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Description
Roughly 2000 M4A2 75mm armed Sherman tanks were delivered during the course of the war by way of lend lease and soon after their arrival were given the curious moniker the "Emcha". Pronounced Em-cha, this name most likely came about because the number 4 looks like the Russian letter ч hence the cha. They were very much well liked among Soviet troops for their reliability, comfort and acceptable combat performance.

I based this one on a play-through of the the strategy game Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front, Final Offensive DLC.

The Donbas strategic offensive was an operation planned to exploit the now vacant German armoured reserves previously stationed in the Donbas region, these units were now being sent north to reinforce the fighting in the Kursk salient and the growing battle in the Kharkov area. This meant largely only Infantry were left to defend the southern sector from Soviet attack, noticeably the German 6th Army only just reformed after its annihilation at Stalingrad.

With these armoured units no longer in the immediate area the Germans would be hard pressed to resist a large scale attack and on the 21st of August 1943 units of the 4 Guards Mechanized brigade punched a hole in the enemy defences and Soviet forces began making strides to widen the gap and move into advantageous positions to repulse the inevitable German counterattack.

After several days of bitter fighting the Soviet breakthrough would be contained by returning Panzer elements but German forces were unable to capitalize on the encirclement as the entire front began to collapse and race westward under the mounting pressure of countless Red Army tank and mechanized formations exploiting weak gaps in the line and causing havoc all along the front.

At huge cost the Donetsk Basin was cleared of enemy resistance and the operation deed a success, as a result of the Soviet victory, the German Army was forced to hastily withdraw more than 300 kilometres to hurriedly prepared positions along the Dnieper river.

A unique unit of the Donbas strategic offensive was the 140 Separate Tank Brigade equipped entirely with American Lend Lease Sherman tanks and in my play-though, played an instrumental part in the fighting in and around the Village of Semenovskiy and Kalinovka distinguishing themselves on multiple occasions, using overwhelming firepower and coordination with the infantry to take and hold the villages and later driving enemy defenders from the northern flank entirely.

Description
Roughly 2000 M4A2 75mm armed Sherman tanks were delivered during the course of the war by way of lend lease and soon after their arrival were given the curious moniker the "Emcha". Pronounced Em-cha, this name most likely came about because the number 4 looks like the Russian letter ч hence the cha. They were very much well liked among Soviet troops for their reliability, comfort and acceptable combat performance.

I based this one on a play-through of the the strategy game Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front, Final Offensive DLC.

The Donbas strategic offensive was an operation planned to exploit the now vacant German armoured reserves previously stationed in the Donbas region, these units were now being sent north to reinforce the fighting in the Kursk salient and the growing battle in the Kharkov area. This meant largely only Infantry were left to defend the southern sector from Soviet attack, noticeably the German 6th Army only just reformed after its annihilation at Stalingrad.

With these armoured units no longer in the immediate area the Germans would be hard pressed to resist a large scale attack and on the 21st of August 1943 units of the 4 Guards Mechanized brigade punched a hole in the enemy defences and Soviet forces began making strides to widen the gap and move into advantageous positions to repulse the inevitable German counterattack.

After several days of bitter fighting the Soviet breakthrough would be contained by returning Panzer elements but German forces were unable to capitalize on the encirclement as the entire front began to collapse and race westward under the mounting pressure of countless Red Army tank and mechanized formations exploiting weak gaps in the line and causing havoc all along the front.

At huge cost the Donetsk Basin was cleared of enemy resistance and the operation deed a success, as a result of the Soviet victory, the German Army was forced to hastily withdraw more than 300 kilometres to hurriedly prepared positions along the Dnieper river.

A unique unit of the Donbas strategic offensive was the 140 Separate Tank Brigade equipped entirely with American Lend Lease Sherman tanks and in my play-though, played an instrumental part in the fighting in and around the Village of Semenovskiy and Kalinovka distinguishing themselves on multiple occasions, using overwhelming firepower and coordination with the infantry to take and hold the villages and later driving enemy defenders from the northern flank entirely.