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Katukov looked at the thermometer. -21 Celsius (-6 F). It was still warm enough. But Germans already have some problems - not enough winter clothing, oil in engeins and guns, motors not starting. As it was before ancient russian ally - General Frost come to help. Hitler thought cold wouldn't harm his army, because he had mistical pact with Ice. But it's was really stupid to make a pact with Ice anaginst people who call Frost their grandfather. And Katukov was intended to show Fritzs errors of their way. With heavy tanks.
All three company of conscript but one platoon was riding on tanks as tank desant. Also Katukov intended rapidly move his five 76mm ATG guns into the central field and shoot german tanks at will form there. As german will be engaged by heavy tanks and ATG part of T34 company with help of ski company will pass around german forces on the south and hit their HQ nad artillery behind their lines. South flank will be protected by threee 37mm ATG and platoon of conscript.

Noth column was moving too slow, and Katukov ordered second KV1 platoon to return and move along the central road. Suddenly german tanks appaer from the south and on cental village road. Katukov was not expecting them so soon. ATG barely had time untie from trucks, but were not infighting state, highly visible and not digged in. Most of trucks were destroyed and ATG in the center completly suppressed. However two ATG - on the central village road and little to the south from it had time to set up position. First ATG opened fire on the German armor in the village. Second couldn't locate any targets. T34 company commander was afraid to move his tanks against Germna panzer into open field. Heavy tanks on the north road stambled on the no less unsuspecting german armor columns. Close qouter fight ensured. Katukv ordered KV-2 and KV-1 not engaged into fight break through the buildings and help in the center. On the south most of ski infantry was suppressed, but one platoon was advancing around german successfully .

Single 76mm ATG gun in the center destroyed couple of german armor and delayed the rest.
As soon as haevy tanks broke through surrunding buildings and reinforced center Russian tanks started push Germans back in the center and on the south. On the north German armored column was unable to overcam intial shock of collision with Russian heavy tanks and was mostly destroyed.
T34 company reassured by heavy tanks arrival joined attack. Single platoon of ski infantry found and engaged German Nebelwaffers.

German wern't able to resist for long. Russian tanks broke through their lines, hunted and killed infantry and found and destroyed most of the mortars. German force was practically annihilated.

Katukov looked at the forest covered by snow. Somethere alnog the forest road German panzers were moving. But where exactly ? Katukov looked at the forest again. What if German engineer company was crawling below the three branches towards his tanks ? Katukov hated fighting in the forest. However there was a big clearing, right in the center, with hills on his side. Perfect place for ATGs. Katukov deployed one conscript company in the forest on the north, and ski company on the south. T34 company behinde them. With some luck ski company and T34 will be able to pass around german south flank and hit germans behind. KV2 with some help form infantry will try take a small hill on the north forest edge. 1st KV1 platoon will wait in ambash and second will pop and hide behind the hill and help to ATG.

ATG were doing good job, delaying german armor.
Infantry disembarked from heavy tanks and formed protective scrren before them. 1st KV1 platoon arrived into valley between hills, good place for ambash, second was supporting ATG.
Ju87 attacked 2d KV1 platoon and T34s, but didn't do mach damage - it was attaking already damaegd and immobilized T34, and KV1 quit attack intact.
Ski company and T34 with tank desant started moving forward on the south flank.

ATGs did a great job, all central plain was dotted with burning german armor.
On the north KV2 platoon(5 KV2) with infantry support drived away German infantry and advanced toward forest hill. Three KV2 desided to attack TIII's below. One KV2 destroyed TIII with lucky hit. Another KV2 attacked two TII at once, but was not so lucky and was destryed. Yet another KV2 was abandoned by crew after shootout with TIII. Remained KV2 retreated and returned to his primary function - killing infantry. On the south T34 and ski infantry attacked south hill objective.
Russian forces started advance all around the front line.
1st KV1 platoon left his position and moved around north objective hill. Four TIII conterattacked it. One by one TIII were destroyed. T34 and ski infantry broke through the german lines on the south and went for last objective. 2nd KV1 platoon also started advance in the center.
German tried to resist in wain. Superior russian forces rolled other few remainig armor and infantry.
Major victory.

Nice screenshots, especially with the arrows added on so we know where stuff is moving. It looks like an easy squash so to make it harder it is recommended to do something like turn up the AI points in preferences and/or turn on AI advantage and set it to hard battle. The AI needs a big numbers advantage to counter the human player's more effective use of terrain, combined forces and positioning.

Yep, I had to build up forces first. I started with BT5 company and T34 m1940 company(which can not hit a barn with FC 2 and RF 2), so in first battles had to rely on mines. No I'm strong enough to try hard battle (x2).

how are you adding the arrows?
nice stuff!

ORIGINAL: Alby

how are you adding the arrows?
nice stuff!

Looks like MSPaint to me. Save the screen, open them in paint, and voila! Instant tactical map.

I actually have some icons made in paint for a old tactical game i was working on. I've also transfered some maps from CoD:UO from my other computer over to this one, and made several tactical maps out of those. This computer's vid card disallows taking screens in fullscreen mode, but the other one doesn't care.

I'm using UOSU.exe from this forum to get correct color palette (for some reason UOSO.exe saving by itself is not working, so I have to past into MSPaint), print screen and paste into MSPaint, saving to bmp and open in GIMP2. All the staff done in GIMP2
http://gimp.org