The Jaws of Victory: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket – January/February 1944

About this board game

The Jaws of Victory: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket – January/February 1944 is a historical simulation for 2–5 players, with games lasting from 6 to 50 hours. It recreates the Soviet winter offensive that surrounded German forces in the Ukraine and the desperate German effort to break through to them.

Set after the defeat of the German Kursk Offensive, the game covers the fighting around a German-held salient near Korsun on the Dnepr. The Soviet 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts launch a classic pincer movement, aiming to close the pocket at Zvenigorodka and trap units from six German divisions, including the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking.

Seven scenarios cover January 26 to February 18, including a 25-turn campaign game. Soviet players must drive into the salient, establish an outer ring, and methodically attack defenders whose supply is running short. German players face a two-front defense before attempting to preserve trapped forces and open an escape route with a powerful panzer counter-offensive.

• Game scale: one-day turns, two-mile hexes, and units ranging from battalions to divisions
• Key challenges: overstretched supply lines, bad weather, and tank-stopping mud
• Scenarios: seven separate situations, including a full 25-turn campaign
• Components: two mounted-color mapsheets, 1,170 counters, player aids, scenario cards, and two six-sided dice

With a moderate-high complexity level and high solitaire playability, The Jaws of Victory emphasizes operational decisions on both sides of the pocket. The result is a demanding contest in which successful breakthroughs, defensive endurance, supply management, and timing the counter-stroke can determine whether the operation becomes a Soviet victory or a German escape.