All,
It's finally begun! My long awaited (by me, at least ;)) campaign has started, so a quick couple admin notes:
1) As I did with my "In Country" campaign, I'll list all these in one thread, so please check back here for future battle reports.
2) I intend on fighting out this campaign through all of WWII; my early war infantry are all Minifigs, but I'm going to place all these here under batreps (vice "Non-Pendraken") as there is Pendraken 'stuff' in every single battle (this one has trucks for both Poles and Germans, the German and Polish field guns, and the Polish MG), and the amount of Pendraken 'stuff' will increase as the 'war' goes on (to the point most campaigns after France will be almost 100% Pendraken kit).
It's 0500, 1 Sept 1939, and the war has just begun as the German 10th Army is crossing the frontier. Kampfgruppe Klink is assigned to the operational control of the 4th Panzer Division, and is in the vanguard of the invasion. Col Klink's plan for his sector of the line is to use his infantry to open the hole, then have his motorized reconnaissance and panzers pour through in the direction of Mokra.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMzJAU8Yjnk/VKHuHK5h4BI/AAAAAAAAHek/74Ur-QDyjlQ/s1600/P1160554.JPG)
The Germans have three rifle sections and an MG at top left, opposite four enemy rifle squads; in the center, the Germans have their CO, mortar, field gun, an MG, and a single rifle section at center, opposite the Polish field gun (center) and MG (far right). At bottom left, the Germans have four rifle sections, while the Poles have nothing directly opposite, but can cover all avenues of approach in the south via fire.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AvfBfYJOQw8/VKHw_foQSuI/AAAAAAAAHgQ/OgP1p1AAIWk/s1600/P1160568.JPG)
It would not be a game of mine without close combat; here the CO, Lt Freitag, and Sgt Haas lead their men into close combat to dig the Poles out of a bunker, with their CO in support.
Here are my notes, to give you some flavor:
-2nd Lt Nessler, commander of 1st Platoon, executed for cowardice (if this upsets you, please understand that it's just a joke and that these 'men' are made of lead).
-Sgt Landauer (1st Sqd/1st Plt), Cpl Hackl (4th Sqd/1st Plt), and Cpl Steinkamp (MG, Wpns Plt) reprimanded and reduced in rank for cowardice.
-Cpl Obst wounded in action, received Wound Badge, will return after Polish campaign.
-Officer Cadet Hinkle transferred from KG HQ to assume command of 1st Grenadier Platoon.
-1st Lt Freitag and Sgt Haas recommended for Iron Cross 2nd Class for leading their men through heavy enemy artillery, mortar, and machine gun fire into close combat to destroy the enemy's central, fortified positions, which opened the way for the armored thrust on 1 Sept 1939.
-Lost ~20 KIA/WIA. 3rd Squad, 2nd Gren Plt eliminated until replacements received.
-Caused ~30 KIA/WIA, captured ~20 EPW, 1 field gun and 1 medium mortar.
For the whole batrep, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2014/12/kg-klink-poland-game-1.html
Well, it was a hell of a fight and was iffy right up to the end. I've played a boatload of games already, just need to take an 'operational pause' to get them written up. But I'd rather keep playing. Next fight is the early recon efforts on the north side of Mokra; spoiler alert: the KG did better than its real-life counterparts, but the fights following it get pretty damned ugly... Stay tuned, more to come.
V/R,
Jack
Great idea to game the whole of the war Jack. Nice looking table and will follow this with interest :).
Another great scrap Jack. 8)
Be interested to see how this all develops.
:-bd :-bd
Keep them coming!!
Hehehe, I always like to see the übermensch fleeing :D
Good luck to the Poles ;)
good AAR Jack !
thanks for sharing !
Gentlemen,
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. I've now played seven games, with the table set up for number eight!
Toxic - I know what you mean, it's always good to see the Ubers running. I'm certainly used to kicking their butts, but now I'm in a bit of a weird situation in that I don't want them to run ;) And I hope that everyone realizes this is just a game to take me on a 'tour' of WWII; I have no desire for anything politic/morality-related.
Ronan - Sorry, I've been playing so much lately that I haven't been reading the forum. I just saw your latest batrep, great stuff as always, and you definitely have to crush some 'bad' dice every now and again to keep the others in line ;) And I totally understand about losing a solo game, I've done it a couple times here lately...
Stay tuned guys, hopefully I'll get another written up today.
V/R,
Jack
All,
Yes, this is what I did on New Year's Eve after the kids went to bed...
It's 0630, 1 Sept 1930. Following the way being opened by the infantry, the Kampfgruppe's reconnaissance elements rushed through the hole, followed by the Panzers, with motorized infantry elements mixed in as they were able to get on the road or catch up following mop-up duties. Attached to 4th Panzer Division, the Kampfgruppe has been told to dash for Warsaw and forgo all else, that everything to their right will be handled by the Slovaks, and everything to their left will be handled by Guderian's panzertroops swooping down from the north. This is a great concept, but immediately goes out the window when the recce element is ambushed by the Polish 19th Uhlan Regiment, dug-in on the northwest side of a small town (actually a string of three villages all) called Mokra.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJWj0WOdmjI/VKH0yDCcLmI/AAAAAAAAHiE/5ligIa0oqtg/s1600/P1160582.JPG)
The Poles have their CO, three 37mm anti-tank guns (ATGs), two .30-cal MGs, an 82mm mortar, and five rifle squads.
The German force, with their CO (the Reconnaissance Company commander, 1st Lt Unger), 2nd Lt Wehner's Armored Reconnaissance Platoon )1 Sdkfz 231 and two 221s), two Panzer Mk IIIs of 3rd Panzer Plt (Lt Gerhart and Sgt Friessler's vehicles happened to be near the head of the column when the fight broke out), the bulk of 1st Motorcycle Plt (4th Squad had fallen out with mechanical problems), and then some cats and dogs from the infantry (2nd Grenadier Platoon's Lt Klugmann and his 1st and 2nd Squads, led by Sgt Aust and Sgt Hasselbach; Klugmann was very angry about missing the fight at the frontier, and so he grabbed his 1st and 2nd Squads, who had fought at the frontier, and hopped in the first transport available, determined to be at the forefront of the action. Once again his 4th Squad was left behind, presumably still guarding the left flank).
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nrlGfrvz1mw/VKH1YuTJvPI/AAAAAAAAHik/PYRlmGmqmK8/s1600/P1160585.JPG)
The Polish line, with both MGs in the trench at top, the mortar in the trench at bottom, flanked by infantry, and with the three ATGs in the bunkers.
The German order of march: the Armored Reconnaissance Platoon interspersed with 1st Motorcycle Platoon, followed by the Recon Co CO, followed by Lt Gerhart's panzers, with Lt Klugmann's 2nd Platoon having just dismounted on the right.
The fight was a nailbiter, literally the balance hung by a thread, saved only by the miraculous. Please check the blog, it's crazy:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2014/12/kg-klink-poland-game-2.html
Notes:
-REDACTED so as not to give up the game ;)
-3rd Panzer Platoon's Sgt Friessler wounded in action, received Wound Badge, will return after Polish campaign.
-Lost ~20 KIA/WIA and 1 Panzer Mk III destroyed. 1 Sdkfz 221 was damaged, but recovered and put back into action.
-Caused ~45 KIA/WIA, captured ~35 EPW and 2 anti-tank guns.
So, the mission was accomplished, albeit by the skin of my teeth. Truth be told, this was better than the Germans did in real life, being beaten severely in real life. In any case, in the overall scheme of things, the KG and 4th Panzer Division pulled back to allow air and artillery to pound Mokra, and immediately preparing to launch a mechanized attack.
The fights have been very exciting, but too close for my taste ;) For all those out there that like to see the Germans get their butts kicked, stay tuned, there's a few of those to be written up.
V/R,
Jack
Good report Jack.
Cracking stuff! Whatever would have happened without Krugman?!
On the earlier post, I play Ww2 quite happily without overly worrying about the political aspect as I suspect most of us do. Just nice to see games where it's an uphill struggle for the eventual losers as opposed to "how did they lose?!" Which often seems overly common...
Quote from: bigjackmac on 31 December 2014, 06:15:18 PM
(...)Ronan - Sorry, I've been playing so much lately (...)
no need to excuse yourself ;)
We know it's not about politics, only history. But you may be right to state it sometimes for newcomers and visitors ( I remember how RPG were seen some years ago..)
and.. Happy New Year !
Thanks fellas.
And I think you're right about 'us' not worrying about politics, but it's good to put it out there every now and again, just to make sure we're all on the same page.
Regarding the 'uphill struggle for the eventual losers,' I agree, but think part of that is because so much is made of the speed of the victories in Poland, the Low Countries, and France, that a lot of folks don't understand some particularly ferocious fighting took place, just the vanquished had circles run around them at the operational level.
On the gaming side, I'm getting my butt kicked plenty (should have one finished and ready to post this evening), so I wouldn't worry about worrying how the Germans lost, looks like I'll be demonstrating it!
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 0800, 1 Sept 1939, and the recce element, in a bloody fight, has secured the northern end of the line at Mokra. However, other elements of the 4th Panzer Division had a rougher time, and so the formation halted and regrouped while air and artillery pounded the town. Colonel Klink attended the hasty Divisional orders group, where he was told the attack on Mokra would begin at 0800. Klink returned to his men and issued his orders: the attack would go in at 0800 on the heels of the arty barrage, led by Klink himself, with 1st Panzer Plt and 3rd Gren Plt (minus its 4th Squad, but with 2 squads of 1st Gren Plt attached) in the first wave. The attack by KG Klink would launch from the positions it captured earlier that morning, and would hit the northern flank of the Polish 21st Uhlan Regiment, supporting 4th Panzer Division's main attack which was going straight up the middle (to the south of KG Klink).
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lFzZ1DMXhWE/VKH87S79CUI/AAAAAAAAHms/NMTm04d6u2Q/s1600/P1160620.JPG)
Once again, the opposing forces, guns against tanks. The Poles have a CO, a .30 cal. MG, an 82mm mortar, four 37mm ATGs, and six rifle squads, and will be dug in. KG Klink will field its CO (LtCol Klink; yes, LtCol, though you'll often see me simply refer to him as 'Col Klink'), 1st Lt Bohm's Pz Mk III (the Panzer Company Commander), 1st Panzer Plt (led by 2nd Lt Loeb, with three Pz Mk IIIs and two Pz Mk IIs), 3rd Grenadier Plt (led by 2nd Lt Tausch, with three of his own squads and two from 1st Gren Plt, one of which is 2nd Squad led by Sgt Haas, holder of the Iron Cross 2nd Class).
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vmLtmTLAfEE/VKH9VMtq2yI/AAAAAAAAHm4/5WTXMMglP-w/s1600/P1160623.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on left, Poles on right, situation as of the lifting of the arty barrage. The Polish line, with ATGs on hill at top right, a trench of two rifles and an MG on their northern flank, and a four-squad rifle platoon on the southern flank in the town. The German set up, with 3rd Gren Plt and Col Klink in south, and 1st Panzer Plt in the north, with the two 1st Gren Plt squads in trucks. The Panzer Co commander, Lt Bohm, is also there. Let's get it on!
Check out the report on the blog:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-3.html
Sometimes you grab the bull by the horns, sometimes you get gored. You may be laughing at my rudimentary tactics, but I'm sticking with history, and the Germans lined up their panzers and charged the enemy gun line, and, just like real life, they got shot to pieces. I don't feel too bad, it was going to be a tough fight either way, and I never felt out of the fight until the very end when the Polish rifle squad charged and put my two panzers on the hill out of the fight, at which point it was clear which way the wind was blowing. The rules have an activation system that truly add drama to the game; for me they are the perfect balance of adding fog/friction, without making you feel helpless; you don't know what your options will be until you make the command roll, but you're constantly making decisions, which is what I want from a game.
More to come (another butt-whooping, incidentally).
V/R,
Jack
Good report Jack.
Germans have basically run into an elite Polish unit (dismounted Uhlans), they are going to struggle, but that amount of armour lost is going to hurt!
Lucky your not using the Flames of War Polish Early War rules, where Poles get a 'returning' unit in the flank or rear, a unit of mounted Uhlans would be fatal for all those routers! ;)
Ouch. Mind, taking 30% losses as soon as the arty prep lifted should have been. Clue it was goin to hurt :D
Lemmey - First, I'm glad I'm not playing FoW then, my casualties are already high enough! That is interesting though. How does it work? Is is an 'off-table' thing that happens, and you just roll dice to see if stragglers are run downs, or do you actually place a stand of Uhlans on the enemy baseline to police them up?
TP - Yeah, but I pushed on and it was a close run thing! That is something though; on the one hand, I'm playing a campaign, so I need to conserve forces, and it crossed my mind to just fall back and call in more air/arty. But I'm also big on narrative, and that would have sucked as a battle report ;) So I kept going, and I'm glad I did.
I should have another write-up finished today for posting here.
V/R,
Jack
It represents the scattered nature of the Polish army and how they tended to arrive to the sound of the guns.
Remember FOW is company level, so it would be platoons rather than squads or sections.
Rough paraphrase:
A platoon of cavalry or infantry may be held in reserve.
Each turn, roll a d6, on a 6 they arrive, each turn, add another dice.
They arrive anywhere along the enemies base edge, may move and shoot as normal on their turn of arrival, but may not assault.
Polish Cavalry always assault on 2+ with a reroll on the charge, because some carry lances!
Nasty, but hideously expensive.
And only really handy if you catch combat/service support troops in the rear... And a bit overstated for actual doctrine, numbers and actual occurance... /rant off
Very nasty in a game fashion though!
Jack, there's times you do need to stop and call in support. And others where your command is removed from under you and you get to go count beans somewhere safe whilst actual combat commanders get given the job to do that you've shown yourself unwilling to actually handle :D
I agree completely, I think it was designed to show how scattered the Poles were by the end of the Warsaw Campaign!
Wow, that's an interesting mechanic for Polish cavalry, and I agree that it's best against support troops and stragglers, but certainly would have an impact in a campaign. But it also means you have to model rear area security/elements, and I think that's further than I want to go.
"Jack, there's times you do need to stop and call in support."
Not a very fun batrep to read though. Not that I'm above it; if everything went to crap right off the bat, and there was no way for me to pull off my mission objective, then yeah, we're pulling back to pound with supporting fires.
"And others where your command is removed from under you and you get to go count beans somewhere safe whilst actual combat commanders get given the job to do that you've shown yourself unwilling to actually handle."
I will make sure my tabletop commanders do not fall into that trap. Except the ones that have to be executed for running away. But at least they were on the field ;)
V/R,
Jack
Neither "off table arty commander" nor "logistics commander" are great for gaming or reading batreps for ;)
All,
It's 1000, 1 Sept 1939, and KG Klink is in disarray, having just been thrown back from the village of Mokra by strong anti-tank defenses of the Polish 21st Uhlan Regiment. As the KG is regrouping, the Polish 21st Armored Regiment and 12th Uhlan Regiment counterattack the 4th Panzer Division, which also was treated roughly by the defenders of Mokra. One of the Polish counterattack columns strikes just south of the KG's last attack, right at the operational boundary of one of 4th Panzer Division's Panzer battalions and KG Klink. Seeing the potential calamity, Maj Schultz grabs an ad-hoc force comprising 2nd Panzer Platoon and 4th Grenadier Platoon, and charges southeast to meet the enemy counterattack head on.
**WARNING: SEVERE, DISGUSTING PROXY ALERT**
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4yzzyjjpR1A/VKMVBm5G5VI/AAAAAAAAHqI/SDJ0BuEFyMY/s1600/P1160649.JPG)
The opposing forces, very armor heavy; I'll give up the ghost and let you know that the Germans lose (again), but it's the infantry that almost (almost!) save the day...
The Polish force. I apologize for my hideous use of proxies here, but I don't have any Polish tanks. So, this is very ahistorical, but I'm doing the best I can, and this is probably the only fight that we'll see Polish tanks in. The Poles have their CO, three squads of cavalry, three medium tanks (T-26s), two light tanks (T-70s), two infantry tanks (Matilda Is), and two tankettes (Vickers, which I think the Poles actually had some of). Hold your nose and bear with me, it's a good fight.
Ze Germans: CO for this fight is Major Schultz, the KG Executive Officer, with 2nd Lt Schiffer's 2nd Panzer Plt (of 3 Pz IIIs and 2 Pz IIs) and Officer Cadet Vetter's 4th Grenadier Platoon (of four rifle squads, though Cadet Vetter actually missed the fight as he was aiding Col Klink with the regrouping when Maj Schultz grabbed his platoon and sprinted southeast into the fight).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2Oj3gPTG_4/VKMVdKjc6GI/AAAAAAAAHqU/TeVgHkuCDq4/s1600/P1160652.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on the left (west) and Poles on the right (east). The Poles have armor across the board (Vickers in north, then infantry tanks (Matildas), then medium tanks (T-26s) then light tanks (T-70s) and cavalry in the south, and the Germans, with armor in the north and infantry in the south.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hzmHVPijhDE/VKMXyavVcTI/AAAAAAAAHr0/Y45uYIf6kUE/s1600/P1160666.JPG)
Things were going very poorly by the time Sgt Mader distinguished himself by close assaulting a Polish medium tank, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Tank Hunter Badge.
Notes:
-2nd Lt Schiffer WIA, out for campaign.
-Cpl Schonan KIA.
-Sgt Mader recommended for Iron Cross 2nd Class for charging and destroying enemy tank.
-Four of five tanks of 2nd Pz Plt knocked out.
-Lost ~35 KIA/WIA/POW, two Pz III, and two Pz II.
-Caused ~30 KIA/WIA, destroyed two medium tanks.
Check out the full report here:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-4.html
Another butt-whoopin'. Hey, I'm getting used to it. Just couldn't get my tanks going... Now time for the enemy's infantry counterattack. Should go okay, I've been doing better with infantry than tanks anyway ;)
V/R,
Jack
Oops! ;D
We used to play a big Europe sized WW2 game back in Uni, and on one occasion Germany surrendered after the Polish campaign, the Wehrmacht having gutted itself on the Polish Army to the extent the French & British couldn't beat the Poles to Berlin...
This isn't entirely dissimilar looking ;)
Ah, it's not that bad. I have a vision in my head of how the early war campaigns went, and it's this: very heavy, ferocious fighting where it occurred, with widespread confusion and panic at the operational level, which doomed the Poles, Dutch, Belgians, French, and Brits.
So, I'm not showing the 'easy' days, where the panzers and grenadiers rolled across the country side, doing 50km per day, I'm only focused on where they ran into serious resistance. My reading of how that went down in real life is that, when they met serious resistance, the Germans suffered some serious adversity and even reverses.
My overall account of the fight at Mokra is actually historically inaccurate: in my fights the Germans did much better than they did in real life! In real life, the first fight the German recon elements and light tanks got shot to pieces, whereas in mine, the KG carried the day. Then my mech attack got beat, same as real life; the Polish counterattack beat the Germans back in real, whereas in mine, at least the KG stopped the infantry portion. Then in real life the Germans made another attack, and again got shot to pieces, but in mine (it's the next fight) the KG actually took the railroad embankment.
In real life the Germans won the fight because the Poles were outflanked by 1st Panzer Division to the southeast, and were forced to fall back. So, I'm ahead of the game. I've also played two games in the fight when 4th Panzer reached the suburbs of Warsaw; both were miserable defeats for the Germans in real life. I fought to a draw in the first one, then won the second one (barely). Now the KG has pulled out to deal with the threat to its rear (Battle of Kutno).
I just posted a batrep from a fun little game my 5-yr old son and I played. I hope to have another of these batreps posted tonight or tomorrow.
Take care fellas.
V/R,
Jack
You missed Norway from your list! ;)
Quote. Ah, it's not that bad. I have a vision in my head of how the early war campaigns went, and it's this: very heavy, ferocious fighting where it occurred, with widespread confusion and panic at the operational level, which doomed the Poles, Dutch, Belgians, French, and Brits.
Yeah, I'd agree with that. All the right fighting in all the wrong places. A quote I liked in the Command Decision army lists was about the structure & tradition of the Commonwealth army making it an army whose units were very difficult to make panic, but very easy to confuse. And could always therefore be relied upon to do the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time...
Sorry, Lemmey, wasn't thinking about them as they're not on my list of stops for KG Klink.
Toxic - Hadn't heard that before, that's a good one :D
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1100, 1 Sept 1939, and the counterattack by the Polish 21st Armored and 12th Uhlan Regiments has been spectacularly successful, except for two issues: 1) they didn't really have a plan for success, so after breaking beating back 4th Panzer Division (and KG Klink) they drove about another kilometer, then lost their forward impetus, and just sort of milled about until 4th Panzer could mount a counterattack of its own to drive them back; and 2) the armor and cavalry pushed through with great speed and no coordination with the 12th Mounted Regiment, who found itself alone while following in trace of the Polish armor.
So, we find ourselves in the time after successful Polish armored counterattack, but before 4th Panzer's counterattack, where (mostly) dismounted portions of the Polish 12th Mounted Regiment runs smack into infantry elements of KG Klink, who were moving southeast (to where their armor had just been punished) when enemy activity was spotted to the east. The two forces met on the fly, neither expecting the enemy to be where they found him.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j2G6SI1ORG8/VKMbj0skRvI/AAAAAAAAHts/xgj1ItEGy-0/s1600/P1160679.JPG)
The opposing forces: The Poles, with their CO, three squads of cavalry, and nine rifle squads. As the 21st Armored had left them behind, in their haste to move forward they have left their heavy weapons struggling to catch up.
The German force, with their CO (again in action is the Schutzen Company Commander, 1st Lt Freitag, recipient of the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his actions at the frontier), portions of his Weapons Platoon (two x MG34 and 1 x 80mm mortar), and the better parts of two infantry platoons. Both have 1 x HQ section and 2 x rifle squad, being 1st Platoon under Cadet Hinkle (with his 1st and 2nd Squads, the 2nd under Sgt Haas, also an Iron Cross 2nd Class recipient from the frontier), and the 3rd Platoon under 2nd Lt Tausch (with his 1st and 4th Squads).
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zXsZqjxIRyM/VKMb4sgGtOI/AAAAAAAAHt4/agDXaS4IYpk/s1600/P1160682.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on the left (west) and Poles on the right (east). Both sides are starting on their baseline. The hill and the ville are the same from the KG's mechanized attack a few hours ago. You can still see two Panzers burning on the hill, and a number of casualties from both sides lying about.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz13QYRha8s/VKMfZLVoTtI/AAAAAAAAHwA/8370FgwPURE/s1600/P1160701.JPG)
Things started well, then got a little crazy on the hill. For the whole batrep, please visit the blog:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-5.html
I won, but it was much more difficult than it should have been. Another thing that's funny is about heroes; I really was trying to get Lt Freitag and Sgt Haas (the guys that already won the Iron Cross) into positions to further demonstrate their personal bravery, but it just didn't work out that way, though Sgt Haas' 'hero' ability allowed him to rally his troops without activation, which probably saved them from being overrun on the hill. They subsequently got pinned, but stopped the enemy charge with snap fire, which they wouldn't have been able to do if they were still 'man down.'
More to follow.
V/R,
Jack
Great report Jack! 8)
However, not as good as the game vs your son! He ripped you to pieces! Rule 1 of Juves, their dice are amazing.
Rule 2- they alway beat their dad! ;D
Like it !
Cheers - Phil.
I think your dice are trying to make things difficult for you :D
I suspect your battle with your son proves this :D
Either that or get him into West Point quick!
Hey, I never said I was good at this stuff, and I didn't mind losing to my boy, I was just happy to have someone to play against!
Lots of folks have commented on how difficult the campaign has been, how my KG is getting its butt kicked. To me it's been great; the games have been fantastically dramatic, always coming down right to the very end, win or lose. For me, it beats the heck out of a series of 'pushover' games, so I'm having a great time.
I've played eight games, hope to have #6 posted tomorrow night. I figure I have around another ten games to go before wrapping up in Poland and moving on to France 1940 (I'm also waiting on a few Pendraken toys in the mail, though not from Leon, from The Warstore). I bought the Skirmish Campaigns "Ghost Division," which will serve as the backbone for my campaign in France.
Good to see you Phil, thanks for stopping by. Now get back to work!
V/R,
Jack
I don't know about "butt kicked", they've all gone down to the wire :)
It's looked good stuff :)
TP - Glad you're enjoying them, and I certainly appreciate the dialogue. I tell ya, I'm not much for commercialism, but I've really got to recommend FiveCore Company Command for guys wanting to play WWII (probably earlier, too) to present, company-level games in about an hour. As you can see, I'm having a blast.
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 08 January 2015, 03:21:43 AM
Good to see you Phil, thanks for stopping by. Now get back to work! V/R, Jack
I've told you all before.....I CAN mix putty with one hand and type with the other. :P ;) ;D
Cheers - Phil
PS....A couple of days ago I had a stopwatch going on the desk, to see how much time in a typical day I spent mixing putty for the wee men.
You can have a guess......For absolutely no prize.....If you want. ;)
Quote from: Techno on 09 January 2015, 08:10:01 AM
I've told you all before.....I CAN mix putty with one hand and type with the other. :P ;) ;D
Cheers - Phil
PS....A couple of days ago I had a stopwatch going on the desk, to see how much time in a typical day I spent mixing putty for the wee men.
You can have a guess......For absolutely no prize.....If you want. ;)
Does the time include toilet stops and coffee breaks?
Quote from: Techno on 09 January 2015, 08:10:01 AM
.A couple of days ago I had a stopwatch going on the desk, to see how much time in a typical day I spent mixing putty for the wee men.
You can have a guess......For absolutely no prize.....If you want. ;)
0 Hrs, 0 Mins, 0 Seconds - and a custom fire for nowt.
IanS
1 hour 17 minutes ;)
3hr, 55min, 28secs
And change...
Quote from: Maenoferren on 09 January 2015, 12:50:52 PM
Does the time include toilet stops and coffee breaks?
No.....Just actual time mixing the putty during a day....
Quote from: paulr on 09 January 2015, 06:14:27 PM
1 hour 17 minutes ;)
Bit low
Quote from: mad lemmey on 09 January 2015, 06:44:41 PM
3hr, 55min, 28secs And change...
Too high ! ;)
It was One hour 42 minutes.....Which means I spend just about one complete day a week (plus) doing nothing other than mixing the stuff.........No wonder my productivity is too low for Ian's liking. ;D ;D
Cheers - Greenfinger.
All,
It's 1500, 1 Sept 1939, and KG Klink has regrouped. To review, on the movement towards Warsaw, the KG encountered defensive positions on the northern edge of Mokra, and the Recc elements fought a vicious battle, knocking the Poles out of their defensive positions there. This was followed by a mechanized attack on the northern edge of the town, which was defeated in vicious, close-in fighting. On the heels of that defeat the Poles launched a bold, armored counterstroke, which defeated panzers of the kampfgruppe. However, bold action by the Executive Officer, Major Schultz, exploited the gap between the counterattacking Polish armor and its supporting infantry, halting the infantry in more bloody fighting and allowing elements of 4th Panzer Division to pocket and eliminate the Polish armor in fighting to the southwest.
The 4th Panzer's commanding officer had decided to strike once more on the village of Mokra, where the Poles' final defensive line has consolidated on a railway embankment on the backside of the town (where, further to the south, 4th Panzer has had a hell of a time dealing with an armored train). LtCol Klink has decided to personally lead another mechanized attack on Mokra.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NnKuHlZJv0c/VKMlQ1hy9LI/AAAAAAAAHy0/34gUxlmZYL8/s1600/P1160714.JPG)
The opposing forces: once again we have dug-in guns vs tanks, which hasn't worked out well for the Germans so far...
The Poles have their CO, four 37mm ATGs, an MG, an 82mm mortars, and six rifle squads, while the Germans have their CO (Col Klink), the Panzer Co Commander (in Pz III, 1st Lt Bohm), 4th Panzer Platoon (led by Officer Cadet Kleiber, with 3 Pz IV and 2 PzII), the bulk of 2nd Gren Plt (led by 2nd Lt Klugmann, recipient of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, with his 1st, 2nd, and 4th Squads, led by Sergeants Aust and Hasselbach, and Cpl Lutz), and two squads from 3rd Gren Plt (Sgt Schlessinger's 1st Squad and Sgt Lowenstam's 2nd Squad, as Lt Tausch and Cpl Kamphaus were on flank watch).
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-joco_trZtCk/VKMlnO2_StI/AAAAAAAAHzA/BkC7oL85Tq4/s1600/P1160717.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on the left (west) and Poles on the right (east), with Poles dug in defending the railroad embankment.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SAVngmDRMZY/VKQt91lYMHI/AAAAAAAAH1o/8YAJTLrJLMU/s1600/P1160741.JPG)
It all comes down to the Poles' fire stripping away the German infantry from their tanks, then rushing Cpl Kapp's Pz II, with Officer Cadet Kleiber's Pz III nearby, low on ammo (blue bead).
To see the whole report, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-6.html
While the KG carried its portion of the Polish defensive line, the 4th Panzer Division fell back at 1700, minus the 12th Schutzen Regiment, which remained in the village. However, due to 1st Panzer Division pressure in the southeast, the Poles withdrew during the night of 1/2 Sept 1939. Following the capitulation of Mokra the 4th Panzer Division regrouped until 4 Sept 1939, allowing several vehicles to be recovered and put back into action, as well as a reorganization to take place as the KG received no real reinforcements.
Thus ends KG Klink's fight at Mokra, and now on to the outskirts of Warsaw!
V/R,
Jack
Great report again Jack.
Seconded ! :-bd
(Does anyone else think that Jack has far too much fun ! ;))
Cheers - Phil
Mememememe
As always, thanks guys. And I do have my fun :P
But don't be daunted, you can too! I'm telling you, I'm really loving these rules for this scale of battle, and they're really quick. If only typing up the reports was as quick. I've been out of town all week, but I've got two more fights already played, just need to be typed up.
Cheers!
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1700, 8 Sept 1939. After a brief rest and reorg following the brutal fighting at Mokra, the kamfgruppe (as part of 4th Panzer Division) resumed its lightning advance east. As the sun goes down and the light begins to fail, reconnaissance elements of Kampfgruppe Klink reach the western suburbs of Warsaw. Neither side was truly prepared for what came next; the Poles were dismayed when their pickets reported German columns approaching Warsaw. Caught out, they rushed ill equipped but very motivated elements of their National Guard to hold off the invaders until a formal defense could be mounted.
Similarly, the Germans wanted to force the door into Warsaw, but had only lightly-equipped troops available. However, 1st Lt Unger (Recon Company Commander), being aggressive and exercising his initiative, decided to push ahead to force that door.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lfjEJA1fR0/VKQvVFwsWMI/AAAAAAAAH18/JhIvVeMwzSE/s1600/P1160743.JPG)
The opposing forces: Polish National Guard vs German Recon.
The Poles: CO, two MGs, and ten rifle teams (four with attached anti-tank rifles).
The Germans: CO is 1Lt Unger, Commander of the Recon Company; then there is 2Lt Wehner's Armored Car Plt, 2Lt Weider and three squads of his 1st Motorcycle Platoon, and 2Lt Wendt and all four squads of his 2nd Motorcyle Platoon.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LPcNry5m33k/VKQv4YBnArI/AAAAAAAAH2U/-Z5KF74wVlU/s1600/P1160746.JPG)
Overview, north is up, showing German starting positions on left (west), Poles on right (east) on blinds. At top left, Lt Weider's 1st M/C Plt has already dismounted, the CO and Lt Wehner's A/C Plt is at center, and Lt Wendt's 2nd M/C Plt is entering at bottom left, still mounted.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M8-DE0b3Yt0/VKQ2IdC1njI/AAAAAAAAH6E/tVaAegFGtuc/s1600/P1160778.JPG)
I won't tell you what happened, but I'll just say that things got a little crazy (see all the casualty figures from each side intermingled, and the burning armored car).
To witness the carnage, check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-7.html
I've got another one waiting around to be written, then I've played another two games this weekend (so far), so stand by for more reports.
V/R,
Jack
Yowch!
Mein gott dat stung!
Yeah, another tough one Lemmey (in a string of tough ones), but it was a lot of fun. The Recon Company commander pushed and almost carried the day, but ultimately he paid with his little, lead life :'( :'(
Somehow the Kampfgruppe must carry on. I've played games 9 and 10, have it set up for 11 tomorrow morning (it's a holiday in the States). I've got it planned for fights up to number 15 for the Battle of Kutno, then another two fights on the outskirts of Warsaw. At that point I believe I will put a wrap on the campaign in Poland, and begin training for the Battle of France (I just received a Matilda II to go with my Matilda Is, Vickers light tanks, and Cruiser I already have, and I also need to do up a command stand for the Brits, and maybe the French, too).
V/R,
Jack
Good stuff again, Jack.
Cheers - Phil
All,
It's 0600, 9 Sept 1939. Following the reversal seen yesterday as the Reconnaissance Company tried to push into Warsaw which saw the death of its commander, the unit fell back and awaited the rest of the kampgruppe to catch up and consolidate. Colonel Klink consulted with his commanders and decided on a dawn attack; he's also received a Warning Order from 4th Panzer Division, which iterated a threat to the west (the beginning rumblings of what would become the Battle of Kutno), necessitating Klink hold his armor out of the upcoming fight, so the morning assault once again saw Lt Freitag's Landser at the forefront.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F4IQ0_zOCN4/VKl8UehLcVI/AAAAAAAAH8U/uFFaxItZ9Q4/s1600/P1160782.JPG)
An all infantry fight, but for Sgt Pichler's Sdkfz 221 (he and his crew refused to be left behind after the previous day's manhandling). The Polish National Guard did their job the previous day, buying time for reinforcements, and so today's foe is composed of regulars from the Polish 31st Infantry Division.
The Poles: CO, 2 x 37mm ATG, 1 x 82mm mortar, 2 x .30 cal. MG, and 7 x rifle squad (4 of which have attached anti-tank rifles).
The Germans: commanded by the Schutzen Company commander, 1st Lt Freitag, Sgt Pichler's armored car, 2nd Lt Klugmann (an Iron Cross holder) and his 2nd Platoon HQ section, along with his 1st Squad (Sgt Aust), 2nd Squad (Sgt Haas, also an Iron Cross holder), and 3rd Squad (Cpl Arndt), 2nd Lt Tausch and his 3rd Platoon HQ section, along with his 1st Squad (Sgt Schlessinger) and 2nd Squad (Cpl Nader). In support from the Schwere Platoon are Cpl Creuzburg and LCpl Steinkamp's MG-34 MGs, Cpl Osswald's 80mm mortar, and Sgt Oberlander's 75mm field gun.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj5v6r0dOuY/VKl83QCQGSI/AAAAAAAAH8s/i5QXKa1dXZ0/s1600/P1160785.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on left (west) and Poles (on blinds, for now) on right (east). The CO, 3rd Plt, and Sgt Pichler's vehicle are in the north, 2nd Plt, plus one MG, is in the south, minus one squad covering the mortar, an MG, and the field gun in the center.
There are still casualties and burning German armored cars on the battlefield from yesterday's fighting.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vp-_a4epgco/VKmDbqnXs-I/AAAAAAAAIAs/jGotxUlyBwQ/s1600/P1160818.JPG)
Having defeated the Polish left flank, Lt Klugmann and Sgt Haas, both wearers of the Iron Cross, move their squads forward on the enemy's center, occupied by the two ATGs, their mortar, and their CO. Easy pickings...
As always, plenty of drama, but this was the closest to an easy day as I've had with these rules.
For the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-8.html
What stands out to me about these rules are the swings in momentum. This may drive some folks crazy, but it's a big part of the attraction for me. Between the activation rolls ("man, I really need a scurry," but roll a firefight, and "I hope he rolls anything but a firefight," but there it is) and the random events (the enemy getting lulls to recover/rally their troops, or reinforcements, etc..., and me getting confused or panicked, etc...), you never know what's going to happen. It has enough chaos to never let you know what's going to happen, to never have a fight seem like a sure thing, but it never makes me feel like I can't control anything. You're constantly making decisions; it's almost always the between two or three crappy choices, but you're always making decisions.
The campaign is moving right along. KG Klink secured a toe-hold in the outskirts of western Warsaw, only to be immediately recalled to combat the threat to the west (yes, behind them!). The Polish army opposite Guderian's troops coming down from the north have linked up with the Polish army pushed aside by the German 10th Army (which entered from the west). They fought their way together, but ended up in caught in the junction of two major rivers. Now there is much confused fighting, with German forces entering the area from all points of the compass, and the Poles counterattacking to the north, east, and south, seeking to push the Germans back, secure river crossings, and consolidate their combat power. KG Klink is hastily thrown into the fray.
V/R,
Jack
Reads like another goody Jack!
Ditto.
Cheers - Phil.
Ouch, that was brutal :D
:-bd
(I like the vehicles)
Thanks for the kind words gentlemen, and Ronan, you'll really like my French vehicles for the next campaign then ;)
Maenoferran - Brutal!? This was one of the easy ones!!! ;) ;D :D
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1500, 12 Sept 1939, and KG Klink has rushed west from the Wola suburb of Warsaw, back to the juncture of the Vistula and Bzura rivers, where the Polish Pomorze and Poznan Armies have fought from north (through Guderian's troops) and west (through Von Kluge's troops) to reach each other, then counterattack northeast to relieve Warsaw, while simultaneously fighting southeast to reach the Romanian corridor. With a mix of two German armies and two Polish armies fighting into and out of the pocket at the juncture of the two rivers, and arriving from all points of the compass, the fighting is necessarily confused, and, as the Poles are fighting for their very survival, necessarily fierce.
The situation is such: KG Klink is on the east bank of the Bzura river, where elements of various Polish units are seeking crossings to attack and breakthrough the tightening German noose. 2nd Lt Weider's 1st Motorcycle Platoon was dispatched west along the river, where it found the enemy; a call for reinforcements was immediately made, and 2nd Lt Wehner, the acting Reconnaissance Company Commander led 2nd Lt Wendt's 2nd Motorcycle Platoon to reinforce them, and several tanks of 2nd Lt Gerhart's 3rd Panzer Platoon were dispatched from KG positions further south. The Poles are moving directly towards Lt Weider's 1st M/C Plt, and Lt Wendt's 2nd M/C Plt has just arrived as we pick up the action.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_W3P--SzKoI/VLwRDXVs6DI/AAAAAAAAIE8/PoWgffkwsEs/s1600/P1160864.JPG)
The opposing forces: The Germans have two understrength Motorcycle Platoons, and an understrength Panzer Platoon, and the Poles have six rifle squads, a .30 cal. MG, and two medium tanks.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7_qogonlzQc/VLwRZ6rnJZI/AAAAAAAAIFM/b5fZFKF4Uoo/s1600/P1160867.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Poles are on the left (west) and Germans on the right (east). The Poles have one MG and some infantry in the woods at top left (that MG would cause serious problems throughout the entire fight), several squads south of the ford, and two tanks coming across the ford presently. 1st M/C Plt is in the buildings at top right, and 2nd M/C Plt is just pulling in, still mounted. The German 3rd Panzer Plt has just entered the area at bottom right. The German infantry has no heavy weapons and no means for dealing with the enemy tanks, save close combat.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ae0HdTujKWE/VLwTwGOmGEI/AAAAAAAAIGk/m36MoYczK7g/s1600/P1160880.JPG)
The tank fight was quick and violent, with Sgt Friessler's crew distinguishing itself with two kills, though both of his panzer brethren were knocked out...
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BF8lmCcgJig/VLwSa1FIdwI/AAAAAAAAIF4/6bP9DoBDlEo/s1600/P1160873.JPG)
And the enemy MG at top left frustrated my every effort in the north, thoroughly dominating that sector.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tgcMl3Zam4Y/VLwXKTfH4wI/AAAAAAAAIIk/Iu7L2cyRS8c/s1600/P1160895.JPG)
Which combined with a Polish smokescreen set the stage for the climactic and decisive scrum in the center.
What a fight!!! To see the rest of the report, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-9.html
I've got the write-up for Fight 10 almost completed, need to do the write-up for Fight 11, and Fight 12 is set up on the tabletop for Saturday morning, so stay tuned folks.
V/R,
Jack
I await them with baited breath!
Another good write up Jack! :)
Breathe, Lemmey, breathe!!!
The next write-up is not gonna happen tonight, the wife and kids want to watch a movie, I'm sure it's something with princesses and cuddly animals... I've tried in the past to get away with typing, or even prepping minis, but it didn't go over very well.
I hope to get two or three games in this weekend, we'll see how it works out, and I'll post as soon as I can.
V/R,
Jack
Feel your pain dude! Movie time is rules reading time, soap operas are painting time.
Quote from: bigjackmac on 24 January 2015, 12:29:35 AM
Breathe, Lemmey, breathe!!!
The next write-up is not gonna happen tonight, the wife and kids want to watch a movie, I'm sure it's something with princesses and cuddly animals... I've tried in the past to get away with typing, or even prepping minis, but it didn't go over very well.
I hope to get two or three games in this weekend, we'll see how it works out, and I'll post as soon as I can.
V/R,
Jack
I hear that! I sometimes try to do something useful and usually get told "you're not paying attention". From the woman glued to her phone asking me what's going on in the film :P
Either that or little toddler fingers are reaching for the open paint/delicate brush tips/wet figures :)
All,
It's 1400, 14 Sept 1939, and, following its success in repelling a local Polish penetration on 12 September, the KG has been busy shoring up its cordon and patrolling aggressively to determin enemy strength, dispositions, and intentions. 10th Army HQ iterated several threats to 4th Pz Div that never really materialized, and then patrols determined the enemy had seized the town of Lokoshawo (fictional); Col Klink was determined to get there the 'firstest with the mostest' (i.e., a hasty attack using forces immediately to hand, as opposed to a deliberate assault), and so he launched a detachment to clean the enemy out of the town, dispatching the bulk of the 2nd and 3rd Grenadier Platoons, along with two tanks of 4th Panzer Platoon, let by the Schutzen Company commander, 1Lt Freitag (wearer of the Iron Cross 2nd Class).
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ocg3CeK-CZE/VLwY7wXAp2I/AAAAAAAAIJA/6jCrFmvRly0/s1600/P1160898.JPG)
The opposing forces: a small infantry force armed with several anti-tank rifles supported by a single medium tank, versus a largely German infantry force backed by a pair of tanks. The Germans have 1st Lt Freitag commanding, Sgt Mangold's Pz Mk IV, Cpl Graebner's Pz Mk II, and LCpl Steinkamp's MG34 supporting three squads of 2nd Lt Tausch's 3rd Platoon (Sgt Schlesssinger, Cpl Nader, and Cpl Hauer), and three 2nd Platoon Squads (Sgt Aust, Sgt Haas, holder of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, and LCpl Axthelm). The Poles have CO, 7TP medium tank (which looks suspiciously like a Soviet T-26, though they actually do look quite similar), six rifle squads, and four ATRs (which are not separate units, but attached to the rifle squads).
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktyYmtPh7rc/VLwZjv-MbtI/AAAAAAAAIJQ/peqARW6kcnI/s1600/P1160901.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Poles on the left (west, still on blinds, AKA poker chips), and Germans on the right (east). The Germans have 2nd Plt with the Pz II in the north, and the CO, 3rd Plt, the MG, and the Pz IV in the south. For this fight I rolled up 'urban' for the terrain, but it became a little more urban than I intended. No matter.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWgjqu1JXsY/VLwcKmvP2XI/AAAAAAAAIKw/VsXN2SjTNi8/s1600/P1160913.JPG)
Heavy fighting broke out in the park, where Sgt Mangold's Pz Mk IV destroyed the enemy tank, but then was itself driven off by accurate fire from numerous Polish anti-tank rifles. Aside from that, the German Landser easily brushed aside the small Polish force. For the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-10.html
Standby, the next fight was absolutely incredible! You won't believe what happened; at least I didn't.
V/R,
Jack
Nice report. YOU WON! But wouldn't you win either way. :P ;)
" but I didn't mean to set it up as a damned city, it just sort of happened."
Bad maps ? ;)
And you won despite bad dice ? Could you teach me please ? :D
good AAR as usual Jack !
Thanks
Lemmey - "But wouldn't you win either way." Aw, come on, you've seen me get my butt kicked too many times to say that :D
I'm a solo gamer, yes, but not of the "just play both sides to the best of your ability" types. I am definitely on one side, playing against the other, using dice to help the other side make decisions.
Ronan - Definitely bad maps ;)
"And you won despite bad dice ? Could you teach me please ?"
The enemy rolled bad too ;D ;D
Thanks fellas, I'm glad you're liking them.
V/R,
Jack
Victory goes to he who makes the last but one error :)
I find that if I make enough errors they assume a life and synergy all their own, and if only I'm willing to push the envelope, make one more error, then i can pull out the win ;)
I got games 12, 13, and 14 this past weekend, and I should be ready to post game 11 tomorrow night, so stay tuned.
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1000, 16 Sept 1939, and the KG is spread thin, manning a line of pickets attempting to identify the Poles' main axis of attack, and to contain it. The morning finds an outpost manned by 2nd Lt Klugmann's (wearer of the Iron Cross, 1st AND 2nd Class) 2nd Grenadier Platoon under attack; Major Schultz, the kampfgruppe's executive officer, assembles a hasty force and moves off smartly to relieve them.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YF-84W4zoRg/VLwfKB9C8xI/AAAAAAAAIL8/OcGJEktWVRo/s1600/P1160922.JPG)
The opposing forces: two relatively small forces, both with limited tank support, though the German force is split into an outpost force and a relief force.
The Germans: CO (Major Schultz, leading the relief column comprised of 2nd Lt Weider's 1st Motorcycle Platoon (his HQ section plus the squads of Sgt Sachs and Sgt Gradl), with Sgt Jurgens' Pz Mk IV and Sgt Pichler's Sdkfz 221 in support. The 'outpost force' is led by 2nd Lt Klugmann, with Sgt Aust and Sgt Haas' (wearer of the Iron Cross 2nd Class) squads and Cpl Osswald's 80mm mortar in support.
The Poles: CO, 7TP medium tank, and five rifle squads (four with anti-tank rifles).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JOimbyTVK2k/VMMDJK4x1fI/AAAAAAAAIMg/0SnFy3p6IsA/s1600/P1160925.JPG)
Overview, north is up. The German 2nd Plt outpost is in the top left (northwest) corner, with a Polish rifle platoon just south of them (at the wall). The German relief force has entered at bottom right, and the Poles have a tank and two rifle squads coming on board by crossing the ford at bottom left.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3OV4InwPA4/VMMFReNYfoI/AAAAAAAAINw/bmphGMx7wFc/s1600/P1160937.JPG)
The 2nd Platoon at the outpost (top left) is able to stave off the Polish assault (bottom left) long enough for reinforcements to arrive (top right), and together they beat the Poles back to the ford in some very intense fighting.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulL16gl4JIQ/VMMJ_3wUZhI/AAAAAAAAIQo/ejZ6ERIfaGk/s1600/P1160960.JPG)
And the whole thing comes down to the KG XO, Major Schultz, personally leading Sgt Gradl's dismounted Motorcycle Squad into close assault on the enemy tank.
This was by far the wildest game I've ever played. To see the batrep, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-11.html
Absolutely insane, I hope you enjoy it! This past weekend I played games 12, 13, and 14, just need to get them written up. I've decided the Poland campaign will wrap after game 18, so I'm looking to be done this coming weekend, or, more likely, the one after. Then I figure I'll mess with some other stuff for a bit, then pick the KG back up for France 1940.
V/R,
Jack
Oh!
Is there anyway of modifying the activation roll!
Nice report again, Jack !
Cheers - Phil
Lemmey,
Sure you could modify the activation roll. The rules are pretty simple and straightforward, meaning you can modify stuff and it's pretty easy to determine any issues with the relationship between what you changed and the rest of the rules.
What are you thinking? Me, I'm good; I love the activation roll, it's one of the big draws of the game.
V/R,
Jack
If you overall orders were a mobile attack -1 so a scurry is more likely. If you are static defenders, +1 so you are more likely to firefight, or switch to 56 firefight and keep 1 as the scurry.
But if your happy, then that's cool bud! :D
Lemmey,
Ahhhh, I gotcha! Sorry man, I can be a bit slow :-[ :-[ :-[
When you asked that question I couldn't see what you were getting at, but that makes perfect sense. I'd say that you could do that and it wouldn't negatively affect any other mechanism, and certainly would make sense. Personally, I don't think I'll do it as I'm quite happy with how it works as is: I love when things don't go the way you planned, when something goes awry and you've got to make the best of two bad decisions, but that's just me. Yes, probably a bit strange ;) :D
I could see myself doing it in a very specific scenario though, i.e., still having the chance for a scurry, but 'upping' firefight to 5+ for an ambusher, at least on his first activation roll.
V/R,
Jack
That's a cracking town layout 8)
All,
It's 1700, 17 Sept 1939, and the kampfgruppe has lost contact with the 4th Panzer Division's 35th Panzer Regiment on its right flank. LtCol Klink immediately dispatches a task group under 1st Lt Freitag, consisting of his 3rd and 4th Grenadier Platoons and a couple tanks from 2nd Panzer Platoon, to reestablish contact there. They are moving quickly in the failing light, hoping to meet friendly forces before the sun goes down. Unbeknownst to the Germans, the Poles have moved quickly to exploit the gap, and a small force of harried, exhausted Poles sit astride Lt Freitag's route. Unfortunately for the Polish defenders, one of its anti-tank riflemen is a bit overeager, and so a single 14.5mm shot rings out, alerting the now-veteran German troops to the pending danger.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DMfqNwswxz4/VMMMDV8mgmI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/_zqss_WtXns/s1600/P1160965.JPG)
The opposing forces: a small force of infantry supported by two tanks each. Aside from the Polish anti-tank rifles, neither side has any heavy weapons.
The Germans: CO, 1st Lt Freitag, Cpl Mayer and LCpl Otjen's Pz Mk II tanks, 2nd Lt Tausch's 3rd Plt (Sgt Schlessinger, Cpl Nader, and Cpl Hauer), and Office Cadet Vetter's 4th Plt (Sgt Mader, wearer of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, Sgt Lehmkuhl, and Cpl Imhofe). The Poles: CO, two Tankettes with 20mm anti-tank rifles, and five rifle squads, two with ATRs attached.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2J_VFulJ8h4/VMMMZQ58-pI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/lBQGsTtW9NI/s1600/P1160968.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans are in column on the road from center to bottom right, Poles are still on blinds.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiLwc-JHF1s/VMRovzirlCI/AAAAAAAAISQ/_z5N97kKhbU/s1600/P1160976.JPG)
A helluva melee breaks out in the center, and Cpl Hauer's 3rd Squad (bottom left, practically atop a Polish casualty figure) is cleaning up.
For the full report, check the blog at
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-12.html
Another solid win for the Kampgruppe moving on. I've got two more fights to write up, but so far haven't found the discipline to sit down and do it ;)
V/R,
Jack
Another good report Jack.
Glad the noble Polish tank crew had the sense to retire vs insurmountable odd and got away, maybe a mini-campaign of their own as they retreat then flee to France, then England, then Italy and the Rhine.
Maybe they could become a recurrent nemesis!?? ;D
"Maybe they could become a recurrent nemesis!??"
Good Lord, I hope not! I'll be alright if I never see them again!
V/R,
Jack
Lol!
Dare ya
All,
It's 0730, 18 Sept 1939, and the Battle of Kutno is reaching its climax, with this day seeing the heaviest fighting. The Poles had repeatedly frustrated the German attempt to close the pocket, and aerial reconnaissance had found yet another bridge not disclosed on any German map, so the Kampgruppe's new Executive Officer, 1st Lt Ost, led 1st Motorcycle and 4th Grenadier Platoons, along with two squads of attached engineers and two armored cars, to destroy the bridge. The intelligence section didn't expect much in the way of opposition; typically, they were wrong, as the Poles were poised to fiercely defend one of the few remaining avenues out of the pocket.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ypyikQ3QWMk/VMRq7ak5STI/AAAAAAAAITU/4LMCg5AsFu8/s1600/P1160985.JPG)
The Germans are led by Lt Ost, then have Lt Weider's 1st Motorcycle Platoon (of Sgt Gradl's 2nd Squad and Cpl Pankau's 3rd Squad), Officer Cadet Vetter's 4th Grenadier Platoon (with Sgt Mader's 1st Squad, Sgt Lehmkuhl's 2nd Squad, and Cpl Imhofe's 3rd Squad), Officer Cadet Distler and Sgt Keck's armored cars, and engineer squads led by Sgt Barkstrom and Sgt Hafl.
The Poles have their CO, an 82mm mortar, two .30 cal MGs, and seven rifle squads (three with anti-tank rifles).
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rKAvR51FJU/VMRrY0G0eiI/AAAAAAAAITs/h2ClRndHqgE/s1600/P1160988.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans are at bottom right (southeast), Poles are spread across the board on blinds (poker chips).
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJACJZPv-ng/VMVgzAsgTWI/AAAAAAAAIXU/MOBV3Z7R07U/s1600/P1170019.JPG)
Near calamity in the center, with two knocked out squads, and I lost my commanding officer...
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0pFxfHXFOI/VMVjZVDBcjI/AAAAAAAAIY0/uQ6h6AdHiYM/s1600/P1170031.JPG)
Fierce fighting at the bridge, and my half-ass attempt at flamethrowers ;)
For the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/02/kg-klink-poland-game-13.html
I've got three more write-ups to do. Notice I said three, because I played the final two games of the Poland campaign (I hope sixteen are enough!). Stay tuned for more write-ups, then I've got big plans for the upcoming 5Core Brigade Command, some air combat, a return to my FFL campaign, and a similar modern USMC campaign. I'm sure I won't get to all of that before I return to KG Klink for the France 1940 campaign.
V/R,
Jac
Love this; great batrep :-bd
Top batrep. Looks great
My only problem is that I keep transposing the name of the battle in my head and thinking
" That's a rude name for a battle"
Another corker Jack, thanks for sharing! 8)
Same here !
Cheers - Phil.
Thanks fellas, you are far too kind :D :D :D
"That's a rude name for a battle"
What's rude is how the Poles have been treating my kampfgruppe! Very rude hosts :P :P
We'll soon see if the French are any kinder to the bumbling troopers of KG Klink!
As an aside, I'm in a bind. I was looking at my 1940 Allied armor, and here's what I have:
1 Char B
2 Somuas
3 H35/H39
1 Matilda II
1 Cruiser (I forget which mark)
2 Matilda Is
2 Vickers
In order to have large-ish (for me) tank fights, I'll need to field Brits and French on the same table opposite the KG (ahistorical), or buy more Allied tanks (lack of funds). And if I buy more Allied armor, I'll probably want to buy more German armor, and I don't want to do that because it won't get used (the KG is heading to North Africa after France, not to Barbarossa).
Another consideration is that, given the relatively heavy armor of the allies (Char B, Matilda II, Cruiser, and two Somuas), maybe I don't really need more Allied armor, that the Germans will have hard enough time as it is.
And my last consideration is that, if I'm going to buy more German armor, I'd rather do some 're-organization' of the KG, and buy it for later periods (winter Russia 42-43, and/or more North Africa).
Decisions, decisions...
V/R,
Jack
The way your Germans are performing I reckon the Char B could hold of a Panzer division; problem solved :D
The Germans just ignored Char Bs and went round, it was easier!
There were join actions between British and French forces, but remember the Germans have Stukas and somewhere in the distance Rommel will be 'instructing' an 88 how to act as an anti-tank gun!
If you haven't read it, I would recommend 'Panzer Commander' by Von Luck at this point, he was involved in all the campaigns you mention.
Quote from: mad lemmey on 18 February 2015, 08:32:55 AM
The Germans just ignored Char Bs and went round, it was easier!
Bilotte's "Eure" at Stonne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonne) :)
"... withdrew after attacking a German column and destroying two PanzerKampfwagen IV tanks, 11 PanzerKampfwagen IIIs and two PaK 36 anti-tank guns single-handedly."
France's equal of Wittman at Villers-Bocage!
Quote from: getagrip on 18 February 2015, 06:56:58 AM
The way your Germans are performing I reckon the Char B could hold of a Panzer division; problem solved :D
;D
Poor Jack ! ;)
Quote from: getagrip on 18 February 2015, 06:56:58 AM
The way your Germans are performing I reckon the Char B could hold of a Panzer division; problem solved :D
I badly need the modify button; can't believe I misspelt off!!! >:(
Getagrip - Hey, watch yourself buddy, I'm doing the best i can :D
Lemmey - I think you're right, I don't need more than one Char B or Matilda II, do I? And I'll definitely have to bust out the air support, and maybe an '88' (I have three, but one is Afrika Korps and the other two are dunkelgelb with crews wearing camo). And I've read Von Luck, good stuff. I just finished Panzer Aces I, and moved into Panzer Aces III, need to find the second book (got the other two cheap at a second-hand store).
Ithoriel - "France's equal of Wittman at Villers-Bocage!" Lord, please don't let me run into this guy...
Ronan - Hey buddy, glad you're here! You need to post some more batreps ;)
Next fight coming right up.
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1400, 1 Sept 1939, and since this morning's victory there have been several marches and counter-marches, with the German forces attempting to keep the Poles bottled up in the Kutno pocket. Orders come in from 4th Panzer Division headquarters via the wireless: "Achtung, Panzer," the Poles are attempting a breakout, sending an armored spearhead south across the river and immediately turning west. KG Klink finds itself on the northern flank of this rupture, and is ordered to send all armor he can muster to contain it.
LtCol Klink personally leads a mixed force of armored cars and Panzer II, III, and IVs to meet the enemy tanks head on.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PNoaQiebv4/VOKAgcBupFI/AAAAAAAAIf8/OhG383PpcQ4/s1600/P1170042.JPG)
The opposing forces: The Germans, led by Col Klink, a Sdkfz 231 (Officer Cadet Distler), a Sdkfz 221 (Sgt Keck), two Pz Mk IVs (Officer Cadet Kleiber, Sgt Mangold), four Pz Mk IIIs (Company Commander 2nd Lt Loeb, Sgt Fahrmann, Sgt Grossman, and Sgt Friessler), and two Pz Mk IIs (Cpl Mayer, and Cpl Glucke).
The enemy force, with their CO, five medium tanks, two light tanks, one tankette, and two heavy armored cars.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5onK2r7H9OM/VOKBKAfshYI/AAAAAAAAIgU/3QsE2cjX9cQ/s1600/P1170045.JPG)
Overview, north is up, Germans on the right (east), and Poles on the left (west). A straight up tank brawl. I hope it doesn't aggravate you too much, but I did something a little different with this game. Usually I place a small puff of cotton to show where a gun or mortar fires, take my picture, then remove it. For this game (for some reason) I decided to leave each puff on the board. I kind of wanted a look at how many anti-tank shots it would take to have a tank fight. So, by the end, there's a whole lot of cotton puffs on the board.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQtwZnKI5gM/VOKEa1fvpxI/AAAAAAAAIiM/zLDZ-cqhx7E/s1600/P1170060.JPG)
The tank battle in full swing.
KG Klink has held their sector of line, helping to keep two Polish armies trapped in the Kutno pocket. For the whole batrep, please visit the blog:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/02/kg-klink-poland-game-14.html
More to follow.
V/R,
Jack
Another cracking batrep; great thing about camcampaigns, you start to "believe" in the unit :)
Getagrip,
Thanks man, and you're absolutely right. I'm ate up with following the characters, seeing what happens to them next. That's really the fun of gaming for me, I can't play 'one-off' games.
V/R,
Jack
Good report Jack, nice to see a different game that keeps the theme going and adds to the narrative.
One small point of 'rivet counting':
Sgt Keck's Sdkfz 221 (far right, blue bead to show low ammo). 221 only had machine guns, 222 had the 20mm cannon and machine gun.
From Wikipedia
Sd. Kfz. 221
Base model and first production series of light armoured car built on a standardized chassis for military use. The Sdkfz. 221 was armed with a single 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 13 machine gun (from 1938 a Maschinengewehr 34), manned by a two man crew, and had 4-wheel drive. Production ran from 1935 to 1940 with at least 339 vehicles produced for the army. Some Sd. Kfz 221 were rearmed with a 2.8 cm sPzB 41 "heavy anti-tank rifle" in a modified turret. Its full name was Leichter Panzerspähwagen (M.G.). It was only produced with Ausf. A chassis and a maximum frontal armour of 14.5 mm.
Sorry
It's probably a 222, Polish just misidentified it. Just like all tanks in Normandy were TIIIIIIGEEEEERS! And no antitank or artillery guns were encountered except 88's ;)
Good stuff Jack, keep 'em coming :)
Lemmey - You're right man, I've been calling it a 221 but didn't realize the 221 only had an MG. Keck's vehicle must have been one of those modified with an ATR, as he shot up an enemy armored car :-[ :-[
TP - The way things have been going, I believe I'll deploy m Tigers a bit early, i.e., France 1940 ;) ;)
Standby for next fight.
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1630, 18 Sept 1939, and fighting for the Kutno pocket has reached a fever pitch. All day the Poles have waged desperate battles to break out of the Germans' noose, but the armored counter-thrust by 4th Panzer Division (to include KG Klink) appears to have decisively slammed the door shut. Regarding the situation at hand, elements of KG Klink's Reconnaissance Company, reinforced with an 80mm mortar, a 37mm anti-tank gun, and two squads of assault engineers, has discovered a Polish infantry force in the village of Piotrowicz (fictional), serving as a bridgehead to hold a ford open (to the north, off table), which is allowing a trickle of Polish troops to escape the pocket on foot (albeit, without their heavy weapons).
2nd Lt Wehner, the acting Reconnaissance Company commander, radioed his findings to KG headquarters, where Lt Col Klink uttered a single word: "Attack!"
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PRdN6ddTVuY/VOVQdqVQLkI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/l3nEwF5af3Q/s1600/P1170111.JPG)
The Germans: led by Recon Co commander, 2nd Lt Wehner (sporting a Wound Badge), 2nd Motorcycle Platoon (led by acting PC Sgt Behrendt, LCpl Wilhelm's 1st Squad (filling in for Behrendt), Sgt Janke's (holder of the Iron Cross 2nd Class) 2nd Squad, and Cpl Zuckert's 3rd Squad), Officer Cadet Distler's Sdkfz 231 armored car (leader of the Armored Reconnaissance Platoon), Cpl Vogel's 80mm mortar team, Sgt Kallenbach's anti-tank gun, and two squads from the attached Assault Engineer Platoon (Sgt Albrecht's 3rd Squad and Sgt Klivens' 4th Squad).
The Poles: a CO, six rifle squads, one Maxim .30 caliber MG, one light armored car (MG only), and one light tank (spoiler alert: he's a real pain in my backside).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1tVi4mnFH8/VOVZb2T2wZI/AAAAAAAAIpM/NUZCkBxebwI/s1600/P1170167.JPG)
The enemy tank is on a tear: having destroyed the KG's anti-tank gun and mortar, he turns the corner and sets his sights on overrunning the German CO and an engineer squad.
To see how the whole report, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/02/kg-klink-poland-game-15.html
Good grief, another ass-whooper of a fight. Fifteen games in (actually twenty, but fifteen in this campaign) and I still love the ebb and flow, back and forth, ups and downs these rules bring. One minute you're grinning ear to ear, the next you've got tears in your eyes; I love it! This is friction without being reduced to a spectator.
Having said that, I am supremely peeved that this was the second time an enemy armored beast has savaged my poor infantry. It's not that the tank was overly powerful, it's just that I made a mistake in the initial deployment of my ATG, and never could fully recover from that. So the rules handle armor vs infantry just fine, I just need to handle it a bit better ;) Tough lessons in the school of hard knocks...
V/R,
Jack
Another goody!
I love this; it's like getting a copy of "Eagle" every two days ;)
"(...)
entrenching tools, and even fists "
I like that ! ;)
Quote from: bigjackmac on 19 February 2015, 02:02:17 AM
(...)Ronan - Hey buddy, glad you're here! You need to post some more batreps ;)
I'm still reading your posts, but I had no time to write, and only played a couple of games.
Thanks
Thanks guys, but what's "Eagle"?
Ronan - I hope you're able to find more time for gaming and posting, buddy.
Take care fellas.
V/R,
Jack
"Eagle" was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_%28British_comics%29)
Thanks Ith, and 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 :P :P
But it's true that my games have a bit of drama in them, but that's not the fault of the rules, that's the fault of the player (me). Every time one of my units does something foolish but gets the die roll to pull it off, I could have made the right, safe decision, but that's not my thing. I want the heroics, and so you won't see my troops fall back and call in supporting fires, we're going in, and we're either going to carry the day or we're going to get a good spanking. I can live with it either way, as long as the story is good ;D ;D
And don't misunderstand my sarcastic humor ("...hope that means I'm doing a good thing?"), Getagrip has been very supportive, and I appreciate that very much, so my comments above about my Hollywood games are not directed at him (nor anyone in particular), I just like discussing my gaming philosophy. So thanks to anyone that takes the time to read this bilge ;) ;)
In any case, this was the favorite in my youth:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fightin%27_Marines
These and the movie "The Sands of Iwo Jima" were all it took to convince me, didn't even need a recruiter :P
V/R,
Jack
I missed the above report initially Jack. :-[
Another great one.
Cheers - Phil.
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 ;) ;D
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 :P :P
Take care man, and I'm glad you liked it.
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 22 February 2015, 04:32:54 AM
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 :P :P
It's the "Hollywood" I love; nothing wrong with history but I love the manic nature of your games; brilliant :-bd
Quote from: bigjackmac on 22 February 2015, 03:27:53 PM
I'm sure you were busy sculpting early-WWII USMC for the Philippines, early-WWII USMC for Guadalcanal
These get my vote as well ;)
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
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! ;)
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
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.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyJ15D-WfuE/VOVbv6ybWdI/AAAAAAAAIpY/4weogS4u0rM/s1600/P1170168.JPG)
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.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znOo_8EmERI/VOVcPYekHrI/AAAAAAAAIpw/KxeZ5-ztGhY/s1600/P1170171.JPG)
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).
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-H3xu7zCec/VOVeJ6BtDSI/AAAAAAAAIq4/sc9AuiDw07E/s1600/P1170182.JPG)
The Germans are a bit too concerned with the enemy anti-tank gun and miss the Polish infantry squads stealing close.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ioe9jBW7dk/VOVfl85N_WI/AAAAAAAAIrw/jl1fax6JBL0/s1600/P1170189.JPG)
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
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 :)
Theater Art For Kids?
Good report Jack!
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.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-thkw-FfrswU/VTP_N1meAaI/AAAAAAAAJzM/XsW_XngqDz8/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG)
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.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0LPAXZ0BTE/VTP_vIKzr7I/AAAAAAAAJz0/MO1fdWSzBFU/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG)
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...
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7uM7FzefPxI/VTQEVbRVKwI/AAAAAAAAJ7E/VI8pZ2NGj8s/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG)
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
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.
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 :)
Terrific ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
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! ;D ;D
V/R,
Jack
No, shan't! :P
Me, neither ! :P
(Suppose I'll have to, really. X_X)
Cheers - Phil
You two are insufferable! ;D ;D
V/R,
Jack
I resemble that remark!
Indeed you do, Lemmey ;)
I've got the table set for tomorrow morning. I'd promised myself I'd take the Fall of France slow, one game a weekend, so that I could keep working on other stuff, but I'm feeling the old urges coming back. You know, the 'let me spend a whole day up here and knock out three or four fights' urge :o
V/R,
Jack
Hard fight !
great AAR again, thanks !
( and I love when the french act like this :D )
Thanks Ronan!
I played two more games yesterday that I need to write up.
Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be as proud of the French. The first was a French counterattack in which the Germans were able to make great use of firepower, the French attack never really got off the start line. The second game was all armor: 3 Char Bs and 3 H39s vs 6 Pz IVs, 5 Pz IIIs, and 3 PzJgr Is. The Char Bs were pretty tough, and one in particular was able to bust up some German tanks, but ultimately the Germans were able to use superior numbers to outmaneuver them.
Hope you're doing well, and getting more gaming in!
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 26 April 2015, 12:41:58 PM
Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be as proud of the French. (...) but ultimately the Germans were able to use superior numbers to outmaneuver them.
That seems historical :(
;)
Quote from: bigjackmac on 26 April 2015, 12:41:58 PM
Hope you're doing well, and getting more gaming in!
I only had time for one game for the last ten days :'(
I'm waiting for your new AARs. Thanks
"That seems historical"
Sure, and after that one H39 shot me to pieces I made sure to have lots of German tanks on the board!
With any luck I should have a batrep up tonight.
And I look forward to more of your batreps too! :D
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 0730 on 14 May 1940, and the German 7th Infantry Regiment quickly poured across the Meuse in the wee hours of the morning, followed by the 7th Motorcycle Battalion, which streamed forth, KG Klink's Schutzen Company in trail. First Platoon had only reached the village of Haut le-Wastia when French forces appeared in the area, keen on pushing through the ville in order to stem and, hopefully, pinch out the German bridgehead.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GktHoSjNWq4/VTwrzMaC0bI/AAAAAAAAJ-E/MkH3CeLbZIM/s1600/IMG_0248.JPG)
The opposing forces, with a relatively large French force on the left, looking to force a rather modest German force (right) from the village.
The German force is a Command stand, five rifle squads, an MG34, an 80mm mortar, and a Pz Mk IV. The French had their Command stand, twelve rifle squads, a .30 cal MG, and a 25mm anti-tank gun with prime mover.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4YX0g9Wc0Pg/VTwrHlyeMlI/AAAAAAAAJ9M/WUN5nCDNiJM/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG)
The initial setup, north is up. The French have platoons in the N, NW, and SW corners (MG is in SW, ATG is in N), while the Germans are in the ville and vineyard at center right.
Spoiler alert: things didn't go well for the French, and they made a classic tactical error, reinforcing failure (with two H39 light tanks).
For the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/04/kg-klink-france-game-2.html
Another fun fight, at least for the Germans. From my readings, the French, in those cases where the Germans were forced to go straight at them, were extraordinarily dogged in the defense, but when the Germans were able to outmaneuver the defense, and when on the attack, the French were often ill-coordinated and sluggish. I think we saw that today.
I still have another batrep to get written up.
V/R,
Jack
Nice stuff again, Jack !
(I'll return to the full report, later.) ;)
Cheers - Phil
Another good read. Very enjoyable Jack! 8)
Great stuff Jack and now I know of your site I'll be following so I don't miss any more :)
Thanks gentlemen, I appreciate the kind words and glad you enjoyed it.
The next fight is almost ready for publication.
Blaxkleric - I need to join up with your blog as well, loved the winter Eastern Front. My winter Germans and Russians are primed on sticks, but that's as far as I've gotten :(
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 0730 on 14 May 1940, and 7th Panzer Division has crossed the Meuse River and defeated a French counterattack on the bridgehead. Seeking to outflank French forces in the area, the division begins to flow around the village of Haut le-Wastia. As part of the southern prong, Kampfgruppe Klink's Panzer Company is leading elements of the 25th Panzer Regiment when they encounter elements of the French 25th Tank Battalion, 2nd Demi-Brigade, and elements of the 37th Tank Battalion, 1st Demi-Brigade, both of the 1st French Armored Division (1DCR) in the French countryside.
The KG is on a road march, with the Armored Reconnaissance Company in the lead. Luck is with the French as the German recce elements speed along the road south, and the French armor arrives on the scene, catching the German Panzer Company still on the road.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAczJoDD5Yk/VTwyCl3E-RI/AAAAAAAAKDo/Hvi0mX49pL0/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG)
The opposing forces:the Germans have 3rd Panzer Platoon (Pz Mk IIIs), 4th Panzer Platoon (Pz Mk IVs), and the Panzerjaeger Platoon (PzJgr Is), along with the Panzer Company Commander. The French have 3 Char Bs and 3 H39s.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5XNOlP8syNM/VTwyRAkna0I/AAAAAAAAKEA/NpLmFR2p778/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG)
Overview, north is up. Germans are on the road at right, travelling south, while the French have an H39 and two Char Bs in the southwest (bottom left) and two H39s and one Char B in the northwest (top left).
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NYjYR3Ba5qk/VTw0r_qVsKI/AAAAAAAAKH4/YdXFUJxOv-w/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG)
The fight devolved to a bloody, close-range brawl, and the Germans managed to carried the day despite knocking out only one of the French heavy tanks, with Sgt Graebner, hero of the fight in Haut le-Wastia, once again distinguishing himself.
For the whole fight, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/04/kg-klink-france-game-3.html
The game was fun, but next time I want to try fighting out the battle over the length of the table, not the width. I don't like how the ranges closed so quickly; don't misunderstand, it has to end up that way, it's what the Germans did in real life (when they had to, i.e., they didn't use Stukas or arty), but I think they should have to go farther to get there, and so that's what I'm going to do next time I have an 'armor only' fight.
I'll look to get another one in this weekend.
V/R,
Jack
Another great report Jack. 8)
Seconded !!
Good grief...It must take you longer to write up the report than it does to have 'the fight' ! ;D
What does the orange 'wossname' represent, Jack ?
I must have missed that, somewhere. :-\
Cheers - Phil
Good AAR, and I think it was historical, as you said.
( I'm wondering how it should have turned if the german did not notice the french tanks so early.. :-\ )
"Eh, mon Capitaine, ze gun, Sir, she's broke."
;D
"It's alright corporal, we 'ave a spare! Fire ze 37mm!'
Thanks guys.
Phil - Yeah, the write-up takes a fair bit of time. I'm using the orange thingie as a tracer to show who's shooting at who. Most folks know about machine gun tracers, but in WWII they started putting tracer material on the back of anti-tank rounds so the crew could spot the fall of shot. It helps me show you guys who's who when there are lots of units in the photo (I think, you tell me).
Ronan - Yeah, it could have been different, but I'm not sure. After the Germans got off the road the French got a normal activation and popped their three Char Bs over the ridges and took their shots; that's the only real difference. If the French had gone first they would have done the same thing, but they've have been firing on the flanks the German tanks. But don't misunderstand: the Germans could not knock out a Char B from the front, but the Char B could knock out any German vehicle from the front.
Lemmey - Yeah, that's my point man. They weren't lacking a weapon ;)
V/R,
Jack
Thanks, Jack.
I imagined it would be something like that....Thought I'd better check, though. ;)
Cheers - Phil
No problem, anytime Sir.
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1000 on 14 May 1940, and KG Klink, attached to the 7th Panzer Division, has been directed to reduce a French strongpoint manned by elements of their 5th Infantry Division. Elements of 7th Panzer Division stream by to the north and south as 2nd Panzer Platoon, 2nd Infantry Platoon, and 4th Infantry Platoon fall out of formation into an assembly area, then launch their attack on this thorn in the side of the armored thrust.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9oc7kdCKXrs/VUV7mkJYB7I/AAAAAAAAKNU/E8IXRmM7MsY/s1600/IMG_0373.JPG)
The opposing forces, with both sides having a mixture of armor and infantry.
The Germans have their CO, two rifle platoons, a tank platoon, and a (worthless) mortar).
The French have their CO, two light tanks, two 25mm anti-tank guns, two rifle platoons, and a mortar.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9DEEZQ1C38/VUWIebRgKDI/AAAAAAAAKXo/47tXSXmwits/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG)
Overview, north is left, east is up, the Germans are attacking from top to bottom. I started the French on blinds, placed the Germans, then uncovered the blinds. The French infantry and guns begin in emplacements, and with concertina wire (not pictured, I put it on the table after I took this pic).
The German line up, from north (left) to south (right): 2nd Inf Plt, 2nd Pz Plt (with CO nearby and mortar to their rear), and 4th Inf Plt.
The French left has an ATG at far left in emplacement, and two rifle squads (one ATR) in the ville. The French central position is Hill 47, with their CO and three rifle squads, backed up by an ATG, rifle squad, R35, and mortar at the stone farmhouse, and posted to the far right flank is the other French tank.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LznWoV98SZE/VUWAD1NrqHI/AAAAAAAAKVU/RsFH7TzAS-0/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG)
Things were going pretty well until ze Germans got a little too aggressive in pushing their tanks forward. Those are German tanks and French infantry. The results were... different.
To see the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/05/kg-klink-france-game-4.html
What a fight, tense right up to the very end. I hope you enjoy it, and sorry for so many fuzzy pictures; at this point I'd stop considering it a bug, more of a feature from our (fake computer) war correspondents...
V/R,
Jack
:-bd......Again !!
Cheers - Phil
It's probably actionsmlikethis where they could have and came close to, losing whole platoons of tanks against half a dozen blokes with sticks that meant they stopped for a breather just before hitting Dunkirk, instead of after :D
Tactical loss, operational loss, for the French; strategic disaster for the Germans ;)
Thanks guys, and that's a very interesting point TP.
I was looking at much more from the shallow end: the dice have been too good to me lately, I'm bound to be headed for disaster!
V/R,
Jack
Good old Loeb. Tank assault badge for him!
good AAR !
Tough fight !
Thanks Lemmey and Ronan!
You mentioned Loeb, I don't know what it is lately, but the tank kills have been coming in pairs. There may be several other tanks there, but once one tank gets a kill everyone else misses until the guy that got the first kill gets another one. Like I said, the dice have been kinda trippy. I'm scared of the next one.
If I recall correctly, the next two are both armor-only fights. Which is cool, but I'm kind of missing my old fashioned infantry fights.
Does anyone else feel like the tanks are playing too big a role?
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 06 May 2015, 07:34:51 PM
Does anyone else feel like the tanks are playing too big a role?
I don't think so ( historical, isn't it ?)
As long as
- you're having fun
- you're planning to change some terrain. Try a small city perhaps ?
Ronan,
I think it's historical, but I guess I am missing the more infantry-focused games, and I know the next campaign (North Africa) is going to be super focused on the tanks.
A small city, eh? I don't know man, I haven't heard of too many tank fights in cities ;)
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 08 May 2015, 02:58:44 AM
A small city, eh? I don't know man, I haven't heard of too many tank fights in cities ;)
Stonne, Jack. You know, the one where Bilotte and his crew in the Char B "Eure" single-handedly shot up more German armour than you'll have on table :D
Nothing like building up a bogey-man to "frit" the enemy :D :D :D
Bet the French tanks pop like paper bags after that!
"...single-handedly shot up more German armour than you'll have on table..."
Yeah Ithoriel, you're making my point! Being channelized into the guns of a tank you can't knock out from the front sounds like a great reason to avoid tank fights in the city!!! :P ;D
V/R,
Jack
... but they still do it ...
He more kind of drove right into the middle of them, didn't he?!
If you're talking about the Sherman that drove up and stuck his nose in the building in Athens, he sure did! And the BMP in Syria really cracked me up, driving into the building and firing down the hallway. The best was the very beginning of Syria when the rocket popped out of the building, narrowly missing the tank as the tank popped the building.
In any case, the fellers in KG Klink don't have a deathwish, and none of this convinced me I should run a tank vs tank game in a city (I'm talking 2 or 3 platoons against 2 or 3 platoons, like I did previously)!
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1600 on 14 May 1940, and KG Klink, attached to the 7th Panzer Division, is on the move. Earlier this morning KG Klink attacked and destroyed a strongpoint manned by the French 5th Infantry Division. Having broken through 7th Panzer Division is on the road to Flavion. However, an hour ago, 7th Panzer reconnaissance elements on the march came under fire from the (fictional) French village of Riqueville. 7th Panzer continued west around the village, and KG Klink immediately received a FragO to stand detached to reduce yet another French strongpoint. Colonel Klink decided to lead the assault himself, composed of the better part of his Grenadier Company, two platoons of tanks, a portion of the Kampfgruppe's Reconnaissance Platoon, and a section of 80mm mortars. Aerial reconnaissance stated the French force as a couple platoons of infantry with perhaps a couple crew-served weapons, with maybe a single tank in support. Ordinarily a single tank in support wouldn't be something for Colonel Klink to be too concerned about, but when that tank is a Char B, with it's extraordinarily heavy armor...
Regarding rules, I'm messing around again... Years ago, when my father was still alive, he'd come over pretty much every weekend and we'd play wargames (sadly, this was before I created a blog to record all my wargaming efforts). In any case, we primarily played three games: Force on Force, Bag the Hun, and I Ain't Been Shot Mum (IABSM). So it's been awhile, but I've had a hankering for some larger, reinforced-company level games that are a bit grittier that what I normally play, so I decided to give IABSM another try. I did change some things up, vastly simplifying the shooting and morale mechanics, but I've kept the 'guts' of the game as written: platoon and 'Big Man' activation randomized by cards and further randomized by the 'Tea Break,' starting the game on 'blinds' and having to be spotted, and variable (diced-for) movement. I say guts; others may have differing opinions, but to me, those items are what set the IABSM rules apart from others.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-420rIR_F4iY/WhoRbwhtnMI/AAAAAAAAgoY/jhQnPOT_hz8s0Zg8YOgidiM35HNkKWYyACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG)
Overview, north is DOWN, with the Germans entering the table at left (east) and the French defending the right (west) half of the table, including the village, at top right (southwest). The north is covered with crop fields and bushes which provide neither cover nor concealment, and while the bushes across the entirety of the table might look a bit bocage-ey, they're just bushes. At far left is The Chateau, which has The Orchard just above it. At center top left is The Farm (with a wood fence running around it and north *down* through the fields), and at center/center right is The Granary.
The opposing forces:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sX_Hzk59nmE/WhoR5_RLS-I/AAAAAAAAgo4/73eO5K0XmNw1-fabKQK5TvjyaMujK0b9ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG)
Ze Germans: at left is the Kampfgruppe Commander, Colonel Klink, proud owner of the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his actions in Poland. At top is the German infantry company: top center left is the company commander, Captain Freitag (Iron Cross 2nd Class). He has three of his four platoons, each with a platoon commander and three squads. There is a two-tube section of 80mm mortars, two Sdkfz 221s from the Recon Platoon, three Pz IIIs (37mm) from 2nd Pz Platoon, and two Pz IVs from 4th Pz Platoon.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-60rV4vaq4DM/WhoR_dUuxII/AAAAAAAAgpE/2o9pWE3DMK8Az27udxSsYTVU_ViXhSXgQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG)
The French: they are commanded by Major Renaut (left) and have two rifle platoons of three squads each, a weapons section of a single machine gun and a 25mm anti-tank gun, and a single Char B heavy tank.
The troops are 10mm, a mix of Pendraken and Minifigs. Basically it breaks out to most of the infantry are Minifigs and most of the vehicles are Pendraken.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RHcgMd1hqjk/WhsHji8EogI/AAAAAAAAgzA/PQQL2t-DdkIuYoN_9Zj8g29wR4YVNyARQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0371.JPG)
The attack is not going well: a Pz IV and a Sdkfz 221 (center top right) push past a burning German armored car on their way into the village, separated from their infantry support, which is lying suppressed in the fields (bottom left and bottom right), being ravaged by French machine gun fire from the village (yellow building at top left). To see how the fight goes, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2017/11/kg-klink-france-game-5.html
Hope you had as much fun as we did!
V/R,
Jack
Great report, thought the boy had ya!
Thanks Lemmey, and you ain't the only one! I was already planning my tactical withdrawal, just got lucky. Of course, if I could have ever gotten my mortars into the action, even if only to lay smoke for the infantry, things maybe could have gone a bit smoother...
V/R,
Jack
Nice one!
Your battlefields always look great! I have some of those fields as well, they work very well!
Gripping stuff! Great AAR and nice clear photos. Thanks for sharing.
Peter - Thanks, and yes, I do love those Hotz fields, they're fantastic.
Poggle - My pleasure, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 0715 on 15 May 1940, and KG Klink, attached to the 7th Panzer Division, is on the move. The 7th Panzer Division has broken through the French front line and is on the road to Flavion, with reconnaissance elements pushing both north and south of the city in search of a way to by-pass the city, or at least find an undefended back door. North of Flavion, recce elements of KG Klink have discovered a ford over the River Moiste near a small farming hamlet; led by KG Klink's Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1st Lieutenant Wehner, the Germans quickly push across the river and secure a small bridgehead on the western bank, before sending for reinforcements. Colonel Klink, the Kampfgruppe Commander, immediately broke off a detachment of infantry and armor to reinforce Lt Wehner at the ford. But time is of the essence; French forces under Captain Cognac have spied the German bridgehead and are already forming up for a counterattack.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LdWIljBZ1fY/WiRlgSd5P9I/AAAAAAAAg9Q/X7xz5_tKj60nzmcO6ZKSS-9WMMBDFIxdgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG)
Overview, north is up, with the German baseline at right (east) and the French at left (west). The River Moiste is at center, running north to south, and the key ford is at center right, where the dirt road intersects with the river. The ground is flat, rolling fields, with heavy stands of trees at far right, bottom center, left, top left, and far left. Cabbage fields abound, providing no significant cover or concealment nor real impediment to movement, but there is a stone wall (the sideways 'V' at center left/bottom) that halts movement and is only barely passable to tracked vehicles; similarly, there is a wooden fence running along the northern side of the main, east-west running road. The fence itself is not the problem, it's the drainage ditch running just below, invisible to the naked eye ;) , the fence. At top left is The Farm, consisting of a residence, an outbuilding, and a barn. At center is the tollkeeper's house, and at top center right is Mademoiselle Chevelle's home.
The objective of the game is possession of the ford, with possession being defined as having troops on the enemy's side of the river at the conclusion of the fight. The Germans start the game in defensive positions, with guidance being to set up a significant amount of their forces on the western (French) side of the river. The French begin the game at The Farm, in the northwest (top left), which is their marshalling area for the counterattack.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bcPDpeBJQ0/WiRsQDUnXlI/AAAAAAAAhGw/flLqSWhrycc9e18DuMJoSCd0KSJwl_dWwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG)
Sgt Graebner's Pz IVC, sheltering behind Mademoiselle Chevelle's home, fires on a Somua S35. To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2017/12/kg-klink-france-game-6.html
Anyway, hopefully we've given you an entertaining battle report to enjoy, some food for thought regarding the rules, and some food for thought regarding the future of KG Klink (and go ahead and toss your thoughts my way, please). Thanks for reading, hope you liked it.
V/R,
Jack
Greece, Crete, Desert
Germany rushed a lot of early tanks there, didn't even have time to repaint them, the crews just muddies them up.
I thought the boy played well, a cautious French attack. :)
Nice one, Jack.
The boy 'done good'. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Thanks Phil, and I agree, he's doing great and we're having lots of fun.
Lemmey - I kind of like the idea of Greece, I just don't know much about it. I think Too Fat Lardies have a scenario book for it, I'll have to take a look. And a buddy of mine was telling me I could get away with using my 10mm French for the Greeks; what do you think? I've got 10mm Brits, so no problem there, but not a lot of early war vehicles. Hell, the next scenario for France calls for two French 75s, but I only have one... Similarly, I don't know much about Crete, other than the horrendous Airborne losses by the Germans.
But the big hold up for the desert is, what do I do with my infantry??? I need some scenarios or concepts; what happened and how do I model it?
Thanks guys!
V/R,
Jack
Germans. Wore great coats?
It wasn't all tanks, Germans had mech inf.
Foot could be on garrison duty...
For Greece. It's French uniform with Bren Carriers, a hard fight on both sides.
Tanks take ground, infantry hold it ... in theory at least!
My compliments on the campaign Jack, really impressive!
In fact it impressed me so much that your adventures pushed me over the edge and make postpone my ACW plans and go for a Blitzkrieg campaign too! Not sure yet what rules I'll be using (probably our own we've been using for years now) but the order went out for a basic German force plus their first opponents (Polish troops). Both sides well enough equipped so I can play several scenario's and shift troops around a bit. The core unit for my Germans will be a Schützen Kompanie Gepanzert and they can take different support units depending on the mission. What will be available for the next mission will depend on what survived and/or can be substituted.
Really looking forward to playing this; thanks for the inspiration!
Cheers,
Rob
Thanks guys!
And glad to be of service, Rob, and looking forward to your battle reports!
V/R,
Jack
All,
It's 1615 on 15 May 1940, and KG Klink, attached to the 7th Panzer Division, is on the move. The 7th Panzer Division has broken through the French front line and is on the road to Flavion; this morning the division was stymied by French resistance on the main axis of advance, but KG Klink reconnaissance elements discovered an undefended ford of the River Moiste north of the city and seized it. Lt Wehner immediately seized it, and both the French and Colonel Klink dispatched forces to secure it. There followed an extremely intense fight which saw two enemy tanks knocked out, an entire French infantry platoon eliminated in close combat, and four Iron Crosses handed out (including a 1st Class)! Rommel immediately sent his panzer grenadiers streaming into Flavion and his panzers around it, while KG Klink pushed south from its ford, then being ordered to reduce a French strongpoint on Hill 81 on the eastern outskirts of Flavion. Colonel Klink ordered his infantry company commander, 1st Lt Tausch, to take three of his platoons, some heavy weapons, and a section of Stug IIIs and take the hill.
I am playing this game, the seventh of KG Klink's campaign during the Fall of France in 1940, in 10mm, using a mix of Pendraken and Minifigs UK troops and equipment, on a 6' x 4' table, using Great Escape Games' "Iron Cross" rules.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vYwBeZCAKs/XSuXhaZieYI/AAAAAAAAqWQ/DD7RrcdE5ZsxX4LS8Ub5j4Yjh1VIcSbOwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6429.JPG)
The battlefield, north is up. Hard to see elevation (as I put the hills under the mat), but Hill 81 is at far left, while Hill 37 is at center top right. There is a north-south running dirt road, several patches of woods, three houses (from top to bottom, the yellow house, the gray house, and the red house), numerous cultivated fields (no effect on movement/cover), and a large rubble pile at center (not sure why it's there, but it was in the Skirmish Campaigns scenario book map, so I put it in there, too).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CqAVP8ibzg/XSuXd03x9jI/AAAAAAAAqWM/yzzX9VLRhhozIrr4r3Lif1gZ6d_Vre5PgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6430.JPG)
The opposing forces, with French on top and Germans on the bottom. The forces are relatively equal, two or three rifle platoons, a section of AFVs, a mortar, MG, and ATG.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28FtTE8DpkQ/XSudNoFBzzI/AAAAAAAAqaE/AvSpHzWiBtgAWXFpBkcWgregdORy6WT5wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6473.JPG)
The Stugs move up to the rubble pile (bottom center) and engage French defensive positions atop Hill 81 (top center).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_ZbPD9RgHU/XSuduDDyhNI/AAAAAAAAqa4/Gf6l48ls6WQAhjQXJTayxjjF2CQ4Zmt8wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6481.JPG)
And German mortars and machine-guns (bottom left) pound the French left (top center/right).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbyFkOruU-E/XSueMwSNbuI/AAAAAAAAqb0/KJYOyixucLknmDt6YQLgrHuBK_jlNFe1ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6490.JPG)
But things don't really heat up until the anti-tank guns come out! Here the French 25mm ATG (bottom right) fires on the German Stugs (top left).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRvGR5wJGn4/XSugnaX2YcI/AAAAAAAAqf8/rVLv69547mQDid57PxHNcDkScKYkzIYQACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6532.JPG)
And the German PaK-36 (bottom center) pumps rounds into the flank of a French H39 (center top).
To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/07/kg-klink-france-game-7.html
I'm looking to play out a few more of these games so that I can close out the Fall of France, I really want to get to the Eastern Front. I hope you enjoyed the batrep, I'm working on more, though the next one will be back to the Cuba Libre blog for more dogfighting. I also have an update on some 6mm WWII stuff I recently completed as well.
V/R,
Jack
Good one, Jack !
Cheers - Phil
Been a while since these guys saw action, thank you Jack
Thanks Jack, I really enjoyed that. I have the Iron Cross rules and the 7 days (though there is quite a bit of vehicle stat errata on the latter, downloadable from the company.
Love the idea with the beads, dragging around markers is an admin problem of the system, especially in small scales, when the markers can dominate,but the beads are a great solution.
and a large rubble pile at center (not sure why it's there, but it was in the Skirmish Campaigns scenario book map, so I put it in there, too)
Some poor peasants cheese and wine store, now destroyed. How will they survive the harsh French summer with no cheese and wine?!
Nice to see you back on the classic European tour, fast jets and ATGMs can't hold a mans attention for too long :)
:-bd =D> :-bd
Great stuff!
All,
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the kind words, I hope you enjoyed it. It's good to have Herr Klink's boys back on the table, want to close out France and get to the Eastern Front. I'll probably split off the panzers and have it primarily infantry fights (much like this fight, a company's worth of infantry supported by two Stugs). Maybe build the KG around a 10-vehicle Stug battery. I do want to do North Africa, but, for me, North Africa just has to be bigger battles, so when I get to it (circa 2050) it will probably be in 6mm.
Norm - Yes, the beads seemed to work alright, but I cracked myself up with the German mortar team next to a stack of cannon balls ;). In regards to your question about early war vehicle stats, I didn't find any so made my own up based on extrapolation/best guess from the late war stats in the book. I think I used the Soviet T-70 as the basis for the H39, the PaK-36 had a penetration value of 6, the Stug's short 75 was a 5. My only worry was that I gave the Stug 12 frontal armor, which may have been too much?
TP - Yeah, their countrymen soundly beaten, those peasants won't be getting any wine or cheese for another five years or so... And don't worry, back to jets and missiles on Wednesday or Thursday ;)
V/R,
Jack
Enjoyable read, thanks
Thanks, MMCV!
Also, I received an interesting question on one of the forums (why were the French tanks so slow to attack the German Stugs?), and hopefully I provided an interesting answer, which I wanted to share here. So read the batrep first, but then come take a look if you're interested. The reason I'm doing this is because I wish I was adding more tactical analysis like this into the batreps, but I get so focused on getting them written and posted that I'm falling down on that aspect. My response:
1. The French tanks were a mobile reserve, and you don't want to commit your reserves before the action has developed. The German Stugs were in a similar situation, with the caveat that the German commander knew he was going to have to commit them early as his infantry had to attack across open ground and the Stugs were the only units that offered the firepower to 'shoot them in,' particularly against a nearly equal defending force. But that early committal did not win the battle for the Germans, it almost lost it for them!
2. The French anti-armor capability, while relatively numerous (two light tanks and an ATG), was not particularly capable, so the French commander knew they needed to get close and/or get on the flanks. Therefore the French commander adopted an ambush mentality that would allow the German armor to commit (hopefully overcommit), then pounce once the enemy armor was identified and fixed (as it was by the French 2nd rifle platoon, the Stugs' only alternative to remaining exposed at close range was to reverse, which, because of the close terrain, really meant quitting the fight).
3. The last reason for the French commander to delay committing his tanks to the fight was that it is very difficult in real life to control units once they are committed and engaged, and the rules do a very good job at representing that.
It's the old ideas of getting inside your opponent's OODA loop, forcing him to react to what you're doing rather than doing what he wants to do, and that's exactly what the French commander did.
While the attack by the French 2nd rifle platoon was perhaps a bit too bold, and certainly unlucky (Sgt Wagner's vehicle being able to react and back away from the infantry close assault), it did fix the Stugs to allow the French anti-tank fun to be brought up, which resulted in the destruction of Sgt Wagner's vehicle.
The French 2nd rifle platoon, despite the German 2nd and 4th Platoons' rushed deployment, was still able to threaten the remaining Stug, to the point it had to react to what they (and the French 1st platoon attacking the German 1st Platoon between the gray and yellow houses) were doing, thus staying engaged and being unable to react when the French tanks were ordered forward.
So I wouldn't say the French tanks were slow to respond, I figured they were right on time, coming within a micrometer of defeating the second Stug (one more morale marker would have finished him, or another inch of movement would have put the second French tank on the Stug's flank, which probably would have resulted in his shot penetrating instead of bouncing) which would have forced the German infantry to fall back (all armor KO'ed, two French tanks on the loose).
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #1
0530 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight sees Colonel Klink himself, looking to seal his axis of advance from flank harassment and searching for a place to post his headquarters, lead 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by attached Stugs, in the attack on Dujour.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4fC28SpnaU/XUYSIXp_fkI/AAAAAAAAq0Y/MCSdA9-YsBwCeK5gENigiN0edlZhPD3EgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6715.JPG)
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
My intent is to play a series of battles on a 6' x 4' layout, using small pieces, maybe 2' x 2' with 10mm troops. I've gone back to my old standby, Ivan's "5Core Company Command."
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb4xRY1CIwU/XUYSON1A9NI/AAAAAAAAq0g/gtI1jmKoBzsrzCfcoQs6vJ0ssHpeCze-ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6718.JPG)
The German force: their CO, two Stugs, and five rifle squads.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCnkYmmWG5w/XUYSQ6FHFJI/AAAAAAAAq0k/-eJFvyzSqzwPbCso78901aa7AzxnLbaMgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6719.JPG)
The French force:
Commanding Officer
MG Team
2 x 25mm Anti-Tank Guns
Four Rifle Squads
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qH3CUm8pfo/XUYSXPIThWI/AAAAAAAAq0o/KkdXOWx3qF8dg1nLaij_McqMmG3mSPcZACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6720.JPG)
My interpretation of the operational area, with the villages Dujour (top left), Deture (center), and Toujour (far right) and hills 34 (bottom center left), 44 (top center left), and 54 (bottom center right, with the River Bleu running east-west (top to bottom) at center.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iOtVOGQ7HcI/XUYSn9AdesI/AAAAAAAAq1I/dQy1h3SmQ1M2edLmP1ToQ4_T1nDchHzLwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6725.JPG)
The Germans cross the line of departure and are immediately met by French anti-tank fire from Hill 44.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-511Dp-L2cu4/XUYS7H6n2sI/AAAAAAAAq1k/SlxGv2UYifk9f2yt_GqsPXcXSBBBo18CACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6730.JPG)
Colonel Klink rallying the troops under fire.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-8.html?m=1
More fights coming up. Next fight in this series is Lt Tausch leading 3rd Grenadier Platoon (supported by an MG-34, an 80mm mortar, and a 75mm Infantry Gun attempting to take Hill 34, a simultaneous attack west of the Blangy-Abbeville Road.
V/R,
Jack
Great to see these chaps in action again :).
Nie one Jack.
Drove past Abbeville the other day, it's perfect tank country...
Steve - Thank you, Sir, I appreciate it! Yes, I'm looking to close out the Fall of France, maybe play a few games of Germans vs Brits in Greece, then on to Barbarossa.
Lemmey - Thanks, and that's fantastic, I'm extremely envious!
V/R,
Jack
Nice one, again, Jack.
Cheers - Phil
Thanks, Phil!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #2
0530 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1J3Z_ExCtM/XUYXUmC6HcI/AAAAAAAAq48/_qpJC59Y0eMLf_3OebRkeFSewz6UV-degCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG)
The second fight sees the Schutzen Company Commander, 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon, supported by elements of his Schwere Platoon, in the assault on Hill 34, north of the Blangy-Abbeville Road.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSbotluopW4/XUYXsXaowMI/AAAAAAAAq5Y/WMzd8hcBmfojaxLiH82nt3RNPtycbA-ewCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG)
The battle area, north is left. The Germans are attacking across the fields at left, with their base of fire element at top left and the engineers hoping to get get into the farmhouse (top center left) and cause some trouble, while the French are defending from positions atop Hill 34 (right). This is an example of what some folks call 'pizza-box gaming.' No pre-contact maneuver or messing around, we're hopping into the action immediately, starting the game at the point of the first shots being fired.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PiN8oXJnHS0/XUYYG139x2I/AAAAAAAAq6E/YzSkEZENQWgRgjiFpTCR6Hf49-4QzGn8gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6774.JPG)
The German engineers and their rifle squad escorts don't even make it off their start line before their roughed up, as Sgt Oberlander gets his 7.5cm Infantry Gun into action, sending HE shells up the hill at the French defenses.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1qZLpY7wvY/XUYYStZYJEI/AAAAAAAAq6Q/XcMAs6BH4fIxVTpNsvLblcGKz1csCE2pgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6776.JPG)
Similarly, 3rd Platoon had barely crossed the line of departure before it was receiving effective fire. Lt Tausch, their Company Commander, is busy cursing and kicking ass to the get German riflemen moving again.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Gawy5NnQDw/XUYZa-Iz4RI/AAAAAAAAq8E/J8x2nNEaVzk5PHt-8mbTnHre8LE6XvCSQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6795.JPG)
Lt Tausch is able to push the German infantry up the hill and into contact with the French left flank. The French machine gunner in the defensive position at center bottom unlocks his gun and swings it all the way over to the left, onto his Final Protective Line, and goes cyclic, trying to keep the Germans from overrunning the French riflemen there (top center left, with Germans at top center right).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqKyuimDBY4/XUYZ6UkOdUI/AAAAAAAAq84/Kn-yxEeVKZA1_9HAQVdv8S_CRoAeAuzFwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6802.JPG)
The German infantry, under heavy pressure, continue to work their way right, around the French flank.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-9.html
As the Germans were reorganizing, SSgt Janke motioned to Cpl Arndt and Lt Tausch; "look there, there go them Recce boys!" All three craned their necks to watch the stream of armored cars and motorcycles rush south in a cloud of dust, destined to pull off another of their famed 'Hussar Tricks,' looking to grab the bridge over the River Bleu before the French even realized it was in jeopardy.
Lt Tausch could hear the Colonel on the radio net: "Yes, yes, Wehner, push hard, we'll seize the bridge and fling the panzers and 4th Grenadier Platoon across to seize Toujour, now go!"
Coming up next!
V/R,
Jack
Another great game and AAR Jack :).
Wot Steve sed. :)
Cheers - Phil
Looking good. But a tad confused - is that an ATGW I can see ?
Quite a scrap
Your batreps are always good to read Jack.....Kampfgruppe Klink looks like they have run into an elite French unit given the toughness of the French in those last two fights.....and they haven't met up with the Highland laddies from the 51st Division yet....
Quote from: ianrs54 on 12 August 2019, 07:16:11 AM
Looking good. But a tad confused - is that an ATGW I can see ?
I assume it's representing a shell/MG burst in mid-flight?
Thanks everyone, I'm glad you liked it, it's been lots of fun. I've actually already played the entire mini-campaign, I just have to finish writing them all up.
Pierre, you're absolutely right, the French defenders have been quite tenacious. My reading is that the French defenders were quite tough, causing heavy casualties every time the Germans had to dig them out, but where the war was lost was in the incredibly slow communications/reaction times of the French command, allowing the Germans to run circles around them at the operational level, the French drawing and carrying out plans for tactical situations that changed 12 hours ago. Perhaps it's too simplistic and reliant on too small a sample size, but that's how I've been treating the campaign in France.
Sorry, the French will not run into the British during this campaign, but I'm looking at playing a few games in Greece, where the two will meet.
Ian, Sorry man, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Are you talking about the orange tracer I use (along with the little orange explosions) to help the reader understand who is shooting at who?
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aCfGxTj7khA/XUYZhhdUnWI/AAAAAAAAq8Q/uDGXP-OsDBYzcRb5d5kYSkkJWlRxz00EQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6796.JPG)
Here's the orange tracer.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_irrwWSnW8/VSxeD_TTYEI/AAAAAAAAJsM/y4jMcTmO1Ls/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG)
And here's what a missile or rocket looks like on my table.
Is that what you were talking about, or something else?
Thanks again everyone.
V/R,
Jack
Right, it were the tracer !
Gotcha! Maybe if the French had had ATGMs...
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #3
0630 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.
The second fight saw 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon into the assault on Hill 34. The attack stalled in several locations, but the Lieutenant's skillful leadership maneuvered his troops until they were able to unhinge the enemy's defensive line.
The third fight sees the Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1Lt Wehner, lead his men forward to seize the bridge over the River Bleu at Deture.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NboTSroGXKg/XUYdgWtO_YI/AAAAAAAAq_U/A0fFTCcPh_sM1IcXuSncpa_cldCm3hr6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6826.JPG)
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
My intent is to play a series of battles on a 6' x 4' layout, using small pieces, maybe 2' x 2' with 10mm troops. I've gone back to my old standby, Ivan's "5Core Company Command."
The red arrow showing the axis of attack.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKSaAdib3CU/XUYdxyxfD0I/AAAAAAAAq_s/3RHSCsUSmtQmVLP6ac3edmnJEh3ENg1LwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6831.JPG)
The Reconnaissance Company elements move south towards Deture, past the farmhouse on the right, and with Major Schultz leading 4th Grenadier Platoon up on the left.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsYi7zQuzxQ/XUYeHqumPMI/AAAAAAAArAU/lNAi-vrkL3AlDDua4oVUAX2JYgvPXnz2ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6837.JPG)
The French CO (center right) looks on as one of his 25mm anti-tank guns (bottom right) opens fire on LCpl Fasbender's armored car!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RI-WxvQ1HkA/XUYeO1HXlEI/AAAAAAAArAc/BisdG88uqvQKDQSebF6FROvCIW9yuMgjwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6838.JPG)
And the other French ATG (bottom right) quickly joins in.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdYtSMGt4jg/XUYepcTHgbI/AAAAAAAArBE/z--1Ig1BGEU-JDXvgqPJArnEcejQEgU2QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6847.JPG)
The German motorcycle troops attempt to force their way across the bridge, under fire.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-epLIqW8I6PU/XUYexV8F0bI/AAAAAAAArBM/iCkLFdokVigZk-FxkBzuawOk6dLfkRKuQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG)
Not their best plan...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv7mieVzqDE/XUYg5UMNwQI/AAAAAAAArFE/pEQoxfoCWiEiMXqkMgYHO1ECe_5Selw5gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6886.JPG)
Sgt Keck's Panzer II catches the French in the open, trying to reinforce their front-line positions.
This was a straight-up street brawl! To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-10.html
At this point all attention shifted back to the north, where Colonel Klink was busy scratching together a force to go and take Hill 44, securing the eastern flank of his penetration towards Toujour.
V/R,
Jack
Wow, another cracking game and AAR Jack :)!
Wot Steve sed. :-bd
Cheers - Phil
+2
Jack
Very enjoyable.
How are you creating the OB's for each action? Do you select for KG Klink from available assets or is the choice randomised in some way? Are the French selections from the Five Core army generator?
Regards
Edward.
Thanks everyone, I'm glad you liked it, and appreciate you saying so!
Edward - Unfortunately, no, right now I'm just eyeballing the OOBs and picking what I want. My goal for the Germans was to finish up the Fall of France by getting each of the rifle platoons, with some support, into at least one more fight, and to do the same with each tank platoon, so I organized the mini-campaign that way, then just threw up whatever I thought would give a good fight for the French, with plenty of random events to spice it up.
I am, however, a big fan of the 5Core "generators," the problem (in terms of why I don't always use them) being fitting the generators into my ongoing campaigns. For example, it sucks for the Germans to be in the attack, but have less infantry and less support than the defenders which, with my dice, happens all too frequently, so then I end up fudging anyway, giving the Germans two extra rifle squads and an extra tank, while taking away a French squad and an MG. It seems to work better if you don't worry about keeping unit integrity, if you just let it be chaotic, I.e., a Pz II from 1st Plt, a Pz IV from 4th Plt, and a Stug III from the Assault Gun Plt. It can really be a lot of fun, but makes it tough to make sure all the troops on your roster end up getting in the fight at some point.
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #4
0715 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.
The second fight saw 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon into the assault on Hill 34. The attack stalled in several locations, but the Lieutenant's skillful leadership maneuvered his troops until they were able to unhinge the enemy's defensive line.
The third fight saw the Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1Lt Wehner, seize the bridge at Deture after some very heavy street fighting.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EpHXXYr3xZw/XUYm9n5FUxI/AAAAAAAArGI/RIzaHDTKxxI7aPvAbyvJXrDccUMkRvlbwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6894.JPG]picture)
The fourth fight sees Colonel Klink lead the remnants of the 1st Grenadier Platoon up Hill 44 to eliminate enemy forces in the southeast.
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tbfubNlK3w/XUYnj7S-6YI/AAAAAAAArG8/fTBMr3Aw0jck67_mSIvxTT666rlbSu3vgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6902.JPG]picture)
Things get off to a great start when the French anti-tank gun begins firing downslope...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sY3iGGZU9bg/XUYnoU7VHbI/AAAAAAAArHA/Xcnpq8KQc-sS8hR5d7UK3NWRFit17ddygCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6903.JPG]picture)
Immobilizing Sgt Kulle's Stug and causing his crew to bail out! And not only that, but Sgt Eisen's squad is suppressed as well!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Lsu1uamdEM/XUYoak1socI/AAAAAAAArIU/a7UmHlGMd44awvqhcUkR4mwd0alCoDwGwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6917.JPG]picture)
Things get heated atop the hill, and Colonel Klink is wounded leading an infantry assault (German casualty figures in the French position)!!!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vl4sCpwxTLM/XUYo0eNkK4I/AAAAAAAArJA/BZq9VU2lrbgcaszCCEt_MIpPxrUqIIwFACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6923.JPG]picture)
But the French are eventually overtaken, which allows Major Schultz to lead 4th Grenadier Platoon up to the river, but that damned French mortar atop Hill 54 (off camera to top right) is still dropping rounds into Deture (top center), so the Major turns east and begins paralleling the river (center)...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsBDLN0fFAo/XUYo9RkIlZI/AAAAAAAArJQ/HU2PwQ4l0oM5IkAKBW96mz0DuuSZdFF4wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6926.JPG]picture)
You don't know how many years I waited to take this photograph ;)
To catch all the details, please check the blog at:
link (https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-11.html)
The stage is set for Major Schultz to lead 4th Grenadier Platoon and 1st Panzer Platoon into Toujour, but it's going to be a tough nut to crack!
V/R,
Jack
Another cracking report, Jack ! :)
Super piccies, as per usual !!
Cheers - Phil
Great idea for a game. You have probably inspired a few people to
look again a 1940 era WW2.
The terrain really caught my eye, particularly the trees and houses.
I really liked the look of these and wondered where they came from ?
Phil
Eek, quite a fight! :o
Thanks guys, glad you liked it!
Glorfindel- I've certainly been having a good time, and glad to hear my batreps might be a bit inspirational.
The hedges, trees, and buildings are al 15mm from Crescent Root.
V/R,
Jack
Another cracking and inspirational AAR Jack :).
Steve,
Thanks man, you flatter me! I, obviously, am a huge fan of the rules, though they're certainly not everyone's cup of tea. As you look through the rules, let me know if you have any questions or issues, or are curious about what I'm doing, I'd be happy to help. They've got some mechanisms that are quite different from a lot of rulesets out there, take a bit getting used to. The first time I played, I absolutely hated them!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #5
0815 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 54.
The second fight saw 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon into the assault on Hill 34. The attack stalled in several locations, but the Lieutenant's skillful leadership maneuvered his troops until they were able to unhinge the enemy's defensive line.
The third fight saw the Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1Lt Wehner, seize the bridge at Deture after some very heavy street fighting.
The fourth fight saw Colonel Klink go down in a blaze of glory atop Hill 54, the remainder of his Stugs and 1st Grenadier Platoon chewed to pieces, though still able to force the French off the hilltop.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVMLEBqi5ew/XUYrVf59R0I/AAAAAAAArKE/KJodII9Y5q0J0qG2A-ry3Z1YkY18_wsowCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6932.JPG)
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
The fifth fight sees Major Schultz, the Kampgruppe Executive Officer (and now Acting CO, he just doesn't know it yet) leading a pincer attack on objective, the French village of Toujour, with the 4th Grenadier Platoon on the left and the 1st Panzer Platoon on the right.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoYUGJz-MGo/XUYrZKS7YmI/AAAAAAAArKI/qD087LZc1jUb9mOyHusjTezHSgD48QbxgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6933.JPG)
A bigger fight in store this go round. The opposing forces, with Germans on left and French on right. The French are completely made of Minifigs UK troops, while the German infantry is Minifigs, but the tanks and command stand are Pendraken.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbkSJMaQopY/XUYr7UXCqqI/AAAAAAAArK4/OSwin29f7BUT_3tu_lajv4N4RHeUexMWQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6940.JPG)
The German attack kicks off, with infantry on the left (top left) and armor on the right (center). While still mutually supporting, they were supposed to be attacking in tandem as a one-two punch, but the French mortars still dropping on Deture forced the German infantry to move their jump-off point further east (top).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W7GMElum6Qk/XUc1DNZt97I/AAAAAAAArMI/Co2Z_rT94KwuZJZjAKZRBHz0QnLOAdxbwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6952.JPG)
Out on the French far right flank, a lone squad of riflemen stands resolute against the invaders.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIiKEcQm23E/XUc1P0lOOEI/AAAAAAAArMk/_plWtYbkBqQEzb9nv1Uds3JGTl2sgHMXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6956.JPG)
The German tanks push forward, nearing the edge of town, but having to slow down as their infantry support (top left), held up by machine gun fire from the town and mortar fire from Hill 44 (bottom right), has barely gotten off its start line.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EAbkbdGljps/XUc1VoFmDjI/AAAAAAAArMw/E1vPMyVyaoUECWTD99QYLe5RYZ_I0vojgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6957.JPG)
Which allows the French ATGs to get more shots in on the lightly armored Panzer Is and IIs. The Panzers put up a helluva fight in the center...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgLYUEomyg8/XUc2ZfFMCcI/AAAAAAAArOk/_60dJFX1V7MBGpKqJKWDX_ww-0bONkaNwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6979.JPG)
But take a helluva beating.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4A3kyUfJIk/XUc28HxZsMI/AAAAAAAArPc/o_obMNjRN2Y_CeReRqxvbSuzCeWMwcJMgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6988.JPG)
The German infantry, though hard pressed, take advantage of the sacrifice of the Panzer bretheren by forcing their way into the town.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-12.html
Next up, French tanks!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #6
1000 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.
The second fight saw 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon into the assault on Hill 34. The attack stalled in several locations, but the Lieutenant's skillful leadership maneuvered his troops until they were able to unhinge the enemy's defensive line.
The third fight saw the Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1Lt Wehner, seize the bridge at Deture after some very heavy street fighting.
The fourth fight saw Colonel Klink go down in a blaze of glory atop Hill 44, the remainder of his Stugs and 1st Grenadier Platoon chewed to pieces, though still able to force the French off the hilltop.
The fifth fight saw Major Schultz, the Kampfgruppe Executive Officer, lead the assault into the French village of Toujour. The attached panzer platoon was roughly handled, and the infantry didn't fair much better, with Major Schultz wounded while leading a close assault to secure the village. However, no sooner was the village taken then strong enemy forces appeared, forcing not only the 4th Grenadier Platoon to fall back from Toujour, but also the Reconnaissance Company to abandon the bridge at Deture.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jnhxyXqXw4/XUc889yg_mI/AAAAAAAArTs/8fm8_ic1ZR8DfUTooFqNTTE3s6fJzXU8ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7029.JPG)
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
My intent is to play a series of battles on a 6' x 4' layout, using small pieces, maybe 2' x 2' with 10mm troops. I've gone back to my old standby, Ivan's "5Core Company Command."
The sixth fight sees Captain Bohm, the Panzer Company Commander, lead his 3rd and 4th Panzer Platoons into battle against the French counterattack.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFrghdgx-10/XUc89w1EpZI/AAAAAAAArTw/-UuHYsZ-nxs8AMqKR7WxaO9zsB6WgvEhwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7030.JPG)
The moment you've all been waiting for, steel on steel. The French are a mix of Minifigs UK and Pendraken vehicles, while the German tanks are all Pendraken.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LJAZ7gsb2Y/XUc9TWkQg5I/AAAAAAAArUQ/bFsj6qIpvGct8P26qMRSD6fXT-Mf8gJYQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7035.JPG)
Captain Bohm, the senior officer left in KG Klink at this point, stops briefly to confer with Lt Wehner, the acting Kampfgruppe Commander (normally the Reconnaissance Company Commander). Lt Wehner orients the Captain to the terrain and updates him on the friendly and enemy tactical situation and location, but before he leaves, Captain Bohm asks Lt Wehner to remain as the overall tactical commander for KG Klink as he (Capt Bohm) wishes to direct and participate in the upcoming armored battle. "Those French heavy tanks are truly monsters, and it's going to take every gun we've got to stop them."
"Good luck, Sir!" wished Lt Wehner, as Captain Bohm's Panzer IV raced off to the south.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-adKT6gTA_Tc/XUc9u3JcNXI/AAAAAAAArU0/vukPMcUIbM027eOtSqTRMwDW3WM0YTpsQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7041.JPG)
First blood goes to the Germans when Sgt Fittzbaum, the 3rd Panzer Platoon Commander (bottom center, with tank commander figure), spots the French light tanks moving on the slope of Hill 54 (top center right). "Gunner, enemy tank hull down on Hill 54, 12 o'clock, 400 meters, armor piercing, fire!"
"On the way!"
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzEL2UHecE4/XUc-G15XITI/AAAAAAAArVY/70n-JTmeYbsfqoq8MbL_NbXf6UNGMdLRACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7046.JPG)
Sgt Graebner duels with a Char B1 in Deture (top center right) as SSgt Mangold and Cpl Raush push their tanks towards the bridge (far right).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ffBe9ctGPAg/XUdE3sN8cJI/AAAAAAAArhY/3vmHtBKJPHc0mprSikHe9Z5V7rIsM1fCQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7164.JPG)
But indeed, here be monsters.
To see how the fight shook out, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-13.html
Kampfgruppe Klink is hanging on by a thread, with nothing left on the battlefield to stop the two French tanks, but an unlikely hero is on the way, and is currently marshalling forces (in the form of the remaining Panzer Platoon and the Panzerjaeger Platoon) to strike back at the French.
V/R,
Jack
That sure was a tough fight for the panzer company Jack......time for the Luftwaffe air-ground liason officer to call in the Stukas or some 88's from the nearest flak battery purhaps? :-
Those Char Bs are pretty formidable machines.....
Cracking reports, Jack. :-bd :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Wow, another cracking AAR Jack and as always, one full of action. I felt it reflected quite well the German inability to penetrate most French armour from the front, yet they could still 'suppress', allowing them to manouevre into better postions. Looking forward to the next instalment.
What a fight.
Definitely time to call in the Stukas
Pierre and Lemmey - You're right, but that would be taking the easy way out! ;)
Steve - Yeah, it felt right, and desperate. In the next fight the Germans bring up some 47mm-armed PzJgr Is. I may have over-powered them, giving them a 1 in 6 chance of penetrating from the front at close range (call it 300 down to 25 yards, which is where I'm putting point-blank range). I think it should be possible to penetrate the front of a Char B1 with AT rounds from a 47mm high-velocity gun, but if that's the case, why did the Germans have such a hard time with French heavy tanks in France (I read on t'internet there were only 99 PzJgr Is in the campaign, and most of them were late-comers)?
Thanks Phil!
V/R,
Jack
Basically they didn't fight the "B's". One DCR was broken into penny packets and defeated in detail, another was caught refueling, cant remember what happened to the third, and DeGaules 4th had very few of them. Even the 47 would have trouble with them, they are armoured to the same level as a Sherman and the German 50mm had trouble with those.
Lovely table set up and good games.
Thanks, mmcv, and thanks for the info, Ian.
Know if any good books on Barbarossa, from the initial invasion up to Typhoon?
V/R,
Jack
War Without Garlands is excellent on the build up to and initial invasion. It's a while since I read it so can't remember at what date it stops.
Thanks, Steve, I'll take a look.
V/R,
Jack
All,
Ambush at Abbeville, #7
1200 28 May 1940
Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements. They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme. At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening. The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.
But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately 0500 on 28 May. The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division. With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road. KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.
The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours. Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.
The second fight saw 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon into the assault on Hill 34. The attack stalled in several locations, but the Lieutenant's skillful leadership maneuvered his troops until they were able to unhinge the enemy's defensive line.
The third fight saw the Reconnaissance Company Commander, 1Lt Wehner, seize the bridge at Deture after some very heavy street fighting.
The fourth fight saw Colonel Klink go down in a blaze of glory atop Hill 44, the remainder of his Stugs and 1st Grenadier Platoon chewed to pieces, though still able to force the French off the hilltop.
The fifth fight saw Major Schultz, the Kampfgruppe Executive Officer, lead the assault into the French village of Toujour. The attached panzer platoon was roughly handled, and the infantry didn't fair much better, with Major Schultz wounded while leading a close assault to secure the village. However, no sooner was the village taken then strong enemy forces appeared, forcing not only the 4th Grenadier Platoon to fall back from Toujour, but also the Reconnaissance Company to abandon the bridge at Deture.
The sixth fight saw Captain Bohm led the better part of his Panzer Company to counter the enemy's armored thrust, and it was chewed up handily. However they did fight the French armored thrust to a temporary standstill, enough for the remainder of the of the company and the Panzerjaeger Platoon to be brought up.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l1-7O6oPIs0/XUdL8jLZJcI/AAAAAAAAriI/5A7H2iUhF-YvrSsB66Hck6OS-veyiXcLQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7169.JPG)
The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left... The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54. The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.
My intent is to play a series of battles on a 6' x 4' layout, using small pieces, maybe 2' x 2' with 10mm troops. I've gone back to my old standby, Ivan's "5Core Company Command."
The seventh fight sees a second clash of armor, as the Germans seize the initiative and charge the French heavy tanks, which have just finished refueling and rearming just south of Toujour. The German Panzerjaeger Platoon and 2nd Panzer Platoon (Pz IIIs) are on the attack.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwZip1xinuU/XUdMAm0vGXI/AAAAAAAAriQ/zvA7K-JF1l0tijjStAVuH1f5YnwUGM8MgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7170.JPG)
It all comes down to this...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHuoKW4XC5k/XUdMLH8JFYI/AAAAAAAAriY/V5VQG9M5_iYUDcGS1alpnujCKS9hVCqDQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7174.JPG[/img]
A cheer goes up from the German Landser atop Hill 44 (of camera to top right) and 34 (off camera to bottom right) at the sight of the Kampfgruppe's remaining Panzers streaming south down the Blangy-Abbeville Road! Lt Loeb leads his platoon (and Cpl Otjen's vehicle) up the road as Sgt Dittrich's PzJgr Is split left (top left), looking to get into supporting positions atop Hill 44.
Yes, that is all the armor left in KG Klink at this point.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b_A3NxD-l1o/XUdMtTZVtyI/AAAAAAAArjU/LIS8r7Q7wIcRDedWmkEBUIl7V7QzemVwQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7182.JPG)
The PzJgrs begin moving up the slope of Hill 44, but they've gotten careless and skylined themselves. From Toujour (off camera to top right), a Char B1 fires; shocked infantry look on as the French anti-tank round totally wrecks the PzJgr I (center), killing Sgt Taube and his entire crew, whilst pinning Cpl Hamburg's (yellow bead).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M66fEP0kB70/XUdMz-TSiMI/AAAAAAAArjc/Nl2ymOsI2BgEkIZPFTAOfH4A_kONlYf1gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7183.JPG)
The CO (bottom center) looks on as German artillery lays smoke to mask the German approach.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkuCEg1cahs/XUdNJNeM3vI/AAAAAAAArkE/NcKvNqT3ctkhhCKRLjQzAgSC9ZE95VmkACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7189.JPG)
And the panzers are flung across the river...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRWhTkLLtFg/XUdN-CELJHI/AAAAAAAArlo/x0B37zJxMpc9RYcQdNp_hwGK0Y1IRBaiACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7203.JPG)
As the German PzJgr Is, atop Hill 44 (bottom left), fire on the French heavy tanks (top center and top right).
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2019/08/kg-klink-france-game-14.html
The seven-fight operation totals:
Germans: 210 casualties, 3 Stug IIIs, 1 Sdkfz 222, 2 Panzer Is, 4 Panzer IIs, six Panzer IIIs, six Panzer IVs, and one PanzerJaeger I destroyed
French: 215 casualties, 80 POWs, 4 ATGs, 2 FGs, 3 H39s, 2 Somuas, and 3 Char B1s destroyed
Thus ends Kampfgruppe Klink's tour of France, circa 1940. As always, I'll do a campaign epilogue. Then the unit will undergo some changes, with promotions, departures, and reorganization, then it's off for a brief stint in Greece in April 1941.
V/R,
Jack
Super report (as usual !), Jack.
I think that nice Herr Klink should have said..." 'Tis but a scratch", like the Black Night in Monty P and The Holy Grail. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Blimey Jack
Quote from: Techno on 29 August 2019, 06:27:14 AM
" 'Tis but a scratch", like the Black Night in Monty P and The Holy Grail. ;)
Can I take it that there is no "k" in the Welsh Language Phil ? (Night !!!!!)
OOOPS !! ;D ;D ;D ;D
I must have been humming a certain Deep Purple song when I 'tryped' that.
Cheers - Phil
Thanks everyone!
Just a flesh wound...
V/R,
Jack
All,
Time to get KG Klink back into action! Following their blitzkriegs through Poland and France, they've been up to a whole lot of nothing. They're lost combat action was May of 1940, stemming an Allied counterattack near Abbeville; after that they pulled back to refit, then sat on the perimeter of Dunkirk as the British pulled off one of the most successful (if not the most successful) retrograde actions in the history of warfare. They held fast on the coast for awhile, then moved south for the parade through Paris. After that they prepared for Operation Sealion, but it never came, so mostly they've been sitting on their butts, chasing dames, drinking too much, and getting soft.
But the Kampfgruppe is once again gearing up for war; in October 1940, their Italian Fascist allies invaded Greece and, being Italian, were quickly stymied, and a Greek counterattack in March 1941 was causing some real embarrassment for Il Duce, and thus, the German dictator. So Operation Marita was dreamt up, a German invasion of Greece to bail their Italian cousins out of trouble. KG Klink was tabbed to be a part of that, and so they're on the move, leaving sunny France for frigid Bulgaria, where they will soon be pushing south into Greece, to face British, Australian, and New Zealand troops hoping to stem the tide.
So, I'm doing things a bit different this time: rather than play out my 'normal' string of somewhat linked games in a linear-timeline fashion, this time I'm going to play out a mini-campaign inspired by Peter over at his blog, here:
https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/2019/08/ww2-mini-campaign-begins.html
So, copying Peter's style, I went and made myself up a handy-dandy mini-campaign map:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pvRwZEcXj4c/Xd7mFegCanI/AAAAAAAAv1M/or9trWT5G5Y30f8bD3olPkTklnYbxgOkwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Campaign%2BMap.jpg)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VhEDQId4ITk/Xd7pCi0fYqI/AAAAAAAAv1U/n0YIjALkGgE7uLA7Z1E77xDCRPePxz6ewCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Counters.jpg)
Here are my German (blue) and Commonwealth (red) 'counters.'
I'm playing solo using Too Fat Lardies' Chain of Command, modified a bit. I've bumped it up a level (using multi-based stands, not individual troops), I simplified fire and melee combat, and morale (5Core concepts, as always), as well as movement (I like dicing for movement, but it significantly slows things down for me). I changed the CoC Dice so that it represents indirect supporting fires from Higher HQ, and I did away with the Patrol Phase. I love the Patrol Phase, but it doesn't work for me playing solo, so what I do is designate an attacker and a defender; both sides start completely off table, using their Command Dice to deploy on table (as normal), but where it differs is that I basically give the defender a deployment area of half the table, and he can deploy anywhere in that area, even dug in, so long as it's at least 6" from any attacker.
If you're now wondering, then, why do I still call these rules "Chain of Command," it's because the entire game revolves around the use of Chain of Command's brilliant activation system (command roll/Command Dice), the use of leaders' command initiative, and the 'Force Morale' concept of declining Command Dice and morale to breaking. To me, that's the heart of the system, and it makes for a fun game.
There's a bunch more data on the forces and the campaign rules I'm using here:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/03/kg-klink-campaign-plan-for-greece-april.html
And here are the first two campaign moves/turns, leading us up to the first fight of the campaign:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/03/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map_26.html
So stand by, fight number 1 of 10 will be posted Monday.
V/R,
Jack
I'll be watching this with interest
The father of one of our regular group was involved in the campaign
We have fought a similar campaign at a higher level using the Spearhead rules
As I live in Wellington I'll be keeping a close eye on the progress of the "Wellington Company" 19th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
Looking good, Jack ! :)
Cheers - Phil
Love the idea, await results with interest
Thanks fellas, glad you like the concept!
Paul - No kidding!? That's pretty cool! But I have some bad news: in this campaign the concept is that they've already seen some heavy action and suffered quite a lot of casualties, so at this point they are a scratch force rear echelon types thrown together as a last resort. I'm sorry man, that's just what I got out of scenario book; if I'd have known there was a personal connection I'd have made them the most powerful unit in the campaign! And I can't change it at this point, I've already played all ten games.
If I recall correctly, they're only in one tabletop fight, probably the last one, and they give a decent account of themselves, for what they're up against. A bit of foreshadowing for the campaign: the Germans win ;)
V/R,
Jack
Good to see they're moving again.
Looking forward to follow their exploits again!
Cheers,
Rob
No problem Jack, the ANZACs are pretty used to getting the sh*tty end of the stick
Rob -Coming up, right away!
Paul - Indeed! ;)
V/R,
Jack
All,
Afternoon, 10 April 1941
Here we are, the inaugural battle of Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. A little background, first: the German invasion of Greece was known as "Operation Marita," and commenced on 6 April 1941, finishing up on 30 April 1941. Following the Fall of France, KG Klink got to lounge around a bit in the French countryside. Then, as the seaborne invasion of the United Kingdom (the proposed "Operation Sealion") was contemplated, they got to do some amphibious training and lounge about the French coastline. As that died down they were given a brief home leave, then set about conducting an intense training program to prepare them for 'something big out east.' As this was occurring, the Italians decided to up and invade Greece in 1940, and they were roughly handled, suffering greatly during the winter and into the new year, at which point the German High Command decided (was told) they needed to formulate plans to go pull Il Duce's chestnuts out of the fire, hastened by the UK's decision to reinforce Greece with Commonwealth infantry and armor in March 1941.
KG Klink was moved east, first to Romania, then on to Bulgaria, where they sat out the fighting in Yugoslavia. They also sat out the initial invasion, the breech of the Greek defenses on the Metaxas Line, and then of the Commonwealth defenses at the Aliakmon Line, before being committed. They fairly cruised along until reaching the area in and around Veroia, at which time they ran into strong, though hastily organized, Commonwealth infantry and armored elements which had re-formed there. KG Klink's involvement in the Fall of Greece revolves entirely around the operations to break the Commonwealth defenses in and around Veroia, with the objective being the investment of Servia and its key mountain pass.
The first battle sees Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup advancing on a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-ED_VwJmyA/XknCZod4ldI/AAAAAAAAxA4/tZCTpi_a94Y4uWX5K7v8W2Xux8xjesWEACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG)
Overview, north is left. The Germans will be entering from the north and attacking south, where the Commonwealth forces will be defending, able to emplace anywhere from their baseline up to the east-west running road. The road is improved (at least in terms of 1941 Greece), there is a small hamlet consisting of three stone buildings at center, a few patches of trees scattered about, but the dominant terrain feature is the hilltops dotting the countryside (clockwise from left): Hill 189 (left), Hill 234 (top left), Hill 320 (top right), and Hill 415 (bottom right).
I'm playing with very simple terrain so that I can lay it down and scrape it up as quickly as possible, to get in a lot of games as quickly as possible.
I'm playing solo using Too Fat Lardies' Chain of Command, modified a bit. I've bumped it up a level (using multi-based stands, not individual troops), I simplified fire and melee combat, and morale (5Core concepts, as always), as well as movement (I like dicing for movement, but it significantly slows things down for me). I changed the CoC Dice so that it represents indirect supporting fires from Higher HQ, and I did away with the Patrol Phase. I love the Patrol Phase, but it doesn't work for me playing solo, so what I do is designate an attacker and a defender; both sides start completely off table, using their Command Dice to deploy on table (as normal), but where it differs is that I basically give the defender a deployment area of half the table, and he can deploy anywhere in that area, even dug in, so long as it's at least 6" from any attacker.
If you're now wondering, then, why do I still call these rules "Chain of Command," it's because the entire game revolves around the use of Chain of Command's brilliant activation system (command roll/Command Dice), the use of leaders' command initiative, and the 'Force Morale' concept of declining Command Dice and morale to breaking. To me, that's the heart of the system, and it makes for a fun game.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PVIGFsWUDAw/XknCXmVTSVI/AAAAAAAAxA0/sozkgSNNFYQCoyJK9O0hIpgKFWGc3OC0gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG)
The opposing forces, with Germans on the left and Commonwealth on the right.
Battlegroup Freitag (AKA, 1st Schutzen): consists of the CO stand, two rifle platoons (a Platoon Commander and four rifle squads, each), a weapons platoon (Platoon Commander, two MG-34s, and two 80mm mortars), and a platoon of three Stug-IIIs.
The Commonwealth force: Royal Engineers and New Zealand Cavalry
Commanding Officer: Major Butler, R.E.
Armored Car Platoon from the New Zealand Cavalry (two w/Bren, one with 2-pdr gun)
British Royal Engineer Platoon (Platoon Commander and three Engineer Squads)
Weapons Platoon (Platoon Commander, two Vickers MGs, and two 3" mortars)
I'm playing these games in 10mm using figures from Pendraken and Minifigs UK, roads from Fat Frank, hills from Warzone, buildings from Crescent Root, rivers from Wargamers Terrain, and trees from Gunner at Signifer.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I98CTLo6hmw/XknDDMBAgII/AAAAAAAAxCA/cnTh2fSZqNcVa9Rbr6IzzbdekBUiY4NYwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0827.JPG)
As German infantry move on Hill 415, a spotting round from one of their 8.0cm mortars fall a little short...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1BCpmdLEluw/XknEUcdN8AI/AAAAAAAAxEY/rJN5QtFK338aTt3YHx8vVmwrcGpbK7VjgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0856.JPG)
Commonwealth defensive positions in the village are under heavy fire from German heavy weapons and now the 2nd Germany infantry platoon is closing on them.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUXkI4-tHk4/XknFGpqiacI/AAAAAAAAxF0/_aDY5zhyxcAAWFZwBN-5irq2agvk9fytgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG)
The Germans take the village!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgi6Vc-UYnc/XknEjKczeaI/AAAAAAAAxEw/d-__TykvkZsD7Ksb691I5HVFGcpyViW9ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0858.JPG)
While the Vickers MGs are engaging the Germans coming up Hill 415.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-arOAjwR4k/XknFfr9QKBI/AAAAAAAAxGs/bCnCrq8_5GcOLBLfojIWx7_UWV-KI64ggCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0879.JPG)
And one of the Stugs is knocked out!
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/03/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-1.html
Next up, Captain Freitag and his men are right back in the thick of it, taking on some Kiwis to take a bridge.
V/R,
Jack
Typical, those bloody poms have no bottle ;)
And where's the RAF when you need them
:-bd =D> :-bd
Fantastic stuff there Jack, as always :-bd
Thought there was going to be a "Rourkes Drift" moment by those Royal Engineers in the central farm for a while, but they chose to head for the hills instead (mind you the Zulu's didn't have Stug III's in support..... ;))
I see from the completed map on your blog that you are saving the best for last.....the Wellington Company of 19th Battalion at Servia (square E8) are apparently going to be the rearguard?
Look forward to the next 9 games.....Kia Kaha (be strong).
All the best
Peter
Excellent, Jack !! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Lovely looking game Jack 8). I shall follow this campaign with interest.
That's a great report, really well written.
I thought the hill was going to hold after the initial burst! :'( ;D
Paul - Cracking me up!
Peter - Yeah, won't see them until the end.
Phil - Thanks!
Steve - Glad you liked it, hope the rest of them warrant the interest!
Lemmey - Yeah, I thought the machine gun position on the hill would have been a lot more effective, must have had defective ammo or something ;)
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 30 March 2020, 07:26:24 PM
Lemmey - Yeah, I thought the machine gun position on the hill would have been a lot more effective, must have had defective ammo or something ;)
Maybe Lemmey's Peaky Blinder mates got the good stuff and left the British Army with belts of practice 0.303" instead - Don't the Peaky Blinders have links to the BSA factory in Burmingham? not sure as not a series I have seen much of yet.
Anyway, the campaign looks really good Jack, your Chain of Command variant rules are very interesting....
Oh yeah, we's got yon production line union in our pockets! :P
Hmmm, I had no idea! Well then, it's Lemmey's fault the Commonwealth troops are getting the crapped kicked out of them! ;)
"Anyway, the campaign looks really good Jack, your Chain of Command variant rules are very interesting...."
Thanks Peter, and yes, I'm very happy with how the rules modifications worked out, already planning my next campaign, Operation Barbarossa (and just sent in a sizeable order to Leon for it)!
V/R,
Jack
Hmm, linked campaigns! ;)
I'd say sure, but I don't understand what the hell Peeky Blinders is.
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 01 April 2020, 12:50:28 AM
I'd say sure, but I don't understand what the hell Peeky Blinders is.
V/R,
Jack
Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama television series. Set in Birmingham, England, the series follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional family is loosely based on a real 19th century urban youth gang of the same name, who were active in the city from the 1890s to the early twentieth century.
The name Peaky Blinders is supposedly because they had razor blades sewn in to the peaks of their caps. It is unlikely that the real life Peaky Blinders of the late 1800s actually had razor blades in their caps and that the name came from the peak caps that were their trademark and their generally fashionable appearance.
Quote from: bigjackmac on 01 April 2020, 12:50:28 AM
I'd say sure, but I don't understand what the hell Peeky Blinders is.
V/R,
Jack
See this thread: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,19429.0.html
Sorry, didn't mean to confuse anyone.........
Great stuff, looking forward to the next game.
Thanks for the explanation, Ithoriel, and no problem Peter!
Glad you liked it, Sunjester!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Morning, 11 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJqBhyLPBjs/XlAaHqYl64I/AAAAAAAAxJA/JXLfZ06aWzUed8C855muVQC13XVIFgysACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0918.JPG)
Captain Freitag (center top) looks on as his advancing rifle platoons get caught in the open and pounded by Kiwi machine guns and mortars!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYmWF1V_xzM/XlAaJM1MJdI/AAAAAAAAxJI/e_9SvRuLcIU8gTVZbV3WKvbsgjdC5a9eQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG)
The New Zealanders become overconfident, pushing a rifle platoon forward (top right) to finish off the German infantry, but they run straight into the German machine guns (center) and mortars (far left).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USsr6KQUQ5Y/XlAaRQYuP_I/AAAAAAAAxJU/x8-YY1bUcyM2PpYrbo0zIlbxliG-4q4cwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG)
In a desperate move to alleviate pressure on his infantry (top left), Captain Freitag calls his Stugs in on the far right flank (bottom left).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t6ER6KDPIHo/XlAan0pll9I/AAAAAAAAxKE/eM_LSSsXQmUthCGFK6z9yy8tW88LtHElgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0928.JPG)
But the Kiwi commander, Major Hunt, responds by bringing his 2-pdr ATGs in on Hill 316 (bottom right), and they immediately engage the German armored vehicles (top left).
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-2.html?m=1
Here is the next set of map turn moves, which resulted in only one fight:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map.html?m=1
More fighting, coming right up!
V/R,
Jack
Great stuff Jack and some major fire power there from both sides.
Excellent, once again, Jack ! :-bd
(Where did my first reply go ?.....Must have hit preview instead of Post.....Derrrrr. 8-} )
Cheers - Phil
Really thought the kiwis had you.
Dash those Stukas!
Thanks, guys, and yes, it was a close-run thing! The method of deployment for the hidden defenders is working pretty well, I think, and certainly throws a lot of uncertainty in the game.
V/R,
Jack
Bl&#dy Aucklanders, rush of blood to the head X_X
Should have kept that infantry as reserve or deployed them between the weapons platoon and the 2pdrs ~X(
Counter-attacking into German machines guns, we learnt not to do that in the last war :(
Paul,
"Bl&#dy Aucklanders, rush of blood to the head"
Yeah, they were a bit excitable, weren't they? ;)
"Should have kept that infantry as reserve or deployed them between the weapons platoon and the 2pdrs"
Yeah, there were a few different options that may have turned out better, but...
"Counter-attacking into German machines guns, we learnt not to do that in the last war"
The counter to that is if their own mortars and MGs had been more effective, maybe even gotten a Chain of Command dice to call in some 25-pdr artillery, then perhaps the German MGs would have been neutralized, and if the Kiwi infantry got in they would have eliminated the German Weapons Platoon and both rifle platoons, winning the battle and eliminating BG Freitag from the entire campaign! It didn't pay off, but it seemed like a risk worth taking, especially knowing it's still early in the campaign and there's still a lot of ground to give.
V/R,
Jack
In case you haven't guessed I've decided to lob gentle abuse in the direction of the Commonwealth commanders to keep me entertained during my current confinement ;)
I'm enjoying the campaign :)
Knock yourself out, they've got plenty of bad news for you ;)
And I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying it. Next fight will post Sunday night or Monday morning. I'm off tomorrow (a three-day weekend), so I'm headed back upstairs to continue my Cuba Libre campaign. I've already played 14 fights, so I'm hoping to finish off the campaign this weekend, but it's pretty big and there's room for at least another 14...
V/R,
Jack
Your AAR's are very entertaining! Please keep 'em coming...
Cheers,
Rob
Thank you, Rob, will do, and the next one is coming right up!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Morning, 11 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. Now we have 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving to secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, defended by the 27th MG Battalion.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUSDcoSYOTo/XlBYWvdhURI/AAAAAAAAxM4/HY_HHkzsfhse0KEjn5huU06FREX-PLpHgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG)
The Germans quickly deploy (all long left-hand table edge), looking to force the bridge.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6-2jj-En3I/XlBYrYXSLCI/AAAAAAAAxNg/Ftns_WgFdUU91ObfgqBGCCdQyoOYfkvdACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0964.JPG)
It quickly becomes a traffic jam, which the Kiwis begin pounding with mortars and small arms fire.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TqtdUOgIWM/XlBZjIaqihI/AAAAAAAAxPM/dRW_YUX-3A4bO6OQh-kyxz4ogdWh3raQgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG)
The Germans eventually manage to fling a platoon of infantrymen over the bridge, mostly owing to Lt Ginter's stellar leadership under fire, and they are soon joined by their tank platoon.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yoXji4MTPrY/XlBaMcE5njI/AAAAAAAAxQg/Q-ctgUjslsImDyPs4g0IgSoAUB4p4mbKgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG)
Though they (top left) promptly run into the New Zealanders' 2-pdr anti-tank guns (bottom right)!
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-3.html
And here are the Turn 4 map moves, for your perusal:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map_6.html
Next fight coming later this week, so stay tuned!
V/R,
Jack
Counting the days Jack! Thanks for posting and the link.
Best wishes
James
Quite a scrap! Well done.
The Kiwi's luck was awful! :o
My pleasure, James, and you're absolutely right, Lemmey!
It's a weird feeling playing these games; I don't want the Germans to win because they're the bad guys, but I do want the Germans to win because... I'm playing them.
The very interesting piece to this is that my playing out the entire war is not going to be one of those things where my 'team' wins every tabletop fight but the Germans still lose the war; just as the Germans suffered very few setback in 'real-life' prior to the Soviet winter counteroffensive in December 1941, the opposite is true from July/August 1943. I can see KG Klink still winning its share of tabletop fights, but ultimately it will be losing as it will HAVE to lose the overall campaign, which will mean whole strings of ass-whoopings for the Germans. The trick is going to be doing that without getting every single character killed. Or is it? ;)
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: bigjackmac on 06 April 2020, 09:41:19 PM
My pleasure, James, and you're absolutely right, Lemmey!
It's a weird feeling playing these games; I don't want the Germans to win because they're the bad guys, but I do want the Germans to win because... I'm playing them.
The very interesting piece to this is that my playing out the entire war is not going to be one of those things where my 'team' wins every tabletop fight but the Germans still lose the war; just as the Germans suffered very few setback in 'real-life' prior to the Soviet winter counteroffensive in December 1941, the opposite is true from July/August 1943. I can see KG Klink still winning its share of tabletop fights, but ultimately it will be losing as it will HAVE to lose the overall campaign, which will mean whole strings of ass-whoopings for the Germans. The trick is going to be doing that without getting every single character killed. Or is it? ;)
V/R,
Jack
I think you are handling this aspect of things very intelligently Jack. Its not like we'll be seeing Kampfgruppe Klink invading the US homeland in 1947 equipped with Maus tanks and other fanboy might have been equipment.....
look forward to the remaining Greek battles :-bd
Great fun read, as always, Jack. :-bd
Cheers - Phil
That was good, Jack. I'm not a Modern/WW2 wargamer/collector, so don't normally 'tune in' but it so happens I'm currently playing a solo computer game using Combat Mission and, in the mission I've been assigned, I'm commanding Kampfgruppe Karloff, so the subject matter grabbed my attention. Will try to 'tune in' again, in future. :-bd
Quote from: mad lemmey on 06 April 2020, 05:25:40 PM
The Kiwi's luck was awful! :o
Well, if he goes into battle alone....
Thanks everyone, I appreciate it! Well, except for Fierce Kitty's grammar attack ;)
Glad my view makes sense, Pierre, and it's cool to bring you over, Westmarcher!
V/R,
Jack
Bl%^dy hell that went badly :o X_X
Given the battalion was raised and initially trained at Burnham near where I grew up I expected much better from them
"The battalion's field training was carried out under canvas at Cave in South Canterbury", a very small town where I spent time as a lad under canvas
That was a pretty good day for the Krauts; let's see how long their luck will last!
Cheers,
Rob
Thanks guys, I appreciate it!
Paul - Yeah, pretty rough, failure to capitalize. This using historical units stuff is weird for me: on the one hand, it's really cool that you've got a personal stake/experience with units that are on the tabletop. On the other hand, when it doesn't go well it feels kinda... icky. I certainly mean no disrespect, and that's exactly the reason why I generally game with units that I've made up, whether it's KG Klink, the VMF-343 'Dirt Divers,' or even just the entire made-up world of my Cuba Libre blog.
I don't suspect it will be an issue when KG Klink gets to the Eastern Front, but the Germans will be facing a lot of the western Allies: North Africa (probably, not 100% sure about that yet), Italy, Normandy (around Caen), Market-Garden, the Bulge.
Rob - Their luck is going to last until about December of 1941 ;) Just kidding, obviously they can lose tabletop fights between now and then, just that, in the overall scheme of things, fights will be going their way for a bit still.
V/R,
Jack
Jack, historic stuff IS "kinda... icky" and it is important we remember that
It is obvious that no disrespect is intended and I really enjoy your detailed AARs
Paul,
Certainly, and I appreciate your perspective. I just worry about it because sometimes I do silly stuff to make the tabletop game (or the batrep narrative) more fun, and I would never want any of that reflecting poorly on real-life men that fought. For instance, early on in KG Klink's campaign in Poland one of the units was suppressed and had bad dice, just could not rally during the game, even ended up running off the table, so I wrote it up that he was summarily shot by Colonel Klink for cowardice. I've done similar things in other games, where guys were shot in the ass while running away (failing rally rolls and falling back); I think I even had a guy get shot once trying to surrender because the only white clothing he had was his underwear, so he stripped buck naked, tied his drawers to a stick, and tried to surrender, but got shot because he had soiled them and thus they were no longer white ;)
That's why it's better to play with make believe units ;)
V/R,
Jack
All,
Afternoon, 11 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. Now we have Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup pressing forward against remnants of the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--uWzHxMw1pM/XlBcRXGUjgI/AAAAAAAAxTI/IZsR64YnVhMlws-76mgmlSRISQjDCUl8ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG)
Heavy fighting breaks out as a German tank-infantry team works to clear the Diggers off of Hill 256.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-WeP2Fm-gQ/XlBccfOvHWI/AAAAAAAAxTc/oju5u585abkykCNH8rIEiFXEgqjkIrjiwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG)
German armored reconnaissance attempts to pull a 'Hussar trick' and fling itself into the village before the Australians can mount a defense, but are ambushed by Vickers machine guns on Hill 327.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQ0KWQ1N_y4/XlBci3uf8jI/AAAAAAAAxTw/I1gKmulDLkwds4_AKnCTUh1Zoi5uIt76gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG)
The attack on Hill 256 is floundering as the German infantry are being roughly handled.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qidIJNnTb1c/XlBcq6KSbUI/AAAAAAAAxT4/B4ImzM_44FAaAv9zIaSac72aiSDyaVqigCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG)
The defender (top left) aren't looking much better, but their spirits are lifted when the Aussie Carrier Platoon arrives (top right, with German armored cars at bottom center)!
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-4.html
Next up, Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen is defending the B3 bridge from the Brit Rangers/9KRRC and Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry battlegroups.
V/R,
Jack
Tough fight
Those armoured cars certainly put the Ozzies on the back foot
Another interesting AAR :)
Thanks guys!
V/R,
Jack
(I 'done it', again =).......Hit the preview button, instead of 'post'.)
Like I said yesterday. Nice one, Jack. :-bd
(Now hit the right button, this time !)
Cheers - Phil
A bright spot in an otherwise pretty boring day at the office... tough fight, well played!
Cheers,
Rob
No sweat, Phil ;)
And thanks guys. You've got a couple days to relax now, will post the next one Sunday evening or Monday morning.
I'm happy everyone seems to be enjoying the campaign; four fights down, six to go!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Afternoon, 11 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. The fourth fight saw Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup push back the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment after some fierce fighting. Now we return to Captain Freitag's beleaguered 1st Schutzen Battlegroup, which is defending the B3 bridgehead against attacks by two Allied battlegroups: the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and the Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jFQxjUmBl2c/XlGW8wfKH4I/AAAAAAAAxX4/wqx7-_1kUwMIcPk7NZP1kEWyTrx40VQkACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG)
And the Allied counterattack kicks off, with Kiwi armored cars leading the way, followed up by British tanks and infantry.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6ZqGOveqGo/XlGW76C9-MI/AAAAAAAAxXw/6Vtvi4iz07sFtjE1RQ-UyEBgfB0kJVr3ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1066.JPG)
The New Zealand cavalry storms ahead and secures Hill 227, in the heart of the German deployment area!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2O5Nv7AMLY/XlGXIxob0eI/AAAAAAAAxYE/oY8d1xGphnMPyA8Wolk1SlOQCRK1iSjNACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG)
The slow tanks and infantry reach the bridge, struggling to keep up.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrSF8Y7uXHg/XlGYalJU85I/AAAAAAAAxaU/_GM11tMOo5s97zHQVh3_2Nnoio9WOSvzACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG)
And then all hell breaks loose as the Stugs come in (bottom right) on the Allies' left flank and begin chewing into their bridgehead.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-5.html
And things are progressing rapidly now, so here are the next two Campaign map moves:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map_12.html
Stay tuned, Fight #6 coming up later this week!
V/R,
Jack
That turned out a bit one-sided......Boo...Hiss. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Seconded ;)
I do like your scenery Jack, has a good Greek look about it :-bd
The Commonwealth troops were pretty unlucky again....but the A10 crew's reaction was 100% in line with what they did......from what I have read the British armour in Greece lost far more vehicles to mechanical breakdown/impassible terrain/blown bridges etc than to direct enemy action.
The whole idea of committing British troops into Greece seemed like a good idea at the time but turned out to be disasterous for them in the end....
Look forwarded to the next installments.....3RTR vs the German Panzers should be....interesting.
Thirded! :P
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's been an ugly campaign for the Allies, so for all of you complaining, crack open a history book! ;D ;D ;D
"The whole idea of committing British troops into Greece seemed like a good idea at the time but turned out to be disasterous for them in the end...."
Yes, exactly. My understanding is that troops were thrown in rather haphazardly and didn't fare very well because of it, so that's how I've handled the Commonwealth troops in this campaign.
It does feel a bit like cheating when you're playing solo and you get to ambush the hell out of your 'opponent' like that...
I can tell you there will be different tactical flavors to the campaigns; for example, while these Allies are sort of slapped together and fighting haphazardly, you won't see that sort of thing from the Commonwealth in Italy and Caen. They would have gotten over the bridge, taken their time consolidating the bridgehead (augmented by the fact Shermans and Churchills are faster than A10s and Matildas, as well as trucks or half tracks for the infantry), then push ahead methodically. Probably start with a CoC dice too, for a 25-pdr stonk right off the bat.
I'm thinking when I get to Barbarossa that Soviet infantry in the defense will be pretty lethargic, while their vehicles run around like chickens with their heads cut off, while both infantry and vehicles dash straight ahead in waves on the counterattack.
I've got an order in to Leon to get me all I need for Barbarossa.
V/R,
Jack
All,
Morning, 12 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. The fourth fight saw Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup push back the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment after some fierce fighting. The fifth battle saw Captain Freitag's beleaguered 1st Schutzen Battlegroup defend the B3 bridgehead against attacks by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and the Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry, pushing the former back and destroying the latter! Now we turn to Battlegroup Wehner (1st Recce) attacking the Lee Force/Australian 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, in order to keep them from interfering in the battle further south between Lt Loeb's Panzers and the Allies' 4th Hussars.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3X3u94kpMyk/XlLc5ce4qgI/AAAAAAAAxdY/QoH5Tret_nQ3DrDlEKAEfYkgSlmSW94TgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG)
British armor (two Matilda Is and an A10 Cruiser) arrive and begin shooting up the German armored cars.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCQdspqi3TE/XlLdZsVAgWI/AAAAAAAAxek/fkpbb5ZJIY8aU0R4XQa1WlMWCbiXaoggACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG)
The German anti-tank guns get called forward, but get caught still limbered up!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBQHxpAyuuE/XlLdMLtoOZI/AAAAAAAAxeI/3NG2ikCpsjELbDmCGLZFV3j8svAAh7y7gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG)
German panzers and motorcycle troops push up the left flank.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD23f0m16oY/XlLf-ql8PNI/AAAAAAAAxhg/-znJFixPwkAAneXPlU8KY1qwSet9f7DaACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1165.JPG)
But things don't go so swell for them on the left flank.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-6.html
Next up we witness Lt Loeb's Panzer battlegroup take on the 4th Hussars.
V/R,
Jack
Another close one Jack, very enjoyable :)
A minor point the Australians in WWII used a strange numbering system
2/7 Battalion is not as you would expect the 2nd battalion of the 7th regiment
It is the second 7th battalion :-/
The 7th Battalion was raised in WWI and disbanded after the war, it was re-raised as a Militia battalion in the 1920s (as were most numbered battalions) and served during WWII
The 2/7th Battalion was raised in 1939 as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force
New Zealand solved the problem a different way, we started numbering our WWII battalions at 18 but then we can count higher than most Australians ;)
Wow, that was a tough one!
Really interesting to see how both parties were holding on by their fingernails but one still snatching a complete victory from the jaws of defeat!
Cheers,
Rob
Great stuff again, Jack ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil.
Thought that was going the allies way! Hell of a scrap mate! 8)
Thanks everyone, I appreciate it! It really was a close one, wasn't sure how that was going to shake out!
Paul - What??? The second 7th Battalion??? Man, I had no idea. Maybe I still don't ;)
V/R,
Jack
Yes really, some of our Australian members can confirm it
Paul,
Sorry man, what I mean is, I believe you, I just still don't understand. So you're saying a particular formation has two 7th Battalions in it; I don't get how that happens. I mean, there's going to be between 9 and 16 infantry battalions in a division (depending on whether it has three or four battalions per regiment, and three or four regiments). So let's go big and say the division has four regiments of four battalions, for a total of 16. So, are you saying the battalions are being referred to as in their place in the Corps?
So a Corps of two divisions would have two of everything, two 1st Battalions, two 2nd Battalions, etc..., and that's why they call it 2/7? Or are you saying a single division would have two 7th Battalions? Or something else? I'm not saying there's not a logical explanation, I just can't figure out what it is! ;)
V/R,
Jack
No Jack not quite two of everything......Its a bit of British Army/Commonwealth naming "quirkiness" I think you'll find.......
Say in 1939 you have a regular infantry battalion - call them the 2nd Battalion of the Queens Own Gindrinkers Regiment. When war comes the Army has to greatly expand so the War Office decides to use half of the men in the 2nd Battalion Queens Own Gindrinkers Regiment to form a new war raised battalion, the 2/2nd Battalion of the Queens Own Gindrinkers Regiment.
So half of the original 2nd Battalion is drafted into the the new 2/2nd Battalion and both battalions are bought up to full strength by drafting in new recruits. The 2nd and 2/2nd would not necessarily be in the same brigade, or even theatre of war.
I think thats how it works. No doubt I will be corrected if I am wrong ;D
Cheers
Peter
You should have mentioned the 2/1st to really confuse Jack ;)
What Pierre the Shy described is how the British did it.
My understanding of the Australians is that the 2/7th has no relationship to the 7th
In fact the 7th etc were pre-war Militia units, the 2/7th were volunteer units raised for overseas service :-/
So to summarise, its complicated X_X
Liverpool OTC when I was a member was 5th/8th (Kings Liverpool) Rgt of foot..That's why British Infantry units are Battalions, not Regiments. During WW1 it was slightly different, the New Army and Conscript units were "Service" btn's so my Grandfather was in the 18th Service Btn Herefords. So perhaps it's not that surprising that the ignorant Colonials could make it even more complex ! :d
IanS
Just to chuck in another factor, a number of British cavalry regiments were made by combining two regiments, but manage to keep both numbers - like the 14th/20th Hussars, or 9th/12th Lancers.
Always with the lowest number regiment first except the 16th/5th Lancers. This was because the 5th got reformed in 1858 and lost seniority. They were disbanded in 1798 after accusation of Irish sympathies.
If you want complicated colonials the current New Zealand Infantry Regiment has 5 battalions
Regular Force
1st Battalion
2/1st Battalion (formed in 1973 from the Regimental depot)
Reserve [formally Territorials] (part time soldiers) six battalions amalgamated into three in 2013
2nd/4th Battalion, from
2nd Battalion (Canterbury and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast), and
4th Battalion (Otago and Southland)
3rd/6th Battalion, from
3rd Battalion (Auckland [Countess of Ranfurly's Own] and Northland), and
6th Battalion (Hauraki)
5th/7th Battalion, from
5th Battalion (Wellington West Coast and Taranaki) and,
7th Battalion (Wellington [City of Wellington's Own], Hawkes Bay)
The 3/1st Battalion is occasionally formed as a composite battalion from the Territorial Battalions during exercises
Is it any wonder Jack makes up units ;D
For goodness' sake, what the hell is going on here??? ;)
"Is it any wonder Jack makes up units?"
Indeed!
Next fight coming up tomorrow night.
V/R,
Jack
All,
Morning, 12 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. The fourth fight saw Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup push back the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment after some fierce fighting. The fifth battle saw Captain Freitag's beleaguered 1st Schutzen Battlegroup defend the B3 bridgehead against attacks by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and the Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry, pushing the former back and destroying the latter! The sixth battle saw Battlegroup Wehner (1st Recce) attack and destroy the Lee Force/Australian 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, though they suffered so many casualties they were in then combined with the 2nd Recce battlegroup. Now we move further south to carry out a meeting engagement between Lt Loeb's Panzers and the Allies' 4th Hussars.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAS9LL5tGIM/XlLhj0zkmsI/AAAAAAAAxj4/x3r_2bf4UN4QcnqVhR6_UyAZKaod1IOewCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1190.JPG)
Panzers forward!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUyTOX7gu0Q/XlLhpAYBISI/AAAAAAAAxj8/qHNWuVGL5xM02OKtdyTEfRTNbWB6ra06QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1193.JPG)
First blood goes to a Matilda of the Hussars as Sergeant Friessler's Panzer III is hit and immobilized.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7n7oIHIPfps/XlLiI1MNoiI/AAAAAAAAxlA/TaNGY1yYvqET1s6CCzYaUMLlOPTxYsoXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1203.JPG)
Yeah, with British armor about, it was only a matter of time before the Stukas showed up...
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMlZX-KZi8g/XlLisoy7DgI/AAAAAAAAxmQ/RECGIturD08ls978n3SR3pFOM3TzF0UhACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG)
German pioneers put up a spirited defense of the village.
To see how it turned out, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-7.html
We've also got the map moves for Turns 7 and 8:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map_20.html
So next up we've got Lt Loeb's Panzer Battlegroup attacking Australia's 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.
V/R,
Jack
X_X X_X X_X
QuoteThe one thing I'll wonder about is if I didn't screw the Brits over by allowing the Pz IIIs to penetrate the Matilda Is from the front at combat range. Maybe I should have only allowed it at close range? Or not at all, only the flank at close range, as I treated the A10 Cruiser and Matilda II? I'm not a treadhead, so I'd love to hear you guys' opinion on the matter.
Matilda I frontal armour is 60mm, A10 Cruiser 30mm, Matilda II 78mm The PzIIIs are probably 30mm assuming they are at least Ausf D
So the Matilda I were hard done by but you were probably a bit kind the the A10 Cruiser :-\
The British armour was pretty heavily out numbered as well...
I'll have to come back and give it a proper read later.*
But still......Nice one, Jack !
Cheers - Phil
*I'm feeling rather poop, at the mo'.....Nothing to do with covid. My hernia's has been being a barsteward for the past 24 hours, and I'm feeling particularly battered.
Hope it starts behaving a bit better soon Phil
Phil - does any bit of you work properly ?
Good report, agree with Steve, 'tildas were beasts.
First, thanks everyone! The campaign has been a lot of fun and I hope everyone is enjoying it.
Paul - Yeah, I was pretty comfortable with how I handled the Matilda II, looks like I should have handled the Matilda Is in much the same way...
I expected a rougher fight for the Germans, but them getting a CoC dice right off the bat and calling in the Stukas really put a dent in the Brits ability to get anything going (A10 knocked out and Matilda II immobilized).
Hope you get to feeling better, Phil!
V/R,
Jack
Slowly getting there. =)
Cheers - Phil
All,
Morning, 13 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. The fourth fight saw Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup push back the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment after some fierce fighting. The fifth battle saw Captain Freitag's beleaguered 1st Schutzen Battlegroup defend the B3 bridgehead against attacks by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and the Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry, pushing the former back and destroying the latter! The sixth battle saw Battlegroup Wehner (1st Recce) attack and destroy the Lee Force/Australian 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, though they suffered so many casualties they were in then combined with the 2nd Recce battlegroup. The seventh fight saw Lt Loeb's Panzers absolutely shellack the Allies' 4th Hussars, seeing the final defeat of Allied armored reserves, opening the road to the campaign objective of Servia, and unhinging the Allied defensive line. For the next fight we are back with Lt Loeb's panzers, looking to complete the destruction of the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment as they attempt to escape the German encirclement.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vrHMZiV3lo/XmWUz8ZTcfI/AAAAAAAAxpA/iFSuchF3lXMnH05enNbxJm0oi0WRbqpnACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1254.JPG)
The Aussies are on the run, with their heavy weapons deploying to cover them.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LBXRoV8FWKM/XmWUtyLtULI/AAAAAAAAxo4/QUD0VqlORb4-LStD7rW1DHzouzxxJ_2zgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1253.JPG)
And the Germans pursue aggressively! The Australians are off camera to far right, and their exit point is the hilltop at top right.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wCUqz34rTU/XmWU8lo3MRI/AAAAAAAAxpM/oEj8B5a9kKob3DXRZuZQF7pKffRfvJFEACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1257.JPG)
Colonel Klink wades in, directing traffic at the intersection under heavy fire.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mq5UMi-5bQg/XmWVbvyb1xI/AAAAAAAAxqA/v7uYL1Xpd9kWoK_cIdPXmffIFTxgQVErwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1266.JPG)
Advancing panzers are engaged by a lone 2-pdr ATG.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-8.html
Next up we witness Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen battlegroup again defend against a Commonwealth attack, this time by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps conducting a spoiling attack in an attempt to buy their comrades more time to withdraw from the German encirclement.
V/R,
Jack
Quote from: Techno on 21 April 2020, 06:34:33 AM
*I'm feeling rather poop, at the mo'.....Nothing to do with covid. My hernia's has been being a barsteward for the past 24 hours, and I'm feeling particularly battered.
I got a mesh implant for my hernia some years ago now.
It worked beautifully.
Fab report Jack
Great stuff Jack :-bd
I hope the Aussie AT Gun #1 crew was decorated after the war, they put up one heck of a performance.....who said 2pdr AT guns were no good ;)
And the Wellington company gets to fight the Panzers......that should be an....interesting.....scrap.
Thanks Jack, another great read and very appropriate for ANZAC morning
Excellent report, Jack ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Thanks everyone, glad you liked it!
Another Allied defeat, but I felt like the Aussies put up a pretty spirited fight, much better than I was expecting, given the situation, and the fight was a lot of fun.
Yeah, Wellington Force has definitely got it's work cut out for it...
Two more fights to go.
V/R,
Jack
Another lovely AAR Jack 8).
@ Phil. Hope the hernia is behaving itself. I too had a mesh implant, but somedays still very sore by days end, but still better than a hernia.
It is at the mo', Steve, (and Jim).....I've at last figured how to put on this piece of medieval torture kit to keep it place.
Looking at it logically, there's not really an ice cream in Hell's chance of having it fixed, unless it goes completely ape poo and I have to have an emergency operation.
Do I want to go anywhere near a hospital, at the mo' ?.....I think not !
Final word before I hi-jack Jack's thread. (Which I don't want to do).
Interesting how you've both had the mesh implant. I was put right off having that done, due to seeing a report on the tele....If it goes wrong.... X_X X_X X_X
Cheers - (That's enough hernia talk on this thread. ;) - Phil
Thanks, Steve, and hope all is well, Phil!!
V/R,
Jack
All,
Morning, 13 April 1941
Here we are, continuing Kampfgruppe Klink's campaign in Greece. The first battle saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup take a key mountain crossroads manned by members of the British Royal Engineers supported by Armored Cavalry from New Zealand. The fight saw the Germans infantry nearly eliminate the Commonwealth battlegroup, which fell back in disarray. Captain Freitag pressed his advantage, immediately pursuing south down, where it ran into defensive positions manned by the remnants of the New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion. 1st Schutzen then evicted the NZ 21st Inf Bn from its positions, forcing them to fall back. The third fight saw 1st Lt Ginter's 2nd Schutzen moving secure a crossing over the D3 bridge, forcing the 27th MG Battalion back. The fourth fight saw Major Bohm's 2nd Recce Battlegroup push back the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment after some fierce fighting. The fifth battle saw Captain Freitag's beleaguered 1st Schutzen Battlegroup defend the B3 bridgehead against attacks by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and the Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry, pushing the former back and destroying the latter! The sixth battle saw Battlegroup Wehner (1st Recce) attack and destroy the Lee Force/Australian 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, though they suffered so many casualties they were in then combined with the 2nd Recce battlegroup. The seventh fight saw Lt Loeb's Panzers absolutely shellack the Allies' 4th Hussars, seeing the final defeat of Allied armored reserves, opening the road to the campaign objective of Servia, and unhinging the Allied defensive line. The eighth fight saw Col Klink lead the Panzer Battlegroup in a hard-fought victory that saw the Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment destroyed. Now we see Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup attempting to fend off a spoiling attack by the British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps, in an attempt to buy their comrades more time to withdraw from the German encirclement.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGF_IMZbkFo/XmWaTKfny5I/AAAAAAAAxvg/TxZGZhaRzV4_fbTZ98Rn49hL79ia9zdmACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1367.JPG)
The British are on the attack but the entrenched Germans are roughing them up before they even get off their start line.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbmYvCnD7l0/XmWag3uN5ZI/AAAAAAAAxv8/HinwQVir8BoF1lFrFEvj6m-bAzjBebcyACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1372.JPG)
The Allied armor decides it's time to do something about all these pesky Germans!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3Gve9oa0qI/XmWasPQ2QOI/AAAAAAAAxwc/60xrU1WOEsUxcKRmZH9OCEnV_dEYL7eSACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG)
But things take a turn for the worse when the German Stugs come rolling up.
To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-9.html
Next up we witness Colonel Klink leading the Panzer Battlegroup in an attack on the lightly armed Wellington Force, a hodge-podge of cooks, bakers, and candlestick makers hastily thrown together. A victory here for the Germans will likely see the Wellington Force destroyed and the gate shut behind the retreating Commonwealth forces.
V/R,
Jack
X_X X_X X_X
The only faint bright point is there are only Kiwis left on the map ;)
Go the Wellingtons
Boo....Hiss....
I think the Kiwis should be given a crack shot sniper and take this Klink chappie out of the equation. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Either that or let Charlie Upham at them ;)
Poor show by the allies. If you tried a game of the Greeks had been fighting the Italians, that would show these bully boy Germans they wouldn't have stood a chance...
Yeah, I'm sorry guys, I didn't even want to post this fight, nothing (except the poor German mortar accuracy early on) went the Allies' way, and it just wasn't even close...
Paul cracks me up though, silver linings and such ;)
One more fight to go.
V/R,
Jack
Don't forget the sniper ! ;)
Cheers - Phil
I can't promise that Phil ;)
V/R,
Jack
All,
Well, we made it, the last fight of KG Klink's campaign in Greece!
The ninth fight saw Captain Freitag's 1st Schutzen Battlegroup absolutely bludgeon the weakened British Rangers/9th King's Royal Rifle Corps as they attempted a spoiling attack to buy their retreating comrades time to escape the German encirclement. It didn't work, and now we find Colonel Klink leading an assault by the Panzer Battlegroup on the lightly armed Wellington Force. A victory here for the Germans will likely see the Wellington Force destroyed and the gate shut behind the retreating Commonwealth forces.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Augr7E-mFpY/XmWdfgtz2kI/AAAAAAAAxyI/P08z2_u0NWQCJATBZwykJkRlJeTbFh5CQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1314.JPG)
The Germans advance aggressively, so aggressively that they allow their Engineer Platoon, still mounted in their trucks, to be ambushed by Kiwis dug in on Hill 312!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNKzZM5lER0/XmWd076U2ZI/AAAAAAAAxyw/oXeH1emsMSkoBgHctE8ipyKhCIYiVHkMQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1321.JPG)
And those damned Allied 2-pdrs are on the scene, again!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qRVptZYTCU/XmWeFX_xu0I/AAAAAAAAxzE/XS-Fc7POrjU9sUuFRig3RAXOW4UrLiEkACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1327.JPG)
As absolutely all hell breaks loose on Hill 421!
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtAlPKIX8U8/XmWfLqt1YNI/AAAAAAAAx1o/7SA1S-O0RsctYBBcLqCdup_Wgbscm5NiACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1350.JPG)
The Germans ultimately come out on top, but the ragtag, lightly armed Wellington Force sure put up a helluva fight!
To see the whole thing, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-in-greece-fight-10.html
For a post-mortem on the campaign, to include stats, thoughts on the map system and rules, and what's coming up next (hint: the largest invasion of the history of humankind), please take a gander here:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-mini-campaign-in-greece-map_30.html
If you're interested in seeing what KG Klink looked like at the end of Greece, check here:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-oob-greece-1941.html
If you're interested in the changes to KG Klink, what's it's going to look like and how it will be formed up, please take a look here:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-oob-for-operation-barbarossa.html
and:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/04/kg-klink-battlegroups-for-barbarossa.html
I thank everyone that made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it as much I did, and we'll be coming back to KG Klink as soon as I can get some stuff painted up and some stuff re-based. In the meantime, we'll be heading over to my Cuba Libre blog for a massive, 30-fight campaign in the fictional African country of South Leon.
V/R,
Jack
Well done Jack! 8)
:-bd =D> :-bd
I wonder what would have happened if the Welligtons had defended the village rather than charging up the hill :-\
Thanks for an interesting campaign Jack =D>
Thanks, Lemmey!
My pleasure, Paul! Hmmm... My opinion is that if they'd simply have stood fast and defended the village the Germans would have by-passed them to take out the heavy weapons, then pounded them with impunity from afar. Me, I wonder what would have happened if that assault on the hill had worked!
V/R,
Jack
Good point ;)
Nice one, Jack !
Couldn't find any mention of the sniper.....I must have missed that bit. :D
Cheers - Phil.
Paul - I get one every now and again! ;)
Phil - I'm sure he was in there somewhere, keep looking! ;)
V/R,
Jack
Thanks for sharing your campaign Jack, very entertaining as always :)
look forward to seeing what happens in Russia.....
Thanks, Pierre, I greatly appreciate the support!
I'm painting and basing as fast as I can; every day we grow closer to Barbarossa!
V/R,
Jack
Good stuff, as always.
Drang nach Osten! :)
Quote from: bigjackmac on 05 May 2020, 11:06:48 PM
Thanks, Pierre, I greatly appreciate the support!
I'm painting and basing as fast as I can; every day we grow closer to Barbarossa!
Hope your Russian force has a couple of KV-2's in it, they would make life challenging for Col Klink and friends early in the 1941 campaign.
I haven't forgotten those 1/600th planes I got off you by the way Jack.....slowly working on a campaign that they will appear in ;)
Quote from: pierre the shy on 06 May 2020, 01:57:54 AM
Hope your Russian force has a couple of KV-2's in it, they would make life challenging for Col Klink and friends early in the 1941 campaign.
LOL More of a challenge for the Russians if your rules model them properly. Slow, cumbersome, top heavy and prone to breakdown. The later SU-152 is a whole other matter.
I'd expect Colonel Klink to have a little more trouble than he did in Greece, but not much .... initially.
But .... Russia is vast, General Winter is cruel, the Rasputitsa sucks the life out of any offensive and eventually the Soviets will be able to mass the "Gods of War" at a rate of 200-250 tubes per kilometre of the front.
Vpered! Na Zapad! :)
Perhaps Klink will be lucky and get sent to North Africa or Normandy.
Remember 1 KV-2 STOPPED 7th Panzer for 2 days :-*
Quote from: ianrs54 on 06 May 2020, 03:11:03 PM
Remember 1 KV-2 STOPPED 7th Panzer for 2 days :-*
Which does at times show that the Germans forgot what they should have been doing with Blitzkrieg, and rather got stuck into a frontal attack.
In 1941 a KV-2 is a monster the Germans have very few solutions too.
Far more KV-2s just stopped (due to breakdown or lack of fuel) than stopped any Germans :)
There's a reason they built over 5,000 KV-1's but only around 300 KV-2's
Thanks guys, and yes, getting closer to being ready for the Eastern Front. I suspect things will get more difficult for KG Klink, though I do not have any KV-2s, just a couple KV-1s and a company of T-34s, a company of T-26s, and a platoon each of BT-5s, T-60s, and Ba-10 armored cars. It will have to do ;)
And I'm looking forward to your campaign with the aircraft, Pierre, hurry up! ;)
V/R,
Jack