Son,
This is my last letter from the city of Stalin as I have been transfered to help in the push from Moskva. My last three actions have been more than interesting. I am pleased with the support that my company has recieved since returning to friendly lines, but the replacements for our loses and the additional training has wreck havoc with the exicution of our missions. My riflemen have been "up-graded," although only in equipment in some cases. My command now consists a guards squad in sub command, with a 12.5mm thripel HMG and a three tube 107mm mortar team. Both of these have proven very helpful in our missions. One platoon was equipt with SMGs and I isisted that all squads had a weapon that could distroy a tank if necessary. (I've had enough with squads attacking tanks with hand gernades.) The other two squads have recieved training in the desant (para) and mountain combat. They also allowed me to keep the marian platoon.
Our first assignment in our new capacity was to intercept a German probing attack. I sent the Mountain troops with their rifles through the more suburbian area in the north while the SMG platoon went south trough the tightly packed buildings. The desant were charged with protecting the road and keeping German troops from advancing into our rear. If it weren't for the thriple HMG and the mortar laying smoke, they would have failed at this task. I should have realized that that platoon was one of the hardest hit, so not only did it have new recruits, but new recruits with new training. Ultimately, with help from the marains, they were able to hold the line and eventually push forward. Sadely, we had more casualties in this battle than any battle previously, 58! I will always be more wary whenever I'm offered an "up-grade!" We evetually secured all of our objectives, even routing the enemy commander.
After we had returned to friendly lines and recieved replacements and supplies, we were thrown out on the flank to repell an enemy advance into our territory. I requested that I have access to a couple of 57mms. My time spent with these very effective ATGs has made them a necessity for repelling possible armour. I was also give the option, and accepted, of a KV tank for support. Remembering my last experience, I figured that something that I could use to chase down the enemy would be very satisfying. In the end, it was. The enemy deployed Pz IVE and halftracks (but only four of each.) We deployed around a area were a wide bulavard narrored into a single road. I deployed the Desant and SMGs in the blocks where their short range would be more effective The Marians had the northern flank as there was easy access for enemy tanks (they would only have to go through two buildings) to a side road that would lead behind our line. I positioned the guns close to narrow gap with the mountain troops in support, as their rifles could cover more ground down the bulavard. The Mortar and Thriple HMG set up behind the gap for support and to take out anybody that made it through. In the end, we lost both ATG to closerange tank fire (the first being destroyed by one shot after it had destroyed one of the PZ IVs, the second on another lucky shot.) Close assults with satchel charges and anti-tank mines accounted for the rest. The KV I originally deployed behind the line, thinking that I could put him where I needed him. After a little debate on my part, he ended up pluging the gap with his bulk for most of the battle. The enemy artillary was fairly constant, but was mostly 7.5 cm and 81mm mortar. The Marians were able to rack up an impressive kill score in the north, getting not only two tanks, but numberous infantry squads. The battle ended with us as the victors and with an average loss of life (on our part anyway, the enemy was not so.
As my men were resupplied after this last action, I was able to hear some of the scuttlebutt and learned that your division was recalled from the East and was on it's way west to cut the German line in half. In consiquene our commanding officers have told us to engage more aggrisively so as to bring more enemy troops into the city so that this severing manuver can be more successful. Because of that, we were given the option of some additional firepower for our next interpection action. We were offered and accepted a platoon of three flamethrower equipted KVs. While they have the smaller 45mm gun, I feel that the thicker armor and the flamethrower would be more effective, as we have not run into any enemy armour in these actions. I was wrong on one account in this, but not fataly wrong, fortunatly. They enemy fielded two Pz IVf1s and four Pz IIIms. I used the mountain troops as support for the tanks, in addition to the rear support of the triple HMG and mortar. The Marains joined the Desant in the North where I suspected there to be more troops (as it was more open), while the SMG took the to buildings to the south of the road, provided flank support for our tanks. While the 45mm of the tanks was ineffective at over a couple hundred meters, the enemy guns were ineffective at 50 meters or less. Four tanks were dispacthed by my three, the Desant came upon the other two and they were quickly dispached, one destroyed the other immobalized and their crew routed and killed. The 107mm mortar was very iffective in disrupting enemy formations with direct fire, which then allowed the tanks to move in close with their Flamethrowers. We succeeded in routing the enemy completely and destroyed and killed every man we could, with only 8 loses on our side. If that doesn't get Franz's attention, I don't know what will. It was also a satisfiying way to end my tour here in the City of Satlin.
Son, I wish you luck in the actions that you have left to play in this conflict. If all is successful, not only will we meet again, but we will do it in Berlin!
Your father,
P.Polkov Ketch.
[Thus ends this campaign, ending results, 9 decisive victories, 1 marginal defeat. ~300 men, 7 guns lost for the USSR. ~1500 men, 17 guns, 3 APCs, and ~20 AFV for Germany. This also marks my first ever Completed campaign
. I usaully get discouraged and stop playing. I am very happy about this and have plans to start my first long campaign as the USSR on a 100X100 map. Wich me luck!
- Ketch]