Hellcat vs Gary Tatro '44

[hellcat]

Feb '44, a cold plain strewn with a few frozen hills. 10,000 points. Russia v Germany. Das Hellcat with his kampfgruppe once more, Gary playing the Red Menace...

Opening moves - Russians fire ALOT of smoke across the field and some BM-8s along one of the major roads. Visibility is only 10 hexes. We run into some SMG squads in the North but that's about it...

Rarity is ON so we have both been forced into selecting some unusual forces.

[Gary Tatro]

So good of you to join us in this Russian winter. Oh did you forget your blankets, boots and winter cloths. No well just your Tigers then. You should know that Tigers do not like winter weather and go south.

Rarity is on that is true. I argued and haraged Hellcat until he agread. We were both suppose to get 2 sections of air but alas none showed up. Since it is latter in the war Hellcat was allowed up to 15% artillary and I was allowed up to 20%. Thus signifying the historical use of artillary by the Russians.

My first turn was fairly quite also. Have received no bombardment what so ever and this makes me a little leary. A couple of Hellcats recon troops will not report back to him any time in the future.

Just to let you know Hellcat I was not able to get any Heavy tanks. No ISU-2, or ISU-1 comming your way. To bad thoughs would have been fun to play. Also for some reason the Computer thinks that the Russians did not have any motorcyles at all in the war.

[hellcat]

Clearly motorcycles are something of a premium as I wasn't allowed to take very many either, and have been relying on the faithful kubelwagen which the Russians have been having great fun shooting to pieces already

I couldn't bring any Tigers to the party to have been forced to make some unorthodox choices. With visibility at 10 I forewent the use of any preliminary barrage from my arty however the HQ has now received calls for pinpoint mortar firing so the Russians will be able to feel my arty soon enough. The rest waits, silently, for the order for the 'great barrage'...

Going is slow in this snow and some skirmishing is now occuring along the front, mainly between infantry but some Russian ATGs and MGs have also been heard (if not seen)...

[Gary Tatro]

Is that the best you can do? Surly you can do better. Ahh Commrade Hellcat. Why don't you just Surrender now and save youself the greif of having to plow through all this snow. I have your girlfriend Helga here and she have some nice hot jugs full of warm nector to get you through this Russian winter. She has a very nice bosom too.

You really should have talked to me before bringing Elephants to Russian during February. It is to cold for creatures like that this time of year.

Besides they have no recon troops left to carry. That is right I have sent them all out to play making Snow Angels. They make them very nicely and with a touch of red also. :p

[hellcat]

the bodies of soviet scouts are also laying still in the snow... As I couldn't get Tigers or 88s Elefants were my only available purchase on the hvy jpz section... many of my tank purchases were restricted

no matter we have enough surprises for you I am sure

[Gary Tatro]

I must protest this use of artillary against artillary. We are civilized people don't you know and the use of artillary against artillary is strickly against the Soviet Rules of engagment.

Ahhh what was that captain. Oh it isn't illegal. Well what the hell, target his then man, are you daft.

[hellcat]

through the blizzard we can make out the outline of a ramshackle town in the south... as we approach AT Guns and maxims open up on us...

elsewhere we encounter clumps and clusters of soviet infantry hiding among the freezing trees, their white smocks concealing them until they decide to open fire...

what's that? Thunder???

not long now.....

[Gary Tatro]

How very sad that you did not take me up on the offer of Helga and her nector. Ahh well what can be expected from a facist.
What do you fight with. Is all that the German government can afford is recon troops. You would think that you were running out of your poor recon corps. They continue to go out and make snow angles.
Well it is nice to know that you can throw a decent artillary party. Things are heating up in my little town. I do hope you will come and visit. I will keep the light on for you.

[hellcat]

in answer to the question of where my troops are, the answer is now 'Behind you!'... the skies went black with a carpet of Junkers dropping elite German paratroopers across the Soviet rear... :p

The battle for the small town has begun as well as some fighting in the woods to the South...

[Gary Tatro]

"The sky, it is filled with huge snow flakes."
"Huh, What, those are not snow flakes you idiot, that is the whole f*cking german airboure landing. Get into your B-11's and your SU-57's and get rid of them."
"Get rid of them, Comrade there must be 5 full comanies of FJ Airborne that just landed."
"Yeah so we are well deployed, report back your results in ten minutes I want all of those Germans captured or eliminated by then."
"Comrade we are in the process of cleaning up. We have taken some casualties and the town is starting to be hard pressed, by infantry and artillary. But good news we have eliminated and captured about three of the companies that landed behind our lines. "
Good work commander keep it up."

[hellcat]

well my enormous (biggest yet) airborne landing has been shot to bits! man - airborne just don't seem to work in pbem, maybe it's just something for the AI???

we're press forward, but deeply shocked and saddened

[Gary Tatro]

Please try not to post pone the inevitable. Soon you will join mother Russian in Seberbia if you refuse to lay down your arms and surrender.
Don't you know that Panthers are warm bloded creatures. They like their breathren the Tiger, prefer the warmer climents of Africa.

"Commander we are receiving report of heavy enemy movement all along the north and south fronts. The facists really want that town and have started pushin on our flanking defenses. "
"Well comrade what about the air borne drop?"
"All but completly whiped out. There are a few hide outs in the trees way to the Southeast end of the battle ground and there is one squad of FJ Heros that took out 5 SU-57's, a squad of our infantry, and our ammo depot."
"WHAT? One FJ Airborne did that?"
"Yes Sir"
"What is your name son?"
"Sergent *sshole, Sir"
"I can't believe it!."
"Well I have thought of changing my name, but it was on my paternal father side and."
"Oh shut up, *sshole, I am talking about the damage that FJ Airborne did. Well we will take care of that squad in a few minutes I will think up something quite spectacular for him. Well *sshole it looks like the tide of the battle is turning for the better. Soon we will take the land the facists stole from us back and more."

[hellcat]

i never knew how useful SU57s were until I saw Gary use them



despite my abortive airborne landing we are fighting on in all areas and have taken down some of his '57s but he has a lot of them... we've also managed to shift some of the enemy infantry back and continue to assault the small town...

[Gary Tatro]

It is like throughing yourself against a stone wall no?
A big Red Granite stone wall egh.
Well my friend I am not sure just how many AFV's you lost in the last few minutes but let me guess.
5 Marader III(m)'
1 Elephant
4 Panther A's
a couple of PZVIs
a few half tracks
a couple of SDFK 250/22's

and a few other things I can not remember.

I would like to thank your for throughing that nice dinner of 3-5 Companies not really sure of FJ Airborne my way, they were really tasty. It took a total of ten minutes for them to all run home to Germany.

You like the Soviet SU-57. Well you should it is relativly cheep to produce, has mounds of movement, and 5-6 shot from its main gun after movement, 6-7 shots without moving. And lets not forget that they get APRC.

Happy Hunting.

[Gary Tatro]

Hellcat has decided that it is hopless and has asked for terms of SURRENDER.

Gary 1

Hellcat 0