THE MAIN EVENT II! Lord Bane vs. Matteponk

[Der Kuenstler]

Minute six proves a devastating minute for Matteponk.

To the North, Bane's two vet T34s adjust their positions a little and shoot their MGs at a few infantry. The big action this minute is in town center and to the South.

In this first pic Matteponk's green T34 that was sent up the road on "fast" last turn arrives in very good position to get some side shots on the two T34s Lord Bane has sheltered behind the light building in town. But the German tank misses and alerts the two. The Russians both back up and pivot their turrets to meet the threat. The IVJ bumbles again - fires and misses. By this time the two T34s return fire and the tank explodes into a huge ball of fire. There was a crack MG42 team riding on the back of the unlucky tank - they completely evaporated in the gasoline and flames without time to even scream.



Meanwhile, Matteponk orders his vet IV70 to back up and go South up the church driveway by his conscript IVJ. His reg IVJ stays still - its commander has been killed so it is blind there. LBs third T34 decides to come hunting up over the ridge at that moment. It's first shot penetrates with no damage. The second shot ricochets. But the third shot hits home - the sluggish IV70 only got one shot off and missed. It was the platoon leader, too.



Up on the church drive, the conscript IVJ crew were momentarily relieved that the T34 that was aiming at them was taken out by the Southern IV70, but two more T34s soon replaces that one, and drill the hapless bunch. We can also see the Guards '44 platoon inside the church - they are out of command and pinned right now, but they are inside and the Germans are still outside.



Lord Bane is not finished yet - he creeps another T34 around the edge of the light building to the South and it snipes another IVJ through the scattered trees. The IVJ didn't even get to fire.



Matteponk gets one good break at least - his IV70 to the South was able to kill Lord Bane's only crack T34/85 while it was focusing on the conscript tank near the church. You can see the IV70 to the far left.



Half of Matteponk's armor is now destroyed. Lord Bane has lost four T34s, so he now has 17 left against Matteponk's remaining seven. To Matteponk's favor, two of those 17 are now bogged, and the tanks he has killed were three vets and a crack. But not much else is going right for the krauts.

All this prompts Lord Bane to crow:

"A disasterous turn for the Treacherous Matteponk! It seems that he bought a larger supply of armor than I anticipated. His mistake though is to try and fight at close quarters with my powerful 85mm guns. Next turn I will attack in the center and slay another of his PzIV/70s. Then he is in big trouble. I will make Matteponk pay for his crimes. I have sent a message to STAVKA to anticipate a stunning victory over the Hitlerites!"