Radomischl bridgehead scenarios

[Shmavis]

Does anyone know or have any scenarios based on fighting in the above mentioned area circa December 1943? A search at the Proving Grounds didn't turn up anything. I wouldn't mind a link to an account of the fighting or a book recommendation. Thanks in advance.

[JasonC]

It is considered in the German side accounts part of the battle of Zhitomir or the second phase of the Zhitomir counterattack.

Vatutin breaks out from the north side of Kiev in early November, with 3rd Guards Tank Army leading. Hoth is relieved on the German side and Raus replaces him at 4th Panzer Army. Manstein uses a super-sized 48th Panzer Corps as the basis of the counterattack, under Balck. 7th PD under Manteuffel is the first to arrive and checks 7th Guards Tank Corps.

As more arrive the Germans take the initiative, with 48th Panzer Corps eventually controlling 1, 7, 19, and 25 PDs plus 1SS and 2SS, and one infantry division - the size of a panzer army rather than a corps. (Manstein perhaps preferred having Balck direct the operation to having Raus do so). The first phase of the counterattack proper occurs from 15 November and stalls out in a mud thaw phase at the end of the month.

By 5 December the ground is frozen again and high tempo operations resume. By now the Germans have an infantry corps, 13th (with 2nd FJ division attached as well) to contain the west side of Russian bulge west of Kiev, which is now manned by the 60th Army (with 3 GTA weakened by the previous phase, but still present). The German armor turns 60th Army's right or north flank, pushing between the Russian occupied bulge and the marshes to the north to get closer to Kiev.

This is the period when they reach Radomischl. The Russians respond by reinforcing with 1st Tank Army and 18th Army from Stavka reserve, and it brawls a weakening 48th Panzer Corps to a standstill by 13 December.

A third phase after this tried another left hook and cut off a few Russian rifle corps successfully, but this kept the German armor occupied well to the north, while the Russians prepared an offensive farther south. That opens on 25 December and was spearheaded by 5th Tank Army (though 1st and 3rd Guards, rifle formations, are the initial assault group). After it breaks the crust to the south, Vatutin goes over to the offensive on his own sector as well, mostly using a refit 3rd GTA (and infantry armies of course), and retakes all the ground the Germans recovered.

In this series of fights, which counts as "Radomischl bridgehead" fighting? I mean, it could include anything from Vatutin's initial breakout that wins Kiev, through the German counterattack, though the Christmas offensive that wins it all back a second time.

If you are thinking of the second phase of the German initiative and the Russian defense that blunts it, then you'd be focused on the period from 5 December to 13 December. The leading German formations then were 7th PD (Manteuffel still), 1st PD, and 1st SS. They defeat the Russian rifle elements holding the front line and are then stopped by arriving 1st Tank Army (plus 18th Army to replace lost rifle).

For what it is worth...

[Shmavis]

Thanks for the summary. I referred to the fighting in December, either the German counterattack or the Russian Christmas offensive. So, how about that scenario? Anyone?