1st Ukraine Front - Insiders look at a Play Test

[Strela]

Soviet Turn

Two significant events this 6am turn, visibility clears to 4 hexes and 5th MC has a withdrawal order set for 24 hours from now.

This looks like it maybe the penultimate turn - a lot of action and a lot of pictures - apologies to all on a slow connection.






Firstly lets look at the condition of 5th MC's spearheads. Most units have dropped to morale level F due to isolation and low ammo. This will slow the corp's advance for this turn.






With the lifting of the fog it becomes apparent that there is a weakness in the German lines between Krasnogorodka and Medvin. 167th & 180th Rifle Divisions prepare to storm Krasnogorodka, while 233rd Tank Bde redeploys towards Medvin. Long range fire from STuG Abt 202 knocks out another SU. 2/1129th Rifle Regt pushes further around Baran'ye Pole with the aim of isolating it.






The Russian forces focus on breaking through to their isolated comrades. II/GR107 disrupts due to heavy artillery fire. An immediate assault pushes it back to where it came from - Pavlovka. 46th Tank Regt manges to disrupt the company defending north of the town and 418th Rifle Regts assault isolates 7 companies worth of infantry in the ruins. The first assault on the town extracts a heavy price.






But the Soviets don't have it all their own way....






As in 27th Army sector, the German dispositions opposite 40th Army are apparent once the fog lifts. With 5th MC back in communication and Pavlovka essentially taken, the spearheads push towards Roskoshevka.

5th GTC has all its armor forward and concentrate on the German defences between Motylevka and Repki. Artillery fire disrupts the lone German engineer company and the tanks are through.....

The tracked vehicles manage to push as far as Vinograd and are very close to linking up with 5th MC. The Germans have 3 Regts in danger of envelopment....




German Turn 11

The clear weather heralds the collapse of 34th Infantrys defenses. The sacrifice at Pavlovka delayed the Russians for all of one turn. Losing a full Regt of infantry in the town will be difficult to recover from.

More significantly, 198th Infantry division did not arrive in time to stop 5th GTC breaking out west of Repki. T34's are reported east of Vinograd and could be heading for either the G'niloy Tikich crossings or a link up with 5th MC.







88th Infantry are hardly in a better position than the 34th. GR 248th is trying to pull back to Krasnogorodka but is closely pursued by 167th Rifle Division. One bright spot is that Baran'ye Pole is cleared of Soviet infantry and the line is restored between Medvin and Luka.

The massing of Russian tanks against 1/FE 235 requires another tactical withdrawal. Other than STuG Abt 202 and a few 88's there is nothing to slow the T34's.







Further air is called in from Uman and manages to disrupt some of the exposed motorised infantry.







A tank rider column is caught in the open and subject to very heavy losses. Amazingly it doesn't disrupt...






Pavlovka is gone :(

3 full Infantry Regt's are north west of Vinograd the 107th, 172nd and 253rd. The defenses in the bunker line are finally abandoned and the retreat is looking more like a rout. Most units try to use the road through Vinograd and artillery is belatedly limbered up. The breakthrough by 5th GTC was unexpected and only the 4 Stug's of STuG Abt 239 stand between the Russian advance units. Its looking doubtful if the infantry can escape the closing trap.....