Overmatched at Grushino*
*
Series: 2nd Battle of Kharkov
*
_Soviet Union*
_____vs.*
__Germany*

*
Date: 12th of May, 1942*
0630 Hours*
Location: South of Kharkov*
*
Designed By: Ts4EVER*
*
Background 2nd Battle of Kharkov: Following the successful winter offensives in 1941, Stalin was keen to keep the pressure on the enemy, hoping to preempt another assault on Moscow with his own offensive. He was especially in favor of going on the offensive in the Kharkov sector, the city having fallen to the enemy in the summer of 1941. The attack was to be undertaken by the South-West-Front in a pincer movement, from the Barvenkovo salient and the Stariy Saltov bridgehead. Once massed artillery had broken through the German line, mobile group would be fed into the breaches to encircle AOK6 and reconquer Kharkov. However, due to supply issues, especially with artillery ammunition, as well as the undetected presence of German mobile reserves, the plan soon proved ill-advised...
*
*
Briefing: You have been assigned to command a rifle battalion of the 393rd Rifle Division, part of Army Group Bobkin. Your task is to mount a fixing attack against German elements in front of the village of Grushino, in support of our main effort to the north. The artillery preparation will begin at 0630 against identified German trenches. In addition to your battalion support weapons, a few tanks from the 7th tank brigade have been assigned to your force. Due to a clerical error, air support is not available.*
Your task is as follows: Attack immediately after the artillery preparation. Seize the enemy positions and drive them out of the village of Grushina. Then feed your divisional cavalry scouts into the penetration and scout in a south-western direction to investigate the possibility of a deep penetration towards Krasnograd. 
*
*
The Germans holding this sector belong to the 454. Sicherungs-Division. This is a rear-area unit that is mostly equipped with obsolete and captured weapons. We do not expect heavy antitank weapons or armor, but there will be obstacles and mines in front of their positions.
*
*
Historical Scenario, designed to be played as the Russians.
*
*
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
*
*
Historical outcome: The 454. Sicherungs-Division was completely overwhelmed by the initial attack. Their elderly and looted weapons proved no match for the heavy Russian armor and they had only been issued with exactly ten of the new Stielgranate 41 ammunition, which had been designed to make the old Pak35 gun viable again. By 1000 they had retreated up to 6km. Bobkin realised a golden opportunity lay before him: He brought up his 6th Cavalry Corps and committed it into the breakthrough by the evening, hoping to exploit quickly towards Krasnograd.