Tserkovnyy most - German Vs Soviet

Deployment: In this game the germans are attacking, trying to rupture the soviet defensive line along the river. There are 3 objectives, the town with the church at the top, the factory on the right, and the village in the centre. To win the germans must control 2 of these 3 objectives. The soviets have all 3 of their company commanders deployed, one in each town and another in the woods between. The germans have a company commander facing the village, and another on the road leading into the town. Their main axis of advance is along this road and they have deployed an infantry platoon alongside a half platoon of Panzer IV's.

Turn 1: The morning silence is broken as soviet maxim gun's open fire from the church, forcing the german platoon on the road to scramble for cover. The panzer IV's stand off and lob a few HE shells into the town in retaliation, but with little effect. Elsewhere both sides begin sending out and advancing their combat patrols to probe avenues of attack.

Turn 2: The germans on the road rally and push forward, deploying a combat patrol into the relative safety of the the treeline and establishing a fire base on the church. Unfortunately their supporting fire is nullified as a Panzer IV is knocked out by soviet antitank guns firing from ambush in the town. On the right the germans deploy a platoon but cautiously stay sheltered behind the villages perimeter wall, allowing the soviets to dash a platoon forwards into the river and claim the village. 

Turn 3: The soviets reveal more of their defences as another platoon opens up from the houses in the town and a field gun section starts pummelling the germans from the woods. However german companies are able to provide each other mutual support and the rightmost company deploys their heavy machineguns to suppress the defenders. The leftmost company deploys their final platoon and pushes from the treeline into the buildings on the near bank of the river.

Turn 4: A fierce firefight erupts as both sides hunker down in their buildings and blast away across the river. A soviet section huddle close together on the upper floors of the church. In an instant they are annihilated, as a platoon of panthers rumble up the road and hurl HE rounds into the town, exploding the churches dome. The panzer IV and german platoon in the field also inflict a toll on a soviet platoon, who have picked a bad moment to reveal themselves exposed on the river bank, whilst the heavy machinegun mows down the crew of the soviet field gun. 

Turn 5: The Russians pour their firepower into the enemy on the south bank of the river, forcing one platoon to quit the town and retreat to the woods. They also daringly sally out from the village, their SMG platoon scattering the german opposition in a lightning assault before retreating to safety. Back in the town the wehrmacht forces, wrestle fire superiority from the soviets. Infantry and tank platoons keep up a steady beat that suppresses and then wipes out the defending antitank guns. Seizing the opportunity they deploy their reserve company. The first the soviets know of it is the slow rumble of a panzer entering the town. Hunkering down in the 'safety' of the shattered buildings, they spot too late that the germans have brought up a flammpanzer! The church and the entire soviet platoon defending it are immolated in one great ball of fire.

Turn 6: One mauled platoon is all that remains of the soviet company defending the town. With the fierce heat from the blazing church pressing into their hiding places, they sally out and heroically take on the tank. Blinded by smoke and with molotovs raining down, the flammpanzer lurches back in reverse, lucky to get away with only smashed scopes and an injured crewman. The germans instantly counterattack. A crossfire pins the russian platoon in the open at the foot of the bridge and they are wiped out as the germans launch an assault of their own.

Turn 7: Their is a lull in the fighting and the soviet company commander takes his chance to flee the shack he has been hiding in and make for the woods. The victorious germans surge into the town and occupy the ruins. The panzers trundle forwards into new firing positions, whilst the infantry on the right move up and encircle the village. 

Turn 8: The battle erupts once more as a panther tank manoeuvring in the open suddenly explodes. In the confusion it takes a few minutes for them to identify the soviet antitank gun deployed on the hill crest. By the time it is neutralised half of the panzer platoon are left smouldering. In the same moment, the newly captured town erupts in a hail of shell blasts as the soviet artillery zero in on the bridge. The crippled flammpanzer is put out of action whilst the infantry are scattered, some diving into the shelter of the ruins whilst the unlucky ones are caught in the open. On the right flank the germans succesfully assault the village, capturing the near bank and driving the russian survivors across the river. 

Turn 9: With supporting fire from neighbouring platoons and the remaining panzers, the germans dash forwards to secure the village. When they are halfway over the bridge and at their most vulnerable, the soviets announce themselves. An entire company hidden in ambush in the factory open fire with every weapon they can muster, annihilating the assaulting platoon and bringing the game to a draw.