The Great Patriotic War
(Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́ “ВОВ”)
June 1942 – Reverses around the Western front and gains in the South (Posted Mar 2012)
The Destruction of 5th and 16th Armies
It became apparent that the MOSCOW offensive was merely
part of a greater push along the whole front. As the summer wore on,
headquarters SW Front moved back from VOROSHNEV to BORISOGLEBSK. 16th Army found itself surrounded and destroyed in the area of TULA, 5th Army was isolated and destroyed around YALETS. A massive hole had opened in the front line held only by W Front with its headquarters at TAMBOV, three infantry divisions (55,56,58) stretching north from LIPERTSK and four divisions as the front reserve to the east.
Gains in the South
S front, which had been pursuing the Romanian Army,
found itself running short of supplies and with significant armoured
forces to its north. This successful pursuit, which had retaken ROSTOV
and destroyed a Romanian Mountain Corps,
consolidated itself around the network of rail junctions to the west of
ROSTOV even as a fierce battle for the GIROVKA bend took place. This
had scarcely been concluded before a new Fascist offensive, heavily
supported by armour, retook KHARKOV and swept into the bend from the
north, destroying 5Tk division.
Stubborn Defence at GIROVKA Bend
The position was saved by a heroic defence conducted by 20GR division, which repelled successive attacks from 1 Panzer Korps, leaving the S Front in a secure position around ROSTOV but no contact with SW Front to its north.
June 1942 – The Red Army Is Surprised around MOSCOW (Posted Dec 2011)
The Fascists Attack
Before forces had regrouped and formed up for the
renewed Summer Offensive on the MOSCOW axis of advance, Hitlerite tanks
disrupted 22 Corps and 31 Cavalry Corps in their forming up areas. It took a counterattack from 18 Guards Rifle Div and 1st Guards Tank Div to restore the situation by the end of the month. The Red Army foothold in MOSCOW had been lost however with headquarters Moscow Front moving back to GORKY.
- 31 Cavalry Corps is surprised by VII Pz Corps and XX PzGren Corps attacking across the R. MOSKVA
Operation Mars
Western Front meanwhile was preparing to launch Operation Mars
using OREL as the main springboard, but also TULA, with BRYANSK and
SEPUKOV as objectives. 5 Reserve Corps were available for this
operation, including 60 Guards Tank Corps and 24 Guards Mechanised Corps.
What the Regrouping Means
Until this part of the campaign, I had been inspired by Frank Chadwick’s Bathtub Barbarossa
campaign, and indeed his approach had been instrumental in producing a
maneagable campaign, particularly his Europa series of hex-grid maps.
Frank’s campaign scaled everything down
25 times and instead of 3 German Army Groups invading Russia, he had 3
Corps and the whimsically named Klein Deutschland regiment.
Initially, I followed that approach. The time had come though to
introduce a more satisfactory (for me that is, nothing wrong with the
way Frank did it) scaling system. I kept the original orders of battle
but downsized each unit by 3 levels of command, representing an Infantry
division with an NQM-sized infantry battalion.
It worked for me, but from this point on, the war diaries will have a fracture in them The 3 Far Eastern Corps
will disappear to be replaced by their historical units. This last
statement is only true to a point, because the NQM Barbarossa campaign
has departed somewhat from history already. Proir to this post, all of
the battles had been fought using my 20mm collection. In fine Soviet
style, all previous shots of my 15mm collection have been assembled
after the event for illustrative propaganda purposes!
- Soviet tank brigade from the author’s collection. Each model represents approximately 30 tanks
May 1942 – The Red Army Regroups
End of the Winter Offensive
Everywhere along the front, the Fascists have been
fought to a standstill. The prime aim of summer operations must be to
recover MOSCOW from the enemy. To this end, pressure must be ceaseless
along the line to distract the enemy from this goal. Commanders must
expect to conduct these operations with the resources that they have to
hand, as the strategic reserve will be committed to the Moscow Front.
- Soviet Tank Corps
Leningrad Front
The aim of summer operations is to cut of LENINGRAD from the SOUTH and to relieve KRONSTADT
North-Western Front
The vital rail junction of VISHNY VOLCHEK is to be seized and denied to the Fascists.
Moscow Front
Around MOSCOW the front may have to adopt a temporary defensive posture until the strategic reserve can be deployed.
“NOT A STEP BACKWARDS” is to be the watchword for our
brave troops. Even if they are surrounded our troops are to hold out
until relieved.
Western Front
The Front is to attack NORTHWEST to SEPUKOV and TULA. The Fascists are to be driven out in order to relieve pressure on the Moscow Front. The enemy is to be allowed no respite. The winter gains at OREL are to be held and further exploited.
South-Western Front
KHARKOV is to be recaptured and links are to be restored with Southern Front. The winter gains made at BRYANSK are to be consolidated.
Southern Front
The winter gains are to be held and further exploited.
April 1942 – The Spring Thaw Arrives
Operation Saturn Continues
Second Far Eastern Corps discovers that elements of the elite Gross Deutschland Regt is
holding the Kremlin. It is briefly taken, but counterattacks by the
defender drive the our Heroic Troops back out of the Citadel.
1st Cavalry Corps
attacks to the South of MOSCOW, using Front level bridging equipment to
cross the RIVER MOSKVA in an attempt to isolate troops in MOSCOW. A
battle ensues in which the Fascist recce screen is driven in with heavy
losses and he is forced to commit tank reserves to restore his battle
line to the South of MOSCOW. Despite the most valiant efforts of our
cavalry, steel prevails against horseflesh.
A Setback to the South of Moscow
Commander Moscow Front
(Marshall of the Soviet Union ZHUKOV) elects to push his Mechanised
reserves into the battle for the KREMLIN, rather than push them around
the flanks of MOSCOW. At first it seems as if this strategy will
succeed, but the Fascists rally with what must surely be their last
reserves. The offensive halts as armoured troops drive 1st Cavalry Corps back over the RIVER MOSKVA before the Spring rains make movement impossible.
1 Cavalry Corps dug in South of MOSCOW
The Second Battle for Tula
37 Rifle Bde press home the advantage gained earlier in winter and pursue the defeated Fascists back to OREL. To their North, 36 Rifle Bde presses
rapidly forward, but is destroyed by an ambush in close country in a
loop of the river to the East of KALUGA. In their hasty pursuit of the
Fascists to OREL, the commander of 37 Rifle Bde gambles
on leaving TULA un-garrisoned. To his dismay, the Fascists
re-infiltrate, and retake TULA. At his court martial he offers no
defence and is executed.
January 1942 to the end of March 1942 – The Winter Offensive Bites
Operation Saturn Continues
Second Far Eastern Corps
attacks the suburbs of MOSCOW from the East, gaining toe-holds in the
city from which they cannot be dislodged by the Fascists. Two brigades
of 2 FE Corp‘s three brigades are rendered ineffective, having been fought to a standstill. As the depth of winter bites, 1 FE Corps
fights its way into the city suburbs, gaining ground and forcing back
the enemy. Objective line MALINKOV, 1/3 of the way through the city is
reached. Prisoners are captured from 4th and 5th Infantry Regiments – the first time that numbers of Germans have been captured..
Operation Basilisk
On the Southern approaches to MOSCOW, Mech Bn, 4 Gds TK Bde
attacks the perimeter held only by engineers and second-line troops.
Fresh reinforcements from the West prevent our heroic guards from
breaking into MOSCOW as March wears on the whole of the MALINKOV
objective line is reached, until only the Kremlin remains in Fascist
hands on the East bank of the RIVER MOSKVA.
Soviet cavalry division forming up to attack MOSCOW
February 1942 – Second Moscow, Tula and Second Kharkhov
The Second Battle for Moscow
Heavy attacks commence all along the line, driving in outlying Fascist armoured troops to the East of MOSCOW. 5 Gd Motor Rifle Bde makes good progress 4 Gd Mech Bde
fights its way up to the airfield to the South of MOSCOW but finds it
held by dug-in engineers. The attack halts in the face of deteriorating
weather and plummeting temperatures.
- Fred Carter's 2nd Inf Div troops astride the VLADIMIR-MOSCOW road in deteriorating weather
The Battle for Tula
36 and 37 Rifle Bdes attack STALINGORSK, which is found to be undefended and TULA. 37 Rifle Bde becomes enmeshed in heavy fighting to the North of TULA itself, and is unable to outflank TULA. 36 Rifle Bde
is thrown into the battle and tips the balance, taking the town. This
battle is notable for the use of Fascist heavy bombers (He111s) used in
failed attempts to break up our heroic attacks. Frantic air activity is
observed as the Fascists abandon the airfield at TULA and retreat North
to MOSCOW.
The Second Battle for Kharkhov
Third and Thirteenth Corps attack KHARKHOV. Elements of LV Corps
have been identified. The attack presses forward with heavy casualties
on both sides. KHARKHOV remains contested as the Fascists pour in extra
reserves.
December 1941 – The Winter Offensive Begins
Operation Saturn is Launched
Far Eastern Reserves had now been mustered in sufficient strength to contemplate going on to the Offensive. The CENTRAL FRONT was created under Marshall ZUKOV. His forces comprised 3 Corps: 1 Corps(FE), 2 Corps(FE) and 1 Cavalry Corps. As
soon as the ground froze hard, a general offensive was launched on
MOSCOW. Progress was slow but methodical and soon troops had penetrated
the outskirts of MOSCOW.
VLADIMIR fell in early December, and as the bomber
offensive built up along the front, a panzer regiment was discovered and
bombed heavily. Recce flights a week later discovered no troops in the
area, but many destroyed tanks. MOSCOW airfield was also bombed heavily,
preventing the Luftwaffe from taking advantage of it as a base for
operations.
- IL-4 returns safely from a successful attack on the Fascists surrounding Moscow
By late December, 7 Tk Div had
pushed forward to the outskirts of MOSCOW, in order to secure a start
line for the attacks that were being planned for January.
The Line Holds at Grovka
Isolated infantry on the GROVKA RIDGE between KHARKOV
and ROSTOV repulse pincer movements from Italians attacking from the
North, and Romanians attacking from the South. This battle was notable
for the heroic ambushes carried out by partisans against the lightly
defended outskirts of GROVKA.
November 1941 – Fascists held at Gorki and Battle for Kharkhov
The Battle for Ivanovo/Gorki
Far Eastern reserve divisions muster on the line of IVANOVO/GORKI. 7 Far East Tank Div (equipped with 1 T34 & 3 T60s) and 3 Rifle Div(FE) hold firm against a thrust by Fascist Tanks against GORKI, now identified as 1 Pz Div. At IVANAVO to the North, 28 Rifle Div(R)
held off attacks against Fascist motorised infantry. After a tense
battle, during which the Hitlerites broke into GORKI but were driven out
again by a counterattack from 7 Tk Div(FE), the enemy withdrew to VLADIMIR.
The Battle for Kharkov
KHARKOV is lost to the Fascists with great loss of life
after heavy artillery bombardments and 5 successive assaults against the
city. Even heroic attempts by our flyers operating from improvised
airfields close to the front failed to stop the overwhelming barbarian
hordes from plundering the once-beautiful city.
- "The situation around KHARKOV is most serious Comrade Chestikov"
October 1941 – Moscow Falls
The Battle for Moscow
MOSCOW falls at the end of October despite heroic efforts by the defenders and relieving forces. 29 Reserve Rifle Div breaks through to the airfield, but is cut off and destroyed. Similarly 28 Rifle Div(R)
manages to win through to the eastern outskirts before being driven
back and dispersed. The Red Airforce spares no effort to support the
attacks, but is unable to prevent the inevitable.
- Our Heroic Fliers throw themselves fearlessly against the Enemy
September 1941 – Moscow Holds
The Battle for Moscow
MOSCOW is defended by the cream of the Red Army and
Morale is high. The valiant civil population cheerfully build extensive
earthworks in front of the city. 19 Rifle Div
bears the brunt of the initial attacks in the West and holds firm.
Heavy tank and Guards infantry attacks from the North drive in 4, 5 and 6 Militia Rifle Bdes
that have been hastily formed from factory workers. The city comes
under incessant Stuka attack, and is soon surrounded by tanks and
motorised infantry. 2 Paratroop Bde
acting as infantry defends the Southern suburbs and the airfield. The
decision is taken to evacuate the Government and War Cabinet before the
encirclement is complete. Reserve forces are ordered to move West from
the interior to join the battle. The Rasputitsa may yet come to the aid of the Capital.
- The Battle for Moscow rages
August 1941 – Smolensk Falls
The Battle for Smolensk
SMOLENSK is bravely defended to the last by 23 Rifle Div
against all odds. Having fought off tanks and mechanised infantry
throughout August, SMOLENSK falls to heavy infantry attacks. A heavy
toll is inflicted on the Hitlerites, and resourceful pockets of our
infantry fight their way East, avoiding capture. Alas, numbers of our
troops who are not sufficiently inspired by socialist zeal traitorously
surrender themselves to the enemy.
- 23 Inf Div rearguard holds off pursuing Hitlerite recconnaisance forces, allowing their comrades time to escape
The Battle for Smolensk
SMOLENSK Fights off the treacherous invader against all odds. Fighting off tanks and mechanised infantry, 23 Rifle Div causes such heavy casualties to the Fascist vipers that they will rue setting foot on the sacred soil of Mother Russia.
- 23 Infantry Division on parade before the Great Patriotic War
Our forces are resisting fiercely on all fronts, contact has been lost with 10 and 12 Rifle Divs. The last message received from the headquarters 12 and 13 NKVD Coys in GRODNO was “We are being overrun by Fascist Hitlerite Infantry. We shall stand and die to the last man. For the Motherland”
June 1941 – Minsk Falls.
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