Embedded Files
PLAYER OPINIONS OF THE SCENARIO
"the Germans could not gain access to the village center. By turn 5, bolstered by many platoons of tanks, the Russian force became impenetrable. The Germans halted their attack."
"the Germans decided to sweep into the village from the direction of Hill 522. Through attrition the Russians in the village could not stop the advance from the north and the initial tank reinforcements were severely limited by the movement. By then, the Germans had occupied Hill 522 with both panzers and grenadiers."
"A fun match with multiple elements to it."
Completed May 29, 2021
Allied-Axis-Draw (4-1-0) - Allied+.
All recorded games (6-5-0) - Balanced.
Two games ongoing.
See sheet below for summary of results.
Resources
Sowchos 79 card
Scenario start file download
Counting Down the Scenarios, Scenario 16
Recounting, a second look at the scenarios, scen 16
We follow Squad Leader Academy conventions
The use of ACTS is recommended.
Squad Leader (VSQL) module 4.2.2 download
Vassal 3.2.17 download
Vassal 3.3.0+ is not compatible w/ 4.2.2
Schedule
Started January 2, 2021.
Complete May 29, 2021.
Historic Resources
Robert G. Walters. 1989. Order Out of Chaos: A Case Study of the Application of Auftragstaktik by the 11th Panzer Division During the Chir River Battles of 7-19 December 1942. Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey, California.
F W Von Mellenthin. 1979. Armored Warfare in World War II. Battelee Columbus Laboratories Tactical Technology Center. Columbus Ohio.
(a good public domain source if you don't own Panzer Battles.)
David T. Zabecki. The Greatest German General No One Ever Heard Of. retrieved December 15, 2020.
https://www.historynet.com/the-greatest-german-general-no-one-ever-heard-of.htm
F W Von Mellenthin. 1956. Panzer Battles. Ballantine Books. New York. (He discusses the battle in Chapter 11 and is a major source of information.)
Herman Balck. 1981. Order in Chaos: The Memoirs of General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck. Interesting story, even outside Sowchos 79.
Historical Overview
Geocode: 48.455515,42.846823
Our scenarios ‘the Tractor Works’ and ‘Sowchos 79’ bookend one of the most significant two month periods of the twentieth century. On October 6th, the Germans are closing in on the Dzerhezinsky Tractor Works and victory in Stalingrad. A mere two months later Balck’s 11 Panzer Division is diverted from the relief of Stalingrad to deal with the Chir River crisis. Between the two dates the Soviets execute Operation Uranus, which encircles the 6th Army at Stalingrad and eventually destroys them. The world watched the Soviet Army come into its own, and start the long, bloody trek to becoming a world superpower.
The Chir River battle was studied late into the twentieth century as a brilliant defense of a weak position against a numerically superior attacker and a parallel to the situation faced by NATO units in Central Europe. The infantry held the line that allowed mobility for the armor, and that operational freedom allowed it to be at the right place at the right time.
“Night drives save blood’ -- Hermann Balck
Sowchos uses the German spelling with the 'w' pronounced as 'v' in english.
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