Moscow '42 AAR: Sukhinichi II : We Will Rescue You

[Strela]

End of German Turn 12; January 23 1200 - 1400 Visibility 4 KM

The casualty ratio continues at less than 2 to 1 with approximately 200 Soviets lost to 115 Axis personnel. This loss ratio is unsustainable for the Germans and a 4 VP drop moves the pendulum back to a German minor defeat.



The supply situation doesn’t improve. 11 Artillery units are unavailable again this turn, despite all Korp & Divisional HQ's being in supply. Fortunately, the number of low fuel/ammo units has declined and to a small extent offsets the paucity of artillery. With such a long visibility range it is not surprising that the Soviet Aerosled is spotted well behind German lines.



There is little organised opposition for 339th Infanterie Division. The Germans continue to push the Russians back west of Khludnevo with some particularly strong Infanterie battalions. The Soviet Rifle battalion that was slowly moving to Zimnitsy, stops and retreats - no doubt impacted by the very high visibility and the number of supporting German artillery battalions. Finally, the Soviet Aerosleds are destroyed in place by II./Artillerie Regt 42 firing over open sights.




208th Infanterie also pushed their opposing Soviet Rifle Diision away from the local victory point hexes. The Soviet regimental attack near Duminich has been stopped and is now being bloodily pushed back. All artillery is turned again the Rifle Divisions HQ, which suddenly appeared on the edge of a forested ridge line - the result, disruption and hopefully further chaos for the Soviets. The Aufklarung (recon) companies copntinue to push North & East with the opposing Soviet forces slowly conceding ground.




Up at Sukhinichi, things are starting to look a little more ominous. A Soviet assault manages to push a German battalion out of one of the town's victory hexes. A good order Infanterie battalion moves to retake the hex, but has risked its own VP hex by only leaving a light AT gun behind. An example of some of the desperate moves required in the winter game. Fortunately north of Sukhinichi the bulk of the Soviet forces continue to be disrupted. Of concern though is that some units are now rallying up such as the Recon company (only faced off by a weak SP AA unit) and the increasing use of AA batteries. The Soviet AA units have a two hex range and a soft attack value of 17 - very effective in a stand-off situation. South of the town, continuing rally of the Soviet defenders in the 10 VP hex has started to make this look like a Mission Impossible to capture. Couple this with the rallying of a couple of the Cavalry's squadrons and the sitution still remains critical. To face off against the cavalry, the Korp bridging unit arrives and its fresh men are thrown straight into the line.




The decline in Victory points back to German loss is unexpected and it's only the overall state of the Soviet forces that is keeping the Germans from slipping further.