Special Addendum for pursuit action:
Area HQ has ordered a pursuit and breakthrough attack following yesterdays sucessful action against the Germans. To bolster our depleted infantry, we have been assigned a full strength leg rifle company, and a full platoon (4 trucks) GAZ-AA. Artillery support will come from a platoon of 82mm mortars with ammo supply, and a 122mm gun battery with extra ammo.
No accurate assesment of enemy strength can be made. We may be facing elements of the infantry force we routed yesterday, or they may have rushed reinforcements to the scene.
The terrain is highly in favor of the defender. There is a small village in the extreme SE, with a medium sized clearing that will be used for the mortar platoon. 2 secondary roads wind E-W, one in the extreme S, the other center-north. There is a small stream runnin N-S, our forces having control of the eastern shore. The remainder of the area is a patchwork of deep forest and small clearings or wheatfields, none larger then 250m sqare. We have been ordered to secure the entire area, so cooperation with our supporting rifle company will be critical.
Certain core forces are too depleted to take any active action today, primarily the engineers, though all units are nursing casualties of some kind.
As we pass though the village and enter our AO, I site the mortar platoon in the clearing to the south, with ammo trucks, 2 air defense trucks, and a scratch platoon made of the engineer's and a depleted scout section for security. The remaining forces are split up into six combat teams of 1 T-35, 2-3 rifle sections, and 1 kosmolets with either a MG team or other special asset. We are going to march west along the south road, sterilzing the woods to the south of the road, and position our combat teams ~250 to 300m apart., just off the road. Once in position, the artillery will begin a rolling barrage 200m north of the road, combat teams will keep that distance and work north through the woods and clearings as the artillery moves on.
Our inital deployment was sucessful, we destroyed a platoon of infantry in the south woods, then started north behind a thin screen of mortar and artillery fire. The mortars had a slight amount of sucess in supressign the defending troops, but it was still thier battle to lose. The dense woods kept engagement ranges to 50 meters, and occasionally less. One T-35 located a PaK 37 the hard way, it drove almost on top of it
I lost that tank to a hull shot, but saved the crew. Opposing forces were spread out in little penny packets both in the deep woods and around the edges of the clearings. German close range artillery made it's presence known after several rounds of the rolling artillery barrage, with an accurate strike on my mortar battery. I lost one mortar crew, one ammo truck, and both of the GAZ-AA trucks that I had parked there to preserve them
We continued to sweep north, eliminating enemy units as we went. Another T-35 was destroyed by a cross-clearing shot from a Pak-37, and one crew abandoned thier tank after a fierce assault by 2 Inf. Grps. Infantry losses were moderate, but well distributed. The previously shamed motorcyle troops did excellent service as foot troops, the 50mm mortar extending their reach across the larger clearings. About half way through the battle, I detached a Kosmolets carrying a depleted grenedier section to sneak ahead and destroy the SiG 33's that had been harassing my mortar troops, a highly succesful action that placed them at the primary exit for routed German troops.
As we approached the north road, enemy troops formed two pockets in our lines, one in a small island of trees between two clearings, and one on the other side of the eastern clearing. I elected to halt at the road and allow our artillery to attack those pockets, setting up a perimeter around the whole area with some troops watching the road. German troops were observed crossing the road, moving south into the pocket. After 20 minutes of shelling by every available tube, the Germans started to break, retreating along the road. They had a heavy gauntlet to run for the first 500m, then the grenedier troop to hurry them out of the area. 3 rifle sections were sent north of the road to scout the area and secure the remaining objectives, which was done with no resistance.
Judged a decisive victory again, I lost 2 T-35s and had one abandoned,along with 2 GAZ-AA trucks, one mortar and one ammo truck, and lost nearly 100 men. German losses were 224 men, 2 SIG 33 guns, 2 20mm Flak, and 3 Pak 37's. 5 Inf Grps and HQ comprised the whole of German forces @ battles end.
Hopefully we will be allowed some time to rest and refit, perhaps with some equipment upgrades, before the next battle.
Matt