Background
The Chir River is a tributary of the Don. Near their confluence the Chir River battles occurred in December of 1942. Generaloberst Friedrich Paulus’s Sixth Army, at Stalingrad, only 25 miles east of the closest German forces along the Chir River, had been pinched off from the rest of the German forces. Seven Soviet armies contained the Sixth Army within the pocket. Generalfeldmarschall von Manstein had just been named commander-in-chief of the newly formed (27 Nov 42) Army Group Don, which included the Sixth Army, Fourth Panzer Army, Army Detachment Hollidt, as well as allied forces in that area. The relief of Sixth Army was Manstein’s foremost task. Fourth Panzer Army launched a drive from the south while Army Detachment Hollidt (including Balck’s 11th Panzer Division) was to attack toward Stalingrad from the west. But before the attack got under way, the Soviets struck first, attacking the Chir River positions, forcing that portion of the relief operation to be delayed; it was never executed. The attack by units of the Soviet 5th Tank Army along the lower Chir River fell against the XXXXVIIIth Panzer Corps.
“A CASE STUDY OF THE APPLICATION OF AUFTRAGSTAKTIK BY THE I ITH PANZER DIVISION DURING THE CHIR RIVER BATTLES 7- 19 DECEMBER 1942, Capt Robert G. Walters, USA, Thesis, March 1989”
(http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA209474)
Situation:
It is December 1942; the German 6th Army has been surrounded at Stalingrad and desperately needs relief from whatever forces are available. Additional Soviet forces are seeking to expand their security perimeters around Stalingrad by pushing the front lines as far back into German held territory as possible. Units of the German XXXVIIIth Panzer corps, including the 11th Panzer Division prepare to counterattack Russian forces that have broken through the Chir River defenses and seized a key terrain around the State Farm 79. Victory for the Germans was to destroy the elements of the Russian 1sr Tank Corps, for a major victory. The Russian objective was to preserve the Tank Corps and hold their position.
The Game
The game depicted the initial counterattack by 11th Panzer Division against the Russian 1st Tank Corps at State Farm 79. This engagement began before dawn using enveloping moves, catching the Russians with total surprise. MG Balck used one force of Panzergrenadiers and supporting arms to pin the front of the Russians, while using Panzer Regt 15 to attack the Russian position from the rear.
Scenario Special Rules:
- Game play is end to end with the Germans attacking from both sides. Germans set up 24 inches from each end.
- Ground is frozen and snow covered, Normal movement for tracked vehicles, slow going for other vehicles. Normal movement for infantry.
- All rivers are frozen. Slow going to enter and move along, difficult going to leave.
- Due to limited visibility, no air power is allowed.
- Germans are limited to a maximum of six (6) PZ IV F2s total, the remainder of German tanks are PZ IIs and IIIs.
- Russian tanks are T-34/T-60/T-70 only. No KV-1s are allowed.
- All Russian units start the game bailed out or pinned. Need a roll of 4+ for the first two turns to unpin. After that, normal motivation applies.
- The game starts at night.
Forces
The Germans consisted of two Panzer Companies (10 x Pz III late Js each), Marder III section and a 150mm Artillery battery. On the opposite side of the table, the force consisted of a PanzerGrenadier Company with two PzGr platoons, a PAK40 section, an 88mm AA battery and a Panzer platoon (3 x PzIIIL). The German units were rated as Confident Veterans.
The Russians consisted of two Soviet Tank Battalions. The first was composed of three T-34 Companies (each with 7 T-34/76 and 3 x T34/57). The second Battalion with two T-34/76 (10 each) companies, a T-70 company (x10), a BA-10M Armored Car company (10 each) and a small tank rider infantry company. The Russian units were rated Fearless Conscript.
Narrative:
Due to the limited visibility, the Germans attacked in line formations on both sides in order to maximize their firepower. However, due to limited night visibility, the initial fusillade was delayed. The Russians managed to rally over half their force on turn one and deployed to engage the Germans on both flanks. Over the next several turns, the Russians had better luck with visibility and managed to shoot up two Pzkw III platoons for minor losses. After the dawn broke though, the Germans were able to deliver several rounds of fire that crippled both T-34 battalions. On the other flank, the German Panzergrenadiers used their AT assets very aggressively, destroying the Armored Car Company and the reinforcing T-34 Company also for minor losses. By Turn 7, both Russian Tank Battalions were destroyed and routed.
In the historic battle, 11th Panzer destroyed the Russian 1st Tank Corps in a running five hour battle. Russian tank losses were reported to be 53 out of an estimated 100 tanks. The refight was similar in the amount of Soviet armor carnage. The Germans used the terrain, maximizing their firepower every turn, and forcing the Russians to attempt to react to each new threat. Due to the early morning start, the Russian long range advantage of their 76mm guns were nullified, allowing the shorter ranged PZ IIIs to close and use their higher rate of fire to obtain high number of hits each turn. The game resulted in a historic German victory.
– Manteuffel