Layout: Chris Cummins Battleplan, Report 003 Photos: ER Bickford October 2009

World at War #9 – Destruction of Army Group Center

By ER Bickord

Historical Scenario surrounded in entrenchments This campaign is set in the northern half of the along the Berezina River. Using eastern front, beginning in late June 1944. There are air support, the Soviet 65th Army nine weekly turns, culminating at the end of August and a cav-mech group manage 1944. The scale is 16 miles per hex and the units are to reduce the panzers. Just to corps-sized. Victory and defeat balances on Soviet VP, the north of Mogilev, Soviet which are collected by capturing towns and cities. In 31st and 33rd Armies attack 39th order to win the Soviets need 31 VP. Two of the large Panzer Corps, which is forced VP awards are for Koenigsberg and any coastal hex to retreat. Then 11th Guards and west of Riga. They each yield 10 VP. another cav-mech group push the th The German player has decided to pull back as weakened 27 Corps into Orsha. th th much as possible, because the front line is too vast to The 5 Army and 5 Guards Tank rd defend. That won’t be easy, though, as the Soviets will attack 53 Corps with Soviet air support. That forces th attack relentlessly and try to maintain contact with the the Germans to retreat. The 9 Infantry Corps is pushed th retreating Germans. to the north of Borisev. The 6 Shock Army attacks the Turn One, 23-30 June 1944 fortified town of Polotsk, which falls easily for another VP. The Soviets have the initiative and the burden of The Germans receive Korps Gruppe Saucken as attack. On turn one a number of special rules are in reinforcement just south of the Dvina River. (KG must force. Only units within range of the Bagration Center be placed atop a friendly unit within stacking limits.) of Gravity marker [4004] activate and attack, though The one replacement step goes to 27th Corps in Orsha. with a positive column shift. Following the plan, the German units try to retreat to The opening attacks, during the pre-movement create a shortened front. No counterattacks are launched. combat phase, have mixed results. All the Bagration The Soviets have saved four air armies to perform in- units are mandated an attack. One air support marker terdiction missions against retreating units. (All units in is used for close ground support, while the rest are an interdicted hex have a variable movement rate equal reserved for the post-movement combat phase. (The to a die roll.) Several retreating units don’t move as far Soviet player must also determine how many air armies as was hoped and are left exposed. to reserve for interdiction against German units that at- tempt to run.) Two of the attacks in the south result in Turn Two, 1-7 July nd th st attacker eliminations, which flips a full-strength unit to The Soviets receive 2 Tank Army, the 47 and 1 its reduced side. Another attack is bogged down into an Polish Armies along with six replacement points. Only AS (attack stalled), while the rest are successful. Two two RP are used and the rest are lost. Soviet armies and a cav-mech group get the blood bath Starting on this turn, Soviet shock armies get a result, which reduces the 11th Guards and the German favorable column shift in combat. The Soviets attack 27th Corps. The fortified locality of Vitebsk falls to the with overwhelming strength and capture the towns of Soviets, and the first of the many VP needed is gained. Mogilev and Orsha. (two VP). Pskov also falls, for The rest of the attacks produce defender retreats. another VP. An attack is launched against Narva, which rd During movement the Soviets manage to surround is held by the German 43 Corps. The Soviets commit two German units in the porous area in the south near an air army for support and have the combat benefit of nd Minsk. In post-movement combat, the Soviets use three 2 Shock Army (a one-column right shift). The result air armies for close support. The 41st Panzer Corps is is a bloodbath. The German corps and the shock army BATTLEPLAN are reduced in place. To the south of Bobruyesk, two will allow additional flexibility during movement. Also Soviet units attack 41st Panzer Corps. Using air support, KG Weidling and KG Hartnek are deployed south of the the Soviets crush the German panzers. Dvina River. One replacement is received and used to st During movement, several Soviet armies are out of bring back 41 Panzer Corps in a reduced state. Along supply due to the Pripyat Marsh rules. Those units roll with those reinforcements, the German player may now a die to determine their movement allowance. The 69th use his Armor Concentration marker once per turn to Army captures the town of Kowel (one VP). A major support an attack. breakthrough is made in the north near Lake Pskov, and No German attacks are made, however, as the German three Soviet armies are just about to outflank that entire player is still following his original plan of trading space German position. for time. Soviet air interdiction continues to hamper the The 28th Corps is surrounded at Pskov, and a blood- retreating forces in the north while the partisan areas bath results in losses to both sides. Ten more attacks are in the south also serve to slow the retreat. At this time made along the German line. The 6th SS is surrounded the Soviets have 11 VP (31 are needed for a victory). about a hundred miles south of Pskov. With no retreat Turn Three, 8-14 July path, it’s reduced in place. The Soviet 4th Shock Army The Soviets receive the 1st Ukrainian Front in the and the German 9th Corps both lose a step to the north south. That organization has three infantry armies and of Borisov, which falls to the Soviets (one VP). The at- two cav-mech groups. Those units are allowed only a tacks in the area of Minsk have partisan effects in favor limited area of operation. Only cav-mech may trace sup- of the Soviets (a one- column shift). That allows the ply through the Western Pripyat marshes. The Soviets Soviet player to conserve his air armies for interdiction. also get five RP, which are used to restore depleted units German 6th Corps is reduced. Bobruyesk falls to the to full-strength. Group Pliyev (the cav-mech group that Soviets (one VP) and finally, on the north flank, Narva was reduced and OOS last turn) receives replacements. falls (four VP). The German player pulls a powerful The 11th Guards Army is also replenished. The 2nd and panzer corps out of Narva for the important mission of 4th Shock Armies are also replenished. anchoring the flank on Riga. During pre-movement combat the Soviets attack The German army receives one RP and three KG some German units have been caught out-of-supply. units. Korps Gruppe Kleffel is deployed in the north On the south flank German 55th Corps is destroyed. with 10th Corps, which isn’t in an enemy ZOC. That Then 6th Corps is eliminated to the west of Orsha. The 2 003 9th Corps is eliminated north of Borisov, and 28th Corps with a Soviet infantry army in a bloodbath result. Two to the south of Pskov. The Soviets are getting column armies attack 12th Corps near Slutsk with the support shifts for attacking OOS German units. of aircraft and partisans. That German infantry unit is First Ukrainian Front overruns its area of operations reduced. Group Pliyev is stalemated by the fortified th virtually unopposed. As a result they capture Chelm locality. In the rear area east of Daugavpils, 6 SS Corps th (one VP). The Soviet units that are OOS in the Western is eliminated. The 38 Corps is reduced west of Pskov, Pripyat mostly remain stuck due to poor movement die and KG Kleffel is pushed back just to the south. rolls. Other Soviet forces from the south advance to the The Germans have one RP, which is used to rebuild outskirts of the town of Slutsk and manage to engage 6th SS Corps at reduced strength. The German player German 12th Corps. The Soviet player establishes a solid launches a limited counterattack against Soviet 2nd Tank line on the eastern side of the Berezina River, anchored Army to the south of Tartu. The Armor Concentration in the north at Borisov, where cav-mech forces have Marker is successfully committed and 2nd Tank is forced nearly flanked the German position. (Cav-mech units to retreat. Then the Germans continue to pull back to the represent elite and highly mobile formations. They west. The Soviets use air interdiction (four markers). have reduced movement costs in forest and marsh, and The Soviets have 13 VP. therefore have the best chance at catching or outflank- Turn Four, 15-21 July ing enemy units.) The Soviets have no reinforcements and can only In the center the Soviet attackers have pushed forward commit two of their four RP. During the pre-movement th as far as the Minsk-Daugavpils line. The 6 SS Corps combat phase, 53rd Corps is attacked. The German unit (reduced) has been surrounded in the Soviet rear area. is surrounded and is easily dispatched. In the north the Soviet forces continue to push into the The 8th Army advances to the Baltic and captures Tal- retracting German line. linn unopposed (one VP). Daugavpils falls to 54th Army During post-movement combat the Soviet com- (one VP). German 2nd Corps is surrounded. Again the mander decides to use half his the air armies for ground Soviet units in the Western Pripyat fail to move due to th support. In the area northeast of Minsk, 27 Corps is attenuated supply. Three Soviet armies surround Slutsk eliminated. That then leaves 53rd Corps surrounded. and form an intimidating position around Minsk. Slutsk It’s reduced in place as a result of another Soviet attack. falls to the Soviets (one VP). Minks falls to the Pliyev th The 39 Panzer Corps is reduced in the south along Group (four VP). German 12th Corps is surrounded

BATTLEPLAN End Turn 5

and eliminated north of Minsk, and that’s followed by armies are reserved for that purpose, and two of them the destruction of 39th Panzer Corps. The German 2nd prove to be particularly effective when two interdicted Infantry Corps is reduced after becoming isolated west German units in the south get only one movement point of Daugavpils. The 1st Polish Army attacks the 6th SS each. th (reduced). It is forced to retreat. Then the 50 Corps The German player orders a further effort against 1st th is reduced. German 38 Corps is cut off south of Lake Polish Army on the Dvina River east of Riga. That unit Vorts. A bloodbath result eliminates that German unit is surrounded and cut off from supply, and is wiped out nd and bloodies Soviet 42 Army. in the fierce attack. The Germans receive only one replacement. It’s Turn Five, 22-31 July th st used to rebuild 39 Panzer Corps. Since 1 Polish The Soviets receive three RP and are able to use two. Army exposed its own flanks while trying to surround st th The 1 Polish Army is returned at reduced strength to German 50 Corps, it becomes the target of a German the eastern map edge, and another army is returned to counterattack. The German player attempts to commit full-strength. There are no more reinforcements. the Armor Concentration Marker, but he rolls badly One pre-movement attack is made, but the result is and the marker is rendered ineffective. The Polish unit attack stalled. The Soviets have 20 VP. Then 8th Army is reduced in the ensuing attack anyway. captures Parno unopposed (one VP). The 2nd Shock As the Germans continue to pull back, Soviet air Army captures Tartu (one VP) In the south. The towns of interdiction is used to hinder their movement. Five air 4 003 Lunmiec and Brest-Litovsk are engaged by two Soviet a battle with the garrison there (one VP). That brings armies. German 23rd Infantry Corps is surrounded to the VP total to 24. the southeast of Wilna. To the north the Soviets press The Germans receive reinforcements. The 1st Cavalry into contact with the German line at Riga. Corps and 4th SS Panzer Corps are deployed and KG The 23rd Infantry Corps is reduced after being at- Brenner forms with 1st Corps. A replacement is used tacked by three Soviet armies. It has no retreat path. To to restore 12th Infantry Corps. There are no counterat- the northeast of Wilna, two Soviet armies attack KG tacks. Hartneck, which is also cut off. The KG is eliminated. The Soviets have reserved two air armies for interdic- rd th The 3 Shock Army joins 5 Army in an attack against tion. The powerful 56th Panzer Corps, which is stuck KG Saucken. (This is the last turn shock armies get the in the west, along with 35th Infantry Corps near Wilna, positive column shift.) A bloodbath result destroys the are harried from the air. That interdiction limits the two rd KG and reduces 3 Shock. units to two and three movement points, respectively. In an effort to outflank the German line to the south, Turn Six, 1-7 August 54th Army attacks German 1st Corps using air support. st th The Soviets have two RP, and both are used to re- The 1 Corps gives a little ground in retreat. Soviet 10 store weakened units to full-strength. Turn six marks a Guards Army attacks the weakened 2nd Corps and forces nd turning point, as the whole Soviet force is henceforth it back as well. Soviet 22 Army attacks KG Weidling treated as out-of-supply all across the board. That using ground support aircraft. The KG retreats. Heavy means all Soviet movement allowances are based on a attacks are launched against the German positions east st die rolls. They also suffer a negative combat shift and of Riga. KG Kleffel is destroyed and Soviet 1 Shock shock armies no longer generate their combat bonus. Army is reduced. On the northern defensive position, (Soviet supply is “attenuated,” due to the inescapable Soviet 2nd Tank Army exchanges losses with 3rd SS th logistical exhaustion incurred during the heavy fighting Panzer Corps. In the final actions, 28 Army attacks and lengthy advances of the campaign’s first half.) Four the fortified locality of Lunmiec and the town falls (one st th main front air armies are removed, along with one 1 VP). Likewise, 69 Army captures Brest-Litovsk after Ukrainian Front air army, for the same reasons. BATTLEPLAN During Soviet pre-movement combat a number of The rest of the German forces in the area pull back attacks are ordered. German 23rd Corps, surrounded to defend the Riga entrenchments. A counterattack is south of Wilna, is attacked and is eliminated. The 10th launched against the weakened Soviet 47th Army, and Guards Army attacks German 1st Corps and forces it to that unit is eliminated. retreat. Then 1st Shock Army pushes 41st Corps into the Turn Seven, 8-14 August entrenchments near Riga. The Soviets receive one RP, which is used to return Soviet movement is erratic due to the supply attenu- 1st Shock Army to full-strength. During pre-movement th ation; however, 50 Army is in position to attack the combat, three Soviet armies, with the support of an air garrison at Baranowicze. A bloodbath result eliminates army, attack 41st Panzer Corps in the entrenchments east that garrison and reduces the Soviet army. Nonetheless, of Riga. The panzers are forced to retreat. KG Weidling the town is liberated (one VP). In another bloodbath near is forced back by two Soviet armies. th th Wilna, German 20 Corps is reduced as is Soviet 6 Soviet forces advance with some difficulty. The 28th Guards Army. German 2nd Infantry Corps is destroyed th Army moves through the Western Pripyat and launches on the southern bank of the Dvina by Soviet 10 Guards an attack against the garrison at Pinsk from the north. Army. Another crucial battle is waged to the east of Riga. rd st That garrison is eliminated and Pinsk is liberated by There the 3 SS Corps is eliminated and Soviet 1 Shock the Soviets (one VP). Then 70th Army attacks German Army is reduced in yet another bloodbath. Two armies th th 8 Corps in Bialystock. The German corps retreats and push 26 Corps against the shore of the Gulf of Riga. the town is taken (one VP). The Germans receive KG Strachwitz and KG Buneau st rd Three Soviet armies attack German 1 Corps on the south of the Dvina. One RP rebuilds the 3 SS Corps southern part of the Riga position in a forest. KG Brenner in Riga. The German player launches a counterattack th th is eliminated. The Soviets have nearly surrounded 10 against 47 Army to the east of the Dvina River. That Corps. The result of that battle is a bloodbath. German Soviet army is reduced. 10th Corps and the Soviet 67th Army are reduced. In a The Soviets have one air army to use for interdic- final attack the Soviet player strikes at the north flank of tion, and it searches out 56th Panzer Corps, a powerful the Riga position. German 1st Cavalry Corps is forced eight-strength-point unit. Despite the interdiction, 56th to retreat from the entrenchments. The Soviets have Panzer shifts to the southern bank of the Narew River. accumulated 27 VP. 6 003 The Germans receive 40th Panzer Corps as reinforce- longer mobile enough to continue making penetrations ment. It’s deployed in Riga. Two RP are also taken. The into the otherwise porous German defense. 27th Corps is deployed, at reduced strength, in Koenigs- Turn Eight, 15-21 August st berg. The 41 Panzer is replenished to full-strength in The Soviet commander uses his one RP to build up the Riga entrenchments. 6th Guards Army. The 2nd Shock Army leads an attack During pre-movement combat a counterattack is on the northern anchor of the German defense with the st launched against Soviet 1 Shock Army. The German support of 15th Air Army. The result is attack stalled. player successfully employs the Armor Concentration Then an infantry and tank army attack 39th Panzer Corps Marker (a die roll of one through five is effective). That on the eastern side of Riga. The panzers are eliminated, st generates a one-right CRT column shift, and 1 Shock as they’re unable to retreat. The 22nd Army attacks the is reduced a step. weakened 10th Corps to the southeast of Riga, getting The Soviets employ two air armies to interdict another attack stalled result. The 6th Guards Army attacks German columns. Again 56th Panzer and 8th Infantry 1st Infantry Corps east of Siaullai getting yet another Corps are singled out. The 8th Corps can barely move, attack stalled result. th while 56 Panzer crosses the Narew River with some The Soviet forces attempt to close the gap. The 11th difficulty. German forces east of Riga launch another Guards Army captures Wilna (one VP). Two Soviet st counterattack against Soviet 1 Shock Army. That Soviet armies attack German 20th Corps at Kaunus, which army is eliminated. results in a bloodbath. The German corps is eliminated Though the Soviet offensive has penetrated deeply and Soviet 49th Army is reduced while Kaunus is liber- across the map, due to its supply attenuation, it’s no ated (one VP). To the east of Siaullai the Soviets attack BATTLEPLAN two German KG. Both KG Strachwitz and KG Buneau Group Oslikovskiy pushed 8th Corps back into Inster- are eliminated. The 5th Guards Tank Army closes in on burg. German 35th Corps is driven away from Siaullai. the town. The 6th Guards push 1st Corps back toward A desperate attack is launched against Riga, which is the Riga entrenchments. now heavily defended. The Soviet effort is supported th A major attack is carried out against the German by 14 Air Army. Two shock armies are repulsed and formation due east of Riga. The German forces are en- both are reduced. The Soviets have 30 VP. At the end of trenched but face four Soviet armies. The 3rd Air Army Game Turn 9 they gain another for the area controlled st also supports the attack. Both the 26th Infantry and 41st by 1 Ukrainian Front. That is exactly enough for a Panzer Corps are reduced but hold their position. To Soviet victory. The Germans will surely attempt to take the south of Riga, Soviet 22nd Army, with 14th Air Army a one-VP location. The Soviets have three air armies to in support, forces German 50th Corps to retreat. Last, interdict German maneuvers. three armies and the 13th Air Army attack 10th Corps. The Germans receive four RP. The 6th SS is rebuilt That German infantry corps is eliminated due to not in Koenigsberg. Three other corps are replenished to having a retreat path. full-strength along the Baltic coast. The Soviets use The Germans receive three RP and use one to re- their air armies on the three German units closest to plenish a unit in the entrenchments around Riga. The the town of Siaullai, which is the most likely place of others rebuild units farther west. The Soviets have 29 attack. (Air interdiction changes affected units’ move- th VP out of the 31 needed for a victory. A couple towns ment allowances to a die roll result.) The 56 Panzer are potentially within reach. A big ticket item (10 VP) Corps (eight strength) rolls a one and therefore can’t th is controlling a coastal hex on the Baltic. Two Soviet even pull away from the ZOC of Group Pliyev. The 4 cav-mech units are within striking distance of the shore, SS Panzer rolls a five and moves into position to attack. th but the Germans have 56th Panzer and the 35th Infantry The 35 Corps also rolls a one. Though only one hex Corps in reserve. away, it costs an additional MP to enter an enemy ZOC. st th In the entrenchments south of Riga the German player The 1 and 50 Corps are ordered to maneuver from orders a counterattack. The Armor Concentration marker the western entrenchments near Riga to join the attack is successfully employed. As a result, Soviet 22nd Army against Siaullai. is reduced. The Battle of Siaullai Three German corps are maneuvered to guard the The Germans have assembled 15 combat factors coastline of the Baltic from the Soviet cav-mech. The while the Soviets have 13 CF in the town, plus the value newly arrived 39th Infantry Corps occupies Koenigsberg. of the town itself for defense. The Germans success- The 8th Corps covers the area east of Insterburg, and fully deploy the Armor Concentration marker to get a the 27th Corps moves into Memel. Another attack is favorable modifier. The Soviets are OOS, which gives launched against the weakened 22nd Army. The result a one-column shift in addition to that generated by the is a bloodbath: the Germans lose KG Weidling while Armor Concentration marker. The die roll generates a the Soviet army is destroyed. defender retreat, allowing the Germans to recapture the Turn Nine, 22-31 August town (minus-one Soviet VP). The Soviets give their one RP to 57th Army, east of The game ends there. The Soviets liberated 21 towns th and two cities (Minsk and Narva). That totals 29 VP, plus the Riga defenses. During pre-movement combat, 5 st Guards Tank Army links with 39th Army in an attack the 1 Ukrainian Front contributes a VP for securing its against Siaullai, which is defended by 35th Infantry area of operations, for a total of 30 VP. The Germans Corps. The town is freed from occupation (one VP), and barely squeak out a victory. that brings the Soviets to 30 VP. Four Soviet armies to the east of Riga attack the German entrenchments. The 41st Panzer Corps is pushed back in an attack against the southeastern entrenchments, and 6th SS is eliminated in a bloodbath. The Soviets lose 1st Polish Army. In the south, 69th Army makes a strike toward Lublin, but doesn’t get enough movement points to capture the town. (The Soviets roll a lot of ones during the movement phase, which is unfortunate, as they can’t get most of their units into useful positions.)

8 003 BATTLEPLAN