Turn 54. Time for a proper update. Over the past few turns my forces have been locked in a firefight with Titan's on both flanks. With time running out, I am advancing with less caution and accept higher losses to ensure a complete victory. All reserves are now committed to the fight, creating a bit of a stampede on the front line, but the firepower I can now bring to bear is massive. Tanks remain mostly in reserve - shooting HE through the woods risks hurting me more than my opponent, so there is little benefit to gain against exposing the tanks to Panzerschrecks. I am nearly out of
60mm 50mm mortar ammo, but I still have a fair amount of 82mm. Mortars continue to open the way forward, again and again. Now, in Turn 56, Titan has pulled back across the front - his third pullback in this battle - opening the way to take the first two objectives. I am in a hurry, but I make sure to pick up casualties. I especially pause SMG teams to treat their wounded and pick up their precious ammunition. My casualties are 107 men - 17% of my force.
No update to my estimate of Titan's forces. His main formation is the Aufklärungs Battalion, I have seen about a company, most of them have taken a beating. There is also the Sturm Platoon, this could be Titan's crack or elite reserve. One squad and a HQ were practically destroyed on Central Hill, another operates on Northern Hill #2. I expect a third squad somewhere. I also expect at least one more platoon, maybe two, in reserve. I have seen 14 HMG teams, maybe 15. Of these, 6 have been destroyed while 5 more have taken heavy losses and are reduced to 1-2 men. A Marder and a SPW 251/1 halftrack are active. A Pz IVJ, a Stummel and an SdKfz 7/1 have been destroyed. None of the three Titan's bunkers are currently active - all are destroyed or abandoned. Titan has taken 195 confirmed losses.
On the left - "Northern Hill #2" I established a foothold but have not expanded it as the troops that got there (2/2) had taken losses in the previous fighting and are low especially on SMG ammo. However, they picked off the gunner of the halftrack that had been covering this side and forced it to retreat. It will sure come back with a new gunner (in fact I think it is already back) but this is an example of a situation in which I think it is better to keep the vehicle buttoned up and let the AI decide for itself when to expose the gunner and open fire. Now, I have send in a reserve tank rider platoon to keep pushing forward. A BA-64 armored car is in the woods to beef up their firepower. I found a Sturm squad in the woods, but it retreated before seriously engaging.
Another fight took place along the ridge line between Northern Hill #2 and Titan Hill. In probably his last bid to stop me from taking the central objective, Titan assembled an infantry force including some survivors of the previous fighting, HQs and a Gewehrgranaten team, to stop the two platoons (1/2 and 3/2) I sent to this sector. The fight was decided with supporting fire from the Central Hill, where I have a machinegun (now two) and two sniper teams, plus with medium mortars firing using Target Light. Most defenders were killed, a few survivors were driven back. As reported before, the Battalion HQ in the bunker was taken out. It was soon replaced with a two-man Platoon HQ team, which got some revenge - I lost 3 men, including two SMGs from the team that shot at the bunker previously, to their machinegun fire. I area fired the bunker with a T-34 and took out the replacement crew. The bunker still seems operational but is abandoned at the moment. The second Battalion HQ is probably in the building by the roadside in front of the bunker - left behind to die. I am pushing two SMG platoons along the northern slope of Central Hill to attack Titan Hill.
Opposite Central Hill, Titan's Marder continues to worry me. I can't advance against it with infantry - it still has HE and good command of the area. I tried to attack it with AT rifles from the hill, but they don't see it even though the surrounding infantry does. I just can't find a spot on the hill from which an AT rifle can see the Marder. I ordered one AT rifle to area fire the road where the Marder is, but it could only hit a mound a few meters from the rifle. The second AT rifle team also tried area firing - but missed and although it couldn't see the Marder, the Marder could see it back and took it out. As a result, my advance from here on is blocked.
More action on the right flank. One platoon advanced south of the road and south of a ridgeline but stopped when it ran into some positions that could not be easily attacked from this side. Another infantry force was sent along the right edge of the map. Two machineguns are deployed here - both particularly frustrating, they have been reduced to 1 man long ago and refused to die. They have soaked up incredible amount of HE and caused heavy casualties. Currently, two of my teams are within grenade's throw from one such MG guy, but refuse to see it, while the MG just keeps firing and firing into the woods. However, mortar support broke a line of defense that was set up in this area, wiping out about a squad of infantry in the process.
If not in close range, further away behind terrain or off map they can still give great suppression / area denial and or lethal fires imo.
