Description

Zhukov's Brutal Battle: Operation Mars, 1942 is a brigade to corps simulation of the battle, in 11 2-day turns, 25Nov-16Dec42, 7 miles/11 kilometers per hex, and 35 ground units on each side. (The weather reduced flight operations considerably.)

The surrounding of the German 6th Army in Stalingrad had happened, and in the game von Kluge must try to (irretrievably) withdraw as many panzer divisions as possible to send to Stalingrad, while stopping Zhukov's attempt to retake Rzhev and erase the salient it was in.

The Russians get points for any victory point cities they take, for clearing out German defense zones along the front line, and for eliminating German units, outright or in exchanges.

This heretofore little-known battle was the subject of Col. (rtd.) David Glantz's revelatory book, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat. Historically, the Russians took horrendous casualties and achieved little, other than preventing panzer divisions from being transferred south, to try to help save 6th Army surrounded in Stalingrad.