SASL MOSKVA - Mission #1
7 January 2008, Double Deuce @ 2:13 pm

Mission 1 : Repulsed ! Chimki, Russia. December 1, 1941

By December 1941 the German 9th Army was making its last effort in trying to reach Moscow from the northwest. Some motorcycle elements of the 62. Panzepioniere Regiment reached Chimki within a mere 23 km’s northwest from the Kremlin. Different units of Rokkosovsky’s 16th Army were thrown into the fray in order to stop this last desperate effort. The exhausted Germans were stopped cold in their last attempt to take the capital.

• Type : Enemy Offensive (9)
• Mapboard selection : A8d
• Initial mapboards : On a dr <2 the easternmost board (only) uses Table 8b with a +2 DRM
• Weather : EC are Snow with a Mild Breeze from the Northeast.
• Enemy ELR : 2
• There is an additional +1 DRM on tables G2, G5a, G7 and G8

MISSION SETUP
My 1st mission was to defend against an enemy attack from the bottom board edge (West). Fortunately, I was provided a single 45mm ATG along with some Mines and Wire from Battalion HQ to add to my defensive line. Not much but it would have to do. Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin and 1st Platoon take up positions on the left flank directly behind Hill 498. Kapitan Demochev and the rest of the Company along with the ATG deploy in the center. The HMG and crew take up a position to the rear overlooking the defenses from the 2nd floor of a wooden building.

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TURN 1
Turn 1 sees 3 preparatory German artillery attacks (of 80mm, 100mm and 150mm) but luckily miss all of Kapitan Demochev’s men. In another stroke of good luck 11x 5-2-7’s with limited Support Weapons and led by a lone NCO (7-0) show up to bolster the defenses but they are far to the rear and it will take time to get them into position. Their short weapon range will also be a disadvantage in this open terrain. To the west enemy activity is already starting to be detected.

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TURN 2
The Russian reinforcements slowly stream into position on the right flank as German artillery continues to fall. Luckily again there are no casualties. So far, so good.

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TURN 3
On the right, German infantry is spotted as Kapitan Demochev’s reinforcements continue struggling to get into position when they are forced to cross a small gully. In the center, more enemy infantry is spotted and these are bringing along an HMG and and are led by a veteran officer (10-3). Some long range MG fire is exchanged but there are no casualties on either side. The German artillery has fallen silent.

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TURN 4
german infantry begins to appear all long the front, many led by veteran leaders and bringing along more MG’s and a mortar. Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin and his men come face to face with the enemy coming over Hill 498. All along the front, long range MG fire is exchanged again with no casualties. Not only has a large force of enemy infantry arrived on the battlefield it appears that a PzKw 38(t)E is operating near Hill 534. On the right, the Russian reinforcements seem to be milling about without effective leadership, not a good sign.

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TURN 5
Both Russian leaders are broken this turn basically leaving the company without any direction as the German’s continue to press their attack. The ATG manages to score a lucky shot destroying the PzKw 38(t)E before it can enter the fighting. Sniper fire near Hill 498 manages to wound the enemy leader. Our lone 50mm MTR crew is killed by HMG fire from the 10-3 and his men advancing in the center, but fortunately one of our rifle squads was nearby and able to take control of it. Another 50mm MTR on our right flank brought up by the reinforcements begins to open up on the Germans but does no real damage.

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TURN 6
A pretty good turn although we lost a Rifle Squad in the center defending the large wooden building. In the heavy exchange of gunfire our men did manage to kill the 10-3 and his men manning the HMG. On the left, the wounded German leader (8-1) and his men charge Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin’s Platoon and manage to make it into the lower floor of the building. After intense hand to hand fighting the German infantry is eliminated and their leader taken prisoner.

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TURN 7
A very bad turn. Kapitan Demochev is severely wounded and then is later killed. Many of the men with him are broken. With no leader, in the center, there will be no way to rally the men to have them continue the fight. There may be no choice but to withdraw. On the left flank, Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin (now temporarily in command of the Company) sends a squad out to recover a dismantled 50mm MTR dropped by the Germans as they assaulted into the building. He also recalls B Squad into the building from their position in the woods. On the far right, one of the Russian squads goes Berserk and charges the Germans closing in the on the village. They are cut down before they can close with the Germans and engage them in close combat.

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TURN 8
A late surge by the Germans failed to dislodge the Russian Defenders and cost them 3 more squads. While helping fight off the attack our 45mm ATG malfunctioned as did a 50mm MTR.

END GAME

2^nd Company managed to win a victory in this battle although if it had gone on another turn or so things could have been very different.



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