On the 3rd July 1944 Vasilevski and Zhukov made their plans to continue the success of Operation Bagration. Vitebsk and Orsha had already fallen, so now the Russian Generals gave the order to attack Mogilev and Bobruisk. The 2nd and 7th Cavalry Corps would attack Bobruisk, pinning the defenders, while the tanks of the 9th Tank Corps and 4th Army Tank bridgade swept into Osipovichi, where the 20th Panzer Division was known to be waiting. The 2nd Byelorussian Front Engineers, aided by the 4th Cavalry Corps would attack Mogilev, now surrounded and cut off. Further north the 1st Air army and 63rd Guards Heavy Tank Regiment was ordered to close the Gorki pocket.
Model too had not been idle. In the north he ordered a counter attack from Dzisna, led by the 505. Schwere Panzer Abteilung, towards Vitebsk, while the Panthers of the 5th Panzer Division were redeployed to Lepel, ordered to attack south to drive the Russians out of Berezino. Meanwhile the beleaguered forces in the Gorki pocket would advance west towards Bhykov. If successful the thousands of troops in the pocket would be saved.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
26th June – 2nd July (Turn 1)
In the north Vitebsk was the first to fall. Surrounded and short on fuel and supplies the German army, supported by 3. Panzerarmee Engineers, were unable to prevent the 1st Baltic Front army from sweeping into the city. Fighting was intense, but the defences prepared by the Germans ended up hindering their own ability to counter attack, and by the 3rd day the Russian 1st Tank Corps and 1st Baltic Front Engineers had taken the city, destroying the valuable German engineer formation.
While Vitebsk was falling and Orsha came under heavy soviet attack, the Germans launched their own counter offensive from the region of Bhykov. The 501. Schwere (heavy) Panzer abteilung swung north into Dobryna, hoping to relieve Vitebsk, while Panzergrenadiers of the 18. And 25. Divisions moved east, hoping to take the Russian 63rd Guards Heavy Tank regiment by surprised.
The German advance was partially successful. In the east the IS2s of the red army were not expecting an attack, and acts of extreme heroism, and a good slice of luck drove off the 2nd Byelorussian front army, surrounding and decimating the heavy tank regiment, which had to be pulled from front line activities.
Gorki had fallen to the Germans, and Model’s Army Group Centre had reached the line they had held on the 22nd June, but on 29th of June the Panzergrenadiers received some bad news. Further west the heavy Tiger tanks had run straight into the 2nd and 3rd Guards Tank Corps, and a major sweeping tank battle had taken place east of Tolochin. The destruction was awesome, but the Germans were unable to make good their losses, and after two days the German counter attack had floundered, and the Red Army chased the Germans out of Bhykov and across the Berezina river. The Germans in Gorki were now cut off.
Worse was to follow for the German 4th Army. On the 30th June Orsha fell. Surrounded, the 4th Armee Engineers and the 78. Sturm division retreated to the Gorki pocket, leaving the infantry to face the advancing Russians alone. Just three Panthers made a futile counter attack against the 5th Army Independent Tank Brigade and the 5th Artillery Corps, as the Russians swept into the city. Hitler was furious that his troops had retreated, though the Gorki pocket had now become a significant thorn in the Red Army’s side.
As July 1944 began the Germans found themselves in more trouble. Mogilev, now surrounded following the loss of Byhkov, found itself even further from German lines as the 9th Tank Corps and 4th Army Independent Tank Brigade swept north west out of Zhlobin, defeating the badly outnumbered 9th Armee Engineers, who were forced to retreat to Smolevichi. By the 3rd of July the Germans had so far been unable to stop the advancing Russian tide. Worse still the 1st Tank Corps had found Polotsk only lightly defended, and were able to exploit the fact, moving up the Dzisna river towards Vilna.
While Vitebsk was falling and Orsha came under heavy soviet attack, the Germans launched their own counter offensive from the region of Bhykov. The 501. Schwere (heavy) Panzer abteilung swung north into Dobryna, hoping to relieve Vitebsk, while Panzergrenadiers of the 18. And 25. Divisions moved east, hoping to take the Russian 63rd Guards Heavy Tank regiment by surprised.
The German advance was partially successful. In the east the IS2s of the red army were not expecting an attack, and acts of extreme heroism, and a good slice of luck drove off the 2nd Byelorussian front army, surrounding and decimating the heavy tank regiment, which had to be pulled from front line activities.
Gorki had fallen to the Germans, and Model’s Army Group Centre had reached the line they had held on the 22nd June, but on 29th of June the Panzergrenadiers received some bad news. Further west the heavy Tiger tanks had run straight into the 2nd and 3rd Guards Tank Corps, and a major sweeping tank battle had taken place east of Tolochin. The destruction was awesome, but the Germans were unable to make good their losses, and after two days the German counter attack had floundered, and the Red Army chased the Germans out of Bhykov and across the Berezina river. The Germans in Gorki were now cut off.
Worse was to follow for the German 4th Army. On the 30th June Orsha fell. Surrounded, the 4th Armee Engineers and the 78. Sturm division retreated to the Gorki pocket, leaving the infantry to face the advancing Russians alone. Just three Panthers made a futile counter attack against the 5th Army Independent Tank Brigade and the 5th Artillery Corps, as the Russians swept into the city. Hitler was furious that his troops had retreated, though the Gorki pocket had now become a significant thorn in the Red Army’s side.
As July 1944 began the Germans found themselves in more trouble. Mogilev, now surrounded following the loss of Byhkov, found itself even further from German lines as the 9th Tank Corps and 4th Army Independent Tank Brigade swept north west out of Zhlobin, defeating the badly outnumbered 9th Armee Engineers, who were forced to retreat to Smolevichi. By the 3rd of July the Germans had so far been unable to stop the advancing Russian tide. Worse still the 1st Tank Corps had found Polotsk only lightly defended, and were able to exploit the fact, moving up the Dzisna river towards Vilna.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Current Map
Current positions on the Russian front near Minsk. The Germans are pushed out of Vitebsk and crushed in the woods of Berezino and Bykhov, but the German offensive on Gorki takes the red army by surprise. Now the Soviet advance on Orsha is pivotal to the overall strategic aims of Mother Russia. Full reports to follow...
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Turn 1
As the battle progressed, the Soviet advance had surrounded Vitebsk and advanced in the south. The soviet forces continued their offensive, attacking the surrounded city and also mounting an assault on Orsha. However, in the centre the German commander mounted a counter-attack north of Mogilev, in order to relieve the pressure on Orsha and aiming to stop the Russians in their tracks!
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