As the German attack began to solidify on the village the Soviets raced to support it. The T-26s moved in first and one company arrived in the village to start a gun battle with the 38Ts, and they didnt last long. The rest tried to engage the StuGs, and although they managed to make them retire for a while, it cost them dear.
While this was going on the Panzer Grenadiers arrived, and in haste to support the Panzers, ran straight into an ambush. Several trucks were destroyed, men killed and the German piled out into the area just outside the village under enemy fire. One particular Soviet MG Nest would prove very troublesome, and from its defilade position, virtually wiped out the Germans on its own. As the Grenadiers struggled to make any advance into the village, the rest of the German infantry began to get into place.
As the Grenadiers finally retrested to the rear, a spent force with huge casualties, the rest of the infantry attacked, and the losses caused among the Soviet defence allowed them to get a toehold in one of the buildings.
On the flank the Soviets advanced under a curtain of smoke from the mortars and crossed the fields towards the Germans. The Germans filtered and entire battalion to protect their flank and stop the Soviet counter-attack and supported it with the support company of another battalion. Soon German MGs and mortars lined the edge of the field.
T-26s get embroiled in a long-range attempt to knock-out the Stugs.
The assault on the village continues...
Soviet troops rush to support the village defenders...
Panzergrenadiers arrive!
German troops line the fields to defend against the Soviet counter-attack.The Soviet attack over the open fields to relieve pressure on the village was nothing short of a disaster. Despite an adequate smokescreen, when it lifted the German MGs and artillery opened up and slaughtered the exposed Russian soldiers in droves. Very soon two-thirds of the Soviet Regiments lay dead or dying on the field, failing to reach the enemy positions.
In response the rest of the German infantry launched an attack on the village and drove off some of the defenders, while the Soviet Medium Tank battalion was finally forced to retire. With it retreating, the German panzers sealed off the village and cut up the last infantry reserve the Soviets had.
As the day drew to a close, the Soviets had to withdraw, over half their force destroyed but they had managed to last till the very last turn of the game, and caused not insubstanial losses to the Germans.
Good game and nice to see my Russians back out in play after a three-year hiatus. Given me the urge to paint the rest of my tanks and infantry, just not sure if we need another three Soviet infantry Battalions!
Then again... You can never have enough Russkies...
01 April 2016, 04:56:19 PM