THE MAIN EVENT! Walkure vs. Herroberst

[Der Kuenstler]

Thanks for the comments guys - helps keep me going!

Ok - the close of minute six. I have labeled the units shown along with their healthy men/casualties ratio. Walkure's lead men in the woods have taken a beating from the area firing T34s and the russian FT unit, but he still has a comfy foothold in the heavy building. His men have sent Herroberst's point SMG squad running. There are no Russians left in the rubble - the red you see is fire. Three of Walkure's Jpz IVs have met up in town but have stopped - they are not in LOS of the current action. Herroberst has not ordered any of his AFVs to area fire on the buildings that are gradually filling with Germans - perhaps he's afraid to commit his tanks to area firing when the Jpz IVs might suddenly appear any minute and catch them off guard.




Here's something you don't see much - a regular German FT unit doing some damage. Usually with their shorter 32m range they end up dead first, but Walkure's team was already still and in good cover. The Russian squad ran into the building and into his range, and three bursts of flame all hit home. The squad has the hotfoot and they are all running out of there full speed in panic. They'll be useless for a while and permanently rattled.



Here is a seasoned veteran tactic - Walkure's Fusilier Squad runs into one of the buildings with a pre-set cover arc. He doesn't want them firing at the russians who are in cover - he wants to catch them crossing the street. But they have seen a pinned FT unit within their arc in a building and begin shooting at him instead.



Message from commander Heroberst:

"Shaping up to be a vicious fight for the center. Thus far he has flung fusiliers to slow my advance but with combined SMG and tank fire I will annihilate them in a few turns, then stalk that Stug he is moving up behind those buildings. The SMG platoon that mounted the HTs will move up into the right side of town where I lost those two T-34s. The other infantry and FO's moving up into the center. He must have more infantry and tanks somewhere - I see what looks to be a platoon on the right flank. Hoping he will try to sneak tanks or infantry across that saddle on the left so my little task force over there can destroy it.

The loss of the T-34s was unlucky but not decisive."

Message from commander Walkure:

"if my calculations were correct, i should have more men at the central church. i should be able to psh him back just enough to setup a defense in the area. I'm hoping i can take out another tank or two. i think he will try and hold as close as possible to the church. he is probably rushing troops there now. if i can get my flamepanzer in position he will be hard pressed to take it. russian AT ability blows" - Juan

[Der Kuenstler]

Here is an example of misidentification in FOW. Herroberst has a vet AT gun in that second story window. Despite looking straight at Walkure's parked Jpz IV and Flammpanzer for a full minute or more, he still sees them as a Stug and a Pz III. Could it be that it is much harder to identify these rarer vehicles? At any rate, Herroberst still has no idea what he is really dealing with.

A quote from his email:
"I have identified PzKwIIIs and 2 Stugs as well as half dozen HTs so far."



Meanwhile the master of artillery has made an adjustment. Walkure's 81mm spotter has run dry, but he still has some 120mm. He adjusts his target line and the devastating 120mm begins raining down on Herroberst's main tank force and an advancing Pioneer platoon. This turns the once healthy Russian platoon into a quivering mess, kills an SU-122 commander, and causes all AFV's in the vicinity to button up. Herroberst's tanks are now blind and vulnerable - and two of Walkure's deadly Jpz IVs have just begun lumbering towards them!!



Be vewwwwwwwwwy quiet - I'm hunting T34...

[Bert Blitzkrieg]

How is it possible that Walküre's arty is that accurate ? Has his FO got LOS or are there a host of TRP's ?

[fluidwill]

They're vets and he's an expert. There's been no mention of TRP's IIRC?

[Der Kuenstler]

No TRPs - Walkure just backed his target line further up that dirt road on the other side of the 2 story light buildings. His FOs have LOS staright down that road.

[Jobu88]

Here is an example of misidentification in FOW. Herroberst has a vet AT gun in that second story window. Despite looking straight at Walkure's parked Jpz IV and Flammpanzer for a full minute or more, he still sees them as a Stug and a Pz III. Could it be that it is much harder to identify these rarer vehicles? At any rate, Herroberst still has no idea what he is really dealing with.

Especially puzzling since the Russian ATR teams have binoculars. I must have played CMBB for three years before I realized they had binoculars.

[Der Kuenstler]

Not a whole lot of action in minute seven so I have pasted two photos together from each side to give us an overall view of the situation so far. Every one of Herroberst's AFVs is located and focused on the central town area, but curiously, only one T34 is area firing at the buildings - possibly because of the Jpz IV threat in the area. They are also all buttoned up. Walkure has brought his 2 JPz IVs and trailing Flammpanzer to a stop downtown about 50 meters from the nearest Russian - out of grenade throwing range. But the small arms fire has buttoned all three of these vehicles and killed a Jpz IV commander, shocking the crew. He has another buttoned JPz IV guarding the flanks where the wrecked T34/85s are. His remaining green Jpz IV is unbuttoned and may be trying to flank around the outer road. Soon the main body of each commander's men will be arriving at the front lines. If Walkure continues to cling to the main buildings, notice Herroberst still has two 120mm spotters coming up - I can only imagine what their combined damage would be on the same target. Herroberst's two 57mm guns have been wasted so far - Walkure has not moved anything worth shooting into their deadly LOS.



It's getting stuffy in here! Every vehicle in the battle is now buttoned up except Walkure's lone green Jpz IV on the outskirts of town.

[Der Kuenstler]

Latest from commander Walkure:

"now that i have my flmpanzer in position i should be able to keep his criminal troops away from me...
i've also put allot of MG42's on the flanks to pin his squads as they close. from the sound if his tanks guns, they are heavy sh_t, so he will be out of HE soon, unless he has an SU-122, then he will have HE till next game......."

Latest from commander Herroberst:

"Furious fighting continues in the center. He has moved his Stugs and Mk III into the center as well. Hoping to get an angle on them in all the dust that will be created when I blow that building down although I may stop firing at it and see if he inhabits it with more troops... then I'll blow it down :)"

[Ratzki]

If walker takes control of the road with the 2xT34/85s that are KO'd, we will have free run to win this game. Herrb has some bite left, but he better get a break soon, or I think this will be over fast.

[Der Kuenstler]

Here's a nice veteran tactic - "keep on shooting and something good might happen." Herroberst continues to have his SU-122 area fire on a pile of rubble where a few busted up German infantry are trying to crawl away. Almost incredibly, on second 53 of minute 8, Walkure's lead regular JPz IV gets hit by a chunk of flying debris and becomes gun damaged. The unlucky JPz IV was parked about 35m from the blast zone, and the gun of the vehicle was seemingly protected by the corner of the heavy building - but no - it wasn't. This results in a most colorful and entertaining outburst from the shocked German commander:

"FRUCKing SHIITE !!!! my tank guns get damaged from a HE hit about 40 yds away............" - Walkure

He immeditely orders his now useless vehicle to back out of the fray.



Elsewhere, one of Walkure's Fusilier squads decides sitting in a damaged light building with at least 4 Russian HE guns pointing at it is not a good idea and they run back across the street while they still can. But a Schrek team is in position with armor arc set to help cover their retreat.



A deadly street duel develops - Herroberst calls Walkure out. Walkure's green flanking JPz IV has been informed of a T34 target nearby - he backs up and moves into hull down position facing this regular T34 from 288m distance. Guns are adjusted and the firing goes like this:

- Both fire simultaneously - and both miss.
- Jpz IV fires - Misses again
- T34 fires - Partial pen - no serious damage
- Jpz IV fires - Misses again
- T34 Fires - Front supertructure ricochet

The minute ends, but it's hard to think that even a green JPz IV will miss again after missing three times...