Background
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (or Kharkiv) between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Known to the German side as the Donets Campaign, and to in the Soviet Union as the Donbas and Kharkov operations, the German counterstrike led to the recapture of the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod.
On 19 February, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein launched his Kharkov counterstrike, using the fresh II SS Panzer Corps and two panzer armies. The Wehrmacht flanked, encircled, and defeated the Red Army’s armored spearheads south of Kharkov. This enabled Manstein to renew his offensive against the city of Kharkov proper on 7 March. Despite orders to encircle Kharkov from the north the SS Panzer Corps instead decided to directly engage Kharkov on 11 March. This led to four days of house-to-house fighting before Kharkov was recaptured by the 1st SS Panzer Division on 15 March. The German forces recaptured Belgorod two days later, creating the salient which in July 1943 would lead to the Battle of Kursk. The German offensive cost the Red Army an estimated 90,000 casualties. The house-to-house fighting in Kharkov was also particularly bloody for the German SS Panzer Corps, which had approximately 4,300 men killed and wounded by the time operations ended in mid March.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Kharkov
The Game
Terrain:
- The board was covered in grassland with a couple of gentle rises, towns and woods. A main road stretched across the center of the battlefield from end to end.
- Scenario Rules:
- All grass provides concealment for all infantry and small gun teams.
- Play is across the wide end of the table.
- Side controlling the center road is the winner.
Forces:
The battle represents a German screening Panzer Aufklarungs Abteilung engaging a Soviet Motorcycle Battalion. Germans can only take forces from Panzer Aufklarungs or Panzer Spah Kompanies. The Soviets can only take Rota Radveski units or Tankovy armed with only T-60 or T-70 tanks.
Oops.. Unfortunately, I misplaced my notes. As such, just a picture dump this time. I can tell you that it ended up being a German victory, as the Soviet morale broke before the Germans. Enjoy the photos!
– Manteuffel