On November 19, 1942, while the main force of the German Army Group B was concentrated in Stalingrad, three Soviet armies launched an offensive against the Romanian units that were defending both flanks. This was the launch of Operation Uranus, aimed at encircling and destroying the German 6th Army. In response, the next day Hitler sent Erich von Manstein of the 11th Army, which was preparing to attack Leningrad, south to lead the rescue of Stalingrad. On the 21st Paulus of the 6th Army was ordered to defend Stalingrad — because Goering had assured that the Luftwaffe would provide the necessary supplies, and he waited for Manstein to come to the rescue.
The rescue operation, dubbed the "Unternehmen Wintergewitter", began on December 12. Although the advance was brisk immediately after the start of the offensive, the speed of the advance slowed down due to the reinforcements from the Soviet forces that kept coming. The Soviet forces diverted the troops that were to be used in Operation Saturn in an attempt to prevent Manstein from breaking the siege. Still in the lead, the 6th Armored Division came within 50 km of friendly forces in Stalingrad on the 19th.
If the 6th Army had broken through the siege at that time, it might have been able to escape the siege by attacking from outside and inside. However, Hitler did not allow the 6th Army to conduct Operation "Thunderclap". In the end, Manstein's relief force, which had reached the limit of its strength, was repulsed by the Soviet forces, and it was routed to the starting line of the offensive by the end of December.
On to Stalingrad: Unternehmen Wintergewitter is a two-player wargame based on Operation Winter Thunderclap. One player is in charge of the Axis armies (German and Romanian) and the other player is in charge of the Soviet army.
Issue game of Banzai Magazine EX #5.
Wargame, World War II · Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, Simulation, Zone of Control
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