"Come back here ya coward, it's only a flesh wound..." SFS Round 2 Sitrep Thread!!

[Basson]

Turn 12-13 Basson vs Michael

The German counter attack flanking the Russians from the south and east is now in full progress. The Russians are in firm control of the high ground north of Krupki, but in a rather exposed position.

A JagdPzIV nosing down the highway approaching "Krupki Heights" (according to a liberated Krupki estate agent) from the east is destroyed by an ambushing 85mm AT gun. The Panthers following merely shrugs off the AP rounds from their frontal armour. About 7 Panthers plow on unsupported through the cornfields east of the ridge and are captured, only after defying numerous AP shots at their supposedly thin rear armour.

Further east the abandoned T34's are duly destroyed. A Pak is unloaded on the Krupki railway line and immediately comes under fire from Russian 122's fire over open sights, but survives.

West of Krupki heights a remaining Tiger is driven off and Hummel unit destroyed.

Col Bassonvich however knows that a hammer blow from the remaining German Panthers from the east down the Krupki Highway must surely follow. Can his handfull of dog tired tankers hold on to their minor victory?

[Oberst]

Sitrep: Turn 8 Fighting continues Krupki area:

South of the factory complex action has subsided. German inf patrols where driven back and a foolhardy mortar HT trying to relocate itself became mired with a broken axle and became an easy victim to tank fire.
On the Eastern outskirts of Krupki, tank fire eliminated an isolated mg unit. The primary action this turn was concentrated along the Eastern flanks of the hill N of Krupki. Following a heavy arty barrage on the German strongpoint known to contain an 88 mm battery and a Tiger plt, once the smoke screen lifted, only the Tiger plt was revealed. Four plts of Shermans had advanced within several hundred meters under cover of the smoke and now let loose. At that range even the Tiger is vulnerable as 3 sp's where evaporated. A solitary 88 mm sp responded but was quickly dispatched by assisting tank fire. I decided to close assault the disrupted Tiger but failed. There must be another hidden unit in the strongpoint. More tank fire drove off the Tiger and now advancing to the strongpoint reveals an inf unit & officer. A barrage of tank fire eliminates the inf unit but the officer resists all attempts of elimination. He must be an ex-SS soldaten.
More to follow.
Oberst

[Scorched Earth]

Allied turn 7 of total misery for the Allies: SC Vs WM.

Ok, things take a nosedive as Axis armour pummels the Russkies tommy cookers and we have to look into the dictionary to re-define the term op fire - in as much as please give us an opportunity to open fire.....

The Jerries probe forward and lose 3 Panthers to a sneaky Russkie capture from the back woods. See, getting lost in them thar woods sometimes works out. We are barely holding our own (well, only in private anyway - u should not be looking :-)), as the score remains almost unchanged at Axis losses: 151, Allied losses: 287 for a score of 136, an Allied minor defeat. We look with envy at some of the other reportee's who seem to be doing much better. As a special offer, we are offering to swap sides & play in another game - anyone for Kasserine round 2?? We'll even through in some old Babushka (yeh, i know old ladies wearing headscarves is so 1980's, but what the heck, we are not generous for nothing. It costs us a lot, 3 roubels at the last count, enough to get a train to Siberia with my surviving tank crew.

[Smedley]

Hans and Joerg peered over the top of the trench, no longer worried about the Soviet artillery. Curiousity was getting the better of the fear that had gripped them.

"Hans, look over there." whispered Joerg.

"Here comes some Ruskies........"

Other units had seen the sneaking Reds who soon came under mortar fire.

"Joerg, did you see that!"

"Yes Hans, that mortar round really shook up them commies."

Just then, the sound of high velocity 75mm guns filled the air, this was followed by huge explosions.

"Holy Schnikie!!!!"

Rob

[Herr Straße Laufer]

[Rasputin]

SITREP turns 8-9
Rasputin-v-Ed

...Oh how quickly the tide of battle can turn. I almost swallowed my recently lit cigar as I watched in horrified facsination as my beautiful cats were swallowed up and captured in the north and center sectors. The reds have flattened most of Krupki as a result of these mass assaults and have taken several vital objectives. My intel chief has gone missing since we were forced to jump TOC....I hope he is managing to help regroup our stunned units and reposition what heavy armor we have left to deny ivan any further forward progress....

Rasputin out....

p.s. I almost fell out of my chair watching the replay. Ed pulled a seriously evil move here and I will be a lucky fella to even salvage a draw from this one :hissy:.....Now I know what a shark is....bloody hell

[Oberst]

[size=medium][b]

Sitrep : Turn 9 Oberst vs Macnab

After the last turn I knew that this was gong to be a critical one for the Allies. No Axis arty at the beginning of the turn, an omen? Observed an engineer plt join the ATG unit & Panther plt in the strongpoint just W of the factory complex. A Tiger plt advanced and occupied the strongpoint on the Eastern edge of the ridge where opp fire from a T34/85 plt failed to cause any serious damage. The retaliation shot from the Tiger caused only a disruption and a withdrawl. Lucky! Otherwise fairly quiet for the Axis. The start of my turn say the arty barrage I preplanned hit with some minor results against the forementioned strongpoint. Both the engineer and ATG units lost 1 sp each. I decided to begin the turn in the area along the flanks of the ridge just N of Krupki. A 1 sp M4 slowly moved up the paved road heading for the 25 VP hex, last observed occupied by a disrupted 1 sp TD Panzer. As soon as it cleared the top of the hill there was a sharp crack, the unmistakeable report of the dreaded 88 from a Tiger plt hidden in woods just NW of the VP hex and the M4 exploded in mangled ball of twisted metal and flames. Concentrated fire from several M4 plts at 500 m range destroyed 1 sp of the Tiger plt located in the exposed strongpoint, disrupted it and it retreated duw W. In an attempt to draw enemy opp fire and also to see what else the Axis was hiding, a 1 sp T34/85 advance into the vacated stronpoint just to the N, previously occupied by the lucky German officer and am rewarded with the second shot from the hidden Tiger plt that destroyed the M4 unit. Now I decided to push an engineer unit into the strongpoint previously occupied by the retreated Tiger plt. Upon moving up the road they came under fire from the TD unit with no results but a Sdkfz 6/2 37 mm AA ht unit located in a stand of trees just W of the strongpoint disrupted them. Another T34/85 moved into the strongpoint to the N and was fired upon by another Tiger plt in the VP hex. Only a disruption though. Fire from the T34 was enough to retreat the AA ht out of LOS to the W. Another T34/85 barrelled into the strongpoint (sp) in the N and engaged the TD unit, destroying it with 1 shot. A second chancey and lucky shot took out 1 sp of the Tiger unit and caused it to retreat into the woods just NW of the VP h. So far 3 Tiger plts discovered, was there anything else? Only one way to find out. A single M4 plt began the slow climb up the paved road towards the VP h. Past the disrupted engineeer unit and into the VP h. No enemy fire! To their utter amazement they now gazed at the backsides of 2 Tiger plts as well as a third facing E but with no opp fire remaining. Choosing the Tiger unit in the woods NW of the VP h they fired and only disrupted the Tiger plt. Two more M4 plts roared forward to join them and chose the Tiger unit in the woods just W of the sp. Nothing! Faulty ammo? Two T34/85 plts now moved forward and who advanced 250m beyond the VP hex and in unison fired upon the Tiger facing E NW of the VP hex. Another damn disruption! Now all three Tiger plts where disrupted but being in woods there was no way of surrounding and assaulting them. Before retiring they came upon the 37 mm AA ht. Another M4 plt moving up the road quickly dispatched it. A single T34/85 with a Leader advanced up the road now and firing at the Tiger in the woods NW of the VP hex with its rear in the air, scored a solid hit, destroying another 1 sp and forcing its retreat to an orchard W of the woods. Another M4 with a Leader got into range, fired and was rewarded with the destruction of 1 sp of the Tiger in the woods just S of the VP hex. All units now pulled back to rearm for the next round. The disrupted engineer unit then popped smoke to maintain an LOS on top of the ridge. Not to bad so far. For the loss of 1 M4 sp and a few disrupted units, we had knocked out 4 Tiger sp's, 1 TD sp, an 37 mm AA plt and momentarily seized the 25 VP hex. Remaining action occurred in the area of teh factory complex where an engineer and motorcycle plt occupied the Southern area of the complex provideing a good LOS to all open areas E and S of Krupki. Opp fire results from the ATG plt and Panther plt in the sp just W of the complex where negligible and several T34's then sniped away destroying the ATG plt.

Oberst

[Toten Tanz]

From the Regimental Combat Diary of the 28th/18 Panzer Regiment, Col. Eckhardt (Toten Tanz) commanding

Date: July 3, 1941
Location: Lipki, Belarus
Weather: Clear with a slight haze, visibility good.
Entry Time: 10.00 hours (Turn 1)

2 Co., 88th/18 Recon Btl., led by Maj. von Burstin swung through the fields north of Lipki. A platoon of 5 BA-20s advanced and attacked the 1 Plt from the woods to the west of Lipki. The Russians engaged from approx. 125m, causing 1 Plt. to stop and return fire. Directed by Maj. von Burstin this fire destroyed 1 enemy vehicle. The remainder of the Btl.'s units formed a screen to the north.


4 Co. II/28 Pz Btl, led by Cpt. Fegelien moved on Stayki, approx 5KM south of the Regiment's main thrust. 4 Co. spotted a platoon of Russian armored cars moving south to Stayki, as well as another 500m to the front of the lead tanks. The remainder of the Blt.s assets, led by Maj. Schede, drove south of Lipki.

German Losses: None
Russian Losses: 1 x BA-20

[Toten Tanz]

From the Regimental Combat Diary of the 28th/18 Panzer Regiment, Col Eckhardt (Toten Tanz) commanding

Date: July 3, 1941
Location: Lipki, Belarus
Weather: Clear with a slight haze, visibility good.
Entry Time: 10.30 hours (Turn 2)

5 Co., II/28 Pz, led by Lt. Col. Stulpnagel entered Lipki and acted as a blocking force, while the 2 Plt of 2 Co, 88th/18 Recon closed with and destroyed the remaining BA 20s in the woods on the NW outskirts of Lipki.

II/28 Pz formed a screen east of Lipki, with the southern end anchored by the Light Plt, 6 Co., on Lipki Ridge, 250m west of the road junction. They saw at least 6 Russian tanks; believed to be T-34s, to the east. The enemy tanks advanced down the ridge and engaged the Light Plt at 1250m, destroying one PzII. The two remaining tanks withdrew down the ridge and the Russian tanks retired to the west out of LOS.

A platoon Russian infantry was seen on the high ground approx 2KM east of Lipki

4 Co, II/28 Pz drove through Stayki without meeting any resistance. A platoon of armored cars was seen driving west along the southern edge of Stayki, approx. 2KM to the west of 4 Co's. positions.

The lead elements of I/28 Pz arrived from Borisov, some 5KM to the west.

German Losses: 1 x PzIIF
Russian Losses: 5 x BA-20

[Scorched Earth]

Allied turn 8 of Scorched Earth Vs Wolfman.

Ok, the allies sneak about in the woods & surprise a Panther from the rear, scratch another 3 Panthers whose crews were asleep, oh & another Tiger. The allies chip away at the Axis iceberg, but cannot shake that Titanic feeling......

Score is now Axis: 151, Allied 315, for a score of 164, an Allied Minor loss.

Interesting tactics by the Wolfman, a sit & wait game i think, as the sounds of traffic are almost non-existent from the German rear.

U may be beginning to think i have a pre-occupation with rears, as i'm finding it quite disturbing the amount of times the word is coming up in my sitreps. I'll try & cut down - honest.

Nice play Wolfman, u continue to frustrate the Russkies....