4th Battle of Kharkov Mega Game
4th Battle of Kharkov – August 1943
Mega-Game
by NDNG_Dane
The Huntsville Historical Gamers gathered in April to recreate the Soviet offensive that aimed to recapture Kharkov and destroy the German 4th Panzer Army. The 4th Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles between 3 and 23 August 1943, following the Battle of Kursk. After their defeat at Kursk, the Wehrmacht was clearly on the defensive, with the Soviets launching a massive offensive. The 4th Panzer Army conducted a fighting withdrawal to fighting positions around the city of Kharkov.
The Kharkov Mega-Game was the culminating engagement of our spring Ghost Panzer – Red Banner, Eastern Front Campaign.
German Forces: 4th Panzer Army.
- Panther Company
- STUG Company with Anti-Tank Guns in Support
- Tiger Company
- Panzer Grenadier Company with attached Assault Pioneer Platoon in Support
Soviet Forces: 5th Guards Tank Army
- KV-1 Guards Heavy Tank Regiment and Artillery Support
- Hero T-34 Tank Battalion with SU-85 Tank-killer Battery in Support
- Hero Rifle Battalion with T-34 Tank Company in Support
- Hero T-34 Tank Battalion with Medium and Heavy SP Batteries in Support
The Battle Map:
Turn 1
Board 1: The Soviets mass armored formations from the 5th Tank Army on their right flank in an effort to crush the Germans from the North. The mighty KV-1 Guards Heavy Tank Regiment on the far-right flank is looking to turn the German flank. German’s meet the Soviet onslaught with Panthers and 88mm FlaK36 anti-aircraft guns.
Board 2: The Soviets massed Infantry formations supported by a Katyusha Rocket Battery anchors the Soviet center. The German Tiger Commander surveys the battlefield from his Zeiss binoculars. German 150mm Hummel Artillery registers its initial spotting rounds amongst the Soviet Infantry.
Board 3: The Soviet Hero T-34 Tank Battalion with Medium and Heavy SP Batteries advance on the German Right flank occupying the farming collective outside of Kharkov. The German Grenadier Company Commander and his attached PAK-40 ATGs, readies for the Soviet assault.
Turn 2
Turn 2
Board 1: A general assault by all Soviet armor. Every fighting vehicle Fires. Requested smoke on the German 88s fails to land. A Kommisar is dispatched to speak with the battery commander. German tank commanders engage at maximum effective range.
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion with T-34 Tank Company continue the advance. German 150mm Hummel Artillery greets the Soviets as they come out of the wood line.
Board 3: The Soviet T-34 Hero Tank Battalion is caught in a cross-fire between the Panzer Grenadier PAK-40s and the Tigers in the center.
Turn 3
Board 1: Charge of the Light Brigade:
“Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew, Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.
Into the Valley of Death rode the T-70 Light Tank Company.
(with apologies to Lord Tennyson)
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion digs in along the wood line defending the town and the Soviet center objective.
Board 3: German Artillery targets the SU-122 battery targeting the Grenadier Company occupying the farming collective.
Turn 4
Board 1: The Light Brigade successful assault of the German PAK Front, punching a gaping hole in the German left flank.
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion is well established, dug-in and fortified around the center objective.
Board 3: German Assault Pioneers advance under close air support of the Luftwaffe focused on the now exposed, Soviet left objective.
Turn 5
Board 1: The Soviet T-70 Light Tank Company continues to wreak havoc on the German left flank. Having penetrated the main Wehrmacht defensive line, the light tanks methodically assault the German PAK-line destroying all in their path.
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion digs-in around and defends the center objective.
Board 3: The German Assault Pioneers now completely exposed, advance under bombardments of SU-122 and SU-152 fires. German Stuka Dive Bombers are called in to silence the Soviet SP Artillery.
Turn 6
Board 1: The German STUG Company Commander sends a platoon to take care of the Soviet light tanks wreaking havoc on the German left flank, and retakes the German Objective, briefly held, by the Soviet Light Brigade.
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion braces as the German artillery fires another bombardment on their position.
Board 3: Stuka Dive-Bombers clear the remaining Soviet Self Propelled guns from the high ground defending the Soviet left objective.
Turn 7
Board 1: The German Panther Commander claims the Soviet board #1 High-ground objective to survey second line Soviet Forces advancing.
Board 2: The Soviet Hero Rifle Battalion still has two strong Rifle Companies dug-in and fortified around the center objective, but has lost the last squads of the SMG Company, and support elements.
Board 3: German Assault Pioneers claim the Soviet board #3 High-ground objective and begin to dig in, in preparation to defend against Soviet second line Forces.
Turn 8
As night falls, The German Tiger Commander goes on the hunt looking for Soviet armor still active. With the German’s in control of two Soviet Objectives, Marshal Zhukov orders the Soviets to pull back and reorganize.
Kharkov Mega-Battle Summary:
The German Left flank, was the weight of the German armored strength, to match massive Soviet armored onslaught. The German Panthers, PAKs and STUGs could not fire in sufficient volume to slow the Soviet assault.
This became critical when the Soviet light brigade penetrated the PAK line and began systematically rolling up the German left flank and taking objectives. The German center was well defended by 3 Tigers, only one confrontation occurred between the Tigers and the venerable SU-152s, resulting in a dead Tiger. If the Soviets would have pressed harder in both the center and left flank, the Germans would have been very hard pressed to defend all objectives.
Fun was had by all.
Historical aftermath:
On 20 Aug, the Soviets launched a large scale tank offensive, and German tanks responded in force, resulting in a major tank battle that saw a Soviet defeat with the loss of 184 T-34 tanks. Despite the victory, Field Marshal Manstein knew that the situation was hopeless. Despite of Hitler’s orders, on 21 Aug, Manstein authorized Fourth Panzer Army to withdraw. The evacuation began at sundown on 22 Aug.
On 23 Aug, Soviet troops entered Kharkov, by 1100 hours, Soviet troops declared the city captured.
Future Planning:
Our Fall Campaign will go forward in time to WWIII… See you in Stalingrad Comrade.