Hamm needed to get to a position where he could observe what was happening in Immelmann's sector.  He took a Pz Plt- and headed east until he saw the first farm houses on the other side of the woods.  The Infantry and Pz's had beat back another attack but Hamm knew they would attack again......

Russian Infantry and Machine Gun squads came out of Legnica and Hamm found himself engaging the lead elements.  Heavy machinegun fire from an Improved Position forced Immelmann's lead Plt to retreat.  A major attack was forming out of Obj 50 and Immelmann put out the call across all radio nets......

Again Cpt Hamm and Lt Immelmann forces beat back the Russian attack.  The attack out of Obj 50 was cut down by a vicious crossfire of tank and infantry weapons.   The Russian defensive still held south of Legnica but was being attrited by the volume of fire from 2 sides.  Radio reports were now coming in about enemy Infantry in the vicinity of Obj 45....  Cpt Hamm called back to Regt Hq's and informed them of the amount of Russian Infantry that he had encountered and that his ammo was starting to run low.

The Russian's fell back again to regroup and Immelmann saw more infantry approaching from the east end of the ridgeline..  He knew the Russian's weren't done as they continued to return fire and not leave the engagement area.

Cpt Hamm got on the radio and ordered Lt Immelmann to start applying forward pressure agaisnt the enemy forces at Obj 50 and to also move more forces up the ridge.  With more reports of enemy activity near Obj 45,  Hamm brought 2 more Pz Plt's from his flank screen and started to advance down the trail that ran along the north edge of the ridge.  As the Pz's cleared the woods and hamlets they discovered  Russian infantry gathering for an attack....

The Russian's launched a Co+ attack on Obj 45 but the Pz's held their ground.  2 more enemy Plt's appeared and Hamm was facing a major attck on his flank. 

Hamm pressed the attack in the face of the Russian advancs in both sectors.  At Obj 45 his Pz's beat back the Russian's and pushed them back into retreat.  South of Legnica,  Immelmann's forces broke the Russian line and readied for another push towards Obj 85.

The Russian staging area at Obj 50 was put under direct fires by 3rd Pz Co and suporting Infantry, causing the enemy to retreat.

The Russian's hit Immelmann's lead elements again trying to dislodge them from the woods and fields south of Obj 50.

Hamm continued to push the attack.  In Obj 45's area,  the Pz's beat back the dismounted attack by the Russian's and caused them to retreat off the ridgeline.  In the center at Obj 85,  stiff resistance was encountered by dug-in Infantry .  At Obj 50 Immelemann's forces took the terrain and were now pounding the enemy with tank and Infantry fire.

The attack by Hamm and Immelmann's forces break the back of the Russian's.  They fell back into small pockets, disorganized and severely weakened.

The German final push that secures Obj 85.

Cpt Hamm finally sat down as his unit commanders presented their reports on vehicle availability and maintenance needs,  ammunition resupply, and the status of their crews.  One point was common from all of them,  the need for replacements.  Their panzers were holding up well for now,  morale was high and the men were getting showers and hot food. 

As they departed,  Eric,  his radioman,  now promoted to Sgt,  handed him a message form.  He read it and just shook his head.  "We must go to Division Hq's and be there by 1400hrs,  that's 90 minutes from now." Hamm spoke to the Sgt.  "Go get something to eat or a shower,  you wont have time for both."  The Sgt laughed and turned around as he left the Cpt.

When they arrived at Division Hq's,  Hamm was met by his Regt Cdr.  "You do us proud Hamm!" said the Colonel as he grabbed Hamm's shoulder and lead him to the house that was being used as the Div Hq's.

As they entered the doorway,  Hamm noticed that Lt. Immelmann from the Infantry and Jocheim from Artillery were also there.  They saluted as he approched and Cpt Hamm returned as such.   "What's going on?"  They just smiled as the Division Cdr approached.  Hamm and the rest saluted and the General placed everybody at ease.  Cpt Hamm was promoted to the rank of Major.

After the ceremony,  Hamm was briefed on his units next mission.  The Russian's  had launched a counter attack on the Division's left flank.  Knowing that Maj Hamms' unit had been in continuous battle since the invasion began,  they were given a support role as Lt Immelmann's 13th SS Mot Bn led our response.  Maj Hamms' 17th SS Pz Bn was to act as reinforcement as needed.  Both units had 2 Co's of Artillery to call upon.

It was a clear morning when the attack started.   Some 3Km's to the west,  2 Co's of Infantry started their movement to the dismount point.  2 of Maj Hamm's Pz Co's reached the woodline without incident and the Maj. ordered the 3rd Pz Co. to recce the abandoned bunker complex along the road to their north. 

As Maj Hamm's 3rd Pz Co approached the "abandoned" bunker complex,  tank fire erupted from the area,  and with that opening salvo,  the Russian's started to expose themselves.   All across the front,  reports were coming in of various enemy tanks and infantry moving and setting up defensive positions.  Hamm took it all in as he plotted the positions on his map.  He became painfully aware that his "supporting role" had just changed.......Enemy armor........

"Eric,  tell 1st Pz Co to follow my move"  ordered the Maj as he shifted his Pz forces to the right flank to deal with the Russian armor.  The ligjt Pz Plt's of 1st and 3rd Co's provided a loose screen along the western and eastern edge of the woods that dominated the center of their sector.  As he was manuvering,  3rd Pz provided fires on known enemy positions.  On the far left flank,  Immelmann's Inf Bn had reached their dismount point and were preparing to assault Obj 40 while 2 Plt's swung west to cut the trail being used to bring reinforcements to that area.

Two Pz CO's positioned themselves along the eastern edger of the woodline and proceded to take its toll on the Russian armor in the bunker complex.  Maj Hamm kept repositioning the forces to keep the enemy artillery from gaining a fix on their positions.  Most of the Russian movement was occuring between Obj's 60 and 160..

With his 2nd Pz Co now in the fray,  Maj Hamm sent his forces forward to occupy the bunker complex and to test the Russian defenses.  His lead Pz Plt took heavy fire from multiple locations and left a PzII burning in the open.  To the west near Obj 40,  the Infantry was engaging enemy forces forcing them to retreat .

Maj Hamm was using every resource available to him.  This was becoming a battle of manuever and he needed to gain the flank of the Russian position.  As smoke rounds started to impact on the battlefield,  Hamm manuevered 2 Pz Co's to the east and then turned them back to the west as they split Obj 's 60 and 65. Over at Obj 40,  Immelmann's Bn was overwhelming the enemy as 2 plt's gained the trail and forced the enemy to retreat.  Just as he thought he had the Russian's on their heels,  2 Russian tank Plts were spotted moving SSW threatening Hamm's rear area and causing the Infantry that was advancing through the woods to stop and regroup to provide security.

On the left flank of the sector,  Immelmann's Bn was forcing the Russian's to retreat once they realized that they were being attacked by two elements.  Then,  on Maj Hamm's radio came the most surprising report...the Russian armor that was threatening his rear area had turned around and was moving back towards Obj 160. 

As the smoke lifted from the ground in and around Objs 60 & 65,  the enemy found that he had a Pz Co. on  his flank.

Hi bootlegger267,

I think people here would appreciate your AAR stickied, so I'll go ahead and do it. You seem to update the thread frequently. Very in-depth AAR.

-Curtis Szmania

Thanks!  and congrats!

Hamm's forces continued to reduce the enemy defenses between Obj 60 & 65.  The combined fires of 6 Artillery battery's and those of the Pz's were disrupting the Russian units and allowing Hamm to manuever and fire with little return fires.  Immelmann's Co continued its advance out of Obj 40 to secure the high ground and woods to the SW of Obj 70. Across the next 20 minutes,  Maj Hamm's Pz's secured Obj 65