19-21 October 1941 (Soviet)

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

19^th to 21^th October 1941

Weather DR = 5 so LIGHT MUD/DRY                        Air Condition DR = 5,2 so NORMAL

Initiative DR        Axis  = 4,4            Soviet = 4,2

Axis decide Soviets to move first

Turn 6 (Soviet)

Replacement DR  = 6,6 (-1) so 2 FTR, 2 Other Air, 6 (+1) Pax, 2 Eq, 1 Truck, 1 Artillery, 2 Emergency

Rebuilds:   Rostov Militia Cavalry Division, Yaroslavl Militia Infantry Division, 53^rd Cavalry Division (Dovator Group), 38^th Cavalry Division, 3 x Tank Brigade: 148^th, 129^th, 24^th.

New truck taken.  Still no dead artillery so wasted.

Pe-2  bomber, I-16 fighter replaced

Emergency units released:  (TBA – Comrade Kuritsa forgot to take them until reminded by OKH).  Edit: 77th and 82nd Mountain Divisions

Supply DR = 3,4 so 22 (+1) SP

Star’ya Russka

The Soviet 11^th Corps HQ pulled out of Valday, though strong infantry forces remain to hold the rail supply node.

Nelifova – Sychevka – Vyazma

With at least eight units out of supply to the west of Rzhev, urgent action was required.  Cavalry units sped west while the trapped units marched east as fast as the mud would allow.  A fearless wagon supply unit left Rzhev and headed into the woods, loaded with food and ammunition.  It was able to get to within 10 miles of the hungry infantry: just close enough for replenishment.  Those units nor able to reach the wagons were able to get close enough to supplies flowing down the Peno railway.  As an indication that the Soviets have plans for this area, an airbase was constructed 15 miles directly east of Andreapol, protected by swamps on three sides.  Fighters were immediately rebased to the new airfields.

All this was promising for the Soviets, but on combat east of Nelidovo they were let down.  An attack on the lead SS Cavalry battalion drove the cavalry back, but at a cost in lives.  Another attack on a solitary infantry regiment had an even worse result.   The Germans stood their ground and wiped out the 25^th Cavalry Division and inflicted losses on a rifle division. 

The Luftwaffe had been moderately successful around Nelidovo, hitting a key unit that had blocked the retreat of the SS cavalry and shooting some of the newly arrived P.45s for the loss of an elderly Dornier 17E.  Near Sychevka they achieved partial success, knocking out a motorised guards unit and possibly halting an attack.  They could not prevent, however, Soviet infantry crushing elements of the 14^th Motorised Division, destroying the Aufklärung Bn and routing an infantry regiment.  However, the Russians missed their primary target: the irreplaceable fully loaded divisional supply vehicles. An attack on a regular infantry division, 129.ID, and an accompanying flak battalion was a failure.  Though the Russian artillery killed large numbers of the 129^th, the survivors stood firm, grimly taking further casualties rather than retreat.

Defensively, a thin line of infantry was thrown in to cover access to Vyzama.  The VVS ranged over a large area to interdict Axis movement.  Each of its four missions in the area was successful.

Vyazma – Yukhnov – Bryansk

Stavka left attacks in the Yukhnov area to the VVS: on the ground it was too weak to take on the Germans.  The bombers got through the desperate Messerschmitts, shooting some down.  (To the shame of the Luftwaffe, despite having technical superiority (Me 109s – v- I-15/I-16/Yak-1s) in nearly every air engagement, it has been unable to inflict even equal losses on the VVS.  Reichsmarchall Göring has no explanation).  Only the flak stood between 10^th PzD and the Il-2 Sturmoviks, and it did weaken the attack.  Still, only the lead armour units were strong enough to withstand the bombing.

In the muddy conditions, reinforcements were not able to reach Yukhnov, but they did try.  Substantial numbers reached within 10-15 miles of the defenders, who stubbornly refused to pull back in the face of overwhelming force.  The only other activity in the area was north east of Brysank.   A truck depot has been set up on the Bolva River and supplies are flowing to the otherwise cut off units around Bryansk.  In fact, after Russian cavalry units moved south, the two German divisions blocking the road/rail link are now themselves isolated.

Orel – L’Gov – Kursk

The time of swift movement in this region is over.  Very little movement at all occurred between the 19^th and 21^st.  The only action of note was the destruction of I/22 Kavallerie, 1^st Cavalry Division.  Their sacrifice in calling in the Luftwaffe to prevent the Russian armour striking deep into the flank of the German advance will not be forgotten.

Poltava – Dnepropetrovsk – Zaporezh’e

Another area of little direct combat.  Two Russian units found themselves out of supply west of Krasnograd and decided to risk all and break out.  47.R Regiment was able to do so and will be able to return to duty in about 3 weeks, but 270^th Strelkovaya was not so fortunate and ceased to exist.

The South

All attention was focussed on the Axis troops frantically trying to escape the pincers from the Arabatskaya and Perekop Isthmuses.  The German-Rumanian force which had pulled back from the earlier ill-fated drive for Melitopol was not yet able to assist and could only watch as huge Soviet forces tried to crush any resistance.

The VVS was not able to break the Germans, losing some Sturmoviks to flak, but the artillery was dependable as always (though once again the Katysushas missed their target completely).  610^th Flak Bn disappeared in the hail of shells, leaving 49^th Mountain Korps HQ defenceless.    The destruction of the HQ was achieved without loss by a straightforward cavalry charge.

Completely isolated, 170.ID and Schönberger Panzerjäger Bn, Liebstandarte Adolph Hitler SS Brigade, were next to be attacked.  The infantry did not survive, but when the fighting ceased, the SS unit remained in place.    They did not have time to celebrate as the reserve cavalry swept over them, leaving no-one alive.  

Elsewhere the Germans were more fortunate, or perhaps having an escape route allowed them more options.  A single infantry regiment successfully withdrew under fire from north of Armyansk, stopping the Soviets and inflicting casualties.  Even more amazing was the performance of 46.ID.  Nearly overrun by 25^th Tank Brigade, with half its men dead, it still held firm and made sure no Soviet tanks made it home.  It then withstood a planned assault, destroying another tank brigade, the 28^th. 

The Germans counted themselves lucky that further damage was not suffered.

Supply                  Soviet Rec’d:        23 SP

                                Soviet used:       28.2 SP

                                Axis used:           2.2 SP

Dead Units

Axis:                        3(4)6                     Schönberger Panzerjäger Bn, LAH SS Brigade

                                7(4)6                     610^th Flak Bn

                                8-0                         49^th Mountain Korps HQ

                                20(4)3                   170.ID

                                4(4)4                      I/22 Cav. Bn, 1^st Cav. Div

                                3(5)8                      14^th Aufklärung Bn, 14^th Mot. Div.

Soviet:                     11(1)1                   270^th Strelkovaya

                                2 x 7(3)6               25^th and 28^th Tank Brigades

                                7(3)4                      25^th Cavalry Div.

Aircraft Losses

Axis:                        Fighter                  Me 109E

                                Bomber                 Do 17

Soviet                       Fighter                  P.45

                                Bomber                 2 x Il-2 (both Flak)