The Assault on Kiev.
EFS System Army Group South. Scenario #1.
Background:
The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. This encirclement is considered the largest encirclement in the history of warfare (by number of troops). The operation
ran from 7 August to 26 September 1941 as part of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union.[3] In Soviet military history, it is referred to as the Kiev Strategic Defensive Operation, with somewhat different dating of 7 July – 26 September 1941.[4] . Much of the Southwestern Front of the Red Army (Mikhail Kirponos) was encircled but small groups of Red Army troops managed to escape the cauldron, days after the German pincers met east of the city, including the headquarters of Marshal Semyon Budyonny, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko and Commissar Nikita Khrushchev. Kirponos was trapped behind German lines and killed while trying to break out.
The battle was an unprecedented defeat for the Red Army, exceeding even the Battle of Białystok–Minsk of June–July 1941. The encirclement trapped 452,700 soldiers, 2,642 guns and mortars and 64 tanks, of which scarcely 15,000 escaped from the encirclement by 2 October. The Southwestern Front suffered 700,544 casualties, including 616,304 killed, captured or missing during the battle. The 5th, 37th, 26th, 21st and the 38th armies, consisting of 43 divisions, were almost annihilated and the 40th Army suffered many losses. Like the Western Front before it, the Southwestern Front had to be recreated almost from scratch.
(Stahel, 2012) & (Wikipedia) & [youtube]
Battle of Kiev
Objectives?
Take Kiev in 1 of three or four ways! 😉 Read on.
Turn 1 [ 21] August 1-2.
Dry & storms.
The Germans plan their attack on the Southern approaches of Kiev.
Axis movement:
All the initial attacks are low odds probing attacks to sort out where we might be able to get lucky, and to filfill soak off requirements The net of it is we earn 1 solid 56:1 attack!!
If we can generate 1 retreat somewhere we can sneak across the fortified line and garner the wedge we need to push back the Soviets.
3:1+1 Force out units away from river! 2:1 +3 , 6:1 +1, 3:1 +1
Soviets respond with a 1:1 Atk and lose 2R.
Turn 2 August 3-4
At the start of Turn 2 this is the current situation! With no aid Turn 1 it was much harder to force the issue. The big attack fizzled while the lower odds ones got us across the defensive line and knock off some steps. But at a price. We must not lose more than 12 step or it’s a Auto Victory for the Soviets.
Germans renew attack and look to cross river up North and clear fortifications.
Soviet –
North 2:1 +2 1R open the way!!
A counter attack forces the 75th out of the breach and a step loss.
In the Sth the attack fails. And lose a step and retreat behind the fortified Soviet line.
Not good. But after the Soviets 2nd turn we see the germ of a plan. He has repositioned forces in the North closer to Kiev and shrunk his line. This explains why we make no progress! He is swapping weakened units out and now needs to shorten the line. A review of the Victory Conditions exposes a new plan for the Von Kleist’s men.
German attacks:
Turn 3
We rapidly reinforce across the fortified line and press into his Eastern side of the Fortifications. We now have 5 step losses so limited attacks this turn, just a re ordering of forces – especially Arty.
Our attacks in the North go in at 9:1, dropping back to 4:1 but we smash the unit. The 71st leads the next attack despite valiant efforts and a big Arty comitt we earn no effect! The 99th kicks some minor ass, and the 95th muscles the weaker Soviets in a 5:1 attack.
We have 1 unit adjacent to Kiev!
Soviets counter attacks had no effect. They make a 2:1 +2 attack an attack in the center generating a 1/R. Germans retreat, out of the fortifications. In the South they make a 3:1 attack that goes wrong. 1R result .
They deepen their defense and look to hold the key city hexes. [ Might not be fully aware of the win conditions in total as there are several of them]
Turn 4
Axis do not attack they have what they need to win. Now we must consolidate the gains.
They cross the river and force the Flotilla to retreat. Then they work on moving units to encircle Kiev [Then only later I realise – there is not supply in this scenario!] DOAH!! So it makes nix.
End:
We agree that the scenario is at a stand still. I don’t need to attack, his attacks at best to dislodge me from adjacency to Kiev can only must a 1:2. He treis one attack and it goes horribly wrong.
I think both of us had a good time exercising the system and crunching thru minor things we were not sure of. This system sans Supply flies pretty rapidly. The asymmetry several hampers the Soviet player in 1941 early ’42..