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A photo from 2004 when I took part in the 20+ player game refighting all of Kursk!
A Prequal to the Battle of Kursk 1943
A Prequal to the Battle of Kursk 1943
Megablitz is an operational level game written by Tim Gow.
The large scale games, in terms of players, number of toys and ground fought over, are one of the things that got me into miniatures gaming, especially big and multi-layered games.
Tim sold me the toys I first used around 20 years ago and this was their first battle.
Saturday 21st 2024 I organised, and Tim Gow umpired, a What If scenario of a prequal to Kursk 1943.
Below you will find some After Action Reports of the event.
The Soviet Leader taking a long step back to review his troops... from many km North.
The Soviet Leader taking a long step back to review his troops... from many km North.
Martin Rapier, Soviet 7th Army Commander's Report to the Stavka
The German Leader, in brown, providing unambiguous orders to his men.
The German Leader, in brown, providing unambiguous orders to his men.
Chris Kemp, General of Army Group Kemp's Report to OKW
Finally, when the Soviet archieves were opened up this account written by Soviet General Dexter Johnson was found.
Finally, when the Soviet archieves were opened up this account written by Soviet General Dexter Johnson was found.
It is unknown whether this report got him promoted, sent to a gulag or shot... perhaps all three in that order.
It is unknown whether this report got him promoted, sent to a gulag or shot... perhaps all three in that order.
To assist the reader, aerial photos of the action have been included but do not directly relate to the content.
'Heroic Stand of Red Army Infantry:
Glorious Martyrs of the Donets River'
Information below 100% accurate, any alternative versions are counter-revolutionary propaganda, possession/dissemination of such material will result in immediate transfer to a penal battalion.
Extract from Pravda, May XX, 1943, article titled 'Heroic Stand of Red Army Infantry: Glorious Martyrs of the Donets River'.
In the annals of Soviet history, there will be no greater testament to the unyielding bravery of our soldiers than the glorious stand of the 27th Guards Corps on the banks of the Donets River. Faced with impossible odds, these sons of the Motherland fought not for themselves, but for the victory of the working class, for the Soviet people, and for the future of socialism.
In a brazen and reckless move, three full German Panzer Corps attempted to break through our lines, seeking to cross the vital Donets River and drive a dagger into the heart of the Soviet defence. With fascist tanks rumbling forward like an iron plague, it was the 27th Guards Corps, under the command of heroic Comrade Lieutenant General Dexter Johnstone, who stood as the indomitable wall that halted this invasion.
Without hesitation, knowing that reinforcements were still hours away, the brave soldiers of the 27th Corps took up their positions, refusing to yield a single meter of sacred Soviet soil. They knew they were outnumbered. They knew that facing a mechanised force of such magnitude would be certain death. But their loyalty to the Motherland, their love for Stalin, and their hatred of the fascist invader gave them strength beyond measure.
From dawn until the last light of day, the 27th Corps held their ground. Waves of fascist tanks crashed against their positions, only to be met with defiant rifle fire, anti-tank grenades, and the furious will of Soviet fighters. Hour after hour, our men fought with a ferocity that sent shockwaves through the German ranks. For every soldier who fell, ten Germans were sent to the dust in disgrace.
Comrades, make no mistake—this was not simply a battle of men and machines. This was a battle of ideologies. The iron will of socialism against the bloodthirsty fascist hordes. The soldiers of the 27th Corps knew they would not return home to their loved ones, but they also knew that their sacrifice would be the spark of victory that would crush the enemy.
By nightfall, the enemy had thrown all of their armoured might against the river, but they were stalled! This delay allowed our heroic tank reinforcements, the 58th Guards Tank Corps, to arrive with fresh fury. The fascists, now caught in disarray, were swiftly crushed beneath the tracks of our glorious T-34 tanks.
What the enemy had intended as their swift victory turned into their final, humiliating defeat. The Donets River remains ours, and the path to victory is secured, not through cold steel alone, but through the unbreakable spirit of Soviet man.
Though the 27th Guard Corps perished to the last, their sacrifice was not in vain. These brave sons of the Motherland died as martyrs of the Soviet cause. Let their names be remembered for eternity! Let every factory worker, every collective farmer, every child of the Soviet Union take pride in their unyielding defence of socialism.
Their blood will be avenged, their sacrifice will inspire, and the fascist invaders will be driven from our lands. The great Soviet Union, under the leadership of Comrade Stalin, marches ever onward to final victory!
Glory to the heroes of the 27th Infantry Corps! Glory to the Red Army! Glory to the Soviet Motherland!
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