Main Event IV: M1A1 vs. Schwerpunkt

[Ratzki]

With the Marder now taken out of the picture, M1A1 sees to it that his KV-Flame tanks get to shoot at some Germans. The KVs move in quickly and start to shake 'n bake everything in the area. German squads reatreat after taking only a few flame blasts. All seems to be going well with the plan, but M1 has not seen 2 German squads close to his KV. Armed with grenade bundles, these Germans have the potential to make quick work of enemy armor.
Mr. X is pulling out all that he has left in this area, saturating Russian units with 81mm and 50mm mortar fire, as well as HMGs. If M1 can roll up the defenders here, there will be little to stop him from taking flag A and B, and maybe E.

O this side of the hill, Mr. X waits for the Russian armor that is slowly creeping toward the German tanks. He can only look and watch the carnage going on near flag A for the time being. Russian 122mm HE is still comming down, but is most ineffective as M1 has only contact markers to go by and they are old and now off by a fair margin. The Russians have little infantry here to push too much, and with the numbers game in the Germans favour, will likely not try anything too rash now.

The Russians bring up some infantry to support the tanks and begin to make some serious headway against Mr. X's Germans. With his tanks buttoned from the 81mm HE, a KV falls victim to the German grenades comming from the Pines. M1A1's armor force is slowly being wittled away, he has lost 1x T-34, 1x KV-Flame, and has another T-34 with a damaged gun, the Marder is Mr. X's only armor loss so far.

M1A1 does the unexpected and starts to travel down through the trees well in front of his own infantry with all his armor in this area. Mr. X has enough squad AT weapons to dish out some hurt if he gets a few breaks. Will this be a turning point in the game?

Still waiting out the Russian artillery fire, both sides have settled down and do little moving.


Mr.X has left me with a little tidbit on what the fure turns will hold:
"Well...a lot has happened. My right is slowly starting to crumble, but I hope I am inflicting casualties and am happy that I stalled him this long - almost half of the game for one small flag... I also now regret not saving my Marder for now. I was afraid that it would be sealed off and rendered useless in that small patch of woods and marsh - so I took a chance at killing another tank. Who knows what he would have done if the Marder was still in tact. Hopefully, some brave infantry with grenade bundles will step up and win some iron crosses! I am very happy with my left. I own that flag. The center? I will now open up on infantry with HE shells from my regular PzKw IV. Slowly erode his strength while, whole companies of infantry remain hidden in the woods, waiting for an opening to take the center. He did not counter my PAK, so perhaps some action from one of my tanks will make him move. I am almost certain he still has not spotted my vet and crack PzKw IV. Based on our email communication, it is starting to rattle him somewhat. He is not as confident as he was 5 turns ago! LOL! At least the "roasted rabbit" comments have slowed down. I am going to start saving my HMG ammunition for spotted targets. They have rendered his support weapons useless by suppressing them - at the very least, they have been nothing but small red stars for the better part of the game thus far. Overall situation is still very much in the balance IMO. I am a little suprised that he has not shown very much infantry... I hope he does not have more and he spent too much on armor. If that is the case, I will be happy. My theory is that this is an infantry game. All other weapons (including armor) are there only to make sure the infantry can take the objective and hold it. HOWEVER, the performance of my three tanks tanks may decide the game - if they can give my infantry a clear shot at the flags."