Chain of Command 'Storming the Citadel' Scenario Three 'Panzer Marsch!'

After successfully defending the artillery observation post before falling back from the minefields Leytenant Kravtsov and his men find themselves defending the village of Butovo.

This is the first opportunity for the Soviets to delay the German attack and they have a decent defensive position to defend:

Both sides rolled maximum for SP giving the Germans 16 SP and the Soviets 11. Kravtsov suspected that some German armour would appear this time so took a ZIS-3 AT gun, a sniper, a flamethrower team and three entrenchments.

The patrol phase went well for the Soviets giving them jump-off points in the town while the Germans were confined to the small area of scrub on the Soviet left. The Germans were using a fresh platoon so were at full strength.

The action opened with the Germans revealing a HMG and an artillery observer in the scrub. Serzhant Novikov deployed with the 3rd Squad and opened fire on the HMG:

Serzhant Suslov and the 1st Squad also deployed, successfully targeting the  fascist artillery observer and killing him with help from the sniper:

The 3rd Squad has finished off the German HMG for the loss of a single man, German morale is dropping quickly:

The Germans reveal a Panzer Grenadier squad which opens up on the 3rd Squad. Despite being in hard cover the remaining five men of the 3rd Squad are downed leaving only Serzhant Novikov to continue the fight!:

Another Panzer Grenadier squad joins the first:

Urged on by their officers the fascists advance at the run towards the brave Serzhant!

Reacting quickly Kravtsov places his 4th Squad in the entrenchments vacated by the 2nd Squad while the 2nd Squad takes position next to them. Both Squads open fire inflicting heavy losses on the Germans:

Leytenant Kravtsov personally directs the fire and the Germans are cut down:

One Panzer Grenadier squad is wiped out and the second breaks. German morale collapses and the attack is beaten off:

The Germans lost many casualties, total Soviet losses were 7 (3 dead, 2 light wound, 2 return to duty) all from the 3rd Squad.

I had the best of the luck in this scenario (apart from when five of the 3rd squad got hit in one go despite being in hard cover, 5 out of 7 dice came up '6'!). I had decent command rolls when I needed them and a couple of very useful double turns.

To my surprise Jerry didn't select a tank, instead having a preliminary bombardment, the 8cm mortar battery, a HMG and I think maybe a second senior officer. I only used the entrenchments and the sniper from my support though I tried to get the Flamethrower into action I couldn't quite manage it.

The Germans will have to regroup and resume the attack, They now have two weakened platoons while Leytenant Kravtsov's men are still a viable fighting force.