Echoes & Crickets

[Schanilec]

I not sure how well I'll do on my first AAR. But here goes.

Turn 1:
Nothing much to do other than to begin moving my armor platoon up toward my front lines evenly spaced as to cover all positions held by my infantry and AT guns. Also sending all transport units away from the front lines. I won't be needing them in such a short scenario; and don't want give away any easy points for nothing.

Turn 2:
I continue to move my armor platoon into positions to help cover the infantry and AT guns. The forward most platoon hears and sees several tank units and some trucks moving forward through tree cover. I didn't get a count on the tanks, but I'm guessing well over a dozen, possibly twenty. T-34's. Things should begin to happen on the next turn. The waiting is over. It's in God's hands now.[;)]

[Schanilec]

Turn 3:
T-34's show up on my right. I got one with a 50mm AT gun battery and a platoon in an adjacent trench. Two 50mm AT guns lost in the process. I used a Tiger platoon as a shoot and scoot with only a disruption on the same T-34 platoon. At least Four Soviet tank platoons are in the open. More to come I'm sure.

[Schanilec]

Turn4:
Soviet armor continues to make a large effort on my right flank. My far right outpost with an infanty and a machinegun platoon are now isolated. Six of the T-34's penetrated deep into my right flank and ran into my shoot and scoot Tiger platoon. In turn the platoon took out 2 T-34's. One one remaining 50mm AT gun knoked out an additional T-34 that is isolating the two right flank platoons. The foward observer platoon. Spotted trucks moving up. And knocked out one including a limbered 76mm gun. Now it is wait and see if the right flank pentration continues.

[Schanilec]

Turn 5:

A Soviet infantry company (sub-machine gun platoons) has made solid contact with my main front line on the right. I hope I can hold them off. Superior numbers of Soviet armor has overrun my right flank Tiger unit. This is not good.
I need to make an emergency shift to bolster the right flank or Gertova will be lost in quick order. Only one 75mm artillery unit is holding the town.

[Schanilec]

Turn 6:

So far the Soviet infantry is held-up by my infantry on the right. They are hammering away with anything that can hit them with minimal results. I pulled the far right infantry and machine gun units into my main positions to give a boost to the rest of the company.

Two AT batteries (or what is left on one battery) exchanged fire with Soviet armor with only negligible results (disruptions), while losing all the guns in exchange. Only the AT unit (a 75mm battery) on the extreme left flank remains. A prime mover has arrived to be prepared to move the unit where needed.

A few Soviet armor units have broken through far into my rear. My half strength Mk IV platoon and a engineer platoon located next to the battalion HQ near the center/rear of my lines, also exchange fire with Soviet armor menacing the right/rear. And again not much for the effort, depsite only being just yards apart. This is not good.

It looks like at least two T-34's are poised to move into Gertova in a few minutes. When they do Bolter's half strength Tiger platoon has pulled back a little on the left flank to take them under fire as soon as they move into Gertova proper. I moved the artillery battery in Gertova out of thier position to avoid being overrun.

Overall the situation has deteriorated some, but it is not hopeless. I need some good hits to reduce and/or destroy those meddling armor units.[;)]

[Schanilec]

Turn 7:

Caused some causulties amongst the Soviet infantry. Not much though they're tough. Thease are not conscripts.

The battalion HG is about to be eleiminated. The engineers managed to knockout a T-34 and retreat a KV-1 unit. I need better results if I'm to turn this battle around.

Still the two T-34's have not moved into Gertova. They are disrupted for for now. Bolter is waiting. Plus I moved the 75mm AT battery just behind Bolter's Tigers and should be in position the next turn. [fingers crossed]

My Mk IV's couldn't stand up to the T-34's, and they are gone. [sigh].

Other from that, it is wait and see what their next move will be.

[Schanilec]

Turn 8:

The Soviet infantry moved out of the trees and I was finally able to them some hell. I think they're out of the picture. Move that machine gun and inf platoon from the far right into position. But Soviet tanks are beginning find the mark on my infantry positions.

Just behind them the battalion commander and the engineers take out a couple of more T-34's. Keep it up.

The battalion HQ is making its way out of the area toward Bolter's Tiger platoon which has moved up to the outskirts of Gertova and gets a shot off at one of the T-34's and retreats it. Have to do better than that.
I hope the 75mm AT gun sets up. I accidently dropped one hex back from where I wanted it so it had to be manhandled forward. Damn.

The Soviets now control threee out of four objectives so far for a minor victory. Now I hope for a draw.

[Schanilec]

Turn 9: Same old, same old. My infantry continue to hammer away at his. They're finished.

The engineer platoon continues to work on the T-34's. But only knocks out one more.

Soviet armor finally take Gertova. They now control all thier objectives. Bolter's Tiger platoon (disrupted) destroys one T-34 and retreats another at close range. They tried to overrun Bolter and failed.

The battle is basically over save a miracle.

And my 75mm AT battery turns out to be only a 50mm. Basically useless at the range I had placed. double damn. Need to use my glasses. I can really be an idiot at times.[8|]

[Schanilec]

Turn 10:

Basiclly terrible results across the board.

The engineers fail to produce any results against the T-34's in a objective hex.

Infantry score a couple hits on the soviet infantry which are really not influencing the battle.

The 50mm AT battery is nothing but a peashooter at the range it is firing. Bolter's Tiger platoon fails morale check and remains disrupted only scoring on T-34 destroying it for a total of 11 T-34's knocked out in battle leaving about 15 Soviet tanks ruling the field of battle which now over with a minor Soviet victory.

Lessons have been learned and hopefully not repeated.

That is all.[:)]