DAR - The Cauldron Of Fire

[Cole]

Turn 21

Larry is going for broke on my right flank. He has massed most of his armor there and has only left a few assault guns to cover his two VP hexes in the west and some Ferdinands in the center to dominate the wide open spaces with their op fire.
My infantry on the hill continue to do a superb job with their op fire. German infantry attempted to gain the hill top but were mostly disrupted by op fire. Before the Russian infantry counter attacked their positions were further hit by Russian artillery causing a couple of retreats and more disruptions. There were a couple of German platoons that survived the replay undisrupted but then they were demoralized by the fact that they now faced fortifications with Russian artillery used in direct fire mode. These platoons retreated leaving their disrupted comrades to deal with the Russian counterattack.

The Germans have gained a foothold in the factories just south of the paved highway in the industrial section NE of Ponyri. Most ominously a series of vital trench lines were taken that would allow the enemy to rapidly consolidate this area and take a 500 VP hex. Again Russian artillery fire was able to disrupt most of the infantry in their new positions and three platoons of T-34s cleared them out. The T-34's wisely chose to retreat back into the cover of the wheat fields and not try and engage the panzers at close range.

The screen shot below shows the Germans massing NE of Ponyri. The trench lines mentioned above have an artillery marker placed on it. The Germans troops retreated back into the factories and grain silos. It is impossible to hold the defensive positions just south of the highway due to the enemy's advantage in direct HE fire.