Drang Nach Osten (1973)

Introduction:

Drang Nach Osten! is an historical game/simulation of the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 that lead to the gates of Moscow and ultimately to the destruction of the Wehrmacht and the fall of the Third Reich. Drang Nach Osten! is a complete game of the largest invasion in history, but may be incorporated into the larger series of game/simulations collectively titled Europa. Drang Nach Osten! carries the Russian campaign from June 1941 to the end of the Soviet winter counteroffensive in March 1942. Unentschieden (Europa II) continues the campaign through 1944-45. The two games together comprise the entire war in the East, 1941-45.

Game Components:

• Five 21 x 27" mapsheets (numbered Europa 1 through 5).
• One set of eight unit countersheets (for a total of 1792 counters) consisting of:
• Two Europa sheet 1
• One Europa sheet 2
• Three Europa sheet 3
• One Europa sheet 4
• One Europa sheet 5 (half-sheet)
• One rules folder and cover.
• One set of charts and tables consisting of:
  • One Soviet Initial Order of Battle
  • One Soviet Order of Appearance
  • One Soviet Units Appearing Chart
  • One German Initial Order of Battle
  • One German Order of Appearance
  • One German Units Appearing Chart
  • Two Combat Results Tables
  • One Unit Identification Chart
  • One Time Record Chart
  • One Terrain Effects on Combat Chart

Notes:

Each hex is 16 miles, each turn is two weeks. Ground units are Army HQs, Divisions (and Soviet Tank Corps), Brigades/Regiments, and Battalions. Air units are groups of 40-60 aircraft. There is a fair amount of unit specialisation, although at 20 pages the rules are far less intimidating by today's standards than when they first appeared over thirty years ago. Drang Nach Osten! lasts for 19 half-monthly game turns (Jun II 41 through Mar II 42), so allowing for the initial set up 20 sessions of several hours is a realistic playing time.

Drang Nach Osten! was revised and republished by GDW (Game Designers Workshop) as Fire in the East in 1984. Pre-orders are currently (2005) being accepted for the latest revision to be published by Games Research/Design (GR/D) as Total War.

Expanded by:

• Unentschieden

The Europa Series

Magazine References:

Panzerfaust Article List:

• Number 59 Jul-Aug '73
  • Quebec 1759 / Drang Nach Osten - "Thumbnail Analysis" (Review), Tom Wham
• Number 64
  • Drang Nach Osten / Unentschieden - "Game Review: Drang Nach Osten and Untentschieden" (Review), Herschel M. Sarnoff

Panzerfaust and Campaign Article Index:

• Number 73 May-June 1976
  • Drang Nach Osten - "Drang Nach Osten!: A Strategic Analysis" (Strategy), Gerard S. Lannigan