Command Ops Stalingrad: Race To The Volga - Available for Download

German Panzergrendiers climbing bluffs along the Volga outside of Stalingrad.

A special thanks to Doug at Cry Havoc blog and Tim Williams at RangerX3X blog for their help in playtesting this scenario.  There were a number of challenges bringing this particular scenario to life and their suggestions were essential to fixing the gameplay issues.

Scenario Background:

14 September 1942 06:30
Historical Scenario

Two German armies, the 6th and the 4th Panzer Army, are racing across the steppe towards the doomed city of Stalingrad.  The Soviet forces holding them back have retreated into the outskirts of the City as the Luftwaffe launches an unprecedented bombing campaign against them destroying much of the city and inflicting up to 40,000 civilian casualties.

As the German commander, General Paulus your mission is to strike swiftly into the City and seize a number of objectives across a 35km wide front and then hold them against the Soviet counterattacks.

As the Soviet commander, General Chuikov you must hold the Germans back until reinforcements can cross the Volga into the City.

Scenario Statistics:

Axis: 131 units
Allies: 126 units

Axis Combat power: 414.82
Allies Combat power: 260.00

German Units in this scenario:  

6th Army: 389th Infantry Division, 100th Jager Division, 71st Infantry Division and 24th Panzer Division.

4th Panzer Army:   14th Panzer Division

Soviet Units in this scenario:

62nd Army:  13th Guards Rifle division, 35th Guards Rifle division, 10th NKVD division, 244th Rifle division, 42nd Special brigade, 149th Special brigade, 137th Tank brigade and the 184th tank brigade

Author's Note:

The original version of this scenario stretched the limits of the engine.  Seven German divisions were represented and 12 Soviet formations.  The majority of the Soviet force was scheduled to arrive as a reinforcement and then ferry across the Volga all within the same day.  That proved too difficult with just three ferry crossings and the constraints of the engine.  To circumvent this, I've added a total of  11 crossings and the 13th Guards division will start on the map queued up for the crossings.  The number of formations was also problematic, causing the game engine to slow, and so I've cut the OOBs down to more manageable sizes.

Historically the "Volga flotilla" completely transported the 13th across the river by 19:00 hours on Day 1 while coming under fire from the Luftwaffe.  This feat I think should be as famous as say the 82nd Airborne's crossing at Nijmegen but remains largely unknown here in the West because it was on the eastern front.  If the 13th hadn't successfully crossed the river that day it is unlikely the 62nd Army would have been able to hold on inside the City.


Files for Download:

The estab file has been updated since Operation Hubertus was released.  You should download the estab file and the xml file again to play this scenario.

The Soviet estab now includes: armor units with T-34 and KV-1 tanks as well as NKVD units and Soviet Special Brigades (Worker militia drawn from the Factories).

The map of Stalingrad has also been expanded beyond my Operation Hubertus map and must be downloaded to play this scenario.


Scenario file. (Place in My Scenarios folder)
Map file. (Add to maps folder)
Map cache file. (Add to maps folder)
Estab file. (Add to Estab folder)
Estab XML. (Add to Estab folder)
Estab Image File (Add to Estab Folder)
Andrey Yeremenko Signature File (Graphics/Scenario/Default)
Maximillian Von Weichs Signature File (Graphics/Scenario/Default)
Signature Read Me File

I hope you enjoy this scenario!  Please feel free to leave me a comment below with any feedback/suggestions.

Also, if you have not downloaded Operation Hubertus (the first Stalingrad scenario) you can grab the scenario file here and the map file and map cache here and here.  The estab and signature files are the same.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Looks great! Just grabbed it. Can I ask if I create a folder in Estabs called EFSTEStab_Images to un-archive the images into? Cheers, Mark
Chris said…
Hi Mark. I am not sure about that. I have this estab images file inside the estab folder with the base game images file. It doesnt interfere with the base game.

Doug Miller said…
Congratulations Chris, another great scenario. Definitely rewards smart use of armor if playing from the German side. A real change of pace from Hubertus!
Chris said…
Thanks Doug! It is indeed a change from Hubertus.
Unknown said…
when i try to run the scenario it says i need 4.5.264 in order to run but i have the latest battle of greece game installed and there is no update yet for that game
be grateful for some advice
thanks
steve
Chris said…
Hi Steve. 4.5 was a patch inside the matrix games members forum. It has since been replaced by 4.6 (happened last week I believe). If you download 4.6 this scenario should be playable. To get the patch you need to sign into the matrix games members forums (free to do).

The latest patch is here:

http://www.matrixgames.com/members/privateDL.asp?gid=377

Let me know if this helps and I hope you enjoy the scenario.

Chris

Unknown said…
Thanks Chris
I'll give it a go as soon as my work load allows me
Really looking forward to this stalingrad scenario
I'll let you know if I get it up n running
Cheers
Steve
Chris said…
Great, thanks Steve.
Unknown said…
it crashed
maybe i will try and install game files again tomorrow
Unknown said…
it would seem the patch has corrupted my full game files of command ops
Chris said…
oh no...let me see if i can find the original 4.5 patch file...maybe i can get from game folders

that way you can uninstall 4.6 and then try with 4.5 which I have
Chris said…
Hi Steve. try this link. Its for a 222mb file that I downloaded in december. I think this is it but I am not positive.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/294bvbq7hkgim04/COBattlesfromtheBulge-Update-v44264beta.exe
Unknown said…
Thanks for your quick reply Chris
Just out of work and far from my puter
Will try in the morning
So all I do is install this patch.
What happens before with the patch you mentioned is game loads then I choose the stalingrad scenario
Click on it then a screen comes up saying something like " this could take a long time " then after five minutes or so I get the scenario options screen which I chose German with all parent options clicked that then crash.
Because I had to rush to work I only had a chance to try and run a Greek scenario
I chose the scenario and then got the same " this will take a long time" screen I thought weird then had to come to work.
Unknown said…
I'll try the latest you mentioned in the morning (Hong Kong time)
Chris said…
Hi Steve. I did some digging in the forum and found a number of people having similar issues with the new patch. Before you try running the file I sent (which I am not positive is the patch you need), try this fix:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3527704

Apparently the issue is with the maps and is causing the game to crash if it is outside of the Battles of the Bulge stock maps.

I've not downloaded the 4.6 patch yet and now that I see this and with your problems I probably won't until this is resolved.

Sorry this is happening. At least it is a common issue with the new patch and potentially has a fix already worked out.

If this doesn't work, I would try the file I sent. I can't be sure it is what you will need, but it is pretty big and I don't remember any updates beyond the 4.5 patch I added. I started playing the game in Sept and this looks like the only file I downloaded since then for CO.

Chris
Unknown said…
I understand thanks Chris
Maybe the .6 patch does the damage
I'm home from work and need sleep
Will try tomorrow your latest link
Will let you know ASAP
If all else fails I will delete the whole "she boggle"all on say Saturday but ask your advice in what order and what I install
Thanks for your attentiveness
Steve
Unknown said…
succes thanks chris
i did what you last suggested and it worked.
the only problem of course is that i may need to do this for many other hth and greek scenarios but with the time investment in each scenario its hardly the end of the world

thanks again and i look forward any new great scenarios you make
any chance of a full mega campaign for stalingrad
cheers
steve
Chris said…
Hi Steve. I am glad that worked.

I don't have any plans for a Stalingrad mega campaign. I do have a number of Eastern Front scenarios in the queue though:

Richtofen's Gamble: an historical what-if, German paratroopers were dropped on the eastern side of the Volga as the Germans attacked Stalingrad.

Objective Taganrog: The fight for the port of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov. This is a division v. division sized scenario and will be released this week.

The Perekop Line: A fight for control of the isthmus approaching Sevastopol. This pits 2 German infantry divisions against Soviet naval infantry and a rifle division from the 51st Army.

And

Rostov or Bust: The German attack into Rosotov by the 14th Panzer division.

Objective Taganrog will be released today most likely.

I hope you enjoy Race to the Volga and Operation Hubertus.

Chris
Unknown said…
Thanks Chris
Sounds fantastic indeed. Keep up the good work
Really look forward to your great scenarios
A big thank you!
Cheers
Steve

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