Battle of Raseiniai AKA the Beast of Raseiniai

Rock on Tommy and I decided to fight the Battle of Raseiniai where a KV-2, broken down held up the advance of a German division. 

See http://www.warlordgames.com/scenario-monster-in-the-road-the-battle-of-raseiniai/

Soviet forces quickly moved to support the stricken beast taking up positions in the sand bagged emplacements.

German forces massed and began their advance.

The German forces began their advance by firing lots of smoke hoping to blind the KV-2 but to no avail, the shots went wide allowing it to smash the heavy field car as it advanced up the road. The Pioneer squad inside bailed out with minimal casualties but proved unwilling to leave the cover of the wreckage for the whole battle. Effectively ending their campaign from the outset.

The German artillery observer called in his barrage well wide of the KV-2 hoping to walk it into the tightly packed Russian infantry. However the battery was quicker than expected and the barrage landed on and empty road way, only pinning one unit of Russian infantry behind the sand bags.

The 8-Rad continued to fire smoke shells in the hope of covering the advance of two units of heer up either side of the road. One unit moved through the fields to take cover behind a fence. The other unit took shelter in the building preparing to ambush what ever moved around the woodland to their front. The unmistakable whinnying of Cossack cavalry giving away the Soviet intent.

The Cossacks galloped around the woodland hoping to smash the German centre but were cut down mid charge, ambushed by one unit while the charged unit had time to pick off the horseman. Only one Cossack made it across the open ground, taking two Germans down before being torn from his horse and dispatched.

More Soviet reinforcements poured in presenting an intimidating line of infantry, thankfully their inexperience resulted in their inaction. The commissar was forced to shoot several soldiers as an example to the others, this had the desired effect.

The 8-rad and light mortar continued to pepper the battlfield with smoke, finally blinding the monster to the road ahead. Unfortunately the Hanomag and two SS inside chose this moment to advance into the open on the left flank. Thankfully they had debused before the Hanomag was blown apart killing the now redundant artillery observer manning the MG34. The KV-2 then killed all 6 SS before the other unit was reduced to half strength by the combined fire of the entire Soviet left flank.

Sensing the German attack had fatally stalled the Soviet right flank began to advance putting additional pressure of the already shaken Germans.

The German attack stalled on the left flank and the remaining troops attempted to switch flanks using the thick smoke screen as cover. Sadly this was far too little, far too late. 

The now unsupported infantry wavered and eventually began to withdraw under the rapidly diminishing smoke screen. Sadly reporting that the Beast still held the cross roads and a much stronger German force would be needed to capture it.