Jun II

Surprise Turn:

Attacking the Soviet MLR proves extremely tough, and woeful die rolling leads to reverses in both the north and south. The results of my three most critical attacks are EX, DR (with retreat route), and AS- hardly a scintillating jump-off! AGN also rolls a couple of retreats and exchanges. AGC, however, has smoother sailing: all their attacks yield kills without loss.

AGN:

In the regular turn 4th Panzergruppe takes Riga and Daugavpils, but most AGN infantry remains near the border subduing the surviving Soviet border forces. In exploit, 4th Panzergruppe advances boldly to the Latvian-Soviet border in compliance with Fuhrer Directive 22 1/2. "Don't you think I should fall back a few hexes?" Hoppner asks hopefully, contemplating his exposed positions and hanging left flank. "Nah!" responds OKH after a cursory glance.

AGC:

Meanwhile, AGC executes a nearperfect move, mopping up all the border forces except a small pocket near Grodno. During the exploit Minsk is overrun, much to the chagrin of STAVKA (Pavlov gets shot again?). Additional panzers move up to secure a line along the Berezina River and over to Polotsk. Further south, a 10-10 Pz XX gobbles up two-thirds of the Pripet Marsh.

AGS and Romania:

South of the marsh, AGS discovers that a handful of c/m divisions can reach attack positions against the Soviet second line of defense near Rowne. (Under interrogation, the commander of Kiev MD admits to having inadvertently set up his reserve line one hex too close to the border.) In the bitter combat that follows the Germans break through and hook behind the Soviet line, cutting off several elite c/m formations. This does not come cheaply, however: a Motor XX is cadred, and a Panzer III eliminated. To the rear Lwow falls, but several stacks of border units (mostly c/m) still hold out (thanks in part to an AR in a key attack). The Romanians establish three bridgeheads over the Prut River; it doesn't look like the Soviets intend to contest Bessarabia.

USSR North:

The Soviets tally their losses at around 250, and decide that to be tolerable. They then turn greedy eyes on the exposed Totenkopf and 6th Panzer XX in Latvia (there is something about SS and 12-10 panzer divisions that Reds just can't resist!). Despite less than expected odds, due to failure to remember that Motorized is 1/7 AEC and ATEC in Sudden Storm, the Soviets crush both units. Total German casualties for the Jun II turn end up around 50.

USSR South:

Most unentangled units in the Kiev MD fall back toward the Dnepr River, leaving only a screening force near the Soviet border. Many units of this weak solid line are tank divisions that could move no further east, victims of the unexpected speed of the German advance.

Jul I

Finland:

The Finnish command is informed by spies that the Soviets will exercise "The Arctic Runaway." It therefore attacks aggressively to inflict maximum loss ere the Reds slink off. All initial attacks succeed.

AGN:

Needless to say, 4th Panzergruppe gets the July armored replacements. We rebuild Totenkopf and replace 6th Panzer at cadre strength. Massing so much strength against a few hexes in Latvia has left the Soviets with only a shell defense further south. AGN sees that 4th Panzergruppe can break through with ease and advance in a mailed fist to the Velikie Luki area. There they can circle the trucks and face whatever the Reds throw at them. Again Hoppner frets to 0KH, "Looks really dangerous, what do you think?" This time Halder takes a longer stare at the situation. "Your weakest stack is 15? Go for it!" Most AGN infantry is still mopping up Soviet pockets far to the rear.

AGC:

The capture of Minsk allows AGC to regauge the rail lines up to the Berezina River.

(The Soviets soon begin to complain that the Sudden Storm rules give the Germans an unrealistic regauging ability, and it is true that all these hexes could not be regauged so quickly in a regular game, even if Minsk were captured. We reach a gentleman's agreement several turns later to limit to four the number of contiguous hexes the Germans can regauge each turn, and this seems to work well.) The infantry and artillery march forward, and the panzers establish a secure position running from Mogilev northward to Vitebsk. A flying column seizes almost all of the Pripet Marsh.

AGS and Romania:

Knots of fierce fighting extend from the Axis-Soviet Demarcation Line all the way to Vinnitsa. When the dust clears the Germans have blown many holes in the weak line in front of Kiev and bagged most Soviet stragglers. Nonetheless, some potent Russian units (mostly armor) still hold out in the rear. Some of these pests threaten communications and limit lst Panzergruppe to a timid exploit only as far as the woods east of Korosten. In Romania, the Soviets attempt to disengage, but many cannot run away far enough. Consequently, the Romanians reclaim all of Bessarabia while inflicting many casualties.

USSR North:

The armored anvil near Velikie-Luki draws a Soviet counterattack like a giant magnet. Hitting the 15-point stack (which includes a truck unit) at 3:1 (-1) the Soviets roll an HX, cadreing 1st Panzer XX and 3rd Motor XX, and hijacking the trucks. To add to our discomfort, Toterikopf and 6th Panzer XX are again set upon in Latvia and annihilated, while 36th Motor XX is besieged in Tartu by Soviet rabble. By turn's end all of 4th Panzergruppe is either unsupplied and isolated, cadred, or dead. Since these actions consume most Soviet reinforcements and rail cap, the troops in front of AGC give ground, a pattern that will be repeated often.

USSR South:

The Russians trapped behind the spearheads of AGS make their presence felt as several c/m divisions trash a German Motor XX (isolated) near Shepetovka. Ahead of this action the Soviets leave only a screening force behind the Dnepr and hero stacks in Kiev and Odessa. The rest of the Soviet southern wing begins to regroup between Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk. The Kharkov factory is prepared for transfer.

Jul II

Finland:

The Soviets are falling back, but do not seem to be running away. This allows the Finns to strike another hard blow (although taking losses themselves). The Soviet line sags.

AGN:

With no armored replacements left, Totenkopf and 6th Panzer stay in the dead pile. There is hell to pay: 4th Panzergruppe (now down to half strength) is surrounded in two pockets and Soviet offensive forces in Latvia now face only infantry. To quell this burgeoning disaster AGN uses all the rail capacity to send infantry to the Latvian front, where they methodically chew up several Soviet c1m units. Meanwhile, AGC dispatches a panzer corps to relieve the four German c/m divisions near Velikie Luki; these units are subsequently attached to AGC.

AGC:

Besides rescuing the hard-pressed 4th Panzergruppe, AGC also continues its advance on the Moscow axis, clearing all opposition in range and moving up to a line ranging from Smolensk north to the Valdai Hills. Most infantry and artillery are still marching for the front. Regauging zips forward at a rapid clip. Some desultory fighting erupts in the Gomel area.

AGS and Rumania:

1st Panzergruppe breaks across the Dnepr River north and south of Kiev, pocketing the city and about ten divisions (the AGS exploit is conducted by stand-in Mike Beckley while I am away at the Friday seminars). 11th Army lays siege to Odessa, while most Romanians scramble toward the Dnepr River.

USSR North:

The Russians shift their attack into Estonia, where the 36th Motor XX is reduced to cadre by the newly arriving 1st Tank XX and supporting units. Most of the Soviet c/m units concentrated in the Velikie Luki area take up the defense of the Valdai Hills. Little attention is paid to the relentless and rapid advance of AGC towards Moscow.

USSR South:

A fort line is built (in just one turn, I might add) from Stalino to Kharkov and the Soviets start to man it. Units inside and outside the Kiev pocket manage to create a supply corridor through the loose German encirclement.

Second Front: First Battlefield Report Origins/Europafest 1994

Sudden Storm at the Fest Teams and Set Up
June and July 1941
August and September 1941
October 1941 and Conclusion