"Come back here ya coward, it's only a flesh wound..." SFS Round 2 Sitrep Thread!!

[Toten Tanz]

From the Regimental Combat Diary of the 28th/18 Panzer Regiment, Col Eckhardt (Toten Tanz) commanding

Date: July 3, 1941
Location: Lipki, Belarus
Weather: Clear with a slight haze, visibility good.
Entry Time: 12.00 hours (Turn 5)

Cpt. Gebhard took command of the forces around Stayki, and organized a counter attack. 1 Co., I/28 Pz, drove around the Russian left flank, destroying a lone BT-7 in the fields SW of the village. It then engaged 7 BT-7s and two T-34s on the W end of Stayki with cannon fire, destroying 2 and throwing the defenders into confusion. The PzIVs of 3 Co, I/28, led by the Btl CO, Maj Pingel, then assaulted the west end of the village, driving the Russian tanks from their positions. It engaged the fleeing Russians from the rear and destroyed an addtional 3 tanks, including 2 vaunted T-34s. Elements of 2 Co, 88th/18 Recon Btl fired at the fleeing Russian BT-7s, driving the remainder out of the village to the SE. The units on the W end of Stayki consolidated their positions, as another Russian counter attack was expected from the S/SW direction. Maj. Pingel sent an uncoded broadcast across the Regimental radio net detailing the new found weakness of the dreaded T-34s.

The remaining tanks of 2 Plt and the Light Plt, of 4 Co,II/Pz, advanced along the NW edge of Stayki. 2 Plt lost another tank to fire from 2 T-34s located in the village, leaving it with 1 operational tank. The 2 Light Plts from II/28 Pz advanced to add their firepower. They returned fire on exposed BT-7s, throwing them into disarry. The Light Plts also spotted Russian infantry dismounting trucks 250m away on the railway leading into the village from the SE, before they witdrew to form a defensive line N of Stayki.

The Russian tanks fired at the units of I/28 Pz advancing E through Stayki, destroying a PzIVD from 2Plt, 3 Co. The dismounted Russian infantry made an assault against the remaining tank from 2 Plt, 4 Co, II/28 Pz and the 4 Co. Light Plt, but were repusled. At this point, all the remaining Russian armor retreated E approx 1500m. The Russian infantry began to pull back as well. The Russian tanks outpaced the Russian infantry, leaving their withdrawl exposed.

Trucks loaded with infantry had been seen advancing down Lipki Ridge and behind the woods along its base. An estimated company of Motorised infantry was determined to be 1500m SE of Lipki. 1 plt, 5 Co. II/28Pz was sent to investigate, and found the Russian trucks still loaded with infantry. The tanks of the platoon immediately went on line and assaulted the loaded trucks. Cannon and MG fire quickly decimated the Russians, leaving 8 trucks burning and an infantry and MG platoon destroyed. It is estimated that 60-75 enemy troops were killed or wounded.

The remaining Russian trucks hurriedly unloaded the Russian infantry and retreated up Lipki Ridge to the E. Russian tanks appeared and fired on 1 plt. One tank was disabled and had to be left behind, as the rest of the platoon withdrew into the woods at the base of Lipki Ridge. Russian infatry advanced and destroyed the abandonded PzIII.

3 Co, 88th/18 Recon Btl sent a radio report of at least 3 units of KV model tanks and what appeared to be an HQ unit moving on the road S from Pogoditsa. A one platoon of T-26s was seen advancing N towards 3 Co.s positions. Terrain features masked the Russian tanks' movements about 1500m away from 3 Co,s. positions. 1 Co. reported the passage of the T-34s sighted earlier by 3 Co. on the high ground 3KM E of Lipski. Russian forces appeared to be massing for an attack from that direction as well.

2 Co. I/28 Pz was sent to Lipki to bolster the defenses there, while the PzJdg1s of 88th/18 AT Blt. were sent towards Stayki.


German Losses:
1 x PzIIF
11 x PzIII of various models
1 x Pz IV
Cpt. Fegelien - KIA

Russian Losses:
15 x BT-7
2 x T-34M40
8 x Trucks
10 x BA-20
13 x Inf Squads (approx 120-KIA/WIA 0-PW)