[Imp]

This is going to be a simple post as the artillery is back & I need to remember where they are hitting.
We have now lost 27 units the Brits 98

Starting at the top
More Churchills turned up a squad assaulted & killed 1 I am guessing the others have turned in to reinforce the centre as have lost sight of them.
Barrage is heavy here including 5in which really hurt if your out in the open. D platoon moved against the Churchills & lost 10 men to the artillery all squads damaged only one not routed. E & F platoon have been totally wiped out so there is not a lot of A Co left. One of its HMGs & the Co Leader are only units unscathed.

All squads are gone from the main approach as that was A Co they have a free run to the bridge & are only 3 hexes from VHexes now. They put up a valiant fight & the 2nd to last one hero rallied & took a Sherman with him. Lost sight now but more Churchills & trucks turned up I counted 19 armoured units still coming. God help us this is getting really complicated I have had to place smoke to stop me taking fire from the new arrivals while I engage the lead tanks. Hopefully mainly with flank shots there are quite a few Churchills now in fact one is leading the way. The AI is making it difficult to I have not seen a tank move at more than 2 hex speed in the last 5 turns here so am burning through artillery ammo to suppress them & reduce accuracy.
Things are really reaching a head right now.
Star StuG is on 19 kills but is down to 10 AP rounds & again in a really dangerous position.

The 2 tanks that moved up SW of the bridge have taken up position & dug in without incident just before the barrage intensified. Of course they can't see a damn thing now, I just knew this was going to happen.

Amazingly the immobile StuG still lives it took 2 PIAT hits but we managed to route the squad. Other squads were held at bay also. I decided to bring the other StuG back to give support as we regained control of the situation. A Churchill is on the other side of the trees but approaching in its field of fire, however now we cannot see a thing here either.

In the South sent a couple of squads on a recce mission we have 2 Honeys inbound which I am not worried about so I have managed to reposition 2 tanks with a LOS covering this side of the road to the bridge. Long shots around 24 hexes & not ideal by any means but at least they are free of the barrage & can see something - for now.
Cannot spare the arty for that SPGun so sent squads & an AT team with back up from the 250/11 to take it out. In position to attack this turn except guess what they are all pinned hit by arty. It missed the 250 & SPgun maybe its going to move the area to the right of it took a pounding from 25pounders.

My arty got a partial refill but one of the ammo trucks had not fled far enough so died & crew has abandoned his post. Hope I do not lose contact with my 17cm battery currently walking it around waiting for the best time to use the last of its ammo which will probably be next turn. Immunity to CB is great especially in this battle but fairly limited ammo & no smoke are the trade off.

Confident unless visibility goes completely I can stop them reaching the second group of VHexes after the bridge. If they reach the first however taking them back will be a mission. Of course the AI has demonstrated good use of smoke in past assaults which will really throw a spanner in the works.