Army Group South Ukraine
Developer’s Commentary
By Doug McNair
December 2011

Prolific Panzer Grenadier designer Mike Perryman continues his study of World War II in Romania with Army Group South Ukraine. Like its sister module Romanian Soil, Army Group South Ukraine is a nice mix of Soviet attacks and German/Romanian counterattacks as the two sides struggle for the upper hand around the key crossroads town of Targu Frumos. Army Group South Ukraine picks up where Romanian Soil left off, with both sides throwing increasingly large numbers of forces into the fight.

Below is a summary of all 10 scenarios in Army Group South Ukraine, with commentary by me. We hope you enjoy them!

Scenario One
False Hope
25 April 1944
After being rebuffed in their efforts to secure Targu Frumos earlier in the month, the Soviets paused to regroup. Second Ukrainian Front formed a new battle plan that involved limited-scale assaults on and around the town of Iasi to draw in and pin down the German mobile units there before resuming the main effort to the west. On the 24th the Soviets conducted active reconnaissance, and the next day the assault troops launched an attack on the town of Tautesti.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Elsenborn Ridge and pieces from Eastern Front and Road to Berlin. Only use Soviet leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: Things went better than expected as a Romanian rifle regiment broke, allowing the Soviets to pour through the opening. German reinforcements were quickly called in, but they had to travel two miles to reach the battlefield and that gave the Soviets enough time to severely compromise Axis defenses. But the Soviet success proved illusory; within a week they would be pushed back to their starting positions having been unable to pin or wear down the German mobile formations.

Comments: Here a battalion-sized Romanian infantry force tries to hold a ridge line against a combined-arms assault by a Red Army force twice its size. The Romanians’ only real hope is to delay the Soviet advance until German reinforcements show up halfway through the game. But even then the Germans will have a tough time stopping the Red tide and pushing it back, since they have little armor support with which to combat the T-34C tanks accompanying the Soviet infantry.

Scenario Two
Expanding the Perimeter
25 April 1944
The Germans had hoped for a longer reprieve after the failed Soviet offensive at Targu Frumos. But seeing the buildup of assault units in front of them, they decided to let the troops at Iasi take care of themselves and recall the battle groups from 24th Panzer Division. More drastic was the decision to send Grossdeutschland and the Royal Guards forward to expand the defensive perimeter.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Elsenborn Ridge, boards and pieces from Road to Berlin, German pieces from Eastern Front and Soviet pieces from Red Warriors.

Conclusion: For once German intelligence was excellent, allowing the combined Axis force to strike while the Soviet Guards were engaged in relief operations near the front and thus unprepared for battle. According to official Guards history "The soldiers had still not found their bearing ... the enemy had an obvious superiority in tanks, and his aircraft ruled the skies. In spite of all this the Upper Dnepr soldiers bravely accepted battle." The 106th Guards Rifle Regiment was encircled and either fought bravely or ran away in panic, depending on whose history you read. Whatever the reality was, the Axis extended their lines to the outskirts of Harmanesti (the town on Board 24).

Comments: A large and mobile battle in which a Soviet Guards Rifle Division tries to hold its ground against the best formations the Germans and Romanians have to offer. Soviet reinforcements enter the board at various times, but the Axis have a good mix of infantry and armor support while the Soviets don’t get any armor support until a third of the way through the game. So, the Axis player can afford to be aggressive from the get-go in hopes of securing cover for his tanks before the Soviet tanks can arrive and threaten them.

Scenario Three
Beyond the Prut
26 April 1944
With its high banks lined with woods and swamps, the Prut River was a formidable barrier that provided a natural anchor for the Soviet east flank. The day after the offensive at Iasi started, the Soviet 78th Rifle Corps moved forward from the Prut with minimal tank support to secure the previous day's gains. Their instructions were to keep the enemy in front of them and not allow any enemy infiltration of the line.

Note: This scenario uses a board from Battle of the Bulge, and boards and pieces from Eastern Front and Road to Berlin. Only use Soviet leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: The terrain totally frustrated the Soviet tankers, forcing the infantry to advance alone. But the Romanian cavalry attempting to intercept them had trouble making contact, so the Soviets were able to push forward. While casualties were light, both sides were forced to spent time ejecting enemy elements that had infiltrated their lines. By nightfall the Soviet line had advanced almost two miles.

Comments: An interesting tactical situation in which a relatively small Romanian cavalry force tries to infiltrate a large Red Army infantry force advancing through a wooded area. The Soviets must clear the roads and woods of cavalry and establish a secure forward line, while the Romanians must prevent that from happening and inflict as many casualties as possible on the advancing Soviets.

Scenario Four
A Meaningless Day
26 April 1944
For the last two days, the German V Corps had been slowly grinding its way towards Pascani. Though the village itself was of little importance, its location on the Seret River offered a natural anchor for the German left flank. With the Soviets massing their forces outside Targu Frumos, the Axis needed to score a quick victory at Pascani so the Romanians could secure the town and SS Death’s Head Division could be placed in reserve.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Battle of the Bulge and Elsenborn Ridge, and pieces from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: Pascani fell for little actual profit, as it was apparent that a renewed Soviet offensive was imminent and the Romanians would be unable to hold the village. As the need for a mobile reserve was critical, the Germans abandoned the village to concentrate all their assets for the coming battle. Unlike many such tales this one appears to be true, as the situation was desperate and Soviet accounts do not make claims of victory.

Comments: Here one of the lowest-quality German formations on the Romanian Front tries to use superior numbers to overwhelm a Soviet Guards division holding a town and a road. The German player has multiple objectives and can win by achieving only some of them, so the Soviet player must deploy his forces carefully even though many of the SS units will likely fade before the determined Soviet defenders.

Scenario Five
Consternation
27 April 1944
Yesterday, 2nd Ukrainian Front lost a great deal of their assembly area in front of Targu Frumos to an Axis spoiling attack. As the start date for the renewed offensive was fast approaching, Gen. Ivan Konev decided it would be more efficient to reclaim the lost ground than modify his plans. Swaying his judgment was a successful counterattack launched late yesterday in the Dumbravita region. Eager to regain the village, he decided to unleash his secret weapon.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Elsenborn Ridge, a board and pieces from Road to Berlin, Romanian pieces from Eastern Front and Soviet pieces from Red Warriors.

Conclusion: Despite their claims of destroying the Romanian battalion defending Dumbravita only after begging it to surrender, it was the Soviets who attacked first. Fierce fighting ensued and when a small battle group from Grossdeutschland arrived to engage the powerful JS-2, it tipped the balance in the Axis favor. The indecisive fighting would continue for another day but all the talk was of the new Soviet tank appearing this far south. While scoffing at the two-piece ammunition it used, requests quickly went up the chain of command for heavier antitank weapons.

Comments: Here the Soviets have a huge numerical advantage in addition to the awesome JS-2, so I let the Romanians set up in forward positions from which to make a fighting withdrawal until their German armor support arrives. Even then the Axis player will have a tough time of it, so I made victory conditions tough on the Soviets.

Scenario Six
Not as Planned
2 May 1944
As dawn approached, the nerves of the defending Romanian soldiers were stretched to the breaking point. All of the previous day they had been maintained at readiness to repel the expected Soviet onslaught. Having dominated the preliminaries the Red Army made their move.

Note: This scenario uses a board and Romanian pieces from Eastern Front, and Soviet pieces from Road to Berlin and Red Warriors.

Conclusion: While the main effort would be made farther to the east, an easy time was expected against the Romanians. This turned out to be false, as the hardened guardsmen were unable to penetrate the defenses at all. This raised the question as to how hard the attack was pressed, as casualties were very light.

Comments: This is a relatively small scenario in which the Soviets must clear a corridor from the north to the south edge of a small board while the Romanians try to stop them. Soviet overconfidence has caused them to go in with insufficient armor support, so even though the Guards have higher morale and good artillery support, it will be a tough fight.

Scenario Seven
A Worthless Diversion
2 May 1944
To support their main effort in front of Targu Frumos, the Soviets launched diversionary attacks on both flanks. Around Iasi the 33rd Rifle Corps sent three of their four divisions forward shortly after dawn. The idea was to draw off any reinforcements that might help the Axis defend Targu Frumos.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Battle of the Bulge and Elsenborn Ridge, and pieces from Eastern Front and Road to Berlin. Only use Soviet leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: The 27th Army reported "The 33rd Rifle Corps ... had no success after encountering heavy resistance and was fighting along its previous line at day's end." The three divisions combined reported 15 Romanian prisoners taken against 24 killed and 113 wounded. Needless to say the attack accomplished none of its meager goals.

Comments: The unsupported human wave attacks continue here, with a very large Red Army infantry force trying to break through Romanian lines and cut two roads behind them. It is well for the Soviets that their objectives are limited, since their relative dearth of leaders for such a large force will make it tough for them to rally troops that become demoralized.

Scenario Eight
Panzer Lion I: The Main Thrust
2 May 1944
With all the feints and mind games out of the way, the main assault went in. Good Soviet reconnaissance allowed first-echelon rifle divisions to assign specific tasks to their shock troops. Sappers were provided to clear minefields and individual tanks assigned to overcome the tougher security outposts.

Note: This scenario uses boards and pieces from Elsenborn Ridge and Road to Berlin, and pieces from Red Warriors. Only use German leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: A heavy bombardment that included white phosphorus caused the defenders great difficulty, but also let them know the attack was upon them. Even before the defenders of Dumbravita, Georgesti and Cucuteni were overcome by the shock troops, closely-following mobile elements of 29th Tank Corps were bypassing them in an effort to secure Targu Frumos before the Germans could recover.

Comments: The Soviets’ numerical superiority was so huge in the original version of this scenario that I had to tone it down a bit. Rather than covering the initial assault plus the exploitation moves of 29th Tank Corps, I just made it a short scenario in which the shock troops of 81st Guards Rifle Division try to break the German line and get troops off the south edge. That’s plenty for the Germans to deal with all by itself.

Scenario Nine
Panzer Lion II: Targu Frumos
2 May 1944
While the fighting still going on to the north had tied up a good portion of their infantry, Soviet mobile elements pushed on to Targu Frumos alone. Leading the charge were thirteen new-model, heavily-armored Joseph Stalin tanks now mounting a hard-hitting 122mm gun. With both their infantry regiments holding out to the north, Grossdeutschland had to rely on their panzers to stop the incursion.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Elsenborn Ridge and pieces from Eastern Front, Road to Berlin and Red Warriors. Only use Soviet leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: The fighting opened with 25 Soviet tanks attempting to take Targu Frumos from the north in a coup de main. A hidden 88mm battery broke up this attempt, and after the Soviets regrouped the heaviest tanks on each side became engaged in a long-range battle. The German tanks came out on top, and the Soviet attack came to a halt as their tanks contented themselves with long range fire. The heavy panzers then moved east to assist German fusiliers. Gen Hasso von Manteuffel showed why he was known as the Panzer Lion: his Grossdeutschland Division severely crippled 2nd Ukrainian Front’s offensive ability while suffering negligible loses.

Comments: The fight returns to the key crossroads of Targu Frumos as the heaviest tanks of the day battle it out. Both sides are relatively light on infantry support but the Germans are particularly deficient in that area. So, the Soviets will need to move aggressively with their SMG troops to pin down German tanks in assaults so the Soviet heavy tanks can destroy them at their leisure.

Scenario Ten
Panzer Lion III: A Promising Start
2 May 1944
Just because Gen von Manteneuffel had sent his heavy panzers to handle another crisis did not mean he planned to take the defensive at Targu Frumos. SS Death’s Head Division was ordered to advance from Helestieni and assist the grenadiers retreating from the fighting around Dumbravita in establishing new positions at Radui. Grossdeutschland's Panzer IVs were to provide assistance. The participants interpreted their orders creatively.

Note: This scenario uses boards from Elsenborn Ridge and Battle of the Bulge, and pieces from Eastern Front, Road to Berlin and Red Warriors. Only use Soviet leaders from Road to Berlin.

Conclusion: SS Death’s Head Division advanced steadily toward Rudinoassa while the Panzer IVs of Grossdeutschland cleared Radui on their way there. By sundown a promising start had turned into a catastrophe for the Soviets.

Comments: Here the Germans have the opportunity to envelop and crush a large mixed force of Soviet Guards and RKKA units. The Germans get to attack on two fronts which will make it difficult for the Soviets to hold their lines, but the Soviets have plenty of armor support while the Germans don’t get any until several turns into the game. Also working against the Germans is the fact that their best tanks are from the low-quality Death’s Head Division, so any Soviet infantry that assaults them will have an easy time demoralizing them. Death’s Head’s tanks will therefore need to link up with the superior infantry of Grossdeutshcland Division to get the protection they need to deal with the Soviet Guards infantry.

That’s it for Army Group South Ukraine.

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