Leningrad Campaign - Battle of Hill 19 (Hex 1232)

The German Field Marshal’s version of the continuing battle:

We played the 6:30-8:00am turns.

The German commander received word from his FAC that the airstrike would commence at 7:30am. I knew that I had reinforcements coming in at 7am. Reinforcements included the 1^st Anti-tank battle, the 15^th Regimental HQ and 320^th Howitzer Battalion.
Orders:

Hill 19 - Soviet Held (4 Infantry Battalions)

  


The plan was for the 1^st/15^th Reg to attack the hill to the right after the air and howitzer attack the hill. We were hoping to soften the entrenched soviet infantry with the big howitzer battalion and air adding to the attack.
This attack kicked off with the howitzer attack at 7am. During the 6:30 and 6:45 am turns the infantry reorganized ready for advance. The FO for the howitzer bttn came on at 0700. We rolled for a pure command stand to call the howitzers as the FO got into position. We were lucky in the pure cmd was able to call in the howitzer bttn. The Soviets were lucky as the effect of the gun was to no effect.
First turn of events on hill against Germans.

  

Anti tank ditch, barb wire and mines

1st German Air Attack

At 7:30am 2 x ME109F and 1 JU 87B flew on table. Soviet infantry was racing down the left side of the hilltop to capture woods to the left of hill to stop the German advance thru the anti-tank trench and barb wire and mines. The first fighter wave along with 105mm bttn hammered the infantry in the open. Forcing the 2 soviet battalions to fall back wounded and demoralized. Hazzah!!! The Germans have a chance to get to the ditch and cross the barb wire.
         

German 1st & 2nd Bttn in Woods

Bunkers (Hill 3)

German Reinforcements

15^th Reg starting position with tank support. Goal to capture this bunkered hill. The coordination of this attack did not happen well. Infantry did not step at 6:30am but waited until 0700. Assumed that they could not take it with Soviet tanks advancing with Infantry. The Soviet infantry pinned. We made the attempt to take the hill. I did not reinforce with the tanks.
  

German Anti-Tank Battalion Deploys

German Failed Attack Regroups in Woods

The Anti-tank battalion unlimbered 1” short of being really effective (on 15” band) We did not take out any tanks until the last turn. The 2^nd battalion did not score any hits and took lots of indirect fire hits and withered in the approach and only one stand made and is holding the trench. Against all the Soviet have currently on hill. It was a failed attack.
 

German Engineers and 3rd Battalion

German Advance Left Side of Hill 19

Shifting the 3^rd/15^th Reg and Engineers to cross the anti-tank barrier and attack to the leftside of the hilltop.

Soviets on Hill 19 - Assault by German

Soviet Retreat after Air Attacks

            



The 2^nd fighter wave attacked the hill and the assault began from 1^st battalion. The howitzer battalion blazed away. The tanks supported the charge of the German infantry. We suffered minimal damage in the approach. The actual assault did not produce many hits from the Germans only two kills during the assault. But with the minus to air attack within 20”, the infantry and tank within 10” adding another minus 3 and the two eliminated stand the total negatives was a minus 11. The cover and big battalion bonus gave 4 plus. Minus 7 overall to the morale. Only a 1 was going to not pin the or worse for the green infantry. Again the tenacity the Soviet infantry held in place. They rolled a one (Those Soviets must have rabbits foots in all their packs). We are now locked in combat.
Along the other hilltop trenches the Soviets either pinned or ran away. The center is still contested. There has been loss of tanks on both sides. The indirect has been intense. Infantry hits are substantial on both sides. A German bomber is still circling ready to lash out bombs on the right place. The next push will come before the morning is out.