The Soviet commanders concentrate their attention on their southern approach.  With the barrage still coming in (cotton wool represents smoke from one of the 152mm barrages), a rifle platoon reaches wood 7, preparing to cross the river to prove the path through the gap between the wood on the opposite bank (wood 12) and the gaming area edge(!).  Another rifle platoon from the same company is mounted on a T-34 platoon (a 4th tank is the T-34 CC).  Immediately behind the T-34 is the third platoon and the CC.  T-34s are Airfix (76mm turret - these are kinda ugly renditions...).  Figures are Revell, except the crouching figures representing passenger squads on the tanks which are Airfix (my ancient Airfix figures now relegated for use as here and for gun crews and dead figures).  Beyond can be seen other Soviet squads moving carefully through woods. The gap to be negotiated is forcing the T-34s to crowd awfully close together... 

Later, after the above picture was taken,  the lead tanks of this platoon enter the river and halt.  The smoke screen lingers.  The platoon in wood 7 crosses, lead by their platoon leader, and discover the minefield spanning the near edge of wood 12 to the edge of the table.  T-34s from another company attempt to negotiate the river further north (out of this picture).  Soviet SMG squads from the veteran company occupy wood 8 (visible at the left edge of this photo) and come under fire from a bunker (by Bellona) in a wood (14) on the opposite bank.  There is also a dug in German rifle squad in the same wood.  A KV-8 which was with the southern forces roars up to the bunker's mouth and clears it while the SMG platoon scurries for cover.

Once the smoke clears. the Soviets see a Tiger and a Panther in the town.  Both are Airfix with a few details added (a turret toolbox on the Tig, extra track links and schurzen on the Panther).  The view beyond the tanks is blurred, but the KV-8 which has been flaming the bunker in wood 14 is partly visible (the river is lower than the groundlevel here and thus the KV-8 is  hull down to the Germans.  Also blurrily visible is one of the panzerschreck equipped rifle squads in wood 21 which has also opened up on the KV.

This T-34 platoon receives a shock with the sight of the Panther.  However, another T-34 way over to the right of this picture receives the attention of both the Tig and the Panther.  The T-34s in the centre of this pic are Matchbox.  the others in the foreground but to the right and left are the same Airfix kits which were in the first pictures at the top of this page.  These latter T-34 have begun backing up away from the minefield their accompanying infantry have discovered.  In the wood to the right of the Matchbox T-34s at centre are squads from the veteran SMG company.  Some of these have been pinned by MG fire from the bunker which is also off to the right.

The T-34s in the previous picture attempt to cross and the first one is disabled by mines.  The situation is becoming untenable for the Soviets on their southern approach as the German 105mm battery finds the range and begins shelling the SMG platoons in and around wood 8.  German barbed wire entanglements are also visible here.  The steam locomotive is an old Tycho 1/87th scale engine.

A flight of Yak 7s called by the beleaguered commanders to bomb the Panther and Tiger positions in the town.  Several passes are made by these aircraft as well as La-5 air to ground rocket equipped fighters.  None bear fruit although later attacks destroy one of the recce half tracks.  Below, can be seen the KV-8 in the river and the bunker in front of it in wood 14.  Another bunker has appeared and opened up with MG fire from wood 15 to the right of this picture.  KV-8 is a Fujimi KV-1 and the bunkers are old Bellona vacuformed scenery.  I have no idea what Russian company made the Yak 7, but although the aircraft look OK here, they were the very worst kits I have ever seen in my life.