The Sharp End Gaming

German Pioneers advance into Stalingrad.  Scenario Description : Sep 17, 1942 Semi- Historical German forces of the 6th Army have launched offensive operations against the Soviet held positions in Stalingrad's northern suburbs and the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory. Given the hard fighting in the city center, the operations staff within 6th Army HQ believe the fall of the Tractor Factory can be achieved within a 9 day timetable, once adequate forces are brought to bear. Intelligence believes Soviet resistance will cease within the City after the seizure of the Factory. Author's Notes : This scenario is meant to be played as the Germans. The primary source for this scenario is Stalingrad 1942 by Peter Antill.  David Glantz's Gates of Stalingrad has also provided useful information about the German OOB, especially 16th Panzer. The Sledgehammer scenario is available for download here . You will need to use the Stalingrad North - Tractor Factory map as well...

It only took 15 hours of fighting and a ridiculous, reckless charge of a full Panzer regiment to pull it off... Kampfgruppe Sieckenius from 2 Pz Regt seizes Rynok.  

I am finding it hard, given my work schedule to complete the Kharkov scenario.  The map is tremendously detailed and the Orders of Battle are huge.  I decided last night however that it would be quicker to rework my old Operation Hubertus scenario (my first eastern front scenario from CO1) using my newer map of Stalingrad.  And so I have begun constructing this scenario. My plan is to use the Memorial Day holiday as a jumpstart to this effort and possibly finish by the end of the week. The beginnings of my revised Hubertus scenario: To the Volga.

The following is an AAR of my "Second Assault" scenario which covers the fighting inside Stalingrad from Sept 27, 1942 until October 1, 1942..   September 27, 1942 10:00hrs Offensive operations resumed within the city.  295 and 71 Infantry divisions directed to attack Mamaev Kurgan.  Six battalions of Grenadier infantry well supported by artillery move against height.  Opposition consisting of 284 Siberian Inf division and elements of 13th or 39th Guards? North of city.  Aufklarungs bn 16th Panzer moves to Hill 130 overlooking the Tractor Factory and Orlovka river. Probing attack by 1 Bn of 389 Infantry division sent against Orlovka. Unknown Soviet defenses. 16:00hrs  Soviet reinforcements crossing Volga at Waterworks have come under heavy bombardment.  Reinforcements occupy main Waterworks building.  Possible battalion,   Attack against Mamaev Kurgan ongoing. 54th Jager Regiment 100th Inf Division moving into positions west ...

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 So...

Race to the Volga (RTV) is still a work in progress.  There are a lot of moving parts and so based on what I learned from building out Hubertus I am going to play through this scenario as much as possible before I finish creating it.  That way I can focus on specific units on both sides. The screenshots below are from Day 1 as the Germans.  My objectives for day 1 are to move into the Yelshanka suburbs, grab the Betekovka Ferry crossing south of Stalingrad and if possible occupy Hill 120 west of Stalingrad. 14th Panzer probes the steppe south of Hill 120. Three German armor formations begin their attacks on 62nd Army positions on Hill 120, the Brick Factory in Kuprosnoye and the Yelshanka objective.  You can also see that KG Bassler has entered Betekovka. The Soviets turned back my probe of Hill 120 just before midnight.  Under the cover of darkness I withdrew my battalion to regroup.  Southeast of Hill 120 you can see my probes of the sou...

This video provides glimpses of the suburbs of Stalingrad and the hilly terrain around the city. It also gives the viewer a sense of the destruction caused by the Luftwaffe in advance of the 6th Army advance. In the days prior to the German entry into the city up to 40,000 civilians were killed by air attacks. The thought that every soldier in this video was likely hurt, killed or captured during the battle is eerie.  

My first dip back into the world of computer war games last year was Decisive Campaigns Case Blue.  I had just finished rereading William Craig's Enemy at the Gates (my second favorite book about war) when I read about this game.  I quickly bought it and jumped in with both feet, skipping the rules and learning on the fly. A German soldier at Stalingrad.  The desolation is complete.  No game to my knowledge does an adequate job representing the scope of the fighting in Stalingrad. Since then I've periodically opened the game to continue my saved Operation Uranus campaign.  I am playing as the Germans and working hard to avert the disaster I know is coming.  I've made some strategic decisions as the front commander that would have earned me a flight back to the Wolf's Lair and a firing squad and it's only turn 3. It is a testament to how f'd up Hitler's control of the army was that you find the Germans and their allies spread so thinly.  To cou...