The Red Army was faced by a Panzer force commanded by Hauptman von Slaughter supported by Hauptman ‘s Sean, Tina and Al’s son. This combined force attacked a Soviet force commanded by Christian with sub commanders Boyer, Beau and Al. The Soviet force was a Tankovy Batt of two companies with Spetznatz, mobile AA, and 3 SU 122s supported by aa Naval Inf Batt of two two plt Cos, a 45mm AT Co a 57mm AT Co a Katy battery, ATR Plt two addl 45 ATs a full Co of 5 SU85s and 5 KV85s!
The Germans attacked down the open areas on both sides of the RR tracks as the Naval Inf was dug in at the crossroads and the adjoining fields. The Tankovy moved fwd to engage the panzers on our right moving through the patches of forest.
The Germans lead on their right with a 3 STUG plt and a Tiger I follow by a gren plt three Panthers and three towed 75AT. The backed that up with a 15 CM arty, Hvy mortars and a battery of Wespes and Panthers and PZ IVs on their left.
They had STUKAS who found the 2nd Tankovy Co near the woods and flamed two. As the Germans advanced the 57mm AT Co ambushed them from woods on our front left. Blew away a STUG and a Panther (side shot). The Germans hit back, moved the STUGs around to fire killing the ATR team and popped away with the AT as their hvy mortars were dead on smashing three guns! The AT boys stood their ground as the STUGs assaulted to end it. The AT gun took out on STUG, the other failed to score. The AT boys counter attacked hoping to bog the STUG but the STUG did not and killed the command team. As the smoke cleared, the gun team bogged so the crew left it and ran as the surviving STUG broke as well. Score: Three STUGs and a Panther for an AT CO.
The Germans came on. On their left they traded some shots with the 1st Co of T34s, couple of more dead T34s. The STUKAs added another one burning. Out Katys answered the call from reserve, but no kills.
The Germans pressed ahead as Christian pulled back his battered 1st Co. On our left another ambush as Beau’s five SU85s opened up on them at short range! One targeted the Tiger, missed; two others target two Panthers.. side shots! Missed! Another could only target a towed AT Gun, bailed the halftrack! As the last one took it’s only shots at a Wespe two more misses!
The Germans could now hit back with tanks that should have been burning. The Panthers killed one SU as the Tiger (Hauptman Tina) had to swing it’s turret 180 yet hit with all three shots! One more flaming and one bailed. The Wespes Dfd, bailed one as the AT guns flamed a third. The SU crews ran and left the bailed out two. On their left the Germans chopped up more T34s as Christian had the 1st Co reduced to two runners and two bailed, they wanted to run, so Komissar Dedov tried to stop them, the Komissar chose to run with them!
The Germans pressed on. Their STUKAs got a KV 85 as their arty killed one and a 45 AT gun. The panzers hit the 2nd Tankovy which killed two as a supporting 45AT blew away a pz IV, one Panther ran off. The German arty also took out two naval inf teams. The Tiger took out a KV 85.
Our Katys got hits in on the grens and killed teams from both platoons and two hvy mortars. As the Germans closed, our Naval Inf gunned down a team, the survivors, at ½ strength dug in out of range. Beau’s KVs got to fire and blew up the Tiger. The Germans had their AT guns up as the Panthers and arty took out the last two KV 85s.
As Night fell, the Germans were down to 3 Panthers and three PZ IVs as we faced them with six T34s (1/2 85) five AT 45s, two mobile AA and the Spetznatz; our Katys; Naval Inf supported by three ATR teams. The Germans had plenty of Ammo for the Wespes and 15CMs even if their inf was well depleted as were the Hvy mortars. Still might get a Stuka! Had it gone on Christian was very close to breaking and my force was better but the loss of the AT Co would put us fearless men to test they had tank and arty superiority so with enough daylight and ammo we would likely have had to yield.
German Arty was very impressive. The Luftwaffe killed four T34s and a KV85 and at AT gun. The Panthers hurt us bad. Our reserves taking their sweet time to show up and even our Katys failing three times to range in on Germans in the open did NOT help. 1st Tankovy Co all got killed and scored none. Had Beau’s SU85 hit at all what they should have, we likely would have stopped them with that. The troops fought hard, the commanders were competent, yet we faced defeat!
Are there dice somewhere being rolled that determine all this????
