Scen 01 - "Breakthrough"
June 24, 1944…
Gubenko received the signal from Dolya. “Ready to jump off.”
Infantry had been in action all morning fighting in the marshland on both sides of the railroad Gubenko had been tasked with opening. In this area the railroad embankment was the only suitable land where his vehicles could advance. His plan was simple. While artillery fire targeted the German trenches in depth his own mortars would lay down smoke to cover Beregovoy leading the Recon and Engineer platoons who where to clear German obstacles on two rail road bridges close to their jump off point. Once cleared he would send Shushkevich’s tanks punching through the German defences. He did assume the Germans would also have the bridges mined but did not expect them to have deployed many more mines. Fritz believed in mobility, not minefields.
(Turns 1-5)
In between the sound of exploding 152 and 122mm artillery shells Beregovoy could hear the racket of infantry weapons – particularly the fearsome rapid chatter of Hitler’s Saw. He hated that particular sound. A curtain of smoke, fired from Makarov’s mortars, obscured them from enemy view as his men and those of Dmitirienko’s engineers raced forward to the bridges mounted in the trucks of the Engineers.
At the bridge they dismounted and quickly cleared the German obstacles, crossed to the other side of the stream and advanced along the railroad.
It didn’t take them long before they discovered a solid belt of mines.
Damn it, Beregovoy thought. We’ll need more smoke.
Dmitrienko was on his engineers like an angry bee.
Faster, faster, faster!
If they were could out here one the smoke lifted it wouldn’t be pretty.
From the German trenches Beregovoy could hear the sound of heavy fighting.
(Turns 6-10)
Gubenko sat in his command tank with a hand drawn sketch of the area in his lap. He did not have a proper map. The infantry companies had penetrated into the enemy trenches and reported success. Dmitrienko and his engineers were working hard and had and had almost breached a path trough the obstacles and it seemed as if he would accomplish his task without great difficulty when a signal from the forward element came in:
Urgent! Enemy counterattack! Assault guns. Company strength. Request tank support, end!
With a curse Gubenko immediately radioed Shushkevich.
“Storm 3-3-3! End!”
With a roar Shushkevich’s tank company moved out along the railroad.
It was too soon.
(Turns 11-20)
Alexander Popitich could see nothing from his tank as he followed the tank in front straight into the smoke. ‘Do as I do’ was the only advice his platoon leader had given before moving out. This was Popitich’s first battle. It was also the first battle for everyone in his crew. He commanded the third T-34/85 in the lead platoon – the only platoon in the company equipped with the newer T-34 model. The others all had older type T-34s with less advanced communication and less powerful armament. He had great faith in his machine but he felt extremely vulnerable as he moved forward into the smoke. He caught a glimpse of friendly troops on the ground, engineers, as the tank raced forward along the railroad track. Things were happening very fast.
Without warning the tank in front opened fire and about a hundred meters away something exploded almost immediately, a sudden bright light in the gray-black smoke. A few seconds passed and his tank lumbered forward passing a burning German assault gun.
Then, amongst the smoke, barely visible, he saw the next one.
Over the internal communication he ordered.
“Quick stop!”
The driver responded without delay. The tank came to a halt. Good man!
“Target tank! 100! Fire!”
The gunner fired too quick. It was close but the armour piercing round went high.
“Again! Armour piercing – Fire!”
The shot landed on the enemy vehicle front, next to the man gun. Popitich saw the impact. It was a clear hit. A jubilant shout left his throat. Burn fascist!
“Driver forward! Loader, armour piercing!”
Their own tank began moving again, coming abreast with the other two tanks in his platoon. They passed only meters away from the German victim. Popitich could see that it was not a tank, but another German assault gun. It was burning. It did not seem as if anyone had gotten out.
Then, just in front, next to a half razed barn, only 50 meters away, stood yet another German assault gun.
“Quick stop!”
(Popitich entering the fray...)
The tracks of the assault gun started to move. Pivoting on its own axis it brought its gun in the direction of Popitich’s T-34. He saw the enemy gun barrel swing and come to a halt. Popitich’s muscles tensed. His mind started racing while his body, without him really knowing it, prepared for a leap out of the turret hatch – but before he could move he felt the tank rock from the main gun being fired. He saw his gunner land the shot perfectly dead centre on the enemy assault gun.
There was a short delay and a hatch opened and a fascist tumbled over the side and disappeared from view.
The assault gun was dead.
He had not given any orders but the assault gun was dead. And he lived.
“Driver forward!”, he heard himself say.
They rolled forward, unstoppable - passed their own infantry, passed German infantry falling back in disarray. The machineguns fired as they raced down along a dirt road.
A loud bang ended it. The tank lifted from the ground and came to a complete halt.
It took a few seconds before he understood he had cheated death again. He was still alive. They had not been penetrated. The left track had blown off along with the two front wheels on the left side. They had hit a mine. The tank was now immobile. Infantry fire kept them buttoned up while the rest of the company motored past them on their right. Popitich counted the tanks. He wasn’t certain but it seemed as if two were missing.
(Turn 21-25)
Beregovoy was running. He had become separated from the bulk of his own platoon when the German assault guns first showed up and he had stuck with Dmitrienko’s engineers. Now he and two others were running for their lives. In front lay the enemy trenches.
50 meters to go.
It was difficult to breathe the smoke filled air.
He was sweating enormously.
His chest ached.
30 meters.
His foot slid on the edge of a shell hole.
He almost fell but stumbled forward.
Someone screamed next to him.
20 meters.
Now, now, now…
He flew forward.
And into the enemy trench.
Sub-machinegun at the ready.
There were dead Germans there. He fired a burst into a body to make sure. Behind them engineers tumbled into the German trench. He signed for his two men to follow and led them forward. They came to the opening of a bunker and to his horror Beregovoy realized that there were Germans inside.
“Flasks!”, he commanded and they readied their explosive bottles. Once lit he dashed forward and threw it into the bunker rear opening - and it was a beautiful throw. The bunker lit up. Something minor exploded. And almost straight away the Germans inside started shouting and as they came out, disoriented, some with uniforms burning, Beregovoy alone shot them. Every last one.
“All objectives taken.. Awaiting orders.”
The sound of Shushkevich’s calm voice over the battalion net declared victory.
Gubenko ordered his tank forward. Curled up inside was the political commissar who protested. Probably because he thought there might still be Germans left. Gubenko ignored the commissar. A handful of German prisoners were being marched to the rear.
They negotiated the cleared lane tin the enemy minefields and at the first enemy trench line Gubenko ordered a halt. There was Captain Dolya, Dmitrienko of the engineers and Beregovoy.
Dolya spoke.
Without emotion he declared how the operation had proceeded. How he had followed up behind Dmitrienko and the engineers who had been very efficient in clearing a path through the obstacles. Gubenko congratulated Dmitrienko. He was an able officer, the engineers deserved praise. Gubenko also noted the pistol in Dolya’s right hand and an un-naturally tidy row of dead Germans nearby, all face down with bullet holes in the back of the head. It seemed obvious what had happened but Gubenko didn’t ask any questions. Beregovoy looked like seven troublesome years.
Nearby several shot up German assault guns stood immobile. Some burning, some looked abandoned. The report was that they numbered twelve all in all. Two T-34s had been lost. It was a trade Gubenko could accept.
- - - - - - - - - - -
End battle on turn 25, all VHs taken.
USSR lost
44 men
2 AFVs
Germany lost
202 men
3 artillery (mortars)
12 AFVs (StuGs)
I used the Aux infantry companies for the heavy lifting, and advanced the core infantry on the flanks of the railroad with the scouts, engineers and inf company HQ dismounted on the railroad to clear obstacles. I expected more German AT guns and artillery but less mines. I used a lot of smoke to conceal my own troops but lost two tanks to an immobilised StuG that managed to get a clear field of fire when blocking smoke lifted. The counterattack by the StuG company size element works fine. The Begleit-infanterie (of course) quickly melt away in the artillery and machinegun fire.
There are no problems with the scenario IMHO.