Kontrudar

One of the challenges of assuming the role of General Georgi Knostantinovich Zhukov in The Gamers' Stalingrad Pocket is the diverse capabilities of the armies under your cornmand and the variety of missions these armies must accomplish. In this article, we will attempt to discuss each army. focusing on mission, composition, and the likelihood of success in fulfilling those missions in the first few turns of Scenafio 3, The Stalingrad Pocket.

Under General Zhukov's command for the Kontrudar (counterblow) are three powerful fronts. These are the South-western Front (General N. F. Vatutin), the Don Front (General Rokossovsky), and the Stalingrad Front (General Yeremenko).

The Northern Blow

Of these three fronts, the main blow will come from the South-western Front which consists of three armies: First Guards (General D. D. Lelyuchenko), the powerful Fifth Tank (General P. L. Romanenko), and the Twenty-first (General I. M. Chistyakov).

The First Guard Army is the army located on the extreme right of the Soviet forces. It consists of 7 units totaling 18 attack factors and 31 defense factors but has only one exploitation capable unit, the 22nd Motorized Infantry Brigade and a good Headquarters, a 4-2. Generally, the First Guards will be the flank protection for the Fifth Tank Army on its advance toward Kalach (34.18) and Nizhne-Chirskaya (37.10). However, a gambit that you can try is to take the bridge over the Don between Vesheriskaya (03.07) and Belogorkav (03.06). If only one regiment of the Rumanian First Corps is there, bombard with the Katyusha rocket - launchers -illocated to the First Guards and follow it up with an assault with three infantry divisions. With any luck, the 22nd Motorized can move and exploit to Bokovshay (11.04), seizing vital bridges and blocking the retreat of the Rumanian and German forces between the Don and Chir Rivers. If this succeeds, the Soviet player should consider turning the Fifth Tank Army west to seize the German reinforcement hexes (G), and driving along the west bank of the Chir River toward Nizhne-Chirskaya. This gambit would entail greater risk (extended flanks) but could have a larger payoff (a larger pocket with the possibility of exiting forces to shift victory levels).

If the First Guards fail to get a bridgehead across the Chir quickly, then you should limit them to covering the bridges of the Chir,as flank protection for the Fifth Tank army, and as cannon fodder for losses to keep the Fifth Tank Army spearheads strong. Chances of fulfilling the simple goals of the First Guards are very good as long as the player does not hold delusions of grandeur from the name of the army.

The Fifth Tank Army is the Sunday punch of the South-western Front. With 19 units totaling 68 attack factors and 71 defense factors, and a great Headquarters (5-2) the Fifth Tank is a pleasure to command. Besides the fine exploitation capable units available ( 13), the Fifth Tank also has the lion share of the Katyusha rockets on the first turn (32 factors out of a total 44). Barring good luck for the First Guard Army in seizing the bridge at Vesheriskaya-Belogorka, the Fifth Tank should make a steady line towards the Nizhne-Chirskaya area along the road that runs along Kotovskii (11. 12), Perelazovskii ( 18.11 ) and crosses the Chir River at Surovikino (30.10-3 1. 10) with a goal ofgetting a bridgehead in this area. By threatening the area between Nizhne-Chirskaya and Tormosin (39.04), the Fifth Tank can eliminate a good staging area for the Germans in their attempt to rescue any force left in Stalingrad. If the German abandons the Stalingrad area, then the Fifth Tank is a threat to the reinforcement hexes of F and E.

The German player will most certainly attempt to run to the Chir River with anything that can walk and counterattack with any units that have no other lot in life than to die. As the commander of the Fifth Tank, welcome any attempt of the Germans to stand and Fight as every Axis unit killed on the east side of the Chir is one less unit to cover the 15 crossing points between (04.02) and Kalach (34.18). Also, do not be intimidated by big stacks of Axis troops guarding bridges. Usually, they contain weak units with few steps to lose. A good tactic is to use rifle divisions to bludgeon their way across the bridge and secure the Bridgehead. Then use follow-on forces to exploit and expand the bridgehead. This will force the Axis player to react to your moves and distract him from the area where he can have the most success, south of the Don River in the line from Kotelnikovo (52.04) and Stalingrad. In any multi-player game, rush to command this army as its chances of success are great and the joy of killing the Axis invaders can be quite fulfilling.

The second most powerful Soviet army is the neighbor of the Fifth Tank, the Twentyfirst Army. An average Headquarters unit (3-2) commands 16 units, consisting of 53 attack factors and 56 defense factors. Out of the 16 units total, 10 are exploitation capable. With good tactics and a little luck on the dice, this army can explode out of the Serafimovich (11. 18) bridgehead, destroy the Rumanian Fifth Corps, and drive to Kalach along the tracks that are just east of the road the Fifth Tank will take to Nizhne-Chirskaya. By moving along this way, the Twenty-first can protect the left flank of the Fifth Tank and provide the punch that will link up with the armies of the Stalingrad Front advancing from south of Stalingrad.

With a poor Headquarters, the Twenty-first must be especially careful to keep itself supplied and the Headquarters well protected, especially in the breakthrough portion of the game. A canny Axis player, if he sees an opening, can pull mobile forces from Sixth Army in Stalingrad and deliver a powerful blow against the Twenty-first. This is especially true because the armies on the Twenty-first left flank are weaker and face German, not Rumanian, corps. If the Twenty-first cannot protect the flank of the Fifth Tank, the Soviet forces will still reach the rivers, but may be too weak from German counterattacks to throw a force across the rivers. If they cannot, the Axis will be in a much better position to launch a drive on Stalingrad from the Nizhne-Chirskaya area.

These three armies of the South-western Front will most certainly attain their minimum goals of reaching the Chir and Don Rivers. However, the real trick for gamers assuming the role of General Vatutin is to push on across into the Nizhne-Chirskaya area, or drive along the board edge, taking the reinforcement hexes of G and F. Against good Axis play, area E hexes are usually out of reach. Historically, lead elements of General Rodin's 26th Tank Corps (part of the Fifth Tank Army), were able to seize the bridge at Kalach on the morning of Sunday, 22 November (turn 2). Usually, the Soviets will not reach this area as fast (remember, the Axis player does not have the command problems the Germans had) and cannot do this in the game, unless they are willing to put their valuable spearheads out of supply. The Soviet player's goal for the South-western Front armies should be to reach the rivers by the end of turn 4 with minimal losses. This Front is a juggernaut but beware. Careless play and not paying the god of logistics his due can wreck any chance for a major victory.

Meat Grinder in the Center

All armies of the Don Front (Sixty-fifth, Twenty-fourth, and Sixty-sixth) and the Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth armies of the Stalingrad Front, are the anvil on which the Axis will be hammered By holding their positions aggressively, pounding the Axis relentlessly, the player taking on the role of Generals Rokossovski and Yeremenko can play their parts in a major Soviet Victory. Always look for an opening to dash through and take an airfield, without which the Axis forces in the Kessel have no hope of breaking out to meet a relief force.

With no Katyusha rocket factors and few mobile forces, these armies are not offensively mobile but to fulfill their mission objectives, they do not need to be. lf possible, threaten the hexes of Stalingrad itself and do not let the Axis draw off forces without giving up ground around the Kessel. Remember, if an anvil is soft the blacksmith cannot mold the horseshoe to the shape he wants.

The Southern Blow

The Fifty-seventh Army under General Tolbukhin will deliver the main attack on the German Fourth Panzer Army. With 30 attack factors and 32 defense factors concentrated in only 9 units, this army is small but packs a good punch backed up with 8 Katyusha rocket factors. However, a wily Axis player will recognize the weakness of this southern attack and attempt to derail it before it gets on a roll, allowing the Axis to stabilize the front and switch forces to stave off the Northern blow being delivered by the South-western Front.

With that fact in mind, it is imperative the Soviet player keep the armies of the southern blow in supply. The line of advance for the Fifty-seventh Army must therefore be along the rail line that runs to the track at 47.24 from the start line of area 10. Then the army should turn and drive on Kalach through Zety (45.21 ), Verkhne-Tsaritsynskii (42.20) and SredneTsaritsynskii (37.20). Aggressive play (and a hot hand in rolling) will put in Kalach at about the same time as the Twenty-first Army.

The Fifty-seventh Army is too weak to make this drive alone, however. The Fifty-first Army under General Trufanov must drive in tandem along the track Tinguta (49.25) and Zety. Even with the Fifty-first's units (14 containing 42 attack and 55 defense factors), the southern blow is only marginally stronger than the Fifth Tank army (73 to 68 attack factors). Keep this fact in mind! The Stalingrad Front is the weakest link of your chain of command and is also the one that will most likely face the anger of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's Winter Storm forces that begin to gather later in the game. Be aggressive but not stupid on taking losses. Your armies are powerful, your mission daunting, but your hammer is fragile.