Armored Deja Vu - Steel Beasts ProPE - Battle Report

This is a Steel Beasts ProPE single player mission I edited to get some practice time with the Leopard 1A5

German armor surrounded by Soviets. It happened a thousand times in the previous World War. Brothers in arms are ready to break into the pocket. Some things do not change.

At the east edge of the area of operations, the tip of a pocket of surrounded German armored forces has been blocked by Soviet mechanized infantry. Enemy armor is quickly moving to seal the kessel. My battalion sized force is to open a route towards the east.

Although in name I command the entire German battalion, I am going to be leaving B and C companies to their OPORDs and commanders. These two companies are to seize OBJ Corona and on order orient south to deal with a Soviet armored force moving north.

Company A is to move and seize OBJ Heineken, which is a built up area harboring an important crossroad. Then, on order, engage enemy forces at OBJ Quilmes.

A loaner Cavalry platoon (US M3A2s, at our north flank) is to provide a screen for our assaulting forces.

The CO's Leopard tank is ready to action near A Company.

Tanks from A Company assemble, waiting for the go signal (in this case provided by B Company reaching a support by fire position west of OBJ Corona).

From the CO's tank turret. The CO is moving west along with A company. The moving tanks pass a few hundred meters from OBJ Corona. Enemy infantry is engaged with the coaxial gun, but the range is too large to be effective.

An enemy BMP burns in OBJ Corona.

The tactical situation, some 10 minutes into the mission. B Company has moved into OBJ Corona. The use of artillery was crucial to eliminate the remainder infantry. A Company continues to move west, preceded by the CO and XO tanks.

The XO and CO tanks stop short of OBJ Heineken after detecting enemy tanks beyond the built up area.

An enemy armor formation is moving south via the open terrain east of OBJ Heineken. The range to those enemy tanks was higher than the one shown in the red indicator above the gun sight viewer.

The rest of A Company arrives and forms up 1 kilometer west of OBJ Heineken. Although the chance of hitting the enemy armor in their flank is tempting, I decide to let the enemy tanks continue south. Establishing a battle position in the built up area in front of us is just impractical.

The lack of infantry support is worrying but it had to be done this way. OBJ Corona was given a greater priority in terms of infantry because of the risk of being encircled ourselves. So it goes for the tanks moving into OBJ Heineken ... No dismounts whatsoever. The CO tank falls to an well hidden enemy weapon shortly before entering the built up area.

The knocked out CO tank as seen from the gunner of the XO tank. A few seconds later, the crew of this tank will share the same fate.

3rd Platoon made it through the northern crossing at OBJ Heineken. 1st and 2nd Platoon are now committed to negotiate a crossing south of OBJ Heineken.

The river crossings south of OBJ Heineken are narrow and difficult to negotiate. When the last tank of 1st Platoon is finally on the near side, I can breathe more easily.

Now advancing towards OBJ Quilmes. From their overwatching position, the 3rd Platoon engages and destroy a great portion of the enemy armor. 2nd and 1st Platoon advance for the cleanup.

Advancing towards OBJ Quilmes. Note the German tanks in the background.

The gentle slopes of the open terrain east of OBJ Heineken are great for armor engagements. We may have caught many of these enemy tanks with their pants down to achieve what it can be seen in this screenshot.

We are unstoppable now. We destroy enemy blocking positions in sequence and with total impunity. Note the dismounts surrounding this Soviet BMP-1.

Inebriated by the momentum of our advance, we don't even bother for completely clearing a couple of enemy blocking positions. In this case, somebody from my forces has called in an artillery mission and we move on from this worthless engagement.

The enemy blocking effort was spread thin and easy to deal with. In this picture, a Soviet BMP-1 in the southern tip of OBJ Quilmes burns quietly.

With a trail of destruction behind us, we quickly move towards the encircled friendly troops.

Using their last gallons of fuel, friendly tanks move towards us (background). No time for shaking hands, though. The umbilical cord to friendly territory is thin and we need to consolidate it.

Friendly infantry emerging from their hideouts.

Coming up, an AAR highlighting the most important kills and events that were not visible from the turret of the tanks I rode.