Slitherine

This is epic!

17th July 1943

What had been reported yesterday as a seemingly easy capture of the enemy supply hub east of Kursk may yet perhaps bring some complications, as our probes have revealed that another heavily reinforced regiment of the same 150mm-gunned SU assault guns is in the vicinity!



Still, it is clear that the vast bulk of the enemy's core strength in the heart of our operational area has been crushed so isloated Soviet regiments - no matter how powerful - can be quickly brought to heel by combination attacks from our primary panzer elements supported by our now unchallenged air power.



The decision was taken by Corps to order the assault by Pionerie-Regiment 100 at Oboyan today, to secure the town and add more pressure on the supporting enemy artillery north of the town to surrender.



The emergency action yesterday to stablise the southern end of our line east of the Belgorod forest facing the Soviet 7th Army may have been (pardon the pun) a turning point in this particular battle, with momentum building on our side of the balance sheet - helped by today's actions by Schwere-Panzer-Abt 501 to overrun an enemy T60 contingent.



On the Mtsensk / Orel front, perhaps the enemy's plans have indeed been disrupted by our penetration into their formation from our positions in the trench line? The earlier destruction of the assorted gun batteries on this front by XLVII Corps' forces has left the Soviets unable to suppress the men of 216th Infanterie that AG Centre had assigned to shore up the defensive line behind the river and the net effect is that the reds have laid bridges but not moved anything across them. However, further east 9 Panzer has apparently felt the pressure of fresh T34 brigades flowing forward.



18th July 1943

With temporary lulls - aside from minor skirmishes - being the order of the day in the north and east, today's report is sparse. We are able to report further surrenders around Oboyan and the imminent entrapment of the Su-152s close to the Supply Hub; our aim here is to capture as many of these vehicles as possible for examination and testing.





19th July 1943

I will start by wrapping up the loose ends of yesterday's report: the last of the gun batteries at Oboyan has capitulated and the trap has been closed on the Su-152s.







The two reports we received from XLVII Corps illustrated their initial worry that the enemy had got a tank regiment across the temporary bridges, only for an increased sense of calm to be evident in the second summary which reported the effective defence against this thrust. Herr General noted that Lemlesen had indeed move some panzers and StuGs up to support 216 Infanterie and this had perhaps proved decisive; with traffic problems clearly visible on the Soviet side of the river and retreating tanks floundering around the water it's quite possible that we have been able to put the cork firmly back into the bottle here.





XLVII Corps' pressing need for a strong presence on its northern flank has meant that their push south towards Kursk has slowed right down, although forces from 2 and 20 Panzer continue to erode the defenders at Ponyri. Flank security detachments have reported what could be a full enemy tank division (or at least two brigades) holding position in the vicinity of Olkhovatka which would likely be the last line of defence between XLVII Corps and Kursk itself.



20th July 1943

As there has been a material development on the eastern flank of our operation today, I shall summarise the other notable reports succinctly: large numbers of T34s (near Oboyan) and Su-152s (near the Supply Hub) have been kindly donated by their completely isloated crews and the garrison at Ponyri has been finally dealt with by XLVII Corps.







Offsetting these successes though, is the report from the forward observer team attached to Grenadier-Regiment 93 occupying prominent hills and with excellent views over the whole area. Soviet vehicles have been seen far to the south, perhaps a day's hard drive from where the regiment is anchoring the extreme end of the ongoing activity by 10 and 3 Panzer to eliminate the Soviet 7th Army force. It is inconceivable that this unit is acting independently and, as we've learned from experience, where there is one Soviet tank regiment, there is nowadays a whole division (at least)! If there is a fresh Soviet force steaming in from the far SE of our operational area, there is nothing German between it and Kharkov......

Horseman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:56 am This is epic!

I'm sure that the actual battle took me less time to complete than this report!! I doubt I'll be taking as many pics per day for the next couple but then, this IS Kursk and there are two full Panzer Corps on the board. I'll get the final installment done in the next day or so around "real life"

BaronVonWalrus wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 2:02 pm

Horseman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:56 am This is epic!

I'm sure that the actual battle took me less time to complete than this report!! I doubt I'll be taking as many pics per day for the next couple but then, this IS Kursk and there are two full Panzer Corps on the board. I'll get the final installment done in the next day or so around "real life"

I'm pretty sure all my battle are quicker than the write up......its normal, especially if you're trying to tell a little bit of a story rather than just say what happened.

21st July 1943

The situation east of Belgorod and Kharkov has gone from being a simple matter of swatting away a force of light tanks and infantry unable to resist our panzers to a matter with the potential to unravel everything we've worked to achieve so far - and that is written without a trace of exaggeration. The grim portent spotted from the hills yesterday by forward observers is indeed a harbinger. Within the last 12 hours, more and more enemy forces have flanked the eastern positions of our panzergruppe facing off against the Soviet 7th Army and emergency shuffling of forces in this sector has not stopped them getting a foothold in the forests close to Belgorod.



I would settle for that as our only problem, without arguement. However, it is not our only problem as this image of the plains between Kharkov and the Don all too clearly illustrates........



Herr General has ordered the immediate move of the Dora railway gun back south and it's expected to be back at Belgorod by the end of the day. The railway station at Prokhorova is also the scene of frantic en-training of artillerie and vehicles for immediate transportation to Kharkov and rebasing of aircraft - there is still time for us to get some sort of scrambled defence mustered as it will take at least 36 hours for the enemy to cover the distance between its temporary bridges and the city.



The mood here at Corps HQ is understandably tense, although an air of outright pessimism has at least been avoided as positive news from other sectors continues to roll in: the potential encirclement of Kursk itself has moved closer to realisation as our own bridge-fording plans west of the city are perhaps a day or two from being complete.



XLVII Corps' contribution to the "good news" section of today's overall reports is the reaching of the material decision-point in operations against the enemy drive to Orel; all their bridging units have been destroyed and 9 Panzer is slicing through light tank groups with alacrity. The substantial enemy force assigned to this offensive now has nowhere to go and its room to maneuver is being eroded by the hour, along with its combat power.



22nd July 1943

Continuing attacks by 9 Panzer have put them in a position to cut through to the river and trap the remaining Soviets in the Mtsensk sector. Great credit must be given to Lemelsen and Herr General's combined planning for this operation in that respect, as a clear choice was made to allocate a full infanterie division to this front in the first place and this has provided a sound foundation from which to both defend and attack.





The trains so hurriedly loaded up and dispatched from Prokhorova yesterday made it to Kharkov unscathed and in time - the brave men isolated and without hope in the strongpoints east of the city have been able to slow down the enemy advance sufficiently to enable us to draw breath and regain confidence that this situation could now be contained. The advancing enemy will have no defence against air attack or the 3-metre-long shells from Big Gustav.



This confidence has only been able to be nurtured thanks to a desperate combined action by FW190s from JG 26 flying at the extreme limit of their range just doing enough to enable the follow-up attack from 10 Panzer elements to succeed in knocking out the remaining T60s that were poised to enter Belgorod unopposed.



23rd July 1943

The nature of our emergency response to the enemy drive on Kharkov has prevented us from following our usual, methodical and sound, principles of concentric attacks and overlapping fields of defensive fire - we have had to make do with whatever we could throw at the problem! The price that had to be paid for this was an overnight raid on Big Gustav's supporting infrastructure and logistics teams by an enterprising Soviet reconnaissance group. Thankfully, Panzer-Regiment 13 was able to clatter at full speed over the bridge from its previous engagement east of Belgorod in the early hours and was organised enough to make haste to the scene to stablise the situation.



10 Panzer, as our reserve force for use as and when needed, has elements all over the area - Panzer-Regiment 10 is operating north of Kursk as part of the force looking to close the pocket wall north of Kursk and today was engaged with enemy SU 76 units between Kursk and XLVII Corps' southern pincer at Olkhovatka.



Obviously all too aware of the danger of their position, the forces stationed at Kursk itself have begun to strike out from their positions in a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable.



On the subject of hopeless situations and inevitability, the summary from XLVII Corps today includes reports of the first surrenders (KV1s in battalion strength) in what is now the Mtsensk pocket.



24th July 1943

As this is ostensibly the war diary of XIX Panzer Corps, I think the time has come for it to allow XLVII Panzer Corps' diary to remain as the record for the rest of their activity in this operation following this last entry from them, which makes it clear that matters in the Mtsensk pocket have become a matter of squeezing the pocket tighter and eliminating / capturing the remaining enemy forces as 9 Panzer and 6 Infanterie see fit.



The denouement at Olkhovatka and Kursk itself is now close at hand, with the final maneuvers required to form a grand encirclement of both sectors now complete.



With the enemy still well-positioned in the SW parts of the Belgorod forest and the Soviet 7th Army all but exterminated, 10 Panzer has effected a tactical withdrawal westwards away from the remnants of that army towards the eastern fringes of the forest to guard against the threats against their rear.



25th July 1943

Although the enemy reserve force that had swept across our SE flank in recent days has now been essentially contained (and defeated from an operational perspective), local battles remain fierce and certainly not all in our favour. After some hard-fought exchanges, a strong enemy T34 force has been finally brought to heel and beaten by the combined efforts of Schwere-Panzer-Abt 501, Panzer-Regiment 9 and 3 Panzer's hurriedly-redeployed 170mm artillerie.



Grenadier-Regiment 93 has been on the receiving end of severe punishment in recent days as our eastern forces have fought with determination to hold on despite being stretched to the utmost by the enemy offensive. Today however, thanks in the main to our ability to maintain supply lines to them and the influx of men from our replacement formations / evacuation of the badly wounded afforded by these logistics, this hard-pressed regiment exacted some measure of revenge by assaulting a unit of SU 122 assault guns in hillside terrain utterly favourable to our landsers.



The surrenders have started at Olkhovatka and in the Kursk area - the desperate attacks launched from the city have ended in costly failure for the beleaguered enemy division garrisoning the city, lacking supporting heavy guns as it does.





26th July 1943

It is with a mixture of pride, pleasure and some relief that the last "question mark" in the way of ultimate operational success has today been resolved - the enemy's unexpected and almost successful counteroffensive operation aimed at Kharkov and Belgorod has been comprehensively defeated with nothing but an isloated assault gun unit and equally isloated heavy infantry regiment left; dealing with these will be routine and the matter has been handed off from Corps-level concerns.



26th July - 30th July 1943

As readers of the Corps diaries are, doubtless, themselves war veterans and well used to how the closing days of battles already essentially won play out, I will not go overboard with detail about the final surrenders - the images are here for the record. However, we were expecting to have to eliminate or capture what we could of the enemy forces dug in around the western edge of the salient. We received a formal Halt order from Von Manstein himself the day that we ran the war flag of the Reich up in the centre of Kursk, some days ahead of the expected end date of our planned activity. Apparently, the Red Army has attacked en masse along the road from Moscow to Smolensk and OKW itself has demanded that our Corps be immediately redeployed to Smolensk to stop this offensive!

I am well acquainted with the concept of "alarm brigades", but an "alarm corps"?

OOC

I really, really enjoyed Kursk - it suited my personal playstyle preference of pursuing multiple objectives simultaneously with a "quantity first" focus. I took immense satisfaction (and gaming pleasure) from the Panzer Corps 2 version of the Prokhorova battle, which became an absolute slaughter and briefly gave me that feeling of invincibility that sometimes gets associated with wargaming as Germany before mid-43

In fact, and I apologise for the triumphalism but I am OOC, the reds got absolutely smashed in this scenario. History-altering smashed, with estimates of around 40% of the entire Soviet tank armada being in play in and around the salient according to some historical sources.....and it's all smashed or captured now with severe dents kicked into the north and south strategic counteroffensives for good measure (at least in the Panzer Corps 2 universe). Maybe there's a potential future mission path back to Moscow and onward with some bonus objectives here and at Smolensk.....which I've already played through but need to write up, but I'll just say "Rzhev"

This mission gave me some more great wargaming. For a couple of turns I was very worried indeed by developments in the southeast and was grateful for those well-considered two train transport points along with the 10 rail square per day movement of Big Gustav. I 'm also defintely "learning on the job" as I ended the mission 6k prestige up on my start point despite almost exclusively using elite replacements for my core (although not for the auxiliary forces). It's worth calling out the fact that bog-standard Wehr infanterie and GB jaegers can cover a lot more ground than Pioniere and Grenadier units without expensive-to-reinforce organic transports and I remain perfectly happy to have (at least) one Inf division in the field at all times.

I was especially pleased with the way matters in the NE around Mtsensk and Orel (Operation Kutuzov?) played out and my ability to create a pocket up there without perimeter control and flexible command. I'm seeing more medium-term opportunities now than I was when I first started playing, which is a function of the game teaching me, I think!

I'm looking forward to my next full playthrough

7th August 1943

And so, after delivering what we considered to be a crushing blow to the Soviets around Kursk, it is clear that there remains much to do. Offensives have been launched across the entire Eastern Front and although our recent actions have put paid to Soviet plans around Orel and Kharkov, several other commands appear to have been unable to resist the enemy's attacks and have given ground in varying degrees of order. Herr General has been personally asked for, we now understand, by Hitler himself to put a stop to the Soviets' charge west from Moscow to Smolensk.

The briefings I have received from Herr General have helped me to understand the situations some of his peers are facing. Whilst XIX Panzer Corps' reputation and results have cemented its status as a priority for replacements of men, vehicles and equipment, I have learned that the replacements situation for many divisions and corps is less than ideal. No doubt this is contributing to the problems some commands are having standing up to the enemy offensive.

There has been next to no time to consider detailed deployment plans - the summary we have been given is simply to "get there as quickly as possible and stop to Soviets in their tracks!" Herr General has instructed that 3 Panzer should deploy around Nevel, 17 Panzer around Roslavl (ensuring that the wetland areas are NOT used for deployment given the expectation that the enemy will be arriving on the scene in force within hours of our arrival) and Smolensk itself will play host to 10 Panzer and 25 Infanterie. As we are "taking the trains" as it were, Big Gustav will also join us.

Given the urgency of our situation and the lack of time we have to get to Smolensk and organise, I hope that my efforts to report our current Order Of Battle are correct - JG 26 has concurred with our assessment of the need to eliminate the enemy air force in the shortest possible timeframe to allow our own attack aircraft to play their expected key role in stopping the Soviets. I will ensure that the usual bureaucratic standards will be adhered to once the dust has settled here.

3 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regimenr 3 (Pz IVG)
Panzer-Regiment 9 (Panther D)
Grenadier-Regiment 93 (1943 standard)
Pioniere-Abt 93
Artillerie-Regiment 49 (170mm Sdkfz 7)
Schwere-Panzerjaeger-Abt 300 (Elefant)
Sturm-Abteilung 203 (Brummbar)
Aufklarung-Abt 3 (SdKfz 234)
Flak-Abteilung 93 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

10 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regiment 10 (Pz IIIN)
Panzer-Regiment 13 (Pz IVG)
Schwere-Panzer-Abt 501 (Tiger)
Panzer-Artillerie-Abt 10 (Hummel)
Panzerjaeger-Abt 10 (Nashorn - upgraded equipment)
FlaK-Abteilung 100 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

Pioniere-Abt 100 - RESERVE

17 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regiment 17 (Panther D)
Panzer-Regiment 27 (Pz IIIN)
Panzer-Regiment 29 (Pz IIIM)
Artillerie-Regiment 117 (150mm Sdkfz 7)
Sturm-Abteilung 217 (StuH 42)
Aufklarung-Abt 117 (SdKfz 234)
FlaK-Abteilung 117 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

Pioniere-Abt 49 - RESERVE
Panzerjaeger-Abt 49 (StuG III/8) - RESERVE

25 Infanterie Division (almost 2 divisions worth of combat power and likely to be split up soon):
Gebirgsjaeger-Regiment 25 (1943 standard)
Infanterie-Regiment 25 (1943 standard - upgraded equipment)
Infanterie-Regiment 125
Grenadier-Regiment 225
Pioniere-Abt 25 (1943 standard)
Artillerie-Regiment 25 (170mm, SdKfz 7)
Panzerjaeger-Abt 25 (StuG IIIG)
Sturm-Abteilung 225 (StuH 42)
FlaK-Abteilung 25 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

JG26:
Gruppe I (Fw 190A)
Gruppe II (Bf 109G)
Gruppe III (Bf 109G)
Gruppe IV (Fw 109A)

ZG 99:
Gruppe I (Me 410)
Gruppe II (Bf 110G)
Gruppe III (Bf 110G)

StG 3:
Gruppe I (Ju 87D)
Gruppe II (Hs 129)

Attached:
Bf-109PR Flight
800mm "Dora" Railway Gun "Schwere Gustav"
Schwere-Artillerie-Regiment "Eiffel" (170mm, SdKfz 7)


132 Infanterie Division - RESERVE
Infanterie-Regiment 49
Grenadier-Regiment 132
Infanterie-Regiment 149
Pioniere-Regiment 132
Artillerie-Regiment 132 (150mm Sdkfz 7)
PaK-Abteilung 132 (50mm PaK 38 horse-drawn)
Sturm-Abteilung 232 (StuH 42)

KG88 - RESERVE
Gruppe I (Ju 88A)
Gruppe II (Do 217E)

XIX Corps Assets - RESERVE:
Sturm-Abteilung 210 (StuG IIIB)
Bruckenpioniere-Abt 19

7th August 1943

We have barely been able to de-train and organise in time to meet the Soviet offensive, but almost all our available units are now in position although we have actually run out of room around Smolensk to deploy without causing gridlock and confusion! We need to ensure that the enemy is kept away from the railway marshalling yards, where some assault guns and FlaK guns remain loaded up until we can clear more breathing space around the city. As is typical of German military bureaucracy, this was exactly the time that my staff received a directive from OKH (no doubt doing what they'd be told by someone else, as the time when OKH exercised independent thought had long since passed) for us to ensure Herr General's presence at the Berghof at Obersalzburg at the very earliest convenience! So, Hitler had demanded Herr General's efforts at Smolensk and now he demanded Herr General leave the battlefield to pay him a visit in the mountains! Sheer folly!

The enemy spearhead didn't take long to arrive, along with IL2 and other attack aircraft. Whilst our initial deployment of 25 Infanterie in the city proper with 10 Panzer mainly securing the northern approaches has held firm - the newly acquired Nashorns in Panzerjager-Abteilung 10 in particular extracting a heavy toll from the attackers - a combination of bombing and assault by heavy KV1 tanks has put Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 25 into difficulties in the SE suburbs.



Enemy infantry and Guards have flowed out of the woods at Roslavl, where 17 Panzer has deployed its Pz IIINs in the town proper in the absence of its own ground troops. Supported by the division's 150mm artillerie, Panzer-Regiment 27 has given a solid account of itself in sub-optimal conditions, laying the ground work for an effective riposte from the rest of the division.



If the Russians thought that their planned (and anticipated) attempt to drive through Nevel and flank Smolensk would be a decisive move for them, 3 Panzer - bolstered by the Corps-level artillerie regiment AND Big Gustav in our initial deployment - turned this plan into a disaster in a few short hours. A full regiment of T34s rolled up to the airfield north of the town and attempted to engage the Panthers of Panzer-Regiment 9; perhaps the Soviet commander was unaware of the decidedly hard-to-miss Elefants laying in wait? The entire T34 regiment was reduced to wreckage within an hour. However, the enemy have also advanced on foot in division strength and find themselves within striking distance of Big Gustav's entourage - this necessitated urgent, concentrated attacks on the threat to free the rail line up for us to get the beast out of immediate danger.



3 Panzer counterattacked with purpose as soon as the enemy's movements petered out, with devastating results as this image of the Nevel sector in the immediate aftermath shows:



A local counterattack against the enemy heavy tank regiment pressurising the SE of Smolensk proved effective, with the remaining KV1s chased into wetlands where they were easy prey for Grenadier-Regiment 225 despite its obsolete equipment.



The fighter and FlaK units around Smolensk chalked up their first enemy air wing during the evening - the fewer La-5s our own aircraft have to face, the better!



8th August 1943

The air war continued unabated throughout today as well. The Soviet Tu-2 bombers are now hopelessly overmatched by our 190s, showing a level of fragility similar to our Stukas!



A key factor in our ability to bear down on the enemy in the air over Smolensk was the priority given to the self-propelled air defence guns accompanying the enemy advance, which had been heavily reduced and forced to retreat some distance. In other local initiatives, an SU 76 regiment was forced to retreat by 25 Infanterie and got bogged down in the river where it was brought to battle by Panzerjager-Abt 25. The breathing space obtained in the last 24 hours has enabled us to get more of our units fully organised and into the field.



At Roslavl, the initial infantry assault against the town has been repulsed but the Soviets have brought up T34s in an attempt to inject some fresh impetus. In line with Corps' doctrine, this full-strength enemy force has been engaged by 17 Panzer's Panthers whilst the 150mm guns have been brought into the town to provide some fire support as the division's StuGs are in the Corps reserve for this operation. It was only after the Panthers took no return cannon fire that it was realised that these were flamethrower-variant models!



3 Panzer's aggressive counterattack has quickly brought it back up the road to Velikiye Luki as the enemy tries to rally its demoralised infantry division, which today has seen support in the shape of KV1s arrive.



The skilful direction of Generalleutnant Westhoven saw 3 Panzer barely pause for breath, although his staff have politely asked us to keep the Corps schwere-artillerie regiment attached to them for the rest of the battle.



9th August 1943

Whilst 10 Panzer continues to erode the enemy strength north of Smolensk which has been partially reinforced by fresh units from the large catalogue of Soviet armoured front-line and support vehicles, the ground east and south east of the city has been kept clear by the efforts of 25 Infanterie which has now been able to get all its "boots on the ground".



The skies above Smolensk have seen the most intense action of the operation so far, with the positive news that a second La-5 wing has evaporated prompting StG 3 to request my staff for instructions on immediate target priorities.



One of the primary roles of the massive railway gun is to shell enemy fortifications and strongpoint complexes, so they can be overrun by local forces in swift follow-up attacks. This one-two punch was demonstrated again today, with the Tigers of Schwere-Panzer-Abt 501 doing the following up.

10th August 1943

Herr General had instructed me and my staff to arrange for him to visit 25 Infanterie's command post in Smolensk this morning, as a Knights Cross was in his pocket ready for awarding to Major Zoll, acting commander of the regiment in recognition of the numerous examples of personal courage and decisive leadership he has shown in his ascent through the command ranks within the division.



With this in mind, we were more at ease with this visit once we received reports from JG 26 that they had taken care of the enemy's Pe-2 wing above the city.



At Velikiye Luki, Big Gustav had been moved back to the area to take a troublesome bunker complex under fire as this position afforded the Soviets control of the main road east to Rzhev. Additional shelling from Artillerie-Regiment 49 silenced that position, allowing 3 Panzer to assault the enemy foot soldiers trying to execute some sort of fighting withdrawal back across the marshes.





Further south at Roslavl, 17 Panzer's actions are increasing in forward momentum with today seeing the destruction of enemy reconnaissance and flame-tank formations.



The division's new commander - Generalleutnant Von der Meden - has proven more reliable in his delivery to timescale than his predecessor and a spotter flight requested by his HQ was readily organised; the land east of 17 Panzer's positions looks to be essentially clear for him to move forces into, either to move on enemy rear area sites or to loop around the forest and cut off resisting units that are known to be defending along the main road east.



11th August 1943

3 Panzer has always been in the vanguard of the Corps' offensive efforts so there has never been any quibbling about reconnaissance requests from that HQ, irrespective of the divisional commander. Following attacks to eliminate a well-positioned gun battery ahead of the bridge on the Rzhev road, Westhoven requested a spotting flight to report back on enemy concentrations between 3 Panzer and Rzhev. Both Division and Corps were a little surprised by the thinness of the enemy's resources here - perhaps they had overextended themselves in their attacks?





Panzer-Regiment 10 had been on the receiving end of a direct attack run by IL-2s and JG 26 was scrambled to engage the perpetrators before they could make it back to their airfield. With support from quad 20mm FlaK batteries, the entire enemy wing was shot down before it could escape.



Working alongside 25 Infanterie to destroy rather than push back the enemy forces east and north east of Smolensk, 10 Panzer has led with the Tigers. As these beasts joined us only relatively recently, their crews are not as seasoned as many others around the Corps and we have found that this regiment has (so far) lacked the élan of Panzer-Regiment 9 and Panzer-Regiment 17. What the Tigers do provide though is an immovable presence - the enemy has very few means of inflicting meaningful losses on the big, square, monsters and their advance from Smolensk has been suitably inexorable even if not especially flamboyant.



12th August 1943

With the landsers of 25 Infanterie ensuring that they are first into any defensible wooded position which each twist and turn on the field, that division's supporting elements along with 10 Panzer's "less robust than a Tiger" elements have been able to dictate engagements on their terms. Panzerjaeger-Abt 10's newly-acquired Nashorns continue to deliver very acceptable performance against the red SU-type vehicles in direct combat, although we remain keen to keep them in defensive support roles when T34s and KV1s are nearby.



With all of the Corps now on the offensive, we have freedom to match the best force to the right local requirements - something both Herr General and his subordinates (whether or not they espoused this doctrine before joining us) insist upon given our problems acquiring large quantities of the most modern equipment and necessary reliance on machines that other commands may well consign to 2nd line duties. A good example of this today was the overrunning of enemy engineer infantry by Panzer-Regiment 27's Panzer IIINs which remain most suitable for attacks on enemy "soft targets" that lack fire support.



Those Panzer IIINs would have been hopelessly out of their depth against the force of T34 variants (appearing more heavily armoured than usual) that had engaged 17 Panzer SE of Roslavl. Close air support from StG 3's Stukas was needed to cut this group down to size and allow efficient follow-up from the division's other elements.



13th August 1943

25 Infanterie's StuGs have been supporting 17 Panzer's lighter vehicles in their advance along the main road east from Smolensk to Vyazma. With Herr General and I concurring on the prospects of setting up an encirclement of the enemy still sitting ahead of the main push from Smolensk to Rzhev, Big Gustav was called up to shell a contingent of SU-122s with Panzerjaeger-Abt 25 close at hand to deal with the survivors. With the destruction of this Soviet regiment, the way north and around the edge of the prospective "kettle" has been opened.





The number of medals being worn by the aces in I Gruppe JG 26 is now becoming something of a joke! "If the enemy invents magnetically-guided cannons, we've had it!", Herr General was heard joking to Oberst Priller, JG 26's kommodore.



14th August 1943

Developments today around Bely, in the kettle closed late yesterday, have been decisive and illustrative of our methods. Before I provide those reports, an honourable mention must go the Panzer IIIM crews of Panzer-Regiment 29 who followed retreating enemy T34s into the treeline near the road to Vyazma and left no enemy vehicle serviceable.



The first action of the day in the Bely encirclement was the attack by Grenadier-Regiment 225 which forced the surrender of a thoroughly-beaten Soviet assault regiment that had been hanging on in woodland. This move added pressure of the neighbouring enemy regiment, setting up an imminent attack to engage them next and force them back towards the town.



With that done, Panzer-Regiment 9 on the northern wall of the pocket swept east of Bely, overrunning the remnants of the two infantry regiments adjacent to and within the town which was the necessary precursor to the maneuvering of 3 Panzer's Elefants through the town to the SE in order to launch a devastating rear attack on the KV1 force that had been able to break out of the encirclement.





As the enemy had committed what little reserve it had into the confrontation at Bely, this evening has seen the field-brewed schnapps bottles passed around within Corps HQ (safely out of sight of Herr General, who in fairness knows when to ask for a report from his 1A and when not to at times like this). I don't ask the Staff company speiss what he puts into his cherished still and he doesn't worry me with unnecessary details.

15th - 16th August 1943

With the enemy's force spent, apart from a cavalry brigade in the Vyazma area and some stubborn Guards in the Roslavl forest that we left local commanders to deal with, the two days after the denouement at Bely were spent driving around the operational area and surprising locals who had just got used to seeing green tanks and khaki-brown uniforms on their streets! After all the blood that had been spilled over the last two years - and especially through 1942 in the static warfare that had developed around Rzhev following the eventual retreat in the aftermath of our bloody victory at Moscow - the Wehrmacht was once again victorious and poised on the road to the Soviet capital! Could High Command muster the forces needed to consolidate our great victory here against an over-committed foe? Would we get the order we craved, to continue on from Rzhev and Kaluga through what looks like an open door? Or would the Russians already be making gains around us in other sectors, exposing our flanks and rendering our advance here effectively meaningless?

OOC

It is with a heavy-ish heart that I'm retiring this AAR, as I simply no longer have the time to do justice to all the great things that happen on almost every turn at this stage of the campaign. I have a load of Korsun screenshots not written up and found the time this week to play Bagration.....no screenshots taken, as at the end I probably would have taken about 6 a turn at least given the industrial-scale carnage and moments of sheer despair / excitement that unfolded.

The contrast between the two scenarios was striking - Korsun was very focused: form a moving pocket within the pocket to fight towards the Core force spearhead and try to dispense with my normal caution to effect a link up before the pocket was reduced to nothing, then reform some sort of line to the East and manage the second wave. I was about 3.5k prestige up after Korsun, with hardly any enemy unit left anywhere on the board but after a tough fight to earn it.

Bagration, on the other hand, was desperate: almost 6k prestige down and mentally spent desperate. In summary:

After realising that the SE enemy force was waiting a few turns for the NE force to advance beyond Minsk to form a solid front, I started funneling forces back towards Lublin and even sent some 10 and 12 strength auxiliary infantry units north on trains or via my bruckenpioniere towards the defensive victory hexes.

I managed to retake Minsk on turn 9 with the landsers from 25 Infanterie and 17 Panzer Division, now featuring King Tiger, Panther and Elefant regiments upgraded over the past scenarios plus the usual Pioniere and Arty. The reward of extra slots for the rest of the Campaign is a great one, but the third (?) wave including the 15 strength 5-star Guards IS-2 regiments really put the squeeze on my fighting withdrawal and I lost the pioniere and one inf regiment from the 25th, which had been with me from the very start. DEVASTATED.

East of Biyalstok but slightly west of the forest, 10 Panzer plus new Jagdpanthers and a SU-122 regiment I'd given in to using (both officially "Corps Reserve") - along with some Auxiliaries I'd funneled up - ended up holding the line for what seemed like forever, with the usual ebbs and flows of battle. No KIng Tigers here and I had to shield a couple of Panzer IIIN regiments where I could (or keep them close to my Jagdpanther, Nashorn or Hummel). Still, the Soviets threw the kitchen sink at this line (brigade of 20-strength Katushya untis, I'm looking at you here) and we bled them white.

In the south, the tide washed VERY high indeed with the auxiliaries gradually bleeding away but with only a couple of units actually being totally lost. Having Big Gustav's long arm smiting immediate threats (be they engineers, ISU-122s, heavy arty, tanks or just humble infantry about to press on an inadequate defence) was a live saver here, as were the bonus slots which allowed me to deploy my 1939-vintage leg units from the 132nd along with another 170mm gun. 3 Panzer was plugging the hole near Pinsk and the marshes and, by turn 18, they were pushing back towards the Soviet's jumping-off points and taking flags. Mind you, the Warsaw strongpoint saw a bit of action and I relied on a couple of last-minute saves from ZG 99!

So, after all that, the perfectionist in me is wondering how I could get to this point in better shape and not lose two irreplaceable, 4=star, multi-medal inf units. Maybe I should consider it a solid win, considering I play PZC2 as a "straight up wargame" with no heroes, only 25 % randomness and enemy ZOC "fully on"....but I'm sure there's room for improvement.

FINDINGS FROM THE "LEARNING" CAMPAIGN

I can't imagine playing with infinite upgrades now - it's great trying to succeed with the proverbial "mixed bag" of units, much the same challenge as the real commanders faced. The game would surely be a walkover?

20mm quad FlaK are being brought into my next OOB as soon as possible as they provide excellent value for money.

I will try running with only two fighters for the first half of the campaign at least. The one Me163 Komet I was able to upgrade to in Bagration was worth its weight in gold, however, and now I know that 109k "glass cannons" are available in the late game for 3 slots, there's a temptation to consider one of those instead of an FW190 and save a couple of slots.

However, 110s and especially 410s have proven to be an essential and flexible option. If anything, I may use an extra one

I will use the new air recon XP mechanics to "train up" pilots in Storch's, hopefully having two or three 2-star Spotters ready to upgrade into mid-Campaign or later planes when needed. Experienced HS129s are vital for bringing the enemy "uber units" down to manageable size.

I'm still not sold on Grenadiers given their lack of movement and how costly they are to keep reinforced if equipped with vehicles. Leg infantry without transports remain cost-effective and mobile, at least in my mind.

I may need to make more use of cheap soft-target support fire (basic StuGs and small arty?) even as they become outclassed, as long as I can keep them behind the main line and reasonably safe from bombing.

There will always be some space for a couple of Panzer IIINs in my OOB as 2-slot infantry / cavalry / Katushya munchers

I need to have a more experienced reserve. I also want a Jager-Division to own hillsides, as there have been enough times when I've struggled to dislodge the enemy from hills to make it stick out in my mind!

The AI is perfectly able to find gaps and weak spots, especially later on when a "weak spot" is the one spot in the line not covered by AT support fire.

Respect the mobility of Soviet cavalry - always!

Sad to see it end, have enjoyed this AAR more than any others in recent memory. I enjoy a good story telling element!

Only 3 upgrades per scenario seems brutal to me. Especially when you hit 1943! I might five that a go on a play through at some point.

Horseman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 8:31 am Sad to see it end, have enjoyed this AAR more than any others in recent memory. I enjoy a good story telling element!

Only 3 upgrades per scenario seems brutal to me. Especially when you hit 1943! I might five that a go on a play through at some point.

Thanks Horseman, if I had more time I would still be writing! You have to give Slow Modernisation a go - although I'm "only" playing on General difficulty and in a chess-like mode. I've still got my post-Bagration save, but I'm going to start a new campaign to test out my learnings.....and the expansion is just around the corner too

Still loads of PZC2 to play before War In The East 2 comes out some time towards the end of year!

I would've liked to see that Bagration -- it's a rare thing to find AARs that feature bloody victories or near-defeats. I largely metagamed my way out of a challenge in it myself so the Red Army never really troubled my lines, but your description sounds a lot like what I'd expect Bagration is supposed to be like

I'm an obsessive tinkerer, so Slow Modernization is terrible for me in that it prevents me from retooling my core to fit my needs -- it's not so much being limited to 3 upgrades per scenario as the fact that you're locked out of "sidegrading." Of course, that means I can get around with fewer reserves as my Pioniere can switch to Fallschirmjäger any time I need them to, which isn't exactly realistic. I'm testing the trait in a different setting though, so I might try it "for real" once I get around to finishing the AAR campaign and the expansion is out.

You need to love the StuG IIIB more; the cuddly little thing actually has a better cost performance ratio than contemporary tanks -- especially the expensive and underperfoming early Panzer IIIs and IVs -- with similar or better defence and the ability to support infantry and suppress as bonuses

SineMora wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:54 pm I would've liked to see that Bagration -- it's a rare thing to find AARs that feature bloody victories or near-defeats. I largely metagamed my way out of a challenge in it myself so the Red Army never really troubled my lines, but your description sounds a lot like what I'd expect Bagration is supposed to be like

I'm an obsessive tinkerer, so Slow Modernization is terrible for me in that it prevents me from retooling my core to fit my needs -- it's not so much being limited to 3 upgrades per scenario as the fact that you're locked out of "sidegrading." Of course, that means I can get around with fewer reserves as my Pioniere can switch to Fallschirmjäger any time I need them to, which isn't exactly realistic. I'm testing the trait in a different setting though, so I might try it "for real" once I get around to finishing the AAR campaign and the expansion is out.

You need to love the StuG IIIB more; the cuddly little thing actually has a better cost performance ratio than contemporary tanks -- especially the expensive and underperfoming early Panzer IIIs and IVs -- with similar or better defence and the ability to support infantry and suppress as bonuses

I could never get my head round 1 range artillery and yet so many good players song it's praises!

Horseman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:45 pm I could never get my head round 1 range artillery and yet so many good players song it's praises!

The StuG IIIB has similar or better defence compared to contemporary Panzers, so it actually makes for a very strong -- and cost effective -- support unit for infantry, or just to hold a line in general. The firepower is low, but there are advantages to that, and extra suppression never hurts. Easy access to a unit that can delete entrenchment when you're rolling with Trench Slog doesn't hurt either, so all in all I like to field as many as 4 of them in '41.

SineMora wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 7:01 pm

Horseman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:45 pm I could never get my head round 1 range artillery and yet so many good players song it's praises!

The StuG IIIB has similar or better defence compared to contemporary Panzers, so it actually makes for a very strong -- and cost effective -- support unit for infantry, or just to hold a line in general. The firepower is low, but there are advantages to that, and extra suppression never hurts. Easy access to a unit that can delete entrenchment when you're rolling with Trench Slog doesn't hurt either, so all in all I like to field as many as 4 of them in '41.

I was StuG-heavy through 1941, but they got pulverized at Stalingrad (perhaps down to inadequate generalship!) and I found myself needing more soft-target support fire than I ended up with in late '43 and into Korsun & Bagration. I'd upped to StuH 42s but they cost twice the slots - I will aim to keep a couple (or 2-slot horse drawn 75mm guns perhaps) for cheap infantry support next time around.

I may fire up my turn zero Bagration save and do a screenshot run, considering the demand No OOB changes and the only things I won't be able to "unlearn" will be partisans and the 5 or so turns I have at the start before the SE attack waves start. Everything else will be the same - one single change in unit placement on a turn could see the AI change an attack pattern perhaps, so it won't be the same game. I won't throw my infanterie away on purpose to make the AAR match my summary report, but I'm certain the overall carnage and "300 Spartans at Themopylae" vibe will be the same.

I was stuck with the StuGs to Kursk due to Retrograde and yeah, by then a Ground Defence of 16 doesn't get you very far, not even against infantry. I don't remember exactly when the Wehrmacht gets access to more durable Panzers, but the early IIIs and IVs only have 15 to 16 at least, so as far as holding a line goes the StuG IIIB is just as durable and significantly cheaper, making it a really cuddly little unit.

If you really need fire support for infantry vs infantry later on rocket artillery is the answer, because with a base of 15 strength you need the volume of fire to cause enough suppression, and helpfully infantry has poor defence. Alternatively you can join the Dark Side and just field a few mechanized Pioniere, who take care of themselves as long as you keep them in close terrain.

Do we want to see a Bagration bloodbath? Oh yes we do

27th June 1944

The Soviets are coming. The entire centre of the Eastern Front has been cut to shreds by a summer offensive, Barbarossa in reverse in many ways. Uncounted armies have poured forward and are now re-organising around Smolensk and Kiev, ready to sweep through White Russia and West Ukraine with Warsaw and the eastern approaches to Germany the obvious goal. All too predictably, the call has gone out to us - perhaps the last fully-manned and equipped formation of any size this side of Berlin - to step once more into the breach and do everything in our power to find some sort of victory against Stalin's hordes.

Herr General has been promoted to Generaloberst of what is now 19.Armee. I was offered a divisional command of my own (without a promotion), but I turned it down - much to Herr General's relief, I was told by comrades.

Following action at Korsun early in the year and participation in various fighting withdrawals since, we are no longer attached to an armeegroup but are instead OKH's strategic reserve. After repairs, integration of replacements and a smattering of upgrades to primary combat units, our Order of Battle is:

3 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regimenr 3 (Pz IVG)
Panzer-Regiment 9 (Panther D)
Grenadier-Regiment 93 (1943 standard)
Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 300 (Elefant)
Artillerie-Regiment 49 (170mm Sdkfz 7)
Sturm-Abteilung 203 (Brummbar)
Aufklarung-Abt 3 (SdKfz 234)
Flak-Abteilung 93 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

10 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regiment 10 (Pz IIIN)
Panzer-Regiment 13 (Panther G)
Schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Tiger)
Panzerjaeger-Abt 10 (Nashorn)
Panzer-Artillerie-Abt 10 (Hummel)
FlaK-Abteilung 100 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

17 Panzer Division:
Panzer-Regiment 17 (Panther D)
Panzer-Regiment 27 (Pz IIIN)
Schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 503 (King Tiger)
Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 49 (Elefant)
Pioniere-Abt 49 (1939 standard)
Artillerie-Regiment 117 (150mm Sdkfz 7)
Sturm-Abteilung 217 (StuH 42)
Aufklarung-Abt 117 (SdKfz 234)
FlaK-Abteilung 117 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

25 Infanterie Division:
Infanterie-Regiment 25 (1943 standard)
Infanterie-Regiment 125 (1943 standard)
Pioniere-Abt 25 (1943 standard)
Artillerie-Regiment 25 (170mm, SdKfz 7)
Panzerjaeger-Abt 25 (Jagdpanther)
Sturm-Abteilung 225 (StuH 42)
FlaK-Abteilung 25 (20mm Flakvierling 38)

JG26:
Gruppe I (Fw 190A)
Gruppe II (Me 163 Komet)
Gruppe III (Fw 190A)

ZG 99:
Gruppe I (Me 410)
Gruppe II (Bf 110G)

StG 3:
Gruppe I (Hs 129)
Gruppe II (Hs 129)

Attached:
800mm "Dora" Railway Gun "Schwere Gustav"
PaK-Abteilung 119 (88mm PaK 43)
Bf-109PR Flight x 2


132 Infanterie Division - RESERVE
Infanterie-Regiment 49 (1939 standard)
Grenadier-Regiment 132 (1939 standard)
Infanterie-Regiment 149 (1939 standard)
Pioniere-Regiment 132 (1939 standard)
Artillerie-Regiment 132 (150mm Sdkfz 7)
PaK-Abteilung 132 (50mm PaK 38 horse-drawn)
Sturm-Abteilung 232 (StuH 42)

KG88 - RESERVE
Gruppe I (Ju 88A)
Gruppe II (Do 217E)

XIX Corps Assets - RESERVE:
Schwere-Artillerie-Regiment "Eiffel" (170mm, SdKfz 7)
Sturm-Abteilung 210 (StuG IIIB)
Bruckenpioniere-Abt 19
Pioniere-Abt 93 (1939 standard)
Pioniere-Abt 100 (1939 standard)
Gebirgsjaeger-Regiment 25 (1943 standard)
Grenadier-Regiment 225

BaronVonWalrus wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:13 pm FINDINGS FROM THE "LEARNING" CAMPAIGN

I can't imagine playing with infinite upgrades now - it's great trying to succeed with the proverbial "mixed bag" of units, much the same challenge as the real commanders faced. The game would surely be a walkover?

20mm quad FlaK are being brought into my next OOB as soon as possible as they provide excellent value for money.

I will try running with only two fighters for the first half of the campaign at least. The one Me163 Komet I was able to upgrade to in Bagration was worth its weight in gold, however, and now I know that 109k "glass cannons" are available in the late game for 3 slots, there's a temptation to consider one of those instead of an FW190 and save a couple of slots.

However, 110s and especially 410s have proven to be an essential and flexible option. If anything, I may use an extra one

I will use the new air recon XP mechanics to "train up" pilots in Storch's, hopefully having two or three 2-star Spotters ready to upgrade into mid-Campaign or later planes when needed. Experienced HS129s are vital for bringing the enemy "uber units" down to manageable size.

I'm still not sold on Grenadiers given their lack of movement and how costly they are to keep reinforced if equipped with vehicles. Leg infantry without transports remain cost-effective and mobile, at least in my mind.

I may need to make more use of cheap soft-target support fire (basic StuGs and small arty?) even as they become outclassed, as long as I can keep them behind the main line and reasonably safe from bombing.

There will always be some space for a couple of Panzer IIINs in my OOB as 2-slot infantry / cavalry / Katushya munchers

I need to have a more experienced reserve. I also want a Jager-Division to own hillsides, as there have been enough times when I've struggled to dislodge the enemy from hills to make it stick out in my mind!

The AI is perfectly able to find gaps and weak spots, especially later on when a "weak spot" is the one spot in the line not covered by AT support fire.

Respect the mobility of Soviet cavalry - always!

I play with Slow Modernisation myself and am currently on my second campaign (slow progress due to real world committments).

Like you said 109's are very viable even late-war, though you still want a couple of 190's. Usually I keep my most experienced and medalled fighters as 109's to make up for the weaker stats, though for combat against fighters you do still want 190's for the higher initiative and air defence.

Flakvierlings are great for air defence. Great thing about relying on AA is that the good equipment (Flakvierling, 88, 7/1 etc) come very early in the war and you don't have to 'spend' your 3 upgrades a scenario to keep them relevant.

I think in your attempt to keep a historical core (with its accompanying relatively heavy contingent of infantry) forces you to keep soft-support around. Since I am very infantry light I keep only token soft-support artillery around for urban combat.