McIvan's View - Clash at Pavlograd - McIvan v [hirr]Leto

[McIvan]

No pretty pictures for this one....it wasn't worth it considering the limited changes I made and most of the situations described are adequately shown in the shots above.

No reinforcements. Would be nice to get some PIV longs (which are apparently coming at some stage according to the briefing) and some more infantry, but I guess we're doing ok so far.

Down by the river in the T34/PIII duel, I give all PIII's reverse orders back to the road. I'm hopeful that the PIII being bashed by the two T34s will soon get itself hidden behind the smoke from the burning Psw222. Although the other two PIIIs still have tungsten ammo, it's a long road yet till the end of this scenario, and I have decided that it would be foolish to emasculate themselves so early. Head to head with T34s is not the way to go. I want flank shots, and this isn't the way to get them, so back we go. I give the two PIIIs on the rise covered arcs pointing them at the two T70s cowering in the wheatfield (in case Pete decides to send them forward this turn), and actually target both of them the T70 behind the house a wee way from the back of the Small Arms Factory.....if the HE about to be shot at that T70 flushes it out, I want the PIIIs programmed to pick him up quickly.

Over by the Small Arms Factory, I find my Sd251/9 can area target with 75mm HE almost directly beneath the T70 behind the house, so I decide to let fly. The dangers in this are twofold....one that the T70 is about to hunt out at my Sd251/9, which will then have a fatal pause before dropping the area fire order....second that an HE explosion under the T70 will cause it to move forward away from the explosion (I'm targeted slightly behind it's centre in order to hopefully engage the weaker non-front armour...it will move away from the direction of the explosion relative to itself ) with much the same result. This was another factor in deciding to disengage the PIIIs properly from the T34s....they should both be able to intervene against the T70 if it comes into view....might not save the Sd251/9 but should avenge it at worst.

At best, of course, the HE fire from the Sd251/9 will immobilise the T70 and cause an abandon or knock it out completely.

On the left I concentrate the armoured cars and 251/9 ...needs another turn to get em together. I decide to make a run for the river ford with my Sd251/10 as a long term project to get across the river and keyhole some Russian halftracks from a position by the bridge. I also set my MG42 to area fire where two Russian HT's have moved forward slightly by the river...a turn of that has a chance of knocking one out or perhaps flushing it into the open where something can get a shot.