It is June 22 and three German army groups prepare for an attack: AG South will start with taking the Lwow area from the Bolsheviks.
Situation
The Soviets have built a line of observation bunkers along the border; our air recon has spotted large tank masses on the other side; approximately 10 divisions. The Lwow area is not protected by river but heavily defended.
The plan
Battlegroup 1 - 3 infantry divsions, will capture the bridges on the border.
1 security division and 1 flak battalion will secure the bridges while the infantry will advance to Kovel and take it.
Battlegroup 2 - 5 panzer divisions with a recon battalion, rocket artillery regiment, 2 motorised divisions and 2 elite divisions will capture the bridge in the center and advance to Lutsk and then Rovno. 1 infantry division will secure the bridge.
Battlegroup 3 - 4 infantry divisions will cross the river, join in Horokhiv area and then leave 1 division there and advance to the Styr bridge leading to Dubno with the remaining 3 divisions.
Battlegroup 4 - 12 infantry, 2 mountain and 2 security divisions with artillery support - a regiment and a battalion of 105 mm howitzers - will capture Lwow and the area.
There is an engineer battalion in reserve to repair not so important bridges. The bridge near Lutsk must be captured intact.
Air force, 3 bomber brigades and a fighter brigade will provide air support as needed.
The battle
Day 1, June 22. The weather is clear.
Sector 1 - 2 infantry divisions take the bridges to Kowel and attack the fortified area but it withstands the attack.
Sector 2 - 162nd recon battalion captures a bridge overruning its paralilitary guards and 2 infantry divisions cross the river destroying a fortified area. Before the Soviets realise what has happened the whole mechanised force has built a large bridgehead but here they run into another fortified area; the Soviets also send an infantry division.
Sector 3 - exploiting a gap in the line of fortified areas, 2 infantry divisions cross the river.
Sector 4 - 2 bo,ber brigades attack the Soviet divisions on the border. A Soviet artillery corps opens fire on the attacking Germans but is bombed by the third brigade. The Soviets lose 2 infantry divisions and 2 fortified areas; another division retreats with heavy losses. The Soviets send 2 fighter regiments that attack bomber brigade No. 54 - German fighters cannot be everywhere and protect everyone but the bombers survive. Societ tanks are sent to the border in Lwow area.
Results: Soviets are shocked by the attack but everything seems to be under control...
Day 2, June 23. The weather is clear.
Sector 1 - Germans finish off the Soviet fortified area and secure the bridges but a Soviet division is spoted in the area.
Sector 2 - The division Soviets sent to the border cannot stop the attackers and the fortified area blocking the road is also destroyed by PzIVE tanks. 162nd recon leads the column through a forest. 2 Soviet tank divisions spotted north-east from the road. 2 brigades of Ju 88 bombers attack them and 2 divisions of Pz IIIH destroy what is left.
Sector 3 - 2 German divisions encounter a Soviet division and attack it; Soviets retreat.
Sector 4 - a flak battalion and Bf 109 fighter brigade kills most Soviet fighters but both regiments are still operational; even with few planes left. He 111 bombers destroy the Soviet 150 mm artillery. German divisions build a solid line so that enemy tanks cannot sneak through; Soviets lose a fortified area; an infantry division and a tank division; it could not break through the defense line backed by artillery.
Results: Things start looking bad for Soviets although they still have a chance to stop the enemy near Styr and even counter-attack; which they do...
Day 3, June 24. The weather is clear.
(Sector 1) ... but the Ju 88 bombers have nothing more to do in the center and attack the Soviet division in the North as well as a Soviet 150 mm artillery regiment. German infantry divisions destroy the rest of enemies; only a few cross the river but are met by a security division and destroyed there.
Sector 2 - 162th recon spots Soviet forces in Lutsk but the bridge is not protected; a panzer division takes it.
Sector 3 - 4 German divisions destroy the Soviet antitank ambush in the forest and what was left of the Soviet division near the river.
Sector 4 - supported by artillery; German divisions continue to push towards Lwow. 1 Soviet fortified area, 1 tank dviision and 2 infantry divisions destroyed. Bomber brigade 54 is out of bombs and Bf103 fighters finish the remains of one Soviet fighter regiment.
Results: Soviets switch to heroic defense. 2 bridges on the Styr are blown and everyone must hold their positions.
Day 4, June 25. The weather is clear.
Sector 1 - 3 divisions advancing towards Kovel.
Sector 2 - After rocket artillery fore the elite Wiking division and the 25th motorised division destroy the Soviet infantry division in Lutsk. 162nd recon takes the city center and spends the rest of the day resupplying.
Sector 3 - 4 infantry divisions arrive at Horokhiv area after destroying another Soviet fortified area.
Sector 4 - Soviets lose 2 infantry and 2 cvalry dviisions; for the first time large numbers of prisoners are taken, approximately a regiment altogether.
Bombers are inactive, 1 brigade resupplying and 2 returning to base.
Results: The Styr line has fallen but the battle of Lutsk is not over yet!
Day 5, June 26. The weather is clear.
Sector 1 - 2 divisions destroy the defenders of Kovel, an antiair battalion.
Sector 2 - Soviets try to retake Lutsk with 2 divisions of T-26 and 2 motorised divisions but they stand no chance against a panzer army. Each Soviet tank division is attacked by 2 panzer divisions and the Soviet motorised infantry meets a division of Pz IVE, the elite Wiking division and 25th mororized division. 162nd recon is also brought to the fight; destroying a Soviet battalion and losing some 20% of its strength.
Sector 3 - Infantry reaches the Styr bridge that Soviets have blown two days ago. Engineers are on the way.
Sector 4 - While Bf 109 fighters finish the remaining Soviet air force; infantry keeps pushing to Lwow destroying 2 Soviet infantry divisions, a tank division and another fortified area.
Results: The Soviet defenses have collapsed; with only so,e areas still holding.
Day 6, June 27. The weather is clear.
Sector 2 - 162nd recon spots a Soviet tank division in Dubno; after an airstrike it is destroyed by 3 panzer divisions.
Sector 4 - First attack on Lwow; the Soviets lose their last fortified area, a tank division and infantry division. Some German divisions start moving towards Brody and capture a bridge but Lwow has not fallen yet.
Day 7, June 28. The weather is clear.
Kovel taken as well as the bridge north of Lutsk. Last defenders of Lwow - an infantry and a tank division - destroyed. Germans capture a few BT tanks just enough to show to the photographers.
Day 8, June 29. The weather is clear.
Preparing for the final attack on Rovno and marching towards Brody. Besides that; nothing happening; is the war over? Air force even gets a day off...
Day 9, June 30. The weather is clear.
A Soviet division spotted near Lutsk; the city is defended by elite LAH division.
Day 10, July 1. The weather is clear.
162nd recon spots Soviets in Rovno area. The city is defended by an artillery unit. After artillery barrage the city is attacked by Wiking division but the defenders still hold; then comes an airstrike followed by PzIVE attack. 162nd recon takes Rovno. The Soviets have also brought antitank and antiair guns but too late! Pz IIIs attack the march column of the Soviet antitank artillery before they have prepared for defense. Few Soviets survive.
A bomber brigade is sent to Lutsk area to attack the Soviets; after that there would be a counter-attack by LAH and another bomber brigade would finish the remaining Soviets. A Soviet division is encircled in Brody with no chance to escape.
