Stalingrad 42 Breakout Group Zhuravlev

[Plain Ian]

Started a game with Mike/Smurf309. I messed up the password but we are up to turn 2....again. I'll post the set up position tonight and then start posting the moves. 



Map above shows the opening positions. 

The Germans have 3 Divisions from two Korps on map trying to contain the cut off 62nd Army units and also prevent any rescue attempts.
The Russian units encircled have a supply source by Yevstarv'skiy but most units have moderate fatigue. The Russians have two powerful Tank Corps available equipped with T-34's no less with which to aid the breakout. In theory they appear quite potent in practice they might be a bit difficult to use as a breakthrough unit. I'll probably talk about their liabilities when I show the OOB.


Map edge supply sources are shown. (White circles with red/black for Soviet/German)

Victory Point hexes also shown. The Russians hold 200 VP's at the moment and the Germans also have 200 VP's. The Victory dialogue is below showing the different Victory levels.



I'll set out the OOB's in next thread probably tomorrow night.

[Ricky B]

Looking forward to this, thanks! When I created the scenario, I wasn't sure it would work well, but I think it came together about right compared to historical.

Rick

[Plain Ian]

German OOB



As you can see it is almost a pure infantry force. 3 complete Divisions from 2 different Infantry Corps with supporting Corps assets from both.  
 
Curiously the 3 Divisions involved were all historically formed in December 1940. They each have a unique TOE. 
 
The 113th looks under strength but is actually 3 Regiments of 2 Battalions.
The 100th is a Jaeger unit and is 2 Regiments of 3 Battalions.
The 305th is a standard type unit with 3 Regiments of 3 Battalions.
 
The 369th Kroat Rgt unit is attached to the 100th Jaegers making it effectively a 3 Regiment unit.
 
The German player does have some armoured units but purists will see that they are not really tanks as such. There are 14 tank hunters (Marders/SdKfz101) and 22 StuG III assault artillery AFV. 

However to round out the force the Luftwaffe have two Flak Regiments available which will provide much needed anti tank support with their 88mm guns.

[Plain Ian]

Russian OOB



Group Zhuravlev is highlighted in yellow. Almost 3 Divisions are pocketed plus a Tank Bde and some Army level units. 

Anyone who is used to playing the Russians with a large superiority in men and artillery will be disappointed as they don't really have much in this scenario. 

They do however have a clear superiority in armour. There are 42 tanks in the pocket and a further 192 in the two attacking Tank Corps plus 25 in a Separate Tank Battalion. Most of these are T-34 or KV-1's. 
The Tank Corps fielded are not quite the potent all arms forces the Russians will field by the end of the year but the tank components will carry a threat. Its the support which looks a bit lacking as the tank Corps will have to fight on their own. 

Map next.

[Plain Ian]

Map of Battle - very large one....too big?



Largest file I've uploaded. I'll delete if it causes problems. 

Starting positions shown in detail.

[Plain Ian]

Battle Plans

I forgot to mention that I am playing the Russian player. So here are the plans I drafted several weeks ago. 



Gp Zhuravlev will hold and recover fatigue. Since the supply hex in the pocket is critical I will move my armour to help hold it if required. There is one reserve infantry unit which is available for fire fighting duties. Germans have high fatigue so I am optomistic that there won't be too much action.......

1st Tank Army (13th TC) will advance immediately. Huzzah.

4th Tank Army (22nd TC) will advance....cautiously. No rush as this is a 3 day event plus this doesn't look like a good breakout route. Plus I would hate to have him send VIII Korps units down behind me.

196th Division (62A) right wing and the 650th Separate tank Bn (25 T-34) will advance (sneak) up the Liska valley and be ready to exploit any weaknesses.

I start with 200 VP. I assume I will lose at least one 50 VP hex but gain maybe two German VP objectives (100 VP Verkne-Buzinovka + 50 VP Osinovka) so will end the game with 300 VP's from objectives. That means I need an additional 1700 VP's for a Major Victory which is an awful lot of dead Germans.............

Well that was the plan. Not a great one and the first 5 turns I've played will show that this isn't a great one.

[Plain Ian]

One more boring chart before I get to the moves. A snapshot of the main units showing the average strength and fatigue of the units. I made this up last night after I watched the German Turn 5 replay.

Group Zhuravlev



24 Battalions plus a few Sapper units and A/T/Tank units to hold the perimeter.

Germans


The Germans have 15 Battalions tied down holding the pocket plus support units. 2 of these Battalions are just behind the front line. (Resv) That leaves 9 to watch for any attacks from the east or south. They are mostly in company strength and have varying fatigue. 

The Jager units are very mobile and have an elite A morale. Mmmmh. I think if I had studied this I might have made a different plan?

Anyway I'll see if I can decipher my notes and start posting the AAR.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 5 German

I'm afraid I'm struggling to put together the first few turns. I will have to start at Turn 5 and fill in the gaps as and when I can.
 


The pressure on the pocket continues to ramp up as the Germans swarm the perimeter and exploit the holes and my Disrupted units.

South: the German 113th north west of Manoylin keeps the 2/297th cut off but does not assault. The 2/297th remains Undisupted but is Low Ammo. The 1/297th is assaulted and  thrown back on the 3/294th. Casualties are low but the 2/297th is down to 227 men.

Ominously the Germans have brought up a company of StuG’s at Manoylin and have begun probing further east against the 415th and 303rd Sappers.

West: the 100th Jaeger (more like fast hornets than bee’s) isolate and assult the 1/753rd. It loses 138 men and is reduced to half strength 138 men. Annoyingly Morale remains high in the unit at Fatigue 54???
The 2/427th is also assaulted and pushed back. It amazingly recovers from Disruption.

Mike pushes a unit of the 100th forward in T mode? I’m not sure why he does this with foot units? I don’t think T-mode foot units move any further than non T-mode unless there are roads nearby? This unit is just ripe for air or artillery?

North: At Vlasov the 417th Anti Tank Bn (8 guns) and 200 Sappers (47 men) are hit by two assaults. They hold the first one but are pushed back by the second into Vlasov. All the guns are lost and only 15 sappers are left alive. They join the heavily fatigued 2/88th Gds who are are still Disrupted and heavily fatigued. Vlasov will not hold.

East of Vlasov the 3/676th is hit by two successive assaults and pushed back 2 km losing 25 men. They are Fatigue 108 and disrupted. Pioneers in T-mode? rush forward to exploit the gap.
The 1/40th Tnk Bn (13xT-34) which was rushed up last turn to shore up the defenses is now threatened with encirclement. Actually all of the defenses west of Vlasov are threatened. 

The rest of the pocket remains relatively quiet. The 4th Gds Mortar Rgt lose a further 2 rocket launchers to artillery. They were put into the front line to release the 1/40th. The artillerymen are none to happy with this role.......
 


In the south Mike continues to shuffle units of 369th form his flank to his centre and shuffles his disrupted units. A company of StuG's is left behind although they will be no match for a Bn of T-34's. An infantry company (305th) reinforces the Aufklarungs company (113th) on the front line. A Pioneer company moving in T-Mode is hit by long range T-34 fire and disrupts.



Not much to report here. He continues to fall back. No sign of any Marders?

[Plain Ian]

Things are not looking great for Group Zhuravlev. I need to play an immaculate turn here with perfect moves in order to preserve as many units as possible. 



My first two moves are air attacks on the the T mode Germans moving behind my lines. Both are INTERCEPTED! Rats. My third move is moving the 3/297th a hex in order to prevent him slipping further units past my defences. It Disrupts! A few hours planning are now in the bucket! I now have to move the 2/40th unit down as a backstop for the 3/297th in order to stop him assaulting it and opening up a gap. This unit was supposed to move west to stop the T mode German unit from exploiting further.

I continue to pull back units everywhere. One success goes down as the Miracle of Manoylin. The 3/753rd moves forward and allows the the cut off 2/297th to escape encirclement. (ZOC to ZOC) I expect to hear the rattle of fire and the dreaded Disruption notice....but all is quiet!!!!

The 2/294th and 1/753rd are not so lucky and there will be no rescue attempt for them! (Actually trying to extract cut off units in PzC tends to be a futile exercise as it just ends up trapping more units)

In the north the 88th Regiment abandons the supply hex and falls back to cover the northern flank. The 1/40th Tank Bn is pulled back. I debate whether to use HQ 192nd as an anti assault unit for the 2/88th group or 3/676th. I pick the 2/88th leaving the 3/676th to its fate.

The 644th Tank Bn is now spare and goes off to do its fire fighting duties further east. It takes up position by the German Pioneers who are still in T mode. I’m used to playing games where the panzers are the emergency units, it feels strange playing a game where the T-34 is my fire brigade putting out the fires. If the Russian did not have any mobile units in this scenario the pocket would be quickly overran by the more nimble German footsloggers.
At Tsymlovskiy I pull back as far as possible. Its time to leave.

The eastern flank at Svechinkovskiy holds looking east for 22nd Tank Corps and 4th Tank Army! They also listen nervously to the artillery rumbling behind them in the north. The Guards of the 4th Gds Mortar Rgt curse silently as they are forced to act as foot fodder for one more turn!

Fatigue for most units in Group Zhravlev is still holding. (most units are Green fatigue) Supply also still holding with only two units reporting low ammo. The 644th Tank Bn and the 298th Art Rgt. However the sound of exploding munitions at Yevstra’skiy may change all that. 

There is a gaping 6km hole in my lines in the west between the 3/427th and the 2/753rd.............mmmmh.

[Plain Ian]

Not much to see in the east. The 22nd Tank Corps continues to move forward slowly. Two low casualty assault by the 22nd Motorised on Disrupted defenders. I lost more men than killed in one of them. (1/22nd is Low Ammo)

I've pushed up on Osinovka and repositioned my best units. (T-34) The 3/22nd is still being held back in reserve. (its Low Ammo)

The right wing of the 196th pushes further up the Liska valley. Air recon was flown and revealed two German units. The 650th was despatched to check one of them.