Zhitomir Campaign concludes

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

Hi everyone,

This weekend we played the last mission in the Korosten - Zhitomir campaign, 81 combat missions and 1 clock advance in all, starting all the way back on 28 April 2013! Thanks to all who participated along the way and those happy few who stayed the course. This was the most realistic, gruelling, immersive and innovative campaign ever, joining the Solomons 1942 campaign and the Battle of France campaign in the pantheon of all time great SEOWHQ events.

Elements of LSSAH, Korps Abteiling C and the Sicherungs Regt 375, which bore the brunt of 77 Rifle Corps and 24 Rifle Corps advance in the early stages of the Korosten action northwest of the city, eventually found their way over the next 3 days of simulated combat all the way down to Zhitomir (80 km south) to make a last-ditch effort to retain the train station. Major conflict points along the way were Korosten, Dabryn, Ushomir, Cherniahov, Volodarsk-Volynskiy, Studency and Zhitomir.

Axis forces withdrew a sizeable number of units west into eastern Poland, to reform and mount a possible resistance or counterattack in the days ahead. However Axis command ranks were decimated, leaving the remnant forces isolated and uncoordinated. The vain resistance in Zhitomir represented the last sizeable Axis effort in the western Kiev district. Axis armour was almost annihilated, with a few heavy tanks and armoured artillery remaining. Most objectives for PzAOK were not met and the fact that the Korps narrowly escaped complete obliteration was only due to a combination of expert resource management, targeted defence, sliding cover and strategic withdrawal all along the front. Axis air was largely ineffective.

On the Soviet side, the armour suffered heavy losses but was able to erode the Axis numbers and keep them separated, retaining the overall Soviet numerical advantage in tanks. Soviet artillery was decisive throughout the campaign, especially in infantry and transport actions which were pressed day and night. Soviet leadership was protected and virtually all objectives were met, except for control of industrial assets in west Zhitomir which are now almost ungarrisoned. Soviet air actions were ineffective. All in all, a strong and decisive effort by FUF but at significant cost.

Detailed assessments on performance are now being assembled.

Cheers,
4S

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

Here is my assessment of the campaign outcome in simple military terms.

PzAOK4 Campaign Objectives:
* Maintain German forces west of Kiev with a viable fighting force - at least 50% initial capital strength (measured in points) - until 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
FAILED (forces reduced to 17% initial strength)

* Hold Zhitomir railway station until 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
FAILED (Train Station captured by FUF forces at 1500 hours on 31 December)

* Keep at least 2/3 of German generals alive until 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
FAILED (10 of 14 Generals killed)


FUF Campaign Objectives:
* Capture and hold Zhitomir Train Station and industrial assets before 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
PARTIAL (Train Station captured by FUF forces at 1500 hours on 31 December and held, but industrial assets never captured and held)

* Consolidate the recent gains around Korosten.
SUCCEEDED (Korosten held, Dabryn and Ushomir liberated and held)

* Capture or surround Volodarsk-Volynskiy before 1900 hours on 31 December 1943, whilst maintaining 70% of initial FUF capital strength
PARTIAL (Volodarsk-Volynskiy liberated at 1300 hours 31 December, but FUF forces reduced to 51% initial strength)

* Keep all Soviet generals alive until 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
SUCCEEDED (16 of 16 Generals still alive and operating)


Overall Result: Soviet Tactical Victory

Of course, the point of this campaign was not for this side to win or that side to win, but rather for the participants to face a variety of semi-historical challenges on the ground and in the air, to work through them together, and to gain a detailed appreciation of how difficult that environment must have been for the combatants in late 1943.

Cheers,
4Shades

[II/JG3K.Brandle]

* Maintain German forces west of Kiev with a viable fighting force - at least 50% initial capital strength (measured in points) - until 1900 hours on 31 December 1943
FAILED (forces reduced to 17% initial strength)

Does this include the material points for forces that were pulled off the map? I read them as being a viable fighting force west of Kiev but I can see if you meant on the map and west of Kiev, we would not be reading it the same way.

Either way, the campaign was tremendous. Scannon was superb under extreme circumstances.

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

Yes I factored the withdrawn units into the calculation.

[WTE_Ikey]

The little that I participated in was incredibly intense at times. Poor knowledge of IF ingame controls did let me down at times.
Thanks to 4Shades for running the campaign & all participants.

[II/JG54_Emil]

Sounds great!

Do you fancy a replay?

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

Hi Emil,
It was great. And the ground system is much more compelling now.

We could do it again, but there are many other options for campaigns that we haven't even considered yet. And Scannon is preparing Operation Citadel (south) at the moment.

Cheers
4S

[II/JG54_Emil]

Both options sound great!

I really look foreward to it.

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

Not so fast Emil!

Nothing happens here without work being done. Apart from Brandle's test campaign in Azovskoye, which has only 4 or 5 more missions to run, nothing else is ready.

Simple new campaigns can be set up pretty quickly in principle, but everyone needs to contribute to that effort in some way. More involved campaigns take longer.

Cheers,
4S

PS: I found this interesting map site. Not detailed maps, but they show nice chronology. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Atlas_of ... st_15_1945

[II/JG54_Emil]

Okay, what needs to be done?
Maybe I can contribute.
And while we do it, could restart Zhitomir?

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

First things first. We need to keep playing Brandle's Azovskoye scenario to conclusion, so anyone is welcome to take part in that as a training exercise (there is a lot to learn). Please let us know when you are available to take part. Typically we meet weekend mornings and evenings in my TZ (GMT+8), so that is around mid-afternoon or late at night Berlin time. Hopefully we can set aside a regular time that suits us all.

Second, the KZBK Zhitomir campaign was large. If we were to restart Zhitomir as originally defined, then that would mean a large commitment of energy and time from everyone, including you. There are 1400 units defined in the starting OOB, so even if we have 4 commanders, that means that each commander is responsible for planning moves and strategy for 300+ units, mission by mission, for 72 consecutive mission timeslots. Each timeslot would contain one IL2 mission (1 hour, flyable) and up to three IF missions (each 1 hour, playable). This weekly commitment of 4-5 hours would easily extend out for a year or two in real life. That's what it takes to be involved meaningfully in a large campaign like Zhitomir. I suspect Scannon's Citadel campaign will be of similar scope.

The alternative is to set up a new campaign of much smaller scope, which allows reduced planning effort and shorter overall campaign duration. E.g. a ground-only campaign on a single IF map, or an air-only campaign focused on a single event, like a shipping convoy. Or a combined ops campaign with limited forces. This can be set up in a couple of hours, and can still be very engrossing.

Cheers,
4S