Download scenario notes - 12 O`Clock High!

SCENARIO NOTES
EP IL E P S Y WARN I N G
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PRECAUTIONS DURING USE:
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Do not sit too close to the monitor.
Sit as far as comfortably possible.
Use as small a monitor as possible.
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USE SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
CONTENTS
SCENARIO 1:
OP MARS 1942 RED GOD OF WAR (24 NOVEMBER 1942 – 8 FEBRUARY 1943)
4
SCENARIO 2:
COURLAND POCKET 44 (5 OCTOBER 1944 – 3 JANUARY 1945)
7
SCENARIO 3:
OPERATION KONRAD (31 DECEMBER – 24 FEBRUARY 1945)
10
SCENARIO 4:
LIBERATION OF LENINGRAD 44 (13 JANUARY – 19 APRIL 1944)
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SCENARIO 5:
SMOLENSK 1941 (10 JULY – 17 SEPTEMBER 1941)
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SCENARIO 6:
MOSCOW 1941- 42 (30 SEPTEMBER 1941 – 20 APRIL 1942)
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SCENARIO 7:
OPERATION BAGRATION (22 JUNE – 23 AUGUST 1944)
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SCENARIO 8:
VISTULA TO BERLIN 1945 (12 JANUARY – 7 JUNE 1945)
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SCENARIO 9:
WINTER 42-43 (19 NOVEMBER 1942– 31 MARCH 1943)
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SCENARIO 10:
STALINGRAD TO BERLIN CAMPAIGN (19 NOVEMBER 1942 – 16 MAY 1945)
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SCENARIO 11:
1941-45 CAMPAIGN–SUDDEN DEATH (22 JUNE 1941 - 4 JULY 1945)
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CREDITS37
GARY GRIGSBY’S WAR IN THE EAST:
LOST BATTLES
SCENARIO NOTES
Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Lost Battles includes eleven new scenarios for use with the
Gary Grigsby’s War in the East game. These scenarios were designed by Trey Marshall, John
Duquette, John Young and Wayne Close, and this manual includes their historical and player
notes for the scenarios.
SCENARIO 1: OP MARS 1942 RED GOD OF WAR
(24 NOVEMBER 1942 – 8 FEBRUARY 1943)
Designer: John Young
Scenario Size: Small
Turns: 11
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Much controversy surrounds Operation MARS: the Soviet attempt to encircle the German 9th
Army in the Rzhev salient in November and December 1942. Discussion centers on whether Op
MARS was merely a diversionary attack for Operation URANUS (the encirclement of the German
6th Army at Stalingrad) or as is proposed by the US historian David Glantz: it was originally
envisaged as the pre-eminent offensive but then airbrushed from history due to its lack of
success. The fact that more tanks and men were committed to Op MARS than Op URANUS and
that it was commanded by Gen Zhukov would seem to lend some credence to this hypothesis.
Zhukov’s plan was in essence very simple: to launch attacks against all sides of the Rzhev salient
but with the main attacks at the salient’s base. This would pinch off the salient completing the
encirclement of Model’s 9th Army. Just like the plan in the South for Op SATURN to follow Op
URANUS: a subsequent offensive Op JUPITER was planned to defeat the German 3rd Panzer
Army and capture Vyazma before exploiting further towards Smolensk; hopefully defeating all
of Army Group Centre.
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After a number of delays the offensive started on 25th November 1942. The 20th Army attacking
near Sychevka, the 41st Army attacking near Belyi, 22nd Army attacking along the Luchesa Valley
and the 39th Army attacking in the North (See Map).
In all areas the Soviets met fierce resistance and suffered heavily. The 9th Army had already
defended their positions in the Rzhev Salient for almost a year. They knew the ground
very well and had not only constructed significant defenses but also improved the internal
communications to allow rapid reinforcement. The Germans also had significant Panzer
reserves which they could use. Where the Soviets did make progress at the base of the salient
their penetrations were pinched off at the base and eliminated. By 15th December the Soviet
forces were exhausted and the offensive was called off.
PLAY TIPS
The Soviet player should first seek to encircle the 9th Army in the Salient before launching Op
Jupiter towards Vyasma. It will be hard going. The German player should follow Model’s tactics
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but committing just enough reserves to halt the Soviet attacks before launching your own
counterattacks if or when the moment is right.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
This scenario provides a comparison to Op URANUS and hints at what might have been had the
Germans thought more carefully about their strategy at Stalingrad. The Soviets do not have the
advantage of launching their initial attacks against the poorer quality Axis Allies and in addition
the Germans have readily available Panzer reserves to counter Soviet penetrations.
The scenario includes the attack on Velikiye Luki (which is the subject of the WitE Tutorial) and
runs for 12 turns to allow Op JUPITER to be launched by the Soviets if things go better than
history. The scenario seeks to recreate the historical lay down of the forces at the start of Op
MARS but for balance some units have been moved to allow the Soviets the opportunity to
create Corps.
During testing it became readily apparent that making any progress as the Soviets is a real
challenge. If playing against the Soviet AI it is strongly recommended that you set the difficulty
level to at least Challenging and preferably Hard.
RECOMMENDED READING
Glantz, David M, “Zhukov’s Greatest Defeat: The Red Army’s Epic Disaster in Operation Mars,
1942”, University Press of Kansas 2005.
Bellamy, Chris, “Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War”, Pan 2009.
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SCENARIO 2: COURLAND POCKET 44
(5 OCTOBER 1944 – 3 JANUARY 1945)
Designer: Trey Marshall
Scenario Size: Small
AI Recommendation: Do not have the AI play the Axis side.
Turns: 13
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
When the Soviets launched Operation Bagration on the 22nd of June 1944, Army Group North
was entrenched along the fortified Panther Line beginning at Narva and running south to Pskov
and then southeast to Vitebsk. Army Group North’s flank linked up with the 3rd Panzer Army,
assigned to Army Group Center, with its position anchored at Vitebsk. The Soviet offensive almost
annihilated the 3rd Panzer Army and
left a ragged hole on the Army
Group’s North’s right flank. Army
Group North was ordered to stay
in place while numerous divisions
were withdrawn and ordered south
to shore up the widening gap.
In early July, the German
counterattacks to plug the huge gap
were not successful and the Soviet
Baltic Fronts began attacking Army
Group North’s weakened Panther
Line. With another dangerous gap
forming between 16th and 18th Army
and with encirclement threatening,
Hitler gave the order to begin
withdrawing on the 22nd of July.
The intervention of two reinforcing
panzer corps (XXXX and XXXIX)
prevented the Soviet 5th Guards
Tank Army from blocking Army
Group’s North withdrawal along
the Daugava River. Throughout
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August and mid-September, Army Detachment Narva and Army Group North conducted their
withdrawal towards Riga.
On the 24th of September, the 1st Baltic Front halted its attack to the north and northeast
against Riga and shifted its assault to the west. By the 27th, Army Group North had successfully
withdrawn into its ‘Segewold’ positions in the Latvian Courland region in which it was expected
to defend. 3rd Panzer Army was positioned to defend the region of Tilsit-Memel-Liepaja and the
Army Group’s vital overland line of communications to Prussia. It was expected to defend 200km
of front with five worn out divisions. The weak 3rd Panzer Army prompted Army Group North
to request the withdrawal out of Latvia. At the beginning of the month of October, desperately
needed Army Group North units were ordered to withdraw out of the Baltics and to report to
Army Group Center. An already fragile army group was getting weaker by the day as the buildup
of fresh forces in the 1st Baltic Front in front of the 3rd Panzer Army’s position continued.
1st Baltic Front launched its offensive against the 3rd Panzer Army in force on the 5th of October
and cracks began to form immediately even with the heavy German resistance. Again, the 3rd
Panzer Army collapsed and Army Group North was encircled, as the 1st Baltic Front nearly
captured Liepaja. 16th and 18th Armies had to readjust to prevent being rolled up along the
Baltic coast from the south.
Riga was abandoned without a
fight as the Germans withdrew
across the Daugava River. On
the 10th, 3rd Panzer Army was
re-assigned to Army Group Center and Memel was encircled. A weak attack was launched
from the Tilsit bridgehead to try and link back up with Army Group North. Spearheaded by the
Hermann Goring Panzer Corps, this offensive was halted on the 18th and Tilsit was evacuated.
Army Group North was now on its own.
Fresh from its re-encirclement of Army Group North, the Soviets launched renewed attacks
against the bottled up army group in expectation of a final death blow, but the attacks made no
gains. For the next four and a half months, the Soviets would launch vicious attacks, rest and
refit, and then launch more attacks. They never gained any significant territory. From October
1944 to January 1945, the Soviets started withdrawing more and more forces from the ring
around the Courland pocket to support its drive on Germany. In January, Army Group North was
renamed to Army Group Courland. In March, the attacks almost completely stopped with the
Soviets being content to let the Germans manage their own virtual prisoner of war camp. Army
Group North’s purpose was simply to tie up as many troops as possible. When V-E day came,
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Army Group Courland had the distinction and honor of being the only intact army group in the
German armed forces.
GERMAN PLAYER STRATEGY
The Germans start this scenario severely overbalanced due to its withdrawal from Estonia
on the eastern flank. The Soviet 1st Baltic Front is most likely going to cleave the 3rd Panzer
Army from Army Group North and threaten the western coastal ports. You will have to move
substantial forces away from Riga and to the western flank in order to protect your vital ports.
3rd Panzer Army’s main responsibility will be the protection of Memel. Time is on your side in this
scenario as more and more Soviet forces will begin to withdraw from the scenario. Try to delay
the Soviets from capturing victory locations for as long as you can and it is of vital importance
that you build up rear lines in case you get into an untenable position.
SOVIET PLAYER STRATEGY
The Soviets have a tough proposition in this scenario as its strength begins to dwindle when
STAVKA begins withdrawing your most powerful formations quickly. This means that your first
couple of moves have to be the most successful. With the Germans overloaded around Riga, you
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can almost cut straight through to the Baltic Coast. You will want to deprive
the Germans of their vital ports as quickly as possible and if the German
player doesn’t commit enough forces to the weak western flank, you many
have a shot at a quick breakthrough.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
I chose this scenario because of the unique history of Army Group North in
the autumn of 1944 and into 1945 in that an entire army group held its own
when isolated from the rest of the German Army. It was the only army group
that surrendered as an intact command. Ferdinand Schorner was known
as a ruthless commander but his techniques were sound and the German
and Baltic state defenders (under the VI SS Corps) fought a tremendous defensive effort until the
war’s conclusion as the Soviets attempted at least seven major offensives against the pocket
without any major successes.
SCENARIO 3: OPERATION KONRAD
(31 DECEMBER – 24 FEBRUARY 1945)
Designer: Wayne Close1
Scenario Size: Small
AI Recommendation: Do not have the AI play the Axis side.
Turns: 8
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The summer Soviet offensives in 1944 had created one disaster after another for Army Group
South in Romania. The German 6th Army was destroyed again while the 8th Army was sent reeling
into the Carpathian Mountains in Hungary while the Romanian Army completely collapsed. The
Romanian complete surrender to the Soviets quickly followed in late August 1944 including the
vital strategic oil reserves located in Ploesti.
The Germans rallied their battered divisions and sent strong armored reserves while the
Hungarian Army was quickly mobilized to defend its country. A nervous Hungarian government
attempted to parlay with the Soviets but were stopped coldly by the German forces in Budapest
through a military coup. The Hungarian Armies were smashed numerous times throughout
1 Special thanks to Rich Bartosik for his help on the scenario, and Trey Marshall for his historical notes.
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October in Eastern Hungary despite successful German operational victories at Oradea,
Debrecen, and Nyirgyhaza.
On the 29th of October, 2nd Ukrainian Front under General Malinovsky struck the 3rd Hungarian
Army. The Hungarians were routed as the LVII Panzer Corps fought to hold the line. The Soviets
had advanced thirty miles within days with mechanized forces moving into 6th Army’s rear and
the 6th Army began retreating towards Budapest. The III and LVII Panzer Corps only managed
to halt the Soviets briefly a few scant miles outside Budapest. The 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry
Divisions were deployed around Budapest to bolster the defenses, as a costly city battle raged
with savage fighting reminiscent of Stalingrad a couple of years earlier.
During the first week of November, Timoshenko’s 3rd Ukrainian Front entered Hungary from the
south, fresh from its liberation of Belgrade. Defending southern Hungary fell to the 2nd Panzer
Army which was ironic because this army had no tanks and was tasked with defending the
crucial Hungarian oilfields at Nagykanisza. The Soviets renewed their offensive on November
11th and by December 8th had captured Vac and Estergom on the Danube just north of
Budapest. The 3rd Ukrainian Front kept pounding the Balaton- Lake Velencze Line and it was
clear that the Soviets were attempting to envelope Budapest from the north and south. Friessner
tried to block the penetrations with his panzer reserves but the divisions were worn out and
were unable to check the Soviet advances.
Friessner asked to withdraw from Budapest but Hitler declared it a fortress city to be held
to the last man. Hitler assumed operational control of the battle from Berlin and ordered
renewed armored attacks by the III Panzer Corps between Lake Balaton and Velecze which
were unsuccessful. The Soviet 46th Army and 6th Guards Tank Army linked up at Estergom
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on Christmas Eve, surrounding Budapest. IX SS Corps and I Hungarian Corps were the main
elements encircled at Budapest and tasked to defend the fortress. They were comprised of
the 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry Divisions, Feldernhalle Panzergrenadier Division, 13th Panzer
Division, Hungarian 1st Armored, 10th and 12th Infantry Divisions and other various units. These
elements had been fighting bloody engagements within the city since the 10th of November.
On the 30th, IX SS Corps in Budapest reported its situation as critical. Collapse was imminent
as brutal fighting within Budapest continued. SS General Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, commander
IX SS Corps, ordered a breakout without orders, to begin on 11 February, but few Germans
managed to make it back to their lines as they scattered and were destroyed by the Soviets. The
battle ended, it earned the honor of being the “Stalingrad of the SS.” These elements had been
fighting bloody engagements within the city since the 10th of November.
The Soviets thought they could capture Budapest in a matter of a few days but the Axis
defenders were making the Soviets pay for every city block and tied up over 250k Soviet troops.
The German defensive lines within the city slowly shrank but the Soviets were taking enormous
casualties. To relieve the city, Hitler ordered the IV SS Panzer Corps (3rd and 5th SS Panzer
Divisions) to Hungary to spearhead the relief attempt.
Early on New Year’s day, the IV SS Panzer Corps and Group Pape (6th and 8th Panzer Divisions)
struck near Estergom under Operation Konrad and achieved a local breakthrough. III Panzer
and I Cavalry Corps launched a diversionary attack near Szekesfehervar further to the south.
Malinovsky quickly deployed his reserves and checked the III Panzer and I Cavalry Corps but
the IV SS Panzer Corps was not stopped. However, a decisive breakthrough by the Germans was
not achieved. By the 3rd of January, Malinovsky hurled the 1st and 7th Guards Mechanized, 5th
Guards Cavalry, and 21st Rifle Corps to halt the SS advance. By the 8th of January, the Germans
were stopped cold just 15 miles from the outskirts of Budapest. IV SS Panzer Corps was pulled
out of the line and re-assembled at Gran.
On the 10th of January, the IV SS Panzer Corps started its second relief attempt from Gran and
towards Vac under Konrad II. On the 12th,
it captured Pilisszenkereszt and was
within 14 miles of Budapest. The next
day, to the IV SS Panzer Corp’s disbelief,
they were withdrawn from the offensive
under Hitler’s orders who did not believe
the operation could be a success.
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Hitler devised a new plan that far exceeded the original goal of relieving Budapest but had now
transformed into a double envelopment attack to encircle and destroy the Soviet forces west of
Budapest. As part of Operation Konrad III, the IV SS Panzer Corps was redeployed again to the
northern tip of Lake Balaton, and along with the III Panzer Corps smashed the Soviets on the
18th of January. Dunapentele on the Danube was taken on the 19th, only a dozen miles from
Budapest. The garrison in Budapest could have broken out, but Hitler refused and demanded
the recapture of the city. Marshal Tolbukhin requested to withdraw to the east bank of the
Danube, but was denied by Stalin. IV SS Panzer Corps, depleted, spent, and down to less than
thirty tanks, was stalled.
The Soviets began new attacks against
IV SS Panzer Corps on the 27th and the
Germans were forced to retreat. Although
demonstrating impressive offensives this
late in the war, the Germans had nothing to
show for their efforts except high casualties
and worn out divisions. Army Group South
suffered around 35k casualties during the
Konrad offensives. The 3rd SS, 5th SS,
and 1st Panzer Divisions all together had
barely thirty functioning tanks, and fuel and
ammunition reserves were desperately
diminished.
On the 30th, IX SS Corps in Budapest reported its situation as critical. Collapse was imminent as
brutal fighting within Budapest continued. SS General Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, commander IX SS
Corps, ordered a breakout without orders, to begin on 11 February, but few Germans managed
to make it back to their lines as they scattered and were destroyed by the Soviets. The battle
ended and it earned the honor of being the “Stalingrad of the SS.”
PLAY TIPS
The Axis player must hold Budapest for the duration of the game. Until a resupply corridor
is opened to Budapest, the Axis player must fly enough supplies to the airfield adjacent to
Budapest to keep the garrison in Airhead supply. Launch an offensive toward Budapest to try to
link up with the garrison, while also making it difficult for the Soviets to destroy the Budapest
garrison. Protect the Budapest airfield as long as possible. If the opportunity presents itself,
grab other objectives near Budapest, but remember the goal is to secure a lifeline to Budapest
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The Soviet player needs to focus on reactivating Rifle Corps and bringing forces to Budapest
to prevent the Axis from creating a supply line to Budapest. When possible, reduce the number
of hexes controlled by the Budapest garrison and seize the airfield hex. Once the position is
stabilized, focus on capturing Budapest.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
Historically, as the airfield was captured, the Budapest garrison lived off stockpiles in
the city and some resupply provided by gliders. As we do not have glider resupply rules,
we decided to simulate this with an airfield unit and some transports, along with some
stockpiles placed in the city at the start of the game. By using the airhead supply rules,
the Axis player is able to keep the garrison from being isolated. In order to simulate the
surprise caused by the Axis counter-offensive, many of the Soviet units were placed in
static mode. This allowed us to slow the Soviet response until the Soviet player is able to
amass enough APs to reactivate a large portion of these units. These are cases of using the
tools available to create the desired effects.
SCENARIO 4: LIBERATION OF LENINGRAD 44
(13 JANUARY – 19 APRIL 1944)
Designer: Trey Marshall
Scenario Size: Medium
Turns: 14
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The blockade of Leningrad had been lifted almost exactly a year before during Operation
Iskra which opened up a thin land corridor to Leningrad on 18 January 1943. This operation
ended a German blockade of the city which had persisted for over two years since the city
was surrounded on 8 September 1941. Although the future purpose planned by the Nazis was
unknown, it was the clear that the Germans were planning on eliminating the population. During
the siege, over 1.5 million Soviet citizens and soldiers lost their lives with over an additional
million civilians evacuated from the city. The liberation of Leningrad became one of Stavka’s
most important strategic objectives in 1944.
The Germans, on the other hand, had significant issues all over Europe which included
mounting attritional losses of irreplaceable heavy weapons. In addition, its ability to motorize
was declining rapidly at a time when oil, aircraft, and armored vehicle production was peaking,
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its automotive industry was in decline. In this period of de-motorization, the Soviets were rapidly
becoming more mobile due to imports of American trucks through the Lend Lease program. In
response to the declining situation, Hitler adopted a more fortified defensive approach through
the so called “East Wall” which was called the “Panther Line” in Army Group North. The building
of these fortifications was a massive undertaking and was supposed to be a heavy fortified
bulwark from which the Germans could stave off any Soviet assault. Army Group North had
seen significant mobile reserves withdrawn from its area as the operations around Leningrad
stagnated over the years while the mobile battles in the Ukraine raged. This left Army Group
North without much of an armored reserve and low on the priority list for replacements.
In January 1944, Army Group North reported large buildups of men and material east of
Novgorod and within the Oranienbaum bridgehead. It was clear to Army Group North that these
two areas would be the main effort for a concerted attack. The Soviet plan was to breakthrough
the German lines at Novgorod and Leningrad and turn directly towards Narva and to the south
along the Leningrad-Pskov Highway and cut off any chance of reinforcement. Then the Soviets
would destroy the German 18th Army in a massive encirclement between the Volkov River and
the Leningrad-Pskov Highway.
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On the 15th of January, 1944 large scale Soviet attacks backed with heavy artillery bombardments
struck the German lines at both Novgorod by the Soviet 59th Army and southeastern sector of the
Oranienbaum pocket by the 2nd Shock Army resulted in deep penetrations in both areas. Another
attack, south of Leningrad, near Pushkin by the 42nd Army also achieved deep penetrations and
required the commitment of the German 61st Infantry Division held in reserve. In the 16th Army
sector, a series of blows also fell to the south of Lake Ilmen and west of Velikye Luki from the
1st Shock Army.
The 16th Army transferred X Corps and a bulk of its construction and GHQ assets to the 18th Army.
All of 16th Army’s police units, which were holding front line positions, had to be withdrawn to
the rear areas to maintain security in its line of communications.
The Soviet push out of Oranienbaum by the 2nd Shock Army roughly
shoved aside the unsuited Luftwaffe Field Divisions holding the pocket
while the mobile elements of the III SS Panzer Corps failed to contain
the breakthrough. The result of which left L Corps outflanked and
endangered.
For the next three days, furious fighting continued with the German 18th Army pulling in infantry
units from neighboring sectors in order to reinforce the battered XXVIII Corps fighting for its life
southeast of Leningrad. The Soviet penetrations deepened and the gaps between the German
adjacent units became wider as Novgorod was threatened with encirclement. On 19 January,
the 18th Army was ordered to withdraw to a shortened position along the Tchudovo-Uljanovski
Highway aka the ‘Rollbahn Position’. The Novgorod garrison had to fight its way out of its
encircled position as the left flank of the 16th Army was also ordered to withdraw in order to
maintain positive contact with the 18th Army.
By the 21st of January, the Soviets had moved 12 miles west of Novgorod and were threatening
to tear a bloody gap between the 16th and 18th Armies. By the end of January, the Soviets
had a real chance of success of separating the two armies and achieving its encirclement
and capturing the Panther Line before the Germans had a chance to occupy it. The 12th
Panzer Division was rapidly dispatched to the 18th Army to try and stem the Soviet armored
breakthrough between the 18th and 16th Army boundaries. At this point, a gap close to twelve
miles separated the boundaries of XXVI and XXVIII Corps and a similar gap existed between the
XXVI and L Corps. LIV Corps no longer defended a coherent line but existed as isolated battle
groups. In order to prevent a complete encirclement, the 18th Army abandoned its fallback line
on the Rollbahn Line and began withdrawing towards Luga. As the 18th Army withdrew further
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southwest away from Leningrad and into the deeper woods, it became
increasingly more difficult to dislodge the Germans in the constrained
terrain and progress slowed. Although having failed to encircle the 18th
Army, the Soviets had succeeded in driving a deep wedge between the
16th and 18th Armies.
By the end of January, the 12th Panzer Division was launching furious
counterattacks in an attempt to close the gap between the two armies
while 16th Army withdrew its left flank to maintain contact with the new
th
frontage of the 18 Army.
LIV Corps and III SS Panzer Corps were effectively cut away from the rest of the 18th Army by
the end of the month. The Felderrnhalle Panzergrenadier Division was sent to the Narva river
to reinforce the new defense on the Panther Line. With its hands full south of the Peipus River,
Army Group North formed Army Detachment Narva with its purpose to form a bulwark along
the Narva River along the Panther Line north of Lake Peipus. The Soviets tested the Narva Line
numerous times through February but were rebuffed every single time.
XXVIII and XXVIII Corps continued a dogged retreat
through very constricted forested and swampy areas
with often a handful of roads to traverse through.
The Soviets again attempted to cut out the avenues
of withdrawal but were rebuffed only through sure
determination. In early February, it was clear that an
encirclement was not going to be possible and the
Soviets attempted to race the Germans to the Panther Line and thus denying a formidable
defensive work to its enemy. Already, the 18th Army was consolidating around the swampy
expanses at Luga and forming a coherent defense.
The Soviets continued to apply pressure on the new positions at Luga with the 18th Army
rapidly re-deploying forces to counter new breakthroughs. At one point, the route to Pskov
was completely open. 18th Army dispatched the ever-ready 12th Panzer Division to Seredka,
north of Pskov and near the east bank of Lake Peipus, to stem the Soviet tide. By 15th
February, it was decided to withdraw from the Luga defenses and make for the Panther Line
in a phased and orderly withdrawal. The 16th Army was ordered to hold its line to cover the
18th Army’s withdrawal. On February 22nd, the 16th Army also began withdrawing towards the
Panther Line.
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With a combination of extensive mining and leaving behind delaying rearguards, 18th Army was
able to conduct an orderly withdrawal from the Luga defenses. The Soviets could only manage
a few minor penetrations which were easily sealed by the 12th Panzer Division. By 1 March, the
withdrawal to the Panther Line by Army Group North had been a complete success without any
successful Soviet penetrations.
With the Germans now firmly entrenched in the Panther Line and the spring thaw beginning,
both sides began local offensives in order to maneuver themselves in the best position for when
ground conditions allowed for the Soviets to begin its next offensive.
Army Group Narva launched a counterattack on 26 March near Krivasoo to deny the Soviets
the best positions to launch an attack against the Narva River. Although it failed to achieve its
objective, the Soviets launched numerous attacks against the Narva River without any results.
The Soviets launched a failed attack against Pskov on 4 March in attempt to unhinge the
Panther Line. The Germans also left behind strong points on suitable defensive terrain east
of the Panther Line which played a significant part in delaying the Soviet advance throughout
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March. The Soviets continued to probe along the Panther Line for weeks without success. By
May, a brief respite allowed both sides to lick their wounds and prepare for the next operation.
GERMAN PLAYER STRATEGY
The key strategies for the Germans are quite simple. Do not allow the Soviets to encircle your
forces and this should be fairly easy as the Soviets lack any tank armies. The last objective is
to not allow the Soviets to penetrate the Panther Line. Losing either of these two objectives
will cost you the game. You should also strive to hold victory locations as long as you can. Use
broken down infantry regiments as a rear guard to slow down Soviet advances.
SOVIET PLAYER STRATEGY
The original Soviet goal was to encircle and destroy the 18th Army. This is going to be difficult
due to the Soviets not possessing large armored formations. You should try to mass your tank
brigades as best as you can and exploit breakthroughs. If you can find weak spots in the Panther
Line and capture vital VPs, you should have a shot at winning the scenario.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
It is interesting to note that the Soviet objective historically was to conduct encirclement without
any major armored formations. With both sides lacking substantial armored forces, the scenario
is mainly an infantry struggle with a race to the Panther Line. Even without these forces, the
Soviets managed great success and it was ultimately good defensive terrain and quick German
reactions which allowed Army Group North to survive the offensive.
SCENARIO 5: SMOLENSK 1941
(10 JULY – 17 SEPTEMBER 1941)
Designer: John Duquette
Scenario Size: Medium
Turns: 10
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
After a deceptively successful opening to Operation Barbarossa, the Battle of Smolensk was a
rude awakening for the Germans. The nine-week battle was fought around the city between
July 10th and September 10th 1941. It would be the first time since launching the invasion of
the Soviet Union that German forces faced serious opposition to their advances; it was a portent
of the hard times to come in the remaining months of 1941.
19
The opposing forces at the start of the battle included two German panzer groups versus
two Soviet fronts. The Germans planned to capture Smolensk by a double envelopment. The
northern pincer was formed by General Herman Hoth’s 3rd Panzer Group and the southern
pincer by General Heinz Guderian’s 2nd Panzer Group. The initial defenders in the Battle for
Smolensk were the 13th Army of the Soviet Western Front, and the 20th, 21st, and 22nd Armies
of the Reserve Front. To the rear of these fronts were the 16th and 19th Armies in the process
of assembling at Smolensk and Vitebsk.
On 10 July, the Germans started the
offensive they hoped would take them
to the gates of Moscow and the end of
the Russian Campaign. Guderian’s 2nd
Panzer Group launched its attack across
the Dnieper. By 13 July, his forces had
encircled several Soviet divisions at
Mogilev. As both German Panzer Groups
drove east, three Soviet Armies, the 20th,
19th, and 16th, faced the prospect of encirclement around Smolensk. To counter this imminent
threat, the Soviets launched a counteroffensive. In the north, the 19th and 20th Armies struck at
the German units in the vicinity of Vitebsk, while the 3rd and 21st Armies attacked the southern
flank of 2nd Panzer Group in the vicinity of Bobruisk. The ensuing see-saw engagements across
the entire Smolensk region frustrated German hopes for a quick victory.
Throughout the battle, the Soviets continued to transfer fresh troops into the region. Five newly
formed armies (29th, 30th, 28th, and 24th Armies) would eventually be committed to the fight.
Despite these efforts, the Germans were able to linkup and close the pincers east of Smolensk on 27
July. In the process, large portions of the 16th, 19th,
and 20th Armies were surrounded and eventually
destroyed south of Smolensk. The unhinging of
German designs at Smolensk ultimately became a
crucial turning point for Operation Barbarossa.
PLAY TIPS
The Axis player must move fast and strike hard to capture his objectives early. The Soviet player
must maximize the use of his start forces and the terrain to slow down and absorb the initial
German attacks; then counterattack relentlessly.
20
RECOMMENDED READING
Glantz, David, “Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 SEPTEMBER 1941
VOLUME 1: The German Advance, the Encirclement Battle, and the First and Second Soviet
Counteroffensives, 10 July-24 August 1941”, Helion & Company, 2010.
___________, “Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 September 1941
Volume 2: The German Offensives on the Flanks and the Third Soviet Counteroffensive, 25
August-10 September 1941”, Helion & Company, 2011.
SCENARIO 6: MOSCOW 1941- 42
(30 SEPTEMBER 1941 – 20 APRIL 1942)
Designer: John Duquette
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 29
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In September the Germans decided to launch a final, decisive offensive to defeat the Soviet
Army and capture Moscow. This offensive was called Operation Typhoon. Gathering forces from
across the entire front, the Germans assembled a force of seventy-five divisions, including
three of Germany’s four panzer groups--almost two million men. On the Soviet side, two fronts
were defending the approaches to Moscow. These were the Western Front and Bryansk Front.
Following attacks by 2nd Panzer Group a few days prior, Operation Typhoon was launched in full
on 2 October 1941. The Soviets were not expecting a German offensive so late in the campaign
season and were taken by complete surprise. The Soviet front line was quickly broken and over
600,000 men were surrounded and captured in the pockets formed at Vyazma and Bryansk.
While German infantry divisions reduced the pockets, panzer groups continued the push towards
Moscow. However, the German advance was slowed by Soviet forces in the fortifications that
blocked the roads to Moscow. The autumn
rains started in mid-October, and quickly
turned the dirt roads to mud, greatly
restricting German mobility. Despite
these challenges, the Germans captured
Mozhaisk by the end of October—the last
major town on the direct road to Moscow.
21
In November the rains slackened, and the Germans would
have a short period of clear weather before the Russian winter
began. However, the German forces had no reserves left, and
their strength was dropping, while fresh, new Soviet forces
were arriving at the front. The Germans resumed the offensive
in mid-November but their attacks were stalled at the outskirts
of Moscow as the Soviets launched repeated counterattacks.
By 5 December, the Germans were halted along the entire
front. The next day, amidst the snows and intense cold of
the onset of winter, the reinforced Soviets launched their
counteroffensive.
During the Soviet winter counter-offensive of 1941, and the Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive
Operation (8 January 1942 - 20 April 1942), German
forces were pushed back from Moscow. As a result, a
salient was formed along the front line in the direction
of the capital, which became known as the RzhevVyazma Salient. Occupation of this salient by the
Germans was strategically important due to the threat
it posed to Moscow; it would strongly influence Soviet
strategy for the summer campaign of 1942.
PLAY TIPS
This scenario is not a “longer version” of the original WITE Operation Typhoon scenario. This
scenario covers Operation Typhoon and the Soviet counteroffensives and offensives of winter
1941 and early spring 1942. To accommodate the movements and battles of this seven-month
long campaign, the area of operations has been extended in width and depth. As such, additional
forces have been brought into play for both sides on the extended flanks of the game map.
As in the shorter Operation Typhoon scenario, the Axis player has 2 turns of clear weather to
encircle the bulk of the Soviet forces, 4 turns of mud to get into position for 3 turns of snow to
secure your objectives—then defend all winter long against the Soviet onslaught. The Soviet
player must recover quickly from initial heavy losses and form defenses that keep the Axis away
from their objectives, while building forces to launch the winter counter-offensive.
22
RECOMMENDED READING
Sharp, Charles and Jack Radey, “The Defense of Moscow 1941: The Northern Flank”, Pen and
Sword, 2012.
Zetterling, Niklas and Anders Frankson, “The Drive on Moscow, 1941: Operation Taifun and
Germany’s First Great Crisis of World War II”, Casemate, 2012.
SCENARIO 7: OPERATION BAGRATION
(22 JUNE – 23 AUGUST 1944)
Designer: John Duquette
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 9
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Operation Bagration was the codename
for the Soviets’ 1944 summer offensive.
Launched on 22 June 1944 (three years
to the day after the start of the German
invasion of Russia), this massive offensive led to the complete destruction of Army Group
Center and the recapture of Belorussia—the last bastion of German defense before Poland.
The operation resulted in the most devastating defeat ever experienced by the German Army
during the Second World War.
The Bagration offensive was a battle of
attrition. In a series of overwhelming assaults,
the Soviets punched massive holes in the
disintegrating defenses almost everywhere.
German troops were urged on by Hitler
to defend their positions to the death in a
desperate attempt to prevent the Red Army
from recapturing Belorussia. Although many
German units continued to wage a grim and
bitter defense, Soviet forces swamped the
overstretched front lines pushing apart and
encircling many German Panzer and infantry
divisions.
23
In the end Operation Bagration cost the Wehrmacht more men and material than the catastrophe
at Stalingrad sixteen months earlier. The shattering defeat of Army Group Center resulted in the
loss of over 300,000 men and the destruction of at least 25 veteran German divisions. The Red
Army recaptured practically all the territory the Soviet Union had lost in 1941, advanced into
East Prussia and reached the outskirts of Warsaw. Bagration ensured that the Germans would
never regain the strategic initiative.
PLAY TIPS
The Soviet player must strike fast and deep to achieve his objectives. To slow the Soviet
onslaught, the Axis player must preserve his strength and take full advantage of defensible
terrain.
RECOMMENDED READING
Adair, Paul, “Hitler’s Greatest Defeat: The Collapse of the Army Group Center, June 1944”,
Rigel Publications, 2004.
Zaloga, Steven J., “Bagration 1944: The Destruction of Army Group Centre”, Osprey
Publishing, 1996.
SCENARIO 8: VISTULA TO BERLIN 1945
(12 JANUARY – 7 JUNE 1945)
Designer: Trey Marshall
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 21
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
By January 1945, the German Wehrmacht was exhausted. The defeats of 1944 had been
catastrophic for the Germans with massive loss of irreplaceable manpower and material in
Belorussia, Normandy, Romania, Ardennes, and Hungary. The United States and United Kingdom
had wreaked the German transportation system from the air through their combined strategic
air bombing campaign which resulted in production being severely backlogged. The vast fuel
reserves in Ploesti, Romania had long been overrun and the German domestic production of
synthetic fuel could not even provide the bare minimum of the Wehrmacht’s fuel needs. The
German Army possessed the equipment and tanks but the chronic shortage of fuel meant that
the few divisions capable of motorized transport had only limited supplies of fuel and these
divisions relied on the near wrecked railway system to move beyond their small maneuver
24
area. German soldiers were now a disillusioned and mixed group. There were few true veterans
left of the early victorious campaigns of 1941 and 1942. The new soldiery were mainly hastily
mobilized men, both old and young, who were defending their homelands. Many soldiers fought
bravely for their homelands and defended the evacuation of millions of citizens. Many soldiers
did not want to be the last German to die in a campaign which conclusion was already known.
For the Soviets, the thoughts on all of the commanders’ and soldiers’ minds was revenge. From
1941 to 1944, the Germans had occupied great swathes of Soviet territory and the battles for
those territories in the beginning were humiliating for the Soviets. The Soviet people had endured
great hardship under the Germans through which the Soviet peoples were regarded as subhumans and were treated accordingly. Many of the Soviet people saw their homes, villages, and
cities burned and saw many loved ones, both soldiers and family, caught between the violence.
For the Soviet soldier in 1945, there was no question that the final campaign to capture Berlin was
revenge and this was drilled into their minds repeatedly by their commissars and commanders.
The German defense plan relied mainly on the Vistula defense line in eastern Poland and Prussia
that had been occupied as a result of the great Soviet offensive in the late summer of 1944. The
25
Germans had several months in which to dig-in and prepare and here the armies of Army Group
North and Center defended. Army Group Courland, previously known as Army Group North, was
bottled up in the Courland Peninsula with its mission to draw off as much of the Soviet army as
possible. Throughout Poland and Prussia, old men and young boys were being mobilized into
the Volksturm to build successive defensive lines. Strangely enough, the vast of the German’s
strongest reserves were located elsewhere such as in the Ardennes and the plains of Hungary.
Defending the approaches to Berlin in January 1945 was a secondary concern to Hitler who
believed that some kind of Frederick the Great miracle would save Germany from ultimate defeat.
Stalin had two objectives for the next offensive – occupy Berlin and occupy some of the best
industrial regions in Eastern Europe. In late 1944, Stalin made Marshal Zhukov the commander
of the 1st Belorussian Front as a reward for his years of exceptional service by giving Zhukov the
honor of personally capturing Berlin. With the Germans concentrating their forces in East Prussia
and Hungary, the Berlin axis of advance was deemed to be most direct and advantageous axis of
advance of the upcoming operation. The 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts would seal off Koningsberg
while the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts would drive directly to Berlin and destroy the
Wehrmacht in forty-five days. To achieve these opening moves, the Soviets massed in three
bridgeheads located at Sandomierz, Pulawy, and Magnuszew which would serve as the spearheads
of their respective Fronts’ offensive. The 1st Ukrainian Front’s bridgehead at Sandomierz consisted
of 90% of the Front’s forces and consisted of five armies and two tank armies.
26
In the early morning of 12 January at the Sandomierz bridgehead, the first blows fell on the 4th
Panzer Army from the 1st Ukrainian Front. The Soviets achieved such a density of artillery and
manpower that the Germans, sitting in their trenches, were almost completely overrun by the
initial wave up to half a kilometer in many places. At mid-morning, the main wave assaulted
through the remnants of the nearly shattered German lines. The massive Soviet bombardment
ripped through the remaining German defenses and defending artillery positions. The offensive
was devastating to the German soldiers, many of them green and inexperienced troops, as
bloody gaps were torn throughout the German lines.
Due to Hitler’s specific orders, the German mobile elements behind the front lines were
positioned so close to the front lines, that these units also saw considerable disruption from the
Soviets initial bombardment. By the time XXIV Panzer Corps had re-established contact and was
ready for action, Soviet armored forces were already overrunning its assembly areas unchecked
on the afternoon of the first day. XXXXVIII Panzer Corps on the south side of the Sandomierz
bridgehead was obliterated as the 4th Panzer Army was virtually destroyed in days. Nehring’s
XXIV Panzer Corps and the withdrawing remnants of the LXII Corps became a “roving cauldron”.
The Soviets were advancing unhindered in Southern Poland along the Warthe River between
Lodz and Krakow by the 18th of January.
Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front opened up its offensive on 14th January out of the Pulawy and
Magnuszew bridgeheads against the German 9th Army. A two hour bombardment preceded a
mass of rifle and armored units which broke through 9th Army’s defenses for a depth of twenty
kilometers on the first day. XXXX Panzer Corps responded quickly by sending the 19th and 25th
Panzer Divisions against separate Soviet thrusts. Since XXXX Panzer Corps did not mass against
a single thrust, both counterattacks failed. Warsaw was completely abandoned on the 17th when
it was quickly threatened with encirclement. Thus, the first of Hitler’s declared fortress cities
fell without bloodshed. By the 18th of January, 1st Belorussian’s 1st and 2nd Guards Tank Armies
were advancing deep into the German rear
between Lodz and the Vistula River and the
German 9th Army was reduced to wandering
isolated fighting groups.
In Army Group North’s sector, defending the
approaches to Prussia and Koningsberg,
the Germans had already abandoned
its first line of entrenchments when the
Soviet bombardments began and the
27
Soviet advantage of mass was not on its side. Backed by stronger fortifications, the Germans
prevented any decisive breakthroughs in Prussia. After shifting Soviet forces in area around
Sclossberg, the Soviets broke through the German defenses leading to a German rout back
towards Koningsberg.
On 15 January, Hitler ordered the Grossdeutschland Panzer Corps (Grossdeutschland and
Brandenburg Panzergrenadier Divisions) and the Hermann Goering Panzergrenadier Division out
of Prussia to attempt to stem the Soviet advances in central Poland. When the Grossdeutschland
and HG Division arrived at Lodz, they were already being attacked by the 1st and 2nd Guards Tank
Army and put on the defensive. Nehring’s XXIV Panzer Corps linked up with GD Panzer Corps
and together this group made for the Oder River under heavy pressure. Having met their initial
goals much faster than anticipated, Konev (1st Ukrainian) and Zhukov (1st Belorussian) were
ordered to continue their advance on Berlin and overrun German defenses quickly before the
Germans could consolidate on any river defense positions.
Konev was specifically ordered to clear Krakow and the economic prized industrial areas around
Breslau in Silesia. The 1st Ukrainian Front encircled the defending German 17th Army who were
ordered by Hitler to fight to the end. The German Army Group A commander, General Schorner,
ordered a retreat through a narrow corridor out of the pocket and thus much of the army was
saved but much of Silesia was lost by the end of January.
Zhukov was ordered to continue his advance towards Berlin and Lodz fell easily on 19 January
and Chuikov’s 8th Guards Army was on the outskirts of Posen (Poznan) on 26 January. Zhukov
was planning on assaulting Berlin by mid February but his right flank was not secure. The 2nd
Belorussian Front was still tied down in the German fortifications in Prussia and Koningsberg
and left Zhukov vulnerable. Also, the 1st Belorussian Front was running into old defensive works
manned by the Volksturm along the Obra River as part of the “East Wall”. By 30 January,
elements of the 1st Belorussian Front had crossed the Oder River. On the 2nd of February, both
the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Front had established footholds across the Oder.
The weather conspired against the
Soviets and the momentum was lost in
early February. The thaw rendered the
grass airstrips unusable and the rivers
were now unfrozen and flowing with
busted ice. Hundreds of anti-aircraft
guns from German cities were sent to the
28
Oder Line along with dozens of new divisions from other theaters. German fighter units were
switched from air defense against the US and British air raids to air superiority and close support
missions against the Soviets. The German defenses along the Oder strengthened overnight and
presented a formidable barrier. A brand new German command was created to fill in the place
of the destroyed central front called Army Group Vistula.
Koningsberg, at the end of January, was isolated in a semi-circle pocket with the German 4th
Army being the principal defending army. Throughout the month of February, there were vicious
attacks and counterattacks from both sides with the Soviets desperately wanting to clear the
pocket to shore up Zhukov’s right flank.
The German defense of Breslau on the Oder River continued to stymie the 1st Ukrainian Front’s
offensive. It was finally isolated on 8 Februray but withstood several direct assaults. By mid
February, the front had stabilized enough so that the 4th Panzer Army and 17th Army under
Army Group A stood along the Oder Line and threatened Konev’s flank with its deep advance
to the northwest towards Berlin. The German defense of Breslau stood as a significant threat
to Konev’s success. Local German counterattacks from Army Group A continued to tie down 1st
Ukrainian Front from pushing forward.
29
Throughout the remainder of February and March in the face of stiff German defenses and poor
weather, the 1st Belorussian Front slowly extended a few of its bridgeheads across the Oder and
Fortress Posen fell on 22 February. STAVKA now grew interested in capturing Pomerania and
Berlin fell as a secondary objective. The battle for Pomerania continued throughout the month
of March. The Soviets also had to spend considerable efforts reducing fortress cities in its rear
that were tying down a significant number of troops. These cities included Koningsberg, Danzig,
Posen, Breslau and Kolberg. Koningsberg fell on 10 April and Breslau held out until 6 May.
Army Group Courland, bottled up in the Courland Peninsula, was generally left alone and it sat in
its defenses for five months. Many of its units were withdrawn across the Baltic Sea and played
a further role in the final defense of Berlin. Army Group Courland would be the only German
command to surrender intact.
On 16 April, the Soviets had finally
consolidated enough and had the decent
weather to conduct the final attack on Berlin,
an assault that involved over 2.5 million Soviet
soldiers. The German defenses at Seelowe
were broken on the 19th and Berlin was
surrounded on the 25th. A brief but brutally
bloody battle ensued in Berlin with the final
defenses manned by a surprising amount of
foreign volunteers. Hitler committed suicide
on 30 April followed quickly by the remaining
German forces in Berlin surrendering on
2 May 1945. On 7 May, the German state
capitulated to the Allies and the war came to
its final conclusion in Europe.
GERMAN PLAYER STRATEGY
The first item to keep in mind when you review your forces during your first turn is that you
are going to inherit a disaster. It is up to you to manage that disaster as the Soviets are going
to start well into your rear with much of your forces encircled or threatened with encirclement.
You will have a tough decision to make in regards to the Courland pocket in do you withdraw
from the pocket and give up the victory points? You will receive a lot of reinforcements and you
should start building a strong defensive line somewhere. With the poor weather about to set in,
this will buy you time.
30
SOVIET PLAYER STRATEGY
The Soviets should have no problems with a first turn deep penetration. The real test is what do
you do with those penetrations. If you spend your subsequent turns focusing on the destruction
of the German army, you will have a difficult time winning the scenario. The only way to beat
this scenario with a major victory is to race to Berlin as fast as possible.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
This is the only scenario I have developed in which the destruction of the enemy forces is not
key to victory. The only key to victory here is the capture and defense of victory objectives. If
the Soviets spend too much
time destroying German
armies, they are going to find
themselves slogging forward
through the mud for weeks
and allowing the Germans
time to dig in. The Soviet rate of
advance in this operation was
unparalleled in World War Two
as the Soviet armies (non-tank)
were advancing at the rate of
20-30 kilometers per day.
SCENARIO 9: WINTER 42-43
(19 NOVEMBER 1942– 31 MARCH 1943)
Designer: John Young
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 19
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Operations during the Winter 1942 – 43 are amongst the most varied of the entire Eastern Front
conflict. Historical accounts of the period tend to focus on the encirclement and defeat of the
German 6th Army at Stalingrad and von Manstein’s Counterstrokes around Kharkov as this is
where most terrain changed hands. However since the end of the Cold War research has shown
that the Soviets planned and launched a series of offensive operations across the entire Eastern
Front with a range of success throughout the period. Most famous of these less well known
31
offensives is probably Operation MARS the attempt to cut off the Rzhev salient. However some
of the other operations include:
• Op JUPITER – The postulated successor to Op MARS intended to defeat Army Group
Centre
• Op SATURN – The planned successor to Op URANUS initially intended to cut off Army
Group A in the Caucasus and which was actually launched as Op LITTLE SATURN in the
wake of Op WINTER STORM (Wintergewitter), the attempted relief of Stalingrad.
• Op SPARK (Iskra) [Jan 43] – The successful offensive to break the siege of Leningrad
• Op POLAR STAR (Polyarnaya Zvezda) [Feb/ Mar 43] – The unsuccessful offensive to
encircle the German 18th Army south of Leningrad
• [029-screenshot.tif]
• On the German side less well know operations include:
• Op ZIETHEN [Feb 43] – The successful evacuation of the Demjansk Salient.
• Op BUFFALO (Büffel) [Mar 43] – The successful evacuation of the Rzhev Salient.
The map below shows the major areas of operations during this period which for ease of
understanding can be broken as follows:
The initial attacks:
Operations in the vicinity of Rzhev (Purple Box)
Operations in the vicinity of Stalingrad (Green Box)
Subsequent Operations:
Operations in the wake of Stalingrad (Pink Box)
Operations in the Central Sector (Blue Box)
And in parallel:
Operations in the vicinity of Leningrad (Yellow Box) which occurred throughout the period.
In November 1942 the Russians launched
Op URANUS and Op MARS almost
simultaneously. The initial success of
Op URANUS in encircling the German 6th
Army at Stalingrad and the failure of Op
MARS to achieve progress against the
German 9th Army at Rzhev set the tenor of the campaign throughout the Winter 42-43.
32
In the North progress was minimal and the Germans were able to defend from well developed
fortifications with all the advantages that these afforded. The largest Soviet gains were achieved
by the Germans retreating from the exposed salients at Demjansk in Feb 43 and Rzhev in Mar
43 to shorten lines and free up forces.
In the South the Soviets, having encircled the 6th Army on 23 Nov 42, were able to prevent
the Germans relieving Stalingrad by stopping Operation WINTER STORM (Wintergewitter) [Army
Group Don: 12-23 Dec 42] and preventing further attempts by launching Op LITTLE SATURN
[Southwestern & Voronezh Front: 16 Dec – 30 Dec 43] which defeated the Italian 8th Army.
German Forces in the area were now commanded by Army Group Don led by FM Erich von
Manstein. There was then a race against time as the Germans sought to stabilize the front
long enough to withdraw the 1st Panzer Army from the Caucasus before the Soviets could cut
it off by capturing Rostov. The Germans were aided in this by the continued resistance of the
6th Army which fought to the end and was finally destroyed by Op RING (Kolt’so) [Don Front: 10
Jan – 2 Feb 43].
The Soviets continued to build on their initial success making significant advances aided in
some part by the fragile nature of the Axis Allies and Hitler’s insistence on holding ground with
far too few forces. The Soviets, buoyed by their success, launched an increasing number of
offensive operations that pushed the Axis forces further back into the Donbas area.
33
By February 1943 the German position in the South was bleak with the initiative firmly resting
with the Soviets who were becoming increasingly confident in their conduct of the ‘Operational
Art’. They launched Operations STAR (Zvesda) [Southwestern Front: 2 Feb – 3 Mar 43] and
GALLOP (Skachok) [ Voronezh Front: 29 Jan – 18 Feb 43]. However the Soviets were then given
a master class when FM Erich von Manstein, Commander Army Group South, brilliantly conjured
a series of counterstrokes which were only stopped by the onset of the Rasputitsa.
PLAY TIPS
The Soviet player should first seek to encircle the 9th Army in the Rzhev Salient and the 6th Army
at Stalingrad before launching further Operations. The Axis player should seek to balance Axis
forces to hold back increasing numbers of Soviet attacks.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
Winter 1942 - 43 is a whole front scenario developed from Trey Marshall’s Red Army Resurgent2
and my Op Mars 1942 Red God of War scenarios. Although the development process started
by combining the two base scenarios and then filling in the gaps the final version does have a
number of differences from those scenarios. These include reconciling the arrival and departure
of some units which now only move within the breadth of the whole front, and the setting of
frozen and static units.
The scenario seeks to recreate the historical lay down of the forces in November 1942 with
some changes to allow better playability. To stagger the Soviet offensives as was historical a
number of Fronts start as Frozen. Similarly the Axis forces are in the most part set as Static to
reflect their defensive posture and intent to hold ground. The victory conditions have also been
set to encourage the German Forces to defend their starting positions and for the Soviets to
attack across the front.
It is recommended that you play the Red Army Resurgent and Op Mars 1942 Red God of War
scenarios before playing Winter 1942-43
RECOMMENDED READING
Glantz, David M, “After Stalingrad: The Red Army’s Winter
Offensive 1942 - 1943”, Helion and Company 2009.
Bellamy, Chris, “Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War”, Pan 2009.
Melvin, Mungo, “Von Manstein: Hitler’s Greatest General”, Phoenix 2011
2 Part of the ‘Don to Danube’ Scenario Expansion
34
SCENARIO 10: STALINGRAD TO BERLIN CAMPAIGN
(19 NOVEMBER 1942 – 16 MAY 1945)
Designer: John Young
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 130
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
At the beginning of November 1942 the War in the East had reached a pivotal stage. For the Axis
Forces it seemed that victory might at last be in their grasp. In the North they had successfully
stopped the Soviet Sinyavino Offensive which had attempted to break the Leningrad Siege. In
the South they had advanced deep into the Caucasus region and with it gained the possibility of
capturing the Soviet oilfields. At Stalingrad the planning for Operation HUBERTUS – a final attack
to capture all of the city on the western bank of the Volga was nearing completion.
For the Soviets planning within STAVKA was focused on launching concurrent and ambitious winter
offensives in order to seize the initiative and replicate the success they had achieved the previous
winter. These offensives can be grouped in three broad areas – in the North offensives to break the
siege of Leningrad, in the Centre offensives to defeat Army Group Centre and push the Axis back
from Moscow and in the South offensives to recapture Stalingrad, the Caucasus and the Don Basin.
It is generally accepted that the Axis campaign on the Eastern Front culminated at Stalingrad
in November 1942. From that point, despite attempts by the Axis to regain the upper hand, the
strategic initiative rested with the Soviets although for a brief period between March and August
1943 the Germans had the chance to be proactive. The choice to attack at Kursk against well
prepared defenses squandered that chance. As time progressed, despite prodigious efforts, things
continued to worsen exponentially for the Germans. This was exacerbated by the increasing
demands to defend against the Western allies; ultimately ending with the fall of Berlin in May 1945.
PLAY TIPS
The Soviet player should first seek to increase pressure on the Axis forces, driving them back
from the Motherland. The Axis player should seek to balance Axis forces to hold back increasing
numbers of Soviet attacks.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
Stalingrad to Berlin is an extension into a full campaign of the Winter 1942 - 43 short scenario
by increasing the number of turns and adding the requisite withdrawals and arrivals. As a full
35
campaign scenario the victory conditions have been included in the game code. For reference
they are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Axis Decisive Victory: 280+
Axis Substantial Victory: 175-279
Axis Marginal Victory: 100-174
Soviet Decisive Victory - Normal terms before 1945
Soviet Substantial Victory - Normal terms between 1/1/45 and 3/10/45
Soviet Marginal Victory - Normal terms between 3/11/45 and 5/16/45
If the game ends and neither side have met their conditions, it’s a draw.
It is recommended that you play the Winter 1942-43 scenario before playing this full campaign
RECOMMENDED READING
Alan Clarke, “Barbarossa: The Russian German Conflict: The Russian German Conflict,
1941-45”, Phoenix 2001.
Bellamy, Chris, “Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War”, Pan 2009.
Antony Beevor, “Stalingrad”, Penguin 2007
Glantz, David M, “After Stalingrad: The Red Army’s Winter
Offensive 1942 - 1943”, Helion and Company 2009.
Melvin, Mungo, “Von Manstein: Hitler’s Greatest General”, Phoenix 2011
Hastings, Sir Max, “Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-45”, Pan 2005
Antony Beevor, “Berlin: The Downfall 1945”, Penguin 2007
SCENARIO 11: 1941-45 CAMPAIGN–SUDDEN
DEATH (22 JUNE 1941 - 4 JULY 1945)
Scenario Size: Large
Turns: 211
This campaign is a variant of the 1941-45 Campaign - Alt VC260 campaign, with the only
change being additional sudden death victory conditions. The victory conditions are the same
as that in the Alt VC260 campaign with the addition of three sudden death victory condition
checks made during the campaign. The checks are made at the beginning of the first turn of
April 1942, April 1943 and April 1944. If during one of these checks, a player is determined to
have met their Sudden Death victory conditions, the game will immediately end and declare a
Decisive Victory for the winner.
36
April 1942
German Victory if victory points are >=242
Soviet Victory if victory points are <=191
April 1943
German Victory if victory points are >=255
Soviet Victory if victory points are <=188
April 1944
German Victory if victory points are >=210
Soviet Victory if victory points are <=150
The Alt VC260 campaign victory conditions used in this campaign as well are:
• The Axis Decisive Victory level (Automatic Victory) is 260 instead of 290.
• The Soviet Major Victory timeframe ends on 31 March 1945 (instead of 31 May 1945) and
the Soviet Minor Victory timeframe between 1 April 1945 and 30 June 1945.
• A draw occurs if Germany does not surrender by 1 July 1945 and the Axis has less than
142 victory points.
Special thanks to Trey Marshall and Jim Wirth for their years of work perfecting the data used in
the original 1941-45 campaign, and to Walt Dortch and Michael Tonks for their initial proposal
of a sudden death variant that ultimately inspired both the Alt VC and Sudden Death campaigns.
CREDITS
2BY3 GAMES
PRODUCER
Joel Billings
SCENARIO DESIGN AND HISTORICAL
RESEARCH
John Duquette, John Young, Trey Marshall,
Wayne Close
PROGRAMMING
Gary Grigsby, Pavel Zagzin
AI SCRIPTING
Rich Bartosik, Tim Bateman
PLAYTESTERS
Lee Elmendorf, Rich Bartosik, Tim Bateman,
Drew Black, Carl Kleihege, Fabio Governato,
Doug Hensley, David Jacob, Mark Johnson,
Håkan Nimmersten, Gerald Pelton, Bob
Pendleton, Dennis Schul
“LIVING MANUAL” EDITOR
Leonardo Rogic
37
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