H2H-Battle of Szack - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

[Eastern Poland, village of Szack]: [H2H/ALLIED][HISB][BB] Deputy

commander of KOP, general Wilhelm Orlik-Rueckemann decided to

unite as many troops under his command as possible and join with

the rest of Polish forces in the west. He ordered all the KOP

forces in Polesie area to withdraw. In several days he managed

to gather approximately 9 000 men under his command, coming from

various units spread on 300 kilometres long strip of the Polish-Soviet

border. On September 19 he ordered all his units to march towards

Kowel, where his forces were to be joined by the Independent

Operational Group Polesie under general Franciszek Kleeberg.

However, the difficult situation and the outcome of the battles

of Brzesc and Kobryn forced Rueckemann's group to change the

plans. The Polish units changed the direction and started to

march through the forests towards Wlodawa and Kamien Koszyrski. The group found itself in a no-man's-land between the Soviet

forces and the Wehrmacht and could operate freely. However, the

morale of the troops was low and on September 27 general Orlik-Rueckemann

decided to engage the Soviet forces in order to achieve a victory

and raise the morale. The Polish forces were marching in two

columns. In the early morning of September 28 the northern column

reached the forests near the village of Mielniki while the southern

column reached the forests east of Szack. Polish reconnaissance

reported that the town of Szack was occupied by Soviet infantry

and tanks. Orlik-Rueckemann ordered both columns to form a defensive

line along the border of the forest and provoked the Red Army

to attack. A civilian went to the Commander of the 411th Tank

Battalion, and told him of a Polish squadron wishing to surrender,

in the forest South of Szack Kapitan Nieseniuk, without checking

on the intel, or recon of that area, or notifying the Divisional

HQ, took his unit down the isthmus between Lakes Lucimier and

Krugloje. The Polish cavalry, with 37mm ATG's in position waited

until the tanks were inside of 500 meters and opened fire. The

tankers responded poorly and were thrown into confusion, lossing

some tanks and withdrawing. Shortly thereafter, the Poles launched

their attack on Szack, first Battalion Balcerzak, then Battalion

Berezne. After a short struggle, the town was in Polish hands,

heralding a much needed, if not short-lived Polish victory! [ALL]

[Version 1.2] NOTE: Requires Updated Polish file available in Campaign Series hosted mods area.