The opening days...

Post descriptions of your brilliant successes and unfortunate demises
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rough44
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2002 10:00 am
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The opening days...

Post by rough44 »

On January 24th reconnaissance in force by 3rd Panzer Division established the presence of massive enemy concentrations at Krasnosilka, thirty miles north of Kirovograd, from where 3rd Panzer has daringly broken out just a few days ago. Soviet 1 Guards Airborne and 66 Guards Infantry Divisions, the vanguard of the 53 Army, were present just south of Krasnosilka.

The 389th Infantry Division deployed at and south of Radvanovka also made contact with Soviet paratroopers from 5th Guards Airborne.

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January 25, 1944. – Morning. Weather – Bleak; Frozen.


On January 25th the Russians attacked. Four Soviet armies and one cavalry corps smashed at the northern wing of the German Eighth Army.

General Ryshov’s 4th Guards Army was to punch a hole in General Stemmermann’s XI Korps in the vicinity of Radvanovka. In the morning light, the Soviets unleashed their amassed artillery at the fortified positions along Radvanovka and especially just north of the village where the 545/389 Infantry Regiment was deployed at the left flank of the division. After murderous bombardment, Soviet 5th Guards Airborne and 62 Guards Infantry division struck. Despite the intense barrage, Germans put up a relentless fight, inflicting heavy casualties on the Russians. But the already weakened 545 Infantry Regiment stood no chance against the two fresh Guards divisions and ceased to exist before noon. The left flank of the Hessian 389th Infantry Division was breached and only the minefields delayed the Guards’ advance for a few precious hours.

All across the front, soviet divisions attacked German strongholds pinning the thin lines of the XI and XLVII Korps.

At the same time as the battle for Radvanovka raged on the 240/106 infantry regiment defending the road to Kamenovatka-Slatopol evaporated under murderous Soviet artillery fire and continued attacks by 233 and 133 infantry divisions, and later by 233, 214 and 1st Guards Airborne. This left only the very bloodied 239/106 Infantry Regiment barring the road to Kamenovatka where the rest of the badly mauled 106th division was recuperating from recent fighting.

General von Vormann’s XLVII Panzer Korps was attacked by the 53 Army and 5th Guards Tank Army. Von Vormann had 3 panzer divisions in the immediate area. The 3rd Panzer, very much under-strength was already engaged in fighting. The 14th Panzer and the elite 11th Panzer were refitting just behind the 320th Infantry division. Both divisions were servicing its tanks and resting and it would take at least 24 hours before they could be thrown into battle.

At noon the situation was critical, the Soviets swiftly bypassed the light front fortifications and were driving into an open hole north of Radvanovka. In the XLVII Korps sector the 239th regiment would not hold for long unless immediately reinforced.

Both General Stemmermann and General von Vormann did not fully appreciate the magnitude of the Russian attack. Following Hitler’s orders not to give ground under any circumstances, their initial response to the attack was a desperate attempt to preserve the frontline and seal any breakthroughs.

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January 25th, 1944 Afternoon; Weather – Bleak, Frozen.

General Stemmermann immediately ordered his only readily available division, the veteran 72nd Infantry to seal the breach north of Radvanovka leaving only a Fusiler detachment to keep guard over the Dnieper across which small Russian forces were already infiltrating. The 389th Infantry Division withdrew from Radvanovka across a small frozen river leaving a few well camouflaged paks and bunkers in the village to stall the Russians. 2 Stug abteilungs, the 6th and 226th ,the 3rd Panzerjager abteilung, as well as the strong 911 Ferdinand abteilung reinforced the division.

To the south von Vormann threw the two remaining regiments of the 106th from Kamenovatka to reinforce the 239/106 and link up with the 3rd Panzer operating just north of the road. The 320th Infantry abandoned its prepared positions to avoid flanking and formed up to the south of 106th.

The Russians did not waste time and were methodically eliminating the strongholds and clearing mines on the main defense line. At 3:00 PM Radvanovka fell. Shortly after night-break 12th Guards Cavalry attacked and destroyed several assault guns from the 226th Stug abt which without adequate infantry support was forced to withdraw. Tanks from 20th Tank Corps did not fare so well against the 6 Stug abt and left several burning T-34s.

To the south, 138th Guards Infantry Division supported by tanks and heavy artillery wiped out the 525/230 Infantry Regiment while 25th Guards Division supported by 170 Tank Regiment from 18th Tank Corps advanced through a gap between the regiments of the 3rd Panzer Division. The 3rd Panzer immediately counterattacked the overextended Soviet forces and completely destroyed the 170/18 Tank Regiment.

Despite this local success, it was becoming apparent that the Soviet strength, especially in artillery is overwhelming. In just one day of fighting, Wehrmacht lost three regiments of infantry and almost all fortified positions

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January 26th, 1944 Morning; Weather – Bleak, Frozen

Von Vormann threw the Silesian 11th Panzer panzergrenadiers to support the faltering line around Kamenovatka while the 16th Panzer regiment stopped at Kamenovatka to refuel and receive a dozen newly arrived Panthers.
As a result of the havoc the rushed 111/11 PzGrenadier regiment enroute to strengthen the 106th division fighting very heavy battles with 53rd Army was met by the 138th Guards and 68th Guards Division supported by tanks and shot up in their halftracks before they were able to establish a defensive perimeter.

The 29th Tank Corps and 25th Guards Infantry division continued their attacks against the 3rd Panzer sector and managed to throw back the weak 106th Fusilier battalion, once again dangerously clawing into 3rd Panzer’s front.

In the north the Russians threw the 5 Guards Cavalry Corps which together with the 4 Guards Army pressed its attacks against the newly redeployed 72nd Infantry. Against impossible odds, after very heavy fighting both 105/72 and 124/72 regiments and 546/389 yielded taking heavy casualties.

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January 26th, 1944 Afternoon; Weather – Bleak, Frozen

Before nightfall on the 26th the 5 Guards Cavalry Corps supported by 4 Guards and 53 Army pierce through the thin line of the veteran 72nd Infantry Division. Under murderous attacks 105/72 regiment and 72 Fusilier battalion evaporate at Zerdyukovka. The newly redeployed 57 Infantry Division can only secure the road to Smela but there is nothing that Stammermann can throw to seal the gaping hole ripped by 5 Guards Cavalry Corps. The 5 SS Viking Division aside from one panzergrenadier regiment already engaged, is still a few hours away. The XI Corps frontline has been torn.

XLVII freshly reinforced with 14th Panzer is fighting delaying battles but despite its strength looses ground and manpower every hour.

Stemmermann quickly discusses the situation with von Vormann and both agree – they must disengage immediately and try to fall back onto the switch line.

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January 27th, 1944 Morning; Weather – Bleak, Frozen

XLVII Corps is still holding onto some key towns and von Vormann decides to hold them as long as possible while Stammermann attempts to reach the switchline.
The town of Shpola and Slatopol are to be made into fortresses.
5 SS Viking deploys in Stanislavchik, the last village in the way of the Russians before the switchline. 57th virtually encircled is to hold Orlovets for as long as possible.

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This campaign is played vs. DPoM who's playing the Russians. I'll post less detailed reports as the situtation unfolds. At this stage I can only say that the 1st Panzer Armee is holding and the Germans have to worry only about the gaping hole in the east.
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Rob Gjessing
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Post by Rob Gjessing »

Nice job on your AAR well done!
Isn't that bizarre?
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BrubakerII
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Post by BrubakerII »

Great job r44! This reads like a real action report. Keep up the good work and remember - watch your flanks!
[8D] SSG Beta Tester [8D]
rough44
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Location: Toronto

Post by rough44 »

Thxs. Click to see how the front is moving... a feature I much enjoyed in the original TAO.
view animated frontline progress
Must have fast connection, fast machine and flash player.
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Rob Gjessing
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Post by Rob Gjessing »

Holy smoke! Thats one big animation.. it hasnt even loaded yet.. I know what its going to be like.. I tried the same thing when I was first designing Run5 (the site), I was using individual unit icons as seperate graphics that I was animating on the background map.. I lost patience though.. what I did was only small and it looked great.. but like I said.. it got too fiddly..

I _think_ the whole full replay from TAO2 is going to make a comeback for future releases.. dont hold me to it.. but I do recall some talk..
Isn't that bizarre?
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e_barkmann
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Post by e_barkmann »

very cool...well done!
Scourge of War multiplayer group

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/sowwaterloo
DPoM
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Post by DPoM »

Don't watch your flanks I'll take care of that for you ;)
rough44
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2002 10:00 am
Location: Toronto

Annihilation of 6th Tank Army

Post by rough44 »

Konev’s relentless attacks…

By the end of January 30th, Konev could be quite satisfied with his progress. The 4 Guards Army and the 5 Guards Cavalry Corps captured Vlasovok, cleared the switch line and were on the outskirts of Petropavlovka. More units were pouring towards Chicherkazovka in the hope of encircling the XLVII Panzer Korps fighting tough defensive battles in the forests around Shpola. The four German Panzer Divisions were a hard nut to crack for the intimidating 2nd Ukrainian Front. But despite constant counterattacks by the 5th SS “Viking” Panzer Division and the arrival of Tigers from the 506 Schwere Panzer Abteilung the Korps was giving ground every hour.

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…and Vatutin’s blunder.
In the morning of January 30th elements of the Soviet 40th Army finally breached the line of the VII Korps of the 1 Panzer Armee. After five days of incessant fighting, taking and retaking of Krutiye Gorby, 167th and 359th Infantry Divisions supported by 42/180 Infantry regiment and 9/5 Mechanized crushed the stubborn infantry of the 326/198 ID.
At the same time the bulk of the strong Soviet 5 Mechanized Corps supported by 38 Infantry Division south of the Gniloy Tikich river dislodged the elite 253/88 Infantry Regiment. It seemed that Vatutin finally opened the road to Medvin and ultimately Lysyanka.

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As the beaten 198th Infantry Division yielded ground and finally abandoned Krutiye Gorby a gap in the German front began to form on both banks of Gniloy Tikich. A single rushed assault gun battalion and an artillery regiment held the last bridge before Lysyanka linking the VII and XLII Korps.

Next day, Vatutin, hungry of advances to match Konev’s success, ordered the 58th Infantry Division covering his southern flank to move up and follow 5 Mechanized Corps. Unfortunatelly, General Kravchenko, commander of the 6th Tank Army insisted that the 5 Guards Tank Corps which has never regained its strength since the battle has began be finally moved out of the line to rest and reinforce. Vatutin agreed.

To Manstein that was an opportunity he could not pass by. The veteran 75th and 34th Infantry Divisions were still largely holding to its original fortified positions just south of Votylevka. Also the Tichonovka pocket was finally reduced freeing two assault gun battalions, motorized infantry regiment and several nebelwerfer units.

VII Korps struck from the south at a single 335th regiment of the 58th Infantry Division and an anti-aircraft gun battalion at Votylevka and succeeded. Before noon the entire 58th Infantry Division was destroyed and 5 Mechanized Corps was trapped.

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In the afternoon the weak but much needed 5 Guards Tank Corps counterattacked and opened up a small hole in the German ring. But it was a case of “too little, too late”. Within hours the 5 Guards were also trapped. Before nightfall General Kravchenko’s 6th Tank Army was annihilated.

With 1st Ukrainian Front disintegrating first units of the III Panzer Korps could be safely sent east to stem Konev…

How fast will Vatutin recuperate? Can Konev bring a decisive blow? Manstein pondered…
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