[updated 7 August 2023]
Theater of War Mission Pack: Victory at Stalingrad
Mission: Tatsinskaya Raid
This mission is meant to be a very scaled-down version of a real Russian raid on a German airfield W of Stalingrad in December 1942, when the Germans were besieged at Stalingrad and the Russians feared a breakthrough attack. The goal is to destroy ten planes on the runway or in hangars, decrew the two Pak-43s near the control tower, cap the control tower point, and then defend against a counterattack that will include a Tiger.
It is winnable on General (Hard) level, but much less easily so than it used to be. In fact, I would say that the endless tinkering by the devs has now mostly ruined “Tatsinskaya Raid.” Your tanks here are very, very nerfed compared to the German armor. A StuG-E on this map will beat your T-34. All the other usual cheats are here too, including the materializing of German tanks, Pak-40s, etc. at convenient locations, i.e., behind your armor. Your vehicles also move very slowly, with terrible pathing. Many situations they would normally escape are here not escapable—get ready for some death spins.
Because there is no time limit, and because the German force, though many times the size of your force, never pursues you outside the base, you really should never lose. Still, it’s a chore and probably will take a long time, 30-50 minutes.
You should first bring your forces together on open ground south of the base, then move forward with a couple of T-34s and a KV-8 to kill the tanks and infantry at the territory point on the right. One of your tanks should acquire a vet-1 star and then can use its secure mode to cap the point.
When prompted by the UI as to how you want to reinforce, choose the KV-8. To complete this mission, you will need to wipe ~100 gren and panzergren squads, probably a dozen HMGs, and easily dozens of Pak crews, and your ordinary tanks are just not very good at killing infantry—having two KV-8 flamethrower tanks is by far the most efficient way.
Keep your forces S of the base where damaged tanks can retreat for repairs (by your engineers), and rotate tanks in and out of that area. Keep your engineers safe always.
Don’t use your munitions points for repairs now—wait until the end when that’ll be your only option.
Poke, when your tanks are in good repair, with most of your force into the main airbase, starting with the lower part. In each sally, you will have to kill AT-capable infantry, OP StuGs and Panzer IVs, Pak-40s, 251s, and sometimes LeFH artillery pieces (which may bombard your tanks). Your tanks, when not preoccupied with defending themselves, can blast (or drive through) aircraft parked on the tarmac. Retreat to your base whenever your tanks start to take significant damage—be conservative about this, since your tanks move with extreme slowness, giving the Pak-40s on this map (there must be upwards of 30) plenty of opportunities to kill them.
You can poke, from the SW, into the territory point on the NW side of the field and take this point, as you took the first point, but if you conserve your tanks, it is not necessary. Always beware Pak-40s and the OP Panzerbuchse rifles of panzergrens. If you take this point, you get another tank—choose a KV-1 or T-34.
Once you get about halfway up the airfield and approach the tower at the NE end, you will come within the range of the Pak-43s near the tower, and will also trigger a sudden Stuka strike. In my experience, it is best to do the upper half of the airfield in two sallies. For the first, move up the right side of the field, outside the fence, with a tank or two (maybe including a T-70) to draw fire from the Pak-43 on that side, and a KV-8 to hose down the Pak-43 crew. It is frustratingly hard to do this because the devs have nerfed your tanks’ movement speed (the German tanks are much more nimble, naturally). Anyway, do your best and retreat into the area of the territory point you captured before, to avoid the Stukas.
Repair your tanks, and then go with your entire force (except your M5 and engineers) to the tower, to cap it (use secure mode for one of your T-70s) while killing the other Pak-43 and remaining aircraft. Endure the Stuka strike as well as you can.
Now bring in your engineers in the M5, to recrew the left-side Pak-43. Heal your tanks as well as you can, using munitions points. A counter-attack with lots of infantry from all sides, a Tiger, and whatever other tanks remain in the base, will come at you within a minute of your capping the tower. Get your anti-infantry units (KV-8, T-70s, M5) where they can help the most, and get your tanks straightened out to reduce damage from hits. Do not point your forces all in one direction! The Tiger will literally materialize at the edge of the fog of war, in whatever direction creates maximum vulnerability for you.
Focus on the Tiger because once youโve killed it, youโve won. If necessary, ram it with a T-34 to stun it, and then concentrate fire on it till it’s destroyed.
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