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____King Tigers At Ogledow*
_______Eastern Poland**
German Attack - Soviet Defend**
___August 1944, 0600 hours**
______SPWAW 8.403*
__MADE FOR ENHANCED FR**
__Best played as: Germany*
________Turns: 25**
SCENARIO NOTES*
Following their destruction of Army Group Centre in the summer of 1944, the Red Army launched a massive offensive across the Ukraine and into Eastern Poland against Army Group North Ukraine.*
It culminated in the seizure of bridgeheads on the western bank of the
Vistula River, notably in the region of Sandomierz. Despite their losses, the German forces were still full of fight and threw whatever units they could muster against the Soviet enclaves.*
One of these units was 501st Heavy Tank Battalion, newly equipped with Tiger IIs and under the command of Major von Legat. In common with most of the German heavy tank units in the latter part of the war, the 501st was fated to become a ‘fire brigade’ force, transferred from place to place as the situation demanded and denied the time to build up an
operational relationship with the units it supported.**
However, its baptism of fire as a Tiger II unit was yet to come, as, on 6th August, all serviceable vehicles were loaded onto flat cars and shipped to Poland, leaving behind 14 of these brand new, but temperamental monsters in the battalion workshops.*
In the vicinity of Staszow, at the southwestern extremity of the
Sandomierz bridgehead, the Soviet 6th Guards Tank Corps was in the van of the Russian advance; the village of Ogledow its latest conquest. However, resistance had hardened and reconnaissance led Corps HQ to order its tank units to pull back and establish defensive positions west of Staszow.*
The 53rd and 52nd Tank Brigades were in the likely path of a German attack and attempted to dig their surviving T-34s into the soft, sandy soil, or camouflage them amongst haystacks.*
Facing the Russians was 16th Panzer Division, which launched
probing attacks across the sandy fields but achieved little success. Although their numbers were depleted and about half their T-34s were only armed with the 76.2mm gun, 6th Tank Corps was effectively supported by assault guns and artillery and the Germans soon realized that something more substantial would be needed to pierce the Soviet lines.**
Around August 11th /13th (sources vary on the exact date) the tank crews of 53rd Tank Brigade heard the rumble of powerful tank engines through the mist that masked the valley in front of their positions. As the vehicles lumbered into view, their tracks struggling to find a grip on the loose surface, the T-34 commanders identified them as enemy Panthers.*
Waiting until they were at extremely close range, camouflaged Soviet tanks unleashed flanking fire from ambush positions, followed by AP shot from the rest of the brigade’s armour and their supporting assault guns. *
At least two of the tanks are claimed to have been stopped by close range fire from Lt A.P. Oskin’s T-34 using special APDS shot, but it was only on
closer examination that the Russians realised these were not Panthers, but a previously unseen type of heavy tank.**
Prisoners captured prior to the action had revealed the arrival of a new heavy tank battalion, but the Russians appear to have had no idea that it was equipped with the Tiger Is replacement. In fact 501st Heavy Tank Battalion had only been able to muster 11 serviceable vehicles for this attack, due to the mechanical problems that dogged most of the late war German ‘super weapons’, which tended to be rushed into service without sufficient field trials.**
With this assault beaten back the Soviet forces launched a counter attack, surprising the German forces and recapturing Ogledow. Amongst the spoils were three Tiger IIs, allegedly still in running order and abandoned by their crews. It is likely that these had suffered minor
malfunctions and, as no other vehicle was capable of towing them, couldn’t be moved in time.**
Other clashes followed, which, according to Soviet sources, resulted in the loss of more Tigers to the guns of Soviet tanks, including the IS-IIs of the 71st Independent Guards Heavy Tank Battalion. Whatever the full truth, the German heavies had been poory deployed in ill-judged frontal attacks and after the action Major von Legat was replaced as the unit commander.**
SCENARIO NOTES*
If played as Germany: Major von Legat, you have to retake Ogledow and advance as far as possible to the east.*
If played as the USSR: Comrade Oskin,you have to defend Ogledow and the surrounding hights. Be alert on German tries to cross the Vistula again!**
DESIGNER NOTES:*
This scenario has been redesigned especially for the ENHANCED FR Mod.**
Have FUN!**
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