Backhand Blow

**Backhand Blow** is a scenario in *Panzer Corps 2*.

## Briefings

General %playername%, Oberst Wagner, I come with good news.

Three Soviet Armored Corps are rampaging across the Donets Industrial Basin; their advance unchecked and their speed unrelenting.

I beg your pardon, Herr Field Marshal, but this is good news? I would hate to know what constitutes 'bad news' if this is good news.

*Field Marshal Erich von Manstein fixes Oberst Wagner with a quizzical stare.*

We have accurate intelligence on our enemies' forces, their overly rapid advance has outrun their supporting units, and the enemy is coming to us instead of our forces needing to chase or hunt for them. What more could you possibly ask for, Herr Oberst?

But...

*Field Marshal Manstein holds up a hand to interrupt Oberst Wagner.*

If you were about to express concern over the state of your forces, fear not. It took three, grueling days of meetings with High Command, but I was ultimately successful in arguing for the need of immediate offensive action. Enough supply, fuel, and ammunition has been diverted from other sectors to bring General %playername%'s army to full strength.

Herr General we have been given the perfect opportunity to salvage this crisis, and I am counting on you to execute my plan.

**Primary Objective: Destroy Soviet 25th Armored Corps.**

**Bonus Objective: Destroy Soviet 3rd Armored Corps.**

**Bonus Objective: Destroy Soviet 10th Armored Corps.**

Most importantly, we must clear a path to Kharkov. Between you and Kharkov stands the Soviet 25th Armored Corps. Destroy them all.

And what of Kharkov itself?

*Field Marshal Manstein shrugs.*

Other, non-Wehrmacht, forces have been assigned to retake the city. It is not your objective.

I see.

Further east, the Soviet 10th Armored Corps has reached Pavlograd.

And behind them, the heavy Soviet 3rd Armored Corps is lurking somewhere in this area.

As our enemy has outrun their support, so you should expect very little, if any, infantry or towed weaponry to oppose your counterattack.

Mein General, we had better deploy the strongest anti-tank units we have for this battle. Unsupported or not, three entire Armored Corps represents a considerable amount of enemy tanks.

One final reminder, we will be able to claim victory as soon as we've completely destroyed the 25th Soviet Armored Corps, but if we want to fully scour the region of all enemies, we should save defeating the 25th for last.

To victory, for Germany!

### Debriefing

I knew I could count on you and your men, General %playername%.

Your victory here has reversed our fortunes, and sent our Soviet enemies into a rout across the Donets Industrial Basin.

With this reprieve, and the imminent re-capture of Kharkov by other forces, we can use this momentum to attack the salient of Soviet troops that has begun to form north of us, at Kursk.

I'm afraid that will have to wait, sir.

Oberst, you clearly know something I do not. Please enlighten us.

Two reports. First is the meteorological report. Warming weather and spring rains are rapidly turning the hard snow into a sea of mud.

*Field Marshal von Manstein scowls.*

And the second?

A congratulations from High Command on your success, and with them orders to secure and defend the Donets Industrial Basin.

Very well. We will have to just accept this victory today, and prepare for the next battles tomorrow.

I just worry about the reprieve we will be granting to our enemies in this lull...

**Historically, the German Donets Campaign, perhaps better known as Manstein's Backhand Blow, was a tremendous success.**

**The sudden counterattack organized by Field Marshal Manstein took the Soviets completely by surprise as they expected no such resistance after their recent string of victories.**

**In just a month, the Soviets would lose over 500 tanks and tens of thousands of soldiers to the German onslaught. The resulting Soviet retreat finally stabilized Germany's Southern Front, which had been in chaos since Stalingrad.**

**For his victory, Erich von Manstein would be given full command of Army Group South and be awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.**

**The Oak Leaves represented Germany's 4th highest honor. Over the course of the entire war, less than a thousand individuals were bestowed with this award.**

## Walkthrough

*This article is a stub. You can help Panzer Corps Wiki by expanding it.*

## Locations

* Dnipropetrovsk

* Dnieper River

* Pavlograd

* Novomoskovsk

* Lozovaya

* To Kharkov

* Yur'ivka

* Hubynykha

* Samara River

* To Izium

* Dnipropetrovsk

* Dnieper River

* Pavlograd

* Novomoskovsk

* Lozovaya

* To Kharkov

* Yur'ivka

* Hubynykha

* Samara River

* To Izium

## Messages

* ***Oberst Wagner:*** Mein General, some of our forces have found an enemy staging ground and captured a number of Soviet vehicles and engineering tanks intact. We've commandeered them all and you can access them as captured equipment.

* ***Oberst Wagner:*** Mein General, our forces have captured an enemy supply convoy! The Soviets were apparently trying to transport a host of Lend-Lease fighter aircraft when we intercepted them. We've commandeered any intact aircraft and you can access them as captured equipment.

* Bonus Objective to Destroy Soviet 3rd Armored Corps before the 25th Armored Corps completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* Bonus Objective to Destroy Soviet 10th Armored Corps before the 25th Armored Corps completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* ***Oberst Wagner:*** Mein General, some of our forces have found an enemy staging ground and captured a number of Soviet vehicles and engineering tanks intact. We've commandeered them all and you can access them as captured equipment.

* ***Oberst Wagner:*** Mein General, our forces have captured an enemy supply convoy! The Soviets were apparently trying to transport a host of Lend-Lease fighter aircraft when we intercepted them. We've commandeered any intact aircraft and you can access them as captured equipment.

* Bonus Objective to Destroy Soviet 3rd Armored Corps before the 25th Armored Corps completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* Bonus Objective to Destroy Soviet 10th Armored Corps before the 25th Armored Corps completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

## Notes

* Destroying the 3rd Armored Corps and the 10th Armored Corps will each award 2 Commendation Points.
* Capturing the To Kharkov hex will grant players 17 Strength points worth of Captured SU-57 Anti-tanks, 22 Strength points worth of Captured OT-34 Tanks, and 29 Strength points worth of Captured PT-34 Tanks.
* Capturing the To Izium hex will grant players 21 Strength points worth of Captured Spitfire Mk.II Fighters, 19 Strength points worth of Captured P-40 Fighters, and 26 Strength points worth of Captured P-38 Lightning Fighters.
* Notable enemy units:
	+ A 3rd Armored Corps KV-1/42 that is Level 3 and has 20 Strength points and a hero with the Consolidator and Leadership traits.
	+ A 10th Armored Corps ZIS-30 that is Level 2 and has a hero with the Double Support and Artillery Support traits.
	+ A 25th Armored Corps T-34/43 that is Level 2 and has a hero with the Sixth Sense and Low Profile traits.
* Notable enemy formations:
	+ 3rd Armored Corps
	+ 10th Armored Corps
	+ 25th Armored Corps