Into the Valley of the Shadow at Ilovaysk (Counterstroke)

[Jim von Krieg]

A firestorm erupts along Ivan's avenue of advance... Shot and Thunder echoes across the plateau...

After the throaty crack of the 75's... T-34's and KV-1's erupt in flame... In the distance, large explosions and turrets slowly tumble through the air... the 75's on the Mk-IVs are cutting into the flanks of the Red armor along the road... large fireballs and flames dot the once pristine white fields... the enemy formation grinds forward as if on parade...

Ivan's once orderly formation is descending into chaos... STuG's, Marders, and Mk-III's tear into the chaotic formation... more explosions... more burning tanks littering the landscape... all semblance of the once orderly formation on parade is gone...

As the Red Army spearhead undergoes its trial by fire.. the pain is not over... SP Arty over open sights pump round after round into the motorized column... Steel shrapnel shatters the once pristine columns... Infantry crowded in the back of the vehicles bouncing across the open fields is shredded in agony...

Scanning towards the heavens.... von Krieg observes the Luftwaffe circling overhead... Stuka's wheel over and plummet towards the earth... extremely large explosions create towering plumes of earth mushrooming towards the sky...

Over the radio net... scouts report that the other large enemy formation has stopped it's move south.... and is backtracking towards the ongoing battle...

Colonel von Krieg does a quick calculation of distance and speed... their move is probably not going to arrive in time to save their comrades... the large spearhead of the enemy formation is shattered by the still potent Panzertruppen...

von Krieg's driver Hans softly hums the Panzer Lied over the internal comms...

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Big Ivan... My steady opponent picked the scenario... It was the last scenario I played several times just prior to my 08/09 deployment...

I think it is an excellent scenario... it is hard on the Red Army as they struggle to close on the German positions... I just made it tad bit harder...

Regards,

Jim