14 Sept - Day
GE Turn 5
With the fall of the D3 strongpoint, the way is clear to move further East using the houses as cover. The 2 x Sdkfz 10/5 move to two hexes away from 2 x 426's and through intense firing breaks the squads and they rout out of the line of fire in the RPh. Meanwhile, the two StuG G's and GE squads in E6 break the RU stack in G5, also forcing it too rout eastward, and the stone houses on the Southside of Communalskaya are slowly being cleared by sustained fire on the inhabitants. The RU strongpoint at H9 is finally cleared of RU forces, and occupied by the GE MG stacks; they are now ready to bring fire on the unactivated S?s across Communisticheskaya.
In the North-Centre area the trench line is slowly being cleared, but a stubborn 226 takes a GE 467 with it in H-to-H; two of the our are cleared. A rogue NKVD 628 is running around behind German lines, and actually causes a GE stack to break, it then turns North to take out a pair of 247 HS that had just eliminated the 76L ART crew.
The H33 strongpoint is being whittled down and only a berserk 328 is left adjacent to GE MMC's and will charge on the RU MPh. The single 426 with a Lt Mtr in K40, continues to hammer F33, but the 10-3 is doing a good job with keeping the squads alive. Unfortunately an RU Sniper is activated, and randomness sees it land on the 10-3 led stack, who fails its Wound Severity dr, and subsequently breaks another squad. Further ROF from the Lt Mtr reduces the stack further by another 1.5 squads, including the FT wielding 838. The loss of the 10-3 will probably hurt in the following turns.
The Germans have a good foothold in the Railway Station, and now occupy 4 of the 6 hexes, though the dug-in KV1 in G39 will be trouble. RU units that are broken, are being forced to rout South or East to avoid elimination, and only a single RU 426 in F39 and the tank keep the Station from falling completely into German hands.
In the South, the push towards the Children's Home is advancing slowly, and a T60 is activated by an advancing GE MMC. The Concealed 548 then advances into CC with it hoping to destroy it but fails to. Another concealed 467 pushes into the unfortified location G41, and activates 2 S? and clears 2 S/ from adjacent hexes. In the following RU PFPh, all the ADJACENT fire is ineffective against the 548.
Strongpoint F46, which had resisted up to this point, finally sees the lone remaining 228 and 7-0 break from PFPh and are forced to retreat to the East, clearing the way to leapfrog forward a couple of buildings. The StuG B (D47 by-pass) breaks its gun permanently and in the subsequent GE Mph in Turn 6 will have to exit the mapboard. Other StuG B's in the area activate an NKVD 628 in a shellhole stopping the Germans from pushing through the orchards.
RU Turn 5
RU rolls an RE (36) for Reinforcements, but luckily avoids the other Reinforcement DR (roll under the Turn number) that could have been dicey. This time, only 9S? in Advance Attitude are placed along the North edge of the map and will enter on the RU MPh, however each subsequent turn, on a 1-3 on dr, a further DR worth of S? will enter the North. The North KG will have to reposition itself to deal with the threat.
Luckily, the two Advance Attitude S? that were threatening the 2x SdKfz 10/5 in F0/F1, were dummies and removed, however a T34 was generated in L1 that is quickly engaged by two StuG G's at a range of 7 hexes.
In the centre, several RU units PANIC and therefore are unable to fire on the slowly advancing pair of 467's, that are approaching their positions.
At the Railway Station, the dug-in KV1 breaks the adjacent 838 and forces it too rout away to the North freeing up F38 to be reoccupied by the lone 426 in the Station. An adjacent NKVD 628 also enters the railway station.
Near the Children's Home, the T60 that was in CC fails to break the 548 in combat with it, as well as a lot of adjacent MMC's that were unable to break the squad. During the ensuing CCPh, a 426 enters the combat and gains ambush, but is unable to kill the squad which then kills the vehicle. The 426 is now stuck in MELEE with the 548 in G43.
Finally, the just generated NKVD 628 in G48, breaks from point-blank fire from the StuG B and is forced to retreat one hex as it also became Disrupted.
In preparation for any subsequent Reinforcements, they will probably reposition themselves to occupy the houses along Kubanskaya to deal with them. If they can reach the factory (I47) by scenario end, they should be in good position for the next mission.
CVP Tally
GE 44
RU 133