Chain of Command Eastern Front Camapign - week 10

Having successfully blunted the Soviet advance in the last battle the Axis forces once again resumed their advance towards the town that is the objective of the whole campaign. A victory in this game would place them on the outskirts of the town ready to launch a decisive thrust.

For this battle Hauptmann Grau had summoned up a Tiger I which absorbed most of the reinforcement points available to him. The Finns fielded a Pak38 and a maxim. The Russians went with a KV-1 and a couple of flame throwers.

Battle field from the Russian side

Battlefield from the planned Finnish deployment 

Once again the Patrol Phase favoured the Axis forces with the Russians largely pinned around the church and the surrounding fields. So the Axis deployed in force with the Finns occupying the woods and fields on the flank of the church and the Germans in the centre. The Russians responded by lining the hedges around the church and deploying much of the infantry into the corn fields in front of the church.

Finns deploy into the fields

A view from the Russian defenders

Russians deploy in strength

The Axis troops were able to take a heavy tool of the church's defenders as they caught them in a crossfire from both the Finnish and German positions. The Finns increased the pressure by deploying their whole platoon against flank of the church and the Tiger finally made its appearance  

Hauptmann Grau's Tiger deploys  

 

The Finnish platoon applies pressure

Russians shelter from the lead storm in the church 

At this point the Axis units seemed to have the advantage with their infantry bringing lots of fire into the Russian infantry and the Tiger slowly rumbling forward.

Fallschirmjäger advance on the enemy 

The Finns look well set

Grau's Tiger looking for a target

With the Axis units largely committed the Russians decided the launch a counter-attack in an attempt to secure their lines and beat back the enemy from the church. The Soviet infantry focused on the leading Fallschirmjäger section in a combined infantry and flamethrower attack that blunted their advance, also causing the Tiger to lurk at its entry point.

On the Russian left the KV-1 lumbered onto the table and decided on the unusual coarse of launching an unsupported armoured assault into the heart of the Finnish position. Despite being subject to a fusillade of AT and Panzerscrekt fire the Russian monster threw back a Finnish squad and threatened the flank of their position.    

Burn them - burm them all!

Rumble runble....

KV-1 begins its advance

KV-1 assaults accompanied by a Wargames point from comrade Bosski

With darkness drawing close both sides seem to have stabilised their positions. In the centre little side was able to make progress and on the flank although the KV-1 had made a dent it was an unsupported one. So a draw was declared.

Russian centre

Finnish Pak-38 lines up a target