14st Battle ( Advance - 34 turn - visibility 24 )
Battle Plan:
The area was slightly forested with several clear areas. The north-west corner was crossed by a river. There was a road from west to east, a bridge crossed the river. This road might be the main approx avenue for the enemy.
There were 3 objectives, the forward north objective (Alpha)was next to a river in a clear area with some isolated trees lines. In front of it there was a small hill which could provide some cover. The central objective (Beta) was inside a forest. The south objective (Gamma) was on the top of small hill in a clear area.
Companies A and B were to advance against Alpha and Beta respectively. B was supported by engineers as antitank infantry which should be effective in a closed forest area like Beta. Anti tank guns were deployed at the north area (mainly clear) but ordered to shoot only at short distance.
Company C plus an AT-gun section were deployed at the rear ready to support A or B.
Two platoons of our recon force were ordered to set two observation outpost in front of Gamma to check enemy activity. When Alpha and Beta were under our control our forces had to turn their attack vector against Gamma.
Artillery were ordered to blow the bridges over the river ASAP.
We had the support of Romanian Air Force this time, 8 Stukas were at our service.
Go:
As soon as battle started our artillery destroyed one of the bridges over the river. Our companies advanced over their objectives. Company A at north soon did contact with the spearhead of the enemy force, mainly BA-6, BA-10 and T-60. As we supposed they were using the road to fast advance, our artillery fired over them destroying a few, suppressing others and forcing the mounted squads to unload.
Engineers fast advanced on trucks and took defensive position inside the forest around Beta objective, company B advanced on foot to support engineers.
Our recon force set their observation outposts as ordered and waited.
The light forces of the enemy were followed by a large armor formation, 2 Kv1 plus several T-26 supported by T-60 light tanks and some infantry. Company A plus our AT-guns engaged this force, infantry took positions over the hill in front of Alpha, a section advanced to the trees line. At-guns were deployed at the plain using the holes of the trees line to opportunistic shot.
At Beta engineers faced also a armored force but this time supported by a large number of infantry. Three Kv1 were detected. Several ambushes were done, destroying a good number of enemy tanks. Company B finally reached the engineers and tried to cover their flanks, but enemy numbers were really huge.
At Gamma our outposts observed three T-34 tanks capturing the objective, after that they turned against Beta. Cpt. Samoila judged that if this force were able to join to the attack the defenders of Beta were to be overwhelm.
The At-guns reserve were moved to intercept the T-34 platoon. Also company C were ordered to advance to support B at Beta. Light trucks were used to speed up their movement transporting one section at time.
Enemy captured objective Alpha, many of our AT-guns were destroyed or abandoned due the enemy artillery fire. Stukas were ordered to attack the enemy armor but due the bad coordination missed their targets. With the Alpha objective under their control the enemy armor proceed against Beta, it was a big fail. They exposed their lateral to our remaining AT-guns (just two) with a fatal result, many T-26 and T-60 were killed. The main concern were the Kv1 that until that moment remained at the rear.
The fight at the Beta forest was difficult but not critical, one engineer platoon were suppressed, surrounded and destroyed. They were experienced men so it was a big loss for our battalion, another infantry platoon had the same luck. But in general our infantry was able to keep the ground, close assaulting tanks and ambushing infantry.
The T-34 platoon was intercepted by our AT-gun which led them approach and then fire at really short range, they were destroyed with almost no loses.
Viewing that Gamma was undefended and that the enemy was concentrated at Beta our recon force advanced and captured it without any fight.
Also company A was ordered to advance against Alpha, the small enemy force led to protect it was overwhelm and the objective captured.
Finally the remaining Kv1s arrived at the Beta forest, infantry was able to destroy them close assaulting. A last effort was done by the enemy at the south flank of Beta, a platoon of T-26 with some T-60 and infantry support tried to advance over the objective. After an initial success were refused.
At this point the enemy moral collapsed and the remaining troops flied (turn 24). The next minutes were a blood bath our force was launched in an avenger pursuit were many enemy units were destroyed.
Decisive victory for us !!
Post Battle thoughts:
As always when enemy heavy armor appears all the efforts must be concentrated to destroy it, dam hard considering Romanian AT capacity, everything has to be abandoned until it is neutralized. Fortunately the initial plan was flexible enough to adapt to the new changes and finally I had one of the biggest victories of my battalion.
I did a bad use of my Air force, I tried to destroy the tanks using them but due the attack delay they never were at the attack hex, next time I will use them to attack enemy rear which have more static units.