Firestorm: Red Thunder

Podpolkovnik Levin August Bennigsen had been given the rearguards mission to protect the regiments south East flank as the regiment and Division moved North East for future operations against the British forces
in the Ruhr.

Levin “Battalion” was nothing more than a reinforced company at this point with only 15 T-64 tanks.

He had been given the Regiment Recon element of 4 BMP-2 and from the Division
he received a full battery of six 2S3 Acacia and 2 Gecko Air Defense vehicles.

Levin had sent the Recon and 5th “Company” on a recon mission across the river to east or left flank to make sure there was no American on his flank.

The bad news was the Gecko had been delayed by Division while they moved move off his position.

Benningsen plan for the rearguard was simple.

He would place 4th company and himself to the east side of the road going north to south.

In the center of a tree line he placed the SP battery and to the west side of the road or right flank and forward to the North West of the village he placed the observer on a wooded hill and behind the hill the 6th Company out of sight.

When the recon and 5th Company return, the recon would deploy in the Village and 5th Company behind 4th as the Battalion reserve.

The Gecko, when they were released, would deploy next to the Battery.

It was daybreak when 4th Company saw the first M-1 off to the south-east coming out of a covered valley.

The 4th Company fired and hit one M-1 and remained back up the way they came! When the second group of three M-1 appeared to South West (right) in front of the 4th Company in the wood line.

Then two of the T-64 on the left side exploded!

Levin spotted alone M-1 just to the west covering the M-1 from the hill top.

Levin gunner found the lone M-1 in his sight; Levin said firer and it to exploded!

Off to the South East, he saw what had killed the T-64’s of 4th Company!

Cobra in the behind the trees!

The two remaining T-64 of four company destroyed the trees in the wood line but would fall victim to a pair of ITV’s!

Benningsen was the only tank on the left flank when three M-1s appeared to be charging his position!

The pair of Cobra flys over him towards the artillery battery just as the 5th Company came down the road from the North!

The 5th Company would hunt down and destroy the three M-1 in front of the destroyed tank of 4th Company!

The Cobra made destroy one Acacia before the Recon Platoon took out one Cobra with their 20mm!

In the West, an M-1 charge and destroyed the Observer BMP-1 only to find 6th Company Waiting behind!

6th Company charges the M-1, Destroying it!

Then moving to the South West where their destroyed an M 109 Battery and flanked the ITV’s.

Levin thought to himself, now I’m a Company commander again!

He had just 10 T-64 remains; He had lost 21 tanks and 63 crewmembers in the last six weeks!

If this kept up he would be a platoon commander two days from now!