Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Other Moves - Campaign - Turn 1

The Soviets move their forces in Rogachev to Slavgorod. 

And Gorodok to Sumalina. 

The Soviet phase of turn 1 ends. Time for the Germans to respond. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Vitebsk - Campaign - Turn 1

The Soviets use their other firestorm troops from Dobryna to make as assault on Vitebsk. 

The panzer pioneers prove more than a match for the Soviets. They destroy the T-34 company and force the artillery to retreat. Festung Vitebsk remains in German hands. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Orsha 2nd Attack - Campaign - Turn 1

Their attack from Dobryna proving unsuccessful, the Soviets attack from Gorki. 

The Soviet planes prove ineffective against the defenders in the rubble strewn city of Orsha. The panzer pioneers force the IS-2 firestorm troops to retreat back into Gorki. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Orsha - Campaign - Turn 1

Having cut off the railway that runs through Mogilev to Orsha, the Soviets attack from Dobryna. 

The Germans are ready for them. Although the Germans are out of supply, they fight fiercely to hold on to Orsha. 

The Soviets can't break the defenders and retreat back into Dobryna. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Polotsk - Campaign - Turn 1

The Soviets make an unopposed river crossing and move into Polotsk. The capture the area with little effort. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Mogilev - Campaign - Turn 1

The Soviets continue to attack. Their next thrust is in Mogilev. As they will be fighting in a built up area they send in a combined force of IS-2s and an engineer company - Urrah!

The German defense is already stretched to the limit. The can only respond with a pioneer platoon. The Soviets barely manage to overcome the German defenders, but eventually push them out of the city. The Germans fall back on their forces in Bykhov. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Lepel - Campaign - Turn 1

The Soviets launch their next attack into Lepel. They add 1 x T-34 and 1 x T-34/85 to the assault. The Germans only have a battery of 10.5 cm guns to repel the attack. 

The Soviets overwhelmed the German defenses. Luckily, for the Germans, their firestorm troops manage to retreat in Smolevichi. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Berezino - Campaign Results

Following the campaign rules, the German player rolls to destroy Soviet Firestorm troops that were involved in the battle. The SU-76 survive, but the T-34/85s are destroyed and go into the reinforcement pool. The German still hold Berezino. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Berezino - Tabletop Turn 4

The German panzers advance and engage the Russians. 

The destroy two T-34s. Meanwhile the German Stugs adjust their position to engage the T-34s that are in the village. 

In their frantic efforts to engage at point blank range two of the Stugs miss, but the other Stug that didn't move hits the Russian company commander's tank. The tank explodes sending its turret skyward. 

Meanwhile the panzer grenadiers rally and then assaults the T-34s in the village. 

They take out one tank with a panzerfaust and use grenades and magnetic mines to destroy the other one. 
To the west more German tanks advance into the battle. 

With the Soviet tank company shattered and the Russians unwilling to risk their fire storm troops further, they withdraw from the field leaving the Germans in control of the village. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Berezino - Tabletop Turns 2 and 3

 

The Soviets close the distance as they attempt to overrun the German positions. They are met by fierce defensive fire all across the front. 

The Germans make the Soviets pay a heavy price for their aggressive tactics. The Soviets try to respond, but their shooting is awful. 

Soviet tanks are burning and some crews are bailed out. The Soviet firestorm T-34/85s pound the wood line with MGs and their main guns to prepare the way for the tank riders. One of the bailed out Soviet crews spots more German tanks advancing from the West. 

The Soviet tank riders dismount and assault the dug in German panzer grenadiers. Urrah!!!!!!

In a tense seesaw fight the tank riders and grenadiers attack and counter attack again and again with neither side being able to get the upper hand. Suddenly the Soviet troops give up and begin withdrawing from the woods and entrenchments, but they have managed to eliminate some of the panzer grenadier teams. 

The Germans are pinned down and unable to move back into their entrenchments. As both sides pause to catch their breath, a deep rumbling sound is heard to the rear of the Soviet lines. Their next firestorm unit has arrived. 

Firestorm Bagration - 26 June 1944 - Berezino - Tabletop Turn 1

As the Russian forces penetrate deeper into the German lines, the Germans move up forces in desperate attempts to stem the Soviet tide. 

The Russian tank company advances to the village. 

In the Berezino sector, the Russians and Germans run into each other and end up throwing their forces into an encounter battle. 

Stugs engage the advancing Russains.

The Germans managed to deploy their Stugs in a village and wheat fields. The also deploy some infantry in a nearby would. 

Panzer grenadiers dig in within the woods. 
 

The Russians advance their T-34 tank company in a 2 up formation and engage the Stugs. Most of their shots miss, but one hit rattles a Stug enough to force the crew to bailout. 

Two T-34s brew up in the distance. 

The German Stug commander rallies the crew and they remount. The rest of the Stug Platoon returns fire and cause on T-34 crew to bailout and destroy two other T-34s. 

Despite their losses the Russian are cheered by the appearance of some of their firestorm troops on the main road. 

The T-34/85s and their tank riders advance. 

End of Turn 1