Panzer Gruppe Guderian

The blog has been dormant not dead, and once again stirs to life. A bit like its owner.

Panzer Gruppe Guderian AAR

My Brother kindly gifted me a new counter-set for PGG – thanks Simon! – and so out came the map, the counters were broken out and the game afoot.

This is a solo game of Panzer Gruppe Guderian. To make it interesting I will devise orders for the Germans and a set of guiding principles for the Soviets. Each side can change if there is anything obvious that needs to be done but neither will have random units careering off all over the place because there is a tiny hole in the lines somewhere that needs to be either exploited or filled. (One of my pet hates)

The German orders will be broad to allow each unit or Panzer Corp the flexibility to manage its own attacks and movement.

General Guderian looked over the map on the tabled. He let out a sigh and said “This is the best map I have seen in my military career. Not only are all the major terrain features clearly shown, it also shows where the Panzer Corps are entering from. Excellent!”

Now down to orders:

39^th Panzer Corp. Your orders are:

Phase 1                 Enter from Area C and take Vitebisk

Phase 2                 Secure Vitebisk and head to East and bypass Smolensk to its north. Secure the north flank of the attack on Smolensk by destroying any Soviet forces you meet. Prepare to attack towards Vyazma

A few days after your arrival two infantry divisions, 6^th and 16^th will come under your command.

Phase 3                 Attack and secure Vyazma

57^th Panzer Corp. Your orders are:

Phase 1                 Enter from area A and take Velizh

Phase 2                 Secure the north flank of the attack on Smolensk by destroying any Soviet forces you meet.

Phase 3                 Co-Ordinate with the 39^th Panzer Corps attack and secure Vyazma

46^th Panzer Corp. Your orders are:

Phase 1                 Enter from area E and attack and secure Orsha.

Phase 2                 Attack and secure the norther suburbs of Smolensk.

Phase 3                 Go into reserve to counter any Soviet counter attacks.

The 5^th, 35^th and 161st infantry divisions will be under your command.

47th Panzer Corp. Your orders are:

Phase 1                 Enter from area E and bypass Orsha from the south.

Phase 2                 Attack and secure the southern suburbs of Smolensk.

Phase 3                 Attack and Secure the rail post at Yelyna

Infantry divisions entering from area E will come under the command of the 46^th and 47^th Panzer Corps

24^th Panzer Corp. Your orders are:

Phase 1                 Enter from area H and attack and secure Mogilev.

Phase 2                 Attack and secure Roslav

Phase 3                 Secure the southern front from Soviet counterattacks.

Infantry divisions entering from are F & G will come under the command of the 24^th Panzer Corp.

Gentlemen, this campaign must not exceed three weeks. We have limited time to get to Moscow before winter. Smolensk is 400kms from Moscow and Vyazma only a 100kms closer.

Dismissed.

Here is the map with the German plans.

The German Plan

With the German plan of attack completed we go to the Soviet plan.

General Zhukov please:

"Comrades there is only time for a simple plan.  Defend defend defend!!!,

Wear down the fascist invaders. We have the numbers, over 90 divisions are being allocated to the defence of Smolensk. It is only 400 kms from Moscow. We must defend it, wear down the Germans and save the Motherland!"

There are too many leaders to write orders for and changing situations make it too hard. So being lazy I will just stick to some guiding principles.

Soviet leaders will command their own forces and any uncommanded divisions nearby. Each leader will defend one locality or position for as long as possible. The current situation in 1941 was that they did not strategically retreat very often, so I will take this as a principle for all Russian leaders’ actions. Uncommanded Soviet divisions will move to the closest leader or city.

And Turn 1.

At the end of turn 1, the Soviets struggle to form a coherent line. The 39th Panzer Corp has taken one hex of Vitebisk and destroyed three Soviet infantry formations (to use Guderian's term) 2 are 0-0-6's.

Turn 2

The Soviets are still struggling. The 39th Panzer Corp destroys two armoured and one infantry formations while losing one step themselves. But the Soviets hold the remaining part of Vitebisk.

Turn 3

The 57th Panzer Corp makes little headway in the north.
The 39th Panzer Corp surrounds the remaining part of Vitebisk
In the South though it is as if the Soviets are just a house of cards. They collapse and the 46th and 47th Panzer Corps break through.
The Soviets lose 10 infantry and 1 armoured units and the Germans two steps.

The defences of Smolensk and Roslav are only half ready.

Turn 4

The last part of Vitebisk holds out still, even though Koniev has been evacuated.
The 57th Panzer Corp is still struggling to make headway in the woods.
A just in time Soviet defence line manages to rebuff the Germans along its entire length.
In the south the 24th Panzer Corp gets ready to assault Roslav having made short work of Mogeliev.
However, a quick thinking Soviet commander sees the Germans to his flank and rear and charges forward to recapture Orsha earning 2 victory points

Turn 5

Vitibisk has finally fallen.
The 57th Panzer starts to make head way against the Soviet forces
German Infantry Divisions clear Orsha.
The German assault on Smolensk is again thrown back. The Gross Deutschland Regiment is destroyed!
Around Roslav the German assault has also been thrown back. An overrun by the 4th Panzer division fails spectacularly against very strong armoured units - the dreaded T-34s  (see the red G where the 4th division is strung out)

Turn 6

At Smolensk, again the German assaults are rebuffed by the Soviets. While Soviet divisions are destroyed the line holds.

The 57th Panzer Group fails again to reach its phase one objective.

While the 24th Panzer corp's attack to Roslav is thrown back and the 12/4th Panzer Regiment is destroyed by a Soviet attack at 6-1, destroying one Soviet infantry unit in exchange.

The only good news for the Germans is the recapture of Orsha.

Turn 7

In the North the 57th Panzer Corp has finally defeated the Soviet units and captured Velizh.

The 39th Panzer Corp is starting to turn the northern flank of the Soviet Smolensk defences. But the main line holds strong.

Around Roslav another attack by the 24th Panzer Corp is driven back. But worse is that the Soviets have surrounded and destroyed the 35/4th Panzer regiment. the Soviet general Gerisamenko is wielding his armour force like a German.

Turn 8

Around Smolensk the Soviet northern flank has collapsed however the main line remains strong and further German attacks are absorbed.

At Roslav Soviet general Gerisamenko again sends out his armoured units and the destroy the last regiment of the 4th Panzer Division netting the Soviets 5 VPs.

Turn 9

The Soviet defences of Smolensk are broken but they continue to counter attack any exposed German units.
The main defence line holds but it is now bleeding men and no reinforcements can get through. But do the Germans have enough time to capture Smolensk?
Again around Roslav the Germans are pushed back.

Soviet partisans and air interdiction are causing supply problems for the Germans.

Turn 10
A German coup de main has taken the Southern part of Smolensk (the defender was 0-0-6) The rest of the Soviet Smolensk defences are is disarray. Small pockets are being destroyed in turn.

Again Roslav holds.

Turn 11
The northern part of Smolensk also falls in another quick attack  (defender a 1-1-6)
The main line is now shattered but still delaying the German follow on attacks. A thin second line guards the further Phase 3 objectives.
And at Roslav, despite the addition of 2 infantry divisions the assault remains slow.
The Soviets have begun to reinforce the German Phase 3 objectives with both Vyazma and Yelnya receiving four divisions each

Turn 12

The end of turn 12 and the Germans have lost. Guderian looks to each of his Generals. "Incompetents! you have failed miserably, do I have to do everything? " He then turned his attention to the SS Motorised Division "Are you made of rubber, you bounced off everything!"

Smolensk is cleared and the remaining units in the pocket  nearly destroyed. The Panzer Corps are getting ready for Phase 3 of the plan. Except for the 24th Panzer Corp that hasn't even completed Phase 2.

In Stavka Headquarters Zhukov reviews the situation. "Not great but better than expected! We got Koniev out at the last minute again. The Germans are exhausted. They have lost 12 steps off their 8 panzer divisions, the 4th Panzer division destroyed and one panzer regiment destroyed. Five steps off their 6 motorised divisions and 8 steps of their 18 Infantry divisions. They won't be going anywhere soon without a complete refit."

So a Soviet Marginal Victory.