JoshInJapan wrote:
That's a nifty model. A stronger highlight on the armor would make the scales stand out better, I think.

The 53rd welsh got caught off guard by a company of Soviets that defected to the Axis forces under a charismatic general Banin. Banin convinced them that despite the death toll at Stalingrad they were still better off joining their former enemies the Germans than remaining with the rest of the allies. Caught off guard by the betrayal several British officers with valuable information including troop movements got injured. The 53rd welsh had to prevent the capture of these officers at all cost while simultaneously withdrawing, fatigued troops to safety before being over run.

The welsh quickly set up a defensive perimeter with two full infantry companies defending two of the officers, a Mortar team and a Vickers machine gun team with the final officer. Also in the defensive perimeter was two Skins Patrols containing a a mix of Firefly and Cromwell tanks and a set of 6pdr anti tank guns. Finally there were also anti air guns, Universal carrier troop transports and a Platoon of Riflemen hidden in a forest unknown to the Russians.

The Russians struck first a barrage of Rockets from a Katyusha rocket launcher pounded down on the anti air guns destroying two of them, also caught by the shrapnel was a few members of the first rifle team lead by Tasker Watkins who ran to the cover of nearby buildings. Soon after came ISU-152 tanks backed up by some T34's exchanging fire with one of the Firefly and Cromwell Skins platoon . War was quickly upon us.

The welsh launched a counter attack straight away taking out a ISU with their 6pdr guns and a T35 with their fireflys. The second group of British tanks drove straight up for the Katyusha launchers taking out a few of their number but barely denting their effectiveness. Soon a second barrage of rockets came down further damaging Tasker Watkins platoon and the Universal carriers retreated to safety with their crews. This was followed by an ill fated assault charge by Tasker who's men got chewed up by gunfire, the few remaining men shaken and afraid decided to retreat rather than face further losses. Rockets kept pounding down on the second infantry team and the tanks that supported them taking out one of their number and an air support bombing barely missed the Skins platoon leaving the tank crews feeling lucky to have survived that one.Exchanges between the British tanks lead to another T34 being put out of commission but quite quickly afterwards that tank platoon was wiped out to manand it was looking like the welsh were soon to lose, they also had to withdraw another unit to safety this time being the anti aircraft guns.

Another barrage from the Katusha destroyed the remaining tanks in that skins platoon. Behind enemy lines however the Cromwell's destroyed a great number of Katusha which cleared the way and allowed the Fireflys with them to flank the ISU-152 tank hunters taking them out of action with their powerful guns. While this was happening the Vickers HMG team tried creeping through the same forest where the final rifle platoon was hoping to prevent the Russian infantry from capturing the objective that was now left without a tank to defend it. However the Welsh now no longer had mortar support as it was now their turn to withdraw.

The Russian infantry team rushed quickly towards their objective but some of them got mowed down by machine gun fire. Breathing a sigh of relief and thinking they were safe the final rifle platoon burst out of the forest finsihing off the second half of the platoon killing them to a man. With the effectiveness of the Katusha's reduced the 6pdr crews could now work at full efficiency throwing out far more rounds in shorter periods of time, this lead to the final T35's being destroyed and the Welsh defending the objective hiding behind the smoking wrecks breathing a sigh of relief as for the first time in what felt like forever no one was shooting directly at them.

The Russian commander got in his car deciding he capture one of the now undefended officers himself. However his spotting team realized that the few guys with the undefended officer were loading him onto a stretcher to evacuate him via jeep. Banin realized that by the time he could reach that officer he would have been evacuated and that his forces were now too small to take the other objectives by force. He decided rather than waste the men had had with him he would hastily make a tactical retreat.

The remaining Welsh had one more mission that was top secret and the Russians had no idea they were trying to achieve it, they had to ensure that at the end of the battle they had troops close enough to the railway line to capture it if they successfully pushed the Russians back or blow it if the welsh were over run.. They accomplished this at the end of the fight and instead of blowing the explosives they had set they defused them to keep the railway line to supply their troops. Elated at the victory but saddened by the lost men the Welsh forces brewed a cup of tea for everyone and called in for reinforcements. The Russians however had to retreat with their tailed between their legs but vowed revenge.