[Pat58]

Mission 2
July, 1941 at Korosten
Meeting Engagement
Visibility 51
Length 43
Map 80x80

Support
The Luftwaffe has 4 Me110E-2 and 2 Fieseler Storch missions on standby
A platoon of three 37mm AT guns have been released

Situation:
Objective areas total 21 and are scattered with 3 under our control, 11 uncontrolled, 7 enemy.
Terrain is generally height 10-12. There are no roads or villages in the battle area. A single rail line bisects the area running slightly southwest-northeast. A water obstacle in the area consists of a deep-water lake to the north running about 700 meters lengthwise and from 50-300 meters across. A stream runs from the lake in a northwest to southeast direction from one end of the sector to the other. The terrain around the stream is depressed for a distance of about 300-400 meters. There are a few fords and a single railroad bridge in the center just a little east of the center of sector.

The initial deployment area in the northeast is largely wooded, with the lake to the east presenting a natural barrier. The 37mm AT platoon is deployed to cover the 150 meters north of the lake where there is a ford at the stream allowing units to cross to the east. The KG deploys in the northwest around a clearing to establish a kill zone 300-500 meters wide and up to 1100 meters deep. Russian units coming up from the depression where the stream is located can then be taken under fire. This strategy has some risk as since there will be no initial advance, time could become a factor if the KG remains in position for too long with so many VH not under friendly control.

The deployment pattern in checkerboard fashion C= clear L= Lake W= woods Bold indicates location of formation.

WWL 2nd Company with StuGs on the southern edge of the woodline
WCC
CWC 1st Company with pioneers in support and StuGs on the northern edge of the woodline

Artillery Target Reference Point set at far side of the PKZ. The forward observer is watching the PKZ and is with A0. Mortars are deployed forward along the woodline.
Scouts are deployed in the far north and south to detect enemy movement. Northern scouts will cross the stream to the east to observe enemy movement.
Service Support- Opels are in the woods behind the StuG battery and 2nd Company.
Annie and Hilde in the woods behind 2nd Company
Command- Schumacher is set back behind the StuGs deployed on the northern side of the PKZ.

Main battle is expected in the PKZ where StuGs are located. 1st Company and 2nd Company will deal with enemy in their respective areas. With the lake obstacle, it is expected that between the two infantry companies, 1st Company will see the most action initially.

As with the previous mission, once the enemy attacks are beaten off, the KG will strike east to take all objective areas.

Turns 1-6 no combat but the enemy is reported approaching. Time is already working against the KG.

Turn 6 AIT- A BT-2 is taken under fire and killed by one of the StuGs.

Turn 7 The FO calls for an air strike in the north, as scouts have spotted armor headed west. The Luftwaffe has orders to approach from the northwest and after making their run to bank right to the southeast for an egress from the area.

StuG 301 nails a BT-2 @ 900m in the PKZ.
AIT- 2 BA10s run into pioniers in the southern edge of the KGs position. One is set ablaze while the other is immobilized.

Turn 8- A BT-5 explodes from a shell fired from HQ StuG 001 at 900m.

Turn 9- A BT-2 is killed by StuG 301 at 1050m. Another BT-2 is hit at 750m from StuG 001.

Turn 10- The Me-110s hit home within the Airstrike Zone (AZ) east of the lake, knocking out 2 T-28 medium tanks. Scouts count 6 BT’s and 12 rifle squads approaching in this northern area.

Turn 11- 2nd StuG platoon positions itself to observe action in the AZ. Hits by StuG 201 and 202 turn a BT2 and BT7 into hulks at a range of 800m. Scouts update their SPOTREP with 14 rifle squads now present in the general area of the AZ.
One of the 37mm AT guns scores a killing blow on a BT2 at 750m.
AIT – A scout section in the south is lost as an enemy BT stumbles onto it.
2 more BTs are flamed by 2nd StuG platoon in the AZ.

Turn 12- A BT5 is wrecked by StuG 202 at 600m.
AIT- 2 more BT tanks are wrecks courtesy of an unidentified StuG and a 37mm AT gun.

Turn 13- An Me-110 strikes a rifle squad and quickly departs the area. Southern scouts report an unexpected development. No less than 9 BTs, a cavalry and scout unit now approach from the south. 1st StuG platoon is ordered to immediately aid 1st Company.

Turn 14- StuG 302 smashes a BT2 at 600m.
AIT- Engineers successfully blast a scout car and BT tank on the southern treeline.
StuG 302 fires up a BT-7 at 1150m. SPOTREP update from southern scout, now 15 vehicles in the southern area. With the bulk of the enemy infantry still on the march and a third of the time gone, this latest news is not welcome.

Turn 16- StuG 302 scores another blow against a BT5 at 650 meters in the AZ
AIT 2 BTs are set alight by 1st platoon StuGs in the southern woods.
1st Infantry completes a successful assault on 2 BT7s encroaaching in the southern woods.

Turn 18- The southern woods continue to see close-in fighting. Infantry from 1st Company light up two BT7s

Turn 20- Pioniers kill a BA-10 scout car and a T-26 meets its demise at the hands of StuG 102 at a range of 50m.

Turn 21- 1st StuG platoon continues to work away at the Russians. Each vehicle claims a T-26 at distances of 50 and 100m.

Turn 22- 1st Infantry Company chalks up another BT7 in the southern woods.

Turn 23- With 20 turns remaining, enemy infantry is only now appearing in strength. The chance of reaching all VHs by the end of the game seems increasingly remote.
6 rifle squads spotted east of the lake. 5 squads are at the southwestern outskirts of the PKZ. 3 squads and 2 tanks are southeast of southern woods.

Turn 24- StuG 101 lights up a T-26 at 500m

Turn 26- Stug 302 scores a direct hit on a BT-2 at 500m.

Turn 27- 2nd and 3rd StuG platoon need to restock ammunition. 1st Platoon advances east on its own. 2 squads from 2nd Company begin to cross the stream just south of the lake. The current VH count is 15-6 in favor of the enemy. Surveying the scene at the southern woods, 20 Soviet vehicles are burning hulks.

Turn 29- 2nd Infantry Company takes out a BT-2 east of the PKZ. As if there had not been enough Soviet armor, a new group of 5 T-26 tanks appear east of the stream. Fortunately at least they are the M1931 MG variety. In any case, that is a total of 9 armored vehicles still to be hunted down.
AIT- StuG 001 takes out a BT-2 at 550m.

Turn 30- Our infantry continues a general advance and is across the stream in force. The StuGs have almost reached the lone railroad bridge. HQ, 2nd Infantry polishes off a T-26 MG tank. Another 2nd Infantry squad immobilizes a BT-2 on the eastern stream bank.

Turn 31- StuGs from 1st Platoon and company HQ cross over the bridge to join our infantry.

Turn 33- Mortars have moved into a direct LOS of enemy infantry.
AIT A mortar platoon is lost to rifle fire.

Turn 34 AIT- The first StuG, 201, is lost in this battle as a clean hit from a BT7 kills the crew instantly.

Turn 35- HQ, 2nd Infantry Co eliminates another BT-7 through a hand grenade attack. Hollmichel’s squad is back in action, taking out another BT-7 with a grenade.

Turn 36- StuG 101 successfully hunts down the Soviet HQ.
Turn 37- StuG 202 picks off one of the T-26 MG tanks. Our own infantry having advanced east od the stream reach open terrain and are now being engaged at long range by Maxim MGs.

Turn 38- A scout section heroically attempts to draw fire away from the infantry squads and onto itself. It is hopeless as it is close to 2 maxims and 3 AAMG units.
AIT- The scout unit is eradicated

Turn 39AIT- In open terrain, a single shot from an unspotted 45mm gun brews up StuG 302. There are no survivors seen. VH count is now 12-9 in our favor.

Turn 40 AIT- The Maxims take out two of our squads again at long range. Clearly the one VH in the vicinity of the MGs has not been worth the price. In frustration, The StuG battery HQ and vehicle 101 flail away with MGs at depleted enemy rifle squads in the vicinity. All HE ammo has been expended and no time left to rearm.

Turn 43- VH count is 14-7 in our favor. Actually 3 the enemy still retains were within reach but not taken. It does not change the results significantly.

Final Score
3475-1488. Marginal Victory.

Mission totals
Men 121:594
Artillery 1:4
Soft Vehicles 2:0
AFV 2:59
Aircraft 2:0

It is noted that while both sides lost about a dozen men less than the last mission, the Soviets lost 21 more AFVs here.

Operations staff assessment of and recommendations related to KG Schumacher Mission 2.

Assessment- The basic plan to hold positions until the enemy had been significantly reduced was perhaps costly in terms of time. The destruction of enemy vehicles generally occurred in these locations:

Southern woods: 21
Airstrike Zone: 13
Eastern Stream Bank: 13
Primary Kill Zone: 7
Miscellaneous: 5

The location chosen for the PKZ was probably incorrect. Based on the location of the rail bridge, the main enemy avenue of approach was to the south. The original placement did put the KG within close proximity to 5 VHs. But the destruction of the enemy armor might have been accelerated moving the PKZ south. Against that argument it might also be considered that some vehicles killed in the AZ were taken under fire from StuGs positioned very close to initial firing positions within the PKZ.

Trained StuG crews are showing themselves capable of regularly destroying lightly armored vehicles out to engagement ranges of 600m, and up to 900 or even 1050 meters.
The infantry displayed its ability to engage enemy armor numerous times at close quarters.

Artillery continues to be a weak point for the KG. Two rifle squads were killed in the open late in the mission and mortars laying smoke or HE may have saved the infantry.

The lack of armored transport remains an issue. Had some been available, the enemy might have been sufficiently suppressed to save the two infantry squads or the one StuG which stumbled into the 45mm ATG position. The transport company cannot replace trucks with halftracks because there is no such organization. However, a tracked engineer platoon is supported within the army organization. Based on that, operations team recommends equipping the KG with a halftrack platoon.

Next Mission: Meeting engagement at Kiev