Drive to Leningrad

The Drive to Leningrad

August 1941 – week 3

The German high command has decided the time is now to make a drive on Leningrad. Codenamed “The Hammer”, Major General Saterdalen will lead the attack.

 Two corps (1^st and 16^th) with tanks and panzer grenadiers attached will attack thru hex 1132 enroute to Leningrad. Sixteenth Corps will attack from the south and first corps will attack from the east. The goal is to eliminate as much as the force in 1132 and continue the drive to Leningrad. Keeping up the pressure on the Russians the 39^th Corps will attack from the South to pin down any Russian reinforcements. They are the Anvil which the Hammer will drive onto.

Beginning at 5am attack begins with 1^st and 16^th Corps bringing on 6 units (representing 2 x infantry, 1x Tank, 1x panzer-grenadier and 2x Artillery elements). The Luftwaffe brought on 2 bombers for attack and one fighter for air cover. The attack started off well. Germans made steady progress across the field.

The battlefield had very few woods. Fortunately, the Germans had two nice hills to hide the approach and eventually provide good spotting positions. The hills provided hull-down positions for tanks.

Timeline

0500 - The panzergrenadiers attacked to the left woods and hills. The tanks followed in support. The 105 artillery battery came on and set-up immediately behind the woods. The straight legs make for the hill to establish a presence on hill. The Engineers begin the task removing mines. Along the far right is an anti-tank ditch followed by barb wire and more mines with trenches behind that in woods. The right and right center seem tough to mount any attack.

Germans Advancing

0515 – The panzers with the grenadiers take the woods and move onto the hill on the left. Russian tanks are spotted in tank pits and infantry in trenches across whole front. An Unlucky hit on the far right to the recon elements causing problems in acquiring the enemy.

0530 – The panzers and grenadiers take hill and establish the FAC and FO and command on hill on far left. German indirect artillery is brought down on the trench line with little affect.

0545 – The woods and hill are secured on German left.

0600 – Luftwaffe air arrives at 0600. The grenadiers make an attempt to drive the dismounted Cossack cavalry from the trenches on the far left. They are stopped (pined) and the 2 tanks in support are disabled and destroyed by towed anti-tanks guns in bunker. Air is called in to attack KV1. The Ju88B drops a direct hit on top of the KV1 destroying the KV1. The infantry sustain a few hits from bombing run. The other JU88D drops a direct hit on the T-34 tanks causing it to be destroyed. The reinforcements from 1^st Corp are delayed by Russian air. The 210mm mortar drops on the 1^st Cav line in trenches causing them to pin.

Center Attack

0615 – The grenadiers in half tracks and the rest of the tanks make for the center. The dismounted grenadiers from the trucks pull forward make further attacks on far left. Smoke is dropped in front of woods so the center can be attacked.

0630 – The grenadiers in half tracks and 2 companies of straight legs and 3 tanks and a company of machine guns attack the center. Several hits from the 122 artillery sprinkle the German grenadiers. The Russian shooting from the trenches is mostly in effective. JU88D with his second bomb sends a direct hit on troops in the trenches. The 105 artillery comes down on trenches as well as the 210mm mortar. The Germans blast the center. Most of the Russian center battalion is eliminated or battered (Red). Tanks disappear into the smoke. The rest of the infantry trail along behind the first two companies to reinforce the center.

0645 – The Germans straight legs advance into the center trenches.  The Russian on the right in trenches begin a controlled withdrawal to the next line of defense on the hill behind all the antitank ditches. German half tracks and grenadiers and company of straight legs and all the tanks line up behind smoke. Smoke is lifted.

0700 – 3 fighters come on table. 2 x Infantry units arrive with the Flak unit. 1 regimental command arrives on table. The opportunity fire is massive and very successful from the Germans. Again the return fire from the Russians does not match the ferocity of fire from the Germans. The Russian 2^nd cav line is eliminated as are the two antitank guns in the bunkers. The 3^rd cav line and armored cars flee the woods.  One fighter plan strafes the infantry in open and leaves.

0715 – The Germans enter the woods and face the enemy. Two out of three armored cars are destroyed and finally the 1^st cav line is forced back. The left and center have fallen.

0730 – The Germans advance the reinforcements and reorganize as the air attacks one more time on fleeing infantry. The German advance lead elements as the Russians fall back.

0745 – Germans advance and the Russians fall back into Leningrad.