Is the Kursk campaign viable?

[von Nev]

There has been a lot of work by club members to address some of the known challenges of the stock 43 campaign. Check them out on Glenn's unofficial website at:
http://members.shaw.ca/gcsaunders/downloads3.html.

I have played Michael Smith's version as the Germans and it addresses many, many concerns. It is much more difficult campaign for the Germans. For starters, it increases the minefields dramatically, puts Russians in bunkers along non-traditional German access of attacks, unfixes Russian units, puts VP hexes behind German lines and across the whole salient. Good stuff. Kudos to Michael.

Also, Tolbukhin has a great list of what the Germans can do to take advantage of known issues with the stock K43 campaign but he missed one of the biggest German advantages. He mentions that the North can end up in a stalemate which is true in many cases, but if the German wants to REALLY, REALLY ensure a win he can win in the North too.

What he can do is move a significant portion of the 9th Army mobile forces west about 20 - 30 kms and then attack south. He still needs to attack south along the traditional axis of attack with some forces to fix the Russian infantry in place. With this "west-then-south" strategy, the Russians can barely respond because all their arty (which is what is a huge contributor to stopping the German attack) and significant slow moving infantry defenses are lined up to counter the traditional axis of attack. Plus, the Russian lines here are maybe two deep defended by fixed Russians of poor quality with little mobile reserves. Remember that historically the Russians, from intel, knew well in advance the general axis of attack and prepared defenses and positioned reserves accordingly.

So, the highly mobile Germans can scoot west and then attack south with crushing armor forces and break it open within 7 or so turns without the Russians knowing what hit 'em. They will destroy the Russian infantry and be able to destroy piecemeal the Russian armor as it is rushed forward to try to save Russian infantry divisions and to plug the growing gap. If the campaign lasts beyond 20 turns the Russians are in big trouble since now there is a breakthough in the north and the Steppe forces have to be deployed in part here. This robs the Russians the only force that has any chance to counter the SS in the south. It is worse if the Germans in the south attacked northwest as what has been suggested as a guaranteed win strategy.

Although this strategy generally requires pre-knowledge of Russian unit disposition, especially fixed, it is easily recognized once you played 10 turns or so on either side. This strategy, combined with the northwest German attack in the south and aggressive German attacks along the face of the salient, affords little good options to the Russians except massive retreat regardless of losses (which guarantees a German victory) or stand and fight and be slaughtered (another German victory). The campaign can get to a decisive German victory in 20 turns without the Steppe forces firing a shot. :kill:

Marty