Pictorial After Action Report ·
BigBoard Gaming · @wargamer · Play date-August 2025

GAME DETAILS
Game East Front Series (EFS) — Army Group North
Publisher GMT Games
Designer Vance Von Borries
Scale Operational — Division/Corps, ~15 km/hex, ~2 days/turn
Campaign Operation Barbarossa — AGN Sector, June–July 1941
Players Solitaire
Session August 25–28, 2025 — Turns 1–5 played
Status DRAFT — Game in progress, campaign continuing past Turn 5

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
At 03:15 on 22 June 1941, three million Axis soldiers crossed the Soviet frontier in the largest land invasion in recorded history. In the north, Army Group North — under Field marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb — carried the most audacious directive on the entire front: punch through the Baltic states, seize the Daugava River crossings, breach the Stalin Line at Pskov, and take Leningrad. The city bore Stalin’s name. Its fall was intended to collapse the northern flank and shatter Soviet morale across the entire theatre.
The instrument was Panzergruppe 4 — Hoepner’s small but armoured fist — built around XLI Panzer Korps (Reinhardt) and LVI Panzer Korps (Manstein), spearheaded by the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 8th Panzer Divisions. Their job was to move so fast that the Soviet command could not react coherently. Historically, Riga fell on 1 July — barely nine days after the guns opened. Manstein’s LVI Korps reached the Daugava at Daugavpils in just four days, covering over 300 kilometres in a dash that left the Soviet Baltic Military District reeling.
But Leningrad was not Minsk. The terrain east of Pskov thickened into forest and marsh. Soviet resistance — chaotic at the frontier — hardened as reserve armies arrived. The Luga River line became a genuine defensive position. By September, Army Group North stood on the outskirts of Leningrad and could advance no further. The siege that followed lasted 872 days.
East Front Series asks: with better operational decisions at the critical junctures — the Divina crossing, the Luga breach — could AGN have seized Leningrad before autumn closed the door?

SETUP — THE TABLE
The photograph below shows the full AGN map. — all formations were deployed at historical start positions. German forces mass along the East Prussian and Lithuanian frontier in the west. Soviet units of the Baltic Special Military District are spread thinly across Latvia and Lithuania to the east, already disrupted by the opening Luftwaffe strikes that severed communications on the first morning.

Full map overview —. Baltic Sea (top left), East Prussia (bottom left). German forces were massed on start line; Soviet frontier units visible across Lithuania and Latvia. Objective pins mark Kaunas, Riga, Pskov, and Leningrad.
The map spans the entire AGN operational zone, from the Memel/Tilsit start line in the west to the approaches of Leningrad in the far east, and from the Baltic coast in the north down to the junction with Army Group Centre near Kaunas and Vilnius in the south. Key terrain features are immediately apparent: the Neman and Divina rivers forming successive defensive lines, the Latvian plain offering relatively open Panzer country in the early campaign, and the increasingly forested terrain east of Riga that will complicate logistics as the campaign extends.
The German order of battle shows Panzergruppe 4 concentrated in the southern thrust zone; the critical or focal striking arm. 18th Army holds the northern Baltic coastal axis. 16th Army anchors the southern boundary, watching the junction with AGC. The solitaire challenge is to coordinate all three while the Soviet falls back and blows bridges at every opportunity.

TURN 1 June 22–23, 1941 · Operation Barbarossa Opens

The scenario grants the Axis a special ‘dual turn’ for Turn 1 reflecting the complete operational surprise achieved on 22 June. The Soviets receive only nominal reaction movement.

Turn 1 operational plan: annotated map showing the intended Axis thrust lines for Turn 1. Text reads ‘June 22–23 — Opening moves in Game Turn 1 planned. The Axis receive a dual turn with nominal reaction/movement by Soviets.’ Arrows indicate the planned three-pronged advance by 1st, 4th, 8th Panzer and 36th, 30th Motorised. Turn 3–7 objectives circled.
Deployment — The German Start Line
The German deployment concentrates Panzergruppe 4’s armour in the central and southern sectors — the fastest route into Lithuania. The plan sends 1st, 4th, and 8th Panzer northeast along the primary axis toward the south-western most towns and ultimately Riga, with 36th and 30th Motorised providing the motorised infantry screen. 18th Army’s infantry corps push up the Baltic coast. 16th Army masses at the Lithuania–East Prussia boundary.

German start-line deployment — centre and southern sectors. Panzergruppe 4 units visible: motorised (orange, 3-7, 4-7 rated) massed alongside infantry corps (grey, 8-9-5). Soviet frontier units (NKVD border troops, 1-1-5) visible in forward positions. Red objective pin marks first-turn goal to the northeast.
First Combat Phase — The Frontier Breaks

The opening attacks target the Soviet NKVD Border Guard regiments and frontier rifle divisions holding the start line. These units are understrength, already disrupted by Luftwaffe interdiction of HQ’s offer limited resistance. Several ‘Declared Attack’ markers are placed across the front. My combat dice run well: multiple Soviet units eliminated or retreated, breaches opened across the entire frontier.

Opening attacks declared — centre sector, Lithuania. ‘Declared Attack 5’ marker visible against Soviet 108th NKVD position at hex 1914. German 6-4-7 Panzer and 6-3-7 motorised units leading. Frontier Soviet units (1-1-5 border troops) are outmatched by the weight of steel against a thin green line.

Post-first-combat-phase results — the Soviet frontier is broken. German units have pushed northeast, Soviet forward divisions driven back or destroyed. The front line has shifted several hexes eastward. The road into Lithuania lies open.

Second Combat Phase — Panzers Exploit
EFS Turn 1’s special dual-turn rule allows a second full movement and combat phase. After the first combat results are resolved, the Panzers push forward again emulating the historical blitzkrieg tempo, which is captured mechanically by the dual turn. The 1st, 4th, and 8th Panzer Divisions drive deep, bypassing pockets of Soviet resistance to seize road networks and exploit the paralysed Soviet command system.

Pre-second combat phase of Turn 1 — annotated ‘Pre Combat 2nd Combat phase of Turn 1.’ Panzer divisions (1st, 4th & 8th Pzr labeled top right) repositioned for the second assault. The front has already moved significantly northeast from the start line.

Post-mech Axis second combat — end of Turn 1. The German front line has advanced deep into Lithuania. 18th Army (notation visible bottom right) pushing up the coastal axis. Soviet units that didn’t retreat far enough are now at risk of encirclement on Turn 2.

10 attacks and 3 over runs in the first attakc phase and six more in the 2nd coombat phase.

DESIGN NOTE — Turn 1 Dual Turn: The special Turn 1 rule is a significant advantage but demands disciplined use. The temptation is to push Panzers to their maximum range in the second phase, but over-extension without securing flanks invites Soviet counterattacks on Turn 2. The second phase is most efficiently used to cut road junctions behind Soviet forward units rather than purely racing eastward.

TURN 2 June 24–25, 1941 · Race to Riga

The pace of advance on Turn 2 reflects the historical shock that overwhelmed the Baltic Military District. Soviet command and control has collapsed, or been muted by constant interdiction. So units are falling back without ‘coherent orders’, and the German mechanised columns are moving faster than any Soviet response can be organised. From my notes a while back:rather starkly: routes ‘clear with well supplied attacks and air support.’
Totenkopf SS Motorised Division turns south toward Kaunas.

Turn 2 wide overview — June 24–25 Axis movements. Large purple arrow sweeps northeast toward Riga. German mechanised forces have broken through the Lithuanian plain and are racing across Latvia toward the Daugava. The advance corridor is clearly defined. Red objective pin marks the Kaunas axis in the south.

 

Turn 2 summary:

Elements advance up coast; 1st [Panzer] reports to exploit toward [Riga] areas; 8th, 4th Pzr and 6th Mot. Route clear with well supplied attacks and air support. Totenkopf heads to Kaunas to reinforce the push.’

The Northern Axis — Toward Riga
8th and 4th Panzer Divisions drive northeast up the Baltic coastal axis, covered by Luftwaffe air support. Soviet units attempting to hold along the Latvian road network are outflanked before they can dig in. The route is swept clear. Turn 2’s supply status is still healthy, and the Luftwaffe support points are being used aggressively to suppress Soviet defensive positions before the armour arrives.

Combat around centre sector. German 7-9-5 infantry and 3-7-5 motorised units attacking Soviet remnants (0-0-5 depleted fragments). Orange burst marker at the combat hex. Soviet resistance here is fragmentary — the main battle is further north with the Panzer spearheads.

The Southern Axis — Totenkopf Turns on Kaunas
While the main Panzer thrust drives northeast, the SS Motorised Division Totenkopf (1/SS TK), swings south toward Kaunas — Lithuania’s second city and a significant VP objective. Soviet forces defending Kaunas include NKVD troops and elements of the 11th Army that escaped the Turn 1 frontier battles. The city has a fortification marker. This will not be a quick overrun. Soviets place road bumps or speed bumps to slow the advance on the city.

Southern sector — SS Totenkopf (1/SS TK, 4-5-7 black counter) and supporting infantry pushing toward Kaunas. Soviet defenders: 2-3-5 rifle units and 2-2-5 formations holding the approaches. Red objective pin at Kaunas/Vilnius axis (top right). German 7-8-5 corps following up to consolidate the advance.

RULES NOTE — Supply on Turn 2: Supply is still fully intact for all forward German units — both Panzer Korps and the motorised infantry are within supply range of the forward railheads and will consume supply for full effect attacks. This will not last. By Turn 3 the logistics tail will be stretching, and the supply marker that appears on Turn 3 tells the story of what happens when you push too far, too fast.

TURN 3 — June 26–27, 1941 · The Supply Warning Appears

Turn 3 brings the first significant operational complications. The German advance has covered extraordinary ground — deep into Latvia, threatening Riga from the south, pressing Kaunas from multiple directions. But the supply lines are stretching. The single most important image in Turn 3 is not a combat result or a unit position: it is a white marker reading ‘Out of Supply, No Artillery Support, 2 MP.’ The blitz is paying a price.

 

Supply crisis — Turn 3 northern sector.  OOS Marker visible! This Soviet formation is operating isolated by Germans no artillery support in combat, movement halved. The Germans press their own supply up as quickly as they can to keep up with rapid adcvance, using MSU supply truck counters. This is the logistical warning signal of the entire campaign.

Baltic Coast — 18th Army Fights Coastal Defenders
While Panzergruppe 4 drives on Riga from the south, 18th Army is clearing the Baltic coastline to the north. Soviet naval infantry — the 11th Naval unit (1-1-3) is defending the Grobina area. The German MG 10 machine-gun battalion (2-2-8) is assigned to reduce this coastal pocket. The ‘In Port’ notation for a Soviet naval vessel indicates Baltic Fleet assets are present and complicating the coastal advance.

Baltic coast action near Grobina — ‘In Port’ Soviet naval unit (2-2-8) and 11th Naval infantry (1-1-3) defending the coastline. German MG 10 battalion (2-2-8) declared attack. A Soviet strongpoint and blown-bridge counter are visible. The Baltic Fleet is providing coastal fire support — 18th Army cannot simply bypass these positions.

Northern front overview — Turn 3.

German forces pressing toward Riga through Latvia. Supply truck (MSU) moving forward in the centre. The broad advance front is visible — multiple German corps committed across a wide frontage, putting pressure on every Soviet defensive position simultaneously.

Closing on Riga — Dvina in Sight

By the end of Turn 3, the lead German elements are at the gates of Riga. The approach from the south runs on — and the powerful 10/8 Panzer unit (rated 8-7-7, one of the strongest tank formations in the German order of battle) is positioned there. The assault on Riga from the south requires crossing toward the Dvina River line, and the Soviets are preparing demolition charges on every bridge they can reach.

Riga approaches — Turn 3 end. German 10/8 Pz (8-7-7) at Kaxlu Buda south of the city. Motorised units (6-4-7 and 4-4-7) moving up. Soviet 10 NKVD Border troops (1-1-5 BDR) and 18th NKVD defending Kaunas.

TURN 4 — June 27–28, 1941 · Riga Besieged — The Kirov Fights Back

Turn 4 is the ‘climactic session’ of the campaign to date and the map photograph shows the situation clearly: ‘June 27–28.’
Two major operational events dominate this turn. In the south, SS Totenkopf clears a fortified hex, overruns a Soviet operational headquarters, and isolates Kaunas. The Baltic city of half a million people is cut off. In the north, the full weight of Panzergruppe 4’s armour is preparing to be hurled at Riga — but the Soviets have a surprise waiting in the harbour.

Full campaign map — June 27–28. Riga is marked with a red pin near the Baltic coast, German forces closing from the south. Pskov and Leningrad pins visible in the far northeast — the campaign’s ultimate objectives. Southern annotation reads: ‘SS:TK clears Fortified hex and Overruns Hq! Isolates Kaunas.’ VP markers (200) visible on the advance corridor. The campaign axis is clearly defined.

The Assault on Riga — and the Cruiser Kirov
The assault on Riga concentrates 10/8 Panzer (8-7-7) plus multiple motorised divisions against the city’s southern face. Soviet defenders include the 10 NKVD Border regiment — but there is an unexpected addition to the defence. The Baltic Fleet has moved the cruiser Kirov (rated 3-5-0-3) formidable naval gunfire) into Riga harbour. Soviet naval artillery is now supporting the city’s landward defence. This is not something that appeared in the campaign plan!!

Riga harbour assault — Soviet cruiser Kirov (CL, 3-5-0-3, blue counter) in port providing naval gunfire support. German 1/1 Pz (6-4-7) and 10/8 Pz (8-7-7, not visible here) attacking the city hex. Soviet 10 NKVD defenders (1-1-5 BDR) reinforced by Kirov’s guns. ‘Declared Attack 1’ marker at the assault hex. Baltic Sea (blue, top) — the Kirov can withdraw by sea if the city falls.

Riga assault close-up — 10/8 Pz (2, 8-7-7) plus 628th battalion (2-2-7) attacking Riga. Soviet defenders: 10 NKVD BDR (1-1-5) and 615th+809th battalions (3-1-4). The Daugava/Dvina River visible to the right — RIGA labeled. The city is heavily defended but German combat superiority is massive. The assault is declared.

Kaunas — SS Totenkopf Overruns the Soviet HQ
In the south, the most dramatic action of Turn 4 occurs around Kaunas. SS Totenkopf (1/SS TK, 4-5-7) clears a fortified hex and then performs an overrun against a Soviet operational headquarters. With the HQ eliminated, Soviet units in the Kaunas pocket lose their command structure. Kaunas is isolated. The city is not yet taken, but its fate is being decided.

Kaunas area — Turn 4.
Soviet 1 NKVD (3-3-5) and 118th Division (4-4-4) defending the city. ‘Interdict Level 2’ counter showing Luftwaffe air interdiction of Soviet supply routes. German 1/SS TK (4-5-7, black) leading the assault. ‘Declared Attack’ marker. The Neris River hex — Kaunas is almost surrounded.

SS breakthrough sector — 1/SS TK (4-5-7) and German infantry (7-9-5 corps, 7-8-5 corps) pressing the Kaunas encirclement. Soviet 1 NKVD (3-3-5), 2-2-5, and 2-1-7 units defending. Blue counter (133rd, 2-4-6) is a Soviet armoured unit — still in the fight but badly outnumbered. ‘Declared Attack 3’ marker. The Kaunas pocket is tightening.

Kaunas isolation complete — SS Totenkopf (1/SS TK, 4-5-7) on top of the overrun Soviet 0-1-5 Operational HQ (orange explosion marker)

TURN 5 June 29–30, 1941 · The Bridge is Blown, Campaign at the Hinge

Turn 5 brings the campaign to its first genuine crisis point. The German advance has been fairly solid, not spectacular; deep into Latvia, Riga besieged from south and north, Kaunas isolated. But the Soviets have played their most powerful defensive card: the Riga road bridge is blown. The ‘RD Bridge 2 Blown’ marker changes the entire calculus for taking the city. And in the south, despite everything, Kaunas still hasn’t fallen.

18th Army — Turn 5 . The 18th Army activation counter and MSU 1N supply truck (0-0-8) near the Divna. The northern German army is pushing up the coast to close the trap on Riga from the north while Panzergruppe 4 presses from the south.

The Riga bridge — blown. ‘RD Bridge 2 Blown’ marker at the Riga river crossing. German 1/1 Pz (6-4-7) and other units are at the gate but cannot cross with full movement. Ferry counter indicates an alternate crossing point — slow, costly, and contested. Soviet 613th unit (1-1-5 BDR) defending the crossing site. RIGA labeled. The Divina is now a serious obstacle. A pivot required!

Kaunas — Still Fighting
Despite isolation, and the surrounding German ring, Kaunas has not fallen. Soviet units inside the pocket are fighting back. The isolated Soviet formations — 2-2-4 rifle units, 3-3-5 NKVD, 7-8-5 corps remnants — are reduced in effectiveness but still occupying the city hex. The MSU supply truck is positioned trying to restore LOC.

Kaunas — Turn 5 end state. Soviet defenders: 2-2-4, 3-3-5, and 7-8-5 remnants holding the city. German SS (4-5-7) and infantry pressing from multiple sides. Germans trying to maintain supply to their own assault units.

CAMPAIGN STATUS NOTE — Turn 5: Riga bridge blown; Divina crossing will require ferry operations (costly movement) or finding an intact crossing elsewhere. Kaunas is isolated but still holding — it may require another full turn of concentrated assault to reduce. Supply is the critical constraint: forward German units must check supply status before committing to Turn 6 operations. The campaign timeline is on track but the margin is narrowing.

CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT — END OF TURN 5
What Has Gone Well
The opening blitzkrieg delivered everything it promised. The dual-turn special rule was exploited aggressively, and Panzergruppe 4’s advance through Lithuania was handled correctly — speed over security in the opening turns, with flanks closed up progressively rather than immediately. The decision to commit Totenkopf south toward Kaunas while the main Panzer force drove northeast was historically sound and mechanically rewarded: Kaunas is isolated, Soviet operational coherence in the south is broken.
Air support (Luftwaffe support points and Interdict Level 2 markers visible in Turns 3–4) has been used effectively to suppress key Soviet defensive positions and interdict supply lines. The 10/8 Panzer’s commitment to the Riga assault was the correct concentration-of-force decision — that formation’s 8-7-7 rating makes it the best instrument available for forcing a fortified river crossing.

What Needs Resolution
Riga: The blown bridge is a genuine problem. Ferry operations are slow and limit the rate of reinforcement across the Divina. Options for Turn 6: force the ferry crossing and accept the delay, or seek an intact bridge further upriver ( approximately 30 km east). An upriver crossing would take Riga’s defenders in the flank but costs additional time. If Riga is not secured by Turn 7–8, the campaign timeline toward Pskov and Leningrad compresses dangerously.

Kaunas: The city must fall next turn. Every turn a significant German force is pinned around an isolated pocket is a turn those units are not advancing toward the campaign’s real objectives. a concentrated Turn 6 assault should reduce it. If it doesn’t, the decision to commit Totenkopf there will be reassessed.
Supply: The ‘Out of Supply’ marker that appeared on Turn 3 in a northern corps is a warning. As the front pushes east of Riga toward Pskov, the rail conversion bottleneck will bite harder. but there is a finite limit to how far ahead of the railheads the armour can operate effectively.

Outlook
The campaign is on track but not comfortably so. The historical German advance reached the outskirts of Leningrad by early September. With Riga and Kaunas still unsecured at the end of June (Turns 5–6 historically), there are 10–12 more turns before weather and Soviet reserve arrivals begin closing the campaign window. Riga must fall in Turn 6. The Divina must be crossed in force by Turn 7. Pskov by Turn 9–10. Leningrad approaches by Turn 12.
That is the timetable. Whether the EFS supply system and the Soviet reserve schedule allow it — that is the game.

REFERENCE
East Front Series on BoardGameGeek
Read the narrative version on Substack → bigboardgaming.substack.com
— DRAFT IN PROGRESS — TURNS 6+ TO FOLLOW —