Alt Version of K44 - Community Request

[Strela]

Well here is a further wrinkle to the discussion. As highlighted by 33Vortex, Zetterlings book shows a substantially lower tank strength, particularly in 47th Panzer Korp.

The book referred to in OP says on page 95:

Heavy German equipment in the Korsun area on 25th Jan 1944.

Heeresgruppe (?) B - 0 veh, 14 arty, 11 AT
88. Div. - 0 veh, 22 arty, 14 AT
XXXXII. Korpstruppen - 0 veh, 0 arty, 0 AT
198. Div. - 0 veh, ~36 arty, 14 AT
34. Div. - 0 veh, ~33 arty, 14 AT
VII. Korpstruppen - 23 veh, ~10 arty, 0 AT
SS-Wiking - ~20 veh, 52 arty, 12 AT (of which 7 tracked veh)
SS-Wallonien - 10 veh, 0 arty, 9 AT
57. Div. - 0 veh, 50 arty, 8 AT
72. Div. - 0 veh, 33 arty, 14 AT
389 Div. - 0 veh, 26 arty, 12 AT
XI. Korpstruppen - ~9 veh, 16 arty, 0 AT
3. PzDiv. - ~20 veh, 22 arty, 10 AT (of which 5 tracked veh)
106. Div. - 0 veh, 31 arty, 7 AT
320. Div. - 0 veh, 24 arty, 17 AT
282. Div. - 0 veh, 36 arty, 10 AT
14. PzDiv. - 15 veh, 24 arty, 15 AT
11. PzDiv. - ~25 veh, 26 arty, 11 AT (of which 5 tracked veh)
XXXXVII. Korpstruppen - ~20 veh, ~11 arty, 0 AT

Total: 142 veh (Panzer & StuG), 493 arty, 178 AT


Checking Nash he also mentions the following :

XI Korps:
- 5th SS Pz Wiking had 1 Pz Bn with 25 MkIV L48 Panzers and “a dozen or so” Pz MkIII in a tank training company. The 5th Kompanie of the Bn had 6 Stugs. The Panther Bn was forming I think.
- Assault Gun Bde 239 of the Korps assets had 17 Stugs.

XLVII Pz Korps:
- 3rd Pz had 2 Pz battalions with a probable mix of Panthers, MkIVs and Stugs….no numbers given
- 11th Pz had 2 Pz battalions in Pz Rgt 8. It had “ a dozen or so” panzers on arrival…probably mix of Panthers and MkIVs and Stugs.
- 14th Pz had 1 Pz battalion in Pz Rgt 36. Probably MkIVs and Stugs…11 of them on arrival. Its other battalion was in France refitting with Panthers.


Now lets compare what's in the campaign game -

Wiking : 1st Bn 22 MkIV, 5th company 30(!) StuG, 10 Tracked AT
Wallonien : 7 Stugs
3rd Pz : 1st Bn 26 MkV, 2nd Bn 30 MkIV, 5 Tracked AT
11th Pz : 1st Bn Not present, 2nd Bn 30 MkIV, 5 Tracked AT
14th Pz : 1st Bn 26 MkV, 2nd Bn 30 MkIV, 5 Tracked AT

42nd Korp : 0 Armour
7th Korp : 209 Bn 18 STuG, 281 Bn 18 StuG, 202 Bn 18 STuG
11th Korp : 226 Bn 18 STuG
47th Korp : 911 Bn 30 STuG, 9 Bn 30 STuG, 905 Bn 18 JgPz
PzA 1 : 261 Bn 30 STuG, 210 Bn 30 STuG

88th Inf : 0 Tracked AT
198th Inf : 4 Tracked AT
34th Inf : 5 Tracked AT
57th Inf : 0 Tracked AT
72nd Inf : 0 Tracked AT
389th Inf : 5 Tracked AT
106th Inf : 0 Tracked AT
320th Inf : 0 Tracked AT
282nd Inf : 0 Tracked AT

So in total the starting Germans have Armour of 414 vehicles vs Zetterlings 142. The tracked AT is closer, but should probably not be present in the infantry divisions. Nash mentions in the appendicies that the Russians had 5 to 1 in tanks - its not the current case...

It looks like the STuG's at Korp level (and Wiking) are way overstated as are tank strength in 3rd and 14th Panzer.

I will probably experiment with weakening these units to the above starting strengths, so that these would represent 'running' vehicles and if left alone long enough they would build up.

As far as STuG's, I think that most should be removed and single units per Korp provided.

This may now justify the inclusion of I./PzRg 26 which was sent to the sector due to the low tank strength in 47th Pz Korp...

If anyone has any further info from Zetterling (I don't have it - yet), please pass it on - particularly the starting strengths of vehicles in 3rd Pz Korp.

Thanks,

David