Looking for some Operation Kutuzov scenarios or operations

[Cuirassier]

Are there some good ones out there that are suggested? I have been unable to find any. Thanks in advance.

[ April 01, 2007, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: Cuirassier ]

[JasonC]

I have a whole scenario pack worth of them coming soon. Work too busy but should clear shortly. Please stand by...

[Cuirassier]

Thanks for your efforts JasonC. I became interested in Operation Kutuzov after doing some reading on Kursk. Unfortunately in CM, it seems that the Soviet counter-offensives following Citadel recieve almost no attention, at least when compared to the initial German attack. I look forward to playing them when they are released.

Just one question. Will the scenario pack be like the one you did with Operation Uranus, where you have successive missions showing the development of the offensive?

[JasonC]

Yes exactly.

And after it I already have Little Saturn in the works.

These will appear first at TPG. Kutuzov was almost done months ago, revisions to 2 scenarios after testing and polishing briefings all that is left to do on that one. Then work got crazy.

[JasonC]

Here is the (present state of) the overall briefing for the Kutuzov scenario pack -

Operation Kutuzov Scenario Pack

This scenario pack contains 10 scenarios set during

Operation Kutuzov, the Russian 1943 summer offensive

against Army Group Center that ended the German Kursk

offensive and drove the Germans from the Orel salient.

Frequently called "the Orel offensive" by German side

sources, it has curiously received scant mention in

most histories compared to the famous Kursk campaign.

The fights were comparable in scope and immediately

adjacent in time. In Kutuzov, the Russians had the

initiative throughout, and despite large losses and

skilled German defensive fighting, succeeded in the

end.

The campaign is divided into two major theaters, the

northern and eastern faces of the Orel salient. Minor

actions on other portions of the front are omitted.

The Russian main effort began on 12 July, with 11th

Guards Army spearheading the northern attack for

Western Front, while 3rd and 63rd Armies led the

eastern attack for Briansk Front. After the initial

breakthrough fighting, the Russians committed

numerous armor formations to develop each attack.

In the east they used the 1st Guards Tank Corps,

followed by the 3rd Guards Tank Army. In the north

they first used the 5th Tank Corps, and later the

25th Tank Corps and 4th Tank Army.

The German defending force was the 2nd Panzer Army,

initially mostly an infantry force. The 5th Panzer

division was committed against 11th Guards Army

early in the offensive, on the northern face. Later,

additional reserves arrived from the south as the

Kursk offensive was called off. In the east, the

German defense was originally led by the 35th infantry

corps under General Rendulic. The 8th Panzer division

was brought up from reserve to support them. Against

the northern prong, thin screens were used to contain

exploiting Russian armor, later thickened by mobile

divisions draw from the Kursk front. Late in the

campaign, even forces from Army Group South,

notably Gross Deutschland, arrived to hold the door

open for the withdrawing units of Army Group Center.

The terrain in the area of the two prongs of the

Russian attack differed dramatically. The northern

drive was launched in a heavily forested zone,

stretching south then southwest in a long arc from

Ulianov to Karachev, midway between Orel and Briansk.

11th Guards Army channeled its attack through this

forested zone, while its supporting armor occasionally

attempted to widen the penetration to the more open

farmland on either side of it. The eastern prong,

on the other hand, drove through open farmland, seamed

with wooded draws in the low ground dividing the fields.

The Germans were also considerable better prepared for

the eastern attack than for the northern one.

1. 11th Guards Army Assault

July 12 AM, North Face

The opening of the offensive sees the well prepared

11th Guards Army attack thin German infantry positions

in wooded terrain around Ulianovo, northwest of Orel.

2. Rendulic the Ready

July 12 AM, East Face

The eastern face fighting begins with a massive

Russian assault on well prepared defenses of

General Rendulic's 35th Corps, in open farmland

at the east face of the Orel salient.

3. 5th Panzer Intervenes

July 12 PM, North Face

11th Guards Army broke through so easily, the only

German mobile reserve in the sector, the 5th Panzer

division, was sucked into the fight in the north

on the first day. German armor attempted to stem the

Russian infantry drive south, along wooded ridges and

the narrow farmland valleys between them.

4. 5th Tank Corps vs. 5th Panzer

July 13, North Face

Checked by 5th Panzer on the 12th, the Russians

responded by throwing in their supporting tank

formations, led by 5th Tank Corps. Attacking

from line of march, they tried to brush aside

stretched German defenders in the branching valleys

of the northern sector.

5. 1st Guards Tank Corps vs. 8th Panzer

July 14, East Face

After a bloody opening attack punched into but not

through the foremost German defenses, the Russians

committed their second echelon rifle divisions and

the 1st Guard Tank Corps in an attempt to make a

clean breakthrough on the eastern face of the salient.

But 8th Panzer division arrived around the same time.

The result was a brawl at the back edge of the

original German defenses.

6. 25th Tank Corps Exploits

July 17, North Face

After 11th Guards Army broke through to the south,

the Germans had to contain them on 3 sides. On

the eastern side of the forested zone, only scratch

forces from security divisions and the Luftwaffe

were at first available to stop the Russian exploitation.

On the 17th, the Russians committed the fresh 25th

Tank Corps in this sector, driving south then east

to encircle the town of Bolkhov, thus rolling up the

western flank and rear of German forces still holding

against the eastern prong.

7. 3rd Guards Tank Army Arrives

19 July, East Face

The Russians attempted to renew the eastern prong

attack by committing the 3rd Guards Tank Army, just to

the south of the zone of the heaviest fighting

previously. The sector was screened by thin elements

of the 8th Panzer division. 3GTA's leading 15th Tank

Corps broke through in the morning, and a running fight

developed against arriving 8th Panzer reinforcements.

8. 3rd Guards Tank Army flanks Orel

21 July, East Face

Still contained but closing on Orel from the east,

3rd Guards Tank Army shifted southward again, trying

to flank the German defenders east of Orel. Led by the

reserve 91st Tank brigade, they pushed through poor

swampy ground to cut the rail line from Orel to the

south.

9. 4th Tank Army flanks Bolkhov

26 July, North face

Five German mobile divisions now held the east face of

the penetration made by 11th Guards Army back at the

begining of the offensive, and later widened by 25th

Tank Corps. In late July, the Russians threw the fresh

4th Tank Army at their lines south of Bolhkov. The Germans

were facing east and west with a shrinking gap between the

two lines, north of Orel. As 4th Tank Army advanced east,

the Germans were forced to evacuate Bolkhov and the north

lobe of the salient, falling back on Orel.

10. Gross Deutschland holds the door

27 July, North Face

Supported by the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, the infantry

of 11th Guards Army continued its relentless push south

through the forested corridor. The east-west rail line

to Orel passed through the city of Karachev. As the Russians

neared the city, reserves railed north from Army Group

South - led by the crack Panzer Division Gross Deutschland

- fought to buy time for German forces to evacuate

the collapsing Orel salient.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Hi JasonC

Can you give a couple of sources so that we can read up on this before hand.

cheers

[Cuirassier]

DAF,

I was just going to ask that, but you beat me to it.

[Shmavis]

Glantz and House's The Battle of Kursk gives a good account, if you can find a copy.

[patboy]

Kursk nowadays :

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=fr&q=kursk&layer=&sll=53.409532,36.5625&sspn=0.281601,0.907059&ie=UTF8&z=12&t=h&om=1&iwloc=addr

Pat

[Sgt Joch]

Originally posted by JasonC:

Here is the (present state of) the overall briefing for the Kutuzov scenario pack -

Operation Kutuzov Scenario Pack

This scenario pack contains 10 scenarios set during

Operation Kutuzov, the Russian 1943 summer offensive

against Army Group Center that ended the German Kursk

offensive and drove the Germans from the Orel salient.

Frequently called "the Orel offensive" by German side

sources, it has curiously received scant mention in

most histories compared to the famous Kursk campaign.

The fights were comparable in scope and immediately

adjacent in time. In Kutuzov, the Russians had the

initiative throughout, and despite large losses and

skilled German defensive fighting, succeeded in the

end.

The campaign is divided into two major theaters, the

northern and eastern faces of the Orel salient. Minor

actions on other portions of the front are omitted.

The Russian main effort began on 12 July, with 11th

Guards Army spearheading the northern attack for

Western Front, while 3rd and 63rd Armies led the

eastern attack for Briansk Front. After the initial

breakthrough fighting, the Russians committed

numerous armor formations to develop each attack.

In the east they used the 1st Guards Tank Corps,

followed by the 3rd Guards Tank Army. In the north

they first used the 5th Tank Corps, and later the

25th Tank Corps and 4th Tank Army.

The German defending force was the 2nd Panzer Army,

initially mostly an infantry force. The 5th Panzer

division was committed against 11th Guards Army

early in the offensive, on the northern face. Later,

additional reserves arrived from the south as the

Kursk offensive was called off. In the east, the

German defense was originally led by the 35th infantry

corps under General Rendulic. The 8th Panzer division

was brought up from reserve to support them. Against

the northern prong, thin screens were used to contain

exploiting Russian armor, later thickened by mobile

divisions draw from the Kursk front. Late in the

campaign, even forces from Army Group South,

notably Gross Deutschland, arrived to hold the door

open for the withdrawing units of Army Group Center.

The terrain in the area of the two prongs of the

Russian attack differed dramatically. The northern

drive was launched in a heavily forested zone,

stretching south then southwest in a long arc from

Ulianov to Karachev, midway between Orel and Briansk.

11th Guards Army channeled its attack through this

forested zone, while its supporting armor occasionally

attempted to widen the penetration to the more open

farmland on either side of it. The eastern prong,

on the other hand, drove through open farmland, seamed

with wooded draws in the low ground dividing the fields.

The Germans were also considerable better prepared for

the eastern attack than for the northern one.

1. 11th Guards Army Assault

July 12 AM, North Face

The opening of the offensive sees the well prepared

11th Guards Army attack thin German infantry positions

in wooded terrain around Ulianovo, northwest of Orel.

2. Rendulic the Ready

July 12 AM, East Face

The eastern face fighting begins with a massive

Russian assault on well prepared defenses of

General Rendulic's 35th Corps, in open farmland

at the east face of the Orel salient.

3. 5th Panzer Intervenes

July 12 PM, North Face

11th Guards Army broke through so easily, the only

German mobile reserve in the sector, the 5th Panzer

division, was sucked into the fight in the north

on the first day. German armor attempted to stem the

Russian infantry drive south, along wooded ridges and

the narrow farmland valleys between them.

4. 5th Tank Corps vs. 5th Panzer

July 13, North Face

Checked by 5th Panzer on the 12th, the Russians

responded by throwing in their supporting tank

formations, led by 5th Tank Corps. Attacking

from line of march, they tried to brush aside

stretched German defenders in the branching valleys

of the northern sector.

5. 1st Guards Tank Corps vs. 8th Panzer

July 14, East Face

After a bloody opening attack punched into but not

through the foremost German defenses, the Russians

committed their second echelon rifle divisions and

the 1st Guard Tank Corps in an attempt to make a

clean breakthrough on the eastern face of the salient.

But 8th Panzer division arrived around the same time.

The result was a brawl at the back edge of the

original German defenses.

6. 25th Tank Corps Exploits

July 17, North Face

After 11th Guards Army broke through to the south,

the Germans had to contain them on 3 sides. On

the eastern side of the forested zone, only scratch

forces from security divisions and the Luftwaffe

were at first available to stop the Russian exploitation.

On the 17th, the Russians committed the fresh 25th

Tank Corps in this sector, driving south then east

to encircle the town of Bolkhov, thus rolling up the

western flank and rear of German forces still holding

against the eastern prong.

7. 3rd Guards Tank Army Arrives

19 July, East Face

The Russians attempted to renew the eastern prong

attack by committing the 3rd Guards Tank Army, just to

the south of the zone of the heaviest fighting

previously. The sector was screened by thin elements

of the 8th Panzer division. 3GTA's leading 15th Tank

Corps broke through in the morning, and a running fight

developed against arriving 8th Panzer reinforcements.

8. 3rd Guards Tank Army flanks Orel

21 July, East Face

Still contained but closing on Orel from the east,

3rd Guards Tank Army shifted southward again, trying

to flank the German defenders east of Orel. Led by the

reserve 91st Tank brigade, they pushed through poor

swampy ground to cut the rail line from Orel to the

south.

9. 4th Tank Army flanks Bolkhov

26 July, North face

Five German mobile divisions now held the east face of

the penetration made by 11th Guards Army back at the

begining of the offensive, and later widened by 25th

Tank Corps. In late July, the Russians threw the fresh

4th Tank Army at their lines south of Bolhkov. The Germans

were facing east and west with a shrinking gap between the

two lines, north of Orel. As 4th Tank Army advanced east,

the Germans were forced to evacuate Bolkhov and the north

lobe of the salient, falling back on Orel.

10. Gross Deutschland holds the door

27 July, North Face

Supported by the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, the infantry

of 11th Guards Army continued its relentless push south

through the forested corridor. The east-west rail line

to Orel passed through the city of Karachev. As the Russians

neared the city, reserves railed north from Army Group

South - led by the crack Panzer Division Gross Deutschland

- fought to buy time for German forces to evacuate

the collapsing Orel salient.

JasonC,

Did you ever release your Kutuzov scenario pack?

[Aragorn2002]

I guess not. I've never seen it posted anywhere.

[JasonC]

I am pleased to be able to announce that my Operation Kutuzov scenario pack is now (finally!) available at the Proving Grounds, ready for playtesting.

Comments welcome, as always.

[patboy]

Thanks Jason ! Pat

[Der Alte Fritz]

Great stuff.

Will download and have a go. That is next weekend taken care of!

Tank riders mount your tanks!

[Sgt Joch]

good news jason C, will give you some feedback after I have played a few PBEM.

[Cuirassier]

Glad to see these finished JasonC. I'll deffinately give them a go when I find a chance.

[gangofmao]

Aloha All...

Just wondering if anyone interested in

Playing these out in the order Jason C wrote?

If so drop me a line...

GoM