Animal Hunter

The battle for Ponyri Station, like many battles, happened for no particular reason as to occur where it did. The rail 
station and the small town that surrounds it have no military value. Ponyri consisted of a school, water tower, rail 
station, and tractor factory. But it was there that two powerful and determined foes met, clashing in their attempts to 
destroy one another like some long-past Gods in Greek mythology. The Germans tried five times to bust through the well 
defended Russian line, each time, failing. The German XLI Panzer Corps penetrating the Soviet defensive positions and 
driving rapidly between the road and the railroad line through the high ground where Ponyri was located and then on 
towards Kursk. This Corps comprised four divisions: 18th Panzer Division, 10th Panzer Grenadier Division, and the 86th 
and 292nd Infantry Divisions. The 78th Sturm (Assault) Division of XXIII Corps protected the left flank of XLI Panzer 
Corps and was also involved in the fighting around Ponyri. From west to east the 292nd and 86th Infantry and 78th Sturm 
Divisions led the assault. The main armored support was provided by the 90 Ferdinands of Heavy Panzerjger Regiment 656, 
containing the entire inventory of these armored monsters. In addition, the 292nd and 86th Infantry Divisions had the 
216th Sturmpanzer Battalion (45 Brmmbrs) and the 177th and 244 Sturmgeschtz Brigades. The 18th Panzer Division 
contained 72 more conventional vehicles including 5 Pz II, 10 Pz III kz, 20 Pz III 75, 5 Pz IV kz, and 3 Pz Bef Cmd, and 
also the 101st Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The 10th Panzer Grenadier Division had an exceptionally powerful artillery 
complement: seven artillery battalions, a Nebelwerfer regiment, a heavy mortar battalion and an assault gun battalion.

The battle became a whirlpool, sucking in more and more troops on both sides. Records indicate over 10,000 men died for 
this meaningless terrain. The only value here was the fact that Ponyri station sat astride the second Russian defensive 
belt in this area of the Kursk offensive from the north. Even if the Germans broke through, there was yet a third 
defensive line waiting miles away, and events elsewhere during this offensive would dictate the final outcome. However, 
like a mysterious magnetic field, the Germans sent four divisions to seize the town and were opposed by a dug-in, well 
armed Russian regiment who were ordered to stand and fight at all costs. Russian reserves were close by, including a full 
artillery division assigned to support the defenders; something totally unheard of before. Major Sankovsky, commander of 
the new SU-152 battery of 1442nd SP Art Regiment, assigned to the 13th Army was in support of the 307th Rifle Division 
around Ponyri Station when the 41st Panzer Corps' attacked with 200 panzers. Leading the way were Tiger I's of Schwere 
Panzer Abteilung 505, and the Borgward BIV remote control mine clearance tanks. On this day it is believed the major 
himself knocked out 10 enemy tanks, and in the ensuing three weeks of combat at Kursk the battery accounted for some 12 
Tigers and 7 Ferdinands. It was this units results which the SU152 the nickname of  "Animal Hunter".
The battle for Ponyri station was a go-for-broke, see-saw slugfest over a town that the rest of the world never heard of 
before. It would be called, "Kursks Stalingrad."

German : -->  [- : Russian

Scenario Length: 6 Game Turns - LOS (7 hexes)
Victory objective: The side with the required Victory Points is the winner. Both sides gets VPs for owning VP Objectives.
Scenario designer: "Cough" Rico
