Relieving Ternovaya*
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Series: 2nd Battle of Kharkov
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_Soviet Union*
_____vs.*
__Germany*

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Date: 17th of May, 1942*
0830 Hours*
Location: North-East of Kharkov*
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Designed By: Ts4EVER*
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Background 2nd Battle of Kharkov: Following the successful winter offensives in 1941, Stalin was keen to keep the pressure on the enemy, hoping to preempt another assault on Moscow with his own offensive. He was especially in favor of going on the offensive in the Kharkov sector, the city having fallen to the enemy in the summer of 1941. The attack was to be undertaken by the South-West-Front in a pincer movement, from the Barvenkovo salient and the Stariy Saltov bridgehead. Once massed artillery had broken through the German line, mobile group would be fed into the breaches to encircle AOK6 and reconquer Kharkov. However, due to supply issues, especially with artillery ammunition, as well as the undetected presence of German mobile reserves, the plan soon proved ill-advised...
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Briefing: Kampfgruppe Schmidt-Ott and the rest of the 3. Panzer-Division spent the last days after the capture of Nepokrytaya re-organizing and preparing for their next move. You are once again in command of the German armored spearhead. Your task: Advance through the Murom river valley towards Ternovaya, destroying any soviet unit in your way. The German garrison of Ternovaya, Kampfgruppe Gruener, had been encircled by the enemy early in the offensive and has been holding their positions against superior Russian forces for days. Our plan is to break through and reestablishing a connection with the cut-off troops. In addition to your Panzer troops, you are supported by the Stukas of StG77. You also have access to a battery of 8.8cm guns of the Luftwaffe. These will be brought up if heavy Russian tanks are encountered.
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This morning we managed to crush the enemy 169th and 244th Rifle divisions and their demoralised soldiers are streaming back east. The Russians still have the 6th Guards Tank Brigade and the 162nd Rifle Division in reserve and it is quite possible that they will commit these for an armored counter attack.
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Historical Scenario, designed to be played as the Germans.
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POSSIBLE SPOILERS
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Seeing that a German breakthrough to Ternovaya was imminent, Ryabyshev threw his last reserves into the battle. The counter attack by the Guards Tank Brigade and 162nd Rifle Division lead to a swirling tank battle with over 100 tanks on both sides. The Germans were in serious trouble and lost 13 Panzers, until a battery of 8.8cm Flak guns turned the tide. In the afternoon, Kampfgruppe Schmidt-Ott linked up with the battered defenders of Ternovaya, ending the siege. With this battle, the power of the northern attack group was spent. Only capable of local attacks, the Russians continued their offensive in the north without any real hope for success. Instead, the focus of the battle shifted to the south, where both Germans and Soviet were launching large mechanized offensives.