Rematch: Dwayne (GE) vs. Vathailos (US)

[Vathailos]

"We have made contact Sir, Charlie Company reports that one of their half tracks was destroyed by AT gun fire" reported MAJ Langford.

COL Vathailos surveyed the smoking wreckage with his binoculars, and motioned for his S3. "Continue to advance Briggs, take those two hills there, and get some supressive fire on those enemy guns."

Around him, radios crackled, and within moments, shells were dropping all over the hill to the front of the destroyed half track. This would be yet another tough battle against determined German forces...

[dwayne]

Herr Oberst von Stainer,

majority of our forces are in position. Enemy recon forces spoted and suppressed with mg fire. We have discovered som at guns and mortars and we pinned them down.

nothing else report for now.

[Vathailos]

Their anti-tank guns are deadly accurate. One Quad .50 cal blazes just out of the woods to the north. It appears they've set up on the hilltop east of our northernmost objective. We spotted some infantry units attempting to remain hidden as they crossed the field, and the Quad had moved out to engage them.

In the center, a Jackson falls prey to their accurate fire as well. The instant he crested a small rise, a 75mm shell blasted into the turret, killing the loader and destroying the main gun.

We are faring much better in the south. Our own AT guns disable a Panther, and another Jackson puts a 90mm round in its side. Its crew bail out, and are cut down by a Jeep with a .30 cal.

Then, two M9 Bazooka teams crawled forward, spotting 3 more Panthers with Engineer escorts. The team on a small rise to their north in the rocky ground opened up first. This got the German Tank Commanders to button up their hatches. Our 4-deuce had the Engineers on their bellies already. To our Rear, another one of our TDs crested the hill, and spotted a SkdFz 7-1. It fired a couple of rounds at it and the AA gun exploded. Then the M9 team to the south opened up on the Panther's flank. They fired several rounds and one finally struck home. A second Panther exploded in a ball of flame. With one Panther now backing full-speed through the brush, and the last scanning the rise to its front wildly, our Stewarts rolled forward and scored a flank shot on the last stationary Panther.

At that point, more Quad .50s rushed forward, and unloaded on the pinned Engineers and scout teams. More US artillery pounded the hapless Germans to the South.

COL Vathailos grabbed his radio, and called in P-47s for help against those AT guns. As the planes responded, a furious barrage of flak errupted from behind the hill where the AT guns were hidden. It tore into the airframe and caused the pilot to miss his target. As he nursed his battered plane back to the airfield, he radioed back that there was a large contingent of German armor just to our east.

This does not bode well...

[dwayne]

Fighting is fierce. Our left flank is weaken for continuous enemies attacks. We have ordered some reinforcement to move there. The lone survivor of panther platoon managed to destroy two enemies light tanks.

Other parts of the battlefield are quiet, exept for us artylery barrage.

We have managed to fend off enemies planes for now and our Stukas begin to hunt down without major resistance.

[Vathailos]

We do NOT have air superiority! Despite the fact that our P-47's just roared through the skies above seconds ago, now the enemy's Stukas are unloading on our troops as we push forward.

We have ground to a stop in the north. The enemy must be firing from caves. His AT guns continue to destroy our vehicles with their first shots, despite the hail of 155mm rounds we've dropped on their positions.

In the center, the situation looks even more grim. We have spotted 4 Konstigers, and are powerless to halt them. As they crest the hill, our AT guns engage them, but the rounds simply bounce off. While they're occupied by our AT and machinegun fire, Airborne troops rush forward, only to find a waiting Germain sniper. They dispatch him and the Kubelwagon he was taxied by, but they're then too far to engage the closest KT accurately and two bazooka rounds fly wide. After pelting the KTs with even more HMG fire and AT rounds, a Sherman Flame rolls forward from behind a building and fires at the closest KT from a mere 100 yards. And misses. Twice. While the huge cats are occupied, a Jackson takes a hull-down shot at a SP AA (possibly 7/1) in the enemy's rear, and scores a kill. We are powerless as the closest Konstiger's turret spins slowly toward the M4-Flame...

To the south, we're still faring much better, despite the airstrikes. A small horde of Airborne troops bursts from the trees and charges the last Panther's left flank. In the ensuing barrage of BAR and bazooka fire, one round strikes home and the Panther begins to burn. Its crew are gunned down as they exit. We also locate and destroy another sniper, and push back a Panzershreck team. The Engineer squad accompanying the last Panther was chewed up by an advancing Stewart and Quad .50.

The enemy's superior armor may yet tell the tale, however.

[dwayne]

After a few minutes of the fierce fight, situation on the front have changed. In the south we were pushed back and recived heavy losses on AFVs. We were unable to get to VH. In the center our Tigers kills as they wish. US troops hold there VH with only a cupple airbone infantry. In the north we still hold VH. Enemy is trying to get to them, again with US Airbone but we managed to push them back. US commander do not think this VH are priorities for him and he concentrates in centre and souther front.

We have lost 2 Stukas last turn and this turn another 2 Skutas tried to hit enemy, but without luck. We still are not beaten and even have a reserves

[Vathailos]

Quite a bit has transpired in the last few turns…

In the north, an enemy Panther now burns, but it’s wingman destroys our Jackson in one shot. A rather fierce infantry battle has erupted there as our Airborne troops clash with Grenadiers with MG troops in support. Our artillery however has suppressed their AT gun support, and is turning the tide in the infantry battle. Another one of their Panthers is destroyed with a rear shot as it flees.

In the center, the Germans have reinforced their push with infantry support. Fortunately for us however, their tanks roll forward into the smoke and chaos at the top and western side of the hill, while their infantry remains in the reverse-slope. Our infantry rushes their tanks, destroying a Panther, severely damaging a Konstiger, and heavily suppressing two more. Our troops call in more heavy artillery to fix their infantry on the back of the hill.

To the south, we have discovered even more enemy reinforcements. But a strong performance from our Airborne squads there has resulted in the destruction of 3 out of 4 SkdFz 6/2’s MG teams, and almost all of the German Engineer and Grenadier squads there. Two HT’s remain in the area, but a P-47 takes out one that was en route to reinforce their failing lines there.

The enemy has made its main push in the center, and we were waiting. I feel it is only a matter of time before all those magnificent pieces of German engineering are burning hulks.