Hell From Hill 441 ETO (id:#60031)

(Dezign Pak 3 ID: 31)   [next]   [previous]

10 km East of Nikel, Finland 1944-10-21 (4 others)

Overview:

Not satisfied with his formations accomplishments on the 19th, Army Commander Shcherbakov reiterated his orders to capture Nikel, and again, Maj. General Absaliamov’s 31st Rifle Company was assigned the mission. Immediately in front of the corps was the exceptionally strong German position on Hill 441 that blocked their advance on the road to Nikel. The day before, the Soviets had nearly lost the entire 367th Rifle Division on the initial assault. Russian tanks and self-propelled guns, stumbling up the narrow, swamp flanked road, fell pray to well sited German antitank guns. Those that made it through the deadly fire found the road blocked right at the foot of the Germans position. Today though, Absaliamov would not make the same mistake, for his command, in fact his life, demanded he crush the German resistance and open the road to Nikel. Due to severe ammunition shortages, Soviet artillery had no real effect on the German position. Additionally, their overwhelming superiority in armor was of no great value. Their armored columns could advance only single file on the narrow, swampy roads and all to often fell prey to either German AT fire or supporting AT mines. This meant that Maj. General Absaliamov’s 31st Rifle Company had the unpleasant task of removing the roadblock by hand (or DC) while sitting under the heavy, deadly accurate fire from the German guns above.

Defender: German (Elements of 163rd Infantry Division (Battle Group Ruebel) and the 2nd Mountain Division)  

Errata (source)