German Turn 4
With time pressing it’s finally time for the Germans to make a more aggressive move and force the Russian hand a little. First the outer Russian defences are probed in the woods with the HS ending broken in M8. Then the HS in the south makes a dash for the abandoned Russian MMG.
In the south, seeing a chance to move and realising they may miss out on the action the leader of the firebase take 2 of his squads and rushes towards the enemy. In the main woods the Germans begin to close on the Russians who surely now must stand and fight. Trying to push troops through the centre and drive a wedge between the northern and southern Russian forces the Germans move into the brush only to be ambushed by hidden Russians in M5!
Sheltered by the treet the troops go to ground and as the HMG fire stops they realise they have taken no casualties! Although the advance into the brush has stalled the remaining troops close in and try to loop round the northern flank of the Russians. However as the troops in N5 prepare to take on the newly revealed target the HMG barks out again and both squads scatter in panic!
Advancing fire from the only adjacent squad has no effect. Meanwhile, in the woods the newly revealed troops in L7, incensed by the incoming fire, go Berserk!
The broken troops pull back to P7 to await a leader to bring them to order while seeing their first real targets, and not wishing to endure a HMG at so close arrange, the engineer squad moves into Close Combat, the leader in M7 leads his troops against the Berserk Russians and the suspected Russians in L8 are shown to be phantoms!
The close combats are short and very bloody. The berserk troops are cut down and eliminated before they can attack the hated enemy. While the engineers, although greater in numbers, are wary facing the HMG crew, leader and hero. But the Russains seem scared to close (rolled a 12) and the engineers, although only inflicting minimal casualties (CR) are please to see all fall before them! (Random Selection. Three 1s!).
Things begin to look bad for the Russians as Fate has dealt them a terrible blow!
End of German Turn 4
Russian Turn 4
The broken German troops seem reluctant to rally but others search out and take over the abandoned Russian MMG and HMG.
Once again, in the woods, the Russians pull back to make a final stand and defend the village. Some get caught running through the orchards and break under fire.
End of Russian Turn 4.
