Hill 252 Part II

An enduring crackle of static pierced the air as the Hauptsturmfuhrer attempted to raise what remained of their Division's vangaurd.  He took a deep breath, keyed the throatmike, and spoke to the company:

ALL NOAK ELEMENTS PREPARE FOR ACTION - BOLSHEVIK COUNTERATTACK IS IMMINENT.  

He was automatically transmitting orders even though he could barely focus.  The company was exhausted, but their mission, a series of ridgelines in front of the Division's area, loomed.  They had just barely captured Hill 252 and aerial recon was reporting huge columns of Soviet armor and troops approaching from the north east.  To make matters worse, the Tigers, so crucial in the last battle, had pulled out.  Division pulled them back to deal with counterattacks in another sector.  "So much for the plan."  the Captain thought.  He surveyed the ground in front of their position.  The company defensive position was anchored on a small farm on their left in front of a huge wheatfield.  On the right, hill 252, if you could call it a hill, anchored the right.  The captain took up position where he was for the last fight.  Scores of burning hulks littered the ground in front of them.  "It's just another day in Soviet Russia."

SS Panzers take up position awaiting the approach of Ivan's armor.

 Dave and I pick almost the same course of action that was picked in the previous battle, with my infantry moving up and occupying the village.  Dave pushed his tanks along the same avenue that Ken took.  Dave moved them up to the hedgeline and decided to try and winkle the my infantry out with MG fire and HE fire.

THis is flames of war!  40 bow MG dice coming straight at me!  

My small platoon in shell scrapes.  Exactly like last game, only 2 teams survive.  Unlike last game, they do pass their dig in roll on their turn!

Dave pushes the infantry close behind the tanks.  He's going to make a strong effort to take the village this time.

 We didn't use the Tigers or the KVs for the second game, instead putting more of our standard armor in reserve.  For me that meant 2 platoons of my vital long-barrel panzer IVs.  Dave has a company + of T-34s in reserve who are also racing their way to the front!

Forward for the motherland, Comrades!

 Infantry pick their way through the wheatfield, scrub, and woods to their front.  The sounds of battle becoming louder now, but no one in the ranks knows what's happening.  They can hear the roar of tank guns, artillery, and machine guns.  The smell of cordite hangs in the air.

The German Pak40s continue to reap a deadly harvest and dave makes sure to target them with the katyushas early on.  Note the infantry from the first infantry platoon.  They would remain there, pinned, for the entire game.

Dave's troops come on strong against withering fire.

 The woods in front of the Soviets explode as artillery lands amongst the men charging the village.  The fascist vipers are murdering them wholesale.  The only way to stay alive is to keep moving forward!

 Noak's panzers speed west towards the beleaguered infantry.  Unlike the last game, there are only 5 panzers on the table!

 Dave unpins his men and surges forward.  Even amid the carnage, he still has enough troops to capture the first building in the collective farm!  The Soviets burst in and fire rounds into all of the stunned and wounded panzergrenadiers.

Soviets capture the first outbuilding!

 The second platoon is getting whittled down and will spend most of the battle pinned.

Dave continues to shower the village with katyusha rockets. 

The 1st LSSAH division vanguard is getting torn to ribbons with constant Soviet attacks!

Dave pushes the T-60s (disguised as T-70s) into the fight to harass my flank.  No reserve Panzer IVs in sight!

 Dave gets a reserve roll and moves his T-34s onto the table.  My goose is cooked.  He charges down the road, hub to hub FOW style!

 Not wanting to halt the momentum of the attack, the Soviet infantry, in a frenzy now, charge the second building in the farm!  It's the company's machine gun platoon and they're already pinned and hurt from a previous artillery strike. 

The Soviet infantry overrun more buildings in the farm.  The Germans are barely holding on now.  Where the heck are my reinforcements???

Dave turns his T-60s towards my command elements, who are now dueling with the advancing T-34s.  It's curtains!

 Eventually, Dave kills my command Panzer IVs on the right objective with massed T-34 shots.  The battle has ended with 1st LSSAH Division Vanguard a shell of its former self, as the infantry run for it.  The battle ends with small elements of both platoons escaping south before the "cossack" T-60 tanks can run them down.  All of the armor on the field has been destroyed and Hill 252 is back in Soviet hands.