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Author Topic: Unique FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943  (Read 39029 times)
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DA 1775
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« on: September 16, 2009, 07:58:30 PM »

     Think Tank Nurve, ad hoc wargamers posting at wargamer.com, have posted:

     "Is anybody else following this game..."..."there's no game covering the 1943 battle as a main scenario, so yes, there's a need for" FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943/ЛИНИЯ ФРОНТА: БИТВА ЗА ХАРЬКОВ "from a wargaming perspective."

 
     FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 is unique and has broken new ground during "one of the most impressive German victories of the war and also the last significant large scale victory in the east."  For the Rodina !

     Here is a gratis American english rough draft submission rewrite of the FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 homepage for your evaluation and use.  I will post more American english rough draft submission rewrite evaluation, God willing.

FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943

Developer:                         Graviteam

Russian Publisher:             1C/Snowball Studios
Genre:                                War Game
Russian Title:                     ЛИНИЯ ФРОНТА: БИТВА ЗА ХАРЬКОВ
Russian Release Date:       September, 11 2009

     FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 is a ground-breaking war game uniquely dedicated to the last great German victory in the east.  Our carefully researched archival military records put you on that battlefield. Opposing commanders control battalion and near-brigade strength battle groups locked in a fight to the death. FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 in-game god-mode camera gives you the ability to zoom into close quarter combat action and observe individual unit combat result battle detail. The enemy is relentless.  “Hold what you’ve got!”  There will be no retreat.  There will be no surrender. 
     Commanders may choose from two separate campaigns fought in the pivotal Kharkov sector of operations.  Campaign one: Soviet Army operations of February 1943.  Campaign two: Heer Wehrmacht operations of early March 1943. In addition, commanders may explore a number of training missions. The game is solidly rooted in the proven Graviteam engine. Front Roads: Kharkov 1943 throws you headfirst into the Eastern Front gristmill where Iron Crosses grow and Heroes of the Soviet Union fight.  You will be totally immersed in graphic, bloody World War Two battles. Combat infantrymen, tanks & crewmembers have been accurately recreated and rendered in painstaking historical detail, including injury and battle damage. As you relive these historical battles, you will command combined arms forces on a large battlefield while engaging in pitched battle. Life, death, victory, or the shame of defeat hangs by the slender thread of your every decision.  The battles for Kharkov in early 1943 altered Soviet and Wehrmacht tactics forever.  You will become part of those swirling eventful days of trial by combat judgment.
 
Comparable Titles:

Close Combat Series, Combat Missions Series

GAME FEATURES

Large-Scale Battles  Your Field Grade and Company level command skills will be tested.  Two hundred and fifty (250) soldiers & officers await your orders.  More than forty (40) types of combat and tactical vehicles will be maneuvering on the battle area at the same time.   As in reality, your virtual tactical outcome will depend upon how skillfully you interact with your subordinate units and how well your battle plan survives trial by combat. Lay down suppressing fire and smoke !  Recon by fire and turn the enemy’s flanks.  Hold him by the nose, kick him in the pants, and make him die for his country.

Balanced Game World  An awesome mixture of realistic global factors such as topography, Line of Sight/Line of Fire, target acquisition systems, range to target, projectile velocity, kinetic & explosive penetrators, and the sheer magnitude of battle sector operations compose a near real-world tactical symphony. This game engine will tear you out of your cozy little room and thrust you into the bitterly cold winter war of 1943.  Fight or die. In this respect, the Front Roads: Kharkov 1943 ambient game environment is superior to all other marketplace competitors of this genre known at this time.  This is the definitive East Front time machine you have been searching for.

Fully Interactive Landscape  Deformable terrain and destructible objects are the basis of in-game battlefield terraforming. During battles you can tear down, blow-up, and destroy everything from a small bush to an entire village. Beware, so can your enemy!  This tactical battlefield destructive terraforming capability opens unprecedented operational battle area opportunities.  Sculpt kill zones, funnel the enemy into your prepared muzzle-action fields of fire, and become the master of any battlefield topographical challenge. Make good ground serve you and use it to annihilate your enemy.  Blow-up bridges and deny the enemy an opportunity to advance!  Is the enemy well hidden? Recon by fire.  Destroy everything around him.  Burn him out.  Flush him out.  Turn his flanks.  Send your forces into his rear areas and turn his best laid plans into route! You are in command of this highly realistic battlefield environment. Act decisively-- everything is possible!

Seeing is Believing  Front Roads: Kharkov 1943 features an in-game Adaptive Scale god-Mode Cam which allows you to view the entire battlefield, a single combat vehicle, or even a single soldier. Do you have a favorite historical warrior?  See him in virtual action.  This gives you the opportunity to become a tactician with a capital T. You may even recline comfortably in your chair, relax, locate the enemy on the map, send sufficient forces his way, and watch your units defeat the enemy in detail.  Alternately, you may lead from the front at the forward edge of the battle area and begin to discover how come Soviet and Wehrmacht battlefield tactics at the sharp end were forevermore changed by Front Roads: Kharkov 1943.

DEMO page suggestions:


FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943

Quick_Start_DEMO_Kharkov_1943

DEMO Version:

You will command a Company strength unit on a six square kilometer Battle Area during an operation lasting one (1) day.  Battlefield Note.   The four square kilometers at the center of the Battle Area are fully interactive.


DEMO Order of Battle:


*Т-34/ОТ-34, PzII F/C, PzIIIL / (fl),
*ZIS-3, 53-K, М-42
*Sdkfz251/1 (2, 9, 10), Marder IIIH

Note.   In the full-version game, you will command the complete historical Order of Battle force mix.

link 1 link 2 link 3

WALLPAPER- FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943

640 x 480
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 960
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200
1980 x 1200

On-going American english HISTORY page suggestion submission:


FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943

History

The Big Picture
 
      The pivotal struggle for Kharkov during 1943 developed in two separate campaigns, prior to the battle of Kursk.  The Soviet Army took to the field during the bitter cold of February and the Wehrmacht attacked in early March. The Third Battle of Kharkov immediately foreshadowed the debacle at Kursk.  It was a series of aggressive offensive operations undertaken by German Army Group South against the Red Army in the battle area surrounding the city of Kharkov (Kharkiv).  These operations were conducted between 19 February and 15 March 1943.  The Germans of Heer Wermacht knew them as the Donets Campaign.  The Soviets named them operations Donbas and Kharkov.  The German counterstroke led to the masterful destruction of approximately 52 Soviet divisions and the recapture of Kharkov and Belgorod.
 

The Stage

     To the south in and around Stalingrad, von Paulus’ German Sixth Army was enveloped, cut-off, and bled-white by the Red Army and on 2 January 1943 the Soviets launched their westward drive called Operation Star.  In January and early February, the Soviets recaptured Kharkov, Belgorod and Kursk. Despite the success of the Soviet offensive, participating Soviet units found themselves over-extended. Heedless of Soviet unit positional vulnerability and free from further operations in Stalingrad by the 2 February unconditional surrender of von Paulus’ German Sixth Army, the Red Army's Central Front HQ recklessly turned its attention toward the west.  On 25 February, they expanded their offensive, attacking both German Army Group South and Army Group Center. However, months of continuous operations had taken a heavy toll on the Soviets and some operational divisions were reduced to a mere 1,000–1,500 combat effectives. Then, disaster struck.  On 19 February 1943, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein seized the opportunity to launch his Kharkov counterstroke and unleashed his fresh SS Panzer Corps and two panzer armies.
     Although the Germans were also understrength, the Wehrmacht successfully flanked, encircled and defeated the Red Army's armored spearheads south of Kharkov. This enabled von Manstein to renew his offensive against the city of Kharkov proper.  It began on 7 March. Despite direct orders to encircle Kharkov from the north, the SS Panzer Corps directly engaged Kharkov on 11 March in set-piece battle. This led to four days of vicious house-to-house fighting.  Leibstandarte 1st SS PanzerDivision took Kharkov on 15 March. Two days later, the Germans also recaptured Belgorod and created the salient that in July 1943 would lead to the epic Battle of Kursk. Although the German offensive had cost the Red Army an estimated 70,000 casualties, the house-to-house fighting in Kharkov had been particularly bloody for the SS Panzer Corps-- they lost approximately 44% of their strength by the time operations ended in late March.

Battle Area Details
 
     At the start of 1943, the German Wehrmacht faced a major crisis. Soviet forces encircled and reduced the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad and expanded its Winter Campaign towards the Don River. On 2 February 1943 and in violation of direct orders, the Sixth Army's commanding officers surrendered an estimated 90,000 troops to the Red Army.  They were marched east into captivity. Total German losses during the Battle of Stalingrad, excepting those captured, amounted to between 120,000 and 150,000 troops. Throughout 1942, German casualties totaled approximately 1.9 million personnel and by the beginning of 1943, the Wehrmacht found itself under strength by nearly 470,000 troops.  A scant 495 German tanks remained combat ready along the entire length of the German–Soviet front.  Most of these tanks were of obsolete design and in poor mechanical repair. In comparison, at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the Wehrmacht had been equipped with about 3,300 tanks. The Red Army was emboldened by possible strategic and operational opportunities arising from this German weakness. The Soviet victors of Stalingrad launched an offensive towards the Donets River, in the area west of the Don River, with the intent to destroy in detail all German forces in the area.
     On 2 February, the Red Army launched Operation Star, threatening recapture of Belgorod, Kharkov and Kursk. A Soviet armored spearheaded, led by four tank corps organized under Lieutenant General Markian Popov, pierced through the German front in a lightning crossing of the Donets River and ripped into the German rear echelon areas. On 15 February, two fresh Soviet tank corps threatened to cut the last primary road supplying Rostov at the city of Zaporizhia on the Dnieper River.  This threatened the headquarters’ commands of both Army Group South and the Fourth German Air Fleet. Because of and in violation of Hitler's direct orders, German forces abandoned Kharkov and the Red Army recaptured the city on 16 February. Hitler immediately flew to von Manstein's headquarters at Zaporizhia. The German general informed Hitler that whiles an immediate counterattack on Kharkov would be fruitless; he could successfully attack the Soviet overextended flank with his five Panzer Corps and recapture Kharkov over the long run.
     Meanwhile for the Red Army, the surrender of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad had freed up six Soviet armies. They were under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky and were refitted and reinforced by the 2nd Tank Army and the 70th Army. These forces were repositioned in an offensive posture between the junction of German Army Groups Center and South. With these forces, the Soviets launched operations Kharkov and Donbas, the offensives sought to surround and destroy German forces in the Orel salient, cross the Desna River, and surround and destroy German Army Group Center. Originally planned to begin between 12–15 February, deployment problems forced the Red Army's command, STAVKA, to push the start date back to 25 February. Concurrently, the Soviet 60th Army pushed the German Second Army's 4th Panzer Division away from Kursk, while the Soviet 13th Army forced the Second Panzer Army to pivot upon its own flank. This suddenly opened a 60-kilometer (37 mile) breech between these two German forces.  Rokossovsky's offensive intended to exploit this breech. While the Soviet 14th and 48th Armies attacked the Second Panzer Army's right flank and made minor gains, Rokossovsky launched his offensive on 25 January.  His forces broke through German lines and threatened to surround and cut-off the German Second Panzer Army and the Second Army (to the south). However, unexpected German resistance began to slow the operations considerably; affording Rokossovsky limited gains on his left flank and in the center of his attack. Elsewhere, the Soviet 2nd Tank Army had successfully penetrated 160-kilometers (99 miles) into the German rear, increasing the length of the army's flank exposure to threat by an estimated 100-kilometers (62 miles).
     As the Soviet offensive continued, Field Marshal von Manstein was able to place the SS Panzer Corps—now reinforced by the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf—under the command of Fourth Panzer Army.  Simultaneously, Hitler agreed to release seven under strength panzer and motorized divisions for this impending counteroffensive. Additionally the Fourth Air Fleet, under the command of Field Marshal Wolfram von Richthofen, was able to regroup and increase the amount of daily sorties from an average of 250 in January to 1,000 in February, giving German forces battle area air superiority. On 20 February, the Red Army drove perilously close to the operation’s trip-wire: Zaporizhia on the Dnieper River.  Von Manstein counterattacked, beginning the German Donets Campaign.

Comparison of forces

     Between 13 January and 3 April 1943, an estimated 500,000 Red Army soldiers took part in what was known as the Voronezh–Kharkov Offensive. In all, an estimated 6,100,000 Soviet soldiers were committed on the Eastern Front, not including 659,000 out-of-action WIA suffering wounds of varying severity. In comparison, the Germans deployed 2,200,000 troops on the Eastern Front, and maintained a 100,000-strength garrison in Norway. Thus, the Red Army had a 2-1 superiority over the Wehrmacht in early February. However, because of Soviet positional over-extension and casualties incurred during their offensive, at the moment of Manstein's counterattack the Germans were able to muster and achieve a tactical numerical superiority-- even including battle area armor.  For example, Manstein's 350 tanks outnumbered Soviet armor almost seven to one at the point of contact.

German forces involved
 
     Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, commander of Army Group South at the time of the battle, could count on the Fourth Panzer Army (composed of 48th Panzer Corps, the SS Panzer Corps, the First Panzer Army, and the XL and LVII Panzer Corps). The 48th Panzer Corps was composed of the 6th, 11th and 17th Panzer Divisions, while the SS Panzer Corps was composed of 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte and 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. In early February, the combined strength of the SS Panzer Corps was approximately 20,000 troops. Geographically, the Fourth Panzer Army and the First Panzer Army were situated south of the salient created by the Red Army. The First Panzer Army was poised in positions east of the Fourth Panzer Army. The SS Panzer Corps lay in wait, arrayed along the northern edge of the Soviet salient and upon Army Group South‘s northern front.
     Comparatively, the Germans were able to amass about 70,000 men against the 210,000 Red Army soldiers earmarked for offensive operations aimed at the Don River. The German Wehrmacht was perilously under strength, especially after continuous operations between June 1942 and February 1943. To address this situation, Hitler appointed a committee composed of Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Martin Bormann, and Hans Lammers dedicated to recruit 800,000 new able bodied men—half of which would be harvested from non-essential industries. However, the effects of this recruitment were not seen in the field until May 1943.  At that time, German armed forces were at their highest strength since the beginning of the war-- with 9.5 million personnel.
     By the beginning of 1943, Germany's armored forces had sustained near catastrophic casualties and losses. It was unusual for a Panzer Division to be capable of fielding more than 100 tanks and most were capable of fielding only 70–80 serviceable tanks at any given time. After the fighting around Kharkov, Panzer General Heinz Guderian embarked upon a program designed to bring Germany's mechanized forces up to full strength. Despite his efforts, average Wehrmacht German panzer divisions could only count on an estimated 10,000–11,000 troop strength of an authorized strength of 13,000–17,000 troops. It was not until June of 1942 that those efforts began to bear fruit, allowing panzer division’s to field 100–130 tanks each. SS divisions were in generally better condition.  Deploying an estimated 150 tanks, a battalion of self-propelled assault guns, and enough half-tracks to motorize most of its infantry & reconnaissance soldiers.  SS panzer divisions were authorized a strength of approximately 19,000 troops. At the time of the battle, the bulk of the Germany's armor was still composed of Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs, although Das Reich SS Panzer Division had been outfitted with a number of Tiger I main battle tanks.
     The Fourth Panzer Army was commanded by General Hermann Hoth.  The First Panzer Army was under the leadership of General Eberhard von Mackensen. The 6th, 11th, and 17th Panzer Divisions were commanded by Generals von Hünersdorff, Hermann Balck, and Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin, respectively. The SS Panzer Corps was commanded by General Paul Hausser, who also had the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf under his command.





     I seek to make Warsaw Pact veteran acquaintances willing to contribute overtly to war game research at Swatters wargamer.com forum topic:  NATO versus Warsaw Pact- The Ground War

http://www.wargamer.com/forums/tm.aspx?high=&m=363867&mpage=18#370846

Godspeed.  Art
« Last Edit: September 26, 2009, 08:48:20 AM by DA 1775 » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2009, 04:40:23 AM »

     Think Tank Nurve, ad hoc wargamers posting at wargamer.com, have posted:

     "Is anybody else following this game..."..."there's no game covering the 1943 battle as a main scenario, so yes, there's a need for" FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943/ЛИНИЯ ФРОНТА: БИТВА ЗА ХАРЬКОВ "from a wargaming perspective."

 
     FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 is unique and has broken new ground during "one of the most impressive German victories of the war and also the last significant large scale victory in the east."  For the Rodina !

     Here is a gratis American english rough draft submission rewrite of the FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943 homepage for your evaluation and use.  I will post more American english rough draft submission rewrite evaluation, God willing....

Thanks you for the correct text.
We have changed the information on a site
http://graviteam.com/games/kharkov-1943.html

Best regards
Vladimir Zayarniy
« Last Edit: September 18, 2009, 04:53:51 AM by admin » Logged

G.R.A.V.I.T.E.A.M.
DA 1775
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« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2009, 07:29:21 PM »

Your team is welcome, Good sir.  Think Tank Nurve is dedicated to virtual Online nationalistic patriots defending their birthright country of origin through trial by combat.  There will be no retreat.  There will be no surrender.  Absolutely no friendly fire.  Godspeed.
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« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2009, 01:43:56 PM »

I'm sure these developers know what a great market the US is for games of this sort. It would seem to me to be good business to assure that an English version be available ASAP. As was pointed out already, the iL II developers had no problem with the translation. Bottom line - I'm really eager to try this one out!
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DA 1775
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« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2009, 09:21:55 AM »

Red Army Forces Involved
 
     Since late January and early February of 1943, the Red Army's exploitation of German Army Group South's defenses had involved the Soviet Bryansk, Voronezh, and Southwestern Fronts. These were under the command of Generals M. A. Reiter, Filipp Golikov and Nikolai Vatutin, respectively. On 25 February, Field Marshal Rokossovsky's Central Front also joined the battle. These forces were positioned in such a way that Reiter's Briansk Front was on the northern flank of Army Group South, while Voronezh was directly opposite Kursk, and the Southwestern Front anchored the line. The forces of the Central Front were deployed between Briansk and Veronezh, poised to exploit any Soviet success against the German Second Panzer Army. This effort involved an estimated 500,000 soldiers.  A total of 346,000 Soviet troops were committed to the defense of Kharkov.
     Red Army divisions, just as their German counterparts, were also seriously under strength. For example, divisions in the 40th Army averaged 3,500–4,000 men each, while the 69th Army fielded some divisions that could only count on 1,000–1,500 soldiers. Some divisions had as few as 20–50 mortars capable of providing fire support. This shortage in manpower and equipment led Vatutin's Southwestern Front to request over 19,000 soldiers and 300 tanks.  In truth, the Voronezh Front had only received 1,600 replacements since the beginning of operations in 1943. By the time Manstein launched his counteroffensive, the Voronezh Front had lost so much manpower and so overextended itself that it was incapable of assisting the neighboring Southwestern Front (located south of it).
 
Manstein's Counterattack

     The Germans Donets Campaign took place between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Originally, Manstein foresaw a three-stage offensive. The first stage encompassed the destruction of the overextended Soviet spearheads made vulnerable by their own offensives successes. Secondly Adolf Hitler‘s mandate: the recapture of Kharkov.  And finally, attack the Soviets at Kursk in a joint operation with Army Group Center.  This third and final stage was ultimately called-off because of Army Group Center's reluctance to participate during Rasputitsa (the annual Russian spring thaw).
 
First Stage: 19 February – 6 March
 
     On 19 February, Hausser's SS Panzer Corps struck southwards, screening the Fourth Panzer Army's attack. Simultaneously, Army Detachment Hollidt was told to contain continuing Soviet efforts to break through German lines. The First Panzer Army was ordered to drive north in an attempt to cut-off and destroy Popov's magnificently equipped Mobile Group.  Using accurate intelligence of Soviet strength, the Germans were able to pick and choose their engagements and thereby bring about local tactical numerical superiority. The First and Fourth Panzer Armies were ordered to attack the overextended Soviet 6th and 1st Guards Army. Between 20–23 February, the Leibstandarte SS Panzer Division cut through the 6th Army's flank and eliminated all Soviet threat to the Dnieper River line.  Leibstandarte surrounded and destroyed all Red Army units south of the Samara River. Das Reich SS Panzer Division advanced in a northeastern direction. Totenkopf SS Panzer Division sprang into action on 22 February, advancing parallel to Das Reich. These two divisions cut the Russian armored spearhead supply lines. First Panzer Army managed to completely envelope Popov's Mobile Group on 24 February; however a sizable contingent of Soviet troops did managed to escape to the north. On 22 February, alarmed by the success of the German counterattack, Soviet STAVKA ordered the Voronezh Front to shift the 3rd Tank Army and 69th Army south, in an effort to relieve pressure on the Southwestern Front and to destroy all German forces in the Krasnograd area.
     The Red Army's 3rd Tank Army began to engage German units south of Kharkov, conducting a holding action while Manstein's offensive continued. By 24 September, the Germans had pulled Grossdeutschland Panzer Grenadier Division off the front line, leaving the 167th & 360th infantry divisions, a regiment from the Totenkopf, and elements from Leibstandarte defending the Western forward edge of the salient created by the Soviet offensive. Between 24–27 February, the Soviet 3rd Tank Army & 69th Army continued vain attacks without success against this portion of the German line. The Soviet units were just too thinly stretched.  Their attack began to falter. On 25 February, Rokossovky's Central Front launched their offensive between the German Second and Second Panzer Armies. Initially, they achieved encouraging results along the German flanks, but were unable to advance as rapidly in the center sector of their attack. As their offensive progressed, the assault upon the German right flank began to stagnate and in the face of increased resistance allowed the attacking forces on the left flank to dangerously overextend themselves.
     German success against the Southwestern Front coupled with the failed attempts by the Soviet 6th Army to break out of its encirclement compelled STAVKA to detach the 3rd Tank Army from the Voronezh Front and assign it to the Southwestern Front. To ease the transition, the 3rd Tank Army gave two rifle divisions to the 69th Army, and then attacked south in a desperate bid to destroy the SS Panzer Corps. However, low on fuel and ammunition after the march south, the 3rd Tank Army's offensive was postponed until 3 March. Aggravating the situation, the 3rd Tank Army was interdicted and severely mauled by continuous German aerial attacks by von Richtofen’s Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers. The beat-up 3rd Tank Army finally launched its offensive on 3 March.  The 15th Tank Corps struck into advancing units of the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and immediately went over to the defensive. Ultimately, the German SS division was able to pierce through the 15th Tank Corps' lines, link up with units of its own division advancing north, and complete the encirclement of the Soviet Tank Corps. The 3rd Tank Army's 12th Tank Corps was also forced on to the defensive immediately when Totenkopf and Das Reich SS Panzer Divisions threatened to cut off the entire 3rd Tank Army's lines of supply. By 5 March, the attacking 3rd Tank Army had been very badly mauled and nearly wiped-out, only a small number of soldiers were able to escape northwards and erect a new defensive line.

     Popov's Mobile Group and the 6th Army were destroyed.  This early German success created a large gap in the Soviet lines. Taking advantage of uncoordinated and piecemeal Soviet attempts to plug this gap, Manstein ordered a continuation of the offensive towards Kharkov. Between 1–5 March the German Fourth Panzer Army, including the SS Panzer Corps, covered 80 kilometers (50 miles) and positioned itself about 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) south of Kharkov. On 6 March, Leibstandarte forced a bridgehead over the Mosh River and opened the road to Kharkov itself. Manstein's counterattack forced STAVKA to halt Rokossovsky's offensive. Thus, the First Panzer Army was able to establish a defensive line on the Donetz River.  Manstein began to plan subsequent follow-up attacks aimed at destroying all Soviet units west of the Donetz River. According to the Germans, the German counterattack cost the Red Army an estimated 23,000 dead, 615 tanks, and 352 artillery pieces.

Advance Towards Kharkov: 7 March – 10 March

     Facing unexpected German reinforcements, Rokossovsky's Central Front continued its offensive against the German Second Army (which had been substantially reinforced with fresh divisions); therefore, the renewed German offensive towards Kharkov took Rokossovsky's Central Front by surprise. On 7 March, Manstein made the decision to press on towards Kharkov, despite the coming Rasputitsa (the annual Russian spring thaw).  Instead of attacking east of Kharkov, however, Manstein decided to orient the attack towards the west of Kharkov and subsequently encircle it from the north. Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland returned to the front and threw its weight into the attack.  Grossdeutschland threatened to split the 69th Army and remnants of the 3rd Tank Army in half. Between 8–9 March, the SS Panzer Corps completed its drive north, tearing the 69th and 40th Soviet Armies apart.  On 9 March, it turned east and completed the encirclement.  STAVKA threw the freshly released 19th Rifle Division and 186th Tank Brigade in front of the German advance, but the Germans were unstoppable.
     On 9 March, the Soviet 40th Army counterattacked against Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland in a final bid to restore communications with 3rd Tank Army. This counterattack, however, was swept away on 10 March by the expanding German offensive moves towards Kharkov. That same day, the 4th Panzer Army issued orders to the SS Panzer Corps to take Kharkov as soon as possible, prompting Hausser to order an immediate attack on the city by his three elite SS Panzer divisions. Das Reich would come from the West, Leibstandarte would attack from north, and Totenkopf would provide a protective screen along the north and northwestern flanks. General Hoth countermanded General Hausser’s orders and admonished him to stick to the original plan of envelopment.  Nevertheless, the SS Panzer Corp commander decided to continue with his attack on Kharkov even though stiff Soviet defenses forced him to postpone his attack one full day.  Manstein issued an order to continue an outflanking envelopment of the city, although did leave room for a potential attack on Kharkov if there was little Russian resistance.  Hausser decided to disregard this order and continued with his own headlong plan of attack. According to von Manstein, Army Group headquarters was repeatedly forced to intervene on a number of occasions in vain efforts trying to force the SS Panzer Corps to swing eastwards and encircle the city as planned rather than launch a bloody frontal attack upon Kharkov.


Fight for the city: 11 March – 15 March
« Last Edit: September 27, 2009, 04:45:05 AM by DA 1775 » Logged

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« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2009, 10:44:54 AM »

I'm sure these developers know what a great market the US is for games of this sort. It would seem to me to be good business to assure that an English version be available ASAP. As was pointed out already, the iL II developers had no problem with the translation.

I think, US is great market for games, like CoD, GTA, Halo series... etc. but not for wargames and hardcore simulators, especially about eastern front Sad.
So, it's difficult to find good publisher in US. However I hope it will be available to download via Steam or something like it later. Translation isn't a big problem.

Bottom line - I'm really eager to try this one out!
me too Grin
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Posts: 10


« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2009, 05:14:11 AM »

I hope it is made available, especially by means of wise resource-frugal download !  Bussiness 'futures' will smile upon immersive historically accurate sims as Virtual Life Expression get-aways-- they are like Arnie's Hollywood "Recall !  Recall !  Recall !" of Total Recall.  Kharkov without need for a First Aid Kit !  In America there are many decendants of POW Panzer Armee Afrika veterans and the eastward drive was always about Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf oil fields-- still is.  The East Front is largely unkown to mainstream Americans, however a significant game-buying population knows Grossdeutschland, Das Reich, Liebstandarte, Totenkopf, and Popov's magnificently equipped Mobile Group-- they may not appreciate that the SS Panzer Corps was eviscerated prior to Kursk in the bloody house-to-house fighting at Kharkov while trying to prove that they could do what von Paulus' Sixth Army could not do in Stalingrad.  Marketing...y'all have a fine and educational product.  Russia bought World War II victory with their best blood.  Some Americans have fought in Russia, too.  My Great-great Uncle did as a Doughboy after World War I.  Vladovostok.  I'll check and see if there are any records of Americans fighting at Kharkov 1943 or at Kursk.

re:

1929-30: VFW members lead an expedition to recover US remains in northern Russia. The casualties, killed in the fighting of the Bolshevik Revolution that occurred after World War I, had been part of a 5000-strong American force sent to support Russian Imperial forces. The expedition recovered remains of 86 of reported 127 service members left buried in foreign soil. This event would become the template for a VFW mission that continues to this day: finding and bringing home our comrades-in-arms by engaging our former enemies.

http://www.jointheelite.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=

note. Virtual Band of Brothers of Steel Panthers World at War at Matrix have been working on tactical Kharkov 1943 also.  CL mod has been suspended, however, reportedly some of the work may benefit sp:WAW.  Among the two thousand spWAW fans are many who appreciate what G.R.A.V.I.T.E.A.M. has done in FRONT ROADS: Kharkov 1943.  Here is the sp:WAW Kharkov SitRep from scenario 195:

BLOOD AND HONOR

Small Version

German Assault vs. Soviet Defend

Kharkov 1200, March 12, 1943

Turns: 15

Scenario size: Huge

Design: Brent “Grenadier” Richards

Special dedication to Fred Chlanda. Without his willingness to pitch in and work on the map this scenario would not have been possible. Thank you, Fred!!

Player notes:

Because of the size of the map and buildings consider the scale to be 1/2 of normal or 25 meters per hex instead of 50.

Historical background:

     On the Eastern Front, the tide has turned. The Germans are again advancing and Stalingrad has become only a memory to the retreating Soviets. Once again, the world was witnessing Germany's military prowess on display and choreographed by their finest commander, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein.

     Only 1 month before, the German Army in southern Russia was a shambles, fleeing from the Caucasus and torn asunder by the destruction of the 6th Army at Stalingrad and the entire front from Voronezh to Rostov. The SS Panzer Korps of SS Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser had been rushed to Kharkov and was soon surrounded.

     Hitler ordered Hausser to hold Kharkov to the last man just like he had (Field Marshal von) Paulus in Stalingrad. Hausser (was) appalled (by) this certain death sentence for his troops. Finally, he took events into his own hands and ordered his divisions to abandon Kharkov. This defeat stung the proud SS grenadiers along with their Fuhrer.

     Manstein brilliantly turned the tables on the overextended Soviets, led by Hausser's elite SS troops. Now they were knocking at the door of Kharkov again, thanks to Manstein's victory between the Dnieper and Donetz Rivers.

    Kharkov had become a symbol to Hausser's men. They wanted to remove the stigma of defeat. Instructed by FM V Manstein and Col Gen Hoth not to get involved in street fighting, the SS sealed the city off from the north on March 11. Hoth then Ok'ed the capture of the city if it could be done without becoming another Stalingrad.

     Dietrich ordered Standartenfuhrer Fritz Witt, the commander of the 1 SS Panzergrenadier Rgt and Standartenfuhrer Teddy Wisch, the 2 SS Rgt commander, to attack on March 12. Objective: Red Square! Witt's regiment, supported by the 1 SS Panzer Rgt, was led by a kampfgruppe centered around the II(SPW)battalion of Max Hansen and Wisch's regiment was led by Jochen Peiper's III(SPW) battalion supported by the 1 SS Pz Jager Abtielung's Marders and the 1 SS StuG Abtielung.

     On March 12, the attack commenced south along the Belgorod highway. By midday KG Hansen was in sight of Red Square. KG Peiper, supported by the Marders and StuG's, captured the bridge across the Kharkov River and closed on Red Square from the northeast.

     The Soviets resisted bitterly, especially around Red Square, making Hitler's elite guard (pay) with blood to regain their honor. The 19 Guards Rifle Division and 179 Tank Brigade fought to the finish.

Aftermath:

     KG Peiper had a very tough battle north of the Kharkov River culminating in the capture of the road bridge leading into central Kharkov and Red Square. The bridge was named the Peiper Bridge for this accomplishment. Peiper and KG Hansen fought their way into Red Square and linked up. The 2 kampfgruppes, reinforced by Kurt Meyer's reconnaissance abtielung, fought a pitched battle for the "show buildings" of Red Square, the GPU(Red House), the university, the Military Academy and the Gosprom.


     Hausser was ordered by Gen Hoth to pull Das Reich out of the city and circle around the city to seal it off from the east. Hausser interpreted his orders that it would be faster to let Das Reich drive through the city from west to east than pulling out, redeploying, and circling the city. Das Reich continued in bitter house to house fighting (penetrating) further into the city. The next day, Hoth, concerned about losses incurred by the SS, ordered Hausser to follow his orders and pull Das Reich out. Hausser did so, leaving the Leibstandarte to continue the bitter street fighting. By March 15, the city had been cleared, but the cost to Hitler's elite had been high. SS Panzer Korps had suffered 10,00 casualties in the fighting since February, most of them at Kharkov. Hitler's beloved bodyguard alone suffered 167 officer casualties and 4,373 other ranks, almost 44% of it's total strength.
For LAH's accomplishments, Red Square was renamed "Leibstandarte Square"

Sources:

History of 7 Company 1 SS Panzer Rgt-Tiemann

Tiger Ace-Gary Simpson

Jochen Pieper-Patrick Agte

Army Group South-Werner Haupt

Scorched Earth-Paul Carrell

« Last Edit: October 01, 2009, 07:25:20 AM by DA 1775 » Logged

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DA 1775
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Posts: 10


« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2009, 12:16:20 AM »

American english suggestion submission.  As with the foregoing, this is the property of G.R.A.V.T.E.A.M.

note.  Some American english readers may consider BOLD and italic type face use excessive (among other subjective considerations).

re:

Fight for the city: 11 March – 15 March

     Early on the morning of 11 March, the Leibstandarte division launched a two-prong attack into northern Kharkov. The 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment, advancing from the Northwest, split-up into two columns while moving towards northern Kharkov.  They advanced upon either side of the Belgorod-Kharkov railroad. II Battalion, on the right side of the railroad, attacked the city's Severnyi Post District and met heavy resistance.  By day’s end, they had only been able to advance as far as the Severenyi Railway Yard. On the opposite side of the railroad, the I Battalion struck out at the district of Alexeyevka, meeting a T-34-led Russian counterattack which drove part of the I Battalion completely out of the city. Aided by Ju 87 Stukas and Sow-kopf StuG self-propelled assault guns, a renewed German infantry attack was able to battle their way back into the city.  A German flanking attack, leading to an assault upon the rear of the Soviet defensive positions, finally allowed the Germans to achieve a foothold in Alexeyevka District. Simultaneously I SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, reinforced by armor attached from a supporting unit, attacked down the main road leading toward Belgorod.  The Soviets counterattacked immediately, landing upon the German left flank and fighting for possession of the Kharkov airfield. By fighting-through defending Soviet T-34s, this German contingent was able to lodge itself in Kharkov's northern suburbs. From the Northeast, another contingent of German infantry, armor, and self-propelled guns attempted to take control of the road network leading out of the city toward the cities of Rogan and Chuguyev. This German attack penetrated deeper into Kharkov, but ground to halt as fuel supplies dwindled.  SS armor was forced to entrench itself and turn-over to the defensive.
     At the same time, the Das Reich division hurled itself into the west side of Kharkov. After penetrating into the city's Zalyutino District, their advance was stopped in its tracks by a deep anti-tank ditch.  The ditch was manned by Soviet defenders and backed by anti-tank guns. The Russians launched an immediate counterattack.  Das Reich repulsed the Soviets during a bloody firefight. A spearhead detachment of Das Reich fought its way into Kharkov’s southern approaches and cut the road to Merefa. That afternoon at about 1500 Hrs. Hoth, commander of the Fourth Panzer Army, ordered Hausser to immediately disengage contact with the enemy and redeploy Das Reich.  Their new mission was to cut-off any escaping Soviet troops. Hausser disobeyed orders and instead sent a detachment from the Totenkopf division.  He advised Hoth that disengaging Das Reich would expose the division to devastating Soviet counterattacks. On the night of 11–12 March, a German spearhead break-through element crossed the anti-tank ditch barrier and took the Russian defenders by surprise. Das Reich armor seized this opportunity and advanced to the main Kharkov railway station.  Soviets fought Das Reich to a standstill at the railway station and this was the high-water mark of Das Reich advance.  At 0115 Hrs on 12 March Hoth repeated his order, issued to Hausser earlier, for an immediate disengagement of Das ReichHausser replied as he had replied on 11 March. Hoth insisted and issued a third order for disengagement.  Hausser relented and obeyed the direct orderDas Reich finally disengaged while using a corridor opened by Leibstandarte, crossed northern Kharkov, and redeployed east of the city.
     On 12 March, the Leibstandarte division made progress into the city's center, breaking through staunch Russian resistance and defenses among Kharkov’s northern suburbs.  Liebstandarte began wicked house-to-house fighting in its advance towards the city center. By the end of the day, the division has reached a position just two blocks north of Dzerzhinsky Square. The 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's II Battalion was able to surround the Square on the evening of 12 March after taking heavy casualties from Russian snipers and other defenders. With the objective finally captured at bitter cost, the Square was immediately renamed Platz der Leibstandarte. That night, 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's III Battalion, under the command of Joachim Peiper, linked-up with II Battalion in Dzerzhinsky Square.  This force attacked southwards, crossing the Kharkov River, established a bridgehead, and opened the road to Moscow Avenue.  Meanwhile, the division's left wing reached the junction of the Volchansk and Chuguyev road net leading out of the city, went over to the defensive, and fought-off a number of brutal Russian counterattacks.
     The next day, Leibstandarte struck south towards the Kharkov River and Peiper's Bridgehead, ruthlessly clearing Soviet resistance block-by-block as they advanced. In a bid to trap the city's defenders in the center, I Battalion of the 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment re-entered the city using the Volchansk exit road. At the same time, Peiper's forces were able to breakout toward the south and link-up with the division's left wing at the Volchansk and Cheguyev road junction. Peiper’s forces suffered crippling losses dealt by unwaivering Soviet defenders during these operations.  By this time, the majority of Das Reich had disengaged from city fighting; only a single Panzergrenadier Regiment remained and it was tasked to clear the southwestern corner of the city.  It eliminated all Soviet resistance by the end of the day. The Germans were now in effective control of two thirds of Kharkov.
     Fighting in the city began to wind down on 14 March. Leibstandarte spent that day mopping-up remnants of Soviet resistance while pushing east along a broad front. By the end of the day, the entire city was in German hands. Despite the declaration that the city had fallen, sporadic and fierce fighting continued on 15 and 16 March as German units cleared the remnants of resistance from the tractor works factory complex located on the southern outskirts of the city.

Aftermath

     The German Donets Campaign cost the Red Army fifty-two divisions, including around 70,000–80,000 personnel losses. Of these troops lost, an estimated 45,200 were Killed in Action or Missing in Action. Another 41,200 were Wounded in Action. Between April and July 1943, the Red Army rebuilt its forces in the battle area and prepared itself for an eventual general renewal of the German offensive actions in the Kursk Battle Area. Overall, accurate German casualties are more difficult to assess, but clues are unearthed through examination SS Panzer Corps casualty reports. By 27 March, it is estimated that the SS Panzer Corps had lost around 44% of its fighting strength, including about 160 officers and roughly 4,300 enlisted personnel.
     As the SS Panzer Corps began to emerge from the city, they engaged Soviet units positioned directly southwest of the city, including the 17th NKVD Brigade, 19th Rifle Division, and the 25th Guards Rifle Division.  Repeated Red Army attempts to re-establish communication with the remnants of the 3rd Tank Army continued, but they were in vain. On 14–15 March, these forces were given permission to withdraw to the northern Donets River. The Soviet 40th and 69th Armies had been in continuous engagement with the Grossdeutschland Panzer grenadier division since 13 March, and had been split in half by the inexorable German drive. After the fall of Kharkov, the Soviet defense of the Donets collapsed.  Manstein's forces drove to Belgorod on 17 March and captured the objective on the following day. However, weather and exhaustion forced Manstein's counterstroke to end soon thereafter, despite the Field Marshall's ambitions to attack the Kursk Salient.  Thus, the recapture of Kharkov and Belgorod created the set-piece killing field known as Kursk.
     Following the German victory at Kharkov, Hitler was presented with two options. First, the Backhand Method-- simply wait for the inevitable renewal of the Soviet Offensive and then be compelled to conduct another operation similar to what had transpired at Kharkov.  Namely, allowing the Red Army to take ground and over-extend itself and then counterattack, surround it, and destroy it in detail. The second option or the Forehand Method, would involve a major German offensive by Army Groups South and Center against the protruding Kursk Salient. Hitler chose the Forehand Method and set the stage for the Battle of Kursk.

Sources
 
Clark, Alan (1965). Barbarossa: The Russian-German Conflict, 1951-1945. New York City, New York: William Morrow.
Cooper, Matthew (1978). The German Army 1933-1945. Lanham, Maryland: Scarborough House.
Glantz, David M. (1991). From the Don to the Dnepr: Soviet Offensive Operations, December 1942 - August 1943. Routledge.
Glantz, David M. (January 1996). "Soviet Military Strategy During the Second Period of War (November 1942–December 1943): A Reappraisal". The Journal of Military History (Society for Military History) 60 (1): 35.
Glantz, David M.; Jonathan House (1999). The Battle of Kursk. Lawrence, Kansas: Kansas University Press.
Glantz, David M.; Jonathan House (1995). When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. Lawrence, Kansas: Kansas University Press.
Heiber, Helmut; David M. Glantz (2003). Hitler and his Generals: Military Conferences 1942 - 1945. New York City, New York: Enigma Books.
Margry, Karel (2001). The Four Battles for Kharkov. London, United Kingdom: Battle of Britain International Ltd.
McCarthy, Peter; Mike Syryon (2002). Panzerkieg: The Rise and Fall of Hitler's Tank Divisions. New York City, New York: Carroll & Graf.
Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2000). Inside Hitler's High Command. Lawrence, Kansas: Kansas University Press.
Reynolds, Michael (1997). Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy. New York City, New York: Sarpedon.
Sikes, James E. (29 April 1988). Kharkov and Sinai A Study in Operational Transition. School of Advanced Military Studies, US Command & General Staff College. pp. 86.
Slaughterhouse: The Encyclopedia of the Eastern Front. The Military Book Club. 2002.
Thompson (Lt. Col.), Thomas A. (2000). Field Marshal Erich von Manstein and the Operational Art at the Battle of Kharkov. U.S. Army War College. pp. 15.
von Manstein, Erich (1982). Lost Victories. St. Paul, MN: Zenith Press. ISBN 0-603-2054-3.
von Mellenthin, F. W. (1956). Panzer Battles. New York City, New York: Ballantine Books.

____________________________

     It is a pleasure to read and learn from G.R.A.V.I.T.E.A.M.'s original souce research !

Links, zwo !  Links, zwo !  Links, zwo !  Links !  Links, zwo, drei, vier !  Links, zwo !
« Last Edit: October 07, 2009, 04:40:21 AM by DA 1775 » Logged

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SSPEIPER
Guest
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2009, 07:46:02 AM »

Not wanting to sound too harsh but - DA 1775, you are talking alot of [Censored - JD].....!!! Let these guys do their thing.

I am a huge WW2 buff as well - but you are coming across as a major UBER - NERD......... take a chill pill...






« Last Edit: October 09, 2009, 09:05:00 PM by JD » Logged
JD
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« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2009, 09:09:15 PM »

Not wanting to sound too harsh but - DA 1775, you are talking alot of .....!!! Let these guys do their thing.

I am a huge WW2 buff as well - but you are coming across as a major UBER - NERD......... take a chill pill...

Relax, anyway, it's to quiet here... let him talk a little.
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DA 1775
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Posts: 10


« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2009, 07:08:34 AM »

Zu befehl, SS Peiper !  Links !  Links, zwo !  Links !  Links, zwo, drei , vier !  Links !  Sieg um jeden preis !  I dunno, buddy !  I'm a wargame writing GEEK interested in Virtual Life Expression business futures.  You're right.  I'll try to get outside more often...

____________________________________________________________

JD !  East Bloc friendly SUPPRESSING VIRTUAL FIRE !  Thank you.  The Warsaw Pact looked so different through the unity window and M17A-1 Range Finder upon the old  Iron Curtain.  And, When I was chased through the streets of East Berlin by elite Warsaw Pact Guards from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- their bayonets were fiersome beneath Fehrnsee Funkturm/Pope's Revenge.  Change.  Everything changes in time, but there's nothing new under the sun.  Thank you.

PS-- How do we get promoted ?  I'm a Captain over here.  How may I earn promtions in the East Bloc ?  I do NOT want to be POW again, however.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2009, 07:15:49 AM by DA 1775 » Logged

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Snantose73
Guest
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2009, 04:54:49 PM »

My russian was not good enough to really play this game, but the real time mode looks very interesting. Unfortunately the strategic part seems to be very simple.
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JD
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« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2009, 06:30:14 PM »

PS-- How do we get promoted ?  I'm a Captain over here.  How may I earn promtions in the East Bloc ?  I do NOT want to be POW again, however.
you are getting promoted by posting new messages here
I'm a Captain over here.
really? Grin
I do NOT want to be POW again, however.
You ain't Wink
Topic has been moved, this place is better suited for it - JD
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frinik
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Posts: 3145


« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2009, 11:29:39 AM »


I ma an avid fan and player of Steel Fury Kharkov 1942 ( I've got 3 versions installed,one with the Winter mod only, one with Steel Panzer 1.3 and another one with SP 1.4).Excelent game, outstanding graphics and special effects but a bit week on scale, content and AI behaviour.

I have 2 questions:
1- When can we expect the release of Kharkov 1943 Front Roads in English version( both the demo and the full game)?

2- When can we expect your next tank sim about Kharkov last batlle in August 1943 to be released?
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peashooter1
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« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2009, 03:02:42 PM »

I'm sure these developers know what a great market the US is for games of this sort. It would seem to me to be good business to assure that an English version be available ASAP. As was pointed out already, the iL II developers had no problem with the translation.

I think, US is great market for games, like CoD, GTA, Halo series... etc. but not for wargames and hardcore simulators, especially about eastern front Sad.
So, it's difficult to find good publisher in US. However I hope it will be available to download via Steam or something like it later. Translation isn't a big problem.

Bottom line - I'm really eager to try this one out!
me too Grin

I'm not so sure about that one JD. There are many other factors in play here other then what is popular in the US simulation market. Just look at the sales of MS Flight Sim series ,Oleg Maddoxs Il-2 series and neoqbs RoF show that the US market will support hardcore simulators ,even from eastern developers. As far as subject matter (eastern front armored conflict) that is changing too. As more and more info on the human experiance is emerging from the former Soviet Union about it's part in WW2 it will start drawing more interest because to many of us it's new. Here again Oleg Maddox's Il-2 is a good example that the eastern front isn't the death kiss for simulators. What I feel most US customers are leary about is support of the product from an eastern developer. A good example is what Graviteam experianced with the western distributor who went bankrupt on them. As soon as that happened the news spread fast on the forum boards here in the US to avoid SFK42 and TvsT because support and updates would be non existent, heck the accepted fact by many was TvsT and SFK42 were developed by the same company, some even thought the western distributor was the developer a bit of misinformation I squash everytime I see it posted.  Gaviteam has done a somewhat decent job with support of SFK42, but if you really want to crack the US market with these simulators you have to reassure the US market that your commited be there for the long haul. Oleg Maddox did it and right now neoqb is doing it, both are eastern developers like Graviteam. My personal feeling is that Graviteam pulled the plug on SFK42 way too early as I don't feel it's possibilities were fully exploited. I do understand there was some serious issues between Graviteam and Discus, but if more would have been done in the way of short term continued development for SFK42 even as paid add on's I think it would have returned some goodwill dividends for Graviteam down the road. What could have even been done was Graviteam follow somewhat what neoqb did (to an extent). Offered paid vehicle add on's which would include at least one campaign and some single missions for the purchased vehicle. JUst some food for thought.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2009, 04:57:12 PM by peashooter1 » Logged
JD
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« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2009, 01:11:56 PM »

Unfortunately there are lots of problems here in USSR (especially - with publishers), that hinder development and selling within domestic market.
It's hard to find good publisher for the Western market. Serious players, like Ubi, EA, Activision etc. doesn't want to have business with hardcore sims from almost unknown developers (most of them doesn't want to have business with any sims  Sad). However, we have another way - small publishers/distributors, like Battlefront.com and extinct Lighthouse, who sells few hundreds of copies per year (anyway they are talking about few hundreds Wink) and then suddenly! becomes bankrupt, and gives no money of course.
This time we got a little different situation -  publisher of K:43 in Russia is 1C, that controlling a big part of ex.USSR market, and now trying to crack European. But it moving slow and selling in EU only inside developed hardcore games or most popular genres - shooters, strategies, RPG and others. So, there are little chances for K:43 and other Graviteam games in European market, but I'm not sure about US  Undecided
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peashooter1
Guest
« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2009, 11:20:40 PM »

JD there is always a way, we hardcore simmers are out here but just spread out all over Grin. But believe me ther are enough of us for Graviteam to make a good earnings, Graviteam does have a good product but it's very niche so Graviteam needs a markrting plan that returns the best investment with little overhead. Yes the best case would be to get a contract with EA or 1C or any big time distributor. But you are correct unless the younger generation starts getting hugely interested in simulators these big time developers are not interested. And the mid to small ones are very unstable right now.
But it's not all gloom and doom, here for example are two example's of simulators by different developers (one armour one aircraft) and one peripheral hardware device that I would like to draw your attention to too. None of them involve a distributor at all. Steel Beast by e-Sims  and Over Flanders Fields Between Heaven and Hell by OBD. And another is Natural Point (TRACKIR) are three great examples of direct selling to the customer.  All the selling of their games (in Natural Point case it's TRACKIR device) is done exclusively through thier web site, no middleman involved. If you cannot afford to have an outside source make your game disk there are coping units that you can purchase that are reasonable in price so you can make your own game disk . And with LightScribe DVD technology it's easy to make attractive and professional DVD facings and jewel cases. As for the translation part would it really be that hard to find a student at a university studing english? My son is in collage (university) and he works part time at a resteraunt for low wages just to have extra spending money. As long as you use PayPal for the western market you will have no trouble with buyers purchasing your product.
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Iceman
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« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2009, 10:08:27 PM »

As long as you use PayPal for the western market you will have no trouble with buyers purchasing your product.
As far as I know, PayPal does not transfer payments to clients of the Ukrainian banks  Roll Eyes
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peashooter1
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« Reply #18 on: December 05, 2009, 02:22:20 PM »

Hi Iceman,
Look at this, go to bottom of page.
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-approved-signup-countries-outside
Don't forget there is Western Union also, looks to cost $12.00 USD to send money wire. Depending on how you price the game this could be an alternative.
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Iceman
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« Reply #19 on: December 05, 2009, 06:02:56 PM »

Members of PayPal from Ukraine (Russia too) can only send money, but cannot receive money from other members of PayPal system.  Roll Eyes

P.S. PayPal system is not very popular here  Grin
« Last Edit: December 05, 2009, 06:13:25 PM by Iceman » Logged

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