While interwebs is sabotaging my CMRT download, I managed to do some more work on this.
Here is the basic opening situation report map for the German Kampfgruppe Commander.
It is DAY 1 of the battle, start of the DAWN portion of the turn. (03:00 to 06:00)
Oberst ........, welcome to Rikonovo. You have driven through the night from Minsk to take command of this sector of the front after your predecessor's Fieseler Storch was shot down by Russian fighters yesterday afternoon.
The situation is at best confused, at best a catastrophe. the enemy has broken through after surrounding 53 Armeekorps at Vitebsk. 5th Panzer Division is to do our best to stabilise the situation between here and Borisov and hold the Beresina line as long as possible to allow as many of our retreating units, wounded transports and rear area columns to get clear of Minsk.
You will have noticed on the way here that the main road is crowded with panicked retreating columns, the same seems to be the case in the direction of Vitebsk and Zaprud'ye and Yurki.
FORCES
Your Kampfgruppe will be built around the following units:
II Btn, PzGren Regt 14 - (with heavy weapons & attached mobile Flak units)
1x Kompanie Panthers
1x Kompanie Pz-IV - both from PzRegt 31 (approximate 30 panzers total)
1x platoon PzPioniere in Halftracks
1x PzJg Kompanie (StuG III)
2x batteries from PzArt Regt 116
1x battery Nebelwerfer
There is also on call a Platoon of Tigers from SchwPzAbt 505 (at Div HQ discretion)
These forces are moving from the railhead at Zhoadino at best possible speed, but heavy enemy air activity, inadequate detraining facilities,crowded roads and fuel supply problems are causing delays. (schedule of estimated arrival of Kampfgruppe elements to be provided as soon as available)
The only Kampfgruppe element in position is the advance recon AufklAbt 1, are across the river from Rikonovo in Stodenka, awaiting deployment orders.
This force includes:
3x Puma
3x PSW 231
1x Arm Recon Company (3x hafltrack-mounted panzer recon platoons, 1x Med mortar sect)
4x 75mm PAK & towing halftracks
LOCAL FORCES
Kommando Rikonovo
There is a small improvised garrison entrenched in Rikonovo covering the rail and road bridges across the Berzhinka River.
This force includes:
1x Security Kompanie
6x 88mm Flak (static - without towing vehicles)
6x 37mm Flak
2x 20mm VierlingsFlak
About a dozen wooden bunkers and small amounts of barbed wire -- no mines
Sperrgruppe Riedl
Unconfirmed reports have been received from stragglers of a company-sized blocking force under command of a major Riedl is in position at Zaprud'ye, covering the Gayna river crossing. No further information as to composition and strength of this force is available at this point.
YOUR MISSION
1. To keep open the NE road and railways from Vitebsk as long as possible to allow stragglers, medical convoys and any trains still underway to make it through Rikonovo - details of retreating columns is sketchy, as enemy has complete air superiority and air recon not possible at this moment.
2. To hold as large as possible a bridgehead across the Berzhinka river to keep Rikonovo and it's railyards out of range of enemy artillery fire -- there are up to 5000 wounded and large number of stores that need to be evacuated - and this will take at least 2 days to complete.
This is to be achieved by use of mobile defense and flexible use of artillery
3. To prevent Russian forces crossing the Berzhinka river for as long as possible in concert with other 5th Panzer Division Kampfgruppen fighting on your flanks.
4. If our Berzhinka positions are outflanked, you are to enagage in a fighting retreat in direction Minsk.
__________________________________________________________________________
This is nearly ready to go ...
Here is the basic opening situation report map for the German Kampfgruppe Commander.
It is DAY 1 of the battle, start of the DAWN portion of the turn. (03:00 to 06:00)
Oberst ........, welcome to Rikonovo. You have driven through the night from Minsk to take command of this sector of the front after your predecessor's Fieseler Storch was shot down by Russian fighters yesterday afternoon.
The situation is at best confused, at best a catastrophe. the enemy has broken through after surrounding 53 Armeekorps at Vitebsk. 5th Panzer Division is to do our best to stabilise the situation between here and Borisov and hold the Beresina line as long as possible to allow as many of our retreating units, wounded transports and rear area columns to get clear of Minsk.
You will have noticed on the way here that the main road is crowded with panicked retreating columns, the same seems to be the case in the direction of Vitebsk and Zaprud'ye and Yurki.
FORCES
Your Kampfgruppe will be built around the following units:
II Btn, PzGren Regt 14 - (with heavy weapons & attached mobile Flak units)
1x Kompanie Panthers
1x Kompanie Pz-IV - both from PzRegt 31 (approximate 30 panzers total)
1x platoon PzPioniere in Halftracks
1x PzJg Kompanie (StuG III)
2x batteries from PzArt Regt 116
1x battery Nebelwerfer
There is also on call a Platoon of Tigers from SchwPzAbt 505 (at Div HQ discretion)
These forces are moving from the railhead at Zhoadino at best possible speed, but heavy enemy air activity, inadequate detraining facilities,crowded roads and fuel supply problems are causing delays. (schedule of estimated arrival of Kampfgruppe elements to be provided as soon as available)
The only Kampfgruppe element in position is the advance recon AufklAbt 1, are across the river from Rikonovo in Stodenka, awaiting deployment orders.
This force includes:
3x Puma
3x PSW 231
1x Arm Recon Company (3x hafltrack-mounted panzer recon platoons, 1x Med mortar sect)
4x 75mm PAK & towing halftracks
LOCAL FORCES
Kommando Rikonovo
There is a small improvised garrison entrenched in Rikonovo covering the rail and road bridges across the Berzhinka River.
This force includes:
1x Security Kompanie
6x 88mm Flak (static - without towing vehicles)
6x 37mm Flak
2x 20mm VierlingsFlak
About a dozen wooden bunkers and small amounts of barbed wire -- no mines
Sperrgruppe Riedl
Unconfirmed reports have been received from stragglers of a company-sized blocking force under command of a major Riedl is in position at Zaprud'ye, covering the Gayna river crossing. No further information as to composition and strength of this force is available at this point.
YOUR MISSION
1. To keep open the NE road and railways from Vitebsk as long as possible to allow stragglers, medical convoys and any trains still underway to make it through Rikonovo - details of retreating columns is sketchy, as enemy has complete air superiority and air recon not possible at this moment.
2. To hold as large as possible a bridgehead across the Berzhinka river to keep Rikonovo and it's railyards out of range of enemy artillery fire -- there are up to 5000 wounded and large number of stores that need to be evacuated - and this will take at least 2 days to complete.
This is to be achieved by use of mobile defense and flexible use of artillery
3. To prevent Russian forces crossing the Berzhinka river for as long as possible in concert with other 5th Panzer Division Kampfgruppen fighting on your flanks.
4. If our Berzhinka positions are outflanked, you are to enagage in a fighting retreat in direction Minsk.
__________________________________________________________________________
This is nearly ready to go ...
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