15-18 October (Soviet)

Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II (including Enemy at the Gates and Case Blue)

15^th to 18^th October 1941

Weather DR = 3 so DRY                  Air Condition DR = 5,3 so NORMAL

Initiative DR        Axis  = 6,5            Soviet = 6,5

Soviet decide to move first

Turn 5 (Soviet)

Replacement DR  = 3,1 (-1) so 1 Pax

Rebuilds:             5^th Fortified Area Brigade

Supply DR = 1,1 so 13(+1) SP

Valday

Only the HQ of 11^th Corps and its protecting infantry (including 245^th Strelkovaya Division) remain in Valday.  The rest of the Soviet force has retreated and formed up on the far side of Lake Valdayskoye and the Valdayka River.

Andreapov – Nelidovo – Sychevka

Sensing an opportunity to retake previously abandoned territory, the Red Army sent several infantry divisions east towards Andreapov, held by just two German divisions.  27^th Corps HQ followed, though rather than using the railway it travelled along a forest track.  Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft reported a supply dump had been established at the village of Peno, but no aggressive action took place.

That was not the case at Nelidovo.  To the alarm of the garrison, an entire Katyusha Brigade opened up on the town.  Through luck, no casualties were recorded, but the defenders, two units from 6^th Panzer Division, were rattled.  Somehow their discipline enabled them to turn the tables on the attackers who rushed the town.  Merciless defensive fire saw both 53^rd Kaveleriy Division (Dovator Group) and 252^nd Strelkovaya destroyed, while the defenders remained untouched.  German intelligence had heard rumours that Stavka was displeased with the performance of its rocket artillery, particularly as ammunition production recently had been low.

Soviet artillery was a little more accurate near Sychevko, but not much better.  One brigade completely missed its target, but another managed to destroy II/1 Panzer Bn, 1^st Panzer Division.  Other German units were disrupted, and several large attacks were initiated.  The first was almost a complete failure, with two of the participating divisions taking losses.  The only redeeming point was that the 113rd Panzergrenadier Rgt was forced to retreat from its fortified position.  This allowed the subsequent attack to completely eliminate two units of 7^th Panzer and a support Flak unit.  This time the Russians were better led and suffered no significant injury.

Further east, two Russian rifle divisions, trapped near Pussii, decided that rather than risk starvation, they would break out of the loose ring of troops surrounding them.  Both 162^nd and 166^th Strelkovaya were successful, though neither will be ready for duty for at least 15 days.

An indication that Stavka sees this as a critical zone is number of sorties flown by the VVS to harass ground movement by the Wehrmacht: five areas have been effectively blanketed by hostile aircraft.

Vyazma – Spas Demyansk

With no troops left south of the Upper Dnepr, the Soviets consolidated the forward fortified line based on Izdeshkovo.  Further back, the Vyazma line now runs from the German front lines near Sychevka to the northward boundaries of German armour operating from Spas Demyansk.

South of the Vyazma line, 10^th Panzer Division was ignored while heavy forces concentrated on the area west of Sukhinichi.  Although they had survived a counter-attack several days previously, 8^th Aufklärung Bn (5^th PzD) and 529^th Panzerjäger were swamped by thousands of infantry.  Nobody escaped.

Bryansk – Orel

More and more Russians march north-east from Bryansk, leaving less men to hold the city.  The group of divisions around the railway junction of Narlya seem to preparing to die where they stand: probably a supply dump has been set up in the vicinity.

West of Orel, Soviet artillery struck again, destroying 7^th Aufklärung Bn, 7^th Panzer.  Seeral other units were disorganised by the shelling.  There was no attempt, however, to dislodge the now substantial German force blocking the road/rail link to Bryansk.  Having served its purpose by spotting for the distant guns, the fearless worker brigade flung itself against 2^nd PzGruppe HQ, which had for some unknown reason been left unguarded.  An attempt to bomb the headquarters had failed as the inherent flak shot down a large number of Pe-8 bombers.  The attack by the workers was just as successful: the administrative troops of 2^nd PzGruppe were forced to retreat, but the battlefield was littered with the remains of the worker brigade.  No doubt it will be soon replaced with more “volunteers”.

To the south, the rail engineers evacuated Fatezh.  But that was not to say that the Red Army had abandoned this important road intersection, where the track from Dimitirev-L’Govsky meets the Kursk-Orel Highway.  Waves of armour poured from Kursk, and 1/21 Bn, 1^st Kavellerie Division was crushed beneath the tracks of 18^th Tank Brigade.  A similar attack on II/22 Bn failed miserably, with 150^th Tank Brigade pulling back after meeting spirited resistance.  Then the gloves were off and a mass attack by several brigades eliminated the plucky cavalrymen.  Their bravery did save the other cavalry units to the north, as the Soviets were unable to clear the entire area as planned.

Poltava

Stavka reacted immediately to the threat to Kharkov.  With 9^th PzD, together with 16^th and 25^th Motorised Divisions poised to move from the north, the push east towards Poltava was reversed.  Where previously the Germans had faced a unbroken line of divisions, now a few scattered units remained.  A fighter sweep over Poltava airfield achieved little, but air interdiction south of Krasnograd will slow any advance by 16^th PzD and the Italians.

Dnepropetrovsk – Zaporezh’e

The wall of infantry shielding the highway east of the Dnepr was not tested.  The only conflict was to the south of Zaporezh’e where 14^th PzD and “Wiking” were strung out along the road south.  Heinkels from Poltava struck at the Russians, losing half their force but disrupting a vital sector of the Russian front.  Gritting their teeth, the Soviets committed a huge force to attack 40^th Aufklärung Bn, 14^th PzD.  The armoured cars and halftracks had no chance, but they died well, throwing back the attack as their last action.  With steely determination, the Russian commander threw everything he had at 5^th SS Aufklärung, SS “Wiking” Division.  Again the Germans stood their ground, the SS showing that they too could sacrifice for the greater good.  The Russians were thrown back for the second time, any hope of encircling the rest of the two divisions with reserve troops having evaporated.

The South

The need (or opportunity) to move against the advance from Zaporezh’e saw most of the troops that had been based around Melitopol head north.  As a result, the Germans retreating towards Novaya Kakhova were unmolested.  The focus of attention had shifted to the Perekop Isthmus.  From Novoalekseyevka an endless stream of cavalry and infantry, with the odd armoured unit, headed north east to Chaplinka.  The garrison on the isthmus was cut off and the airfield at Chaplinka was under threat.  Luckily an assault gun battalion had been placed in reserve at the airfield.  This was its moment.  The airfield was evacuated, the bombers hitting the nearby 72^nd Kaveleriy Division before swinging north to the safety of Nikolayev.  Then the StuGs of 190^th Bn moved on the hapless horsemen, completely destroying the unit.  The armoured vehicles then returned to the airbase, ready to repel any assault.

The first attack by the Russians was on 836^th Landesschützen Bn.  The second-line troops were never supposed to fight a regular force, and were soon eliminated.

Hoping to get some benefit from isolating the southern troops, 40^th Kaveleriy attacked the German artillery park to the rear of the infantry blocking the isthmus.  The artillerymen were also ready to demonstrate their skill, firing over open sights to annihilate the charging cavalry.

With one last effort, infuriated that the plan to cut off the three infantry divisions and artillery had been thwarted, the Russians launched a combined armour and cavalry attack on Chaplinka itself, using supply carried by the assaulting troops.  54^th Korps HQ was in transit through the village, and the brunt of the attack was taken by the Slovak 101^st Security Bn, Zstvcia Division.  Although the lightly armed Slovaks were intended for rear area security, they fought the Ivans to a standstill, and in fact forced both 130^th Tank Brigade and the Rostov Militia Cavalry Division to retreat.  Any awards for bravery must be posthumous, however, as not a man survived.  The grateful HQ troops of 54^th Korps remained safe in the centre of the settlement.

Supply :                   Soviet rec’d        14 SP

                                Soviet used        37.1 SP

                                Axis used             2.2 SP

Dead units

Axis                         3(5)10                   1/8 Flak Coy

                                7(4)3                      5^th Motorised Infantry Regiment, 7^th PzD

                                4 x 3(5)8               37^th Aufklärung Bn, 7^th PzD; 7^th Aufklärung Bn, 4th PzD

                                                             8^th Aufklärung Bn, 5^th PzD, 40^th Aufklärung Bn, 14^th PzD

                                2 x 4(4)4               I/21 and II/22 Bn, 1^st Kavellerie Division

                                6(5)8                      II/1 Panzer Bn, 1^st PzD

                                2(3)8                      529^th Panzerjäger Bn      

                                4(5)8                      5^th SS Aufklärung Bn, SS “Wiking” Div

                                1(2)2                      836^th Landschützen Bn

                                2(1)2                      101^st Security Bn, Zstvcia Division (Slovak)

Soviet                      2 x 7(3)4               40^th and 72^nd Kaveleriy Divisions

                                8(3)5                      53^rd Kaveleriy Div., Dovator Cavalry Group                   

                                11(1)1                   252^nd Strelkovaya Infantry Division

                                4(0)2                      Worker Alert Brigade

Aircraft losses

Axis                        Bomber                      1 Heinkel step (Flak)

Soviet                     Bomber                         1 Pe-8 step (Flak)

12-14 October (Axis)

Guderians’s Blitzkrieg II (including Enemy at the Gates and Case Blue)

12^th – 14^th October 1941

Turn 4 (Axis)

Reinforcement DR = 5,5 (-1) so 1 FTR, 1 Other Air, 2 Pax, 1 Eq

Rebuilds: Bf 109; He 111; 900 “Lehr” Motorised Infantry Brigade; II/35 Panzer Bn, 14^th PzD

Supply DR = 6,6 so 18 (+1) SP

Star’aya Russka

German intelligence reported that 11^th Corps HQ, together with a large stockpile of supply, was based in the town of Valday.  32.ID was close by and preparations were made for an attack.  Hopes of success were not high, as it was known that the Soviets had provided at least one rifle division to protect the town and its contents.  Should the HQ be driven out, however, not only would there be a chance to capture fuel and ammunition, but the several divisions to the west would be cut off from command.  The Luftwaffe did its part by sending in both Heinkels and Stukas despite the presence of heavy flak defending the HQ.  The extra aircraft were needed as half the Heinkels were shot down but the mission achieved its purpose of disorganising the defenders.  Then the infantry moved in.  In heavy fighting 26^th Strelkovaya, badly damaged by 256.ID a week ago, was wiped out, but the Russians held firm.  32.ID  retreated, having taken losses itself.

Nelidovo – Sychevka

An infantry division pulled back across the Dvina near Andreapol, but the town remained held firmly.  An infantry regiment marched west to protect the railhead.

Infantry from Zemtsy moved east to link up with the garrison at Nelidovo, but no action was taken against the Soviet forces to the north of the town.

An attack on the fort line west of Sychevka was barely successful, the combined strength of 129.ID and armour from 1^st Panzer Division just enough to drive the defending infantry out and allow the weakened German infantry to take the fortified area.    To the south, a flammpanzer battalion spearheaded infantry from 7^th PzD in breaking a divisional line set up by 140 Strelkovaya slightly east of the Vyazma fort line.  Again, though victorious, the attack barely succeeded.

Vyazma – Spas Demyansk

The Soviets have left garrisons to slow the advance along the direct route to Moscow.  Tasked with holding Safonovo, 222 Strelkovaya had just reached the town and was not yet prepared for an attack.  After sending two regiments forward to harry the Russian rear guard, 162.ID hit Safanovo, killing half the defenders and chasing the survivors south to Dorogoburzh.  The area secure, General Hoth moved up 3^rd Panzer Group HQ. 

10^th PzD moved a little further east, where it encountered a worker brigade.  Expecting a walk-over, the German attack was poorly co-ordinated (DR 1,1 followed by 2,2).   The Soviet High Command, which had decided not to send supplies to the embattled workers, cursed the missed opportunity to inflict casualties.  As it was, the lightly armed and poorly led troops did not die in vain: the Germans, who had hoped to use the momentum from victory to also take care of the 64^th Area Defence Brigade further along the road to Myetlovo, had to halt to recover.

2^nd PzD moved south-east, reinforcing the units who had survived the Soviet attempt to clear the Bryansk road.  Once again the last Soviet link to Bryansk is cut.

Bryansk

With Spas Demyansk fairly secure, infantry started to clear the railway south to Bryansk.  Emerging from the deep woods, an infantry regiment quickly eliminated the Bryansk rail engineers based at Kyut-kovo.  There was a harder battle at Lyudinovo, further north, but 260.ID was able to destroy 173^rd Strelkovaya without loss.

The Luftwaffe had been having difficult hitting targets and this continued near Bryansk where 278^th Strelkovaya, protected by the swampy ground, resisted all attempts to break its morale from the air.  For the first time in Unternehmen Taifun, German artillery was called in.  The guns of the “Das Reich” artillery regiment achieved what the bombers could not, and then the SS infantry moved in. “Deutschland” and the Fleming “Langemark” regiments were able to not only shatter the now disorganised Russian riflemen but also to capture several hundred tonnes of supplies.  (Though the Soviets managed to destroy the same amount before surrendering)

With “Das Reich” now adjacent to the western suburbs of Bryansk, German infantry division crossed the Desna unopposed and threatened the rail link north.

Orel – L’Gov

With the vast expenditure of fuel and ammunition elsewhere, for once it was the turn of some of Guderian’s troops to hold their fire.  Although some units moved forward to surround a worker’s brigade near Orel and a railway engineer battalion on the road to Kursk, the only combat was to clear the road to Kromy – Orel road of Russian tanks.  The first attack by 12^th Infantry Reg’t, 4^th Panzer Division was a dismal failure, and the unit was cut to pieces by the Soviet tanks.  A second attempt by 1/35 Panzer Bn went better, and 24^th Tank Brigade ceased to exist.

Kharkov

After nearly two weeks in which he has concentrated on the north-east sector, General Guderian has now released his reserves.  Three mobile divisions, 9^th Panzer, 16^th and 25^th Motorised Infantry, have moved south-east, from Sumy towards Kharkov.  There has been no resistance, as any Soviet units have been by-passed, the advancing troops simply securing a bridge over the Vorskla north of Kharkov.

Poltava

As the Russian push west towards Poltava ceased, the Axis began to move west.  There was no combat, but infantry divisions marched alongside the road to Kharkov and both sides of the tributary of the Vorskla River that follows the road east.

Near the swamps south-west of Kharkov, however, 16^th Panzer dealt savage blows to the Russians.  The battle for the air was a draw, as the Luftwaffe lost a few Heinkels in exchange for some I-16 fighters.  But the German pilots could claim the ultimate success, as a large group of cavalry were demoralised by the bombing.  III/2 Panzer Bn, 16^th PzD was ready and the tanks rolled forward, completely destroying both 38^th Cavalry Division and 2^nd Separate Cavalry Regiment (only reconstituted a week earlier). 

The tanks kept going north, hoping to overrun a tank unit, but the commander decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retired south.  There it joined in a mass attack on Russian infantry that eliminated 293^rd Strelkovaya and saw 275^th take losses and retreat in confusion.  Not one German unit suffered any losses.

The presence of a Corps HQ in the front line was tempting, but repeated attempts by the Luftwaffe to disrupt it and the NKVD unit protecting it were unsuccessful.  With regret, OB Sud ruled an attack would be too risky. 

Denepropetrovsk – Zaporezh’e

East of Dnepropetrovsk, a vast semicircle of infantry covered the road on which supply and communications run north and south.   With the rear secure, the reduction of Zaporezh’e began.  Courageous bombers braved the fierce flak over the airfield to hit the defending infantry that were then attacked by a combined “Wiking” and Hungarian infantry force.  The assault was carried out with precision (consecutive 6,6 die rolls) and none of the garrison, the elite 4th Strelkovaya, survived.  The only negative note was the loss of a Hungarian armoured car unit, foolishly sent out of supply range and never heard of again.

Rail engineers reached just west of Dnepropetrovsk.

Melitopol – Arabatskaya – Crimea

14^th Panzer Division linked with the forward elements of “Wiking” and probed south towards Melitopol.  About halfway along the connecting road, they found the way barred by a large Soviet infantry force.  In the ensuing battle, Augklärungsabteilungen from both divisions inflicted heavy losses on the Russians.  A high quality regiment, presumably intended to stiffen resistance, was destroyed, and the accompanying infantry division fled 10 miles east.    The rest of panzer division moved up, but no further advance was made.

With the total loss of the force sent to hold the Melitopol – Arabatskaya road, the pull back towards Novaya Khakova became a retreat.  The gap between the forward units of the Red Army and the rearguard of the Rumanian – German armies grew to 15-20 miles.  Without the need to provide control and supply to units far to the south, the Axis pulled nearly all troops to within 5 miles of the railway.  The forward wagon supply base was disassembled and the wagons sent west to safety.

Even more surprising, the Germans pulled back from Krasnopol on the Crimean Isthmus.  A new defensive line was formed between the towns of Perekop and Armyansk.  Obviously any attempt to capture the Crimea has been put on hold.

Supply:                   Axis rec’d = 19 SP

                                Axis used = 24.2 SP

                                Soviet used = 2.1 SP

Dead Units

Axis                         2(4)6 Hungarian Armoured Car Battalion

                                7(4)3 12^th Infantry Regiment (4^th PzD)

Soviet                      11(1)1 Infantry Division (173)

                                2 x 12(2)2 Infantry Division (278, 297)

                                2 x 13(3)3 Infantry Division (4, 26)

                                8(4)5 Cavalry Division (38)

                                2(3)4 Cavalry Regiment (2^nd Separate)

                                4(0)2 Alert Brigade

                                1(0)2 Railway Engineer Battalion (Bryansk)

                                6(2)5 Tank Brigade (24)

Air losses

Axis                          Bombers              2 x Heinkel step (1 from Flak)

Soviet                        Fighter                  I-16 step

12-14 October (Soviet)

Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II (including Enemy at the Gates and Case Blue)

12^th to 14^th October 1941

Weather DR = 1 so DRY                 Air Condition DR = 5,5 so NORMAL

Initiative DR        Axis  = 5,5                Soviet = 5,4

Despite the temptation of a double move, the Axis decided it was not ready and passed first move to the Comrade Kuritsa.

Turn 4 (Soviet)

Replacement DR  = 11 (-1) so 2 x FTR, Other Air, 5 (+1) x Pax, 2 x Eq, 1 Truck, 1 Artillery, 1 Emergency

Rebuilds

I-16, Yak 1, Il-2

 9^th Tank Brigade; 34^th Motorised Infantry Regiment; 49^th Cavalry, Donbas Cavalry Corps, 26^th Motor-cycle Battalion

20^th Mountain Division released from Emergency Reserve

With no artillery available to rebuild, Comrade Kuritsa had to regretfully waste his replacement.

Supply DR = 8 so 22(+1) SP

Star’aya Russka

A few Soviets manoeuvred a little to the east, but the retreat has slowed.  It appears that a new defensive line has formed around the town of Valday.

Nelidovo – Sychevka

Led by the Dovator Cavalry Corps, a column of troops headed east from Rzhev to provide a link to 252^nd Strelkovaya, still holding the woods to the north of Nelidovo.  German intelligence is that the Russians intend to contest control of the area.

After careful preparations were made to relieve the surrounded 1^st Guards Motorised Infantry Division west of Sychevka, disaster struck.  It was discovered starvation and lack of fuel/ammunition had led to the surrender of the unit, which had previously been at full strength.  (Attrition DR = 11!)  Although disappointed, the local commander proceeded with the planned attack, with artillery softening up 1/1 Panzer Bn, 1^st PzD before it was destroyed by infantry.  An attack on 54^th Kradschützen Bn, 14^th Motorised Infantry Division ended with that unit retreating, having destroyed 146^th Light Tank Brigade.  Determined to throw the Germans back from Sychevka, the victors of the earlier attack launched a repeat assault, which eliminated the motor-cyclists but also forced the Russians to retreat.

Several attempts to harass road traffic were made, but only one had any success, though no aircraft were lost.

Vyazma – Spas Demyansk

The VVS made a concerted effort to interdict German movement in this area, even using fighter aircraft.  One group of Yak-1s was badly hit by flak, but several areas near Spas Demyansk were affected.

Bryansk

Bombing lead units near the Sukhinichi – Bryansk road/rail link had no effect, so a mass infantry attack from three directions was tried.  To the anguish of the Russian commanders, the infantry were surprised and their huge numerical advantage was all for nothing.  The Germans did retreat west, becoming disorganised as they fled, but one Russian division took heavy losses.

On an ominous note for the Soviets, two panzer divisions held in reserve until now, were fuelled and started to move to the east.

Orel - L’Gov

The news for Stavka from Orel was not much better.  The Axis had reinforced the tip of its drive east, but there were weak points in the column of troops following behind.  A fast moving group of tanks and cavalry was assembled at struck at 17^th Kradschützen Bn, 17^th Panzer Division, which was strung out along the road.  Once again luck was against the Soviets.  Somehow the motorcyclists got wind of the attack and the 3^rd Cavalry Division was mowed down.  The tank brigade pressed home the attack, forcing the Germans back, but it now appeared doomed, trapped far from support.   The original plan had apparently been for the Russians to withdraw east over the Orel River.

To slow down any German advance, Soviet artillery hit 3^rd PzD and the VVS harassed road movement near Orel, Kromy and L’Gov.

Poltava

Faced with a pullback into a defensive line in front of Poltava and threat from the south, the Russians halted their advance west and turned their attention to 16^th Panzer Division.  After marshalling troops for a counter-attack, an enormous artillery barrage was unleashed.  But once again the Russians were thwarted, as apparently faulty intelligence saw the hundreds of tonnes of shells fall harmlessly on vacant land.  When the dust settled, the German tanks and infantry remained unharmed.  The dejected Soviets called off the attack, cursing their luck.  As a further blow, when the artillery tried again to disrupt the German armour, the barrage worked perfectly.  But now there were insufficient troops available to mount an assault.

Dnepropetrovsk – Zaporezh’e

Although the Italian cavalry were able to block the way north from Zaporezh’e, they could not prevent a few fuel trucks getting to the 132^nd Motorised Brigade, which immediately formed column and headed out.  No supply could reach the 28^th Cavalry, Donbas Corps, which was further south and surrounded by Axis units.  Spotting a weak link in the ring of enemy troops, the cavalry charged the Italian III-4 Anti-aircraft Group.   The gunners were wiped out, but the breakout attempt was ultimately a failure, as the all the Russian horsemen were killed in the fighting.

At Zaporezh’e, an infantry division crossed the Dnepr to place the river as a barrier to attacking German forces.  (The aim being to reduce the likelihood of attack and thus save supplies).  The besieged garrison survived on stockpile resources, the commander suggesting he had enough to last for weeks.  To slow any Axis advance south to assist the Rumanian-German armies operating in the Kherson – Crimea – Melitopol area, large numbers of Russian aircraft flew missions to interdict the Zaporezh’e – Melitopol road.

Melitopol – Arabatskaya Isthmus

(No photo available as the offical photographer was too keen to salvage the Axis positions and forgot to take one)

Any hope 22.ID of a pause in the fighting was soon dispelled.  Artillery shells rained down on the division, now at only half strength.  The regiment sent to assist it was also hit, just before it was annihilated by waves of cavalry.  22.ID itself was attacked by thousands of infantry and though it did manage to destroy a brigade of marines, when the fighting had ceased it had ceased to exist.

The only unit preventing clear access from Melitopol to the Crimea was 22^nd Flak Battalion.  The prize of open supply lines allowed the Russians no choice but to destroy it, and several rifle divisions accomplished this without loss, though they were forced to pull back to recover.

Along the Kherson railroad, the Russians were more cautious, restricting themselves to just one attack.   (One explanation was that the Axis units were retreating faster than the Russians could advance).  2^nd Rumanian Mountain, defending the left wing of the retreating armies, was cut to pieces by cavalry.

Supply:                   Soviet rec’d = 23 SP

                                Soviet used = 31.1 SP

                                Axis used = 4.3 SP

Dead Units

Axis                        20(5)4 Infantry Division (22)

                                7(4)3 Flak Battalion (22)

                                6(5)8 Panzer Bn (1/1, 1^st PzD)

                                4(5)8 Kradschützen Bn (54^th, 14^th Motorised Infantry Division)

                                6(3)3 Rumanian Mountain Brigade (2)

                                3(3)8 Italian Flak Group (III-1)

Soviet                      4(3)3 Naval Brigade (9)

                                2 x 7(3)4 Cavalry Division (28^th, Donbas Cavalry Corps; 3^rd, 5^th Cavalry Corps)

                                10(4)5 Guards Motorised Division (1)

                                5(1)5 Light Tank Brigade (146)

Aircraft Losses

Axis                         Nil

Soviet                      Fighter                  Yak-1 (Flak)

                                Bomber                                Nil