Letters from Stalin's City

[Lt. Ketch]

Son,

I write to you from friendly lines, but not how I would prefer to be writing you. My last letter was full of hope and victory, but we have suffered much in the little time since I have written. We repelled the German advance multiple times, but it was not enough to deter them from attacking again. No sooner had I finished my letter to you then one of the picketts came running into camp with a report that the Germans were moving against us in that instant. We fell back to a position I deemed more defensible, two blocks of buildings seperated by a wide bulavard with good cover for our "borrowed" 57mms, mortar and MMG team. We didn't have time to resupply from the last conflict and I longed for the 38 men we had lost in the last fight. Our status was by company commander with the mortars and MMGs under him, 12 squads of rifle men, a sniper and three squads of Marains. Losses were heavier in the third platoon of rifles, but every platoon had at least one squad with around 50% losses. We set up in the buildings for close quarters fighting and positioned a few squads overlooking the bolavard which was to be a "kill zone" were we could bring our guns and mmgs to bear. They enemy led with a 5 Pz IVEs, but I felt confidant in our ATGs as they have been able to knock out everything we've come across. Sadly, regrettably, stuipidly, I ordered them to hold fire too long. By the time I gave the command, German smoke had abscured the targets (expect for one, which was destroyed) and in the next minute 10.5cm iron rain started to fall on the guns. both were put out of commission, one destroyed and one crew routed. My squads that boardered the street accounted for one more tank, but were soon pinned and unable to do anything from the masses of infantry advnacing behind the tanks. Again, the MMG was unable to fire due to smoke and the Mortar crew was routed by the artilary. The men in the buildings also came under heavy fire from wave upon wave of infantry. It was when artilary started to fall on the positions in the buildings that I desided that we had to withdraw and save as many lives as we could. I ordered a fighting retreat until I could be sure that any pursuit would be slow and cautions. The squads in the northern block were able to do this fairly successfully, but were delayed at a cross road by a Pz IVE which was soon immobalized and later destroyed, based on the desition that if it wasn't, it would not only slow us up but kill a lot of men in the proccess. The southern retreat was less organized and more costly as two of the Pzs. chased our men from building to building, leaving a pathway of ruind buildings in their wake. My own staff gave supporting fire for several squads who were crossing the road for the cover of the buildings on our side. We lost many, many men. I was awed during this terrifying experiences when one squad of 4 men left of 10 were chased for 300+ yards by the two remaining Pz IVEs and returned fire at every opportunity. This action allowed his fellow squad escape. The four men were killed in action, but our forces in the area were no longer pursued. I will make sure that they are awared the Order of Lenin for their actions. In the north, there were many times that artilary fell, stalling the advance and the germans came up to engage our troops. It became my policy that every squad that was not able to withdraw in an orderly fashion was supported by a squad that could have. The rescuers would return fire if necessary and make sure that the pinned squad was masked my cover so that they might have a chance to regroup and withdraw. In the end, we lost 82 men. This with the prvious 38, makes for 120 of our total 180 men. Yalki Palki! Such a force could not accomplish our origanal plan! We did not know what to do, since we could not fight in force, nor were we small enough to hide. We were spared only, by an advance of our own troops relieving pressure on us. We had accomplished one goal in joining our own lines, but we lost far, far to many men. When I was debriefed, our actions came to the attention of the general staff and they were impressed with our actions in destorying and delaying the German reserves. I have since been put in charge of special infantry company that is to do more of this. All of my origanial men have been kept in the company, but most have recieved attentional training. We shall see if the belly of the beast is any more inviting when we go into it willingly. I'll write more. Until then, at least I have been able to mail my other letters by military post. I'll write more later.

[Background - I couldn't figure out a way for our Commander here to replace such loses in his forces from "volunteers" he stumbles across. For the sake of the story, I have given it this twist. The experiment is running to a close with only three battles left. At this point, I don't believe I will run a longer campaign on the same size map, simply because once you've fought one guy in a phone booth, the next guy is pretty similar. The small space makes manuvering restricted and everything depends on how many squads you have stacked together. I'm looking for a more tactical challenge and so will probably continue playing the USSR, but do it on a larger map with more of a combined arms force. I will most likely post another letter or two here, but we will probaby leave it at that.

If anyone is courious about doing a simpilar situation (behind enemy lines), I would reccomend turning off Tank Heavy, Dropping the supply/repair points to 10%-20%, and figure out some way to incorperate using stolen equipment. (I'd love to have to equipt my infantry squads with german kit (since they would end up running out of their own ammunition), but I couldn't figure out how. The only way I could think of is to replace destroyed squads with "captured" squads in the exapand menu)]

[Imp]

Nice style Sir look forward to your next slightly larger scale battle.
In campaigns you cannot uscaptured stuff in your core only your support can use captured equip

[Lt. Ketch]

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]

[Ramm]

Originally Posted by Lt. 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]

Great AAR

I know the feeling about being discouraged and not completing a campaign! Its happened to me countless times. Good job on finishing this time I wish you luck on the big map I'm doing a 100x100 with 40 missions myself (probally not going to complete it ). If I had time more time I would write an AAR aswell.