Dog Fight - Ostkreig Tournament Round 2

[Ricky B]

Soviet Turn 9.

The command report shows most of my artillery available, which is good as my central bridgehead needs all the support it can get. I also have a number of units in there recovering strength, including one T34 tank boosting a weak unit's strength to 3! That is important as the tanks are the only units there that can stand up to the German infantry, now that the panzers are all in use elsewhere.

In addition, the Germans have committed 2 panzer units to a defensive stack adjacent to 71 T34s and 850 men in good order. There is another tank unit next to a single motorized infantry unit of mine, with a disrupted flak unit also adjacent to both making the panzer unit vulnerable to being cutoff if I can push back the tanks just northeast of it. My plan this turn is to hit both stacks hard and try to disrupt the units and push through, using T34 firepower and infantry assaults against the German tanks and the motorized infantry against the disrupted flak unit.

The cavalry in the east will continue to push against the weakening German defenders, and my forces behind the enemy lines will just try to survive and tie down the Germans there, using the T34 to open a route for the now disrupted light armor units that are trapped by enemy forces.



In the west, things work out well overall. My assault on the flak unit pushes it into the panzer hex. Now if I can push back the panzers to the northeast I can potentially trap the 2 units and leave a probable hole there. However, Brian's panzers fight for there life and although suffering heavy losses including the destruction of his PzIV unit and heavy losses to the other unit, I am unable to take the hex. My losses against the panzers were only 2 T34s and about 45 men, very worthwhile casualties for destroying or making ineffective 2 panzer units.

In the center, my T34 moves up and assaults the disrupted German infantry nearby, and reaches the trapped units, allowing one to move over to it and making the pocket 2 hexes in size. All three units will be trapped next turn but they should last a lot longer and tie down at least 3 German units for quite awhile.

In the east, I assault the Germans holding back the cavalry even though one unit is not disrupted. I don't normally do this but want to keep the pressure on and figure the losses should favor me even if the attack fails. The net result is heavy German losses, but a possible disaster for me. Both cavalry units are disrupted and can't retreat due to heavy stacking behind them. If Brian suspects this and has enough for to assault, my losses will be extremely heavy and shift the points in his favor for at least this turn, and also greatly weaken my cavalry attack. I have to hope that he doesn't have the reserves nearby to really threaten me there!

Losses for just my part of this turn were: men 247 German to 148 Soviet, vehicles 19 German to 4 Soviet. A very good turn loss wise.



Rick