Random chatter...

[Jim von Krieg]

Battle opens on another front.

As Kampfgruppe Schulze advances without orders to stem the Russian onslaught, there are sporadic clashes all along the front. Large number of T34s are swarming across the battlefield.

One company of T34s slam into my forces consolidating their position in the center and to my amazement stands fast. With panzergrenadiers swarming all around them and Mk-IVs in close support all the T34s blaze brightly in the village square unable to withstand the concentrated German firepower at close range.

To the south, our scouts report enemy movement in front of our blocking position. T34s swoop in, shoot (to no effect) and slide away. In the distance, a large convoy of trucks appears.

After some discussion, the scouts in coordination with the blocking force commander decide to attempt to close with and destroy the enemy column. Half-tracks race forward only to take enemy fire from the flank.

Several half-tracks are destroyed, but the platoon continues forward. Close behind, the scout cars move up and begin a close assault on the closely spaced trucks. Russian trucks explode under the scout cars 20mm cannons at close range. As a result of the assault, there is nowhere to go but deeper into the enemy lines. When the decision was made, they all understood it was a suicide mission.

After ravaging the Russian convoy, the two units sweep through the center of the village. Rolling through the eerily silent streets, the scout cars and remaining half-tracks move expecting contact, but the village appears empty.

Yet, the quiet is short lived as a company of T34s come racing in behind them. Absorbing the fury of the attack, the remaining half-tracks burn from the impact of multiple 76mm rounds. Additional rounds burst all around the scout cars, but amazingly the recon commander is able to rally his men.

With his fate hanging in the balance, what will he decide? Should he return to more friendly lines or should he move deeper into the unknown that is reportedly swarming with more Red Army units? He needs to leave the village and leave fast as enemy tanks swarm through the area.

All his options appear to range from bad to worse. After taking a deep breath to steady is nerves, the young Leutnant, decides to take the quickest route back to friendly lines. Maybe audacity will catch the Russians by surprise.

We are leaving and we are leaving as fast as we can. As military leaders through history have done, he signals to his other scouts, follow me. Engines scream as they are red-lined as the scouts accelerate past the burning wrecks that were moments before the vehicles of their friends.

As the scouts move to the outskirts of the village, apparent disaster ensues. Looking to his left the young Leutnant sees the turrets of several T34s swivel and lock on him. In slow motion, the young officer observes the flash from the muzzles pointed in his direction. He curses his fate to die in this God forsaken land and instinctively ducks down into his turret. This won't protect him from the effects of the 76mm rounds ripping the turret off his scout car, but he can't control his reflexes.

An eternity goes by, the supersonic crack of the shells passing overhead startles him as he holds his breath. Am I dead yet? No... Realizing they missed, he regains his composure, pops back up in the turret and yells into his throat microphone for his driver to punch it.

As the column of PSW-231s move forward towards other German units, he sees more T34s and trucks blocking the advance. Calmer now, he tells his driver to bear to the right. In unison, the other scout cars follow. Dust plumes form as the vehicles leave the hard ball at high speed. Damn, more enemy trucks blocking our movement.

He quickly assesses the situation. With no open path to safety, they are going to have to fight their way out. He signals the other vehicles to engage the enemy trucks at close range.

Racing straight at the very surprised Russian convoy, the scout cars 20mm cannons bark loud with the rounds slicing into the unsuspecting Russians. As the German vehicles rapidly approach, the trucks explode one after another. With no time to think about it, the Germans move past the destroyed convoy towards the safety of the blocking position where the half-tracks had emerged at the beginning of this wild ride.

It looks like they just may live to fight another day. As his unit barrels towards the friendly positions, the young officer signals his unit to move off the road and stop once they pass through the lines.

As they approach the village, lumbering in front of him, Panthers appear. They come to a stop, the turrets swivel towards the PSW-231s, then the barrels rise. Are they going to fire on us? NO! This can't be. Are we going to die from friendly fire? Oh, the irony of it.

Bright flashes appear from the muzzle brakes of the Panthers followed by dust slightly obscuring the large tanks. A large crack reverberates over the Leutnant's head as the rounds pass a few feet above him. He quickly looks over his shoulder to observe the T34s that had blocked their retreat explode. Slowly, their turrets separated from their hulls tumble through the air.

Apparently, this moment is not our moment to die. Yet, there is no time to contemplate just how close death road by the young man's side just minutes before. There is still a large enemy force to our front and the mission must continue.