A Second Attempt

Overall picture at dawn, Day 2.  The table may be recognisable
from the previous day's action, but moved along and reoriented.

This is a quick posting - a deal shorter than planned - outlining the second day of 6th Shock Army's offensive.  On this occasion, the battered 5th Mechanised Brigade had been pulled out of the line, and the rest of the Army's formations have been drawn in, supported by one of its Medium Artillery regiments.  I have in fact already played out this action, only to discover:

1.  An annoying 'continuity error'.
2.  A misinterpretation of one of the combat mechanics - so badly that the result can not stand.

The battle will simply have to be refought! O, the hardship!

6th Shock Army on its start line.

Orders of Battle:

Soviet 6th Shock Army:

Commander, General M. M. Popovitchski
Army Staffs, sigs etc
Army Transport Column: LOG=2
1063rd (Medium) Artillery Regiment: (1x152mmm piece, half-track tow) SP=3
8th Tank Corps:
     General, SP=1
     HQ staff, sigs etc
     Supply Column, medium truck LOG=3
     139th Tank Brigade (T34 and infantry stand) SP=3
     140th Tank Brigade (T34 and infantry stand) SP=3
     141st Tank Brigade (T34 and infantry stand) SP=3
     47th Rifle Division (4 rifle stands) SP=4
     77th Field  Artillery Regiment ( 76.2mm field gun) SP=2
4th Cavalry Corps (weakened by losses, and less its Tank Brigade)
     General SP=1
     HQ: staff, sigs etc
     Supply Column, 3 pack horses LOG =2
     6th Cavalry Brigade (2 Cavalry stands) SP=2
     7th Cavalry Brigade (2 cavalry stands) SP=2
     Field Artillery Regiment (76.2mm field gun) SP=2
88th Rifle Division (6 rifle stands) SP=5
259th Rifle Division ( " ) SP=5
301st Rifle Division ( " ) SP=5
316th Rifle Division ( " ) SP=5

Totals by 6th Shock Army: SP=53; LOG=7

German Forces:

17th Panzer Divsion (weakened by losses):
     General SP=1
     HQ staff sigs etc
     27th Supply Column LOG=3
     I/39 Panzer Battalion (PzIVG) SP=3
     II/39 Panzer Battalion (PzIIIM) SP=2
     40/63 Panzergrenadier Brigade (4 stands, 1 halftrack) SP=5
     27th Panzerartillerie Regiment (Wespe SP 10.5cm light artillery) SP=2:

Totals by 17th Panzer Division: SP=13, LOG=3

544 Grenadier Division (arrived overnight)
     General SP=1
     HQ staff sigs etc
     544th Supply Column LOG=1
     200th Grenadier Regiment (2 Rifle stands) SP=2
     489th Grenadier Regiment (2 Rifle stands) SP=2
     490th Grenadier Regiment (2 Rifle stands) SP=2
     544th Panzerjager Battalion (PaK40 75L46 with truck tow) SP=2
     544th Light Artillery Regiment (10.5cm howitzer with horse traction) SP=2

Totals by 544th Grenadier Division: SP=11, LOG=1
   

A note on Strength Points.  Rather than using SP by stand representing a battalion, I have adopted a more collective approach to the infantry.  Infantry, still representing battalions (more or less) are grouped by regiment, brigade or Division, with a base line of 1 SP per base.  The number of stands will correspond approximately to numerical strength, but the SP values will be adjusted by troop quality, equipment, and mobility.  Apart from the small 47th Rifle Division, the Soviet Rifle Divisions' SP have been reduced by 1 apiece in accordance with their status as conscripts.

The observant reader might have noticed that the tank brigades of the Tank Corps all have SP=3, compared with the SP=4 or 5 of the Mechanised Brigade. This is in fact to represent numbers compared with the rather larger tank inventories in the Mechanised Corps.  The Heavy Tank Brigade in that Corps got an extra SP on top of that for its superior armour (KV85).  Meanwhile, 544th Grenadier Division, though fresh, is a very weak formation by German standards, qualitatively and quantitatively.

To the right is the table replotted onto a map.  Well, actually, the map was plotted first, and the table plotted from the map.  The pink arrowed lines purports to be General Popovitchski's battle plan.

To be continued.

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