Phantom Captain

Immediate battlepack deliciousness.

Seriously, great work all! @George MC your maps as always are beyond excellent. I have been very much looking forward to this Battlepack. I'm already thinking I might have to do the embedded combat photographer treatment, ala Breakthrough to Kovel, with Five Days One Summer!

Also got it...while at work of course. Can't wait to get home, dl and maybe fire up that new @George MC campaign!! So looking forward to this!

Thanks all. I will definitely do another one!

These are excellent! The night shots in the snow are amazing, love em. There really is something about RT and tank riders that gives it an additional layer that I always want in the other titles.

After all this time, all these months. Right there, right in front of me, is the final objective of the final battle of this long 10 battle campaign. It's bittersweet in a way. The men sense victory, they know the sacrifices of their fellow soldiers all comes down to this, to finalize the breakout and open the way. Gathering our power, unloading all the remaining artillery on the final suspected enemy positions, my last assault gets underway with Panzers leading. There is an incredible irony here, and it's amazing how @Lille Fiskerby has truly made this massive and completely immersive campaign come full circle. I'm not sure how many have followed since the beginning but on battle 2 I commented on the swamp/terrain and snow and how the Pripyat Marshes were horrid and something I'd never forget. Yet here, in the waning moments, through all this time and my troop's learned battle experience, we now use that very swamp to move up close on the enemy and take the final prize by getting right up on top of them. A lone enemy Maxim harasses my men as they cross the low swamp. And is made short work of by my tank. Infantry and armor, working together hand in hand. And then...another Valentine is spotted and dispatched. The final push on the final objective. Through the swamp, up the ridge and to the hedge line! The enemy is right there and quickly put down. This was the final German casualty of the long and grinding battles of Kovel. With 20 minutes left on the clock and all objectives seized, we offer a flag of truce to allow the surviving defenders to collect their casualties and desert the battlefield. And with that, it's over. Battle 10 is finished and, ultimately, so ends the campaign. Wow! After all this time and struggle, it's complete! What an awesome victory and accomplishment I have to say. This campaign was incredible and beyond epic and I will never forget it. My final numbers. I can't believe I lost over 1,000 men in my command. It just shows how brutal and fierce the entire campaign was. I do have to thank @Lille Fiskerby for all your effort, time and research that went into creating this. All of you scenario designers, campaign designers and even mod creators do so much for all of us with so little thanks. I hope just me doing this huge and never-ending slog "review/battle report/embedded combat photographer journal" lets you all know how much your work is appreciated by us. I feel like lots of people lurk but don't talk so do feel free to offer any comments, thoughts, etc. Honestly, I hope anyone following tries this one out as it's truly one of CMs exceptional campaigns and fun!! I hope you all found this as entertaining as I did documenting it.

1st Zug and their accompanying Pioneers and panzers creep up to assault Obj. Schwarz. The final objective on the ridgeline. The men can smell victory just within their grasp. Their blood is up and there will be no stopping them today. Panzer and Marder, together, open the way into the final village objective! And it's the tank destroyer that lives up to its name. We even bring up our own Pak 40 to contribute to the effort. And then the order goes out, it's time to move on the last ridgeline objective and the men move in their well drilled leaps and bounds. The men know what's waiting for them as it's the same as the past two dug in strong points. Enemy Zis-3 guns poised and ready. We break into teams and spread out knowing that someone is going to be unlucky yet their misfortune will allow their comrades to destroy the enemy gun position. Go! And this is exactly why my men hate them so. The Soviets throw canister right into one of my advancing teams knocking them all down. And the flanking team, as designed, moves in with SMGs, grenades and rifles. Still, we really didn't expect a face full of canister. The Russians truly fight to the death and furiously. Panzers also support as they can through the woods. And it's carried. The final ridgeline objective is now in German hands and final push can commence.

It's finished. I've done it. The breakthrough is successful and my surrounded comrades now have an escape route from Kovel and disaster! After 8 months, and on Veteran's day as well. It couldn't be more fitting. As the assault on the final objective on the ridgeline, Obj Schwarz continues to develop, my remaining Marder and one of my panzers screens out to the right and drifts towards the swamp and the final objective in town. Maybe I won't have to right hook all the way around and maybe I've found an exploitable soft point to rush 3rd Zug, 2nd Kompanie into town and take my final objective. However, both my Marder and PzIV begin to take AA rounds. Covering the swamp approach appears to be a battery of AA guns, not what I needed. Now multiple guns are beginning to open on me. This, again, is not the fight I wanted but I don't have a choice. AA rounds are pinging and whizzing off both of my vehicles armor. It's an absolute hornet's nest and I'm stuck right in the middle of it. Rounds fly back and forth in utter intensity and desperation. Unfortunately, my tank gets completely shredded by the sheer amount of incoming AA. And then a Marder brews up too. And those are not AA rounds. A Valentine tank is spotted on the other end hiding low to the swamp. However unplanned it may be, an opening is created as my last Marder and another panzer keep firing and take out the enemy AA guns. Finally the Marder gets the drop on the Valentine hiding in the mist and ends his war.

Everyone knows the old adage, "no plan survives first contact with the enemy", and how much truth there is in that. Realizing I have more than enough time, unlike battle 9, I rethink my aggressiveness and decide to slow myself down and fight this out much more methodically. I have the time, the forces and the terrain to do so. Orders go out to concentrate our troops and then move forward like a slow rolling German steam roller. What's left of 6th Kompanie, and while dodging Russian artillery, forms up in captured enemy positions and moves on the town center. Take your time boys, go slow and eliminate every enemy soldier who dares take a shot a you or shows his back. We are doing this one by the book. The men want to press and get this over but it's that very impatience that causes mistakes and casualties. 7th Kompanie and their early aggressiveness are the perfect example. On the left, 1st Zug, 2nd Kompanie, creeps up the back of the ridgeline to keep unmasking and eliminating enemy guns and resistance. Using a dip in the terrain, 6th Kompanie keeps the pressure on and keeps moving up. I have my Marders on the right side of the ridge and panzers and troops on the left. Again, slow and methodical rolling forward will win this day. I send a team from 7th Kompanie out to capture or kill any enemy tank crews still hiding amongst the wreckage. And at the same time, German artillery continues to fall and disrupt the enemy works. Softening the way for the infantry to keep moving forward. No time to think, ignore your downed wounded comrades, the enemy MG has been silenced, forward into town, now! Through the freezing and snow, smoke, fire, mud and blood... Bde 190 StuGs, throughout the entire campaign, have been my razor sharp and highly effective point of the spear. Today is no exception. On the left, 2nd Kompanie methodically clears the woods along the ridgeline. One enemy soldier hides in his foxhole, absorbs 6 hand grenades thrown his way and bravely still fights. Not for long though... As suspected, another Soviet 76.2mm gun is uncovered in the woods. The enemy was ready, swings the muzzle of their gun and lets my forward team have it. Revenge is quick and certain as the casualties only further motivate and enrage my men. As the bullets come in the enemy crew abandons the gun and runs for their lives. The end is inevitable. We are an unstoppable force that is slowly gaining momentum. Only 2 of the 6 objectives now remain to be captured and I still have an entire platoon of 2nd Kompanie in tracks, fresh and ready to go! Additionally 5th Kompanie on the right is also moving up and still fresh, though bloodied and slow from their previous fights. My plan is to take the third objective on the ridge, move up my fresh platoon and then right hook around the swamp to take the far end of the town and complete my mission and campaign. I still have vast amounts of time and a lot of artillery to dole out. German pressure escalates and is relentless. Although the Russians fight bravely and with spirit, selling their lives dearly, they do not have the strength to resist my columns of steel. Here you can see the dual points of my attack. On the far bottom left, 2nd Kompanie's fresh platoon waits for orders and on the right, 5th Kompanie moves slowly towards town. The prize! My troops hate these things and are happy to see them out of action and behind them.

The fury of battle in images... In town, it's all StuGs pushing slowly forward. 7th Kompanie has taken their objective, Mosczcana West, and I will ask no more of them. Their dead and wounded lie all along the berm behind them.

My men are jumpy and I realize I am being over-aggressive for no purpose and 7th Kompanie pays the price. Needlessly exposing them many are shot down on the berm by troops in prepared positions on the back end of the village. I still have two hours to go and there is no reason not to slow down and just keep the pressure on the enemy with a slow rolling line. And indeed, Soviet AT guns are unmasked in town and dealt with by the StuGs on my right. Even with the fog, the damaged windmill will make a nice observation post. My men barely glance at the wreck of enemy armor still smoldering next to it. On my right, slowly advancing, an enemy squad is spotted in the low marsh and taken out. Again, my StuGs are invaluable in the fight. Our job is to keep the pressure on and drive the enemy from their positions. On the left, I shift around and prepare to take the ridgeline from the flank and rear. Soldiers of II Zug, 2nd Kompanie fight their way up the ridgeline advancing on the Soviet prepared positions from behind. And my PzIVs support them. Their combined power proves to be irresistible. Never letting up the pressure my tanks drive the enemy before them. One can only imagine the terror watching an enemy tank materialize out of the mist, guns blazing and pointed at you.

Here.... This should help.

How long do you think they should take? Four minutes for WWII for indirect is pretty darn quick. Playing Iron mode it's even longer. I'm looking at 3 and 4 minutes like, "wow that's fast!". The only way they will be on quicker is for the mortars themselves to have actual line of sight to the target. But then, the target will also have line of sight to to you as well. Range is important.

and thanks! Appreciated!

My surprise was more to the fact that I had him pushed up so far! I do admit to that bias, thinking anything with the stubby barrel is not going to have the velocity to penetrate any armor. I do like having that bias shown for what it is though!

Pictures from the front lines. Frozen marshes.

I'd love to give it a try once I finish the last battle of a campaign I am in. I love large maps and love having maneuver room. Honestly, I'm pretty comfortable running anything up to battalion sized.

The smell of burning fuel, metal and death permeate the foggy winter mist.

As 7th Kompanie rushes for Mosczcana they make for an earthen-work berm that either the Germans or Soviets had built as defense works around the town. At first I was worried it was manned but on approach it turned out not to be. It will make for the perfect line to open on the enemy as they rush to and from their trenches. More StuGs and 6th Kompanie are slowly making their advance on the right. When suddenly, Soviet Shermans are spotted moving in to attack the oncoming Germans. More enemy tanks are spotted and instantly I'm engaged in a fast moving, nerve wracking tank fight. One of my Marders is immediately knocked out while a couple Shermans are lit up by both Marders and two of my PzIVs that have been slowly advancing along the ridge on my left. The Shermans prove resilient at first, bouncing my first shots off their armor but ultimately succumb to repeated blows. Not how I planned it but the fight is on! Three of my Marders had previously advanced to hull down positions along a rise leading up to the more prominent ridge on my left. Luckily, they are in perfect position to fight off the Soviet attack. Quickly, enemy armor is left burning on the field. Incredibly, even one of my 75mm SPWs gets a confirmed kill on the enemy armor! However, one of my StuGs supporting 7th Kompanie is killed, while another loses it's main gun. As it stands I've lost 1 Marder, 1 StuG and have another disabled with no gun. 6 or 7 enemy Shermans burn and are abandoned by their crews. In the middle, assaulting Mocsczana, my soldiers on the berm have taken up positions and fight it out with the Russians. More enemy works have been spotted on the left. Time for my FO to move up and get in the action.

Just minutes in and we have contact on the left and middle. The Soviets are moving. StuGs draw first blood, again. My panzers make their way into the small stand of woods to flank the enemy ridgeline.

Thanks! I liked that one a lot too.

On the left, 2nd Kompanie is at full strength, fresh and mounted up in their halftracks and tasked with taking three objective, Rot, Gelb and Schwarz along an elevated ridgeline overlooking Mocsczana. My plan is to hit their flank and rear. Additionally, 2nd Kompanie will be supported by elements of Pioneer Aufkl.Abt. 4 in their halftracks and a platoon of PzIVs from 1st Bat. Pz Regt 35. I plan to flank the enemy positions with my infantry and pioneers supported by their halftracks and the welcome PzIVs. They are not Panthers, to say the least, and I plan to use them a bit more defensively than I did the Panthers in my previous fights but regardless, the men are very happy to see them come along.

Battle 10, the final battle, begins. Now, 8 months in, I can't even begin to calculate how many hours I've spent completely pulled into this one. Kovel awaits... Finally, the attrition of the campaign is beginning to tell. And noticeably. I hope I have enough strength for the last push. 6th Kompanie, on my right, is now down to only 30 men total in the entire company. This actually allows me to mount all the soldiers of 6th onto 1st Batterie, of Bde 190. I know, even being light of men, my StuGs can be the deciding factor, regardless. 6th Kompanie is to take Moszczana Center and I have opted for a slow rolling approach through the fog to either unmask an enemy Pak line or to open on suspected positions from range. 7th Kompanie, in the middle, fairs a little better. 7th Kompanie reported 67 men at roll call this morning. They too are supported by 2nd Batterie of StuG Bde 190. I have decided to start the battle with 7th Kompanie rapidly pushing into Moszczana West. The men are highly motivated to end this and mount up ready for battle. Additionally in the middle, 7th Kompanie is quite pleased to be supported by a platoon of Marders from Pz.Jg Bat 49. Enemy armor has been reported moving into our area and I hope to put my tank destroyers to good use. Soldiers from 7th Kompanie try to keep warm on the engine deck.

Seriously, amazing! Looking forward to them!

Hey now!! PLEASE, no more spoilers until I finish!!