08-15-2008, 04:43 PM
What follows is my own write up of the first two round, complete with attempts at historical justification for why the situation is as it is using Counter-factuals (alternate history and what ifs) to help explain the situation. So far i have done the first and second rounds, later i will add others as they are done. Hope you enjoy.
(NOTE - units mentioned here are mostly German as no Russian player gave me any unit details or names so in most cases I just call them the Russians, so i am not biased towards the Germans but if you dont name your forces this is what happens)
PS If anyone has any pictures they want to add or anything feel free.
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Europa Twilight
Round One – Decision at Kursk
The battles fought in the Kursk sector were some of the fiercest fighting of the entire Russian campaign from early July 43 until the middle of the month German and Russian forces clashed outside of the city of Kursk in a decisive battle to determine the future direction of the war.
The German high command understood the need to maintain the offensive but operation Citadel brought fear even to Adolf Hitler as he contemplated the sheer scale of the offensive.
For the Russians the time appeared to ripe to turn the tables on the invaders by luring them into a trap from which there would be little escape.
Throughout the hot months of May and June both sides built up their forces and prepared for battle. The Germans moved men and material in ever increasing numbers into the sector while the Russians built up their defensive networks.
Hitler delayed the operation several times to allow for the new Panther tanks to be brought into operation and in the end the delay may have cost him the battle.
In Early morning of July 5th the Germans launched their offensive with a thunderous artillery barrage against suspected enemy positions but not before the Russians launched their own which was intended to disrupt the offensive.
After five days of heavy fighting through the defensive networks of mine, AT guns and MG positions the Germans were near to a break through in the south of the sector and the Russians decided to call in their reserves and bring the hammer down.
The flowing battle on the 11th of July took place around the town of Prokhorovka.
Leading the charge were the Elite SS units of 5th SS Panzer Grenadiers, SS Deutschland, SS FrieKorps Danmark, 1st Panzer regt LiebStandarte supported by the Littorio Tank Division and the 191st Hungarian infantry.
At first the Germans made good progress but soon began to come into contact with the lead elements of the advancing Russian forces sent to break the attack.
By mid morning the lead elements of the SS were involved in heavy fighting near the river around the orchard near the village of Prokhorovka. Elite German units pushed forward but were pinned down by fierce Russian artillery and dogged resistance from Russian engineers; slowly ground was gained but a heavy cost. Amid the thick smoke and continuous rain of artillery from both sides SS engineers and fought the Russians amid the blasted stumps of the orchard, SMG fire at close range was just as deadly as the falling artillery and where individual courage mattered little. The fanatical SS would not bow and fought on sustaining heavy losses but were unable to wrest control from the Russians who were able to bring a deadly cross fire from across the river on units moving up towards the front line. Russian AT gun crews picked off trucks, tanks and APCs until the SS Wiking deployed its Elephants and panzer grenadiers to stop it. But the Russians countered with more tanks and more men and the Wiking found itself under fire from three sides and unable to make headway against entrenched opponents. But the Wiking did relieve the pressure on the units struggling to get up to the orchard but at a high cost.
Elsewhere amid the sunflowers and wheat fields the Germans moved forward warily as Luftwaffe planes battled Russian fighters overhead, soon the fighters were replaced as both sides were attacked by bombers and ground attack aircraft. In most cases there was minimal AA to counter the planes and both sides hit the other hard. Particularly were the Russian Stormovicks which harassed the advancing Germans unceasingly using rockets, bombs and machine guns, the fearless pilots coming in through a hail of fire to deliver their payloads on the Germans. Some were shot down but most survived.
In the wake of the planes the Germans found themselves playing hide and seek amid the rows of wheat and sunflowers and the Russians advanced behind an infantry screen and heavy artillery.
The crucial road junction leading from the river to the main road was seized by the Germans but soon they found that they were under attack from three sides as the Russians fed men and tanks into the battle in just enough numbers while moving their main tanks forces into position.
Again the SS were in the middle of the fight but this time supported by the Hungarians and the Italians. Unable to see their opponents at range the Germans and their allies were forced to push forward and engage at close range, where their superior firepower was unable to hold of the sheer numbers of the Russians that swept forward.
The Italian Littorio soon found itself hard pressed by Russian infantry supported by T-34s but was able to inflict heavy losses before retiring in good order. The Russians threw in three waves against the Italians, only to see the first two destroyed and the third survive only due Russian heavy artillery in fire support. The Italian Panthers and Tigers began to pull back as HE shells tore up the fields, unfortunately the supporting Italian infantry did not do so well and several companies were overrun.
The LiebStandarte fought a hellish battle of attrition at point blank range with attacks coming all sides as they fought to provide support for other withdrawing units. With visibility now down to zero the SS LiebStandarte fought on but were nearly annihilated with only a few tanks and infantry escaping the closing arms of the trap, but they bought the time needed so that others didn’t suffer the same fate.
The SS Deutschland also acquitted itself well but also suffered heavily as the main assault collapsed and the Russians poured into the gaps opened in the line.
In the south along the ridge running to the nearby town of Prokhorovka (not to be confused with the village) the Wiking slammed into Russian tank columns commanded by Commander Weasleski who shot up the lightly armored trucks used to transport the Panzer grenadiers.
By mid afternoon the Axis forces were fighting to hold their ground and slowly being driven back by superior Russian numbers, around the orchard the last remnants of the SS had been cleared out and T-34s were racing for the river with little to stop them, only the frantic delaying action by supporting MG 34s teams prevented them from breaking through, even so several tanks did make it into the rear and caused havoc until withdrew or were destroyed.
As night fell the Russians were in control of the battle field and the Germans had pulled back.
Proving to be decisive on the day were Russian AT gun which harassed the German tanks while Russian rocket artillery kept the infantry suppressed while Russian tanks and infantry moved up. But despite the victory Russian losses were high as the SS units had proved hard to shift and it was only with the heavy artillery available that many SS units were able to be destroyed or driven back.
In the following month the Germans were driven back until September when the several crucial battles were fought.
The battles at Kursk were a turning point as such but the Germans were not yet beaten. Von Manstein directed a skillful retreat westward, switching forces and units as needed and slowly drawing out the Russian forces further and further from their supply bases.
Round Two – Holding the Line
By early September the Russians were on the outskirts of Kharkov, Smolensk and Rostov the situation looked dire as the Russian momentum seemed unstoppable in the light of their past success at Kursk, could the German Army and Luftwaffe stop the seemingly irresistible advance?
To answer this question we must look beyond the Russian front and backwards in time to the North Atlantic and the battle that ragged there in 1943 and late 1942 in the chill Barents Sea.
(Note – From here on in all is counterfactual or ‘what if’ history)
In late 1942 the first battle of the Barents Sea was fought with the heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper and the pocket battleship Lutzow supported by detroyers struck convoy JW51B and in the twilight hours of New Years eve not only destroyed most of the convoy but its convoy escort, sinking four destroyers and one corvette before striking the convoy and forcing it to disperse to be picked off by the waiting U-boats in the same manner as the ill-fated PQ-17 and PQ-18 convoys had been.
The effect of the loss of the convoy was not immediately felt in Russia but the near total destruction of another convoy as well as fighting ships began to turn both the English and the Americans from attempting to convoy to Russia and as 1943 progressed and the Battle of the Atlantic reached its climax, and the Allied losses mounted, both began to reevaluate their strategy.
Helping the Germans in their battle against the convoys was the small but vital fact that one of the destroyers from the Barents Sea battle had not sunk as had been thought but in fact captured, damaged but afloat. The destroyer Achates with nearly all its crew dead or wounded was captured as it drifted and on fire in the darkness after the battle, not only had the crew failed to scuttle the ship but the intelligence officer had been killed by a shell splinter and not destroyed his radio or communication logs, which once studied gave what may have been the most priceless intelligence coup of the war.
Among the documents recovered from the Achates was a scrap of paper which gave a series of numbers which then through further analysis of radio traffic and checking of records showed that there was a high likelihood that the Germans Enigma codes had been broken or at least partially deciphered. The effect of this was to cause the Germans to re-evaluate their codes and means of encryption which lead to a series of changes which heavily reduced the Allies ability to read German codes, both naval and others.
This was to prove disastrous in the battle of the Atlantic as the ability of the Allies to plot U-Boat movements was reduced to almost zero and the carefully built up measures to track and co-ordinate defenses and attacks on the wolf packs was reduced. Even with new weapons, air support and better tactics the ability of the U-Boats to remain unobserved on the larger strategic scale via unbreakable codes allowed Admiral Donitz to send his wolf packs out and keep them one step ahead of the forces that hunted the hunters.
This was shown in late April 1943 when convoy ONS5 heading to the US was slaughtered in the seas of Newfoundland by over 30 U-Boats, not a single convoy ship escaped and the conditions were such that the escorts were soon under attack themselves as the stormy seas grounded planes and left the ships struggling to maintain support in the heaving seas. By May 5 all but a few of the convoy escorts had been sunk and the survivors came into port with stories of a narrow escape.
For the Allies a re-evaluation was called for and the first decision was that the lifeline to England must be kept open at all costs. This meant more ships and men put into convoy escorts for the Atlantic convoys and a marked reduction of convoys, and supplies, going to Russia. By late 1943 the Allies were again close to breaking German codes and the terror of the early months had faded somewhat this had only occurred at the cost of convoying supplies north through the Barents Sea, of which the rate of supplies had dropped to 24% of its previous totals. Things such as planes, tanks and vital supplies were now not making it through to Russia and by September 1943 just as the Russians seemed on the verge of driving the Germans off their soil their momentum was to be stalled by a series of vital defeats on the eastern front.
The Russian Push
In September 1943 the Russians were closing in on the three vital cities of Rostov in the south, Kharkov in the center and Smolensk in the north. German forces were fighting skillfully but being driven back by weight of numbers and skillful application of men and machines. But the massive numbers of men and machines needed and lost in the fighting since Kursk was only partially being replaced as the effects of reduced convoys from England meant that vital equipment was not available, and while stockpiles had been built up in preparation for Kursk and its follow-up operations those stocks were now running dangerously low and with little hope of immediate replenishment.
The plan put forward by Stavka was to push forward as hard as possible so that even if forced to give some ground they would be in a good position by the time winter set in. The final objectives were the capture of the afore mentioned cities before digging in and consolidating. It was not to work out as planned.
Smolensk – The Bitter Taste
The first action was around Smolensk as the Russians sent the 3rd Tank Army westward as the spearhead of a heavily mechanized force of the 10th Guards Army straight into the waiting LiebStandarte SS.
The SS sergeant watched the ground ahead through his field glasses. Through the light rain he could see the tree line 1000 meters distant between which lay the road ran through the ploughed fields.
The silence was only broken by the sound of birds and the faint sound of the MG gunners mate shifting ammo boxes to make room for more that had been brought up by runner. In the hole next to him he could smell the cigarette being smoked by a soldier making him want one himself.
Then there was a sound to the east, a popping sound and then a dull rumble and the sergeant instinctively ducked deeper into his hole, seconds later the first shells began to fall.
For twenty minutes it continued and then stopped as quick as it had begun, instinctively the sergeant slapped his gunner on the back urging the man to get the MG back into position knowing that an attack was sure to be coming.
Raising his glasses he carefully peered over the top of the fighting pit at the slope below. Men and tanks had already moved from the tree line and were halfway across the fields hading towards them, from several holes down he could hear the Captains voice calling co-ordinates into the radio to the artillery in the rear but the order to fire their guns had not been given, the signal was a green flare from the village.
Quickly and quietly the gunner and his mate had the MG into position and the mate was linking in the first belt, the gunner cocked and settled on the sights, stopping only to glance up at the sergeant his eyes asking the same question as the sergeant had but to which their training already knew the answer “as close as possible”.
Three hundred meters, two fifty, two, then one fifty, the rumble of the tanks was loud, T-34s and SP guns packed with troops as well as the many that came on foot running across the field as fast as possible.
Then to his rear he herd the unmistakable “phunt” of the 81mm and watched the first rounds drop among the Russians, a few men dropped but most came on. He saw the gunner instinctively lean into the weapon, pulling it to his shoulder hard and then the whoosh of the green flare rising from the village accompanied by the sound of the captains’ whistle. He opened his mouth to give the command but the roar of the companies weapons drowned him out.
September 5th was a cold rainy day, the forward scouts had reported heavy concentrations of tanks around the hills around the village of Yelnya. It was known that the tanks were Panthers and that they were supported by dug in troops but the Russian commander was confident of success and pushed his forces forward in the light rain. On the Russian left flank amid the wooded slopes of the hill on which the village sat the fighting was soon deadly earnest as SS infantry held up the advancing Russians while the panthers began to pick off any tanks that appeared. The Russians replied with heavy artillery and began to make progress in the center before running into SS pioneers in the village. Amid the thick smoke and hail of shells from both sides the Russians forced their way into the village but were checked by the stubborn LiebStandarte who had prepared a defensive network of mines and wire which prevented the Russians from maneuvering around the village. On the right flank the open fields were soon littered with burning T-34s as the defenses of mines and bunkers broke up formations and allowed the dug in SS infantry to pick off any remaining formations. By the end of the day the Russians had lost a great number of tanks and was still not in possession of the village. But while the SS had tasted success the rest of the sector was less secure and the LiebStandarte was forced to withdraw before being surrounded.
With the surrounding area cleared the Russians drove towards Smolensk itself. Again the spearheads were mechanized forces, racing quickly along muddy roads for the city where the German and Hungarian troops waited.
On September 8th the Russians attempted a flank attack on the city, driving to the south of the city, hoping to bypass the main defenses but instead found themselves struggling to break the lines of the 191st Hungarian Infantry who manned this part of the line. Soon the southern suburbs were covered in thick smoke as the Russians pushed hard again and again, first with tanks and then with what seemed like endless hordes of APCs carrying troops. Fighting was desperate and just as it seemed the Russians had broken the line the Hungarians sent a final counter attack snaking past the attackers and into the Russian rear where they managed to attack artillery positions firing in support of the main assault. The Hungarians were soon driven off but it was enough to hold the Russians off as night fell and soon the 191st was able to be relived by fresh German units.
The morning of the 9th saw the Russians begin with a massive artillery bombardment before sending in the troops. The Russian commander committed more of his forces to the open ground on the outskirts of the city while feeding in just enough forces in the urban area to keep the pressure on. The result was that the German commander, fearing being cut off, began to pull his troops back but was unable to do so effectively as the threat on his southern flank kept him from moving support around quickly. The Germans fought a delaying action but were unable to prevent the Russians from getting into their rear in a reverse of the previous day. By mid day the southern flank of Smolensk was open and the Germans falling back but elsewhere the time bought by the SS and the 191st had been enough to move units around and in a series of quick counter attacks in the afternoon drove the Russians back and out of what they had gained in the city. Smolensk was still in German control but it had been a close run fight in which the final counter attack by the 191st had proved vital in holding the line just long enough so that others could take over and continue the fight. If the Hungarians had been considered lesser soldiers in the past their reputation had increased in measure.
Kharkov – Disputed City
Southward in Kharkov a different strategy was being used as the city itself was being fortified as best as possible while ceding the surrounding countryside in a series of delaying actions. Holding the vital defenses on the eastward side of the city was the SS Deutschland.
The young lieutenant hugged the side of the ditch as the sound of a German MG nearby began to cough. On the road beside the ditch a platoon of infantry was pushing warily forward, running crouched and low along the road. On either side of the road there were stands of trees in which the Germans had dug in while laying mines on the roads. Ahead he could hear roar of tank engines and through the haze of smoke he could see a T-34 swiveling on the road turning its body before firing at something unseen in the trees, possibly the MG but seemingly to no effect as it continued to cough.
Soon he could see a runner from 2nd company return from forward, the man had been wounded in previous fighting but continued to do his job. “Well?” the lieutenant asked. The man stopped for a second, began to straighten up to salute but thought better of it as another series of coughs sent the leaves rustling in the trees next to the ditch. “SS” the man replied. “Who is up front?” the Lieutenant handed the runner his canteen who drank a little from it before handing it back. “Popov is in the factory and Yeremenko is trying to get through the trees but both report a lot of mines, especially in the factory. Popov report that’s he needs more men and tanks as the mines have immobilized several.”
The young lieutenant scratched his chest and looked back towards where the Russian artillery was firing non stop, “isn’t the arty softening them up?” “Those SS bastards are tough and arnt giving much ground, Popov says they have learnt well from Stalingrad, lots of our old tricks, we cant make much way as they are too close to us for the arty to be effective.” The runner replied quickly.
The two men looked at each other for a second before the field phone in the ditch rung. The lieutenant picked it up and spoke quickly. For several minutes he talked before ending with a series of Da’s. Turning to the runner he spoke quickly. “Tell Popov to pull his men back and Yeremenko to move his tanks across to cover them then pull them back to the crossroads as well, command has decided to try something else than get chewed up in the factory, off you go, quickly.” The runner nodded and quickly headed off in the direction of the coughing.
By the 15th of September the SS had stopped the main Russian drive into the city in its tracks as the SS Deutschland fought skillfully in the maze of industrial buildings that lined the main approach into the city, Russian men and tanks had been caught in skillfully laid mines and man traps while those that struggled through were picked off by the SS defenders, the Russian commander saw the virtue in calling off the attack rather than feed in any more men and took stock of the situation, a new approach was called for and by nightfall it was clear that while the industrial area north of the main road was heavily defended and mined, the neighborhoods and park south of the road was less so.
The next morning the Russians struck hard in the south, driving through the thinly laid outer defenses before emerging from the trees and approaching the workers apartment complex on the other side. Here the fighting grew as the SS fell back from hole to hole, laying ambush at every turn but they were spread thin and while the fighting was fierce the Russians had momentum and quickly broke through the lines and began to cut into the rear of the SS positions. A quickly assembled SS counter attack checked them at the main road junction but only at a high cost and a spotter plane confirmed several large infantry formations moving behind the main attack. In the factory area also the Russians had more success as the defenses of the previous day had been mapped out and fresh troops brought in, the Deutschland were proving tough to move but were too few to cover all the holes and the tanks of the first days assault had been replaced by more suitable rifle infantry who were well supported by artillery while the Germans had been forced to move a lot when the southern line collapsed or run out of ammo for the guns.
By midday on the 16th the SS commander was ordered to pull back as a general withdrawal had been issued, Kharkov was surrounded on three sides and it was only fierce fighting which was keeping the roads out open. SS tanks were coming forward to cover the withdrawal but the Deutschland had been beaten back and was desperately trying to break contact. The Russians hungry for victory and realizing the situation were right behind; it was only a series of savage fights at close quarters which lasted well into the night and a final counter attack by 6 SS PZ IVs which allowed their comrades to get out, but at the loss of 5 tanks and crew. Kharkov had changed hands for the fourth time in the war and was a ruined city, its new owners, the Russians.
Rostov – Keeping the Door Open
In the South Rostov was now the last city on the Russians hit list, the vital gate to and from the Caucus for an entire German army desperately racing for the few remaining bridges available across the Donets River. Holding the line at Rostov was a combination of Whermacht, SS and Italian, some deployed to defend forward of the river, others racing to prepare the defenses within the city. Rostov was the main target of the Russians and because of this the majority of Russian forces had been assigned to the south, for most of August they had battled westward, driving the Germans before them, but as they approached the bend of the Donets and last gap of land between them and the Sea of Azov the Germans began to stiffen, fight back with more than before and, under Mansteins direction, begin to engage and slow the Russians so to buy time for the remaining German forces racing to get out of the trap the Russians had sprung.
By late September the Russians had swung round the bend of the river and were approaching the city from the south, chasing the remaining units heading for the safety across the river. On September the 20th with the victory at Kharkov still fresh the lead units of the Russians began to approach the crossing points outside the city. Here the Germans planned to fight for as long as possible before falling back across the river, buying as much time as possible.
Desperation showed on many faces in the German forces, they had been fighting hard for over two months and often with little to sustain them, Rostov was vital and they knew it, if the Russians made it across the river in force before the defenses could be reinforced the whole Southern Front would crumble and leave them trapped between and reds and the Sea with only one exit open, a mad scramble towards the Crimean Peninsula to the Eastern rampart being constructed, they all knew they had to buy as much time as possible.
The first Units to engage the enemy was the Italian Littorio Tank Division, dug in on the southern bank of the Donets among the scattered industrial buildings and small copses of trees that dotted the terrain. The Russians had access to the main road and rail that ran into the city but it was heavily mined and both sides knew it, In the early morning light the first Russian units began to move out of the ground mist towards the Italian positions. At first there was only scattered fire until the lead elements of the first wave ran into heavy fire from Italian fortifications. With a halfhearted attack on the right flank the Russians committed the bulk of their forces in a left hook, hoping to swing round behind the well defended fortifications but ran straight into the mines laid earlier.
For several hours of chaotic fighting Russian units struggled to make headway through the hail of fire and the hidden menace of the mines, by 11:30 the road that ran along the bank had been reached but at heavy cost and a swift Italian counter attack by the Tigers and Panthers of the Littorio drove them back to their lines in panic.
The next part of the line to be hit was regular Wehrmacht troops, dug in and defending the main road link into the city, again the Russians attacked in force, this time a mixture of tanks and men, surging behind the wall of smoke and suppressive fire that was being rained down by rockets and supporting artillery. Once the initial barrage stopped the Russians found themselves again in the midst of mines while accurate MG fire rained down on them from prepared positions, more Russian units came on and the casualties continued to mount but slowly they were gaining ground. By mid afternoon the first Russian units were within throwing distance of the industrial works south of the river but were blocked by stiff defenses built around two quarries which offered good cover and high ground from which to harass the approaching troops and tanks with MG and AT fire. Several waves of troops attempted to storm the quarries but were driven back every time by the defenders. Even repeated artillery was unable to dislodge them. It was beginning to look as if the line would hold for several days and the defenders took quiet satisfaction in their work.
The Russians were not to be denied and while the main attack appeared to be coming in the center of the line, Russian Sappers were quietly clearing the ground on the far left flank, site of the first main assault, but their work wasn’t done yet and the defenders there made them pay for every man that showed his head with a hail of MG fire from the well sited 34s and 42s.
In the Center sheer numbers was again paying off as the defenders began to run low on ammunition and by sheer tenacity the Russians were now hugging the edge of the quarries, engaged in brutal close range fire fights amid the smoke and havoc of competing artillery. But with the day drawing to a close the Wehrmacht launched a counterattack to clear out the Russians and although they took casualties the fragments of the Russian formations were broken and for the third time in the day the Russians fell back towards their lines.
Like the chess masters they were the Russians had planned several moves ahead and now switched to the right flank, sending a regiment of mechanized infantry streaking for the tree line and the SS FrieKorps Danmark who held their fire until the last minute before letting loose with everything at their disposal. Again the Russians were caught between dug in enemy and prepared obstacles like mines and wire and again they had to fight their way through, but unlike before they had the protection of APCs and swift moving T-34s to cover them and the SS defenders mowed down the first wave to find that another one was right behind. This time the defenders were caught and forced to fight without tank support and in the gathering dusk individual SS units found themselves holding ground in pockets, cut off from others, while the sound of tanks could be herd coming up from the south.
But it was not to be, in the nick of time a company of SS panthers took the high ground above the river and began to pick off any tank which dared to show itself, the infantry too were not spared as APCs were soon burning and the FrieKorp soldiers began to link up with other units and routed the attackers, but it was close and casualties were high.
Then the Russians delivered one final stoke. With less than hour before sunset and the day reduced to a smoky haze from repeated artillery strikes and destroyed vehicles they again switched back to the left flank and with the mines cleared swarmed through the gap on into the industrial area. The only thing between them and the bridges were two companies of SS tanks and supporting infantry. With no hesitation the SS began an immediate counter attack but to no avail, the Russians had delivered their master stroke with perfect timing and the SS tankers found themselves falling back in confusion as T-34s moved towards them firing as they came. A company of PZ IVs were soon driven right back to the banks of the river and was annihilated to the last tank in minutes. Without a pause the Russians swung hard right and drove into the industrial area, all which lay between them and the bridges. This time it was numbers and skill which swept the Russians on and tumbling in the maelstrom like so much flotsam and jetsam were the surviving SS forces who were rapidly breaking under the relentless attacks. The SS knocked out tanks but they were quickly replaced and in the narrow confines of the factories, oil tanks and warehouses the SS played hide and seek with T-34s and APCs full of assault troops. Some of the SS made it back the rally point along the main road while others were cut off in the industrial area and forced to fight their way out, some made it others did not. The Russian move only began to slow when massed tanks and artillery delivered point blank fire into the smoke the boiled from the industrial area, which lead the Russians to think that a major German counter attack was imminent and decided to dig in and meet it, but it never came.
Through the smoke the Tiger swung its barrel and fired at the shape of a T-34, less than 100 meters away. The T-34 rolled forwards and then stopped with its front touching the wall of the warehouse. The turret MG fired at the crew which scrambled from the tank as smoke began to boil out of it, two men dropped, one rolling off the turret and onto the rear deck the other stumbling to the ground. The rest disappeared into the smoke.
The Tiger blocked the access between two warehouses, holding at bay the Russians which had attempted to come through but now mortar and artillery rounds were dropping, one HE round tore the corner off one warehouse and shook the tank with enough force to rock it on its tracks. A mortar round hit the front plate with a wrenching clang while another tore earth just in front.
For a moment the Tiger was stunned, its engines idling. Then with a roar and the clang of gears it began to move backwards.
From through the smoke shouting in Russian could be herd and figures came running through the smoke, “Urah!” The bow and turret MGs fired but the figures were hugging the walls making it hard to bring the guns to bear. The Tiger clipped the wall of a warehouse and slowed, its turret MG catching several figures and cutting them down.
Lurching forwards and then back the metal monster pulled itself free and continued backwards, firing as it went, its movements panicky now, jerking left and right as it attempted to straighten its exit out of the narrow defile.
With the fire of MGs blasting back more figures to its front it was nearly clear of the defile and out to the road where its section mate waited, covering its flank. In the narrow between the warehouses the figures fell back into the smoke.
Increasing speed the tank reversed out of the gap and with a tremendous clang in its rear ran into something which brought the tank to a sudden halt.
From inside the Tiger there was a confused shouting and the turret began to turn but caught on the end of the warehouse, the side pistol port popped open. From inside an eye looked back at what had caused the Tank to stop. Behind it was its brother, flames licking from its turret, drivers hatch open and a burning torso slumped forward, twisted and charred in obvious agony.
Then the shapes returned but this time to the rear, one clambered onto the rear deck and was knocked off by a burst from a SMG from the pistol port, but others swarmed to the side, out of the angle of the port. The clang of anti tank mines on the hull sounded and then desperate shouting from within the tank. The front hatch sprung open, followed by the rear and turret but it was too late. Three mines exploded in succession tearing the Tiger apart.
By nightfall the Germans began a hasty evacuation of the south bank and fell back across the Donets and into the city. At midnight the sound of repeated explosions tore through the darkness as the bridges were destroyed, some units were still on the south bank and either crossed the river by their own means or were picked up by small boats, barges and ferries that the Germans pressed into service in the night.
The next morning the evacuation was complete and while the defenders dug in and waited for a Russian assault across the river it never came. There was only one small raid on the night of the 25th when two battalions of sappers infiltrated across the river and attempted a bridgehead but were easily destroyed. For the next week small units of Russians crossed the river and fought running battles in the city but the fighting was sporadic and of little effect.
The sudden ceasitation of Russian activity was due to the previously mentioned supply shortages caused by German successes in the battle of the Atlantic. The Russians had the men, and the fuel but lacked the food, ammo and tanks to make any further advances needed to get across the river in force and so began to consolidate their gains, including a large number of captured German tanks which would be later pressed into service against their former owners.
As October began the Russian were forced to wind the operations down along the front, the failure at Smolensk and Rostov had been partially offset by the success at Kharkov but it had been to close and while the Germans were also suffering supply difficulties they were not affected by the situation in the Atlantic. In the Kremlin Stalin’s advisors had to tread carefully as the dictators was adamant that the offensive should not be lost or given over to the invaders and it was only in late November that he began to see a degree of reason but only after ordering the drawing up of plans for a spring offensive in early 1944.
Like Kursk before it the Kharkov salient bulged ominously westward and was a threat to the German lines, unlike Kursk the Russians did not have the time to create the massive defensive works that Kursk saw due to the shortage of civilian population to be pressed into service. The German High Command also realized the importance of not giving the Russians time to consolidate the bulge and even as the withdrawal was in operation plans were being drawn up for a new offensive. Hitler seeing an opportunity pushed his generals to find a way to regain the offensive and hold it and so Plans were begun for Operation Winter Stoß (Winter Thrust).
(NOTE - units mentioned here are mostly German as no Russian player gave me any unit details or names so in most cases I just call them the Russians, so i am not biased towards the Germans but if you dont name your forces this is what happens)
PS If anyone has any pictures they want to add or anything feel free.
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Europa Twilight
Round One – Decision at Kursk
The battles fought in the Kursk sector were some of the fiercest fighting of the entire Russian campaign from early July 43 until the middle of the month German and Russian forces clashed outside of the city of Kursk in a decisive battle to determine the future direction of the war.
The German high command understood the need to maintain the offensive but operation Citadel brought fear even to Adolf Hitler as he contemplated the sheer scale of the offensive.
For the Russians the time appeared to ripe to turn the tables on the invaders by luring them into a trap from which there would be little escape.
Throughout the hot months of May and June both sides built up their forces and prepared for battle. The Germans moved men and material in ever increasing numbers into the sector while the Russians built up their defensive networks.
Hitler delayed the operation several times to allow for the new Panther tanks to be brought into operation and in the end the delay may have cost him the battle.
In Early morning of July 5th the Germans launched their offensive with a thunderous artillery barrage against suspected enemy positions but not before the Russians launched their own which was intended to disrupt the offensive.
After five days of heavy fighting through the defensive networks of mine, AT guns and MG positions the Germans were near to a break through in the south of the sector and the Russians decided to call in their reserves and bring the hammer down.
The flowing battle on the 11th of July took place around the town of Prokhorovka.
Leading the charge were the Elite SS units of 5th SS Panzer Grenadiers, SS Deutschland, SS FrieKorps Danmark, 1st Panzer regt LiebStandarte supported by the Littorio Tank Division and the 191st Hungarian infantry.
At first the Germans made good progress but soon began to come into contact with the lead elements of the advancing Russian forces sent to break the attack.
By mid morning the lead elements of the SS were involved in heavy fighting near the river around the orchard near the village of Prokhorovka. Elite German units pushed forward but were pinned down by fierce Russian artillery and dogged resistance from Russian engineers; slowly ground was gained but a heavy cost. Amid the thick smoke and continuous rain of artillery from both sides SS engineers and fought the Russians amid the blasted stumps of the orchard, SMG fire at close range was just as deadly as the falling artillery and where individual courage mattered little. The fanatical SS would not bow and fought on sustaining heavy losses but were unable to wrest control from the Russians who were able to bring a deadly cross fire from across the river on units moving up towards the front line. Russian AT gun crews picked off trucks, tanks and APCs until the SS Wiking deployed its Elephants and panzer grenadiers to stop it. But the Russians countered with more tanks and more men and the Wiking found itself under fire from three sides and unable to make headway against entrenched opponents. But the Wiking did relieve the pressure on the units struggling to get up to the orchard but at a high cost.
Elsewhere amid the sunflowers and wheat fields the Germans moved forward warily as Luftwaffe planes battled Russian fighters overhead, soon the fighters were replaced as both sides were attacked by bombers and ground attack aircraft. In most cases there was minimal AA to counter the planes and both sides hit the other hard. Particularly were the Russian Stormovicks which harassed the advancing Germans unceasingly using rockets, bombs and machine guns, the fearless pilots coming in through a hail of fire to deliver their payloads on the Germans. Some were shot down but most survived.
In the wake of the planes the Germans found themselves playing hide and seek amid the rows of wheat and sunflowers and the Russians advanced behind an infantry screen and heavy artillery.
The crucial road junction leading from the river to the main road was seized by the Germans but soon they found that they were under attack from three sides as the Russians fed men and tanks into the battle in just enough numbers while moving their main tanks forces into position.
Again the SS were in the middle of the fight but this time supported by the Hungarians and the Italians. Unable to see their opponents at range the Germans and their allies were forced to push forward and engage at close range, where their superior firepower was unable to hold of the sheer numbers of the Russians that swept forward.
The Italian Littorio soon found itself hard pressed by Russian infantry supported by T-34s but was able to inflict heavy losses before retiring in good order. The Russians threw in three waves against the Italians, only to see the first two destroyed and the third survive only due Russian heavy artillery in fire support. The Italian Panthers and Tigers began to pull back as HE shells tore up the fields, unfortunately the supporting Italian infantry did not do so well and several companies were overrun.
The LiebStandarte fought a hellish battle of attrition at point blank range with attacks coming all sides as they fought to provide support for other withdrawing units. With visibility now down to zero the SS LiebStandarte fought on but were nearly annihilated with only a few tanks and infantry escaping the closing arms of the trap, but they bought the time needed so that others didn’t suffer the same fate.
The SS Deutschland also acquitted itself well but also suffered heavily as the main assault collapsed and the Russians poured into the gaps opened in the line.
In the south along the ridge running to the nearby town of Prokhorovka (not to be confused with the village) the Wiking slammed into Russian tank columns commanded by Commander Weasleski who shot up the lightly armored trucks used to transport the Panzer grenadiers.
By mid afternoon the Axis forces were fighting to hold their ground and slowly being driven back by superior Russian numbers, around the orchard the last remnants of the SS had been cleared out and T-34s were racing for the river with little to stop them, only the frantic delaying action by supporting MG 34s teams prevented them from breaking through, even so several tanks did make it into the rear and caused havoc until withdrew or were destroyed.
As night fell the Russians were in control of the battle field and the Germans had pulled back.
Proving to be decisive on the day were Russian AT gun which harassed the German tanks while Russian rocket artillery kept the infantry suppressed while Russian tanks and infantry moved up. But despite the victory Russian losses were high as the SS units had proved hard to shift and it was only with the heavy artillery available that many SS units were able to be destroyed or driven back.
In the following month the Germans were driven back until September when the several crucial battles were fought.
The battles at Kursk were a turning point as such but the Germans were not yet beaten. Von Manstein directed a skillful retreat westward, switching forces and units as needed and slowly drawing out the Russian forces further and further from their supply bases.
Round Two – Holding the Line
By early September the Russians were on the outskirts of Kharkov, Smolensk and Rostov the situation looked dire as the Russian momentum seemed unstoppable in the light of their past success at Kursk, could the German Army and Luftwaffe stop the seemingly irresistible advance?
To answer this question we must look beyond the Russian front and backwards in time to the North Atlantic and the battle that ragged there in 1943 and late 1942 in the chill Barents Sea.
(Note – From here on in all is counterfactual or ‘what if’ history)
In late 1942 the first battle of the Barents Sea was fought with the heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper and the pocket battleship Lutzow supported by detroyers struck convoy JW51B and in the twilight hours of New Years eve not only destroyed most of the convoy but its convoy escort, sinking four destroyers and one corvette before striking the convoy and forcing it to disperse to be picked off by the waiting U-boats in the same manner as the ill-fated PQ-17 and PQ-18 convoys had been.
The effect of the loss of the convoy was not immediately felt in Russia but the near total destruction of another convoy as well as fighting ships began to turn both the English and the Americans from attempting to convoy to Russia and as 1943 progressed and the Battle of the Atlantic reached its climax, and the Allied losses mounted, both began to reevaluate their strategy.
Helping the Germans in their battle against the convoys was the small but vital fact that one of the destroyers from the Barents Sea battle had not sunk as had been thought but in fact captured, damaged but afloat. The destroyer Achates with nearly all its crew dead or wounded was captured as it drifted and on fire in the darkness after the battle, not only had the crew failed to scuttle the ship but the intelligence officer had been killed by a shell splinter and not destroyed his radio or communication logs, which once studied gave what may have been the most priceless intelligence coup of the war.
Among the documents recovered from the Achates was a scrap of paper which gave a series of numbers which then through further analysis of radio traffic and checking of records showed that there was a high likelihood that the Germans Enigma codes had been broken or at least partially deciphered. The effect of this was to cause the Germans to re-evaluate their codes and means of encryption which lead to a series of changes which heavily reduced the Allies ability to read German codes, both naval and others.
This was to prove disastrous in the battle of the Atlantic as the ability of the Allies to plot U-Boat movements was reduced to almost zero and the carefully built up measures to track and co-ordinate defenses and attacks on the wolf packs was reduced. Even with new weapons, air support and better tactics the ability of the U-Boats to remain unobserved on the larger strategic scale via unbreakable codes allowed Admiral Donitz to send his wolf packs out and keep them one step ahead of the forces that hunted the hunters.
This was shown in late April 1943 when convoy ONS5 heading to the US was slaughtered in the seas of Newfoundland by over 30 U-Boats, not a single convoy ship escaped and the conditions were such that the escorts were soon under attack themselves as the stormy seas grounded planes and left the ships struggling to maintain support in the heaving seas. By May 5 all but a few of the convoy escorts had been sunk and the survivors came into port with stories of a narrow escape.
For the Allies a re-evaluation was called for and the first decision was that the lifeline to England must be kept open at all costs. This meant more ships and men put into convoy escorts for the Atlantic convoys and a marked reduction of convoys, and supplies, going to Russia. By late 1943 the Allies were again close to breaking German codes and the terror of the early months had faded somewhat this had only occurred at the cost of convoying supplies north through the Barents Sea, of which the rate of supplies had dropped to 24% of its previous totals. Things such as planes, tanks and vital supplies were now not making it through to Russia and by September 1943 just as the Russians seemed on the verge of driving the Germans off their soil their momentum was to be stalled by a series of vital defeats on the eastern front.
The Russian Push
In September 1943 the Russians were closing in on the three vital cities of Rostov in the south, Kharkov in the center and Smolensk in the north. German forces were fighting skillfully but being driven back by weight of numbers and skillful application of men and machines. But the massive numbers of men and machines needed and lost in the fighting since Kursk was only partially being replaced as the effects of reduced convoys from England meant that vital equipment was not available, and while stockpiles had been built up in preparation for Kursk and its follow-up operations those stocks were now running dangerously low and with little hope of immediate replenishment.
The plan put forward by Stavka was to push forward as hard as possible so that even if forced to give some ground they would be in a good position by the time winter set in. The final objectives were the capture of the afore mentioned cities before digging in and consolidating. It was not to work out as planned.
Smolensk – The Bitter Taste
The first action was around Smolensk as the Russians sent the 3rd Tank Army westward as the spearhead of a heavily mechanized force of the 10th Guards Army straight into the waiting LiebStandarte SS.
The SS sergeant watched the ground ahead through his field glasses. Through the light rain he could see the tree line 1000 meters distant between which lay the road ran through the ploughed fields.
The silence was only broken by the sound of birds and the faint sound of the MG gunners mate shifting ammo boxes to make room for more that had been brought up by runner. In the hole next to him he could smell the cigarette being smoked by a soldier making him want one himself.
Then there was a sound to the east, a popping sound and then a dull rumble and the sergeant instinctively ducked deeper into his hole, seconds later the first shells began to fall.
For twenty minutes it continued and then stopped as quick as it had begun, instinctively the sergeant slapped his gunner on the back urging the man to get the MG back into position knowing that an attack was sure to be coming.
Raising his glasses he carefully peered over the top of the fighting pit at the slope below. Men and tanks had already moved from the tree line and were halfway across the fields hading towards them, from several holes down he could hear the Captains voice calling co-ordinates into the radio to the artillery in the rear but the order to fire their guns had not been given, the signal was a green flare from the village.
Quickly and quietly the gunner and his mate had the MG into position and the mate was linking in the first belt, the gunner cocked and settled on the sights, stopping only to glance up at the sergeant his eyes asking the same question as the sergeant had but to which their training already knew the answer “as close as possible”.
Three hundred meters, two fifty, two, then one fifty, the rumble of the tanks was loud, T-34s and SP guns packed with troops as well as the many that came on foot running across the field as fast as possible.
Then to his rear he herd the unmistakable “phunt” of the 81mm and watched the first rounds drop among the Russians, a few men dropped but most came on. He saw the gunner instinctively lean into the weapon, pulling it to his shoulder hard and then the whoosh of the green flare rising from the village accompanied by the sound of the captains’ whistle. He opened his mouth to give the command but the roar of the companies weapons drowned him out.
September 5th was a cold rainy day, the forward scouts had reported heavy concentrations of tanks around the hills around the village of Yelnya. It was known that the tanks were Panthers and that they were supported by dug in troops but the Russian commander was confident of success and pushed his forces forward in the light rain. On the Russian left flank amid the wooded slopes of the hill on which the village sat the fighting was soon deadly earnest as SS infantry held up the advancing Russians while the panthers began to pick off any tanks that appeared. The Russians replied with heavy artillery and began to make progress in the center before running into SS pioneers in the village. Amid the thick smoke and hail of shells from both sides the Russians forced their way into the village but were checked by the stubborn LiebStandarte who had prepared a defensive network of mines and wire which prevented the Russians from maneuvering around the village. On the right flank the open fields were soon littered with burning T-34s as the defenses of mines and bunkers broke up formations and allowed the dug in SS infantry to pick off any remaining formations. By the end of the day the Russians had lost a great number of tanks and was still not in possession of the village. But while the SS had tasted success the rest of the sector was less secure and the LiebStandarte was forced to withdraw before being surrounded.
With the surrounding area cleared the Russians drove towards Smolensk itself. Again the spearheads were mechanized forces, racing quickly along muddy roads for the city where the German and Hungarian troops waited.
On September 8th the Russians attempted a flank attack on the city, driving to the south of the city, hoping to bypass the main defenses but instead found themselves struggling to break the lines of the 191st Hungarian Infantry who manned this part of the line. Soon the southern suburbs were covered in thick smoke as the Russians pushed hard again and again, first with tanks and then with what seemed like endless hordes of APCs carrying troops. Fighting was desperate and just as it seemed the Russians had broken the line the Hungarians sent a final counter attack snaking past the attackers and into the Russian rear where they managed to attack artillery positions firing in support of the main assault. The Hungarians were soon driven off but it was enough to hold the Russians off as night fell and soon the 191st was able to be relived by fresh German units.
The morning of the 9th saw the Russians begin with a massive artillery bombardment before sending in the troops. The Russian commander committed more of his forces to the open ground on the outskirts of the city while feeding in just enough forces in the urban area to keep the pressure on. The result was that the German commander, fearing being cut off, began to pull his troops back but was unable to do so effectively as the threat on his southern flank kept him from moving support around quickly. The Germans fought a delaying action but were unable to prevent the Russians from getting into their rear in a reverse of the previous day. By mid day the southern flank of Smolensk was open and the Germans falling back but elsewhere the time bought by the SS and the 191st had been enough to move units around and in a series of quick counter attacks in the afternoon drove the Russians back and out of what they had gained in the city. Smolensk was still in German control but it had been a close run fight in which the final counter attack by the 191st had proved vital in holding the line just long enough so that others could take over and continue the fight. If the Hungarians had been considered lesser soldiers in the past their reputation had increased in measure.
Kharkov – Disputed City
Southward in Kharkov a different strategy was being used as the city itself was being fortified as best as possible while ceding the surrounding countryside in a series of delaying actions. Holding the vital defenses on the eastward side of the city was the SS Deutschland.
The young lieutenant hugged the side of the ditch as the sound of a German MG nearby began to cough. On the road beside the ditch a platoon of infantry was pushing warily forward, running crouched and low along the road. On either side of the road there were stands of trees in which the Germans had dug in while laying mines on the roads. Ahead he could hear roar of tank engines and through the haze of smoke he could see a T-34 swiveling on the road turning its body before firing at something unseen in the trees, possibly the MG but seemingly to no effect as it continued to cough.
Soon he could see a runner from 2nd company return from forward, the man had been wounded in previous fighting but continued to do his job. “Well?” the lieutenant asked. The man stopped for a second, began to straighten up to salute but thought better of it as another series of coughs sent the leaves rustling in the trees next to the ditch. “SS” the man replied. “Who is up front?” the Lieutenant handed the runner his canteen who drank a little from it before handing it back. “Popov is in the factory and Yeremenko is trying to get through the trees but both report a lot of mines, especially in the factory. Popov report that’s he needs more men and tanks as the mines have immobilized several.”
The young lieutenant scratched his chest and looked back towards where the Russian artillery was firing non stop, “isn’t the arty softening them up?” “Those SS bastards are tough and arnt giving much ground, Popov says they have learnt well from Stalingrad, lots of our old tricks, we cant make much way as they are too close to us for the arty to be effective.” The runner replied quickly.
The two men looked at each other for a second before the field phone in the ditch rung. The lieutenant picked it up and spoke quickly. For several minutes he talked before ending with a series of Da’s. Turning to the runner he spoke quickly. “Tell Popov to pull his men back and Yeremenko to move his tanks across to cover them then pull them back to the crossroads as well, command has decided to try something else than get chewed up in the factory, off you go, quickly.” The runner nodded and quickly headed off in the direction of the coughing.
By the 15th of September the SS had stopped the main Russian drive into the city in its tracks as the SS Deutschland fought skillfully in the maze of industrial buildings that lined the main approach into the city, Russian men and tanks had been caught in skillfully laid mines and man traps while those that struggled through were picked off by the SS defenders, the Russian commander saw the virtue in calling off the attack rather than feed in any more men and took stock of the situation, a new approach was called for and by nightfall it was clear that while the industrial area north of the main road was heavily defended and mined, the neighborhoods and park south of the road was less so.
The next morning the Russians struck hard in the south, driving through the thinly laid outer defenses before emerging from the trees and approaching the workers apartment complex on the other side. Here the fighting grew as the SS fell back from hole to hole, laying ambush at every turn but they were spread thin and while the fighting was fierce the Russians had momentum and quickly broke through the lines and began to cut into the rear of the SS positions. A quickly assembled SS counter attack checked them at the main road junction but only at a high cost and a spotter plane confirmed several large infantry formations moving behind the main attack. In the factory area also the Russians had more success as the defenses of the previous day had been mapped out and fresh troops brought in, the Deutschland were proving tough to move but were too few to cover all the holes and the tanks of the first days assault had been replaced by more suitable rifle infantry who were well supported by artillery while the Germans had been forced to move a lot when the southern line collapsed or run out of ammo for the guns.
By midday on the 16th the SS commander was ordered to pull back as a general withdrawal had been issued, Kharkov was surrounded on three sides and it was only fierce fighting which was keeping the roads out open. SS tanks were coming forward to cover the withdrawal but the Deutschland had been beaten back and was desperately trying to break contact. The Russians hungry for victory and realizing the situation were right behind; it was only a series of savage fights at close quarters which lasted well into the night and a final counter attack by 6 SS PZ IVs which allowed their comrades to get out, but at the loss of 5 tanks and crew. Kharkov had changed hands for the fourth time in the war and was a ruined city, its new owners, the Russians.
Rostov – Keeping the Door Open
In the South Rostov was now the last city on the Russians hit list, the vital gate to and from the Caucus for an entire German army desperately racing for the few remaining bridges available across the Donets River. Holding the line at Rostov was a combination of Whermacht, SS and Italian, some deployed to defend forward of the river, others racing to prepare the defenses within the city. Rostov was the main target of the Russians and because of this the majority of Russian forces had been assigned to the south, for most of August they had battled westward, driving the Germans before them, but as they approached the bend of the Donets and last gap of land between them and the Sea of Azov the Germans began to stiffen, fight back with more than before and, under Mansteins direction, begin to engage and slow the Russians so to buy time for the remaining German forces racing to get out of the trap the Russians had sprung.
By late September the Russians had swung round the bend of the river and were approaching the city from the south, chasing the remaining units heading for the safety across the river. On September the 20th with the victory at Kharkov still fresh the lead units of the Russians began to approach the crossing points outside the city. Here the Germans planned to fight for as long as possible before falling back across the river, buying as much time as possible.
Desperation showed on many faces in the German forces, they had been fighting hard for over two months and often with little to sustain them, Rostov was vital and they knew it, if the Russians made it across the river in force before the defenses could be reinforced the whole Southern Front would crumble and leave them trapped between and reds and the Sea with only one exit open, a mad scramble towards the Crimean Peninsula to the Eastern rampart being constructed, they all knew they had to buy as much time as possible.
The first Units to engage the enemy was the Italian Littorio Tank Division, dug in on the southern bank of the Donets among the scattered industrial buildings and small copses of trees that dotted the terrain. The Russians had access to the main road and rail that ran into the city but it was heavily mined and both sides knew it, In the early morning light the first Russian units began to move out of the ground mist towards the Italian positions. At first there was only scattered fire until the lead elements of the first wave ran into heavy fire from Italian fortifications. With a halfhearted attack on the right flank the Russians committed the bulk of their forces in a left hook, hoping to swing round behind the well defended fortifications but ran straight into the mines laid earlier.
For several hours of chaotic fighting Russian units struggled to make headway through the hail of fire and the hidden menace of the mines, by 11:30 the road that ran along the bank had been reached but at heavy cost and a swift Italian counter attack by the Tigers and Panthers of the Littorio drove them back to their lines in panic.
The next part of the line to be hit was regular Wehrmacht troops, dug in and defending the main road link into the city, again the Russians attacked in force, this time a mixture of tanks and men, surging behind the wall of smoke and suppressive fire that was being rained down by rockets and supporting artillery. Once the initial barrage stopped the Russians found themselves again in the midst of mines while accurate MG fire rained down on them from prepared positions, more Russian units came on and the casualties continued to mount but slowly they were gaining ground. By mid afternoon the first Russian units were within throwing distance of the industrial works south of the river but were blocked by stiff defenses built around two quarries which offered good cover and high ground from which to harass the approaching troops and tanks with MG and AT fire. Several waves of troops attempted to storm the quarries but were driven back every time by the defenders. Even repeated artillery was unable to dislodge them. It was beginning to look as if the line would hold for several days and the defenders took quiet satisfaction in their work.
The Russians were not to be denied and while the main attack appeared to be coming in the center of the line, Russian Sappers were quietly clearing the ground on the far left flank, site of the first main assault, but their work wasn’t done yet and the defenders there made them pay for every man that showed his head with a hail of MG fire from the well sited 34s and 42s.
In the Center sheer numbers was again paying off as the defenders began to run low on ammunition and by sheer tenacity the Russians were now hugging the edge of the quarries, engaged in brutal close range fire fights amid the smoke and havoc of competing artillery. But with the day drawing to a close the Wehrmacht launched a counterattack to clear out the Russians and although they took casualties the fragments of the Russian formations were broken and for the third time in the day the Russians fell back towards their lines.
Like the chess masters they were the Russians had planned several moves ahead and now switched to the right flank, sending a regiment of mechanized infantry streaking for the tree line and the SS FrieKorps Danmark who held their fire until the last minute before letting loose with everything at their disposal. Again the Russians were caught between dug in enemy and prepared obstacles like mines and wire and again they had to fight their way through, but unlike before they had the protection of APCs and swift moving T-34s to cover them and the SS defenders mowed down the first wave to find that another one was right behind. This time the defenders were caught and forced to fight without tank support and in the gathering dusk individual SS units found themselves holding ground in pockets, cut off from others, while the sound of tanks could be herd coming up from the south.
But it was not to be, in the nick of time a company of SS panthers took the high ground above the river and began to pick off any tank which dared to show itself, the infantry too were not spared as APCs were soon burning and the FrieKorp soldiers began to link up with other units and routed the attackers, but it was close and casualties were high.
Then the Russians delivered one final stoke. With less than hour before sunset and the day reduced to a smoky haze from repeated artillery strikes and destroyed vehicles they again switched back to the left flank and with the mines cleared swarmed through the gap on into the industrial area. The only thing between them and the bridges were two companies of SS tanks and supporting infantry. With no hesitation the SS began an immediate counter attack but to no avail, the Russians had delivered their master stroke with perfect timing and the SS tankers found themselves falling back in confusion as T-34s moved towards them firing as they came. A company of PZ IVs were soon driven right back to the banks of the river and was annihilated to the last tank in minutes. Without a pause the Russians swung hard right and drove into the industrial area, all which lay between them and the bridges. This time it was numbers and skill which swept the Russians on and tumbling in the maelstrom like so much flotsam and jetsam were the surviving SS forces who were rapidly breaking under the relentless attacks. The SS knocked out tanks but they were quickly replaced and in the narrow confines of the factories, oil tanks and warehouses the SS played hide and seek with T-34s and APCs full of assault troops. Some of the SS made it back the rally point along the main road while others were cut off in the industrial area and forced to fight their way out, some made it others did not. The Russian move only began to slow when massed tanks and artillery delivered point blank fire into the smoke the boiled from the industrial area, which lead the Russians to think that a major German counter attack was imminent and decided to dig in and meet it, but it never came.
Through the smoke the Tiger swung its barrel and fired at the shape of a T-34, less than 100 meters away. The T-34 rolled forwards and then stopped with its front touching the wall of the warehouse. The turret MG fired at the crew which scrambled from the tank as smoke began to boil out of it, two men dropped, one rolling off the turret and onto the rear deck the other stumbling to the ground. The rest disappeared into the smoke.
The Tiger blocked the access between two warehouses, holding at bay the Russians which had attempted to come through but now mortar and artillery rounds were dropping, one HE round tore the corner off one warehouse and shook the tank with enough force to rock it on its tracks. A mortar round hit the front plate with a wrenching clang while another tore earth just in front.
For a moment the Tiger was stunned, its engines idling. Then with a roar and the clang of gears it began to move backwards.
From through the smoke shouting in Russian could be herd and figures came running through the smoke, “Urah!” The bow and turret MGs fired but the figures were hugging the walls making it hard to bring the guns to bear. The Tiger clipped the wall of a warehouse and slowed, its turret MG catching several figures and cutting them down.
Lurching forwards and then back the metal monster pulled itself free and continued backwards, firing as it went, its movements panicky now, jerking left and right as it attempted to straighten its exit out of the narrow defile.
With the fire of MGs blasting back more figures to its front it was nearly clear of the defile and out to the road where its section mate waited, covering its flank. In the narrow between the warehouses the figures fell back into the smoke.
Increasing speed the tank reversed out of the gap and with a tremendous clang in its rear ran into something which brought the tank to a sudden halt.
From inside the Tiger there was a confused shouting and the turret began to turn but caught on the end of the warehouse, the side pistol port popped open. From inside an eye looked back at what had caused the Tank to stop. Behind it was its brother, flames licking from its turret, drivers hatch open and a burning torso slumped forward, twisted and charred in obvious agony.
Then the shapes returned but this time to the rear, one clambered onto the rear deck and was knocked off by a burst from a SMG from the pistol port, but others swarmed to the side, out of the angle of the port. The clang of anti tank mines on the hull sounded and then desperate shouting from within the tank. The front hatch sprung open, followed by the rear and turret but it was too late. Three mines exploded in succession tearing the Tiger apart.
By nightfall the Germans began a hasty evacuation of the south bank and fell back across the Donets and into the city. At midnight the sound of repeated explosions tore through the darkness as the bridges were destroyed, some units were still on the south bank and either crossed the river by their own means or were picked up by small boats, barges and ferries that the Germans pressed into service in the night.
The next morning the evacuation was complete and while the defenders dug in and waited for a Russian assault across the river it never came. There was only one small raid on the night of the 25th when two battalions of sappers infiltrated across the river and attempted a bridgehead but were easily destroyed. For the next week small units of Russians crossed the river and fought running battles in the city but the fighting was sporadic and of little effect.
The sudden ceasitation of Russian activity was due to the previously mentioned supply shortages caused by German successes in the battle of the Atlantic. The Russians had the men, and the fuel but lacked the food, ammo and tanks to make any further advances needed to get across the river in force and so began to consolidate their gains, including a large number of captured German tanks which would be later pressed into service against their former owners.
As October began the Russian were forced to wind the operations down along the front, the failure at Smolensk and Rostov had been partially offset by the success at Kharkov but it had been to close and while the Germans were also suffering supply difficulties they were not affected by the situation in the Atlantic. In the Kremlin Stalin’s advisors had to tread carefully as the dictators was adamant that the offensive should not be lost or given over to the invaders and it was only in late November that he began to see a degree of reason but only after ordering the drawing up of plans for a spring offensive in early 1944.
Like Kursk before it the Kharkov salient bulged ominously westward and was a threat to the German lines, unlike Kursk the Russians did not have the time to create the massive defensive works that Kursk saw due to the shortage of civilian population to be pressed into service. The German High Command also realized the importance of not giving the Russians time to consolidate the bulge and even as the withdrawal was in operation plans were being drawn up for a new offensive. Hitler seeing an opportunity pushed his generals to find a way to regain the offensive and hold it and so Plans were begun for Operation Winter Stoß (Winter Thrust).
