Breakthrough to Kovel, my unintentional story/aar/review

[Phantom Captain]

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.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Phantom Captain

[Phantom Captain]

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.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Phantom Captain

[Erwin]

Always a great read.  Had to go abroad and no game machine here, so have to take a break from my own campaign. 

[Phantom Captain]

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.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Phantom Captain

[Phantom Captain]

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.  

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Phantom Captain

[Phantom Captain]

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.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Phantom Captain

[Lille Fiskerby]

7 hours ago, Phantom Captain said:

All of you scenario designers, campaign designers and even mod creators do so much for all of us with so little thanks

Well, this is worth all the work. Players like you that appreciate the work of modders and designers.

Congratulations on the total victory, i think your AAR has been absolutely awesome, so thank you for that, ive studied every screenshot.

Hope to see one or more AAR maybe from the, yet to be released, DLC.

[Erwin]

Congrats to you, Lille Fiskerby, and to Phantom Captain.  Looking forward to getting back to my game machine!  Great campaign and great AAR.

[Combatintman]

7 hours ago, Lille Fiskerby said:

Well, this is worth all the work. Players like you that appreciate the work of modders and designers.

Congratulations on the total victory, i think your AAR has been absolutely awesome, so thank you for that, ive studied every screenshot.

Hope to see one or more AAR maybe from the, yet to be released, DLC.

Seconded.

[Rinaldi]

Great job and quite the result both in the final mission and overall. Has been interesting to follow from a distance. 

[Phantom Captain]

Thanks all.

I will definitely do another one!  

[Lille Fiskerby]

Just a few things:

Did you need more time in mission 9 ?

Did you notice the "pendulum of battle" reinforcement in mission 5 (defend the two panthers at the train station) ?

LF.

[Phantom Captain]

8 minutes ago, Lille Fiskerby said:

Just a few things:

Did you need more time in mission 9 ?

Did you notice the "pendulum of battle" reinforcement in mission 5 (defend the two panthers at the train station) ?

LF.

Hmmm, no I think the time limit is what really made that one so intense and nail biting.  I remember looking at the briefing with about 10-15 minutes left and realized I had to either take those two last zones to get enough for the total victory or at least get troops into them and deny the points to the enemy.  I really didn't think I was going to have enough with like 2-3 minutes remaining.  I would leave it the way it is!  I think it was spot on.  It was a huge sigh of relief and feeling of accomplishment to get that one.

I did.  Are you talking about the troops that come in at the far end of the map?  I had them set up on the ridge there along the tree line but then artillery came in and hit them really hard.  That was another nail biter battle and I really didn't think I was going to be able to hold on.  You do remember 11th Kompanie only had about 30-40 men left after that one.  It was so intense with the fighting going on in the woods in the dark.

[Lille Fiskerby]

Spoiler for future players !!

Spoiler for future players !!

Spoiler for future players !!

In mission 5 (trainstation) you get a battery of 105 mm howitzers ! it is not in the mission briefing. Faas was able to get comms to a artillery observer who called in the howitzers on top of the german defense position !

[Phantom Captain]

1 hour ago, Lille Fiskerby said:

Spoiler for future players !!

Spoiler for future players !!

Spoiler for future players !!

In mission 5 (trainstation) you get a battery of 105 mm howitzers ! it is not in the mission briefing. Faas was able to get comms to a artillery observer who called in the howitzers on top of the german defense position !

Now I can't remember if I noticed or not!!