DAR - The Cauldron Of Fire

[Cole]

Turn 9 Noon
The Germans now prepare to move on Shiroke Bilota. Before communications were cut off some spotters reported a sizable force using the shallow valley to cover their movement south. From the AT gun bunker Major Tarasenya excitedly calls in for air strikes along the ridge line to the west. His thought is that if he was the German commander he would position assault guns there to keep the bunker's defenders pinned. One assault gun was disabled the turn before due to artillery fire and Tarasenya hopes that more will arrive in time to be greeted by a squadron of Shturmoviks. His intuition is correct as he relays a report of a company's worth of panzers and half a company of infantry cresting the ridge.

The Red Air Force arrives quickly and it seems from radio chatter that two different strikes are inbound. The Major sees the first aircraft come in from the south and begin it's run. The aircraft starts strafing the tanks late and the full effect of the run falls on a platoon of German infantry which flees for cover. The second aircraft comes in and does the same thing. There's no time to arrange another strike and a great opportunity was missed. The German assault guns will now do some damage.

In the eastern sector the Germans are moving their infantry forward quickly. Fortunately for the Russians they have plenty of artillery and hopefully some HE will slow down the advance:



The situation to the east of Shiroke Bilota below. Quite a few batteries of artillery are assigned fire missions in this sector. The ominous Elefants cover the advance from the ridges just to the north.