Battlegroup, Fall Of The Reich Campaign - Game One

Today Dave and I fought the first engagement of our campaign, Rawnstadt has been declared a "Festung" by Mr. Hitler. The Russians do not want to use resources to surround and neutralise it, but they cannot ignore it and risk it being a springboard for an attack against their flank or rear, so the "Boss" has ordered it taken or wiped out, always keen to foster a little rivalry, General Bikkliski has been ordered to attack from the east, whilst General Robinski has been ordered to attack from the south, to the victor the spoils?
Keen to steal a march on his rival, Bikkliski has pressed on without waiting for the supply column to catch up, so his tanks will be unable to re-arm but there should be enough fuel .
The Germans have set up a defence line along a ridge and adjacent to Nordheim farm, they have an infantry platoon together with anti-aircraft support and are also supported by 82 and 120mm mortars off table and in addition to a timed 105mm howitzer strike can expect further support from a Panther and Pak40.

  The table, using the Battlegroup Defence Line scenario, the Russians will enter from the bottom.

Nordheim Farm and ridge.

The Russians sent a motorised scout squad and half a motorised infantry platoon racing ahead, leaving the T34 platoon and IS2 support to follow up with the other half of the infantry platoon, these would start to arrive on turn three. This was a bit of a gamble with the infantry unsupported they were at the mercy of the German firepower, the timed Katyuska strike pinned the FHQ in the command bunker which gave them a little respite as no mortar fire came down, then the tanks arrived, one was taken out by a panzerfaust which gave the few remaining German infantry on the ridge heart but that was tempered when the Russians pulled a breakdown counter which immobilised the truck mounted 20mm quad which was unable to move up and lend fire support, it had already done good work by driving off an IL2 air strike earlier though. Turn four was dreadful for the Germans they failed to hit most targets and the radio communications failed too. The final nail in the Germans coffin came when Dave pulled his third air attack counter (perhaps it would have been better if I missed everything), third time lucky, the VVS arrived in the form of a PE2, the quad failed to drive this attack off, although it only resulted in a couple of pinning hits which were saved, the resultant draw of a counter for the air attack took the Germans above their BR of 27.

Although the counters drawn were 10 to the Germans and 11 to the Russians you can see from the photo below why the Russians were nowhere near their BR of 33. 

Some photos in no particular order -

I am sure I have missed some salient points but in the heat of battle one forgets what, when and where at times. A victory for the Russians earning three victory points, next time the action will revert to the south where General Robinski will launch his offensive, this will see me command the Russians for a change.

TTFN