[Aeraaa]

Turn 12:
Only sporadic mortar fire was the incoming Chinese indirect fire, which managed however to kill a Spetsnaz scout (a soldier, not the whole unit). Small arms fire from a rifle squad sink another boat with an engineer squad in the western approach, this area has now only one engineer unit alive, and it still hasn’t reach the shore. The rest of the barges however are in the water. The overwatching ISUs there and one flame tank shell the rifle squad in revenge, causing 5 casualties there and putting the unit into rout status. A few meters south, Katyusha rockets bombard suspected enemy positions.
In the eastern approach, things are quieter. Assault boats and amphibious cars cross the river, and the helos unload the remaining spetsnaz to the other side. Some surviving Chinese infantry fire at the assault boats, but are quickly spotted and eliminated by spetsnaz. The overwatching ISUs on the eastern approach slightly relocate to clear the way for the barge carriers and 2 more amphibious cars and as a result come under fire from a T34 in the middle (see the large red blob in the maps). One ISU is hit, but its armor isn’t penetrated. The ISU that moved the least (only 1 hex) fires 2 rounds and the first one misses. The second round however hits the T34 and blows it up in a spectacular explosion, probably killing all 5 crewmen inside.
The leading companies of the 1/179 and the 2/179 rifle battalions make their way towards the river. Things are about to get bloody.

Turn 13:
Mortar and artillery fire land on the spetsnaz positions. Thank god these are tough guys cause no casualties are produced, though two squads are pinned and cannot be rallied. Nevertheless, spetsnaz continue to clear the shore from mines and one scout team finds a 60mm mortar crew and attacks it, killing two members this turn. Other than that, Soviet artillery either provide smoke screen or suppress Chinese targets with HE shells, receiving sporadic CB fire in the process. More and more Soviet units approach the river.

Turn 14:
Mortar fire destroy an empty barge carrier on the western approach. The sole engineer unit there lands on the opposite bank and begins clearing mines. The barges load a flame tank and 2 ISUs, but come under fire from a PT-76 which in turn is being fired by the sole ISU remaining on the soviet side of the river. One of the shell hits the PT-76 but causes only superficial damage (unless the single * I saw was a destroyed main gun, which would be great news).
On the eastern bank, more artillery fire shell the spetsnaz units. The first engineer units land there and also begin clearing mines. 2 of the BAV amphibious cars come under fire from a T34 that I haven’t identified and I decide to create a hasty smokescreen with my overwatching ISUs. A spetsnaz squad finds the immobilized T34 which kills one man, causing the rest to hit the dirt. The squad leader rallies his men and close assaults the T34 ineffectively. The scout spetsnaz that found the 60mm mortar knock it out and proceed to find other mortar emplacements.
Turn 15:
The western approach’s soviet side is bombarded heavily by mortar and artillery fire, to no effect since I don’t have units there. 2 of the barges unload their cargo (one ISU and one flame tank). The flame tank immediately starts barbeqeuing a nearby rifle squad. At the center of the Chinese line 203mm artillery knock out one AA truck and one T34. At the eastern approach all of th engineer units are on shore and clear the minefields there. The T34 that was assaulted by the spetsnaz kills two more of its adversaries, before an RPG-2 from the latter finally knock the brave tank out. Spetsnaz start moving inlnd, encountering isolated pockets of resistance, which are however important to eliminate, so that the main force gets off the shore as quickly as possible, to avoid the shelling that certainly will come.