Day 12 turns 1 and 2
Well, both Bob and I did predict it was going to be a very bloody day for bothsides as the day progressed. So far casualties during the first two turns are for the Russians around 12 dead squads, two leaders and two crews. Casualties for the Germans is around 11 squads dead, 4 leaders and one Pz IIIH. Tough too really skirt around the issue of taking casualties when you have to really dig the Russians out of those factories or are trying to pull flanking raindeer games. Still, Bob has actually done a great job in both knocking my guys off their purches with heavy casualties and retaking key terrain on my east flank. I did get lucky initially with my pillbox group near the bottom big factory and raked his level one guys with good FP attacks, but after that I have had no more targets.
The west flank is an interesting battle as Bob tried once more to take building C33, he did the right things by recon by fire, and than sent a couple of squads to run and take it, but I had on the first level two 458's with HMG's HIP'ed that took those two squads out. Than Bob turned around, snaked a LOS to those formerly HIP'ed dudes and ripped them a new ass hole. Only a HS remained along with a wounded 9-2 (he rolled boxcars on his MC). So thinking the way is clear, Bob once more sent a squad and leader running towards building C33, he gets into the building with the only possible resistance coming from two squads in a trench adjacent to C33. But I instead elect to fire at his 548 in a building to my west flank and break that guy. But wait, he thinks he has that building right? well on my Turn two I send my 9-2 with two 628's through a tunnal into building C33 and end up killing his guys in CC. Still. this early in the game and he has found most of my HIP and special tricks already.
In the middle, a lot less maneuver and more of an attritional battle for whats left of the factory's. Basically it has been a very back and forth battle with both of us forgetting to do something important at some point of our respective turns. With so much going on all over the map, there are times you will forget to do stuff. Still, his FT have been hell on my lads but my little 6+1 with a DC did manage to whack a few of his guys. (they were broken, so my 6+1 ran over and chucked a DC on them.) Still, Bob is pushing my guys back slowly but surely.
On my eastern flank, things are very fluid, here I have both my observers with 70mm and 120 OBA. So far I got really hit hard by Bob's kill stacks initially, but than I was able to smoke them in. All my Mortars ran out of smoke on the 1st turn, but fortunately my OBA was able to smoke in his kill stacks. I did manage to rubble one hex of building GG21 but trying to rubble my set DC in hex GG22 failed miserably when I rolled a 12 on the set DC IFT roll. Plus Bob's than sent a 548 towards building GG21, dances through my minefields and retakes whats left of the building. Very lucky indeed. Still, I did take out a PzIIIH in CC, he lost a 9-2 to a sniper, so one kill stack crumbled but will be back later on, less one 9-2 to help direct their attacks thankfully.
So far, good fun indeed, but at the same time its frustrating as I cant get any traction to throwing back his guys on my east flank. Not being able to rubble building G22 fully is also a real let down too. Well, much more to do, so it aint over yet.
Scott