The American 4-41 Mech Battalion was ordered to hold a series of bridges leading to the town of Rotenburg. During the setup phase I noticed what looked to be a good position to set up an ambush in the woods just north of the the town (see figure 1). I ordered A Company, 4-41 Mech to move to that location and to dig-in in the woods just south of the ridge that the road crosses. Prior to the fire fight, my recon units out front engaged and scattered the Soviets’ recon elements leaving their maneuver units blind as they moved forward. The fire fight commenced when a company of mech infantry from the 3rd Battalion 200th Gds MRR crested the ridge line exposing themselves to A Company dug in in the woods. All three platoons of the American company tore into the Soviet company. When the smoke cleared, half of the Soviet company laid burning or dead (see red circle in figure 2). The Soviet company, instead of retreating, composed itself and started to return fire at the Americans in the woods, it was then joined by another company of Soviet mech. Eventually all three Soviet companies would be engaged in the firefight. The three Soviet companies dismounted and began to assault the American position. Both sides then started dropping arty on each other (see the craters in figures 2 and 3). This was a classic combined arms fight at that moment. Eventually, the Soviets were able to drive the American platoons back into the woods after taking heavy loses. What was left of the Soviet Battalion tried to continue the advance towards the town of Rotenburg but was too spent to gain the bridge (figure 3). The entire fire fight lasted a little over an hour.
Capn Darwin has worked hard to get the combat model in FPC right. Getting the infantry to fight like infantry was not easy and it took time and a lot of adjustments. It is not perfect and will probably never be with all the variables. But it is close.
