Bagration: German

Leutnant Voigt’s platoon had taken positions along a treeline overlooking a ford across a river a few hundred metres away. It was expected the Soviets were about to attempt a crossing. Stirred up dust could be seen in the distance, signalling the enemy’s approach and soon after some shapes started to appear through the haze.

Voigt leaned down and tapped his gunner Jürgen’s head, before resuming his vigil from the commander’s hatch of his Panzer IV/70 tank-hunter. Jürgen choose a target and then fired the 7.5cm gun. His shot hit its mark and the rearmost T-34 erupted in flame. It was quickly followed by the explosion of the lead T-34, taken out by another of the platoon’s Panzer IV/70s. The rest of the platoon joined in and took out two more T-34s.

A second wave of T-34s then advanced beyond their burning comrades and began returning fire, scattering tree branches and leaves over Voigt’s vehicles. Voigt’s loader chambered another round, whilst Jürgen prepared to fire again.

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In 1944 the war in the east had become critical for the Germans. Determined defence, reinforced with local counterattacks, typified their fighting all along the front. Panzer division ‘fire brigades’ were rushed from one hot spot to another. German Generals such as von Manstein, Hube, and von Saucken showed expert skill holding back the Red Army against overwhelming
odds, extracting their forces from encirclement, holding Soviet breakthroughs, and delaying the enemy advance at important bridgeheads.

Fighting erupted all along the front as the Soviets launched Operation Bagration. From Narva in the north, through Byelorussia where the Red Army wedge hit the hardest, down to Romania and Hungary, the German fought for every inch of ground.

INSIDE YOU WILL FIND:

• Background on the German Army during 1944, including Operation Bagration and the battles that followed.
• Instructions on how to build a Storm Grenadier Company, Grenadier Company, a StuG Assault Gun Battery, a Hetzer Tank-hunter Company, a Tiger Tank Company, a Panther Tank Company, a Panzer IV Tank Company, a Panzer IV/70 Tank Company, a Armoured Panzergrenadier Company, a Panzergrenadier Company, and a Reconnaissance Company.
• Three new Bagration themed missions.