Kampfgruppe Mehlsack: Mission 8

[Rico]

After the latest successful defensive battle, Kampfgruppe @Mehlsack has been pulled back into reserve and the remnants of StuG Brigade 112 have also been pulled out of the line for repairs and replenishment.

12th Panzer Division is pulling back to regroup SW of Minsk and hold the Russians there for as long as possible.
A small PAK blocking detachment at the village of Ploshgoy has beaten back heavy enemy attacks and has lost all its trucks to artillery fire and is now unable to move its guns.

Division does not want to abandon those guns, and since your Kampfgruppe is closest to Ploshgoy, Lt Glanz's 1st PzGrenadier platoon is ordered to take their halftracks and evacuate the guns crews and supporting MG teams from their positions under cover of night, before the enemy launches another attack and overruns their positions. Your two heavy PSW 333 armoured cars are attached to provide escort and gunfire support.

The halftracks however only arrive at dawn due to refuelling delays ... hopefully the enemy does not spot your activity.

 

[Mehlsack]

Battalion command post, in the East

During the last mission our HT-gunners suffered pretty high losses what attracted the attention of division’s HQ.
The XO demanded detailed investigation to improve their performance in the future.
We are able to provide detailed information of every single loss during the recent combat.
We focus on the layout of the gunners shield.
The actual shield does protect the gunner if he gets fire just opposite to his direction of view.



In such situations the gunner is protected pretty well as the incoming fire does ricochets often.



Nevertheless we had two losses since the head towers the shield a bit.





The vast majority of our casualties occurred when gunners were hit from shots that bypassed the shield. The pictures show the exact moment of injury each time the gunner was hit:















Conclusion:
HTs should be used as firing platforms best from keyhole positions what narrows their opposite area. (Alternatively the commander can set narrow target arcs or work with strict defined area fire). The longer the distance to the enemy the safer is the gunner since this increases the covered area. The size of the shield should be extended to the wings if not made as 360°-protection.

Major von Mehlsack

 

[Nathangun]

Interesting stuff. Good work

 

[Rico]

Major @Mehlsack -- you have completed Mission 8, but with mixed results.

You have successfully withdrawn the PAK blocking detachment and destroyed a Russian infantry attack, although in the process suffered heavy casualties -- the loss of the two PSW 232 heavy armoured cars in what may be called an irresponsible counter-attack has been criticised at Pz Division HQ. (although two of the three crew of the abandoned armoured car were rescued)
Also, the putting out of action of the veteran HQ group of your 1st PzGrenadier platoon and all the halftrack gunners was also very unfortunate.

The PAK guns have been passed on to the Panzergrenadier Regiment command and you regroup with StuG Brigade 112 and prepare for the withdrawal operations to commence.

 

[Mehlsack]

Major @Mehlsack - the loss of the two PSW 232 heavy armoured cars in what may be called an irresponsible counter-attack has been criticised at Pz Division HQ.

The office sitters of Div HQ are invited to perform the next combat mission by themselves...
I couldn't care less about their "criticism"!

 

[Rico]

The office sitters of Div HQ are invited to perform the next combat mission by themselves...
I couldn't care less about their "criticism"!

The staff at Div HQ will respond once they have finished packing up their typewriters and looted champagne stocks for the retreat.