DAR: Germany 25 Missions

[Pat58]

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the war in the east, the German Army has been significantly expanded. Panzergruppe 2 under Generaloberst Guderian has 3 PanzerKorps available at the start of the campaign. With fluid operations expected in the area, gaps between formations will inevitably be created. These will serve as opportunities for the enemy to penetrate into rear areas. Consequently, two kampfgruppen will be formed to operate between the PanzerKorps. KG Schumacher will operate in the area between XXIV and XLVII PanzerKorps. Each of these units have contributed an infantry company to KG Schumacher, with the panzergruppe filling out the formation with core combat support units.

A0- LTC Schumacher
Forward Observer- Lt Schmidt
Utility Vehicle group (2 Kfz 15 command cars)
1st Infantry Company- Cpt Hauser
2nd Infantry Company- Cpt Kammler
StuG Battery 224 (7 Sturmgeschutzen III-E) – Maj Tellner
Pionier Platoon- Lt. Langer
Mortar Company- Lt Krohner
2 scout sections
Opel Truck Transport Company- Cpt Mayerling
Munitions Supply Section (2 munitions trucks nicknamed “Annie” and “Hilde” short for Brunhilde)- Lt Hoedel

Core 1618 points

At the completion of each battle (set to 25), the Operations staff will assess the performance of KG Schumacher. The staff is aware that the KG is lacking in several areas. First, no part of the KG has the advantage of previous combat experience. The assault guns carry a modest loadout of 6 armor piercing and 11 HEAT rounds. So re-supply in the event of significant enemy armor will be an ongoing issue. There are no other tracked vehicles in the KG, so moving the infantry or support teams with a degree of safety will be a challenging proposition. Scout units will mostly be on foot, so reconnaissance will take time. Nevertheless, the staff does not expect KG Schumacher to be forced into overly-difficult situations as the 3 korps of PanzerGruppe 2 will have eliminated the most difficult resistance.

Note- unfortunately my graphics card won’t let me do screen shots so I will have to post saves so you can see the terrain.

June, 1941 near Minsk
Meeting Engagement
Visibility 88
Length 44
Map 80x80

Support
The Luftwaffe has 2 Me110D-2 missions on standby

Situation:
Objective areas in sector are scattered with 7 under our control, 8 uncontrolled, 5 enemy controlled.
Terrain is generally height 10-12 with 2 dirt roads. One in the north is running east-west and is the primary avenue of approach in the sector, with a western and central village. A second northwest-southeast road provides some degree of lateral movement across the middle of the sector. A single rail line bisects the area running north-south, with a village on the southern portion of the rail line. There is no significant water obstacle in the area.
A farmed area 400x500 meters is in the north. There are two wooded areas that dominate our area. The southern woods is not expected to play a significant part in operations. In the center of what is expected to be the battle area, the terrain in checkerboard terms is generally this:
C= clear F= farm W= woods Bold where formation is located

WCF
CWW 1st Company with pioneers in support
WWC StuGs and mortars in the PKZ (primary kill zone)
CWC 2nd Company

Artillery Target Reference Point set at far side of the PKZ. The forward observer is watching the PKZ and is with A0.
Scouts are deployed in the far north and south to detect enemy movement.
Service Support- Opels are in the woods behind the StuG battery and 1st Company.
Annie and Hilde in the woods behind 1st Company
Command- Schumacher is with the StuG battery

Main battle is expected in the PKZ where StuGs are located. 1st Company will absorb initial impact of any strike along the east-west road, and use pioneers as tank hunter-killers in the northern woods.
2nd Company will deal with enemy in their area.
Once the enemy attacks are beaten off, the KG will strike east to take all objective areas.

Details of the battle

Turns 1-4 no combat but the enemy is reported approaching

Turn 5-
North: 2 BT2s at 20+mph moving west on the northern road.
Center: 4 BA-10 scout cars appear in the PKZ. StuG 201 brews up a BA-10 @ 500m.
South: Scouts identify 2 T-26 tanks skirting the woodline of southern woods.
AIT (AI turn)- Smoke missions scattered in the area. StuG 101 lights up a BA-10@ 650m in PKZ

Turn 6-
A0 calls for a StuG platoon to reinforce 1st Company. Major Tellner sends 3rd platoon north through the woods.

Turn 8-
StuG 001 (Maj Tellner) torches 2 BT-7s at 650m in the PKZ.
StuG 302 kills a BT-7 @ 200m in the PKZ
StuG 101 sends the turret flying off a BT-7 at 650m in the PKZ.

Turn 9-
StuG 301 in the northern woods dispatches a BT-2 @ 300m
AIT- A BT-7 is killed by a StuG in the PKZ.
StuG 201 fires up a BT-7 @ 850m in the PKZ.

Turn 10-
Enemy units eliminated in the PKZ: 6 BA-10s, 6 BT-tanks destroyed, 1 BT tank abandoned. Corporal Hollmichel’s squad from 3rd Plt 1st Company on the woodline of the PKZ is credited with 4 vehicle/crew kills to this point.

Turn 11-
SPOTREP from northern scouts: 6 T-26 and 4 infantry squads approaching 1st Company at moderate speed.
StuG 301 eliminates a T-26@500m

Turn 12-
StuG 302 rips apart a BT7 on the north road @ 150m
StuG 001 dispatches a BT-7 @ 300m to the south.

Turn 14-
StuG 301 eliminates a T-26 @ 500m in the north.
The Luftwaffe is called in but one aircraft flies straight into the teeth of Soviet air defense and downed by 37mm fire. North scouts now identify 11 rifle squads and 4 T-26 tanks headed for 1st Company.

Turn 15-
StuG 301 flames a T-26 @ 500m in the northern zone. Another attempt to attack a T-26 fails as return fire smashes the StuG, knocking out all weapons.
In the southern area, a squad from 3rd Platoon, 2nd Infantry knocks out a T-26 with hand grenades.
AIT- A T-26 succumbs to StuG 302 @ 100m in the north. Again, 3rd Platoon of 2nd Company knocks out a T-26.

Turn 16-
StuG 001 kills a T-26 @500m just outside the PKZ.

Turn 17-
StuG repeats the performance of the previous turn, bagging another T-26

Turn 18-
21 Russian infantry squads and 5 tanks are pressing down hard on 1st Company which has been split apart. A 200 meter gap has most of 1st and 2nd platoons with the pioneer platoon north of the road while the 3rd platoon and the Co HQ with a couple squads cling to the south. The StuG battery with 4 vehicles along with 2 squads from 3rd platoon 1st Company work to drive off 4 Russian squads that are on the southernmost portion of their assault line.
AIT- The forward observer is killed in the northern woods by enemy rifle fire.

Turn 20-
A pionier kills a T-26 in the northern woods.
AIT- 2 squads from 1st Company perish in the northern woods.

A0 issues FRAGO 1 (Fragmentary Order #1)

KG will counterattack enemy in northern woods.
1st Company- establish blocking position west, but south of main road.
2nd Company- advance to CKZ and prepare for transport to woodline western edge of northern woods. Upon arrival, dismount and attack west on command.
StuG Company. Clear enemy from area vicinity of western woodline in preparation of 2nd Company’s arrival.. Then support attack of 2nd Company.
Mortar Company- Place indirect fire in center of northern woods on command.
Transport Company- move east immediately and load 2nd Company at CKZ. Deliver to western edge of northern woods if clear of enemy observation and fire.
Command- I will be with 1st Company.

Turn 22
Halfway through the mission our individual losses are
Artillery FO KIA
KG command vehicle destroyed
StuG 301- 1 crewman
HQ 1st Company 8
1st Plt- 27 (3rd squad KIA)
2nd Plt -14
3rd Plt - 25 (2nd Squad KIA)
2nd Company
3rd Plt- 3

The StuG battery with 3rd Plt 1st Company are engaging 6 rifle and 1 cav squads on the western edge of northern woods. Corporal Hollmichel’s squad now has 7 kills to their credit. Another 4 enemy rifle squads and a cav squad are fleeing for the road to take them back east. 2nd Company is now loading on board the Opels for transport to the fighting. 1st Company with pioniers now has most of the squads south of the road.


Turn 24- StuG battery minus 3rd section drives off 3 infantry squads and has paved the way for the Opels to arrive with 2nd Company without interference from enemy fire.

Turn 27- 2nd Company has offloaded and the attack begins. Penetrating into the woods from the east, we have surrounded the Russians now trapped in the woods with 1st Company holding in the west. 3 more rifle platoons are cut down.

Turn 33- For the previous turns, the enemy infantry has been systematically cleared from the northern woods. The last Russian unit, a T-26 is killed there. The KG is advancing east to capture all objectives. 3rd Platoon 2nd Infantry Co kills the Russian HQ in forested area in the center of sector. StuGs are advancing southeast down the road.

The remainder of the mission is anti-climactic. 3rd Platoon, 2nd Company capture VH to the south. StuGs avoid AA units successfully and capture the remainder. A few weakened local attempts along the road by the enemy to repel the KG are unsuccessful.

Turn 44- Capture last of VH.

Final Score
4131-380 Decisive Victory

Battle Losses
Men 133:607
Artillery 0:1
Soft Vehicles 3:0
AFV 0:38
Aircraft 1:0

142 rebuild points are taken to replace all losses.
No upgrades are made available.

Operations staff assessment of and recommendations related to KG Schumacher Mission 1

Assessment- Combat formations fought well. StuG III-E successfully engaged BT-2 and BT-7 type vehicles at 650m in general and to a maximum of 850m. Infantry fought and rallied well in the course of destroying men and armored vehicles. Corporal Hollmichel, 3rd Platoon 1st Company is recommended for Iron Cross 1st Class for destruction of 12 enemy formations. Artillery had mixed results. The FO was exposed to enemy fire and killed. Air missions were not entirely successful. At one point artillery ammunition was exhausted and re-supply late in coming. During the latter advance phase, the mortars were outranged by the advance. Scouts performed adequately, reporting enemy forces approaching in the northern area. Transport and supply is inherently weak because of the dependence on Opel trucks. The unit succeeded in delivering 2nd Company to its assigned jump off point after FRAGO #1 was issued. Command and control was good initially, broke down somewhat towards end of mission as units raced for objectives

Recommendation- Keep track of mortar ammunition stocks. Avoid compromising position of artillery FOs. Confirm with Luftwaffe air controller the appropriate direction of flight so as to avoid high-density AAA locations.

Next mission: Meeting engaement at Korosten.