The Road to Stalingrad – Turn 7

This battle was fought sometime last month, before we took a break to prepare for WorLard. As a consequence I'm a bit hazy on the details - other than it was over very quick. Anyway the gist of it goes something like this.........

TURN 7 (Map 4, Morning 20th August,1942)

When we last saw them our heroic platoon of the Red Army were still defending the same wood on the road to Stalingrad. Having already beaten off two German attacks on the same ground were fully expecting to be driven off this time; however, we were determined to fight to the last.

For the patrol phase we had several criteria in mind for our potential jump off points.
1) Retain control of the hedge line
2) Establish a potential anti tank gun position behind the hedge
3) Maintain a 'flank' position. Not only would this guard our left flank but more importantly would spread out our jump off points enough to prevent them all being blanketed  by any potential mortar barrage.

Russian Jump Off Points

Once again the Germans established Jump Off Points in the area of the farm but significantly also on their right flank table edge.
As the German attack developed it was clear that they had spent an awful lot of support points for this attack with armour and half tracks much in evidence.

German armour advances

They also brought on a Panzergrenadier squad on their right flank table edge; I suspect this was to counter our anti-tank gun position.Unfortunately, as planned we had moved the anti-tank gun to a position behind the hedgeline. From here it could cover both flanks but crucially was in cover from the flanking panzergrenadier squad. Indeed it was the latter who were most at risk as we positioned a rifle squad in our former anti-tank gun position. From here they could target the panzergrenadiers in the open.

Russians open fire

Inevitably a lucky shot hit the panzergrenadiers Junior Leader, leading to a minus two force morale result. At about the same time our anti-tank gun took out the German tank.
In response the Germans finally contacted their off-table mortars and a ranging shot landed in the woods.They were also testing our other flank by bringing on another half track in the area of the ploughed field. Worryingly, the Germans seemed to have all the right elements to oust us from our position but luckily, for us, they had as yet failed to coordinate them.
A Turn end saw the German Junior Leader recover from his wound and stand up (the unit having lost Tactical status at the Turn end).However, the very next phase saw them come under fire from the Russian rifle squad - another lucky hit on the Junior Leader, another wound and another minus two on the Force Morale!
If that wasn't enough, the anti-tank gun then took out another half track to signal game end.

Give that anti-tank gunner a medal!

So against all expectations we had survived another attack and the Germans must make a fourth attack actoss the same ground- or the 5th Panzer Tank park as we're now calling it!