Mission 12

Achievements

Howitzer Hunter: Destroy all the German Howitzers in the city of Poznan.

• The three Howitzers necessary for this achievement are located along the walls of the city. The first one is discussed in the mission walkthrough as being northwest of your base. The second one is on the wall where your ally is assaulting. The third Howitzer is on the far east side of the wall at a territory point.

Solo Commander: Capture both squares in Poznan before Colonel-General Kolpakchi’s army.

• This achievement requires that you are the one to kill the last German unit at the Outpost and the City Hall before your ally is able to. You may have to try multiple times before you are able to earn this achievement, as your ally may be credited for the capture instead of you depending on how the AI acts.

To the Rescue: Find and rescue the Penal Battalions incarcerated in the city of Poznan.

• These Penal Battalions are discussed in the normal mission walkthrough. As long as you do not destroy the Outpost and your ally is not able to capture it first, you will be given this achievement.

Walkthrough

The German citadel at Poznan is protected by layers of German defenses, all of which must be eliminated to secure total control. You will be taking command of the 8th Guards Army and will be accompanied by a Soviet ally, the 69th Army Rifle Division. While you will be engaging the Germans at their southern entrance, your ally will assault the walls to the east.

With the use of your initial forces, the first task is to breach the main gate into the city. The area is heavily guarded by Mortars, AT guns, and Howitzers, among plenty of German infantry and vehicles—taking the main gate first requires that these defenses be destroyed. Take control of your Mortar and SU-76s and position them closer to the walls, then begin barraging the German weapon teams along the walls. Three Soviet planes constantly fly over the area, granting sight of the enemy positions, so if you are not sure where to fire your next Mortar or SU-76 barrages, wait for the next plane to fly by. Take out the weapon teams and Howitzer to the west while staying outside of their range. Make use of your Sniper and Shock Troops by having them take out the Panzergrenadiers defending the bridge.

Once you move closer to the main gate, its bridge is destroyed. The Soviets recognize that you will need more firepower to get through the outer walls, requisitioning an ISU-152 for your use. Move your new ISU-152 into position to take out the rest of the weapon teams, then use Attack Ground to destroy one of the wall segments designated a “weak wall section.” Wait until the wall crumbles and the weapon teams have been taken out, then send in your Shock Troops and ISU-152 to take out the Germans on the other side. Capture either of the inner territories to complete the task, then claim the rest of the territory points along the wall to increase your income.

The following objective is to capture or destroy the Outpost and the City Hall located further inside the citadel. You are also granted two commander abilities: Recon Overflight and IL-2 Strafe Support. With the territory points you have claimed along the wall, your resource income will be much higher. Now is a good time to call in additional units, especially an ISU-152 if you have the Fuel. The Outpost, the marked position on the western side of the minimap, is protected by two Tiger tanks and a few squads of infantry along with HMGs and a Mortar. The opposite marked position is the City Hall, which is defended by infantry, weapon teams, medium tanks, and a single Tiger. First, capture the next territory point between your position and the Outpost; this allows you to call in new units from the western side of the city. Move your infantry toward the Outpost so that they can scout ahead for your vehicles and artillery, then take out any infantry or HMGs you come across. Keep your ISU-152s close to your forces in case the Tiger tanks from the Outpost begin to attack your units—they will follow any units that move too close to them. Use your infantry to distract the Tigers into firing at them, then focus on each Tiger with your ISU-152s and any other anti-tank or artillery units you have available. While Tigers may have a large amount of health, they will fall quickly under pressure from anti-tank weaponry. Eliminate all of the infantry and both Tigers to secure the Outpost; you’ll get five squads of Penal Battalions upgraded with Flamethrowers.

A short while after the Outpost is secured, your ally is ordered to withdraw from the battlefield, leaving you to finish the assault on the citadel alone. Fortunately your force is strong enough to live up to the task. Move your units east through the city to the City Hall, eliminating any infantry or tanks you may come across. Your new Penal Battalions are great for taking out infantry and scouting out the locations of any German tanks; use them in conjunction with your ISU-152s to quickly move through the city and capture the City Hall. The ISU-152s and SU-76s can take out medium tanks swiftly, as well as the Tiger defending the City Hall territory point. Eliminate all Germans defending the City Hall to secure the area and complete your task.

While on your way to secure the City Hall, you will have received a message to complete the mission before Soviet Command’s Deadline is up. Completing your final task quickly—capturing the citadel—will show Soviet Command the extent of your skill at being a commander as well as granting you victory. Move your units to the territory point northwest of your position, on the outside of the citadel’s bridges. The German units on the outskirts of the citadel retreat across the bridge and take up positions inside. Use the Recon Overflight commander ability to gain sight of the citadel, then barrage any weapon teams you see with your artillery units. Your ISU-152s take limited damage from any units on the inside of the citadel but cause plenty of damage in return—if you do not have vision of the Tiger tank within the walls or have taken it out, move these across the bridge, then follow up with your infantry once any HMGs are eliminated. More German forces move into the citadel from off the map, although they remain near the marked building you are required to capture. Watch out for the German Howitzer that appears, as it causes heavy damage to any unit it hits. Keep your ISU-152s and artillery units at long range to deal with any infantry or weapon teams that defend the marked building. Use your infantry to take out the squads garrisoned within the building or set it ablaze to cause the Germans to surrender, giving you control of the citadel and achieving victory.