Hello there!
Once again, we are going to shine a light on our upcoming History Expansion, Steel Division: Burning Baltics. This time, we’ll give you an in-depth preview of the new strategic turn-based Army General Campaign that focuses on one of the last victorious German counter-offensives on the Eastern Front: Operation Doppelkopf.
Please note: we are still busy with this Army General Campaign, meaning that the following images and assets are work in progress and subject to change.
Historical Background
All right, let’s zoom out a bit. As you know, Steel Division: Burning Baltics puts Operation Doppelkopf center stage. It is August 1944, and in the Baltics, much like everywhere else on the Eastern Front, the Red Army is advancing. A few weeks previously, in a daring rush, the 1st Baltic Front manages to cut off Wehrmacht’s Army Group Center and Army Group North by reaching the Gulf of Riga. However, the Soviet troops are exhausted after weeks of campaigning, and their lines are dangerously overextended. Further north, the local Axis forces are fighting a desperate battle to block fresh Soviet forces from entering the Baltics through the Narva bridgehead. Here, the German defenses hold but at great cost.
With the connection lost between the two Army Groups, re-establishing the link becomes a top priority for the Wehrmacht. As such, it puts together an impressive armored force by reorganizing and regrouping the last remaining tank reserves in the region. These formations operate under 3. Panzerarmee’s command, and with Kriegsmarine support from the Baltic Sea, a counteroffensive is ready to be unleashed by the middle of August 1944.
Stavka, the Soviet High Command, in the meantime, is trying to replenish its troops and focuses its attention on taking Riga, beginning a siege of the Latvian capital. Several reserve formations, including the 5th Tank Army further southeast, are forced to rest, finally encountering the time to replace their worn-out equipment.
For once, it is the Soviets who are taken by surprise. Operation Doppelkopf kicks off on August 16th, 1944.
The Army General Campaign
Let’s take a look at the strategic Army General campaign map of Operation Doppelkopf.
The precarious wedge occupied by the Red Army between Army Group Center (to the west and south) and Army Group North (to the northeast) is rather obvious. What is also apparent are the number of forces available and how the Axis need to attack hard and drive fast if they want to reach Riga before substantial Soviet reinforcements can be deployed. Simultaneously, the Soviets have to not only fend off attacks on their weak western lines but also keep up the offensive and take Riga. This will cut off any German reinforcements coming from the north.
The Axis forces will be the numerous armored formations of 3. Panzerarmee, commanded by General der Panzertruppen Raus, with additional support from Army Group North. The Allied forces will be the 1st Baltic Front, historically commanded by Army General Bagramyan.
The Axis
The Axis forces ready for the player to command, as depicted from south to north, are:
- Along the southern edge of the Šiauliai-Riga highway, the German 40. Panzerkorps, including the depleted 14. Panzerdivision and the heavy-weight champion and elite Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland.” The 7. Panzerdivision can be deployed later as reinforcements.
- In the center, its objective Jelgava along the highway further northeast, is the German 39. Panzerkorps, with 5. Panzerdivision in the lead and the 4. Panzerdivision in support. The 12. Panzerdivision arrives later at this location.
- Further north, the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V., represented at the start of the campaign by two lonely battalions trying to hold the line. These are Gruppe Mäder with Lithuanian volunteers and some training units, and SS-Gruppe Hiertes with its Latvian SS soldiers. The rest of the formation will be made available later.
- Up north, hugging the Gulf of Riga and attacking from Courland, is Panzerverband Strachwitz with its two distinct brigades. Advancing on the logistical hub at Tukums from separate directions is the SS-Panzerbrigade “Gross” and Panzerbrigade 101.
- On the other side of the Soviet salient, in the northeast, we find elements of Army Group North defending Riga. This is I. Armeekorps and Korp Kleffel, with 11. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” potentially arriving after the conclusion of the Battle of Tannenberg.
The mighty Grossdeutschland, already a small Panzerkorps by itself.
The Allies
The Red Army is put on the defensive in this Army General campaign:
- The Soviet defenses facing west are very thinly manned and stretched out.
- Only a small number of mobile reserves are available. These include the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps around Jelgava (a formation featured previously in another Army General campaign, Berezina). This unit is overextended and weakened from the combat operations since Minsk.
- Another reserve formation is the 103rd Rifle Corps further southeast, which forms the basis of our battlegroup Gruppa Fedyunkina. The 19th Tank Corps can be deployed later as reinforcement.
- The forces facing Riga are much more substantial. This is especially true for the 43rd Army, which is grouped to the south of the capital city, poised to attack.
- Furthermore, the 5th Tank Army is planned to arrive from a southwest axis as reinforcements.
AG Objectives and Moves
The primary objectives for both sides in this Army General campaign are to control the three objective flags along the Šiauliai-Riga highway:
- One objective is located in Šiauliai, in the south.
- One objective is situated in the center, near Jelgava, and the river crossing there.
- One objective is Riga, the Latvian capital, in the northeast of the map.
- As a secondary objective, a fourth flag can be controlled: Tukums. If this Allied crossroads is taken quickly enough by the Axis player (as it happened in real life), a free “Beute” reinforcement battalion, filled with Soviet tanks and equipment, will appear.
The Axis player’s strategy will focus on holding back the Soviet forces besieging Riga long enough for the 3. Panzerarmee attacking from the west to reach them. Army Group Center’s armored and mechanized formations enjoy a massive qualitative superiority. However, they lack infantry, and as they have to advance through less-than-ideal terrain (including urban areas and against fortified units), the tanks are in danger of losing the advantage of their ranged firepower and speed.
Time plays in favor of the Allied player: the longer they hold the Axis offensive back in the west, and the more armored units they destroy or neutralize, the more chance there will be for the 5th Tank Army to become deployable as reinforcements. However, it’s not just about riding out the attack waves, their real objective remains Riga. Not only would it be a major coup for the Red Army if they can overcome Riga’s defenders in a bloody battle, but at the same time, they can also cut off Army Group North reinforcements destined to be deployed later during the campaign.
What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?
Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics is the latest in-depth History Expansion. It will feature:
- 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
- 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
- 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
- 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.
Be sure to check out various Versus articles that detail a pair of new Divisions each:
- The first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus takes an in-depth look at the two Armored battlegroups featured: the Panzerverband Strachwitzcheck and the 19-y Tank Corpus.
- The second Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus dives deep into the two Mechanized battlegroups: Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and Rezerv 43-y Armii.
- The third Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus puts the spotlight on the Infantry battlegroups with the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. and the Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin.
- The ultimate Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus highlights two special battlegroups from Army Group North theater of operations: the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” and the 7. Eesti Laskurdiviis (7th Estonian Rifle Division).
See you next week
Once more, we bid you adieu! Until next week, commander.
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