The Adventures of Kampfgruppe Klink

[bigjackmac]

No sweat, thanks Phil.

I'm sure you were buys sculpting early-WWII USMC for the Philippines, early-WWII USMC for Guadalcanal, and Vietnam-era USMC with M-14s, so I'll forgive you 

And when you're done with those we need Cold War NATO and Warsaw Pact troops, then work you way forward to modern NATO, Russians, Arabs, Israelis, and various insurgents.  If you don't mind, Sir.  And be quick about it 

Take care man, and I'm glad you liked it.

V/R,
Jack

[getagrip]

I hope that means I'm doing a good thing? 

I certainly don't flinch from the idea that my games have got a bit of Hollywood in them, though I will argue with anyone disputing the plausibility, possibility, 'real-world' tactics, or material intra-relationships (that is, none of my games have infantry that move faster than vehicles, or pistols that take out tanks, etc...) on my tabletop.  Good-naturedly, of course 

It's the "Hollywood" I love; nothing wrong with history but I love the manic nature of your games; brilliant

[paulr]

I'm sure you were busy  sculpting early-WWII USMC for the Philippines, early-WWII USMC for Guadalcanal

These get my vote as well

[bigjackmac]

Getagrip - Thanks man, and I'm glad you like the batreps.  I'm telling you guys, these rules are fantastic (assuming they fit your idea of a wargame the way they fit mine).  They're $6 for a PDF; only a handful of pages are actual rules, the rest are devoted to mission generators, force generators, terrain generators, war generators, and random events.  I really enjoy these rules, and I think they'd do a lot better if a bigger, more well-established company produced them.  Disclaimer: Lest anyone be confused, I'm not the author, and I have no financial stake in the matter.  The author is an 'internet buddy,' that is, he regularly comments on TMP and The Wargames Website.  I'm just a gamer enjoying the rules, and I'd like to see more folks playing them so I can discuss them with other gamers.

Paulr - I need to re-approach Mr. Techno about this; previously we'd discussed some of this under his 'Want Wot Making?'  Maybe it's time to re-visit?  Would you be interested?  I would certainly like to explore it.  I have dreams of playing a campaign similar to KG Klink, but following a USMC unit through WWII.  A unit from 4th Marines that fights through the Philippines, somehow gets evacuated off Bataan, then hits Guadalcanal and fights up the Solomons, probably Tarawa, Marshalls or Marianas, Peleliu, then Okinawa.  Sure, no actual unit hit all those, but that's never stopped me before, so long as it's plausible.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

If it's anything like Western Europe Jack, if you were wounded you did not return to your home unit but were sent to the first unit that needed reinforcements on your recovery, which is why an awful lot of grunts would not report wounded.
Maybe you have an 'unlikely unlucky band' who get shipped around and team up out of necessity!

[bigjackmac]

Lemmey,

The Corps was a bit smarter about keeping units together, so that doesn't really work, but it also won't stop me 

Marine wounded were generally kept in theater, being sent back to their Division's base camp, and they were often able to re-join their old squad.  This had much to do with maintaining the esprit de corps the USMC is now so famous for.

Last fight coming up.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

We've got a snow day here in Dallas, so I'm able to post this a bit early.

It's 1000, 19 Sept 1939, and, having discovered the positions opposite them abandoned, KG Klink has moved north across the river to begin the grim process of reducing the Kutno pocket.  The Poles are beat and they know it; they fought bravely to break through the German trap, but their men are exhausted and their equipment expended, and they are further disheartened as news of the Soviet betrayal (the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 Sept 1939) has just reached them.  The Poles are surrendering in droves, though some pockets of resistance remain.

One such pocket is at the village of Krowice (fictional), where KG Klink reconnaissance discovered dug-in enemy troops at approximately 0800 this morning.  They promptly pulled back to higher ground to observe as the Poles were given a healthy dose of air and artillery, and no sooner had the last Stuka pulled out of its dive then elements of KG Klink were streaming forward to break the Polish position, looking to hit the Poles before they'd fully recovered from the supporting fires.  It worked.


The opposing forces:
The Germans, with a star studded roster of no less than four holders of the Iron Cross 2nd Class: led by the Schutzen Company Comander, 1st Lt Freitag (Iron Cross), all of his 3rd Grenadier Platoon (led by 2nd Lt Tausch, Sgt Schlessinger's 1st Squad, Cpl Nader's 2nd Squad, Cpl Hauer - Iron Cross - 3rd Squad, and Cpl Kamphaus' 4th Squad), three squads from 4th Grenadier Platoon (acting platoon commander Sgt Mader - Iron Cross - with the HQ section, Cpl Kandler's 1st Squad, and Cpl Imhofe -Iron Cross - 3rd Squad), supported by two tanks of 2nd Panzer Platoon (acting Platoon Commander Sgt Grossman's Pz Mk III and LCpl Otjen's Pz Mk II) and Cpl Osswald's 80mm mortar.
The Poles, with their CO, a Maxim .30-cal MG, a 37mm anti-tank gun, a 76mm field gun, and eight rifle squads, are dug-in but demoralized.


Overview, north is up, with Germans coming from the south and Poles dug-in in the north.  Lt Freitag, the CO, is with Lt Tausch's 3rd Platoon in the center, 4th Platoon is moving up on the far right, and the two Panzers are at bottom left, having been late to the line of departure.  The Poles are dug-in, but have been pounded for several hours, and the Germans are looking to close the distance rapidly to take advantage of the Poles shell-shocked state (note: I didn't do anything to penalize the Poles in the game, this is just narrative that fits after the fact of what happened on the tabletop, if that makes sense).


The Germans are a bit too concerned with the enemy anti-tank gun and miss the Polish infantry squads stealing close.


Someone's hunting an Iron Cross: a single German squad assaults the hill, dispatching the enemy machine gun (off camera to right) in close combat, dispatching the enemy field gun (center) in close combat, then withstanding counterattacks by three enemy rifle squads (one off camera) led by their commanding officer.

For the whole report, check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/02/kg-klink-poland-game-16.html

It was one hell of a final performance.  Actually I had planned two more fights for the Polish campaign, but I've got a bunch of other stuff I need to get to (not least of which is 5Core Brigade Commander play-testing, for which I've been amassing 6mm forces.  I finished up painting 320 6mm infantry this weekend, only to realize I'm short.  Now I'm waiting on more infantry and more bases...), so I was already looking for the door, and when this fight went off the way it did I thought, "what a perfect way to wrap up the campaign."  I hope you had as much fun as I did.

I'm busy painting, basing, and re-basing (dammit!), but stay tuned as more games are soon to follow.

V/R,
Jack

[getagrip]

The final scene as they storm the machine gun nest made this episode...

Tune in next time folks for more T.A.F.K.

Love it

[bigjackmac]

Theater Art For Kids?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Good report Jack!

[bigjackmac]

All,

Its 1600 on 13 May 1940, elements of 7th Panzer Division (to whom Kampgruppe Klink is attached for the campaign in France) is advancing west, descending on the Belgian town of Dinant, where it intends on crossing the Meuse River.  The Commanding General, Rommel, dispatches elements of the 37th Reconnaissance Battalion slightly north towards the town of Houx, where it is to scout ahead of the 7th Infantry Regiment.  KG Klink's Armored Reconnaissance Company, commanded by 1st Lieutenant Wehner (wearer of the Iron Cross 2nd Class), is on the far right (northern-most) flank of the division, and closes in on a small hamlet defended by a French force from the 39th Infantry Regiment, 5th Motorized Division (5 DIM), which today pushed into Belgium in an attempt to halt the Germans at the Meuse.

The Recon Company was moving west and, as it approached a small bridge, began receiving small arms fire.  2nd Motorcycle Platoon immediately dismounted (on the east side of the bridge; the river is really but a stream, a tributary of the Meuse, which is still two miles to the east), while two armored cars pushed across and two more darted right, searching out a covered position to ford the stream, while 1st Motorcycle Platoon escorted a single Panzer Mk III forward on the far right.


The opposing forces, French on the left, Germans on the right.

The German force:
CO - 1Lt Wehner (Iron Cross)
Armored Car Plt, Commander: 2Lt Weider (Sdkfz 222)
Vehicle 2 (Panzer II): Sgt Keck (Iron Cross)
Vehicle 3 (Sdkfz 232): Sgt Pichler (Iron Cross)
Vehicle 4 (Sdkfz 222): Cpl Dormund
Vehicle 5 (Sdkfz 222): Cpl Edst

1st Motorcycle Platoon, Commander: SSgt Gradl (Iron Cross)
1st Squad: SSgt Sachs
2nd Squad: Sgt Lowenstam
3rd Squad: Cpl Wilhelm
4th Squad: Cpl Visner

2nd Motorcyle Platoon, Commander: SSgt Behrendt (Iron Cross)
1st Squad: Sgt Eisen
2nd Squad: Cpl Obst
3rd Squad: Cpl Wallon
4th Squad: Cpl Pankau (Iron Cross)

Pz Mk III, Vehicle 4 3rd Platoon: Cpl Benten
MG34, Schwere Plt, Schutzen Co: Cpl Creuzburg

The French: Command stand, one H35 light tank, one .30 cal machine gun, and two infantry platoons of four squads each.


Overview of the map, east is up, Germans in the east and French in the west.  The Germans were placed, then the French blinds were placed, then revealed.

If you're thinking this map looks familiar, well, I'm cheap and I'm lazy.  This is the same map I just fought the Team Yankee deal on...


The French defense was formidable, and bloodied the German invaders substantially.  The French were forced to withdraw, but caused significant casualties and safely withdrew quite a bit of their force.

To see the whole report, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/04/kg-klink-france-game-1.html

The fight was about two hours, and a lot of fun, though more than a little frustrating: German marksmanship left a lot to be desired, while the French tank, in particular, was pretty efficient, and while both sides attempted a few close assaults, they didn't carry the day in their normally decisive manner.  It was, simply put, hard fought and bloody.  I love it and look forward to the next one!

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report Jack.
Small point...
The French infantry crawl over the vehicle, firing into the vision ports and dropping grenades through the hatches, destroying Dortmund's vehicle.

The 222 is technically an open topped vehicle, it had a wire 'Chicken Wire' that was designed to protect the crew from shrapnel.

[Ithoriel]

Great report, as ever. Look forward to future adventures. If that's what an H35 does those Char B's are looking worse and worse

[Techno]

Terrific !
Cheers - Phil

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Lemmey, and quite trying to take away from the dramatic effect

Ithoriel - Indeed, Sir, I'm more than a little worried.  That @#$%ing little French tank merrily drove to and fro, shooting up the whole damn German column!

Phil - Thanks, now get back to work! 

V/R,
Jack