This was the Russian strike after the battle of Kursk. Any illusion of German power should have been erased at this time and the Wermacht should have been withdrawn to Germany at this time, if possible. Three Soviet army groups attacked to the north of the Kursk bulge with 1.25 million men. They hit 37 German divisions. The Germans were shocked and 5 weeks of fighting resulted in the liberation of Orel and a 100-mile advance. In the south, one million Soviets hit 18 German divisions. Belgrade and Kharkov were retaken and there was a 100-mile advance. The 4th Battle of Kharkov was a street fight and the Germans left by the worst possible route. In 5 weeks, the flower of the German army was decimated. Already stopped during the ill- fated Kursk offensive, the Germans were buried under 3:1 odds with 10:1 at impact points. The Hagen Line saved the Germans in the north, but to the south the next stop was the Dnieper but that is another story. In the north the terrain should include trees, valleys, poor roads, railroads, and some steppe, of course. In the south is the steppe. Mid-war vehicles for both sides in summer camouflage. Old Glory and Chuck Cook's company make great 15mm troops and I have my 6 mm GHQ, Heroic-Ross armies. Naturally, the Soviets must fight in steamroller style and the Germans knock them out with superior optics, radios, and training: +1 die rolls and all the rest. In the end, with 10: 1 disadvantages, a fighting retreat is the best the German can expect. Back to MWAN #102 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com