Tips from the Frontline

[RNL Tiger]

Axis avoid an Allied trap

I’ve sent my two sharpshooters around both flanks to provide “eyes” and this one on my right flank manages to bag a tank commander in the Panzers holding the centre and covering the outside flag.



Whilst the sniper is doing some good work on the right I spy a little gap in the cover in the centre that would allow my tanks to shoot near the centre flag and I decide to exploit that by timing the use of my SU-76M to bombard the right flag and the Axis infantry there. What I hope is that the Axis armour will come to support the infantry and also potentially to knockout the SU-76M and as they move across that gap they will cross my LOS and hopefully my 2xT34s and 1xStalin will bag one or two Panzer IVHs.

So, I get ready and set the trap and then I put my SU-76M in to spring the trap…

Unfortunately as can be seen in the following picture the Panzers remain behind cover and proceed to area fire at my infantry on the right in “4” and then “Now an SU-76 has materialised, I can't get at him yet so I'll blind him with smoke to stop his shenanigans.”



The trap has not worked and worse an Axis sharpshooter claims one of my tank commanders. Therefore I decided that I need to redeploy and I retreat the T34s and move the covering Stalin in the rear back to the road. As these manoeuvres take place a Hetzer appears trying to attack a T34 but gets caught in the sights of two Stalin tanks. Two! Surely this Hetzer will be toast, the Stalin tanks fire…

Both Stalin tanks get off a shot; unfortunately both miss and the Hetzer quickly retreats and the opportunity has gone as quickly as it came. “I originally thought he'd be in position to have a crack at a T-34 but he found himself staring down the barrels of two Stalins so I ordered him to extricate himself. And one of your Stalins is poised to come down the road so I'd better try to get my panzers off the road while I still can. I'm in defensive posture remember because I'm ahead on points, so i don't need to fight unless I have to, and am quite happy to keep dodging as long as I can to let the clock run out.”

As my Stalin tank gets close to the road it gets a clear shot at a Panzer IVH but using an HE round [for some unknown reason] the shell bounces off harmlessly.



Whatever the reason another opportunity has been missed and the Panzer IVH gets away.

Finally the Stalin gets to the road and it is pinged by some unidentified small calibre gun, probably the 20mm Flak that POS mentioned earlier. Strangely, that gun has managed to get LOS to the Stalin but the Stalin cannot see it. Rather than send the Stalin to knock it out I’ll send the sharpshooter instead as I cannot afford to lose another tank.

It’s been disappointing that two opportunities for armour kills have come and gone and the position is unchanged. What I need to do is think about how to crack open this nut because POS has now secured the flags with infantry and placed his Panzers in support. Storming the village by force is likely to end in disaster but I need to do something.

Wait a minute? Can I get an area-fire shot onto those three panzers that have just escaped? Are they still a little too close to the road? It’s worth a try…