1119_03: Unranus - Retreat from Stalingrad - PzC 15 Stalingrad '42

Stalingrad, November 19th 1942: In the Campaign scenarios, players have been given an opportunity to wargame the historical situation and setup that existed at the start of the Soviet Uranus Offensive. Wargamers familiar with the battle are aware that there is one huge factor that is difficult to factor into a game such as this. That is the insistence of the man the German High Command privately referred to as "the Bavarian Corporal" - that is, Adolph Hitler himself. It was he who was obsessed with Sixth Armies goal to take the city named for Joseph Stalin. It was he that insisted the events unfolding on the flanks of the Army were temporary set backs which he could recover from. In this scenario we will investigate events if the Germans were not compelled to cling to the west bank of the Volga and instead embarked upon a more sensible withdrawal to the Don River. [Size, large] The scenario concept removes a number of large objectives east of the Don River and reduces the victory levels accordingly. However, in the face of a German withdrawal, the Russian 24th and 66th Army of the Don Front is released to the offensive, earlier than was historically the case.