THE MAIN EVENT! Walkure vs. Herroberst

[Der Kuenstler]

Good observation, Ratzki. I'm going to try to hilight a few turns at once today as the battle is getting way ahead of my coverage.

Minute 17: Herroberst's SU-122 begins area firing again and another building goes down, resulting in new smoke walls that break LOS. small arms fire is heard everywhere as infantry slug it out from whatever cover they can find.



Minute 18: What's good for the goose....The smoke over one of the buildings up the street clears, and this time it is Walkure that catches Herroberst with his pants down. The SU-122 hurriedly tries to pivot around to face the menacing Jpz IV but not fast enough - he's knocked out before he can fire.



Minute 19: An opportunity lost. Is Herroberst losing confidence in his own tanks? Here his veteran T34/85 Platoon leader just sits idle while Walkure's vet Jpz IV up the street gleefully area fires a bunch of terrified Russian squads in the woods. The Jpz IV has been doing this for over a minute and is vulnerable now - concentrating on area firing and buttoned up. The vet T34/85 could conceivably get two side shots in before the enemy beast even noticed, but he stays still.



Minute 20: Infantry fighting in the woods. Walkure gives a lesson on how to use German FT units - you don't have to actually see the enemy - just area fire towards them. We can see here the overspray that happens even over a sharp rise - is enough to panic this Russian squad - they eventually run off, broken.



Reading the Fog of War: Hmmmmm...I wonder what this generic icon that says "MG Carrier" could mean? It's very likely that it dropped off something nearby - perhaps something threatening like a towed gun.



And bingo - one of Herroberst's 57mm guns was dropped off at the end of the street in some scattered trees. Walkure's vet Jpz IV drives right into it's sights. But the gun is only regular quality. It misses twice, enabling Wakure to return fire, and despite one 57mm partial penetration, the gun is not able to do any damage. It is quickly pinned and knocked out by the vet vehicle. The poor 57mm gun crew were out of command and had no bonus heart or stealth to stand up long against the lethal German HE.