Panzer Campaigns Donbas '43
by
Wargame Design Studio (WDS)
If you play computer wargame simulations and you have never heard of WDS, I have only two things to say: 1st, please follow the link below and prepare to be blown away. 2nd, if you are not actually a real Troll or Dwarf how do you manage to live under that rock. Also, please say hello to Regin and Fáfnir for me. But seriously, and stop calling me Shirley, the wizards of WDS are at it once again. Here in their own wonderful words are some of their thoughts on Donbas '43:
"Donbas '43' Info
**Overview
For the Germans, the Battle of Kursk was intended to be the main summer operation of 1943, aiming to slow the advancing Russians and regain the initiative. Launched on July 5, the initial victory quickly turned into a stalemate.
On July 13, Hitler summoned von Manstein and von Kluge, commanders of Army Group South and Center, to his Eastern Front headquarters, the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. The Allied invasion of Sicily on the night of July 9–10, combined with the Soviet counteroffensive of Operation Kutuzov against the flank and rear of the northern side of the Kursk salient on July 12, along with attacks by strong Soviet forces at Prokhorovka on the same day, prompted Hitler to halt the offensive and redeploy forces to the Mediterranean theater. He ordered his generals to cancel Operation Citadel.
Kluge welcomed the decision, as he was already pulling units back to respond to Soviet attacks on his flank. Manstein urged continuing the offensive, believing he was close to a breakthrough. Hitler remained unmoved, worried about the Allied landings and the stability of his Italian allies. However, he did agree to Operation Roland, which aimed to destroy the Soviet reserves in the southern Kursk salient, caught between both the III Panzer Corps and II SS-Panzer Corps.
On July 17, the Soviet Southwestern and Southern Fronts launched a major offensive across the Mius and Donets Rivers against the southern flank of Army Group South, pressing against the 6th Army and 1st Panzer Army. In the early afternoon of July 17, Operation Roland concluded with orders for the II SS-Panzer Corps to begin withdrawing from the Prokhorovka sector back to Belgorod. The 4th Panzer Army and Army Detachment Kempf had already anticipated the order, starting to withdraw as early as the evening of July 16. Leibstandarte's tanks were split between Das Reich and Totenkopf, and the division was quickly moved to Italy, while Das Reich and Totenkopf were sent south to counter the new Soviet offensives.
In Donbas '43, as the commander of two Soviet Fronts—the Southwestern and Southern—you have multiple armies ready to defeat the proud but battered German Wehrmacht. As the German commander, you'll need to contend with limited panzer forces worn down by fighting at Kursk. Although Panzerarmee 1 is available, only the XXXX Panzer Corps has panzer divisions. Units from the 6th and 8th Armies are present, but their corps are mainly infantry defending the river lines. The Mius River defenses are strong, but both the quality and number of men available are likely to leave them vulnerable.
Lead Soviet spoiling attacks at Izyum and the Mius on July 17, while the Germans are still engaged at Kursk, or attempt a full multi-front offensive on August 16 to clear the Donbas. This will highlight how the Germans are discovering the challenges of ‘frontage versus depth’ and why the backhand blow tactics from four months earlier are no longer effective. The stage is set! All that's needed now is for you to launch one of the key campaigns of Summer 1943 on the Eastern Front!
**Game Content
Donbas '43 includes 101 Scenarios – covering all sizes and situations, including 5 solo tutorial scenarios plus specialized versions for both head-to-head play and vs. the computer AI.
The master map (211,470 hexes) covers the entire area from the Dnepr River in the west to Izyum, Voroshilovgrad, Stalino, and Rostov-Na-Donu in the east.
The order of battle file covers the Axis and Allied forces that participated in the campaign with other formations added in for hypothetical situations.
Order-of-Battle, Parameter Data and Scenario Editors which allow players to customize the game.
Sub-map feature allows the main map to be subdivided into smaller segments for custom scenario creation.
Design notes which cover or include the production of the game, campaign notes and sources the design team used to produce this simulation game.
**Game features include:
Phase or Turn-based play with 2 hour turns and 1-kilometer hexes.
Three levels of 2D views and two 3D views of the battlefield.
The Panzer Campaigns game engine provides multiple play options including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play, and two player hotseat.
**Document Preview
- Design Notes
- User Manual
- Changelog
**Credits
Scenario Designer: Daniel Asensio
Project Coordinator: David Freer
Artist: David Freer
**System Requirements
Windows 10 or 11
Processor: 1 GHz
Disk Space: 1 GB
Memory: 1 GB
Video Memory: 512 MB
This wargame is for sale at https://wargameds.com/collections/new-products - The Wargame Design Studio Store"
As usual, WDS has created a game where you as the player are going to question your life choices. I mean if you can commit to playing 101 different scenarios in just this one game, being a monk in Shangri-la might have been a better lifestyle choice. However, for we Grognards their games are truly slices of heaven on earth. All of their games, which run the gamut from the Crusades to World War III, are filled to the brim with historical information about the campaign that you are playing. Thank you WDS, for continuing to not only flesh out more periods of military history, but for updating your older games almost on a weekly basis.
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