Saturday, April 12, 2014

Shumilino: The Long Left Flank - Planning

For me wargaming is a bit like eating chips - when I get interested in a battle or campaign, one game is just not enough. Today I picked up Minsk '44 from John Tiller Software, the JTS depiction of Operation Bagration.

I'm starting with a scenario called "The Long Left Flank" which depicts the attack of the 6th Guards Army and the 43rd Army towards Shumolino north of Vitebsk.




This is at the end of Turn 1, with my plan graphics overlaid. 22nd Guard Rifle Corps of 6th Guards Army will break the German line at Morgi and then turn west to take Obol'. The remainder of 6th Guards Army will assault Pligovki and Mosoroto, and once through the German MLR advance to take Dobrino.

Most of 43rd Army is currently fixed in position and unable to move. I'm advancing some sappers and infantry battalions to clear obstacles and perform reconnaissance. Once released, 43rd Army will breach the German line and advance on Shumolino.

It looks like the JTS PC games are getting the same map art being used in their mobile games. This is the second one I've purchased recently with map art in this style. It's a nice improvement.

3 comments:

  1. Doug, so is the planning graphic part of the game or something you did? Love the scale of this game. Its hard to see, are the grey counters the Germans? If so, is their line that thin? Or is there fog of war in place?

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    1. Chris - I added the graphics using Milsketch. I wish more games had graphic control measures built in. I hear that these are planned for Command Ops and Flashpoint Campaigns.

      The gray counters acres the Germans. You're just seeing the outer edge of their line. I suspect they're at least three deep and all dug in. There is FOW.

      Historically 43rd Army punched through to Shumilino pretty quickly and then beyond, helping to isolate Vitebsk. The German forces throughout the AO of Army Group Center aren't strong and definitely not ready for the offensive. Bagration is actually worse for them than Stalingrad.

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    2. That would be cool. I did not know that about Bagration. I've done a lot of Stalingrad reading and now with von Manstein's Lost Victories I'm learning about the fighting in the Crimea.

      I just finished 'the chapter with von Mansteins thoughts on Hitler which comes right after Sevastopol and Lake Ladoga fighting and before Stalingrad. Fascinating.

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