Alt History Campaign, 44-46 (sw) SS KG Griffon

[PanzerBob]

SSKG Griffon ORDERS- 17 April 1945

We have been assigned to setup a Defensive Position, while AG Rommel consolidates its gains on its push on Elements of the American Third Army. It appears we have played no small part in this. The Abwehr reports that General Patton was wounded the other day, while trying to rally his troops. It is reported he was visiting the front on a white horse to bolster moral, when he was caught in an artillery barrage. Well, that barrage was ours. Patton's removal from the field of battle had a domino effect and allowed our Army Group to push forward for the last couple days relatively untouched.

An advance of 40kms or so has left us south of the town of Fontainbleu; we are defending the cross roads in the village of URY to ensure HWY 51 doesn't fall into enemy hands. Third Army has a new head and has rallied his troops, we expect heavy patrolling, maybe a few probes, but, my feel is this new General will want to show his men they still have fight in them, and counterattack somewhere along HWY 51, and we are on a likely objective.

Army Group has provided an allotment of engineer stores, and Div has augmented our arty with 3x 10.5cm Bttys.

I want the village heavily mined and booby-trapped. All wooded areas are to have any easy passages mined as well, but leave a few open but covered, in order to lat some enemy forces into our Kill zones.

KG forces are to deploy to best cover the mined areas. Our Tigers should also look for any spots to dig in where they have long-range visuals and provide cover fire as well. The Panthers are to form our reserve/RRF, concealed but ready to roll. Our Tornado Gp will stay at max alert, ready to move at order.

Good Hunting Men.

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img]Obersturmbannführer PanzerBob

[PanzerBob]

SSKG Griffon War Dairy - 18 April 1945

After 24hrs of probes, the Americans hit us as I predicted more or less. This was not a hasty attack, but was put in deliberately, and designed to miss the strongest of our defences. They hit our northern defensive line, but at the moment my hasty minefield is doing it's job and letting the Yanks though in small or unit sized groups and being jumped on by my hidden Grenadiers and well sited Panzers.

Two things of note, Our Tornado Gp is staying alive, it seems to have figured how avoid the Yank’s 50s, and preformed interdiction sweeps, spotting and looking for targets of opportunity, in particular their HQ. Did some damage, but neither found their HQ or Organic Arty.

The Other thing is a new US Panzer has had been discovered, from reports it is much larger that the Sherman and has a long cannon. I've just been handed an photo taken by one of Tornado Crews.



This ought to be intersting as one of these has been reported inside our defensive line...........

.......Cursed JABO's!! Several Mustangs showed up and made a concerted rocket attack on one of my Panthers, despite my AA's best efforts, the Panther and crew died. At least one JABO went away smoking.

The new American panzers, I now count 4, a troop perhaps on trials, are much tougher than their brother Shermans. The one that got loose in my lines however succumbed to heavy MG suppression and one lucky 10.5cm HE round from one of my StuH's. The others seem to be taking 75 & 88 hits easily. Of note, the cannon on this panzer has not as of yet penetrated the front armour on the several Panthers and one Tiger they've hit. Also for the first time, it appears that one of these panzers used its cannon & 50cal to fire at one of my HUBZ, I sent in for a closer look. The HUBZ was only shaken not hurt.

The American's appear to be trying to breach my lines with their armour alone, and not massing their force for this, or keeping any infantry closed up with them. (This maybe due to the effective suppression that was rained on them when they hit the minefield.)...............

.......Along with some JABO's making harassing attacks, a Yank Panzer Company or so is attempting a breakthough to the centre objective. The new Panzers arose from the smoke first but with no supporting infantry, they've become the focus of all fire, then two of my PzGren Sections quickly dispatched two of the new heavies with Panzerfaust. The third took a seires of hits before a Tiger got in a good side aspect shot.

The demise of the Heavies, moved the rest of the Company into an open field where I ordered all arty and local fire to concertrate on. This had the desired effect and broke the final fury of the enemy attack.

Loses, in this defensive battle were minimal, and mostly occurred during the final segement of the American attack. Besides the Panther the JABO's took, 2 more Panthers and 2 StuG's plus assorted casualities can be pegged down to the final attack.


In the failing light of the day, it's apparent now this attack was designed to fix us place while the Third Army withdraws even further. So even though we won the day, the enemy's objective of buying time was bought, with blood.

Of note: It turns out the new Panzer, so I'm informed, is called the Pershing, another US General of note, or the M26. A Catkiller so to speak, it has a 9cm cannon and has heavy armour. Our present Panzers and their coming follow on models, are it's equal, interesting after piling up so many Shermans, the Allies are finally fielding a Panzer worthy of their industrial might.

Again the Tornadoes, earned their keep, I'm glad these machines were wrangled away from the Luftwaffe.

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] Obersturmbannführer PanzerBob

[blitzkreig]

Interesting stuff, keep 'em coming.

[PanzerBob]

Thanks, Blitzkrieg

Eternal War(gaming) PanzerBob

[PanzerBob]

SSKG Griffon ORDERS- 19-23 April 1945


We've been advancing along behind the steadily retreating, 3rd Third Army. I've managed to have two 12.2cm Bttys attached to my KG, I've also taken delivery of two of the much improved Tiger II Ausf D, (I refused Ausf B, because of the mechancal nightmare they'd become.) The D has the new ElectroTurbo engine and the Hawkeye FC System to name a few improvements. I also snagged onto a Hyena the newest Spahwagen, it has some night vision as well.

As Divisional Vanguard, we have attached additional Recce elements which include 4 Panthers UHU besides the usual units. These units have been assigned flank security.

My daily treks to Div Briefings, paid off today as FM Rommel was there. Several things came to light, First we are aiming towards the French West Coast in an effort to corral the Allied Forces back up onto their Normandy Beachead. Secondly, Patton is well and about to resume command of his Third Army, given Rommels' demeanor on this topic, this concerns me greatly.......

KG Griffon is to exercise more caution as the hunted wolf may find it's pack and turn and attack.........


[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] Obersturmbannführer PanzerBob

[PanzerBob]

Excerpt from War Diary 24 April 45

As we rolled into the town of Longue (N of Samur) and secured it my hunch (and Rommels') paid off. My Forward Recce Element -FORE- my HUBZ Gp, spotted a large Panzer force in an echelon left formation. I ordered the FORE in for a closer look and to harass the enemy. Closer inspection, showed a force of largely panzers, with infantry riding on top, no trucks or halftracks. My HUBZ hosed off a few panzers of their infantry. As a plus they also took out a few panzers, including at least two M26's. I was able to walk my 122 Bttys into the main concentration. The resulting barrage had the effect of turning the main force south, instead of running to my north most flank security screen; they would be hitting the town where most of the KG was waiting for them.

A small panzer group with accompanying infantry struck first and was dispatched and a hail of MG's Mortars, arty and panzer cannon. Meanwhile the south flank Security Element ran into another similar size force. It eventually was forced to withdraw, with help from a Tornado and several Tigers including the new Tiger II's.

The first of several air strikes I called in materialized in the form of a couple of our 262’s. They came in fast and delivered their bombs and rockets in amongst the Yankee panzers and men, causing much chaos in damaged panzers and human suffering. They were something to behold, I had never seen jet airplanes in person before. This left a fairly battered force of which to attack our position in town. The first panzer to emerge from the smoke was a M26, a Panther 100m in front of the beast, fired and the shot bounced off the front, the return fire from the M26 almost vaporized the Panther and it’s crew. The second two Perishing met with long-range death as my Tiger II D’s knocked them out at 2400m from south of the town.

The last part of the battle, the death blow was dealt with 4-5 Panthers and several Tiger I’s, under a continuous rain of fire and several passes by the Swallows. I lost two more Panthers, 2 StuG to Sherman 76’s in the resulting melee.

We remain victorious.

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img]Obersturmbannführer PanzerBob

[PatG]

Interesting set of reports so far Bob. Apart from the Pershings, are the Allies getting updated kit too? And I have to ask - what's happening in the Far-East with the collapse of the Russians? With a land route now possible through Russia, The Japanese could be getting plans for 262s if not actual aircraft to take out the B-29 menace. Type XXI boats out of Japanese bases could be ranging up and down the west coast...

With Russian support gone they may have a better chance at supressing the Chinese. With Manchukuo stabilized and possible imports or occupied territory in Russia, the Japanese resource problems may be cured giving the Americans a much harder run for their money.

Finally - did the bomb drop putting the Japanese out of the war? If so - why aren't there mushroom clouds over the fatherland? If not - what's happening in North Africa and the Middle East? Will we see a revived second front threatening Imperial India and stretching allied resources further?

I love "what ifs" ;-)

[PanzerBob]

KG Griffon War Diary 14 Aug 45

The action to take the Fort & the Oasis went without a hitch. Problems mounted when we advanced to take to the bridge over the western wadi and the old fort overlooking the area. It appears that the Aussies had planned to occupy the Fort & the Oasis as well.

My forward Recce Elements ran head long into the enemy just before the bridge causing heavy loses to the ground forces. A Tornado came in hit them hard, stopping the enemy column cold. It consisted of Armoured Cars and Halftracks loaded down with infantry. They now had deployed to hold the bridge.

I ordered my KG PzAufkl Gp to advance and hold the road into the Fort while I brought several Pz Gren Zugs up with 7 of my Panthers to retake the Wadi Bridge. My Flanks Recce Elms reported seeing troop movements north & south of the area. This was confirmed by the accompanying Tornadoes and Spotter HUBZ that took fire, we lost one Spotter, but the Tornadoes hosed them down good before withdrawing to relative safety.

It now appeared I had several flanking attacks to deal with as well. I ordered a Pz Gren Kp with Panther support against each. The northern objective was the ruins and southern one was to move no further than the wadi. I was fully expecting Enemy Panzers to emerge from the gloomy dusk. I ordered my 15cm Bttys to strike behind the bridge position, as I wanted the bridge intact. The Divisional 122’s were assigned on the flanks. I ordered my Tornadoes in low to find the enemies Panzers.

Once my flank forces were rolling I turned to the Wadi Bridge problem. With a Tornado suppressing the Bridge defenders I had the armoured elements move up to take care of the halftracks and armoured cars. With the enemies support wrecked, I had my Pz Grens move up and disembark. With several Rommels & Panthers in support they started to move towards the bridge.

On the flanks, a troop of scout vehicles on each flank ran into my advancing forces and were dealt with quickly. Recce into the enemies rear area produced no panzers at all. However, a mass of infantry was advancing towards my forces. On the northern flank, I had the Pz Grens occupy the Ruins with an outpost on the high ground to the north of the Ruins. To the south I ordered just the Panthers and Rommels forward to the Wadi.

The Aussies attacked the Ruins; they used 3inch mortars to keep our heads down while trying to close on our positions. It was here that I lost several Panthers to PIAT’s. Along the Wadi between heavy ground fire and the arty, once shifted, the enemy was kept at bay and advanced no further than the Wadi.

Back at the Wadi Bridge, we had taken it intact, but at some cost in men. The enemy put up a tough fight there, counterattacking several times despite Panthers and Rommels assisting in holding the Bridge. The enemy finally broke when the units holding the far side of the Bridge called down arty on their position. This action caused the Aussies to withdraw from this action and fall back into the desert night.

As a result of this engagement I’ve requested more heavy HE support.

Division was less than impressed with our performance, never the less I was happy with it.

Obersturmbannführer PanzerBob