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Operation Uranus Scenario Pack


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I'm pleased to announce I've uploaded six scenarios comprising a scenario pack for testing at the Proving Grounds.

This scenario pack contains six scenarios set during Operation Uranus, the Russian 1942 winter offensive that trapped the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. The series shows the actions of the Russian 5th Tank Army, spearhead of the northern wing of the offensive.

They are best played in sequence and are meant for human vs. human play. Here is a description of the battles covered.

1 Operation Uranus

Allied Assault

Russian Guards vs. Rumanian Infantry

This depicts the initial assault phase of 5th Tank Army's assault on 3rd Rumanian Army, defending north of Stalingrad. The lead wave of the attack consisted of Guards Rifle divisions. While the Rumanians were too thin to offer meaningful resistence in many sectors, this depicts a Rumanian strongpoint with better than average chances of stopping the Russian assault. The scenario is set at dawn in fog - the historical conditions.

2 Rumanian Round Up

Retreat

Russian Cavalry vs. Rumanian Infantry

After the initial breakthrough, the bulk of the Rumanian 3rd Army had to withdraw across open steppe in a driving snowstorm, closely pursued by Russian cavalry from the 8th Cavalry Corps. They suffered heavily. Whole divisions surrendered, only fragments reached German reserve lines along the Chir river to the west.

3 5th Tank Army vs. 22nd Panzer

Meeting Engagement

Russian Tank vs. German Panzer

Axis reserve armor behind the breakthrough consisted of the 48th Panzer corps, which had two component divisions - the Rumanian 1st Panzer and the German 22nd Panzer. 22nd Panzer suffered from poor readiness but manage to get its tanks north and into the combat zone by the second day. It was supposed to reindezvous with the 1st Rumanian Panzer, but Russian forces had already slipped between them. Instead they ran into a Russian Tank Corps, near high ground in a snowy countryside dotted with villages and train sidings.

4 5th Tank Army vs. 1st Rumanian Panzer

Axis Attack

Russian Tank vs. Rumanian Panzer

1st Rumanian Panzer missed its reindezvous with the German armor because it had already been pocketed, along with 2 Rumanian infantry divisions, farther to the east. They knew they had to break out. Night infiltration got the armor past its immediate captors. 1st Rumanian panzer then drove west, trying to fight a way clear for the infantry behind them. Only a cadre reached the Chir, and the Russians sealed the route before any of the infantry could get out.

5 Alarm Along the Chir

Russian Probe

Russian Rifle vs. LUftwaffe Field (and others)

After dealing with the local reserves, the bulk of 5th Tank Army's armor formations wheeled southeast and raced for the Stalingrad perimeter. Rifle formations were left to push west into the void created by the destruction of the Rumanian 3rd Army. In places supported by 8th Cavalry Corps, they pushed on to the banks of the Chir river, where scratch forces checked them. These were "alarm" units, hastily assembled formations patched together from whatever was available in Axis rear areas, to hold some kind of line.

6 5th Tank Army vs. 24th Panzer

Meeting Engagement

Russian Tank vs. German Panzer

6th Army reacted to the breakthrough to the north by sending its mobile formations west, to protect its headquarters and communications. 14th Panzer, 24th Panzer, and 29th Motorized, all veterans of the toughest fighting in Stalingrad, threw out thin screens of mobile forces across a wide arc of steppe north, northwest, and west of the city.

Elements of 5th Tank Army's 4th Tank Corps ran into 24th Panzer's portion of this screen, northwest of the town of Kalach. For the first time since the start of the offensive, 5th Tank's T-34s faced opponents that were their equals.

This was the little known collision that formed the western wall of the Stalingrad pocket. By holding, 24th Panzer ensured the formation of the Stalingrad pocket, against the threat of immediate collapse from an assault on their rear. But the next day, 4th Tank joined hands a little farther west with elements of 4th Mechanized Corps advancing from the south - 6th Army was surrounded.

Comments welcome from all who try them out.

Proving Grounds is here -

http://www.the-proving-grounds.com/

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just noticed this thread on the 1st SS Pz Div one. PC is not the only one who missed it! I did as well. But on the bright side I only managed to play one of the SS LAH games as I spent yesterday running some tests on pioneers clearing mines - having lost so many tanks during the game, I thought I needed some practice!

As you seem to have plenty of results from the SS one, I will switch to Uranus and will post reports on TPG.

cheers

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The scenario 5th Tank Army vs. 1st Rumanian Panzer has been updated to version 1.01, with improved play balance after a test game and report. The new file has been updated and sent to the Proving Grounds. Thanks for the feedback. Those playing the pack, please get and play the newer version when you get to that scenario.

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*********************spoiler*********************

Playing Uranus and reached move 30. Have just taken the central position outside the farm. But I seem well behind schedule - what do you think? Can the lorries cross the barbed wire and do I have to get them off the board as well as the tanks?

Also do you "see" the fog? I cannot and it may be down to my new ATI graphics card.

cheers

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I've had detailed feedback on the title Operation Uranus, including from you. I've had useful feedback from one person on 5th Tank Army vs. 1st Rumanian Panzer.

I know that Rumanian Round Up and 5th Tank Army vs. 22nd Panzer are both being played in human games. I've not received detailed feedback with AARs etc on either of those. I have not heard that Alarm Along the Chir or 5th Tank Army vs. 24th Panzer are even being played yet.

I don't know how much time you have, but I would also love to eventually get feedback from someone who has played the whole series - even just against the AI, but preferably in order - on aspects of the whole series, how much it conveys about the campaign, etc.

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Ok so it looks like Alarm along the Chir for me then.

I doubt I will be able to play them all in sequence at the moment as I have only just learnt how to play the Russians! I made a complete pig's ear of the SS LAH scenario I played recently through lack of basic knowledge, so I doubt it would be a fair test anyway.

cheers

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Just finished Alarm along the Chir

here are some pictures of the battle

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-----SPOILER-----

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chir16nw.th.jpg

AT rifle killing the first Marder as he reverses to escape the T-70 on the hill.

chir35cs.th.jpg

The second Marder gets a bead on a T-34 but is shot at by AT rifles and misses.

chir45vl.th.jpg

The final assault on the flag, two platoons giving covering fire and another bounding forward.

Full report at TPG

cheers

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would recommend to you that you number your scenarios and identify the series in some way. That would avoid all confusion about which scenarios belong where and which ones should be played in what order.

For instance:

JC U1 Opening Day

Your scenarios, your Operation Uranus series scenario one and then the name.

[ May 14, 2006, 07:02 AM: Message edited by: Panther Commander ]

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