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Section Leaders:
Riesberg German – Riesberg Password for Movies: greynym Save this link for German turn 3 movie file
ORDERS FOR THE THIRD MINUTE Klappert’s team is obviously unable
to cope with the amount of fire he has attracted. I give orders for him to
move down from his position and hurry into the house behind his original
spot. It is not as good a position, but is less exposed. At the same time I order Heinrich to fire smoke rounds into the area he targeted previously. I am doing this for a number of reasons: §
To give cover to Klappert as he pulls back §
To harass the enemy and sow confusion §
To give a chance for Lamp’s men to hit the first wave of
infantry without interference from the tanks, which seem to be hanging
back. The American infantry in front of Lamp are nearing an area from which they will be able to see Kraus. I will have to let Kraus take them under fire, and hope that the American tanks are too far away to direct HE onto him. As such I order Kraus to target an area just in front of where the Americans are right now, and fire as soon as he can see them. Hermanns’ Panzerschreck team is to switch places with Kirchner’s squad of Lamp’s platoon. That way Kirchner can see the area that seems to be in the path of the enemy tanks. Ploebsch’s Panzerschreck is to move into the upper floor of a house in the town’s front. Hopefully from there he can assist in the anti-tank defenses along a wider area. Bahr is to remain where he is, despite my growing unease. The Americans MUST know how weak my forces are, and how much terrain we have to cover. Were I the American commander I would move along a wider area, hoping to find the weakest spot in the town’s defenses and hit it from many directions. My opposite number might still be planning that; he could be holding further forces in the expectation that I will concentrate my attention on the left-front and leave an opening elsewhere.
ACTION IN THIRD MINUTE There are THREE enemy tanks now to my front-left. They are not advancing as fast as they could. This is both good and bad. It is good because soon the enemy infantry will be in range of Lamp’s men and Kraus’ gun, and the armor is still some distance from being able to see into the town proper. It is bad in that it instills further doubt in my mind about the “single-axis” attack that seems to be developing. If this is, indeed, the only push the Americans are making, surely their armor would be further forward to ensure that it can be combined with the infantry? That these tanks are staying further back lends strength to the possibility that this attack is as much to hold my attention as to take the town; if that is the case the American commander would want to wait to commit these tanks fully until his second push was about to hit me. The smoke from Heinrich’s mortar lands about where I wanted it. Just before it rose up more infantry could just barely be seen; hopefully this smoke served the dual purpose of lessening the weapons that could be brought to bear on Klappert, as well as creating more distinctive lanes upon which I can concentrate. Indeed, Klappert is able to begin moving back through the house without loss.
The far-right squad from Lamp’s platoon reports more American infantry can be seen advancing up the left side of the road, but they are moving slowly. Perhaps this is the other attack axis the Americans will use. If so I will be clear to bring Bahr’s men back into town. The relative slowness with which these new infantry are moving creates my first hindsight-observation: I should have had Meister’s men regroup forward, after all.
There has been enough time now for them to find good locations. Additionally, from the right side of the road where they would have been they would be able to see and attack these new infantry with minimal exposure to the American tanks on my left.
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