Advance of the Reich Scenario List

Transcription

1 Advance of the Reich Scenario List Started.scn This is the Getting Started scenario for Advance of the Reich. It is normally played while viewing the Getting Started instructions. This scenario is based on an assault by German Combat Engineers on a section of the Red October Factory in Stalingrad. It is intended to be played as the German side against the computer playing the Russian side Rossienie (North).scn The appearance of heavy Russian tanks during the initial invasion of Russia caused some panic when they were first encountered by the advancing German forces. The German Panzer divisions, which had previously been unstoppable across Europe, found that none of their available guns, short of the rare 88mm, was capable of penetrating these monsters. Only with great courage and tenacity where they able to halt the advancing Russian tank forces and resume their advance Wielke Dzial (South).scn The initial attacks of Army Group South were launched against Russian fortified positions of the old Stalin Line along the Polish-Russian border. The Germans were prepared to assault such positions, having converted some captured French tanks to flamethrowers. In this scenario, a German assault team consisting of infantry, engineers, and Flammpanzers assaults a Russian bunker line Borisov (Center).scn The German blitzkrieg had sliced through the frontier Russian defences and just completed the encirclement at Minsk. The Panzer divisions drove on towards Moscow. The next natural obstacle was the Berezina River, with bridges at Borisov. Although the Russians had defenders there including the 50th Rifle Division and the Borisov Tank School, the 18th Panzer Division broke through these defences and crossed the river Senno (Center).scn In the summer of '41, the panzer divisions of the German Army thrust deep into Russian territory. In desperation, the Soviet command ordered counterattacks using whatever forces were available. The 5th and 7th Mechanized Corps were ordered in one such counterattack to strike the German forces advancing on Orsha and Vitebsk. The 5th Mechanized Corps reached Senno, where it met the 7th Panzer Divison. There its movement was halted and it was itself attacked and destroyed by armor and motorcycle forces of the 7th Panzer.

2 Mogilev (Center).scn The 3rd Panzer Division had traveled about 600 kilometers from the Bug to the Dnepr Rivers. Its next goal in its drive to Smolensk was to cross the Dnepr River south of Mogilev. To do this, it used diving tanks, first prepared for the aborted invasion of England, but now useful in crossing the many rivers of the Russian terrain. With supporting infantry, the 3rd Panzer attempts to create a bridgehead across the Dnepr against the 187th Rifle Divison, part of the thin Stalin Line Yartsevo (Center).scn The 7th Panzer Division had sliced through the Russian defenses north of Smolensk, but now was encountering resistance as it reached the Vop River. In Yartsevo, the Russians counterattack and even had air support for a brief time. However, this didn't stop the reconnaissance battalion of the 7th Panzer Division from capturing the railway bridge Balta (South).scn The town of Balta, about 120 miles WNW of Odessa, had changed hands repeatedly during recent fighting, but was now held by the Russians. To the north, the Rumanian 6th Infantry Division was approaching; to the east the German 239th Infantry Division was halted, awaiting completion of some footbridges over the Kodyma. By 0530, Company C, 744th Engineer Regiment, attached to the 239th, had completed its task of constructing the bridges east of the town, and the 239th Division was again pushing southward. However, due to steadily increasing enemy fire emanating from Balta, Lt. Ehrhardt, commanding Co. C, decided on his own initiative that Balta needed to be captured to protect the right flank of the Axis advance. By 0730 Co. C was ready to move out. After a brief reconnaissance, Lt. Ehrhardt tasked one platoon with a diversionary attack through an expansive sunflower field east of the town, while Company C's other two heavily armed platoons approached through dense cover near the river. The Germans, supported by elements of the Rumanian 6th Infantry advancing from the north, succeeded in surprising the Russians and capturing the town Bug River (South).scn During the initial Axis invasion, the Italian 9th "Pasubio" Division advanced on the Bug River to find a crossing as part of the encirclement of the Ulman Pocket. This scenario represents this action and is also intended to represent the river crossing battle portrayed in the movie "Attack and Retreat" Selizharovo.scn

3 The German 253rd Infantry Division, deployed with the 9th Army, advanced quickly through Russia towards its objective of the city of Selizharovo across the Volga River. Once there, it determined that the best attack of the Russian defenses would consist of a cross several miles downstream followed by a flank attack of the city itself. While initial attacks were repulsed, the 2nd Battalion of the 464th Infantry Regiment attacked during the night and successfully advanced to the Selizharovka River Burtsevo (Typhoon).scn The German offensive to take Moscow was dying out. The most advance German unit at the time, the 258th Infantry Division, could just see the spires of the Kremlin in the distance. But their strength was exhausted and the Russians were counterattacking. In the Moscow suburb of Burtsevo, the Germans would come as close as they ever would to Moscow Maloyaroslavets (Typhoon).scn When the Russian counteroffensive the first winter struck the Germans, it rolled everything before it as it swept the Germans back. The same forces that had advanced confidently the previous Fall and early Winter, now fought desperately to stem the Russian tide. Russian forces of the 43rd Army drive toward Maloyaroslavets while beleaguered German forces attempt to halt them in their eventual drive to Vayazma Ramushevo.scn In the late winter of 1942, the Germans attempted to relieve the surrounded forces in the Demyansk Pocket. Their strategy involved attacking where the Russians did not expect them to and thus to make progress in linking up with the German units in the pocket. During one attack in the advance towards Ramushevo, the link up point in the campaign, the 7th Mountain Division attempted to use Finnish infiltration tactics to advance past the Russians defending in the woods Nepokrytoye (Kharkov).scn During the first day of the Russian offensive north of Kharkov, the Russians managed to breakthrough the German defensive line and penetrate to the rear areas of the German position. In one such incident, elements of the 36th Tank Brigade reach the town of Nepokrytoye and there engage a German artillery battery in a direct fire duel Ternovaya (Kharkov).scn The initial Russian attack north of Kharkov swept away the front-line German defences, except in one important location. The fortified town of Ternovaya held

4 out against the Russian attack and despite the fact that it was eventually surrounded, was never taken by the Russians in their Kharkov offensive Studenok (Kharkov).scn The Russian Kharkov offensive was not going well. Not only had the northern and southern attacks been halted, the Germans were now counterattacking. Their southern attack threatened to surround an entire Army Group south of Kharkov. There were only a few places where the Russians were able to contest the German advance. At the town of Studenok, on the Donets River, units of the 296th Rifle Division manage to cross and establish a bridgehead Lozovenka (Kharkov).scn The southern Russian bulge in the Kharkov offensive had been surrounded by the German pincers. In desperation, a mixed force of Russian infantry and tanks attempt to breakout of the pocket south of Lozovenka. However, the German 1st Mountain Division had been positioned there just for that possibility Railway Station.scn As German forces approached the Stalingrad downtown area, they first had to take the No 1 Railway Station. Although 71st Infantry Division, an elite force, advanced, the station was going to be defended by the 13th Guards Division. Over the course of the day's fighting, the station would change hands four times Mamayev Kurgan.scn At dawn on the 16th, the 112th Rifle Division was ordered to attack the hill of Mamayev Kurgan, which overlooks the center of Stalingrad, between the downtown area and the northern factories. Despite a fierce defense by the 295th Infantry Division, Soviet troops fought their way to the summit Grain Elevator.scn The fighting south of the Tsaritsa Stream centered around the massive Grain Elevator, near the No 2 Railway Station. In the elevator, a small force from the 35th Guards Division and the 92nd Naval Infantry Brigade were dug in. Despite the efforts of the 94th Infantry Division, the battle for the elevator would continue until the 22nd Railway Station.scn The 13th Guards Division had been fighting a see-saw battle around the No 1 Railway Station for several days against the 71st Infantry Division. But on the 21st,

5 a battalion of the 13th Guards was cut off and had to fight its way out. The Germans would finally be able to advance on the downtown area of Stalingrad Univermag.scn After weeks of fighting, the crack 71st Infantry Division was nearing the prize of downtown Stalingrad: the Univermag Department Store, considered to represent the center of the city. Although the 284th Siberian Division had been thrown across the Volga a few days before to stop this advance, the 71st Division was not going to be denied. Following the capture of the Univermag, General Paulus declared the city center won Pavlov's House.scn Although the center of Stalingrad was slowly falling to the advancing Germans, a few key strongpoints held out. One such strongpoint became known as "Pavlov's House", after Sergeant Pavlov of the 34th Guards Regiment, 13th Guards Division. Despite repeated assaults by the 76th Infantry Division, Pavlov's House held out for 58 days Tractor Factory.scn The Germans had been advancing on the northern factory area of Stalingrad for over a month. As the 60th Motorized Infantry Division approached the Tractor Factory, they are counterattacked by the 37th Guards. Catching the Germans by surprise, the Guards are able to advance 274 meters Factory Area.scn After over a month of fighting, the Germans had reached the factory area and were determined to take it. In one massive attack, over 5 divisions attacked the defending Russian 62nd Army. The 14th Panzer would attack the 37th Guards between the Tractor Factory and the Barrikady Factory. By midnight, German assault groups would make it to the Volga Barrikady Factory.scn After splitting the Russian forces between the Tractor and the Barrikady factories, the 14th Panzer turned south. Advancing on the Barrikady, the 14th Panzer attacked the 37th Guards and the 84th Tank Brigade. The dug-in T-34's of the 84th Tank Brigade opened fire at less than 91 meters and forced back the advancing Germans Tractor Factory.scn

6 After a month of vicious fighting, the Russians had been forced to their back on the Volga. Shattered remnants of the 37th Guards Division were still holding out in the Tractor Factory, although they were cut off and surrounded by the Germans. An Assault Engineer Battalion is brought in for the final assault on this fortress against a very determined enemy Barrikady Factory.scn Late in the morning, the right flank of the Russian defenders at Red October are overrun, forcing a withdrawal of the 308th Rifle Division defending the Barrikady Factory. As the Germans advance to the railroad line, the Soviets commit factory workers to the defense. By the end of the day, only 5 of these militia men will survive Red October.scn The 79th Infantry Division was ordered by General Paulus to attack the Red October Factory. Despite being defended by the 39th Guards, a company of German infantry was able to break into the north-west corner of the factory. But despite this gain, the Red October Factory was never to fall completely to the Germans Factory Area.scn The German offensive in Stalingrad was spent. Despite all of their effort, the German Army could not break the Russian defenses. Indeed, in a final act of defiance, the 45th Rifle Division counterattacks the 79th Infantry Division between the Red October and Barrikady Factories. With this attack, the Germans knew that victory was not possible Red October.scn With Operation Hubertus, the Germans launch their final bid for capture of the city. German Sturmkompanies lead the assault, supported with a new assault gun StuIG 33 with a 150mm howitzer. The attack on the final defensive position in Red October succeeds and the Russian defenders there overrun Belyi (Mars).scn In the Belyi sector, the Russian Mars offensive was making progress. In driving snow, the 47th Mechanized Brigade drove north attacking the 382nd Regiment. Although this attack would put the German forces in Belyi at risk, the town would never fall during the Russian campaign Sychevka (Mars).scn

7 Zhukov's Mars offensive had been going on for several days. Despite the fact that the forces in the Sychevka sector had penetrated the German defenses, they had not achieved a breakthrough. But it was now time to commit the Russian cavalry in an attempt to do just that. Elements of the 20th Cavalry Division advanced in the early hours of November 28th, but were met by the 9th Panzer Division, who was ready for them.