Minsk '44: East Front Battles, Volume II, covers the crucial exploitation phase of the great Soviet summer offensive against the German Army Group Center. Starting on 22 June, huge Soviet offensives pierced the thinly held German front in many places. Soviet reserves were introduced into the breaches, aiming deep into the German rear area to trap the German Fourth and Ninth Armies. The drive of Third Belorussian Front, spearheaded by Fifth Guards Tank Army and Eleventh Guards Army, was aimed at crossings over the Berezina River, and the transportation center of Minsk. The German Fourth army deployed an agglomeration of shattered units plus the fresh 5th Panzer Division to hold open the escape route through Minsk long enough for the rest of the broken front-line units to escape.

A two-player (Soviet versus German) operational level game, with division as the primary maneuver unit, and also includes air units, untried units, blown bridge markers, and headquarters units. The colorful map features the area of the Third Belorussian Front during Operation Bagration, with each hex representing approximately 2 miles across, and includes such prominent locations as Berezina and the transportation center of Minsk.

The game utilizes the classic quad series rules’ mechanics and a retreat-emphasizing differential combat system to encourage encirclement tactics, so typical of Soviet armor strategy during World War II.

The rules entail a variety of standard and unique rules, such as Railroad Movement, “What if” Optional Reinforcements, Blowing Bridges, Untried Units, and the full range of historical unit formations, such as 5th Guards Tank Army, and the 505th Heavy Armor unit, etc.

Victory in the game is determined by the accumulation of VPs for control of important hexes, as well as evacuating friendly units.

Originally published in World at War magazine #22, Feb-Mar 2012.

Game Scale:
Game Turn: 1 day
Hex: 2.1 miles / 3.2 kilometers
Units: Battalion to Brigade

Game Inventory:
One 22 x 34" full color map
One dual-side printed countersheet (228 5/8" counters)
One 16-page Minsk '44 rulebook

Solitaire Playability: Medium
Complexity Level: Medium
Players: 2 or more
Playing Time: 2-4

Hinge of Fate