

Russian OP

Officer (pistol)

Telephone operator (pistol)

4 men (rifles)

This would make a good 1 to 1 skirmish games the Russian position might well have mines protecting it. The Spanish approach must be cautious if not to be spotted. Another element that could be added is a Russian Sniper lurking on the hillside. These raids proved highly successful in keeping the Russians on the back foot. The raid would never last more than 30 minutes with the patrol pouring fire and hurling grenades into the chosen target then retreating behind a heavy artillery barrage. The Russians too carried out raids, there were occasions the two patrols ran into one another in no mans land!

The Spanish felt that the golpes de mano had a great effect on enemy morale, and actually saved lives with the Russians being under constant threat of attack. When a Divisionario had taken part in five such operations, he was awarded a special decoration called the Assault Plaque – this award was highly prized by the soldatos.

Uniforms and equipment

The soldiers of the Blue division were kitted out as per a standard German infantry division with: the grey-green uniform jacket and trousers and high marching boot; for head gear they had the standard German helmet, side cap or peaked forage cap. Insignia and rank were also as per the German system except for an arm shield (red/gold/red) with the title “Espana” worn on the right upper sleeve.  

The Spanish unit however was a volunteer division from an independent country and its troops were not subject to strict German discipline like other volunteers from occupied countries. Soldats (and their officers and NCOs) took to wearing their shirt collars outside over their jacket collars (in Spanish fashion); these were often the dark blue shirts (from which the Division gained its name) or the German grey shirt. Some volunteers (ex-Foreign Legionnaires) wore the olive green shirt of La Legion in this manner. Spanish decorations and badges of rank also began to find their way onto the Wehrmacht uniform; the Osprey book “Germany’s Spanish Volunteers” shows a print of an engineer sergeant in a blue shirt with a Flange badge on the breast pocket.

 The Spaniards were armed as any other German infantry unit – Mauser, MP40, MG34; but they quickly learned to appreciate the value of captured Russian automatics and would actively trade and buy these from German units as well as scavenge the battlefield. The excellent PPSH41 SMG and Degtyarev DP LMG were both highly popular. The Spaniards had all the standard German stick grenades, the round anti-personnel grenades and rifle grenades.

Figures

We have played a few games using scenarios available in the internet involving the Blue Division. We used standard German figures with the odd conversion (an arm swap to give a figure a PPSH). There are now several late war German figures available already armed with this much prized Russian weapon which will save a lot of work.