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A Walk On The Beach

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BigDork

Jun 9 2004, 10:28 AM

Post #1

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Sergei put out a request for someone to playtest an Op for him and since he hooked us up with some maps for WC4 I couldn't say no. Here's an overview...

QUOTE

A Walk On The Beach
======================
Date: 15th July 1944
Time and weather: mid-day (last battle dusk), mixed weather
Location: Nietjärvi (Ladoga Karelia), Finland
5 battles, 25+ (AI) or 30+ (two players) turns
Semi-historical Soviet attack static operation
Recommended play: either as Allied against AI or PBEM (depending on version)

Background:

On 9th of June 1944 Soviets ended their long stalemate with Finns to NW of Leningrad by launching an offensive in the Karelian Isthmus (between Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga) with massive artillery support. Despite ineffective attempts to stop and push back the advance, ground had to be given in a swift pace after both the first (the main) and second lines of defense had broken. City of Viipuri was lost on 22nd of June, and the next objective for Red Army was to reach Kymi river and force Finland to surrender. But by now the Finnish Army had recovered enough from the initial shock, and in the grand battle of Tali-Ihantala the Soviet 21st Army was tied down. The following attempts by Soviets in the Isthmus to break across the Bay of Viipuri in the south and the great river Vuoksi in the north failed during July.

In order to repel the invasion in the vital Isthmus sector, Finns had started moving forces from north of Lake Ladoga in secrecy. To make reinforcing the Isthmus harder and to gain back the areas lost in 1941 (including parts of the Murmansk railway and city of Petrozavodsk), the Soviet 7th and 32nd Armies began an offensive against the Finnish Aunus Group (II and IV Corps) on 21st of June. II Corps made a fighting withdrawal from river Svir along the coast of Ladoga; after three weeks of fighting and 150 km of ground ceded, the front line had reached the U-line. This was already well within Finnish pre-WW2 borders, and once again men felt they were fighting for their homes, not just for an expansionist utopia. Also the swampy terrain offered poor prospects for the use of tanks and the lousy road network in Karelia made supplying the attackers hard.

Current Situation:

Yesterday the Russian 37th Guards Corps and 4th Corps Army began a poorly executed attack intented to sweep the Finnish 5th Division aside from the road to city of Sortavala. So far the Finns have managed to control the situation. Today at 9 o'clock Soviets bombarded the frontmost perimeter of the U-line at Nietjärvi sector for a full hour after which the perimeter was captured. Defenders of Nietjärvi have to stop Russians from breaking loose, or the whole U-line could be at peril.

Special deployment rule:
In western parts of the map there are some rather marshy tracks, so it would be unrealistic to deploy heavy equipment (vehicles or guns above transport class 4) there at the beginning of a battle. However, it's okay if you are able to drive them there during battle at the risk of bogging.

Sources:
Matti Koskimaa, Syväriltä Nietjärvelle
Veikko Karhunen, Syväriltä U-asemaan
S. P. Platonov, Taistelut Suomen rintamalla 1941-1944

Design by Sergei

Historical outcome:

As the day passed, locations changed hands many times. By the end of the day Russians had penetrated U-line in it's full depth, but at the same time they had been stopped and their casualties ran high. The battle came to an end on the night of 16-17th, as the tip of the advance was chopped off by a double envelopment after which villa Maximoff was taken back by Finns. (See my battle "Niet Molotoff!" for that.)

The Finnish victory at Nietjärvi meant that Red Army had been stopped well before Sortavala. That, the achievements in the Isthmus and finally the encirclement of two Soviet divisions in Ilomantsi on their way to Joensuu caused Soviets to forget about occupying Finland, as resources were needed more in Central Europe.

--------------------

Fair and Balanced Spamming since day 1.

QUOTE

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Posts in this topic

BigDork A Walk On The Beach Jun 9 2004, 10:28 AM

BigDork Want to comment on this operation? Please do it he... Jun 9 2004, 11:05 AM

BigDork Turn 1: I order all my platoons to move up using ... Jun 9 2004, 11:21 AM

BigDork Turn 2: Nothing too much of note happens. My men ... Jun 9 2004, 11:23 AM

BigDork Turn 3: CONTACT!!!! From 1500m a... Jun 9 2004, 11:26 AM

BigDork Turn 3: On my left I make contact with a platoon ... Jun 9 2004, 11:28 AM

BigDork Turn 4: On my left flank things aren't fairin... Jun 9 2004, 11:57 AM

BigDork Turn 5: I order my left platoon to withdraw from ... Jun 12 2004, 09:06 AM

BigDork Turn 7: My men were slowly making their way throu... Jun 15 2004, 10:17 AM

BigDork Turn 8: The platoon on my left flank had earlier ... Jun 15 2004, 10:20 AM

BigDork Turn 8: ...but it's too late and a shell hits... Jun 15 2004, 10:22 AM

BigDork Turn 8: The building was destroyed but the MG was... Jun 15 2004, 10:24 AM

BigDork Turn 9: When the light gun fired on my Scout Car ... Jun 15 2004, 10:25 AM

BigDork Turn 9: The gun never got off another shot as the... Jun 15 2004, 10:26 AM

BigDork Turn 9: As my men move forward they suddenly spot... Jun 15 2004, 10:29 AM

BigDork Turn 9: As my tanks move forward I get a contact ... Jun 15 2004, 10:30 AM

BigDork Turn 9: My tanks quickly respond to the anti-tank... Jun 15 2004, 10:31 AM

BigDork Turn 11: Turn 10 is spent pretty much the same wa... Jun 15 2004, 10:33 AM

BigDork Turn 12: Turn 12 starts with the Finns trying to ... Jun 15 2004, 10:35 AM

BigDork Turn 12: This unit came out of the wheat down nea... Jun 15 2004, 10:36 AM

BigDork Turn 13: I decide to have another go at the left ... Jun 15 2004, 10:39 AM

BigDork Turn 14: While not the most effective thing to do... Jun 15 2004, 10:41 AM

BigDork Turn 17: Slowly my men continue forward. As my gu... Jun 15 2004, 10:43 AM

BigDork Turn 19: Found the son of a bitch! After firi... Jun 15 2004, 10:45 AM

BigDork Turn 19: I make an error in issuing some orders a... Jun 15 2004, 10:47 AM

BigDork Turn 19: Not bad, in under 20 minutes my tanks ha... Jun 15 2004, 10:48 AM

BigDork Turn 21: As I get closer to the treches the Finni... Jun 15 2004, 10:50 AM

BigDork Turn 25: I spend the next few turns before 25 fir... Jun 15 2004, 10:54 AM

BigDork End Battle 1: Much to my disappointment the battl... Jun 15 2004, 10:56 AM

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