KG Krafft, 23 October, 1941 - Afrika Korps
Refit and resupply: KG Krafft is brought back up to full strength but no major changes to equipment are made. Oberstlt Krafft expresses concerns that the h model panzers lack smoke dischargers but to no avail.
Situation: British armor is advancing against Italian positions near Bardia. The Italian forces are in the midst of redeployment, the infantry defending the area have been largely withdrawn and only advance recon elements of the Ariete Armoured Division have arrived to replace them. KG Krafft is ordered into the breech to hold the positions until relieved by the main body of the Ariete division. The area is largely flat and open hardpack with a few grassy strips and scattered minor hills and rocky outcroppings. [Delay mission, visibility 37, length 46, scattered victory hexes, map size 100x100]
Orders: Hold this vital position until relieved. Italian infantry has been largely withdrawn but one MG company remains along with a pair of improvised ATGs of dubious quality. Advance elements of Ariete division are limited to a section of motorcyclists, a section of armored cars and a section of self propelled AAA. The only artillery support available is a 75mm battery from the infantry division that was fortunately late in redeploying. No Luftwaffe assets are available.
Battle Plan: The Italians had already been deployed when KG Krafft arrived, although they chose the most favorable terrain, the positions were rather obvious ones. After consideration, and in view of the language problems, Oberstlt Krafft decided to leave them as they were and deployed his panzergrenadier company into a wide gap between two hills which at least offered some favorable terrain for its heavy weapons. Platoons D and H, together with the kampfgruppe's recon element will operate in the north presumbably in support of the Italian MG positions there but using the hills as cover to await ambush opportunities against heavy tanks. Platoon G and the KG's security element will be held in reserve while Platoons E and F, together with the motorcycle scouts of the panzergrenadier company, will perform a reconnaisence in strength from their central positions.
Execution: British artillery began the day with a massive barrage from 32 25-pounder guns, which, amazingly enough, had no affect on anyone except for the supply sergeant who began to drool, evidently thinking of all that ammo. What followed though, was no laughing matter, Obrgfrtr Schumacher in the E3 panzer spotted over 100 vehicles in the first wave of the British advance, fully half of which were cruiser tanks. Following standard operating procedure, the panzers opened fire with HE targeting soft vehicles in the column, over a dozen were destroyed or rendered inoperable. In return, Obrltnt Reichmann's panzer took multiple hits from 2pdr ATGs which knocked out the BMG and killed the gunner. Fortunately his panzer is an f model and was able to pop smoke.
When reports of a possible flanking force to the far south come in, Oberstlt Krafft orders the reserve panzer platoon to follow him and the panzer company commander as they head south to cover any possible breakthrough on the panzergrenadier company's south flank. In the center, the smoking ruins of British vehicles lay seemingly everywhere but they keep coming and the panzers keep falling back.
The advance continues, cruiser tanks, armored cars, and carriers explode by the dozens, machinegun fire rakes across the field and trucks burn. Still the British keep coming, finally in range of the ATGs which take their toll, the reserve panzers sweep in to the south and add to the carnage. Even when the light panzers knife into the north flank with 20mm autocannon fire, they keep coming.
An artillery regiment unleashes a rain of 25 pound shells, Hurricanes and Tomahawks strafe and drop bombs, Fldwbl Christmann and crew is forced to abandon their panzer and an Italian infantry squad runs for cover but KG Krafft does not break. The British advance slows to a trickle and then seems to stop, even reverse. A lone Valentine III blunders out of the smoke and wreckage only to be sent running by dozens of 5cm rounds bouncing off its thick hide.
Airstrikes badly damage another panzer but at a high cost with FlaK Vierling fire shooting down one of the planes and badly damaging another. A blinded Valentine III is destroyed by panzergrenadiers as they search through the smoking wreckage for hidden dangers. Small infantry forays by the British are repulsed with heavy losses. Airstrikes continued, claiming one scout vehicle at the cost of another plane shot down. Heavy artillery bombardment forced abandonment of two ATGs, fortunately there is little current need for them.
For the next hour, panzergrenadiers lead panzers through the smoke and wreckage routing out any latecomers and taking possession of numerous abandoned vehicles. British artillery continued ineffectively pounding away but the day was lost to them. At the two and a half hour point, the remaining British forces withdrew.
Decisive Victory, KG Krafft!
Last turn file attached, thanks for reading
