AAR 7

From: MAJ Scott A. Panagrosso [PANAGROS@UConnVM.UConn.Edu]

HQ's 3rd Guards Tank Army
26 September 1943
vic Moscow

Greetings Comrades and congratulations from your commander. I have just left the office of our supreme leader Stalin himself. He asked me to convey his satisfaction to all the soldiers of the 3rd GTA on a job well done. Additional rations, including a generous supply of vodka for the soldiers, are on the way to celebrate this great victory. Once our slight casualties are replaced, we will continue our drive to liberate the remainder of the Ukraine and Mother Russia from the Fascists. Below I have included an excerpt of the briefing I gave Stalin for all of you to read.

"...Operation Mars (later Marturn) was an outstanding success. The detailed planning by both army staffs was exceptional. The Fascists were duped by our brilliant deception plan and drawn into a series of isolated battles that destroyed their ability to withstand the valiant assaults by our glorious troops."

"Significant highlights include the 91st STB's initial contact with the 10th PzGr at Voznesenskoy. The Nazi's were attempting to interdict the southwest movement of the army toward Kanev. The 91st STB commander skillfully engaged the surprised Germans and drove them back toward the Supov River with heavy loss, allowing the 3GTA's second echelon (7th GTC) to continue forward without interruption. The combined attacks by the 91st STB and the 6th GTC on the preceding day broke the 10th PzGr and effectively took them out of the battle. As a result of both units fine performance, the 91st STB is designated a Guards formation and its commander is invited to see Stalin himself. The 6th GTC commander and subordinates received special recognition for their destruction of the Tiger Battalion. Its loss broke the morale of the Fascists and forced the capitulation of many enemy troops."

"Much praise goes to the 7th GTC. They reached the banks of the Dnepr ahead of many German formations and totally upset the enemy's plans. Not only did they assault Kanev and its bridge, they also attempted to force a crossing north and south of the city simultaneously under fire and had to defend their rear from assault by German formations attempting to escape our carefully laid trap. All these actions were conducted skillfully and culminated with the successful capture of the Kanev bridge by Colonel Warshavsky and his armored brigade by driving his tanks right into the teeth of the German defenses. This daring assault has earned Colonel Warshavsky the Hero of the Soviet Union medal for bravery and daring in the face of the enemy."

"Although the issue was never in doubt, the arrival of the 9th Mech Corps and the 91st STB (again) sealed the Germans fate. Just as they were preparing a surprise assault on the rear of the 7th GTC with their infantry and armored forces, the tanks and infantry of the 9th Mech Corps arrived on the battlefield and scattered the enemy forces. The 91st STB, always arriving in the thick of battle, reinforced our valiant forces already on the Kanev bridge and began the clean up process to secure the town of Kanev."

"The infantry formations of the army also played a valuable part in the campaign. The 42d Gds Inf, although late in arriving, cleaned up the pocket of German soldiers from the 10th PzGr that had somehow survived the earlier onslaught. The 68th Gds Inf outraced other mobile formations and arrived at Kanev shortly after the capture of the bridge. They were key in rooting out Nazi infantry hiding in the woods on the east bank of the Dnepr. My thanks to all commanders, staffs and soldiers of the 3rd GTA. We faced three German infantry divisions, a panzer grenadier division, half of a panzer division and an independent armored formation by ourselves and destroyed all of them! You have all earned a one day rest. (Our comrades in the 40th Army deserve praise and our thanks for the minor assistance they provided. Their success was creditable, even though their opposition was minor. We will look forward to having them fight by our sides in the liberation of the Motherland.)"

PS. I truly wish to thank all participants on the Soviet side. Jim, thanks for all your help (really) and that of your cadets from VMI. Special thanks to the USMAPS cadets that worked with my army. Finally,, thanks to CPT Pierce for managing to pull this off, MAJ Panzeri for putting up with us, Jodie for all the behind the scenes action that makes these events even possible, and the umpires who volunteered their time and figures for the battle.

MAJ Scott A. Panagrosso
Executive Officer
UConn Army ROTC