Toaw Scenario: Kharkov 42

Russia,
May 12, 1942,

USSR army of 135 units opposed to Axis army of 235 units
for a battle of complexity 0.82 at Regiment(III) level
on a 10 Km/Hex map
for 12 turns of Full Day each.

by Oleg Werner submited on 15-12-2002

Rugged-Defense Playing Statistics

Download (current version (total) )
Links	Vol I (33 KB)	Vol II	WotY	CoW (46 KB)	Vol III
Downloaded	( 60 )	( 0 )	( 0 )	( 154 )	0 ( 0 )

If you like this scenario, vote for it:

Briefing
Designed for 1.07.03. Changes to 1.4: - Force proficiency of the both forces is 100% now, to avoid early turn end; - Axis don't get reinforcements when Russians capture Lyptsy and Taranovka. Instead, they get the same reinforcements when Russians capture Krasnograd or approach to Kharkov (radius 2 hexes); - Soviet supply situation improved; - Supply radius set on 8 for both sides; - Small shock values for the first two turns implied; - VP system changed significantly; - Soviets get +30% of replacements each time when/if Belgorod, Lyptsy and Taranovka are captured; - 100% chance for Romanian units to be withdrawn when/if Soviets occupy 16/30. Some hints. For the Soviets: The first 3-4 turns are crucial for your success. Preliminary arty bombardments and direct arty/air support should help. Your cavalry with high recce values will make the first attacks devastating. Try to use your initial advantages at 100%. Encircle, attack from 120 degrees, cut the supply lines. You should try to keep your units in a good shape though. With exhausted troops you are nowhere. You get draw if you manage to take and hold all (or almost all) objectives near the initial frontline except Kharkov. With Kharkov taken you win. For the Axis: During the first turns give land for blood. Try to save as much of your first line units as possible. Later you'll need them to support your counterattacks. Don't defend hopeless or unsuitable positions. However, hold Kharkov at all costs. One of the main goals is to obtain supremacy in the air. Good defence of Kharkov and successful counterattacks from the South (and possibly in the North and SouthWest) will let you to come out victorious. My main goal was to balance this unlucky scen. I welcome all suggestions for further improvements. Special thanks to Steve Knowlton. I have used his Kharkov.mod as base. Oleg Werner yatsuk@yahoo.com PRELUDE TO STALINGRAD The Soviet 1942 spring offensive from the Izyum Bulge Date: May 1942 Location: Eastern Front Map scale: 10km per hex Time scale: 1 Day turns Unit Scale: Regiment/Division Length: 12 Turns UNIT COLORS: SOVIET Army - Red on Red Guards - Pink on Red AXIS German - Grey on Grey Romanian - White on Grey SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Belgorod (26,5). Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Taranovka (22,18). Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Liptsy (26,11). Axis supplies reduced if Soviets capture Denepetrovsk (6,40). Axis supplies reduced if Soviets capture Poltava (2,17). Chance 6th Romanian Corps will be withdrawn if Soviets breakthrough Romanian position. ********** In the spring of 1942 the attention of both sides was focused on the great bulge of Izyum, south of Kharkov, the fateful setting of future decisive battles for the Germans as well as the Russians. For the purpose of gaining a proper starting-line for their planned summer offensive of 1942 toward the Caucasus and Stalingrad, Fuehrer Directive No.41 had ordered that the Soviet bulge on both sides of Izyum should be eliminated by a pincer operation. The Germans had made a simple plan: the Sixth Army under General Paulus was to attack from the north, and von Kleist's Group with units of the First Panzer Army and Seventeenth Army was to attack from the south. These forces were to pinch off the Izyum bulge and annihilate the Soviet Armies trapped in it. The code word for this plan was "Fredericus." But the Russians too had a plan and had prepared an attack with strong forces that they hoped would decide the outcome of the war. With five Armies and a whole armada of armored formations they intended to strike from the Izyum bulge and, north of it, from the Volchansk area, and burst through the German front with two wedges. In a big outflanking operation the city of Kharkov, the administrative center of Ukrainian heavy industry, was to have been retaken. Simultaneously they would repeat their earlier attempt of snatching Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava from the Germans. Through these two traffic centers ran the roads and railways and all supplies for the German Armies on the southern wing. Their loss would precipitate a disaster. The question was merely: who would strike first, who would win the race against time? The German timetable envisaged 18 May as the day for the attack, but the Soviets were quicker. On 12 May they mounted their pincer operation against the German Sixth Army with surprisingly strong forces. Scenario design by: Doug Bevard

Briefing

Designed for 1.07.03.

Changes to 1.4:

- Force proficiency of the both forces is 100% now, to avoid early turn end;
- Axis don't get reinforcements when Russians capture Lyptsy and Taranovka. Instead, they get the same reinforcements when Russians capture Krasnograd or approach to Kharkov (radius 2 hexes);
- Soviet supply situation improved;
- Supply radius set on 8 for both sides;
- Small shock values for the first two turns implied;
- VP system changed significantly;
- Soviets get +30% of replacements each time when/if Belgorod, Lyptsy and Taranovka are captured;
- 100% chance for Romanian units to be withdrawn when/if Soviets occupy 16/30.

Some hints.

For the Soviets: The first 3-4 turns are crucial for your success. Preliminary arty bombardments and direct arty/air support should help. Your cavalry with high recce values will make the first attacks devastating. Try to use your initial advantages at 100%. Encircle, attack from 120 degrees, cut the supply lines. You should try to keep your units in a good shape though. With exhausted troops you are nowhere. You get draw if you manage to take and hold all (or almost all) objectives near the initial frontline except Kharkov. With Kharkov taken you win.

For the Axis: During the first turns give land for blood. Try to save as much of your first line units as possible. Later you'll need them to support your counterattacks. Don't defend hopeless or unsuitable positions. However, hold Kharkov at all costs. One of the main goals is to obtain supremacy in the air. Good defence of Kharkov and successful counterattacks from the South (and possibly in the North and SouthWest) will let you to come out victorious.

My main goal was to balance this unlucky scen. I welcome all suggestions for further improvements.

Special thanks to Steve Knowlton. I have used his Kharkov.mod as base.

Oleg Werner yatsuk@yahoo.com

PRELUDE TO STALINGRAD
The Soviet 1942 spring offensive from the Izyum Bulge

Date: May 1942
Location: Eastern Front
Map scale: 10km per hex
Time scale: 1 Day turns
Unit Scale: Regiment/Division
Length: 12 Turns

UNIT COLORS:
SOVIET
Army - Red on Red
Guards - Pink on Red

AXIS
German - Grey on Grey
Romanian - White on Grey

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Belgorod (26,5).
Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Taranovka (22,18).
Chance of additional Soviet replacements if Soviets occupy Liptsy (26,11).
Axis supplies reduced if Soviets capture Denepetrovsk (6,40).
Axis supplies reduced if Soviets capture Poltava (2,17).
Chance 6th Romanian Corps will be withdrawn if Soviets breakthrough Romanian position.

**********

In the spring of 1942 the attention of both sides was focused on the great bulge of Izyum, south of Kharkov, the fateful setting of future decisive battles for the Germans as well as the Russians.

For the purpose of gaining a proper starting-line for their planned summer offensive of 1942 toward the Caucasus and Stalingrad, Fuehrer Directive No.41 had ordered that the Soviet bulge on both sides of Izyum should be eliminated by a pincer operation. The Germans had made a simple plan: the Sixth Army under General Paulus was to attack from the north, and von Kleist's Group with units of the First Panzer Army and Seventeenth Army was to attack from the south. These forces were to pinch off the Izyum bulge and annihilate the Soviet Armies trapped in it. The code word for this plan was "Fredericus."

But the Russians too had a plan and had prepared an attack with strong forces that they hoped would decide the outcome of the war. With five Armies and a whole armada of armored formations they intended to strike from the Izyum bulge and, north of it, from the Volchansk area, and burst through the German front with two wedges. In a big outflanking operation the city of Kharkov, the administrative center of Ukrainian heavy industry, was to have been retaken. Simultaneously they would repeat their earlier attempt of snatching Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava from the Germans. Through these two traffic centers ran the roads and railways and all supplies for the German Armies on the southern wing. Their loss would precipitate a disaster.

The question was merely: who would strike first, who would win the race against time? The German timetable envisaged 18 May as the day for the attack, but the Soviets were quicker. On 12 May they mounted their pincer operation against the German Sixth Army with surprisingly strong forces.

Scenario design by: Doug Bevard