KG Krafft, 24 November, 1941 - Afrika Korps
Resupply: Only ammo and fuel stocks provided, no replacements.
Situation: Sandy desert region near Sidi Rezegh with a large central plateau and three smaller plateaus to the northwest, east, and south respectively. The area has many sand dunes and rocky outcroppings as well as numerous hardpack 'paths'. The rearguard of the remnants of British forces surviving Operation Crusader is gaurding the eastern portion of the area. [Advance special mission, visibility 62, length 41, scattered victory hexes, map size 100x100].
Orders: Rommel, wanting to exploit the halt of Crusader, orders a counterattack into the British rear areas with the intention of exploiting the disorganisation and confusion in the enemy's bases and cutting their supply lines. KG Krafft is to breakthrough the British reargaurd in this area and drive onward to Egypt. Twelve of the panzergrenadier company's trucks are required to haul additional fuel and ammo for the exploitation maneuver, the troops will have to ride atop the panzers. Support is adhoc and extremely limited, the only artillery support available is a captured 25pdr battery and Luftwaffe is only able to provide a single observation plane.
Battle Plan: Basically a carbon copy of the Italian detachment's battle plan from the previous battle; KG Krafft will take possession of the northern half of the central plateau and will then drive south eliminating opposition and securing the area.
Execution: In the first half hour, KG Krafft advanced under cover of smoke from the captured 25pdr battery and the two 81mm SPMs. Scouts spotted two ATR teams just past the rim of the plateau which were quickly eliminated. The first panzers to gain the plateau were fired upon by a pair of 2pdr ATGs at long range from the south. The panzers returned fire with 5cm HE rounds, destroying both ATGs. Aerial recon spotted a Crusader tank hull down on the southeast slope of the central plateau and was fired upon by an Valentine III but could not get a fix on its position.
British artillery, a 25pdr troop and a 3in mortar, fell near the rear of the advancing column knocking the track off one of the 81mm SPMs but otherwise inflicted no damage. The lead panzer III came under long range fire from another 2pdr ATG and a Crusader but suffered no damage. Return fire from the panzers suppressed the ATG but did not destroy it. Scouts spotted another tank, an A9, directly east of KG Krafft's 'bridgehead'.
The next pass of the Storch overhead spotted the Valentine III south of the plateau and a Honey tank just off the plateau southwest of the Crusaders, also another ATG was spotted near the three others. Scouts spotted two more A9's east of KG Krafft's position, an SdKfz 10/5 was able to get a long range firing position on one and destroyed it. The panzers destroyed one Crusader and another ATG, leaving one ATG suppressed. Infantry engaged a British infantry squad and a FOO team just southeast of the panzers, routing the FOO team and suppressing the infantry squad.
The 2pdr ATG crew recovered enough to fire upon and destroy a Pz II but did not survive long as 5cm HE shells finally struck home. Enemy infantry in platoon strength was spotted and engaged southeast of KG Krafft's position while a 3.7cm PaK and SdKfz 10/5 tag teamed an A9 tank until the smoke poured out. At this point, roughly 45 minutes into the battle, KG Krafft is attempting to expand its foothold on the plateau before enemy artillery becomes a factor.
A previously unspotted 2pdr ATG opened up at long range and when the Storch circled the area in an attempt to find it, AAMG fire from a Honey tank shot down the Storch. The smoke finally clears enough that a 3.7cm PaK is able to fire upon and destroy the last A9 in the northern troop. A 2pdr ATG and nearby 40mm AAA position brought temporary panic to panzer platoon F on the northern flank of KG Krafft but 3.7cm PaKs and SdKfz 10/5's used their HE ammo to suppress the ATG and destroy the AAA. On the south flank, panzers and panzergrenadiers combined fire to rout the enemy infantry and make a rapid advance. The relaxing of the foothold position came just in time as the first 25pdr shells began falling on an area that minutes ago was packed with troops and equipment.
Despite another hidden pair of ATGs and four Vickers HMGs, the end of the first hour of battle finds KG Krafft in good position, well on its way to securing the northern portion of the central plateau. In the north another 40mm AAA is spotted after it opens fire on a Pz II, and while one ATG in the south is spotted and destroyed, another remains unspotted. While the 3in mortar is knocked out by direct fire, the British 25pdr troop continues to blindly bombard what was earlier the center of KG Krafft's plateau foothold. It is evident that without scouts and FOO the battery doesn't know where the soft vehicles went to ground.
The hunt continues for the hidden ATG in the south, while an unspotted Crusader in the southeast fires upon and damages a panzer of platoon F, forcing it to retire to a safer position. An advancing panzergrenadier squad comes under heavy fire from a previously hidden British platoon on the eastern portion of the central plateau. The panzers of platoon G, firing in support of the panzergrenadiers, quickly routs the enemy infantry with some assistance from the panzergrenadier company's MG34s.
Indirect fire from the captured 25pdr troop and the panzergrenadier company's SPMs continue to fire upon possible enemy positions in the path of KG Krafft's advance although no immediate affect is observed. The hidden ATG and Crusader are both spotted as they catch a panzer of platoon G in a crossfire that stops just short of being deadly. Still the targeted panzer is badly damaged and rendered combat ineffective.
Long range MG fire from platoon E destroys the ATG and together with platoon G, catch the Crusader in their own crossfire, quickly dispatching it. Additional previously unspotted enemy infantry squads open fire in the south and southeast, revising estimates upwards to company strength for the southeast force. Although advance panzergrenadier units suffer some casualties, supporting fire from the panzers soon rout the enemy units.
One and a half hours into the battle finds KG Krafft in effective control of the central plateau with the last serious obstacle in the far north, an ATG, destroyed almost as soon as it opened fire on a light panzer of platoon D. Attention now turns to the two undisturbed tank troops in the south, a troop of Valentine IIIs to the southwest and a troop of Honey's to the southeast. At least one Crusader remains just off the edge of the plateau to the northeast of the Honey troop.
Before KG Krafft could launch its attack in the south, the British launched a full scale counterattack including two troops of previously unspotted cruiser tanks along with infantry that evidently been stationed just off the southern rim of the plateau. The first tanks to reach the plateau recieved harsh treatment from the awaiting panzers, three Honey tanks and a Crusader went up in smoke within minutes of cresting the rim.
The first troop of cruiser tanks, A9's, never made it off the southern plateau as long range 5cm fire from the panzers penetrated their thin armor even at that distance. The second group, A13 Mk IIs, approached using the valley between the southern and southeastern plateaus but still lost one tank to long range panzer fire. The infantry counterattack was repulsed across the rim, suffering heavy casualties from awaiting panzergrenadiers. Artillery compounded the problem for the infantry counterattack as it fell upon their approach routes.
A creshendo of 5cm shells turned the first Valentine III to crest the rim into a blazing wreck in short order. The second Valentine took a full volley from all the panzers of platoon E but finally it also brewed up. The remaining to A13 Mk IIs were destroyed by panzer fire from platoon G before they could complete their crossing of the valley. A third Valentine III survived a full volley from platoon E but had a track shot off. SdKfz 10/5 PaK5's maneuvered into positions for long range flanking shots on a fourth Valentine III but no effect was observed from their opening shots.
An ill-timed barrage of 25pdr shells fell around the 3.7cm ATG positions just as their transport arrived to move them. Fortunately the trucks were undamaged and even the gun that took a direct hit was able to be moved out of the danger zone. The immobilized Valentine III survived multiple hits athough it did take some additional damage. An adjoining Valentine III exploded when a lucky shot from Obrltnt Reichmann's Pz IIIg penetrated the turret and set off the ammo.
To the east, the security platoon and recon halftracks arrived in time to assist the panzergrenadiers there in repulsing a weak but still dangerous infantry attack. The MG34's of the panzergrenadier company's heavy weapons section continued to seriously impede any progress for the infantry accompanying the Valentine IIIs. Between artillery fire and continuous hits by 5cm guns, the crew of the immobilized Valentine III decided they had enough for one day and abandoned the vehicle.
Panzer platoon G, while skirting the edge of the plateau just over the rim, came under fire from one or more hidden ATGs. The trailing panzer of platoon G began to retreat onto the plateau when the ATG fired again and this time the lead panzer spotted it. Platoon G opened up with machinegun fire and suppressed the ATG negating the need for a withdrawal. Elsewhere on the plateau, a lone ATR team destroys a damaged SdKfz 10/5 from extreme range before being eliminated.
Two and a half hours after the start of the battle KG Krafft is poised to take the final southern objectives and British forces have been largely eliminated, what few remain are in rout and fleeing the area. Less than twenty minutes later, the area is declared secure.
Decisive victory, KG Krafft. Onward to Egypt!
Last turn file attached, thanks for reading
