DAR: USSR vs. Germany - Tikuin, USSR

[RERomine]

Turn 2

Artillery fire has stopped.

I've got 36 enemy tanks approaching from the road north. Most of the tanks are north of the road, but there are a few on it. Eight armored cars are advancing down the road as well.

All my tanks are on the move. I'm going to set range to 750m. No sense wasting ammo. I've got 22 T-34/Bs in the north group, but I need to make the most of my shots. South group is also moving, but I don't expect them to see anything for a bit. The enemy has more trees to move through there.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: Zero.

[RERomine]

Turn 3

More enemy artillery firing smoke.

Enemy tank count up to 50 on or north of the road. I also see nine armored cars and one half track. Some shots were exchanged, but no damage to either side. Friendly mortars plinked a few enemy tanks as well.

A few enemy tanks are coming out of the woods down south. Again, shots exchanged, but no damage to either side. Mortars off target down here.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: Zero.

[RERomine]

Turn 4

Well, I took a bite out of them up north, but there are a lot of enemy units. I'm not going to bother counting live ones. We did cap six armored cars and nine tanks. They have three more immobilized. Some enemy returned fire, but not many and it was all ineffective. Friendly mortar fire was on target, but only caused them to button up. Some of my tanks were on the receiving end of mortar fire as well.

Down south, enemy tanks continued to pop out of the woods and brew up. Five tanks are destroyed, so far. Two are still alive, but not for long.

As expected, the enemy is carrying infantry. I can't afford to mix with them.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: 9xPzKw 38b(t), 4xPzKw IIIh, 1xPzKw IVc tanks and 4xSdKfz 222, 1xSdKfz 231(6) and 1xSdKfz 221 armored cars destroyed.

[RERomine]

Turn 5

Enemy hit hard up north. Scratch an additional three armored cars and 28 tanks. Throw in two half-tracks for good measure. There is infantry scurrying about the tank battle. Most seem in good order, but I'm sure they have taken casualties. I can't even make an estimate on infantry casualties at this point. My mortars did hit some more and I did see one infantry unit was completely destroyed, but that is the only confirmation I have. The enemy did drop more smoke and directed some light artillery and mortars at my tanks but no damage.

Pressure down south is minimal. Only tank riders trying to push forward, but 22 tanks with nothing better than to shot at infantry makes progress impossible. My mortars are off target here.

Two Stukas made bombing runs, but they won't be back. They won't make it to the airbase, either No known damage from the attacks.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: 10xPzKw 38b(t), 13xPzKw IIIh, 2xPzKw IVc, 1xPzKw IIc, 2xPzKw IIf tanks, 1xSdKfz 222, 1xSdKfz 231(8) and 1xSdKfz 221 armored cars, 2xhalf-tracks and 2xJU-87B dive bombers destroyed.

I'm done for the night, but am attaching screen prints of action on both flanks. In the south flank picture, the burning hext at the end of my line of T-34s is where one of the Stukas went down.

[RERomine]

Turn 6

I hit the enemy hard again, but the damage wasn't as bad this turn. Between artillery slinging smoke and burning wrecks to my front, it is hard to get line of sight to many targets. My force did dispatch 13 more tanks. Enemy armored cars are snuggled up to my line of mines, trying to skirt around the flank. Two friendly tanks pushed close and took out three of them, but one was able to destroy a bunker. Enemy infantry is trying to push forward to my tanks, but aren't making it very close. Most of my tanks didn't fire, so moving infantry is a choice target. One area of concern is a large number of tanks just south of the road. I can't put fire there. My forces are pushing forward toward the road to sweep the infantry front of units, but this must be done with care.

No new enemy tanks down south. There was one left, but it was taken care of quickly. I'm shifting my line around since I expect to be targeted by air or artillery eventually.

Two ME-109s came in. All the enemy aircraft have been targeting one of my AA guns and they finally got it. One of the 109s will have to RTB to patch bullet holes.

The AI is slinging to much smoke right now and not enough steel. Most of the smoke is being deployed in the woods behind my tanks anyhow. I mean way behind my tanks; something like 500m or more.

Casualties

Friendly: 1xBunker and 1x37mm AA gun destroyed.

Enemy: 4xPzKw 38b(t), 7xPzKw IIIh, 1xPzKw IVc, 2xPzKw IIf tanks, 1xSdKfz 231(8), 1xSdKfz 231(6) and 1xSdKfz 221 armored cars destroyed.

[RERomine]

Turn 7

Scratch 24 more tanks up north. My tanks are shifting around looking for shots and trying to put some artillery smoke behind them. A few of the enemy batteries did get smoke around my units, but not a significant amount. More smoke was fired this turn and I'll have to shift around this as well. The enemy did hole one of my tanks, disabling his main gun, so I pulled him off the line. There are a few enemy armored cars next to the mines, but getting to them isn't safe. That 20mm gun with SABOT rounds can kill at 100m. I'm willing to let them come to me if they want to try to get around the flank. I've got two tanks covering that area and two scouts with satchel charges if they actually get around the end. If the get past the scouts, there are two 50mm ATGs to deal with.

Still no enemy tanks down south, so that group is moving north. Aside from one squad, I don't see any enemy units further south than 200m from the road. There is smoke about 400m out in front of the left of my infantry line, so it would block line of sight of anything behind it for now.

Two more ME-109s came in, but these won't be coming back ever. One succeeded dropping a bomb on my infantry line, causing some casualties. The other was targeting my AA guns again.

Artillery still isn't having any impact on this battle. I have accounted for some nebelwerfers firing smoke, so the enemy does have at least three battalions of one sort or another. Yet, with all that fire power, it hasn't had any influence on the battle aside from making my tanks move around smoke some. Burning tanks are accomplishing that already.

So far, I can account for 91 destroyed enemy AFVs. To show for this, one of my tanks has a disabled main gun. The main force behind their armor has to be destroyed. I should have a numerical edge by now. With no effort to even breach my line yet, I believe this battle is won. I'm not saying there won't still be hard fighting and that I won't lose tanks, but I won't lose enough to cost me the battle.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: 13xPzKw 38b(t), 9xPzKw IIIh and 2xPzKw IIf tanks and 2xME-109 fighters destroyed.

I've attached a screen print of the entire front as it stands now. Unfortunately, it is kind of small in the thumbnail view, but might be larger if downloaded. Toward the bottom, my south flank column can be seen heading north. More to the north a mass of enemy tanks can be seen on the eastern hill just south of the road. North of the road can be seen the carnage my tanks have inflicted on the enemy thus far. I've pried them off the north edge and have their flank in the air.

[RERomine]

Turn 8

The enemy lost 17 more tanks up north. There are still a lot of tanks up there, but not really enough. With all the smoke, I'm being more cautious. Infantry, even without AT capability can kill a reckless tank. Most of my line is holding, but I'm pushing a few tanks forward to get better shots. Two tanks are holding close to the infantry line and it has kept two enemy armored cars in check. They don't move and I don't move. In this case a stalemate helps me since my objective is to keep them from rounding my flank. I did push one machine gun team on my infantry line forward to take the place of the destroyed bunker. It spotted an armored car sitting in the mines on the road. Other infantry popped smoke to protect him. The AC can't get through the dragon's teeth. Tanks without tanks to shoot at pounded on enemy infantry, doing some good damage.

South flank group still moving north. Heavy tanks covering their flank, just in case enemy tanks pop out of the trees. It will take 3-4 turns before the lead tank is even in position to fire and many more turns for trailing tanks. The only enemy unit down south is one squad. My column moved and would fire at it, but not diverting anyone to deal with him.

Some enemy mortars are hitting my infantry line, but nothing of concern coming out of it. Mortars are also dropping on center of my north tank group. All those heavy guns and the AI fires at real targets with 81mm mortars. Instead, the enemy is using the heavy guns to fire smoke and blast the far side of the hill my infantry is deployed on. Even with this, the enemy still has heavies that aren't firing.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: 10xPzKw 38b(t), 6xPzKw IIIh and 1xPzKw IIc tanks destroyed. Estimated 30 casualties.