Codename: PANZERS War Diaries - A Look Behind the Battle Lines (Part 2)

CDV Releases a Continuing Look into the Lives of Soldiers Whose Story Plays out in PC Title 

Codename: PANZERS is a pending PC release from CDV and Stormregion that thrust players into the heady battles of World War II. Sporting real-time combat with 3D graphics, players are thrown into the role of a commanding officer, creating a combat force from more than 100 finely detailed units in three armies. (for more detals on the game, also see http://www.panzers.com/)

In support of the title, which is slated for release in early October, CDV has released diaries from the soldiers whose stories play out in the game. In Part 1, the story of a German officer was detailed (http://www.gamezone.com/news/09_16_04_04_32PM.htm). Part 2 takes a look at the time setting through the eyes of a Russian officer:

Commander Alexander Vladimirov was born into a martial tradition.  His father was a General in the Great War; and prospered as an ally first to Lenin then to Joseph Stalin.  Named after the great hero of Novgorod, Alexander Nevsky, Commander Vladimirov excelled throughout his education at the military academy and now anticipated his first assignment with mixed emotions.   

Vladimirov always thought that his first trip to Moscow would be to march in the glorious May Day parade.  Instead, he has been summoned to help protect the precious capital from the advancing Wehrmacht.  Nothing has stopped the German army until now, and the Kremlin itself as at risk. 

Early October, 1941 found the Commander assigned to an outpost near the village of Dimitrov.  A German armored recon patrol has occupied the village and is now advancing on the outpost.  The look-outs are overrun just as Vladimirov assumes command.

Mission briefing for the defense of Moscow.

“Sergeant, we must drive the Germans back immediately, or our position will be quickly overrun.  Take your T-26’s and follow me!”

Each of the lookouts was being held with at least one light tank and armored scout car.  While the small Russian tank force was sufficient to recapture them, a T-26 was lost when Stukas descended suddenly and on-target.  When the screaming dive-bombers attack, one can only hope they miss their mark.

Slowly, Vladimirov made his way into Dimitrov.  Several artillery pieces laid down a deadly barrage.  Another tank had to be lured out into the open, where it was destroyed.  After several trips back to base for refit and repairs, the enemy artillery was silenced and the infantry defenders could finally be mopped up.  As long as enemy guns or tanks are on the hunt, bringing soft targets like infantry to bear can result in horrible carnage.

With the front at Moscow stabilized, Commander Vladimirov is reassigned south to supervise another delicate operation.  German and Rumanian forces are advancing on the Caucasus oilfields.  The refineries are to be destroyed, but the last of the oil is to be saved for defense of the Motherland and must be kept out of German hands.

German forces approach the village outposts.

The convoy is going to pass through the refinery via mountainous, winding roads.  Fortunately, the refinery has its own defense force of tanks and infantry, so Vladimirov need not cover the entire road.  STAVKA has granted him a powerful new T-34 to use as a command vehicle, while his old BA-12 is given to one of his corporals.

The German attack begins almost as soon as the convoy enters the sector.  The Commander deploys his armor swiftly to the north-east, but is quickly overwhelmed by waves of advancing German armor and infantry.  His own infantry are caught unprotected, and most of them are chased down by advancing Panzers and routed from the field.  Saving the repair truck becomes a critical exercise as one by one the BT-7M and T-26 tanks are swarmed and destroyed.

Meanwhile, Commander Vladimirov’s T-34, in tandem with the BA-12 form a hunter-killer team of sorts.  They are able to respond quickly as the convoy comes under fire, chasing off infantry attacks and destroying the German armor which while great in quantity, attacked in dispersed waves rather than as a concentrated swarm.  Nearly the entire defense force was sacrificed, but 35 of 40 trucks safely made it out of danger.  The effort left Vladimirov without the services of his experienced sergeants; but his efforts were lauded by STAVKA as a great victory and Alexander was given a medal and promoted to Lt. Colonel.  A thinking man might call this a “Pyrrhic victory,” but to the hope-starved Russian people, Vladimirov was now a hero.

Blowing up vehicles when infantry is near by serves some nice collateral damage.

A horrible (for the Germans) Russian winter had more to do with halting the German advance than a whole army of T-34’s.  A renewed offensive in 1942 found both armies committing vast resources to the destroyed city of Stalingrad.  Victory here for either side would lift moral and send the opposing army reeling.  The two exhausted armies stand off like boxing heavyweights, and now in mid-September it is time for a knock-out punch.  Lt. Colonel Vladimirov is to spearhead an attack across the Volga and route the Germans from key positions.  If he can force the Germans back into themselves, flanking attacks by other divisions could surround the entire 6^th Corps.

The river crossing proceeds without incident.  Vladimirov’s sector is divided by a rail yard – a tricky no-man’s land splitting the rubble that remains of Stalingrad.  The Lt. Colonel uses his influence to requisition another BT 7M, a mortar team, and an ammo truck.  This gives him six tanks which divide into two hunt groups, easily securing the area east of the tracks.

When a shell falls on your head and does this sort of damage,
they definitely have your number.  Get out quickly or perish.

A second force under Colonel Kopov is attacking from the north.  Several artillery pieces are exposed as the Colonel approaches under heavy fire.  His own tanks still too far off to offer support, Vladimirov orders several Petlyakov 2 dive bombers to silence the German guns.  As the Lt. Colonel occupies the objective factory, the Colonel successfully captures the nearby school.  Now they must penetrate further into the city and break the heart of German resistance in the sector.

Fighting was intense street by street.  German paratroopers wreaked havoc by occupying rear positions.  Several tank crews were roasted out of their vehicles by flamethrower teams.  Vladimirov called in his remaining favors with the Army Group air corps, eliminating another rear artillery position as well as a German armor repair vehicle.  When the remnants of German armor were destroyed, the sector was secure.  Reports submitted to STAVKA revealed a stagger 188 enemy units neutralized at a cost of a mere 25 Russians.  The operation was a huge success.

The Germans however are still not without fight.  In 1943, a vast maelstrom is brewing near the town of Kursk.  As German armor approaches, engineer teams work to plant minefields and otherwise slow the Wehrmacht’s advance while the Soviet Army prepares to respond in kind.  Lt. Colonel Alexander Vladimirov is summoned to the front to supervise yet another sensitive operation.  How will he fare?  Get Codename: Panzers and find out!

Now it’s the German turn to reinforce from the air! 

 ***

In Part 3, the final part of this series, the diary will feature the American point of view.

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