VaeVictis n°166

CONTENTS

NEW HEXAGONAL PRODUCTS

 Ennemy Action Karkov, Battles for the Shenandoah...

CARD GAMES

•     Nach Paris (VUCA Simulations)
•     Equatorial Clash (SNAFU Design)
•     Race to Bastogne (MMP)
•     Ultima Ratio Regis (Ignacio Torres Siles)
•     Downfall of Empires (Shakos)

HOBBY

•     War games in the spotlight in the armies
•     What to choose : kamikases in games
•     Students in the battle
•     What's new in Warlord

FIGURES

•     Art of War : cavalry through the ages part 2
•     Operation Dragoon - The battle for Toulon, 1944
•     Kings of War Historical (Mantic Games)
•     Triumph ! (Washington Grand Company)
•     Alexander Saga (Studio Tomahawk)
•     Austerlitz Scenarios

SCENARIOS

•     Russia 1942 for ASL
•     Sicily 1943 for M44

NEW RULES

•     Fighting the Dragon
•     Armoured Storm
•     Battlegroup Westwall
•     Team Yankee Red Dawn
•     Leipzig

ART OF WAR

•     The battle of Velikie Louki 1942-1943
•     1859, the other Italian campaign
•     War in Ukraine (Part 1)

Complete set: Velikie Louki 1942-43

Anticipating a Soviet operation against the Rhezv salient and the German 9th Army, the OKH sent Von Manstein to Vitebsk in early November to prepare Operation Taubenschlag aimed at seizing Toropets (65 km northeast of Velikie Louki) and stopping the probable Soviet counteroffensive. The Gruppe Chevalerie, which was in charge of the sector, came under the command of the 11. Army, to its 83.ID are added the 291.ID, 12. Pz Division and 3. Gebirgs Division as well as units of werfer. The 8.Pz Division will attack from Kolm to support the upcoming operation.
Unfortunately, on 19 November, operation Uranus was launched and within 24 hours the situation of the 6. Army in Stalingrad became critical. Von Manstein was sent south to rectify the situation, the units of the 11. Army units began to transfer on the 21st, and the 89th Division was left alone to defend the Velikie Louki sector.
On November 24, the 3rd Shock Army - 5th Guards Rifle Corps and 2nd Mechanized Corps - went on the offensive with the objective of retaking the city. On November 27, Velikie Louki was surrounded and declared a fortress by A. Hitler. The Germans were trying to rectify the situation, bringing together the few troops available in the area. For almost two months, violent battles took place in order to save the garrison and prevent the Soviet offensive from developing towards the west.
Scale

•     Game turn: 5 days
•     Pieces: battalions, regiments, brigades, divisions
•     Map : one hex = 2,5 km
•     Complexity: 5/10
•     Possibility to play alone: 7/10
•     Duration of a game: about 3 hours