DAR - The Cauldron Of Fire

[Cole]

Turn 22 Late afternoon,

Now that the battle is joined NE of Ponyri and on Hill 253.5 it is hard to post screen shots. The battle is now up close and personal and any screen shot will reveal some sort of vital information to enemy intelligence.

After the game is over I'll revisit these turns and post the relevant screen shots. For now I'll use the map view for most shots.

On Hill 253.5 the Germans were again pushed off of the summit. The platoons that pushed the Germans back down the north slope reported more German infantry on the slope and in the valley below. Fortunately a lot are disrupted and demoralized from past assaults but there seems to be a few platoons of fresh troops.

On the eastern edge of the hill enemy armor advanced mid way up the slope in order to bring Russian defenders under direct fire. The high explosive was deadly but the armor was soon surrounded by Russian infantry after supporting German infantry was pushed back by artillery and small arms fire. Infantry were able to disrupt a couple of platoons and a brave T-26 platoon raced down the slope in order to get a rear shot. Only one tank platoon remained undisrupted. Two SMG platoons and an infantry platoon went in for the close assault but suffered severe losses. They did at least manage to disrupt the last German panzer platoon. Major Kujat from the 886th Guards Regiment saw the situation and rushed two more infantry platoons to the battle. He personally participated in the assault that overran all the enemy tanks.

A brawl is developing at the 1st May State Farm. German infantry was pushed back from the grain silos and equipment repair factories but this turn disrupted German infantry held the trench lines against two assaulting T-34 platoons.

Further west the battle is still raging. Russian armor was lured into an ambush by what seemed to be an exposed mortar platoon. Once Russian tanks moved to the ridge line to engage they received fire from StuG's in the valley. The Russians were able to destroy a couple of StuG's and one 1SP from the mortar platoon. Sasha Lenartovich is afraid his luck might run out. He has been ordered to stay on the ridge line instead of pulling back to safety.

Quick screen shots of Russian Regimental commander's map marked with red lines for Russian positions and blue dots marked after receiving reports of enemy contact. One StuG and mortar platoon on the ridge line north of the river, two StuG platoons in the valley below, and two infantry platoons in the fields under the hill top. Also one German infantry platoon holding a trench line in the western side of Shirokoe Bilota.


Screen shot below from another Regimental situation map. Blue line shows German front lines. Red dots are successful Russian counter attacks. Light blue dot by the State Farm is the unsuccessful one.
1: Scene where two Russian assaults overran German tanks.
2: Scene where Russian infantry took silos but now will be exposed to heavy direct fire during the Germans turn and also where the T-34s were unsuccessful in pushing disrupted infantry from the trench line.
3: Area of captured bunker that overlooks all the State Farm's fields. Russians now have to withdraw into the valley. Foolish close assault by two SMG platoons on two platoons of Ferdinands. The large tanks retreated but were not damaged.