On the spearhead. Summer 1942

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Katukov core forces at 3/9 1942
HQ
FO
Ammo Dump
6x 120mm Heavy Mortars
3x 152mm FH
3x cavalry
Marine company (10x marines)
Engineer company (10x flamethrower eng)
Guard company (10x Guards with Molotov)
4x SP AA 25mm trucks
Heavy tank company
8x KV1B, 2x KV1A, 5x KV2
T34 company
10x T34 m1941imp
5x 76mm ATG
4x 12.5mm HMG
Karukov looked at the plain and edge of the forest before him. It's going to be a hard battle. He had a some reinforcment attached to his brigade - half of marine company, two motocycler paltoons, two recon platoons on jeeps and most important, two 76 FH battalions should support his attack.
However intellegence reported a very strong german force, both tanks and infantry in the area.
Katukov decided to attack on the north flank. If he break through the german line his fast attack force - motocyclers and cavalry could reach the forest and raid german rear area, being invisible to enemy.
His attack started with hevy artillery barrage. The valleis of two 76mm FH batllions, six 120mm mortars and three 152mm howitzers seems stunned german.
First line of attackers - guard company heavy tank company with engineers riding desant was moving fast and penetrate deep into german defence. Motocyclers platoon infiltrated through frontline, but was stoppedby hevy artillery fire from german rear area.
As Katukov forces moved deeper german resistance grew stronge Katukov forces encountered stronger. Two tank groups were encountered - on the north-east hill and near the north objective.

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Katukov concentrated all but one heavy tanks near the objective, and destroyed two TIII. In that moment another TIII platoon hits hit tanks (for or five tanks). One KV1 was lost, one severely damaged and one immobilized. However TII attack was not successful, they all concentrated in one square, easily become suppressed and were all (or at least all visible) destroyed. After that thinking that most dangerous german armor destroyed Katulov ordered T34 with marines attack on the east and south-west. He also desided that after taking the objective most of hevay tanks should attack alon the road and some (KV2 mostly) should help on the east flank.

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Heavy tanks were adavncing along the road successfully. T34 cleared east flank and joined them. T34 couldn't go into german rear area - motocyclers encountered 88mm AT guns. On the west flank german infantry made a strong resistance. Russian suffer hevay infantry losses.

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Advancing heavy tanks destroyed south TIII group in the long-range outshoot. Patisan appear near western objective and directed artillery fire on the german 88mm FLAK. As they become suppressed T34 started fire on them too. Second objective on the east was taken by mix of T34, KV2 and KV1. However german infantry attacked incessantly on the west, killing and routing russian infantry. Tanks were risking lose infantry support. Katukov ordered west flank force to retreat toward west objective. west objective force went on defence. Central force of heavy tanks and T34 continue advance toward south objective.

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After german FLAK were destroyed by artillery partisan, motocyclers and T34 took both eastern objective.
On the west, under heavy attacks of german infantry west flank of Katukov force become isolated and reatreated north. West objective force last almoste all infantry.Cental force was defending road toward south objective. At last group of tanks moved from behind defensive line and took it. German made last contattack allong all the fronts, moved close to south objective but were unable to reatke it. Marginal victory. About half of infantry was lost. Tanks losses were very few - only one tank completly destroyed.

[PimpYourAFV]

Those screenshots are awesome. Now all you need is a fair fight.

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Colonel, we are phasing out KV-2 - we have no ammo for them. Standart 152mm shells can not be shot from it's cannon, production of special KV-2 shells stopped and we have no store left. Good news for you - you are geting brand new KV-8 flame tanks instead. It's armor not so thick as KV-1E, but should be impenetrable for infantry and light tank fire. Now to the work: Take this village on the Rostov road. Should be easy for your force. German have no defence there, expect meeting engament.

Hard battle, AI 150

The task seems straightforward enough - take good position before Germans, and defend there. Katukov desided to send KV-8 to take the willage and it's outskirt, 1st KV1 platoon take central forest hiill, and second - south objective. Enginneer will ride KV and do forest fighting. recon and marines will move together with heavy tanks as spotters. T34 and Guard will be left in reserve, and do mopping up after german broke.

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Katokov sweared under his breath. Predatory long-nosed shapes were moving across the field toward his troops. The new German T-IV 2f, with long barreled cannon, capable to rip through T-34 armor on the medium distance and kill KV with one shot in close made their appearence.

The battle was not going as planned On the north KV-8 were in bad shape - one of KV-8 has his flamegun knocked out, only one was helding the village road against several T-III. On the outskirt another KV-8 was lost and German tanks were pressing attack. On the central clearing ATG did a great gob, killing both T-III and fearsome T-IV 2f without hesitations. On the south one KV was lost, but the situation seems stable. KV1 had diffcalties dealing with new T-IV though.

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On the north russian defence desintegrated under pressue of German T-III. The single functioning KV8 escaped and two remaining KV1 were fighting retreat. On the south, opposite 2nd KV1 plt and engineers killed a lot of TIII and two or three TIV2f. Most of TIV2f were killed by ATG. To overturn the situation on the north Katukov ordered T34 and marines move forward.

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Last attack depleted Germa strength. With 2nd KV1 platoon hitting them from the south, T34 and fresh infantry from the west and remnants of north force from the north-west they weren't able of cohesive defence. Combined russian attack destroyed geramn tanks and their morale broke. Victory followed.
Five russian heavy tanks were completly destroyed.
This fight was difficalt for russians. It seems Katukov did a tactical mistke in the beginning< trying to establish defensive line in the forest. It would probably do better just group tanks around ATG's and meet germans with concentrated fire. However the desision to keep T34 away from combat until the germans were exhausted brought the victory. If they were put into front line they would be most probaly destroyed in close range by TIII and TIV2f