Firestorm: Stripes

Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany
Major James Gump, Commanding.
Having survived a close combat where I lost yet another HQ Chieftain near Dortmund, we received orders to move to the Dortmund railhead and use Germany’s famous, and still intact rail system, to the Hamburg area. The Hamburg area had been stable but the reds apparently have tipped the balance once again. After detraining we road marched to the assembly area and loaded our basic load of ammunition. We deployed in our assigned sector. A pastoral German village on our right flank, and an impressive church in the center. Intel indicated the Soviets were planning a hasty attack for our area so we hurried to dig in. Our attached infantry on the right objective, a troop of three Chieftains on the left objective and my HQ Chieftain parked on a corner of a farmstead across from the church. When our remaining Chieftain’s and Abbot’s arrive I will place them as needed. The Abbots in the recent Dortmund action using direct fire to stop a desperate Soviet push on the objective.
In the bright morning daylight the battle kicked off with a platoon of BRDM reconnaissance vehicles advancing on our left, followed by a company of T64s and what we assumed was the Soviet Battalion Commander using signal flags in his cupola to signal to his unit. So much for our signals intelligence. No wonder we weren’t warned they were so close. I would have thought the Soviets would concentrate on one of the two objectives. They instead attacked along a broader front. With a T64 company on our right, BMP-1 Company in the center in the shadow of the church, and another T64 company and the Battalion Commander on the left. They steadily advanced, shooting the tanks but missing on concealed and gone to ground Chieftains.
We looked to our rear in hopes our second troop of Chieftains under Bryce-Jones arrived. No luck. We returned fire. Killing most the T64 Company on our left. Our infantry holding fire until the right Soviet tank company got closer. It was now the Soviets turn. They advanced across the front, and of course fired. They only succeeded in bailing one Chieftain.
Once again our reserves did not appear, refugee traffic getting in the way of our half company on the road from the railhead. Our bailed-out Chieftain remounted and along with his brother’s Chieftains, swung his 120mm gun around in the close confines around the church and fired six times between them at the remaining T64s and the Soviet Force Commander. All dead. The Soviets appeared undaunted by the sight of their burning comrades and continued to advance on our right. Shooting again, this time with MGs on our infantry for no affect.
In our turn three we swung the turrets around and fired over our shoulder at theT64s advancing between the village and the church, killing three of them. The remaining tank decided they have had enough and departed leaving only the infantry on the battlefield. Next turn the Soviet infantry dug-in and we advanced across our front to close with them. At which point the Soviet surviving commander surrendered.
As the war grinds to an apparent truce. We were glad to be alive with dreams of getting a spot of tea and warm food. 6-1 NATO.