Progress Report 7/13/2013: The Red Barricades Project

It was nice to have a full house this month; with Jim Cotugno and I commanding the Russians as usual, and Dan Plachta, John Lehman and Dave Reinking directing the Germans. The hostilities resumed with Russian turn 3 of the October 27th CG date.

On the eastern flank the Russians maintained a stubborn resistance, and Jim was able to get the 70mm OBA down as harassing fire around the ruins of the Commissar’s House. But the German 100mm OBA, and fire from the German kill stacks and AFV’s have made this a costly CG date for the Russians. On the west flank, my Russians were facing raking fire from a German kill stack and the arrival of German reinforcements, so I pulled my counterattack back into the factories, and diverted troops toward the east to take some pressure off the Jim’s left flank. The top of turn 4 saw the end of heavy rain (damn it) and the Germans smoked the Russian east flank MG positions that were holding up their assault. On the west flank, my hidden 10-2/HMG opened up to KIA a 5-4-8 moving in the open, then kill a 4-4-7 manning a light morter. And two Russian conscript squads died in close combats taking out a 4-6-7 and half a 5-4-8. Otherwise my Russians just traded blows in the factories, as Dan's Germans started taking back some factory locations lost in my counter-attack.

We finished the German half of turn 4 and called it a day. So far the Russians have lost 30 squads and the Germans 10. But the Germans have lost 3 AFV’s with nanother immobilized. And our MTRs are in position to start Smoking in the German kill stacks.

We had our usual “Gamers Lunch” compliments of the St Crispin’s crew. We headed out at about 6:00 PM. It was another great day in the Barricades.