A Strong Response - DAR

[Ratzki]

As the next couple turns move by, the Russians have shifted the weight of their attack away from the centre and more to my left. It would appear that now most of the enemy assets are moving in this direction. Maybe my opponent knows that I have pulled away from the treeline(for my protection from his tanks), and will now advance down this treeline where he knows that there are no troops of mine. I do have a Maxim there as well as an HQ and a tank hunter team. That is about it though.
My men are still getting in position to repell another Russain attack through the centre, but I have been unable to rally the men that are broke there. I hope that he does not push through here, as I will for sure take heavy losses that I can not afford to take.
As the picture shows, I have lost control of the right small flag. It now looks like this was a good plan to get out of here when I did as there would seem to be a fair number of enemy squads in the area now. I do still have a Maxim some 200m+ away just to harrass the bad guys, but there is no HQ with him, so once he routes or breaks, I will have nothing there and will be unable to rally. Again, this is more to keep the Russians guessing about my where-abouts, more then actually doing any kind of real damage.
I get another Infantry platoon(by the top yellow arrow), they will be heading for the safe cover and getting into position to help defend all that open ground that there will be between my men and the enemy.


What a great suprise! I just took a look and noticed some drooping guns on a couple more Russian tanks. I have not a clue when this happened, but am not going to argue about it. This is great news. I wonder if it was a combination of my ATR's and 20+ rounds of mortar fire. I will have to ask later. I will chalk this up to barn-yard luck, nothing more.


I may heve left it a bit long, now I might be in trouble getting my men to safety. I am pinned a few metres from the safety of the woods. I still have my HQ, so I will be ordering the rest of the platoon across and hope that between this HQ and the Company HQ on the other side that I will be able to get most across the wheat field. I am screwed anyhow, if I stay the Russians are comming now in numbers that I will get shot up anyhow. I just know now that I should have started this last turn or the turn before. Crossing my fingers.


Good news, my small AT Gun is setting up and I should have some shots at the enemy tanks shortly if not right away. This is not a big gun, I do not know how well it will penetrate this Russian armour. I hope that it has gotten into position without being detected.

[Ratzki]

The Russians are now moving across the whole map but my MG's are able to hold them up a little for the time being. Some enemy squads are making it to safety, while a number are pinned and cowering in the fields.
I catch a break and a Russian tank comes close to the woods near my tank hunter team. It stops 15m away. My AT Gun is not ready yet. I will have to wait and see if my team can score a good hit.
I am repositioning the two platoons an my right for the final hold at all costs fight that I know will come. One platoon is fighting a bit of arearguard action as the other keeps on moving. I feel a little better as I am now out of LOS of the enemy tanks. I am going to get on the friendly side of the road and make the Russians fight across this road for control of the large flag. Even with the two fresh platoons and the AT Gun, I am still outnumbered but the ratio is getting better for my side.
At the top left of the picture, a Russian platoon looks like it has made it through the trees and really puts a twist into me getting that one platoon to the trees and safety. Fire come from both sides and pins my men.


My Tank Hunter team scores a couple good hits but at the end of the turn, there is no indication of a kill.


A closer look at the crossfire that my retreating platoon must cross now. I have the MG open up on any target as I try for another attempt at crosing to safety. This crossfire will mess me up for sure. My opponent has thwarted my efforts to get these guys to safety, now he can make me pay. His tanks still seem unaware of my ATR's positions, as there is no real return fire to speak of. I wonder if they don't pop up then go to a contact at some point, and this is being repeated over and over again. The bad news is some of my ATR's are getting a little short on ammo.

[Ratzki]

The fighting has slowed somewhat as I get most of my troops moving to safer positions. The Russian tanks have moved and are again able to fire at several of my squads from an effective distance. The enemy has gotten this tactic down to a science.
Enemy squads are again on the move across the map towards my large flag. I may have hurt him more then I know, as it seems to have taken a little longer then I expected for the Russians to start to move again after the initial first few turns. My platoons are going to cross the road and then prepare to hold at all costs, the large flag. I believe that I have bought myself some time over the last turns and I am counting on a much more caucious enemy, as he moves through the trees. I may lose one squad as I just cannot seem to get him rallied and the Russians are moving in fast now. I consider it nothing more then good luck as to my men's ability to rally when things looked a little bad for them here a few turns back.
My men have been cought in a bad crossfire of machine guns and rifle fire in the fields. Have taken 12 casualties, but I am pinned down. I am still not panic'd or worse, but I will have to give a WITHDRAW order soon so that I stand at least a chance to make it to safety.
The AT Gun blazed away for a short time but I do not think that anything serious came of it. I am sure now that the Russians know where it is located, but I feel that there is little choice but to leave it in position and deal with whatever he throws at it over the next few turns.

[Ratzki]

I have spent the last couple of turns repositioning my troops for the last stand here at the large flag. I have very few solid contacts with the enemy squads as my guys are now deep in the woods waiting. My machine guns are still able to shoot at any targets that pop up but I am now starting to think that I should place them on arcs to save ammunition in case the enemy tries to cross near the left small flag.
My ATR's are down to their last few shots as well, I am gonna let them free fire untill they run dry. I seem to have KO'd quite a few of the Russian tanks, I wonder how many I have knocked out as to how many just had their crews bail from all the shots hitting.
My one platoon is still pinned down for the most part, but is still able to make some progress moving to safety. The only saving grace that they have is that enemy fire has been from rather long range to this point.
Well, now there is nothing to do but sit and wait...

[Ratzki]

The Russians are putting down some rather intense fire on my retreating platoon. I have managed to keep them in command for the most part, this is probably the only thing right now that is averting total disaster here. The more time that goes by, the more terrain I place between my men and the enemy shooters. The fence is the next big stumbling block for this platoon and I did not take it into account when I planned things out at the start of this battle. I have already lost one whole squad to the enemy, and this little fence might prove to be too much for my platoon to get across. All that I can really hope for is that I left a good impression on the enemy and that he thinks that there could still be more of my squads in the woods somewhere waiting to ambush his men. This could make him more cautious then he need be, but it could buy me enough time with just the fire that is is able to bring to bare at the moment and my remaining men might actually make it across.


I will allow the Russians to come at me as fast as they can towards the large flag. My men are in position and with arcs and hide orders are at the ready. I do have a couple token teams in the scattered trees that I felt would have been eliminated if I moved them, so I have just left them in their starting positions. Again, I hope to just keep up the worry factor for the enemy, keep him moving slow and cautious, burn up more time.
At the end of the turn a Russian squad steps into my HQ's LOS withn the 40m arc that I had placed on him. The firefight has just started, but it will not be a long one as I am sure that the Russian will be able to outnumber my HQ and bring the firefight to a sad end for my unit.

[enigma6584]

Excellent AAR!

[Ratzki]

Thanks for the positive response.:)
This turn finds me in much the same position as the last ones. I have been keeping the HQ within it's command range to give my squads a chance at making it across. Fire is getting heavier now though, I will need some lady luck in order to save this platoon.
I do not know what the Russians intentions are at the moment as the majority of his squads are still only contact markers. I have placed arrows as to where I figure he will go. At the moment, he seems quite content with shooting me to pieces with who ever has LOS. There is still some 5 light tanks out there, but he is not exposing them any more, I would imagine that my ATR's have taken a toll, but I would think that it is his lack of knowing where they are that bothers him. I am still wondering if he knows their locations.

[Ratzki]

Over near my large flag, the Russians are in the midst of eliminating my HQ and Tank Hunter team. I figured this might happen, but there was really no way around it. If I moved them they would have been shot to bits anhow. Again, all I am hoping is that they are able to hold out for a turn and waste some more time.
The Russians are now moving the light tanks through the scattered trees, with infantry in the front. There will be no tank ambushes for me now.


I do get a 122mm FO this turn, but have to get him into position before I will be able to use him. I am going to load him into the truck and make haste for the front lines.

[Ratzki]

No changes to speak of in the next turn. My Tank Hunter team is located and is fighting for it's life, but against what appears to be overwhelming odds.
The retreating platoon makes a little more headway under heavy fire, but my luck runs out and the HQ goes Paninc'd. Within seconds, 2 of the squads follow suit and go Panic'd as well. This could be the end here. With this much fire raining down on them and with no HQ to keep the men's heads, it will be short order untill this platoon breaks and runs against whithering Russian MG fire.

[Ratzki]

I catch a break and my HQ comes back online. The platoon's other Paninc'd squads also regain their heads and I have started them back towards the friendly woods. They did not start running all over the place and take needless casualties, so with little more then another delay, I have them heading back in the right direction.

Well, the Russians have shown up. This will likely be the last struggle in this scenario. It will be for the large flag, and maybe the win, depending on what comes of everything. My men are in place and all I can do now is wait for the enemy to make his move. I think that the Russians have lost the chance at winning this one. Time is ticking away, plus I have managed to not take heavy losses and have received a couple platoons of reinforcements that are also in place.
I should have a shot at his tanks with my light gun when they get to the road. I have checked out the gun's LOS and it is rather patchy, but a side shot may make up for this.
The Russians have eliminated my HQ and one Tank Hunter team on their travels towards the large flag. At the very least it is screwing with his ability to use the Move to Contact for a turn or two as his squads must stop to engage the dicovered units. I would like to say that this was part of the plan, but the best I can do is claim blind luck in placement at the start of this battle.