Manstein Strikes Back

A scenario for Panzer Campaigns - Kharkov.

By Rick Bancroft
E-Mail - rbancroft@att.net

Files Included:

MansteinStrikesBack.scn - scenario file.
Kharkov43.oob - custom oob file.
weather.dat - weather file for optional programmed weather.
Winter43.pdt - custom pdt file.
There are five folders containing art for new units included in the scenario.


Suggested optional rules:

Recommend playing with locking ZOCs off, virtual supply trucks, programmed weather, default fire and melee rules.  Other optional rules are fine, if desired.

This scenario requires the latest update for PzC Kharkov available from the HPS site at www.hpssims.com.


Scenario Design Decisions

The German forces may break down into company forces.  Their battalion heavy weapons company strength is integrated into the line companies.  The Soviet forces are primarily battalions, although some cavalry may deploy in squadrons.

German forces were in a state of flux at this point in time, with organizations changing names, such as Army Group Don to Army Group South.  I tried to use the name for each organization that fit the current state of the battle the best.

In general, the units on both sides were severely understrength.  However, I set most of them up at something close to full strength in the OOB and then lowered the strength in the scenario so that resting units would build back up.  Both sides were sending many replacements and equipment to the front, and the Germans were disbanding some of the panzer divisions and integrating the remaining men and equipment into other units.  Thus, having units well below full strength will allow the rebuilding of the units that did occur.

Most reinforcements for both sides have a protection rating of 3 hexes, so it is a good idea to avoid moving closer than 4 hexes to the map edges of the oppossing side.  This would be the west, south and the very bottom of the east edges for the Germans, and the east and north sides for the Soviets.

There is a weather.dat file to provide relatively realistic chances of weather conditions.  As time goes by, the chance of mud or soft conditions increases, so movement will slow down greatly toward the end of the scenario.  There are small chances of frozen of mud conditions in the beginning, though, as there were warm days like 18 February when Totenkopf was stuck in the mud, and cold days where the rivers and streams froze solid.  Most days left the rivers uncrossable by tanks however, as a number were lost in falling through the ice.


Background

This scenario, during the period 15 February - 17 March, 1943, represents the last major successful offensive by the Germans in the war in the east.  The Soviet military forces, flush with success after success, launched Operation Star, to seize Kharkov and Kursk and drive east to cross the Dnepr river, and Operation Gallop, to cut the lines of communication to the German forces near Rostov and and the Mius river, at the end of January.  The forces involved had been in nearly continuous combat since mid-December and supply lines were over-extended and the forces involved worn down in strength.  However, the Axis powers had lost the 8th Italian, 2nd Hungarian, and quite a bit of the 2nd German Armies, along with the 6th Army that was in the process of surrundering at this time, giving the attacks a chance at success.

Meanwhile, the Germans had moved nearly every available formation toward the area to close the massive holes in their lines and hold Kharkov.  The SS Panzer Korps, with Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler, Das Reich and Totenkopf, along with a number of infantry divisions, were moved from France to the Kharkov area in late January and the month of February.  Also, PzGr Division Grossdeutschland was sent south from Army Group Center where it had played a key role in stopping Operation Mars.  Hitler demanded that Kharkov be held at all costs.  At the start of the scenario, the Germans have a huge hole between Kharkov and Slavyansk in the south, and another hole north of Kharkov.  The SS troops sent many of their mobile troops south to block Soviet cavalry threatening the communications lines into the city from the south, but in the north there are few troops available to block the Soviet thrust.  

Operation Gallop, aimed at the Sea of Azov, had hit a road block at the town of Slavyansk, which forced the Soviet forces to strike further west.  The Soviet forces bypassed Slavyansk and reached the town of Krasnoarmeyskoye on the main rail line from the Dnepr river to the German forces along the Mius river.  Other forces were approaching Pavlograd, Krasnograd and the Dnepr river at Dnepropetrovsk.  Manstein, commanding Army Group South, was planning a counterattack to cut off the Soviet spearheads in the south, then with a number of weak Heer panzer divisions, would strike toward Kharkov from the south and southwest.  This could only be carried out if the city of Kharkov was given up to allow the SS Panzer Korps to lead the attack.  Fortunately, Hausser, commander of the SS Panzer Korps, took it upon himself to order a withdrawal on the 14th of February, although the order was temporarily cancelled.  This gave his men the opportunity to pull out of the city on the 15th as the Soviet forces closed in.

This set the stage for a wide ranging series of battles throughout the area, as Manstein's plans were carried out to perfection.  However, the Soviet forces came close to reaching their goals coming within 15 kilometers of the Dnepr river and its rail lines that supplied the entire southern portion of the German army, and Hitler who was visiting Manstein's HQ at the time.  You, the player, now have the chance to determine the fate of the fighting during this critical phase of the war.


Bibliography

Downing, Davd, "The Devil's Virtuosos: German Generals at War 1940-5", St. Martin's Press, New York, NY, 1977.

Glantz, David M., "From the Don to the Dnepr", Frank Cass Publishers, London, 1998.

Glantz, David M., "Zhukov's Greatest Defeat", University Press of Kansas, KS, 1999.

Jentz, Thomas L., "Panzer Truppen 2", Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, 1996.

Lucas, James, "Das Reich", Arms and Armour Press, London, 1991.

Nafziger, George F., "The German Order of Battle, Panzers and Artillery in World War II", Combined Publishing, Conshohocken, PA, 2001.

Nafziger, George F., "The German Order of Battle, Waffen SS and Other Units  in World War II", Greenhill Books, London, 1995.

Nipe, Jr., George M., "Last Victory in Russia", Schiffer Publishing, China, 2000.

Perrett, Bryan, "Knights of the Black Cross", St. Martin's Press, New York, NY, 1986.

Poirier, Robert G. and Conner, Albert Z., "The Red Army Order of Battle in the Great Patriotic War", Presidio Press, Novato, CA, 1985.

von Mellenthin, F.W., "Panzer Battles", University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma City, OK, 1956

Williamson, Gordon, "SS: The Blood-Soaked Soil", Brown Books, London, 1995.


Also, Michael Avanzini provided inspiration and filled in many missing details for the order of battle.  His assistance and willingness to answer questions was extremely helpful.  He has my utmost gratitude.

Steve "Von Niemack" also provided some missing details for both the German and Soviet forces.  Again, my thanks go out to him for his help.