Continuing on the theme of the Soviet offensive during the Summer of 44 we played a game simulating a Russian push from a beach head into german defensive positions near Pulawy, Poland. 

The battle was going to be one of the largest battles we have had this year with roughly 3k points on each side divided into two forces.  Each side would have an infantry and an armoured element.

With the successful Bagration offensive in summer of 1944, the Soviet Armies pushed toward Warsaw in late August.   The 3rd SS Panzer Division stands in the way of the 8th Guards Army. 

This is the follow on battle to Assault on Kapitanovka based on the campaign for Korsun Pocket available on the Flames of War website.  I have been side tracked with many other miniature objectives over the last year and now my son and I are going to complete the campaign.  He played the Soviets and I coached both sides since he is only learning at the age of seven.  The setting is:

Zvenigorodka

This small town was the focus of the Soviet tanks, where Konev and Vatutin would meet to close the noose around the German forces in the Korsun pocket. If the Soviets reach this far and hold it, they have won the first mini-campaign. Historically, they did it in 3 days.

Assault on Kaptianovka is the second battle for the pocket forces in the Korsun Campaign series.   The battle which was fought in the February 1944 pitted the 389th Infantry Division against elements of the Soviet 53rd Army. The 389th was able to hold out long enough, so that reinforcements were able to arrive.  However, the overwhelming strength of the Soviet offensive won the town over and ultimately forced the Germans back.

This battle follows the Korsun Pocket campaign series, except this is the first battle for the relieving forces.  The relieving forces is an element from Schwere Panzer Regiment Bake.  The Soviets in this case are a Motorstrelkovy that has settled down for the night in the small village of Tinovka. 

With the recent release of the Flames of War book Hammer and Sickle, I wanted to try out some of the new formations.  My son (6 years old) agreed to be the Soviet commander while I helped out on both sides.  I tried out the new Sperrverband Company (Reluctant veteran) and the Guards Tankovy  with T34/85s and decoy Panzer IVs.  The Sperrverband units were used to slow down the Soviet advance during the Bagration Offensive in Summer 1944.

This is the first battle in a campaign set concerning the Korsun Pocket operations during February 1944 between the Soviets and Germans.  It is based off the campaign series on the Flames of War website http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=1063

The Battlefield consisted of a semi wooded landscape, a small river, and German trechworks on the western edge.  The battlefield was under a blanket of snow which made the terrain difficult going.    The Big Push scenario from the Flames of War book was used to recreate this battle.  There were some modifications to the defenses, because i prefer the defenses outlined in Stalins Onslaught.