Daugavpils : 30th June 1941

Scenario played : Friday 31st May 2008

The Red Army had been forced to rush many reserves to the front as the Wehrmacht swept forward in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa. At Daugavpils in Lithuania, the 42nd Tank Division had been hastily cobbled together to strike at the German forces located there. General Lelyushenko would be commanding the attack with the mission of either capturing the town of Daugavpils, or clearing its main exit road of invading forces.

One part of the German position was covered by the 3rd Motorized Division. Their front contained the Town of Daugavpils at the South end of their lines. Positioned in forest ahead of this was the main body of their troops including AT guns and a platoon of StgIIIB’s. On the Southern extremity were 3 platoons of infantry. In the far North, the flank was likewise covered by 3 platoons of infantry as well as infantry and hardware scattered further along the line.

At 0900 hours, the Soviet 42nd Tank Division came forward, ushered in by a quick preemptory air-strike. Both sides exchanged some long range artillery fire but with little effect. The Russian Commander decided to attack the weaker part of the line in the South and sent the whole force in that direction. This would mean they would probably need to punch through the infantry positions there and also penetrate deep into the forest in order to swing round toward Daugavpils. The Germans reacted by shifting troops in the North Southwards.

For the first half hour, the Soviets edged forward, not causing much effect on their enemy, but certainly looking threatening as 7 platoons of BT-7’s led the attack. Despite this, the German fire was inflicting some casualties on the advancing infantry. Nonetheless, the Soviet 42nd Tank Division began to envelop the Forest in the North. The fighting there then began to intensify as both sides laid down heavy fire mixed with close quarters combat plus useful overhead cover from Soviet air force planes

During this melee, some BT-7’s were knocked out by the German infantry. By 1015, the Soviets began to shift the weight of this attack on the forest from its North end to the more Southern extremity. Once more, the Germans had set up a defensive line, and once again, the fighting had become very intense. By 1100 hrs, casualties were beginning to mount for both sides. The Germans had certainly lost at least 130 soldiers as well as an AT gun platoon as they found there resources being stretched, whilst the Soviets were nearing 350 infantrymen lost, 3 tanks and some ordnance in the form of a 76mm gun battery and a mortar platoon. On top of this, both sides had disrupted and demoralized elements to try and rally.

From 1100 to midday, the fighting raged round this large forest area. In the confusion, Soviet tanks became detached from their infantry support and began to get picked off by the German infantry making full use of their cover in the forest. Soviet infantry too took many casualties, not affecting a breakthrough, but slowly pushing back the German line. After more than an hour of this intense battle, German infantry casualties reached a total of some 200 men. On the other side, approx 16 destroyed Soviet BT-7 tanks littered the woods and 600 or more of their infantry.

Despite these losses, both sides geared themselves for more. After all, the Germans still held both the road and Daugavpils, whilst the Russians had enough strength for one more push. At 1.00pm, as Soviet aircraft, though not as effective has hoped continued to seek prey on the battlefield, a German artillery barrage at the forest cost the Soviets dearly. With another surge developing, their battlefield commander became one of the many killed to the long range artillery attacks. With their command decapitated and nobody to take the lead, it was time for the Red Army to finally call an end to the assault and make their way back to their start lines.

Daugavpils had been held by the Wehrmacht in a torrid four hour confrontation between the two forces. The Soviets would have to go back and rethink their policies of assault.