The Tiger of Vitebsk (SP1 Conversion)

[MarkSheppard]

85% conversion from SP1; map is a port; OOB redone from scratch; changed some bits around the map to slow down the Soviets some (i hope).

Best played I think as the Germans.

The Tiger of Vitebsk (German Human, Soviet AI)
Vitebsk, Belarus
24 December 1943

It is Christmas Eve 1943, near Vitebsk. Lt. Albert Ernst and his crew have lit candles on the tree which Ernst's gunner Colany has decorated for the batallion celebration in the schoolhouse that night.

Alerted to a Soviet armored brigade's dusk attack on the nearby village of Xanino, Ernst heads out with Sgt. Stortz in their Hornisse tank destroyers to support the grenadiers holding there.

After a few tense moments crossing a swamp, the two reach a hill with a good field of fire, and take up hull-down positions. Stortz' Hornisse is hit after a short period, but Ernst's TD keeps up its rate of fire despite a main firing mechanism malfunction, and breaks up the enemy attack.

After the engagement, it's found that Ernst's 'Buffel' has destroyed 14 Soviet tanks with only 21 rounds! For this and later actions, he earns the nickname 'The Tiger of Vitebsk'.

Slight spoiler -- he lives and is promoted to Hauptmann, and surrenders with sPzJgAbt 512 and it's JagdTigers in the Ruhr pocket in 1945.