Here's the battle report, written by the German Cmmdr (me), so maybe some small bias here and there, I don't know. But I would recommend this one as a good head to head scenario....................

‘Senno ’

Eastern Front Scenario No.30 Senno : 6th July 1941 Scenario played : Tuesday 2nd September 2008

Maj.Gen Vinogradov’s 7th Mechanised Corps rolled forward to halt the invaders marching on Smolensk. Near Senno they crashed into the spearheads of Panzer Group.3. Around 0700 hours, the two forces came into combat reach of one another, and so the frantic battle at Senno began.

Both sides had decided that the town of Senno would provide the key objective of this battle, and initial dispositions had both sides deploying their troops in two groups on a North and South position. The Germans for their part advanced in two Kampfgruppen, divided into Panzers in the South and Infantry and Artillery in the North. Gen.Vinogradov divided his troops also, but into roughly two equal groups of tanks and infantry in both the North and the South.

It thus appeared to be a key factor of whether the German concentration of their better class tanks could smash through the enemy group facing them whilst the infantry in the North kept their front occupied. Once and if this was achieved, then the Panzers could swing north to assist the Infantry to take Senno. Whilst the German Panzer group in the South sped eastwards, the Soviets in the Northern section soon occupied the Town of Senno and set up defensive positions whilst their foe continued to advance.

By about 0830, the German Panzers in the South had made contact with the Soviets and a furious battle ensued. As the opposing tanks blasted at each other, Soviet AT Guns, artillery and infantry also became embroiled, especially as the supporting German Infantry platoons pushed forward. Over a period of about an hour and a quarter, about 30 Russian tanks were put out of action, 2 guns and 30 infantrymen. German losses amounted to 4-5 tanks, 8 APC’s and about 50 infantrymen.

Meanwhile, at Senno itself, the town was slowly coming under German attack as the Soviet defenders nestled in to repel it. Around here the Germans disembarked from trucks about a kilometre west and advanced cautiously forward with covering fire. Even so, by the time they reached about 200-300m outside of Senno, at least 50 of their comrades had fallen in the advance and had inflicted minimal damage on the Communist foe there.

With the time now at 0930, and two and half hours of battle, the situation was as follows. In the North, Senno was Soviet occupied and well defended. Although under assault, the Russians were standing fast against the Germans and inflicting casualties on their advancing troops. In the South, the Russian Battle group’s armour there had taken a mauling, causing the whole group to retire, albeit in orderly fashion North to Senno. The Germans here were pushing fast after them and looking to make it a two-pronged attack on Senno as their Northern Kampfgruppe continued to engage on the peripheries of the town.

The battle now concentrated on the assault on Senno itself. The German Panzers in the south swung north to advance on to the town whilst their fellow infantrymen and AT Guns continued to fire away at the strong Soviet forces there. The Soviets had set up a strong peripheral defence with many reserves located deeper in the town. They had also been reinforced by the units that had retired in orderly fashion from the southern part of the encounter.

The Germans, using their 50mm & 37mm Paks began trying to reduce the Soviet armour and artillery that had plotted up in Senno, and even with the little incursions made, it was taking a lot of time. There were quite a few defenders disrupted or demoralized and feeling, at 1045 hours that the Soviet defence was as weak as it would get in the time allotted, the Germans finally sprang forward on the south-west corner of Senno and at the west side of it also. The fighting proved frighteningly fierce! No quarter of Senno was being given up by the Russians, whilst the Germans would not let up on the attack either.

Artillery shells fell, sometimes amongst friend and foe alike. Tanks bustled around the town, firing machine-guns at zero range and loosing off AP shells at armoured enemies. Infantry grappled with each other house-to-house.Up until the attack on the town, Soviet infantry casualties had been low, but now, they were totting up to around 175 men lost around the streets of Senno. German infantry accounted for about another 100 lost in Senno.

The struggle was proving a grim business! The Germans had managed to obtain a hold in the south-west quarter as well as a small slice on the west edge. But there were no reserves? German tanks and armoured cars were being knocked out, and although the gains had been made and there was enough to hold them, there was no way further encroachments could be made. For their part, the Soviets managed to find units to keep reinforcing each block, but even their troops were beginning to become demoralized in large numbers.

After an hour and a half’s fighting in Senno, the attack was called off. Bits taken would be held, but no further chunks of the town could be taken this day. This 5 hour engagement would have to go down as a Soviet victory despite the huge loss of 42 tanks, 6 artillery platoons and 250 other soldiers. They had held the majority of Senno and blunted today’s attack by the Wehrmacht. German losses were high too! 14 Pz38t’s had been eliminated, 8 armoured cars and 225 infantrymen. If the Soviets fought like this for a town, what would the cities be defended like?