[ROE] Battle for Hill 747

Based on but not wholly true to the account of the action around Hill 747 west of Moscow in 1941, taken from this site. 

III. Company G Counterattacks During a Snowstorm (November 1941)

This action is typical of the fighting in the late autumn of 1941, when Russian resistance began to stiffen west of Moscow and the ill-equipped German troops had to rally all their energy to continue the advance toward the Russian capital.

In November 1941 the 464th Infantry Regiment of the German 253d Infantry Division was occupying field fortifications about 60 miles northeast of Rzhev. On the regiment's right flank was Hill 747. Since the hill afforded an extensive view of the German rear area, the Russians had made repeated attempts to capture it in an effort to undermine the position of the 464th Infantry Regiment. The hill had changed hands several times, but was now occupied by the Germans. The presence of heavy weapons including assault guns, as well as reports of repeated reconnaissance thrusts, gave rise to the belief that the Russians were preparing for another attack against the hill. Accordingly, the regimental commander withdrew Company G from the sector it was holding and committed it on the regiment's right flank. 

After reporting to battalion headquarters around noon on 15 November, Lieutenant Viehmann, the commander of Company G, accompanied by his platoon leaders, undertook a terrain reconnaissance. A heavy snowfall set in. As the group was returning from the reconnaissance mission, submachine gun and mortar fire was heard from the direction of Hill 747. The company commander attached little importance to this at the time. However, upon arriving at the battalion CP he learned that the Russians had taken advantage of the snowstorm and had seized the hill without artillery or mortar support in a surprise raid. An immediate counterattack by German troops failed to dislodge the Russians.

This is the German counterattack, lead by the Fallshirmjager supported by a squad of infirm veterans and a Stugg. The Soviet infantry platoon are supported by a pair of HMGs, an anti-tank team and a scout squad.

The Germans advance

The infirm veterans are sent up the middle, is this a sacrifice?

The reds are hiding!

Heading into the woods, slowly.

Surprise! Scouts hiding in the woods.

HMG revels itself to open up on the advancing Fallshirmjager.

Fallshirmjager head out to help veterans out

Its chopping time! They've already wiped out the veterans, whose next?!

Time to join the fight

The HMGs victims!

The woods are becoming a graveyard of German ambitions!

The Stugg opens up on the HMG team.

A failed charge leaves the inexperienced reinforcements standing in the open.

The fighting continues in the woods.

The Russian anti tank team has just nailed the Stuggs driver right in front of the Fallshirmjage!

The Fallshirmjager finally overcome the Scouts but nearly 30 men from both sides lay dead in this wood!

Somehow one anti-tank man survives and takes out the Stuggs engine.

Remember the guys who failed their charge? Last man standing.

Bad times

The Soviets pass a discipline test to stay in the fight

The Stugg grinds to a halt facing the wrong way.

The lone survivor of the wood of death, hopefully he's getting the iron cross!

The last Soviet reserves organize an attempt at a counter charge

The Soviets pass again

The counter charge fails!

Soviet platoon HQ makes its move to join the fight

The Soviets continue to pass

The left flank is collapsing as the Germans sweep forward

Platoon HQ and two HMG gunners who long since lost their HMG charge forward to try and push back the Germans on the right flank!

Nearly there, but then shot to peices the Platoon HQ is wiped out.

Newly appointed platoon commander and former HMG loader passes the discipline test and keeps the red army in it

The Stuggs crew finally bails out!

This looks bad!

The new platoon commander  tries to charge in with hand grenades and bayonets!

Epic fail.

The Germans finish off all resistance on the right and force yet another Red Army private to take command of the platoon, he orders a withdrawal and the Germans occupy Hill 747