Mission: RCT2 is to clear Route Tiger and secure the township of Grunau.
Regimental Combat Team (RCT)2 were tasked to clear Route Tiger using Ranstadter Str as their axis of advance. They went with A Company 2nd Marine Tank Battalion (A/2) on the left of the axis and A Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment (A/1/2) on the right. The 2nd Rifle Platoon of A/1/2 was held in reserve in helicopters as a Quick Reaction Force (QRF).
Just prior to last light RCT2 came under direct and indirect fire in vicinity of Altranstadt. A/1/2 dismounted from their LVTP7s and advanced through the tree line to the South West of the village while A/2 used the cover of the fields to advance. 1st Platoon of A/2 were engaged by T72s that were concealed in a wood and lost a tank to direct fire while the Anti-Tank squad attached to A Coy/1/2 were engaged and destroyed by enemy indirect fire while the LAV 25s came under ATGW fire from Altranstadt.
A/2 engaged and destroyed 3 x T72s while their attached Anti-Tank Squad called in indirect fire on some ZSU 23/4s they saw to the rear destroying 2 in the process. The Scout Squad of HMMWVs for A/2 advanced to the North around the flank using the tree line as cover. A/1/2 advanced along the ridge line to the south of Altranstadt using the tree line for cover, while their attached surviving Anti-Tank Squad and the LAV25s moved to the tree line on Ranstadter Str for cover while engaging the ATGWs concealed in Altranstadt with direct fire. The Forward Observer (FO) from the attached 155 Battery moved from under enemy indirect fire to a better position to which engage the enemy.
The LAV25s saw that the route past Altranstadt was open and prepared to move move down Ranstadter Str however they were engaged by a concealed T72s that were waiting in ambush that destroyed 2 x LAVs and forced another crew to dismount. The commander of the LAV25s decided to moved his surviving troops to the rear. A/2 continued to come under direct fire from the T72s in the tree line and lost another tank.
A/2 advanced and destroyed the remaining T72s while their Anti-Tank Squad that had come under direct fire from a lone T72 returned fire but failed to hit it. The Scout Squad of HMMWVs continued to advance up the flank using the tree line as cover. A/1/2 stayed in the woods to the south of the village ready for the command to advance while their Anti-Tank Squad engaged and destroyed on the the T72s that was blocking the route forward. A/1/2 Machine-Gun Platoon engaged the enemy in the village while the FO called in artillery support on the village that destroyed one the enemy ATGW teams.
The enemy seeing their left flank was exposed moved their surviving T72s to try and secure it. They enemy continued to use direct and indirect fire coming from the village to engage A/1/2 Machine-Gun Platoon managing to destroy on vehicle.
A/2 continued to advance forward using the trees as cover, however 2 tanks from 1st Platoon failed to negotiate the hedge around the field and became bogged. The remaining tank engaged and destroyed 2 x T72s that had come out of the tree line. The Scout Squad engaged a T72 and BMP that had moved forward destroying the T72. A/1/2 remained in position while their Anti-Tank Squad engaged a T72 that had become bogged in a tree line and had exposed its flank. A/1/2 Machine-Gun platoon and the FO continued to engage the enemy in the village. The QRF were put on stand by to insert by helicopter to the rear of the village.
The enemy moved a battery of 2S1s forward to engage A/2 and continued to used indirect and direct fire from the village to engage the FO and Machine-Gun Platoon, destroying the FOs vehicle.
As darkness fell A/2 continued their advance with the 2 tanks clearing the hedge line destroying a 2S1 in the process. It was at this stage the Soviets holding Altranstadt used the cover of darkness to withdraw yielding the field of battle to RCT2.
The report has a lot of detail in it, mix the text with the pictures for a nicer flow. 😀 A well detailed report.
Congrats on the win. I will rate and commend once the report is done. Nice job getting a game in!!! Keep them coming!!
Lovely photos, little hard to tell what’s going on with all the action.
Nice battlefield. Weak report
Way to go Thommo! Congrats with the win!
beautiful terrain you have there, well worth fighting for (I say as a BRD/GDR German)
awaiting the text with the pictures 😉