By Charles Christy

On Saturday 22 November 2008 twelve players assembled 40000 points of heavy metal for a grand tank battle of epic proportions. The Wehrmacht launched an overwhelming mass of armor against the steel of the Red army on a huge 20'x6' rolling Russian countryside and pushed through the center in four turns, amassing the needed 50 victory points and destroying 10000 points of Soviet tanks in the process.

Wall of Krupp Steel

The German side was comprised of six players, Mike Pfanenstiel, Howard, Mike Updike, Tony Thompson, Dave Smith and Charles McKellar deploying 24,900 points of armor and artillery to smash through the Central KY front formed from tankovy regiments of Tom Burgess, Carl Mejuer, Don Blevins, Allan Gomez, Clay Stretch, and Charles Christy, totaling approximately 14,500 points. From the first turn it was obvious that with their numerical superiority the Axis powers would virtually double the reds victory points each turn, and so it was that by turn 3, the German army had the 52 needed for a victory. It was agreed to play another round, as the real victory, crushing the center of the Stalinist hordes, was about to be accomplished.

Don bags the first Tigers of the day!

Deploying dozens of Panthers, Tiger I and Tiger II tanks, Elephant assault guns, Jagdpanther tank destroyers and several companies of Stug-III and PzKw-IV battle tanks, and supported by Stuka's and heavy artillery, the German center battlegroup moved out to engage the mostly concealed red army units, overrunning them one after the other as the Hun juggernaut smashed into the middle of the Russian army.

Ok...guess the Germans own that hill now!

The KV85's, massed IS2's and T34 companies could not stand the heavy metal hurtling at them and company after company disintegrated under the intense fire, with few of the valiant defenders of the motherland withdrawing, all preferring to fight to the end in their place!

The Soviet order for the day, "Hide!"

Even with a local counter attack by the northern flank command of the red army slowing the Hun left wing, it was not enough to stop the great breakthrough in the center. Four Soviet regiments disintegrated, leaving a trail of smoking tanks and blazing hulks littering the path of the German advance. The valiant but outnumbered reds destroyed many of the Teutonic tanks but the sheer weight of heavy behemoths was unstoppable, today.