SS Totenkopf - "Fire Brigade" (M44 Campaign)

[von Nev]

German Turn 22 - Fierce Tank Battle and Quick Panzer Counterattack

Up north the 110th Infantry Division continues to fight for its life as it attempts to conduct an orderly (but quick) withdraw but the Russians are hot on their heels. The Germans have only about 35 tanks to drive off over 100 (probably nearer to 150) rampaging Russian tanks. The ensuing tank fight decimates the German Stug company from the 25th PzGren division. It was on the losing end of a swarming attack of Shermans and T-34's. It is down to only 1 vehicle. I am desperately going to try to save this unit as when it is healthy it is A morale and I am horribly short of panzers in general. Several German infantry companies have been falling behind the retreat the last few turns and unfortunately I have to leave them behind. I can't risk more infantry to save isolated and disrupted units that will have a hard time retreating anyway.

Also, the blue corridor represents where I think the Russian armor may go to move quickly. As you can see I have positions my armor within that corridor and have deeply echeloned my infantry to ensure that the Russians do not break through. I doubt the Russian tanks will go go through the woods which is why the defense is only a single line.



Down south the bulk of Totenkopf continues to hold the line. The Russians advanced an infantry battalion to find where my line has retreated to. This weak recon is quickly isolated with Panther companies and a Stug battery and is decimated. It has only about 30 men left from over 300.

Just south of the German counterattack nearly two regiments of Russian infantry (after apparently receiving their ration of liquid courage (vodka) and supported by 15 or so SU-76s has "human-wave" attacked the dug-in SS PzGren position in the fortified village of Suslovka that blocks their axis of advance. This SS PzGren battalion dishes out more than it receives and disrupts several battalions. The PzGren battalion is still A morale so I know that it will not disrupt this turn so that village is safe and does not need to be reinforced.



P.S. On a side note, I believe that in the PzC game system that Stug units are too weakly modeled. Historically they decimated Russian armor and Russian commanders were ordered to avoid becoming seriously engaged with them. However in this game you will see that the 8 or 9 vehicle Stug batteries are too small to do any significant damage to Russian tank units and they are quickly brushed aside by hordes of armor.