ASLComp T-26: Action along the Kodyma 1941

BALTA, UKRAINE, 3 August 1941: While German engineers prepared for their push west to take Balta in the flank, two Russian light tanks moved eastward along the road adjacent to the sunflower field. The rattling threat came to a halt in front of a daisy-chain of  mines obstacle the Germans hastily laid across the road. The Russian tanks immediately engaged, but were unable to bring effective fire to bear because intevervening terrain in the form of  sunflower fields and the brushwood hindered their lines-of-sight. Acting quickly, German engineers from 3rd Platoon set up a smokescreen, and advanced to attack the lead enemy tank in close combat. It caught fire, silencing its guns. The second tank, however, continued to spit fire. While moving into position near the wooden bridge over the Kodyma, a German horse-drawn light howitzer battery it came under the tank’s fire and suffered losses in men and horses. One of the howitzers was hurriedly unlimbered, and its second round finished off the first, already smoking tank. The second tank quickly turned on its heel and fled through the field, shielded by a small patch of trees.