THE INTELLIGENCE HANDBOOK FOR ayN RY = AUGUST 1944 aR a Maas Wile1944 Began, the British and American fore nin were preparing for th the D-Day landings. At the same time the Fifth and Eighth Armies in Italy eed cowards Rome, planning the | H bales chae would capcure the fist Axis capital co fallin the While the Western Allies planned, ced Army was fighting the brural battles ould take them from: wt in che north and the Dnepr River in the south, to the borders of Poland and Romania, clearing the 7 Motherland of the Fas ontains Intelligenc ‘on the German, British, Soviet and US forces i dramatic s to liberate Euro} you everything you need to field these forces in War game, includin; , man (76mm) and Firefly VC tanks, the MIB E GME tank destroyer and Cromwell tank, che deadly Churchill Crocodile lame-tanks the 116 MGMC quadruple .50 cal machine-guns, the up-gunned T- ‘um tank and the powerful IS-2 heavy tank i able of penetrating the armour of any German rank.e JANUARY. rien by Pil Yas, oson Mota Editors: Peter Simunovich, John-Paul Brisigoti “Assistant Writers: Jonathon Forsey, Alun Gallie Proof Readers: Paul Beach Graphie Design: Casey Davies, Dion Holswich inate Dv: Evan les Sh Nash Cover and Internal Av: Vincent Wai, Warren: May Minianures Painting: Jeremy Painter, James Brown, Andrew Salisbury Terntin Modelling: Kyran Henry. Dale Pepperall Photography: Battlefront Studio Web Support: Wayne Tarner Playtest Groups: 10 Cavalry (Michael Turner), ‘Auckland City Guard (Damian Reid), Peninsula Praetorians (Mike Parker) Photography: National Library of New Zealand, Imperial War Museu, Bovingéon Tank Museum, Australian War Memorial, Roger Key Private Collection, NARA, National Archives Of Canada, ‘wireewrw2modelmaker.com, US Army Signal Corps CONTENTS a ane ——+ —-— Introduction . acai ‘The Western Front......eseeeeeees Europe—January 1944.....660e0e0ee ‘The Eastern Front .... ‘The German Army The British Army The US Army... ‘The Soviet Army. German Forces, 1944....+++++++ Panzerkompanie. . ‘ Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie Panzergrenadierkompanie. Grenadierkompanie . Fallschirmjigerkompanie . nal Suppore. .. German Arsenal... German Special Rules... British Forces, 1944...... Armoured Squadron. Motor Company Rifle Company. “Armoured Car Squadron Divisional Support. . . British Arsenal ........ British Special Rules. . ‘Air Observation Aircraft. US Forces, 1944. Tank Company»... ‘Armored Rifle Company .. Rifle Company. Cavalry Recon Troop « Divisional Support. US Arsenal US Special Rules Soviet Forces, 1944 . ‘Tankovy Baralon Motostrelkovy Batalon Strelkovy Baralon....... Corps Support Soviet Arsenal......... Soviet Special Rules... 06.6.5 ‘This isa supplement for Flames Of War, the World War IL miniatures game. ‘A copy of the rulebook for Flames Of War is necessary to fully use the contents of this book. All rights reserved. No par ofchis publicaion may be reproduced, stored ina recrieval system, ot transmitted, in any form or by amy = means without the prior writen permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any forms of binding or cover ocher than that ‘in which icis published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaserFLAMES OF WAR In-Flames Of War, you take on the role of a company ommander manoeuvring your troops across the batilfields (of World War Il. ‘This classic period of warfare is broughe to life in your own. game. room. Fortress Europe provides the core armies in the form of Intelligence Briefings: ‘These Intelligence Briefings allow you to field the American, British, German and Soviet forces that clashed on the batdefields of Europe from January to August 1944. To play Flames Of War you'll also’ need the Flames Of War rulebook. ‘he rulebook contains all the rules that you need to fight miniature World War II battles WHY COLLECT A FORCE FROM FORTRESS EUROPE? Whether you wish to storm the beaches at Normandy, crack the Gustav Line, or recapture the Motherland for Uncle Joe, you can find the force structure in Forrress Europe to build thE appropriate units thac historically: met across the plains, ities; and mountains of Hider’s Fortress Europe. Fancy yourself leading a German Panzer company against the invading Allies? Fortress Europe provides you the means {6 outfit your Panzertruppen with the latest German wonder weapons and crush the invaders for the Fatherland. Fighting for King and Country? Outfit your favourite fegiment with proper kit and give Jerry what for. Throw in plenty of artillery and bring the Hun to his knees. Is Kilroy more your style? Lead your dogfaces, through Normandy or outflank the Krauts witha blood-and-guts tank advance while bringing apple pie and baseball to France. ‘And don’t forget the Red horde. Massive infantry and tank formations are yours for the taking. Bludgeon your way to glorious victory across the steppes of Russia and fell the Nazi beast. Swarm the gates of Minsk and Warsaw leading to the ultimate prize, Berlin, “They are all here in Fortress Europe, looking for the right general to take command and bring the sting of battle to your game room on a scale you never thought possible. How THIS BOOK WORKS This book is divided into a section for each of the four major powers of World War Il. Each army has intelligence briefings for tank, armoured infantry, and infantry companies Each company has ¢asy-to-use charts, highlighting available platoons which are the fighting units of your company. Each platoon diagram visually displays what troops are included in the platoon. A derailed arsenal at the end of each section describes the specific ratings for your units and the weapons they use. From tanks to infantry, this book contains everything you heed to get starced! In addition to the technical information you'll need to build your force, each book contains plenty of inspiring pictures and stories w help you capture the favour of your new: Flames Of War force! Al of the forces in this book are based on historical examples that fought in cach theatre in 1944. To find out more, visit our informative website at sows FlamesOfWar.com or visit your local game store.‘HOW TO BUILD A FORCE Flames Of War uses a point system when setting up and playing games. Typical games are around 1500 points, but nly nor limited to any Value! Play any point value you and your opponent decide. You can play small 600 point games over a short period, or you can play mammoth games ting armies that are 3000 or 5000 points! In:most Flames Of War games you will command a company ‘with several platoons. Each company includes: * Company HQ - The company headquarters platoon is required. Without it you have no command! When you choose your force the firse thing you must purchase with your points is your company headquarters platoon. + Combat Platoons = Usually, atleast two combat platoons are required. Whatever your battle plan requires, the Combat Platoons are the ones you rely upon to get the job done! + Weapons Platoons - Weapons platoons come from your ‘own battalion. ‘They are nor required, but can offer your company excellent support, such as heavy machine-guns, ‘mortars and anti-tank weapons. Support Platoons - Support platoons are loaned to your company by the regiment, division or corps. These platoons give you extra support in many forms, ranging, from tanks to artillery: PLATOONS ram indicates the required teams that you Each platoon, must have to make that unit a combat-worthy force. The ‘oops that are black in each diagram are essential and must be included. Those troops in grey are optional troops that add special weapons and equipment to the platoon. SPECIAL RULES In Flames Of War, ehere are many special rules that give players the favour of playing each individual nation in the Second World War. The special rules reflect the sorr of training and equipment the soldiers of each nation use; as well as the fighting spirit of the men, Remember t0 use each nation’s special rules found after ‘ach nations arsenal, or in the Flames Of War rulebook on pages 155 to 182. When cleverly used, these special rules will give you the edge necded vo bring glorious victory to your armies! ANZERGRENADIERKOMPANIE sdquarters) anzerfaust SMG teams 90 points SAMPLE P. ‘Company HQ (Compulsory Hea Headquarters with Command and Anti-tank Section Panzergrenadier Platoon (Compalsory Combat Poon) ranzergeenedier Squads and with 3 P: Panzerfaust SMG team Command P 215 points Panzergrenadier Platoon (Capypulsory Combat aroon) 3 Panzergrenadier Squads and swith and Panzerknacker SMG team. Comm: 210 points Heavy Platoon (Combat Platoon) with 1 Machine-gun Section } @ Light Infantey Gun Platoon (Weapons Platoon) with 2 Infantry Gun Sections Light Anti-tank Gun Platoon (Weapons Platoon), with 3 7.5em PaK40 Anti-tank Guns 170 points ) © Heavy Tank Platoon (Support Pstoon) with 2 Tiger 1 E tanks Assault Gun Platoon (Support Platoon) with 3 StuG IV ‘Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon (Support Platoon) with 3 Armoured Sd Kfz 7/2 (3:7em) hhalf-tracks 85 points 85 points 430 points 285 points 180 points Total—1750 pointsfe ices Seeaicaeemaanae ASING YOUR ARMY Batlelrone Miniarures packages Flames Of War products to give you everything you need to assemble your force ax quickie _ and accurately s possible. Our blisters and box sets are packaged to give you all of the options available to build your army. ty army organises its plaroons differently, and the organisation diagrams reflect this, For example, a Panzergrenadier squad Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon is comprised of nine men split into two teams, one of four soldiers and one of five, a Panzergrenadier squad in x mocorised Panzergrenadier Platoon has eight men split into ewo teams of four soldiers, while IS Rifle Platoon has squads of twelve men spl into three teams of four soldiers “Ofeourse, units in combat rarely maintain their cheoretical strength. We reflect this by allowing you to take fewer squads could also: show this by changing the number of soldiers in-each team. ot otherwise varying. your bases from these “Buldelines to achieve the look you want \FANTRY TEAMS ie fundamental building blocks of an infantry platoon are the various types of infantry teams: The most common ones are ‘showin below with a brief description of their function and organisation. ‘A Command team is made up of an officer, an NCO and a rifleman on \ a small base. ‘There are ofien options to upgrade your Command team with a different weapon. To do so, simply replace the rifleman with the chosen upgrade. You can see an example of chis on the following page Rifle teams ate the basic form of infantry. All the miniatures in a rifle WARD AAVRE cop nonmally be armed wih ifs, Some squads may have single machine-gun, but its effect is diluted by the number of rifles in the squad. Base your rifle ams on a medium base. RIFLE/MG TEAMS Rifle/MG teams are organised like rifle teams, except that every squad of } ae ea ee ‘MG teams are better armed than Rifle/MG teams. Every MG team has WAY WPA, s mchine-gun. Base MG teams with « crew-fed machine-gun and evo to three riflemen on a medium base. : Som ‘nations equipped entire platoons with submachine-guns. SMG ¥ reams are made up of miniatures armed exclusively with submachine- | BUS ee eee ey Wh Warr is made-up of miniatures armed-exclusively with assault rifles, Base Assault PIONEER TEAMS A Pioneer team retains the normal characteristics and basing of its type, RAV RR REN = Rite eas ons mcitum bsrand gaits conberenpreetup tar acteristics and abilities such as an increased anti-tank rating in assault and the ability to clear mines and demolish fortifications. Light Mortar teams are made up of a miniature armed with a light ‘mortar and a loader on a small base ‘he Soviet Army relied on political officers to keep the soldiers of the \ Red Army motivated for battle. A Komissar team is modelled with a Komissar and a rifleman on a small base. E Light Anti-tank teams are infantry teams made up of a miniatures armed with a Weapon like a Bazooka or PIAT and a loader oma small baseoe = = oe Y PLATOON DIAGRAMS Fach platoon diagram indicates the required squads and teams you must have to make that unit combat-worthy. Troops in black are the core of the unit. Troops in giey are optional supporting weapons and vehicles that you can add to give chem sore punch or mobility. Many platoons also include options that allow you to improve the equipment or capabilities of some of the teams, The platoon encry will also list the special rules that the platoon follows. Each platoon entry in a Flames Of War book reflects the historical make-up of the platoon, and tells you how to base the blister or box set that represents that particular unit. ‘The following example shows 2 platoon of Panzergrenadiers and how to assemble it using the contents of GBXO9 Panzergrenadier Platoon. JHE PLATOON ENTRY FROM JHE BOOK pat GEPANZERTE PANZERGRENADIER PLATOON TEU OT } j | Panzergrenadier Squads 275. points | Panzergrenadier Squads 200 points _ OPTIONS _ + Replace the Command MG team with a Command Panzerknacker SMG team for +5 points or a Command Panzerfaust SMG team for +10 points. Replace Sd Kfs251/1 halftrack in HQ Section with Ss Ke 2511 halt track sd Kfr 2511 half-rack a Sd Kz 251/10 (3.7em) half-track at no cost. Kero UME MGteom — MGtoam MGteam — MGteam Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoons may use the Mounted | Asaut special rule } WAY ATA MGteem MGteam BUILDING THE PLATOON i -* — TEU NANe Nera HHH: BAL 7 Command Command, Command 6 Kfz 251/10 MG team Panzerknacker SMG team —_Panzerfaust SMG team (3.7em) half-track rake ||Petae Ktate || BERT MG team MG team a SS Sd kfe 251/1 half-track. NETS para nnl]‘After conquering Sicily in. July and August 1943, the victorious Allies famed their atiention to. the Italian mainland, dubbed ‘the soft underbelly ‘of Europe’ by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill AN OCCUPYING FORCE Following secret negotiations the new Tealian government of Marshal Badoglio signed an armistice with che Allies Any hopes. of a peaceful resolution 0 the conflict in. the Mediterranean were dashed when German croops ‘oceupied Rome within hours of this being announced, and began to disarm or imprison much of the Italian Army. Their response was so fast that it pre- empred Operation Giane, the planned seizure of Rome by Allied airborne troops. Germany's Wehrmacht, thei armed forces, assumed the role of an army of occupation and speedily set about fortifying the Italian Peninsula The scene was set for alongand bitterly fought campaign. OPERATION BAYTOWN ily provided the springboard. for the first Allied landings in Southern Traly. On 3. September, in Operation Baytown, the British Eighth Army under General. Montgomery, landed on the poorly-defended Calabrian coast near Reggio. Harassed by Italian paratroop- cts from 184 Reggimento Paracaduaisti ‘Nembo’ (which had remained loyal to the Axis) and-the German 29. Panzer- grenadierdivision, the British advance was further slowed by extensive demo- litions that were to become a familiar Feature ofthe lalian campaign On 9 September more Eighth Army units came ashore at Taranto in Operation. Slapstick. Occupying. the Puglia region the British again encoun- tered demolitions “and were harassed by retreating parachute units, this time German, ‘SURPRISE AT SALERNO That same day the US Fifth Army, Including the British X Corps, under command of Lieutenant General Mark W_ Clark, landed at Salerno Unlike: the: Reggjo and Taranto landings, the Allied troops met with stiff opposi- tion from the German defenders. This was particularly devastating in the US sector where the defenders were’ready in, Operation Avalanche, and waiting when the troops attempred a surprise Janding without the usual preparatory bombardment, counterattacks by 16. Panzerdivision almost‘broke through to the beaches, only to be thrown back by Allied naval German gunfire support. The situation became so precarious that Allied commanders considered “evacuating the beachhead, bur the hard-pressed troops held on, RESCUING THE FIFTH ARMY On 14 and 15 September paratroopers fiom the US 82 Airborne Division dropped as reinforcements inside the beachhead. Their arrival boosted the morale of the beleaguered troops. On 20 September, after 12 days of intense fighting, the Allies finally broke out fiom their beachhead. Pounded by heavy Allied naval and air bombard ments the German defenders withdrew in an orderly fashion. British and US troops pushed: north ‘aptiring Naples on 30 September, The invaders had gained their foothold, but the rugged terrain, so different from the deserts of North Africa, and the resolute defence had made ic clear that the road to Rome would be long and hard. Perhaps Churchill. should. have paid more attention to Napoleon who ‘was reputed to have said, ‘Italy sa boot and should be entered from the top.” THE GERMAN FORTIFICATIONS The Germans had wasted no time in ‘organising strong defensive lines that took advantage of the natural defences afforded them. In the wake of the Salerno landings. reinforcements had poured south, ‘The German. strategy centred on defensive lines of strongly fortified positions. The strongest of these was the Gustav Line, stretching from coast ro coast across Traly’s narrow middle. The mountainous spine of the Italian Peninsula effectively channelled Allied advances into the teeth of these positions, rendering them impossible to bypass by land. Additionally, the Allied armies to advance separately — Montgomery's Eighth Army up che eastern side of the peninsula and Clark’ Fifth Army on terrain forced the the western sideBer che eastern Rank long the Adriatic Sea, the Bighth Army pressed on up the coast. On 3 October an amphibi- ‘us asaule by Commandos at Termolt Iypassed-German- defenders on. the river Bifero, The river was crossed after biter struggle and Canadian rroops entered Campo Basso on 14 October. Following hard fighting by the British 78° Division and 8* Indian Division jn_pariiilar, and “hampered” as. ever by demolitions, the Allies reached che rier Sangro, part of the Gustav Line, b-9 November. Met with fierce resist- ance the Eighth Army oops finally forced a crossing over the Sangro on 30 November Canadian troops then captured Ortona aera biter struggle with German para troopers, but deteriorating weather and tough German defences were slowing the advance along the Adriatic coast By January 1944 Allied attention. was becoming focused on Monte Cassino. THE WESTERN ADVANCE | Meanwhile in the west, the British “7 Armoured Division, the “Desert Rats, forced « crossing of the Voleurno River and by the beginning of Nov- eber, Fifth Army had arrived before the preliminary Bernhard Line. An assault by the British 56% (London) Division breached. the line, but the German defenders fell back to the still more formidable Gustav Line defences As the weary troops of Fifth Army resumed. their advance, Mount La Difesa was captured by the Canadian American 1* Special Service Force, and the US 36" "Texas! Infantry Division {wok Mounts Maggiore and Lungo Iringing chem to che Rapido River. CASINO, ‘The key t0 the Gustav Line was the imposing monastery-capped mountain ‘of Monte Cassino, which dominated the town of Cassino on the road to Rome. In the first battle of Cassino the Allies attacked the Gustav positions on a broad-front, with the newly-arrived French Expeditionary Conps attack- ing the mountainous right flank, the US. Coups aiming for che Rapido in the centre, and the British X Corps lerosing the Garigliano on the coast. “Aquafondata, threatening the Germain defenders of Cassino, In. the centre of the advance, the US 6* Armored Infantry Regiment eventually caprured Mount Porchia, before being relieved by the 141* Infantry Regiment, who together with 135 Infantry Regiment took Mount ‘Trocchio on 15 January, reaching the Rapido. River. The US 36" Infantry Division then attempted to cross the river but were thrown back. Meanwhile the British X. Corps ‘erossed the Garigliano River. A second ‘American assault forced a crossing of the Rapido and the US 36% Infantry Division reached the outskirts of Cassino town in early February, but their assault was spent Fresh troops were needed, so. the ‘American troops were replaced by the New Zealand Corps. The Corps launched a major offensive on 15 February, following the contro- versial destruction of the monastery by Allied bombing, German defenders quickly occupied the ruins and movement became difficult for the attackers through the rubble, The attack ‘withered before the fierce defence. ‘A. fresh attack was scheduled for 24 February, disectly up Monastery Hill, bue was postponed because of abysmal weather. In the interim the Germans replaced 15. Penzergrenadier- division with the tough paratroopers of 1 Fallichirmjagerdivision.On. 15 March the assault by New Zealand and Indian infanery finally went in, buc che bactle raged for days with litle result. Conscane cobsérvation from the high ground of the monastery made attacking exceed ingly difficule, but a breakthrough on the Gustav Line was now imperative because of fresh events further north. THE ANZIO BEACHHEAD In an effort to circumvent the German defences of the Gustav Line, the Allies had launched Operation Shingle,anam- phibious landing at Anzio. This landing ‘on 22 January was intended to outflank the Gustav Line, forcing the defenders to retreat. Major General John P Lucas ‘commanded the landing by both US and. British divisions. Although che Jandings had caught the Germans by surprise Lucas was cautious in expand- ing his beachhead, gifting the German commanders precious time to rush seinforcements to the perimeter. After the initial Allied advances inland were stalled the Germans counterattacked ferociously and almost succeeding. in driving the invaders back into the sei. ‘With the help of naval gunfire support the Allies held on, but subsequent attempts to breakout from the beach= head came at a terrible cost, including the annihilation of the US I and 3% Ranger Battalions. As the Allies poured in further reinforcements the biter fighting descended to 2 bloody stalemate, compounded by atrocious ‘weather that rendered the misery of the common soldier complete CASSINO CAPTURED ‘The Allied commanders now realised that, perversely, a breakthrough: at Cassino was now essential to relieve the Allied force trapped at Anzio. On 11 May the Eight Army's newly arrived Polish II Corps made the fourth major attack against the monastery. The inicial asaule fled, but a new assaule fon 16 March at last knocked out the ‘German strongpoints one by one. Even now the redoubtable defenders made an orderly withdrawal. By 25 May the bloody battles for Cassino were over, and the Gustav Line collapsed. Resuming” & the advance, French units in the mount ainous centre bypassed the Hitler Line before it could be occupied. At the same time the Canadians advanced con the Adriatic flank, completing the destruction of the Gustav Line THE FALL OF ROME On 22 May the Anzio troops at last broke out from their beachhead and three days later joined up with advanc- ing Fifth Army troops near Borgo Grappa as British forces struck north towards Rome. The Fifth Army then struck north for Rome ahead of the British advance. At 9am on 4 June 1944, US reconnais= sance units entered Rome. The great city was the first Axis capital co be caprured, bur at a heavy cost to the Allies. More controversially, the German army dev fending Cassino got away. Fifth Army had been ordered to cut chem off, but Clark aimed. for Rome instead. The battered Allied troops in Ira still had ‘many months of bitieé fighting ahead!=— of them in Italy, Even then the glory of taking Rome was stolen les than 48 hours later by the D-Day landings.pNaai sy reat NIALL Ng GERMAN FRONT Nol Telaa} raat NORWAY oo FRANCE rN 7Ny FINLAND Roam Cee rt a i 4 FS ry yy Bonne) fn ra etd Por 2 Eiaur BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR . Bate Sf a LL aa ‘ fava Pa Dinas PN) Teel Rav) RZHEV arora d MINSK Bian ZN Pati fra old PROKHOROVKA BELGOROD rag KHARKOV rane 10) traced COC focTIviaN BaZa tol Pras ‘TERMOLI rate) CASSINO SALERNO. BPC Lie) Picco RELLY INaey raid Ce TOBRUK Brion) Petra aC) TUNIS otro LLCS PERSIA‘Hitler's desperate gamble for a morale- boosting victory, the Battle of Kursk 4 July 1943, ended in a defeat that smatked the beginning of the endfor Fsthe Webrmacht on. the Eastern Eront. Both sides suffered huge losses in men and-machines. However, they were Tosses the Soviets could make good, but from which the Germans would never fully cecover. In August 1943 the Red S Army began a series of massive counter- offensives that gathered in momentum, Aeiving the invaders before them ‘THE SOVIET ‘COUNTEROFFENSIVES © Bven as Operation Zitadelle foundered at Kursk, the RKKA, the Red Army Taunched an attack t0 reduce the Orel salient immediately to the north, General Popov’s Bryansk Front recap- tured the key road and rail junction at Orel on 6 August and continued to ative westwards. To the south of Kursk the Soviet ‘ounteroffensive, Operation Polkuodets Rumyantsev, drove an armoured wedge jingfo the German lines around the city-of Belgorod. The overwhelming Girength of the Soviet Steppe and Voronezh Fronts thwarted the efforts (Of two. Pancerkorps, weakened by the Kure fighting, to crush the artack eeween their armoured jaws. On 6 August a massive bombardment from ‘over 3000 Red Army artillery pieces obliterated the German defences, and Soviet troops swepe in co recaprure the sig This eriumph cleared ehe way for a rive on Kharkov: = RECAPTURING KHARKOV = “The massed might of the two Soviet = Fonts descended on the city on the = morning of 21 August. The bloody on- Slaught lefe few German survivors and bby midday the city was back in Soviet Shands. For the final time, contcol of = Kharkov had been wrested from the = invaders, providing the RKKA with a E> thunching pad to unleash their arinies © on the Eastern Ukraine and drive the =e atl yuan tol Cg THE APPROACHES TO MOSCOW Meanwhile, the Red Army had launched an offensive to liberate the region around Smolensk, on the ap- Proaches to Moscow. The region had been under the control of Wehrmacht forces since 1941 and in some places the German defensive lines were up to 100km in depth. ‘The Russian weather that had so recently been the Soviet’s saviour, now proved itself answerable to no master and the offensive ground to a halt in chick mud. Infuriated with the delays Stavke, the Soviet High Command, threw the 4ye Timkovaya Armiya and 8ya Artilleiva Korpus from Bryansk in to reinforce the attack. Wave after wave crashed against the German defences until they. finally broke under the onslaught, The Soviet advance crept ‘onwards once again. German divisions rushed ro the region to stem the tide, but due to the dwin- dling level of reserves many of these twoops had to come from other frant- line positions to the south, around the Dnepr River. To exploit this- the Russians launched a second offensive sttiking across the Dnepr and driving a wedge between Generalfeldmarschall von Khige's Army Group Centre and Generalfeldmarschall von Manstein's Army Group South, ‘The push in the Smolensk region reached “the city of Yelnya, which was mercilessly pounded by massed antillery, As the smoke from the final barrage lifted, the ground troops attacked, weakening the - sofiened German” defences: 2ya Guardeyskaya Tankovaya Armiya joined the assault and the defenice finally: collapsed. In disarray the defenders abandoned: the city on 30 August. The Soviet advances came at a significant cost, Most Red. Army: divisions were reduced to half strength, state they remained in for the rest of the war. As the Soviets paused to catch their breath, the hard-pressed German forces scram= bled to re-establish their defences. SMOLENSK rated the Soviet juggernaut rolled on once more, over- running the batiered German: defences around Smolensk and enveloping the city. Soviet troops forced beachheads across the Dnepr and Desna rivers and carried the fight into” the streets of Smolensk, Fierce house-to-house fighting. throughout the night of 25 September finally liberated the from the Nazi yoke. The German threat had at lase been removed from the ap- proaches to Moscow, and the Soviet capital was able to breath easy for the first time in two years, Now the German Army Groups Centre and South were separated by the impassable Pripyat marshes. Isolaced and unable to quickly shifé troops and supplies between them in response to Soviet advances, the defenders dug. in and braced themselves for the inevita- ble onslaught. ASSAULT ACROSS THE DNEPR ‘The central section ofthe German front quietened as Soviec focus shifted south where von Manstein's battered Aimy Group South had retreated across the Dnepr to lick its wounds. Hard on their heels came the Sovier troops, employing mobile Cavalry-Mechanised Group in the vanguard. AdVance units seized small bridgeheads across: the Dnepr north and south of Kiev. An excellent defensive position and inhospitable terrain allowed 24 Panzerdivision to control the southern bridgehead at Bukrin, keeping the Soviets boxed in, ‘On 24 September a disastrous aicborne assault by 4575 Red Army paratroopers failed to secure a breakout. ‘Thwarted in the south the Soviet commander General Varutin. switched avtention to che northern bridgehead at Lyutesh. The attacking force, spear- headed by the formidable 3ya Goard- eyskaya Tankovaya Armia, assembled under the cover of darkness. On 4 November a massive artillery bom- bardment shattered the still of dawn, Units of 4. Panzentrmee screening the bridgehead were smashed. into -sub- ‘mission and Sovier armour. was soon rolling through the streets of Kiev. The third largest city in the Soviet Union hhad been liberated. Manstein scrambled to plug the holes, pleading for reinforcements for his