This scenario is part of a a series that depicts different phases of the battle on Hill 239. The first scenario is the main relief attempt, SCHWERPUNKT!". The next depicts the final relief attempt that occurred later that day, "NIMM DAS JETZT!". The third scenario portrays the first elements of the organized breakout "THE RIDE OF THE WALKYRIE"; it ends with a last ditch effort by survivors of the trapped corps, "FINAL DESPERATION". The last two scenarios haven't been playtested.

SCHWERPUNKT!

ASL SCENARIO JDS1. All rights reserved. (c) Jeff Shields, 1995.

AAR: Schwerpunkt!

HILL 239, East of LISSJANKA, 16 February 1944: The battles on the Dnieper had been bitter and costly. The salient at Cherkassy was the last crossing still held by the Germans. In January, Russian armored pincers had torn past the salient, boldly netting a pocket containing six and half divisions of the German XI and XLII Army Corps. It fell on the armored force of the III Panzer Corps to relieve the pocket and save the 56,000 men that were trapped within. Due to Hitler's meddling, the Germans had wasted precious time on a flank attack to the north, but soon the 1st Panzer Division was driving on Korsun. In conjunction with Lieutenant Colonel Baeke's schwere Panzer Abteilung, the division made a thrust for Hill 239. The high ground dominated the surrounding steppe; its capture was critical to the breakout of the forces in the cauldron.

AFTERMATH: The heavy tanks of Baeke's regiment engaged the Soviet 5th Guard Tank Army in a desperate struggle for the hill. Three German tanks made it to the crest, only to be forced off by flanking fire. Russian tanks counterattacked from the northern road, and the eastern and southern forests. Over 70 T34s were destroyed in the ensuing battle, but the German attack was brought to a standstill. The heavy tank regiment, whose successes had tallied over 400 kills since its inception, had been stopped.

Possible Handicaps:
G3: Use G2, and the Turn 3 and Turn 5 Russian reinforcement group enter one turn earlier.
G2: Use G1, and add one 9-2 Armor Leader to any one of the Russian reinforcement groups.
G1: In the German OB, Replace the 10-2 with one 9-2.
R1: Remove the 152 ART Gun and its crew from the Russian OB.
R2: Use R1, and add 4 PzIVHs to the German OB.
R3: Use R2, and in the Russian OB, replace the five SU-85s with five SU-122s.

VICTORY CONDITIONS:
At game end, the last side to have soley occupied all of the Level 2 hill hexes wins.

BOARD CONFIGURATION:

N
/\
|---------------|
|	|	|
|	|	|  (Only hexrows Q-GG are playable)
|	|	|
|-----14|-----18|

TURN RECORD CHART
RUSSIAN Sets Up First
GERMAN Moves First
Eight Game Turns

RUSSIAN OB:
Elements of the 5th Guards Tank Corps set up on board 18 on Level 2 hill hexe(s): {SAN: 0}

3x2-2-8, 1x152 ART, 2x85L ART

Armor elements of the 5th Guards Tank Corps enter as indicated:

On Turn 1 along the south edge of board 18: 3xSU-152, 5xSU-85, 9-2 A.L.
On Turn 3 along the north edge of board 18: 6xT-34 M43, 8-1 A.L.
On Turn 5 along the east edge of board 18: 3xSU-152, 5xKV-85, 9-1 A.L.

GERMAN OB:
Advance elements of Kampfgruppe Frank, Panzer Division 1 and Schwere Panzer Abteilung Baeke enter on Turn 1 along the west edge of board 14: {SAN 0}

6xPzVG, 6xPzVIE(L), 10-2 A.L., 9-2 A.L., 2x9-1 A.L.

SPECIAL RULES
  1. Weather is Mud (E3.6; A24.6) [EXC: a vehicle's/platoon's Bog DR is not rolled until it enters the mapboard], with a Mild Breeze from the northwest.
  2. No Sunken Roads exist; instead they are treated as normal Level 0 roads.
  3. The 1st Panzer Division and the 5th Guards Tank Corps are elite (C8.2). All German AFV crews have a ML of 9.
  4. Germans receive air support in the form of two Stukas.
  5. Ignore AFV crew survival except during shock/immobilization/abandonment conditions.
Designer notes: You treadheads will love this scenario. The Panzerkeil tactic is a must for a successful German win. It may work for the Russian, too. Due to the mud, smoke occurs only as a result of blazing tanks.

From: Carell, P. 1966. Scorched Earth. Ballantine Books, New York, NY, 652 pp. (Part 7: Cherkassy, pages 465-505). Other sources also have published accounts and figures.

Scenario design by Jeffrey Shields

Send playtest reports or comments to jeff@vims.edu