Flashing Sword of Retribution

[Ivan]

Heh, heh, heh...Izyum recaptured :conf: ? There should already be a bridge across opening the way to the Dnepr :hissy:

What about the north - who holds Byelgorod - the key to victory?

Marquo

Marquo, I managed to get a recon unit into Izyum, it seemed empty then just before my tanks could do a victory parade down the main street more German units arrived, 19th Panzer I think so my tanks thought better of it and pulled back. Elsewhere it's slow going most units are still on the Oskol slowly pushing back the Germans who seem reluctant to flee for their lives. :rolleyes::conf:

As for Belgorod, I'm a millions miles away!

[herr_oberst]

February 3 1943 12:00.



With the new day the Soviets redouble their advance.

In the extreme north, the small contingent of Grossdeutschland stragglers continue their retreat, so far avoiding direct contact with the russian spearhead.

A new soviet advance is detected towards Volchansk, marking Das Reich Panzer Division´s debut in this battle.

The Grossdeutschland Panzer detachment who covered "Der Fuhrer" regiment´s retreat is now fighting against massive soviet armor in the brink of isolation west of Kozinka. Only maneuver and aggression can now open their path to the west to join their Division.

In the highway to Kahkov, Kampfgruppe LSSAH is still covering the retreat of the 320º ID (just as in the actual battle, which is a proof of good scenario design).
Two companies of 19ª Panzer Division got surrounded and are being decimated just 12 or 15 miles from the front. It weights on my soul to leave the brave men the 19º Panzer behind, but for the time the mobile SS elements are busy elsewhere, and I think the battered Panzergrenadiers are not bound to survive to see german tanks again.

In the south, the city of Izium is under attack from soviet guards formations, defended by the remains of 19º Panzer and a hastily formed alarm unit from the mobile elements of the neighboring Infantry Divisions.

The extreme south is for the time quiet, only the apparition of soviet recon troops at Malaya Yeremovka alarmed the defenders of Slaviansk and Barvenkovo, and the area is being patrolled.

The day promises to be eventfull, with the prospect of having to abandon Izium to the Soviets and the impending clash of armor wherever the russian advance and the SS PanzerKorps meet in the steppe.

[Mr Grumpy]

Pablo,
You need to keep your image width to less that 775 pixels otherwise some of the image and text will be lost off screen, the whole post can be viewed with the sider at the bottom of the screen.....

....but that is awkward to use. :(

So if you can reduce the size of this image to 775 (or less), i suggest you use the "edit" feature to re-post it in your last post. ;)

[Ivan]

Just a quick update. I've warned the Germans if they don't abandon Izyum I will reduce it to rubble with them in it. Else where, as Pablo says, he's ambushed a column heading for Volchansk which is inconvenient. The rest of the front is slowly being pushed to the west, with pockets of Germans either getting, or in danger of, being cut off. Everytime I seem to bag a large number, a lot of them seem to slip through the net. Their progress is slow as many are broken and disrupted from non stop combat. The German panzers are proving at times to be almost indestructable, often the only way to stop them is to cut them off from their suppy lines when they eventually start to disrupt and break in the face of much greater numbers of red army units.

Situation Izyum, 3rd of Feb. Will they run, open lines indicated in black.

[herr_oberst]

Pablo,
You need to keep your image width to less that 775 pixels otherwise some of the image and text will be lost off screen, the whole post can be viewed with the sider at the bottom of the screen.....

....but that is awkward to use. :(

So if you can reduce the size of this image to 775 (or less), i suggest you use the "edit" feature to re-post it in your last post. ;)

Thanks for the tip Foul! I think I´ve fixed it.

---

At 16:00 hours things are getting worse for the germans. The entire Grossdeutschland Panzer Regiment is surrounded by powerful russian armor at Khatheye.
In the meantime, the tragic retreating infantry is slowly crawling towards Kharkov, the only thing preventing encirclement and destruction being the Panzers from Leibstandarte, which are sorely needed elsewhere.
In the south, the Soviets are preparing a massive assault on Izyum.
The only news worth writing in "Signal" magazine is the preventive attack by "Das Reich" on the russian spearhead driving to Volchansk.

[Mr Grumpy]

Thanks for the tip Foul! I think I´ve fixed it.

Good job! All the text is visable now!

[herr_oberst]

In the night from 3 to 4 february the situation worsens for the defenders. The encircled Grossdeutschand panzers are heroically resisting, tying up a great number of soviet units, but their numbers are dwindling and their logistical situation is deplorable.
In the center the Russians managed to encircle the remains on the retreating infantry alongside the rescuing SS panzers. Will they be able to break the siege or will they share the fate of their comrades in the northern steppes?
Fortunately, Das Reich counterattack managed to cut off the foremost finger of the Russian hand reaching for Volchansk, and is making even the casualty tally slaughtering the soviet infantry.
Let´s see what the light of a new day shows on the battlefield.

[herr_oberst]

Midday February 4, 1943.

The advance on Volchansk seems to be stopped for the moment by the actions of Das Reich, but the entire GD Panzer regiment was destroyed during the night.
In the center the Leibstandarte is again serving as a fire brigade to rescue the remnants of the 320 ID and their own comrades who had also been cut off, with good results so far.
Izyum was evacuated early in the night by the 19 Pz Div, now reforming for future use.
In the south a counterattack is taking place on the russian flank/rearguard. The Panzer units arrived in the extreme south, wich for the time seems to be of little interest for the Soviets, are doing their part in the battle. Maybe this move is premature, but Panzers are not made for defense, and they just couldn´t sit and watch the russian hordes making the Wehrmacht retreat!

[Ivan]

German panzer divisions causing havov in a daring flank attack:




Just when I thought things were going well everything seems to have fallen apart. The situation as of 16:00 4th of February is not good. As mentioned Das Reich stopped my advance towards Volchansk and Belgorod. Unfortunately, my rifle divisions in the sector proved inadequate to combat this elite SS panzer formation and I had to divert a lot of units to try and rescue two rifle divisions that got surrounded and decimated. Then around Volosskaya-Balakleyka the LAH pulled off a remarkable feat and rescued large elements of broken and fleeeing German columns. While Izyum was being abandoned and I thought the Germans were fleeing to the west I turn around to find two panzer divisions have crossed the Donets in the south and threatening to cut off my supply lines. As I speak frantic measures are being taken to try and counter this threat. What a headache!

But, we will never surrender!

[herr_oberst]

As another night falls on the battlefield, the font lines are somewhat ordered. The retreat in the north and center is done in well order, and units are being rested and restored at their rendezvous points.
LSSAH finally broke the encirclement and again rescued the remnants of the 320 ID.
In the extreme south, 7º and 11º Panzer Divisions` attack at Drovyschevo surrounded the Soviet 52º Rifle Division and parts of the 41º Guards Rifle Division and 12º Guards Tank Brigade, and are cutting them to pieces.
But the tactical success now posses an operational dilemma.
Should the victorious panzers turn round to a safe haven once the kessel is destroyed, in a hit and run tactic?
Or should they exploit the breach created in an all out attack to wipe out the Russian pontoons at the Oskol and cut off the entire Soviet southern advance?
The risk of losing tho entire Panzer Divisions is too great, but also the price in huge...