Firestorm: Stripes

To Stavka

Battle Report – Upload

Following the seizure of a bridgehead over the Neuendorfer Graben at Planebruch, elements of the 79th Guards Tank Division encountered a serious imperialist counterattack spearheaded by elements of the puppet German administration in and around the village.

Combat elements of from the Divisions Motor Rifle Regiment had crossed the Neuendorfer Graben and set up strong defensive positions in the village, where a company of motor riflemen with attached AA and ATGW support occupied the Church and central village square, supporting elements of Divisional Reconnaissance, Anti-Aircraft and Heavy Anti-Tank units had crossed with them. In close support were two companies from a Tank Regiment with attached reconnaissance and anti-aircraft elements

The West German assault was spearheaded by what appeared to be an enemy reconaisance unit equipped with Leopard 1 and Luchs vehicles with additional support provided by enemy motorised infantry and Leopard 2 tanks, with armoured anti-aircraft support in the form of Gephard vehicles.

The enemy reconnaissance movement moved quickly to assault our right flank which was anchored on a wooded and hilly area, the speed of the enemy advance was disconcerting and the prompted early committal of the heavy anti-tank assets and motor rifle ATGW support to assist our recce BMPS tasked to hold this sector in an attempt to stem the speed of assault, whilst a number of Leopard 2 tanks were bailed out, the overall performance of our units was at this stage of the battle sub-optimal and the imperialist puppet forces were able to eliminate some of our ground mounted ATGW launchers and force the divisional reconnaisance unit to give ground.

Enemy radio jamming made it impossible to contact the supporting Tank companies, and the enemy was able to push his attack to the outskirts of the village, destroying the heavy anti-tank unit as they advanced. In an attempt to distract the enemy commander the Motor Rifles BTR transport vehicles pushed through the village and brought the enemy Gephards under fire. Fortunately the enemy tank crews proved reluctant to remount their Leopard 2s and a Leopard 1 platoon advancing to quickly was given a bloody nose by our motor riflemen and quit the battlefield. This proved fortuitous as the radio jamming ensured that no reinforcements were available to our beleaguered troops

Sensing that our troops were clearly isolated from their Comrades the German imperialists launched their attack onto the ridge overlooking Planebruch to the east, if they succeeded in capturing and holding this ridge not only would our position have been untenable, but our route back across the canal would have been cut. A Leopard 1 platoon supported by two Luchs units gained the ridge, Leopard 2 tanks provided the enemy with overwatch fire cover, the crisis of the battle had been reached. Unbeknown to the enemy however our heroic signal technicians had been able to unscramble the enemy jamming and reinforcements flowed over the canal, two companies of T64s and an attached armoured car unit were able to cross the canal, accordingly our sector commander order a maximum effort counterattack, reconnaissance BMPS and BRDMs,, supported by Divisional AA Tanks attacked the enemy armoured cars whilst long range missile fire from our tanks and infantry was directed at the enemy Leopard 1s, other Tank comrades closed with the enemy heavy tanks. This time our fire was good, the enemy assault was halted decisively on the ridge, where a dense fire of burning fuel burned long into the night. The Imperialists attemted to disengage but their tankers were captured cowering in the woods around their tanks and our heroic T64s rounded up an entire platoon of infantry left unsupported after the decisive defeat of their armoured supports.

Not only had the enemies counter attack been stopped but we had cleared the way for out advance to continue toward Bad Belzig

Army List

Hq 1 T64
2 x 4 T64 with AT8
Motor Rifle Company with 4 AKM Stands, 3 RPG Stands, 1 x SA14 stand, 2 x AT4 Stand, 1 AGL stand, 8 BTR 60
1 x 4 BRDM 2
1 x 4 BMP2
1 x 3 Shturm
1 x 4 ZSU-23-4
1 x 4 SA8 Gecko