DAR: GE Long campaign - small core

[Brian61]

KG Krafft, 23 May, 1941 - Afrika Korps

Reorganization: At the end of Operation 25, with the exception of KG Krafft, most of 5th Panzer division needed a full refit. KG Krafft had recieved the latest supplies and had repair priority due to its role in the final pursuit operations. At the same time, 10th Panzer regiment, which was to form the armored core of the 15th Panzer division, was critically short on equipment. Since 15th Panzer was being deployed to Afrika and KG Krafft was already near a port in Greece, KG Krafft was transferred lock, stock, and barrel to the 10th Panzer regiment/15th Panzer division and embarked for Libya. No rolling stock was replaced at this time except for destroyed units, although ammo loads were brought up to current standards.

Situation: no sooner had KG Krafft disembarked than Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel ordered the unit into action in the western desert. The area of battle is mostly flat hardpack with a few small hills in the center and some scattered grassy areas.

Orders: Search and destroy, possession of battlefield at the end of battle is highly desireable. An antitank group is attached to the kampfgruppe for the duration of the action, the group is comprised of a pair of towed 88mm FlaK36 guns, a platoon of towed 5cm PaK38 guns, and a security detail comprised of one kradschutzen platoon. One of the division's 10.5cm batteries is covering the area and will provide artillery support. [Meeting engagment, visibility 68, length 28, standard victory hexes, map size 80x80]

Battle plan: Sword and shield. The sword group will consist of platoons E, F, and G together with the command panzers. Platoon D and the security element will be held in reserve. All other units will form the shield group. The shield group will deploy in the northwest, platoon H will advance to behind the first hill, the 5cm PaK38 platoon will deploy in a covering position, and the 88mm FlaK36 and sIG Ib sections will deploy in position to cover the 5cm Pak38 platoon. The kradschutzen security detail will deploy in front of the 5cm PaK38s and the KG's recon element will deploy in front of the FlaK36. These deployments will allow smoke to be laid as necessary to cover movement of the guns as well as screen the guns from light infantry. The sword group will advance across a broad front in line until contact, the panzers of the sword group will engage armored cars, soft vehicles, and infantry as encountered but will retreat in the face of enemy armor in an attempt to draw them under the range of the shield group.

Execution: The battle begins in the center and south with British scout cars exploding under the guns of the KG's PzIIIe's. In the north, massed long range fire from a platoon of A13 Mk I's damage panzer E3, E3 pops smoke and platoon E makes a controlled withdrawal to the west. Minutes later, panzer G3 is lost with all hands under massed fire from a platoon of A10's in the south. Panzer E2 is lost with all hands as the A13 Mk I's advance in the north. A bit later, in the center, panzer F1 brews up but the crew escapes. It isn't all one sided though, twenty armored cars and five tanks have been lost by the British.

Long range sniping by JPz I's claim three victims as G platoon circles at high speed west and north to rejoin the main group. Platoon E, having retreated behind the 5cm PaK38's, turns south. Two enemy tanks fall to PaK38 fire as they chase platoon E. Platoon F, covered by smoke and burning wrecks, takes possession of the northern objective area. British artillery fire continues to fall but thus far has posed no great problem. Panzer F3 is immobilized by fire from an A10, return fire from platoon F destroys the attacking tank.

Just past the one hour mark, British infantry are advancing in the north and have moved into positions on the hill southeast of the northern objective area. Platoon F attacks before they have time to settle in and routs the first wave. Artillery is called in to slow down any reinforcements. The remaining enemy tanks are advancing northwest from the center, platoons E and G are forming up to attempt to draw them closer. Platoon H continues long range sniping, claiming two more A10s. One of the 88mm FlaK36 guns opens up knocking out an A10 at long range.

At the halfway point in the battle, having thinned out the enemy ranks, KG Krafft kicks off its counter-attack. Platoon D is released from the reserve to assist in driving off enemy infantry in the north. The 88mm FlaK36 guns are being relocated just in case they are required. Division artillery continues to fall east of the northern objective area.

Four more A10 tanks are knocked out over the next few minutes, three by JPz I fire, and one by PzIIIg fire. Platoon E, with the assistance of the command element, assaults the central objective, while the KG's security platoon with help from platoon G assaults the southern objective. Two hours in, the battle is over.

Decisive victory, KG Krafft, onward to Tobruk!

Game notes: the sword and shield, a real world war II german combined arms tactic, is a bit difficult to use against the AI, at least at this scale. The AT guns only accounted for a few kills, most enemy tanks were destroyed by JPz I fire.

Last turn attached, thanks for reading