The SIBERIANS return with 8 scenarios and another seet of 6 maps in the new GEO 2024 layout.
Q. Who built the largest collection of Russian Steppe in Winter boards?
A. You know who!
The series goes on with 3 SHEET OF FREE RED RUSSIANS this weekend 1-4 Marxh 2024 only ****
South of TULA, RUSSIA, 7 November 1941: From October 30 to November 6 the Germans poured much of their combat power into the capture of Tula. One bludgeon-like blow, no finesse, after another was delivered from the south. After the long drive on Moscow, the Werhmacht could ill afford the losses incurred. By 1200 hours on 30 October the Germans had to scrub ten tanks and amost a full battalion of infantry from their rosters of combat effectives. The attacks were focused on breakthrough. No less than a company of motorized infantry was concentrated for the attack along the Stalinogorsk road. Another battalion of infantry, supported by 30 tanks, operated between the Orel and Stalinogorsk roads. As enemy attack after attack served to winnow his own forces, the planners at 50th Army headquarters peered at this sector on their maps. And as the Germans weakened, their counter-parts became strong. Aside from the newly-arrived 32nd Tank Brigade, the 50th Army command was also reinforced with the 413th Rifle Division, unloaded in Stalinogorsk. Soviet sources reported that the loss of tanks had an effect on German infantry tactics. Previously, soldiers habitually advanced behind tanks, with small parties also being witnessed riding them. Taking this into account, the defenders of Tula directed their efforts to first of all destroying attacking tanks, before focusing on other targets. As the German attack faltered, a noticeable up-tick in Russian air activity was also recorded, further weakening the push on Tula from the south. On 6 November the staffers of 50th Army recorded the first phase of the front operation (i.e., defensive in nature) were to be supplanted with offensive action. On 7 November the 50th Army launched a blow aimed at Shchekino and enemy units of the XXIV Panzer Corps, spread across the battlefield in their effort to take Tula from the south. The 413th Rifle Division was to make an attack in coordination with the 32nd Tank Brigade. The attacked developed slowly due to unexpectedly staunch German defense. The fact that the 32nd Tank Brigade was late in reaching its jumping-off point at Bol’syaya Yelovaya was exacerbated by an absence of organization of coordination between the tank brigade and the 413th Rifle Division on the ground. By the end of 7 November the 413th Rifle Division had reached the line Malaya Yelovaya-Tikhvinskoe, but was attacked there at 2200 hours by two battalions of German infantry and 25-30 tanks. The Russians fell back and by 2400 hours had consolidated along the line Bol'shaya Yelovaya-Vechcrnyaya Zarya, with division headquarters in Scrgievka, their attack blunted.
