8-11 October 1941: Soviet

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

Ground conditions are automatically DRY.  Air conditions DR = 4,5 so NORMAL

Initiative DR:   Axis = 4,4        Soviet 5,6

After a suitable amount of pondering and wishes that this had been anticipated, Comrade Kuritsa decided the opportunity of a double move could not be declined.

 8th to 11th October1941

Turn 3 (Soviet)

Replacement DR = 9 (-1) so Ftr, 4 Pax, Eq

Rebuild 2^nd Separate Cavalry Bn, 3^rd Cavalry (5^th Cavalry Corps), 30^th HQ, I-16 fighters

Supply DR = 8 so 22 SP + 1 SP = 23 SP

Star’aya Russka

Soviet forces avoid battle and slowly march around the blocking German troops.

Nelidovo – Sychevka

The Soviets have decided to abandon any real attempt to hold Zemtsy and Nelidovo.  243 Strelkovaya is to garrison Zemtsy while 252 Strelkovaya holds Nelidovo.  Both are weakened through combat (and starvation) and are purely to slow the German advance, not to halt it.  As at Star’aya Russka, the retreating units decline battle as they move east, looping north as they head to Rzhev.  It seems that 900 “Lehr” Brigade, though a tempting target, would require too large an investment in time and force.

Many attempts to harass German road communications were made, but only one was successful.  German flak guns claimed a few Pe-2 bombers.

The Luftwaffe had more success: in its only foray a He 111 geschwader flew from near Poltava to strike 1^st Guards Motorised Division near Sychevka.  As a result, the planned massive series of attacks on 1^st Panzer Division was reduced to a single assault on the lead units, which saw 1^st Kradschützen Bn destroyed though the panzer grenadier regiment stood its ground.

Smolensk – Spas Demysansk

The orderly withdrawal towards Vyazma continued, as the Russians pulled out of Safonovo and Pussii.  Leaving a strong force to hold a river line 40 miles east of Vysazma, the bulk started to form a barrier 10 miles in front of the city.  To the south, defensive works have been constructed along the railway to Spas Demyansk.   The VVS played its part in giving the defenders time to prepare, flying many missions to harass German troop movements in that area.

Bryansk-Orel

As expected, the units blocking the road south from Orel to Bryansk came under heavy attack.  The presence of the tank battalions of 3^rd PzD saw the Russians commit a large force, hoping to cripple the panzer division by stripping it of its armoured spearhead.  The usual heavy artillery barrage caused confusion among the defenders, but the first attack, to the south, was a failure.  Although 543^rd Panzerjäger Bn was eliminated, the Soviets lost 9^th Tank Brigade.  The attack to the north was more successful, as 1/6 Panzer Bn was destroyed, but the StuGs stood firm, forcing the Russians to retreat.  The supply route south remained closed.

Poltava

For the Axis, things were bad east of Poltava, but they could have been even worse.  Luckily the Luftwaffe had held back a few aircraft and was able to hit a 10 mile stretch of the Russian front, throwing two tank brigades into turmoil.  A massive artillery barrage wiped out 525^th Panzerjäger Bn and severely damaged 76 and 297.ID.  Tanks then rolled over 4^th Korps HQ, left defenceless with the loss of the anti-tank unit.  76.ID was also destroyed in an attack but the Soviets lost 34^th Motorised Infantry Brigade.

Denpropetrovsk – Zaporezh’e

The Soviets again used raids over long distances to hit the Axis as they move east.  This time it was the Italians who suffered, as two divisions of the Donbas Cavalry Corps switched from blocking 16^th PzD to sweeping across the plains to overrun the headquarters of XXXV Corps.  General Messe was lucky to escape, and can thank the bravery of the gunners of the Voloire Artillery Regt of the D’Aosta Division who fell allowing the administration troops to retreat.  The makeshift infantry fought so well that half the attackers were killed and, although the battlefield was taken by the cavalry, the depleted force was unable to proceed with its plan to cut the supply road east.

Slightly to the west, 132^nd Motorised Infantry Brigade was repulsed by a security unit: 682^nd Police Brigade.  By good fortune, the Russian plan to cut off all the Axis troops east of the Dnepr was foiled.

Kherson railway – Melitopol – Arabatskaya Isthmus

The Russians finally unleashed the armour that had been accumulated north of Melitopol.  The Luftwaffe, depleted by all the calls on its aircraft, could only conduct one mission, but that group of Heinkels not only knocked out the best infantry unit in the area (38^th Strelkovaya) but also destroyed a number of I-16 fighters that intercepted them. 

This brave effort, however, could not stem the wave of Russians who first broke the thin divisional line set up by the German forces at the front.  The Soviets then massacred a Rumanian mountain brigade and swept the Rumanian Mountain Korps into oblivion.  There was nothing that could be done to stop their advance, but, perhaps fearing a counter-attack, the Russians did not expand their breakthrough.

To the south, the long awaited attack on 22.ID took place, and the elite unit performed as well as expected.  7^th Marine Brigade was destroyed in the attack, and 256^th Strelkovaya was badly damaged.  Still, the Germans were forced back, and the Russians in the Crimean peninsula have a chance to link up with those around Melitopol.

Supply      Soviet rec’d : 23 SP

                  Soviet used: 34.1 SP

                  German used: 6  SP

Dead Units

German:                  2 x 2(4)8 Panzerjäger Bn (525, 543)

                                6(5)8 1/6 Panzer Bn (3^rd PzD)

                                4(5)8 1 Kradschützen Bn (1^st PzD)

                                20(4)3 Infantry Division (76)

                                8-0 Korps HQ (40)

                                6-0 Rumanian HQ (Mountain)

                                6(3)3 Rumanian Mountain Brigade (1)

                                8(3)2 Voloire Artillery Regiment (D’Aosta Mot. Div)

Russian:                   7(3)4 49^th Cavalry Division (Donbas Cavalry Corps)

                                5(3)3 Motorised Infantry Brigade (34)

                                7(3)6 Tank Brigade (9)

                                4(3)3 Naval Brigade (7)

Aircraft Losses

Axis                         Nil

Soviet                      Fighter    I-16

                                Bomber  Pe-2 (Flak)