Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II AAR (includes Enemy at the Gates and Case Blue)
5th to 7th October 1941
Turn 2 (Soviet)
Replacement DR = 4 (-1) so Nil (+1 Pax)
Supply DR = 6 so 22 SP + 1 SP = 23 SP
East of Star’aya Russka
Although temped to retaliate for the German attack, the Russians decided to continue their withdrawal. The pullback from Klemtsy also continued.
Nelidovo
(You may notice the interdiction markers have changed again: we thought a Red Hammer and Sickle more appropriate than the Rising Sun, and it stands out just as well)
The failure of the attack led by 100th “Lehr” Brigade allowed the bulk of the Soviet forces east of Nelidovo to evade the German s east of the town. To assist the withdrawal, a large number of sorties were flown by the VVS to hinder Axis movement, but only two areas were affected. German scouts reported that the tank unit in Pussi has been replaced by an infantry division.
West of Sychevka a presumed Soviet counter-attack was called off after a Luftwaffe strike severely rattled units to the north of 1st PzD.
Smolensk
The 15 mile long of defence installations blocking the Smolensk-Moscow highway at Yaretsovo remained manned, but on both sides of the rail-road corridor Soviet forces moved east, some at speed. A defence line was formed at Safanovo, but the main concentration is in the Vyazma area.
Once again, air interdiction was heavy. Messerschmitts based at Spas Demyansk destroyed a group of Il-2 bombers and some of their escorting Yak-1 fighters, but could not prevent several roads being affected.
Bryansk
Near Bryansk, 299th Strelkovaya, cut off from its headquarters, vanished into the swamps. Sources indicate that it will reappear in about three weeks.
Orel-L’Gov-Belopol’ye
As expected, the small group of Germans sitting astride the Orel-Bryansk road and rail link was hit by a counter-attack. Luckily Generalleutnant Breith, commander of 3rd PzD, had held his panzers in reserve near Kromy, and was able to rush them into action. As a result, the Soviet assault on the panzerjäger battalion was repulsed, with 3rd Kaveleriy Division, 5th Cavalry Corps, destroyed in the fighting.
The determined 191st Assault Gun Bn was also saved: German bombers were able to strike a marshalling area near the vital bridge guarded by the StuGs and a planned attack was abandoned.
The Soviets were buoyed by the news that 20th Motorcycle Regiment, trapped in the German rear after its raid on 10th Motorised Division, had escaped. How it managed to get fuel for its vehicles is unknown, but word is it should be available for deployment by the end of the month.
Reconnaissance revealed a Soviet build-up in the Kursk area, but it is not known if this is defensive or whether a counter-offensive is being readied.
Some minor harassment of vehicles by Soviet aircraft was reported, but after several TB-3 long range bombers were shot down by flak the other bombers had little success.
Poltava
1st Panzer Group suffered another setback when an artillery barrage destroyed 279th Anti-aircraft Battalion. What was worse was that this left 44th Corps HQ with no support and it was crushed without much trouble by a large combined arms force (2 infantry divisions with support from 2 tank brigades). 100 tonnes of supply was captured and an equivalent amount was blown up. 132nd Tank Brigade surged forward to destroy a nearby artillery group, but pulled back to safety after the battle.
A strong group moved south to stand in the way of 16th PzD, with cavalry of the Donbas Group moved from Pavlograd to occupy the swamps north of the road to Dnepropetrovsk.
Zaporezh’e and Melitopol
In a daring display of speed, a motorised infantry regiment raced from east of Poltava across more than 50 miles of unoccupied plains to the main Poltava-Dnepropetrovsk highway. There it overran 52nd Corps HQ that was in transit. The Germans had believed that no troops capable of such a long range mission were in the area. The lesson was painful, and not assuaged by the news that 1st Motorised Regiment had perished from lack of food and fuel. Apart from that one sign of aggression, the Soviets were content to carry on the build up of troops in the Melitopol area, though a cavalry division did move north to re-open the road to Zaporezh’e.
On the Axis side, however, 14th PzD fuelled up and moved east of Dnepropetrovsk, preparig for action.
Supply: Soviet rec’d 23 SP
Soviet used 25 SP
Axis used: 2 SP
Dead Units
Axis: 2 x 8-0 Corps HQ (44, 52)
26(2)2 Artillery Group
7(4)3 Anti-air craft battalion (279)
Soviet: 3(2)3 Motorised Infantry Regiment (1)
7(3)4 Cavalry Division (3/5th Cavalry Corps)
Air losses
Axis: Nil
Soviet: Fighters Yak-1
Bombers Il-2
TB-3 (Flak)
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