Battle for Seelow Heights

For club's next scenario a pitched battle for Seelow Heights(1945, Eastern Germany) was fought. Hoping to stem the Red onslaught, the desperate remnants of the Fallschirmjager attempted to hold a hamlet against a Soviet advance guard armored force.

The forces arrayed were:
Soviets: 2xT-34 (76mm),2 xSu-85(85mm), 1 xISU-152(152mm), 2o Infantry
Germans: 1xPanzer IV H, 1x88mm AA gun, 20 Airborne Infantry(elites)
(reinforcements arrived later: 2xPanzer VI Tiger(88mm))

The shot below shows the battlefield(yellow numbers will be alluded to in later photos).

The German objective was to hold at least one of the buildings in the center of town by the end of the game. The Soviet goal was to eliminate all German infantry in these buildings; they grouped their assault into three major thrusts with armor and infantry allotted to each.

The Germans chose to layer their defense with infantry spread amongst several buildings and they placed their "88" in the town center to thwart armor attacks that might come from their left and center.

Soviet forces in the rightmost thrust begin to move out.

Another contingent of the northern(right flank) thrust.

To the left(South), an imposing ISU-152 assault gun and tank riders traverse tall grass as they approach the German positions.

A Fallschirmjager signals to a comrade that "Ivan is near!"

At point 1(see first picture) the Germans draw first blood...thought the ISU-152 immobilizes the Panzer IVH, it returns fire and sets the Soviet behemoth ablaze(and unfortunately it was still loaded with tank riders who share the tank's fate).

Soviet forces make an early run with their center thrust and fight their way into a building near the center of town.

Undeterred by the loss of the ISU-152, an SU-85 pushes in on the German right flank.

Soviet T-34's on the right blast away at the crew of the 88 and eliminate this German threat.

But enough time has elapsed for two German Tiger tanks to approach from the west, catching the T-34's in a difficult position.

A Tiger positions itself for a rear armor shot on a T-34(note the unfortunate Soviet infantryman in clear line of sight of the panzer's foreward-mounted machine gun).

The Soviets mass remaining armor in the center of town but they have lost most of their infantry to German riflemen and armor- they no longer have the strength to eject the Germans from the town.

These German troops are caught in the street by an SU-85 which tries to back over them...they easily sidestep the slow-moving threat.

These Russians have reached the "Deutsche Heroes" pub, but there simply aren't enough Reds left to take the West side of town.

Aftermath: General Zhukov purges the advance guard of its commander(can you say "gulag"?), but plans to throw even greater numbers at the Germans tomorrow and to be in Berlin within a week are put into action.

From their Berlin HQ, German propaganda personnel broadcast praises of the "Seelow Jagers" who blunted the Russian advance.