DAR: GE Long campaign - small core

[Brian61]

KG Krafft 10 April, 1941 - Operation 25

Reorganization: The armor company of KG Krafft recieved a number of new vehicles to replace the aging Pz Ib panzers and most of the Pz IIc panzers. The reorganized company has one platoon of PzIIc panzers, two platoons with two Pz IIIg and three Pz IIIe panzers with sabot rounds, and one platoon of two Pz IIIg and three early model PzIIIe panzers. The ammo trucks supporting the sIG Ib's have been replaced with SdKfz 252's.

Situation: Mountainous area near Nis, Yugoslavia with numerous wooded areas, and one secondary road running east-west through the northern part. [Meeting engagement, Visibility 52, Length 48, scattered victory hexes, map size 80x80]

Orders: As part of 1st panzer group in Operation 25, 5th panzer was to follow 11th panzer in its advance but due to poor road conditions became bogged down near Piro, Yugoslavia. As the division got rolling again, it recieved new orders to turn southward just below Nis and cutoff enemy forces around Leskovac. During this maneuver, KG Krafft with the assistance of a panzergrenadier company forms the spearhead of 5th division's advance. Supporting assets include one 10.5cm artillery battery from division and limited Luftwaffe support consisting of two Storch observation planes and two Bf110E-2 fighter-bombers. The supporting panzergrenadier company has left its truck transport behind in the snarl near Piro and is riding upon the PzIIIe tanks of KG Krafft.

Battle Plan: Platoons E and F trailed by the command elements will advance in the center with the northern flank secured by platoons D and H moving along the road. Platoon G and the security element will be held in reserve following the command elements. Support elements (sIG Ib's, SdKfz 252's, and SdKfz 10/4's) will follow platoons D and H along the road. The KG recon section will advance along the southern flank.

Execution: Ten minutes into the operation, aerial recon spots enemy infantry in company strength advancing in the center and a pair of 15mm AAMG positions are spotted north of the infantry column. sIG fire is called upon the AAMGs as the advance continues. Half an hour into the advance, enemy artillery begins falling in the south but is ineffective. As additional artillery falls near the southern recon position, they are forced to withdraw westward but not before a section of FT-17's is spotted southeast of their position. At roughly the same time, with the range between the forward panzer platoons and the enemy infantry dropping to 1km, panzergrenadier platoons Q and R dismount and prepare to engage the enemy.

Platoon D engages a mortar position at long range, sIG 1b fire continues to fall upon the AAMG positions, 10.5cm fire is called upon the central enemy infantry column, and an airstrike is called upon the FT-17 section. As the panzergrenadiers follow the panzers in the central advance, the panzergrenadier command sections dismount to their rear and the two machineguns of the panzergrenadier company dismount from PzIIc's along the road to provide flanking fire. The JPz I's of platoon H take over long range HE fire upon the enemy mortar position and the sIG Ib's prepare to advance at the end of their current fire mission.

The airstrike in the south strafes an FT-17 and spots an entire company of FT-17's following the lead tanks. The FT-17 company appears to be turning to the northwest so platoon F is ordered south to intercept. PzGren platoon S remains in reserve but dismounts to allow panzer platoon G to replace platoon F on the line. In the north, HE fire from the 47mm guns of platoon H destroys the enemy mortar position while the MG34's of the PzGren company head south to firing positions and platoon D moves southeast to provide additional flanking fire.

A little over an hour into the battle, the leading five FT-17's are reduced to smoking wrecks by fire from platoon F. In the center, action heats up as platoons E and R engage enemy infantry at close range while 10.5cm fire from the division battery falls upon the advancing enemy infantry behind the first wave. In the north, long range MG fire along with cannon fire from platoon D takes the enemy in the north flank, inflicting casualties and allowing platoon Q to advance.

In anticipation of enemy artillery strikes on the center, the PzGren reserve platoon is committed and the PzGren Kp forms a skirmish line behind panzer platoon E as it falls back. Artillery strikes from sIG Ib's and the battalion 10.5cm battery fall on enemy positions in the center along with repeated airstrikes. Platoon D continues long range flanking fire on the enemy infantry while platoon F continues to annihilate the FT-17 company. The command element panzers move to support the right flank of the PzGren Kp and platoon G maneuvers to make a flanking attack from the south.

The anticipated enemy artillery finally falls on the center but has little effect. In the north, platoon D is forced out of its position by mortar fire however the MGs of the PzGren Kp have moved into position and picked up some of the slack on that flank. Platoon F continues its eastward sweep in the south, flushing out and destroying remnants of the FT-17 company. Platoon G launches its flanking attack in the south and platoon E maneuvers for a flanking attack in the north.

Artillery and airstrikes continue to pound enemy positions in the center and only a few units manage to come within range of the PzGren Kp. Two hours into the battle and the Yugoslav force is in dire straits. The remnants of an infantry battalion is stuck in a pocket that is growing ever smaller. To the west they are facing a PzGren Kp that has taken only light casualties, to the south two panzer platoons along with KG Krafft's command units are closing in, to the north two panzer platoons supported by long range fire from two MG34s and two SdKfz 10/4's are preventing escape while artillery and airstrikes continue to pound the trapped infantry.

Enemy artillery lands upon the PzGren Kp positions but it comes too late to save their trapped infantry battalion from annihilation as KG Krafft completes the encirclement. A half hour later, KG Krafft has seized control of all objectives and eliminated all known enemy units.

Decisive victory, KG Krafft. Onward to Greece!

Last turn file attached, thanks for reading.

Game notes: For some reason the GE long campaign shows 3/41 as the start date for operations in the Balkans but the information I've been following gives 6 April 1941 as the beginning of Operation 25 (invasion of Yugoslavia). As for difficulty, I've upped the AI campaign purchase points to 125% and am afraid to go higher for fear of getting slaughtered the first time I draw a delay mission. Of course, historically the armored divisions in Operation 25 didn't have too rough of a time, at least at first. Hopefully things will get a bit more challenging as the division moves to Greece.

[Brian61]

KG Krafft, 19 April, 1941 - Operation 25

Situation: The 5th panzer division runs into the British rear guard as it emerges from the mountains near Lamia, Greece. The area is mountainous with a number of wooded areas and has two east-west roads running through it. The northern road is a main road, the southern is a secondary road. [Meeting engagement, visibility 18, length 37, scattered victory hexes, map size 80x80]

Orders: KG Krafft, joined by a Kradschutzen Kp, is to clear the area for transit by the rest of the division. No supporting artillery is within range, however Luftwaffe is providing four Bf109E-7's for support.

Battle plan: The kradschutzen kp will lead, followed by panzer platoons E, F and G with G deployed in the center. The recon element, SdKfz 10/4 section, sIG 1b section, SdKfz 252 section, kradshutzen heavy weapons group, and kradshutzen command group will join the command group following platoon G. Platoons D, H, and the security element will form the reserve, trailing behind the command group. Force cohesion will be maintained at all times, and the path of least resistance will be followed.

Execution: British artillery makes its presence known early on, with two 25pdr batteries firing interdiction fire along the southern road. As kradschutzen platoon S advanced in the south, it spotted a British advance force of four CS9 armored cars and one A9 tank. Panzer platoon F detours southeast to meet the threat. Shortly thereafter, another force of armored cars and light tanks is spotted moving westward along the southern road.

Following the armored cars and light tanks on the southern road is a motorized infantry company supported by at least three Bren carriers and two Valentine II tanks. Two more A9 tanks are spotted trailing the southern armored car force. Platoon G maneuvers southwest of the central woods to be in position to engage armored cars as they advance along the road. Further south, platoon F maneuvers to engage the southernmost armored car force as it advances south of the southern hill. Platoon E maneuvers southeast from the northern hill attempting to use the valley to gain a flanking position on the enemy force moving on the road.

The southern armored car and A9 force is destroyed by platoon F. The southern kradshutzen platoon was overrun by Bren carriers and engaged by numerous infantry squads. Fortunately late arriving fire from a pair of 25pdr batteries knocked out two carriers and supressed nearby enemy infantry as well as the kradshutzen platoon.

The leading armored cars and light tanks along the southern road are knocked out by platoon G with some help from the command element. Platoons D and H are released from reserve and travel southeast to engage additional armored cars following on the road. The kradshutzen MG section is overrun by a light tank and one of the MG34s is destroyed.

An airstrike was called on a group of Valentine IIs in the south but was largely ineffective, one Bf109E-7 was damaged by Bofors AA-gun fire. Fire from the sIG Ib section falls upon rear elements of the force on the southern road destroying one truck and pinning some infantry down. Kradshutzen platoon Q is ordered south along the edge of the woods to support platoon R and platoon E continues advancing south with the lead tank discharging smoke to hide the following tanks.

In the far south, kradshutzen platoon S is successfully withdrawn with the aid of supporting fire from panzer platoons F and D. On the south road, three of four Valentine IIs are destroyed by a combination of indirect fire from the sIG Ib's and direct fire from platoons E, G, and H. One PzIIIe from platoon G was lost with all hands. Kradshutzen platoons Q and R, with supporting fire from the command panzers and platoon D, drove off most of the enemy infantry that hadn't been routed by sIG Ib fire.

At the one hour mark the only remaining threat posed by the British forces is a platoon of Valentine II tanks operating in the far south. A PzIIc from platoon D was immobilized during mopup operations on the south hill by a light mech squad, all other enemy forces on the hill have been destroyed. Ten minutes later, a small counter-attack force consisting of at least two A13Mk2 tanks and one truck with unknown contents is spotted in the center moving west. Platoons E and Q are dispatched to intercept. The KG's security element is released from reserves and deploys in the woods southwest of the southern hill. The remaining armor maneuvers to engage the southern Valentine II platoon and accompaning infantry.

One and a half hours into the battle, all four Valentine II's in the far south have been destroyed although one PzIIIe was lost in the effort. All infantry except for a few stragglers have been eliminated and three A13Mk2 tanks have been destroyed in the center. The only things standing between KG Krafft and complete victory are three or four Bofors 40mm AA-gun positions. It takes another hour for the kradshutzen kp to take the remaining objectives, destroying six 40mm AA-guns and a mortar squad in the process.

Decisive victory, KG Kraft. Onward to Thermopylae!

Last turn file attached, thanks for reading.

[Brian61]

KG Krafft, 25 April, 1941 - Operation 25

Reorganization: Panzers destroyed in last battle are replaced from division reserves and the JPz I's finally recieve sabot rounds.

Situation: The British abandoned Thermoplyae pass late last night and early this morning. KG Krafft is in pursuit and catches up to the reargaurd late in the afternoon. Area is hilly and mostly clear with a few large stands of woods. Two east-west roads pass through the area, a secondary road in the north and a main road in the south. A secondary road running northwest-southeast runs through the western portion of the area. The area is dominated by two large central hills, one north, and one south of the main road. Also of interest is a large stand of woods northwest of the northern hill through which the secondary road runs. [Meeting engagement, visibility 39, length 32, scattered victory hexes, map size 80x80]

Orders: KG Krafft, with the assistance of a battalion recon detachment, will pursue and destroy all enemy units in the area. Luftwaffe assets are unavailable as they are being used to strike at retreating enemy columns further ahead, however one Storch observation plane is available. One 10.5cm battery from division is assigned for fire support.

Note: The battalion recon detachment is composed of 1x SdKfz222, 6x SdKfz221 in two groups, 4x SdKfz 231(8) in two groups, 2x Kraftrad platoons, and 2x SdKfz 251/2 GrWs. The SdKfz222 is the detachment command vehicle.

Battle Plan: The KG will assume a triangular formation, with platoon D in the lead, platoon E in the north, and platoon F in the south. Platoon H along with command elements will be in the center, platoon G along with the security element will be held in reserve. The recon detachment will be split into three groups, two groups of 221s, 231s, and a Kraftrad platoon and a command element consisting of the 222 and 251/2s. The recon detachment command element, along with all other KG assets, will trail the KG command element. One recon group will operate on the northern flank, the other on the southern. The kampfgruppe will operate as a whole, engaging the enemy in the area west of the central hills and avoid the northern woods. Klotzen, nicht Kleckern!

Execution: The battle begins with British interdiction fire, two batteries of 4.5in and one 25pdr along the main road, and one 25pdr battery on the diagonal road near platoon E's position. Aerial recon spots a motorized infantry company advancing along the north road, a combined force of motorized infantry and tanks advancing up the east slope of the northern central hill, and a force of mixed armored cars advancing in the far south. The northern recon group engages the motorized infantry on the north road with long range interdiction fire, a supporting fire mission is called in to the division battery. The southern recon group maneuvers to positions in and near a small group of houses along the diagonal road southeast of the southern road. Platoon G is ordered to maneuver into supporting positions for the southern recon group.

In the north the combination of long range fire from the A/C of the recon group and 10.5cm battery fire from division slows down and breaks up the motorized infantry company. In the center, the first three A9 tanks and two trucks are destroyed by combined fire from the KG. In the south, the 231s of the recon group account for three enemy armored cars, the 221s of the group withdraw to cover the main road as an infantry column is spotted advancing between the two hills, platoon G continues racing to the area in an attempt to arrive before enemy tanks, and the 251/2 GrW section maintains an overwatch of the village.

The enemy launches an all out artillery attack on the sIG Ib position, shells fall all around and the gun is knocked out on one sIG Ib. In the south, a PzIIIe of platoon G is destroyed by 2pdr fire, no crew survived. Platoon G and the southern 231(8)s destroy most of the remainder of the armor force in the south and withdraw along the road heading northwest. A few more tanks are destroyed in the center, one by a direct hit from the remaining operational sIG Ib. The SdKfz 251/2s fire upon the infantry advancing along the main road, bringing a halt to the advance.

A couple of Bren carriers are destroyed in the center but the situation changes for the worse as three Matilda IIs crest the hill. After heavily concentrated fire and judicious use of smoke, the lead Matilda II is isolated and a JPz I firing sabot from 200m destroys the behemoth. While the infantry advance along the main road has faltered, it is evident that British infantry has infiltrated the eastern portion of the wooded area northwest of the northern hill.

Just past the one hour mark, while concentrated enemy artillery fire lands on the former location of the command post, a second Matilda II is destroyed and a third is damaged. However a PzIIIe of platoon E sustains heavy damage in the engagement and is forced to withdraw. Platoon G becomes the new reserve, platoon E shifts north to assist the security element in sweeping the woods northwest of the northern hill and supporting artillery fire is called in from the 10.5cm battery. Platoon H holds position, while platoon D sweeps the area between the northern hill and the woods. Platoon F maneuvers to the north of the southern road to take the infantry advance on that road under fire. The remaining sIG Ib and the two SdKfz 251/2 GrWs will provide artillery support for that effort.

Platoon G is ordered south to support the southern recon group as it attempts to delay a surprisingly large infantry advance southwest of the southern hill. Platoon D is transferred to the reserve. At the two hour mark, all known enemy units are either destroyed or routed, it seems to be all over except for a cautious advance beyond the hills. A SdKfz251 (security element transport) was destroyed and the gun apc heavily damaged from artillery fire. In the end, the kraftrad squads, with various levels of support, managed to gain the objectives and destroy some rear area units.

Decisive victory, KG Krafft. Next stop, Afrika!

Game notes: this was harder than it appears from the above, there was so much British artillery that I used the sIG Ib's and SdKfz 251/2 GrWs in 'z' key fire mode and kept them on the move. Any unit left stationary for too long once spotted was liable to be pounded. With six turns to go, half the objectives were still wearing British flags, the kraftrad squads were the only units that could grab the objectives. Careful routing allowed most of them to reach their destinations although at least one squad was eliminated. Some supporting panzers during this phase were fired upon by Bofors 40mm AA-guns but as luck would have it, they escaped without serious damage.

Last turn file attached, thanks for reading.

[Imp]

Must say I will be intrested to see how this progresses once you start bumping into some reasonable armour etc later on or assaulting once infantry have reasonable AT capability. Managed to keep casulties very light for such an armour based force keep it up.

[gila]

Better start training more grunts before the eastern front,
1 platoon of elite mech grenadiers and a MMG34,won't hold back the hordes.

[Brian61]

Originally Posted by gila

Better start training more grunts before the eastern front,
1 platoon of elite mech grenadiers and a MMG34,won't hold back the hordes.

I have no doubt you are correct My current plans are to buy infantry with support points each battle, perhaps trading in some repair points sometimes. To make this work I may have to buy a core battery of off-map artillery to free up more support points for infantry although I'm trying to delay that purchase as long as possible.

[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

[Imp]

Originally Posted by Brian61

I have no doubt you are correct My current plans are to buy infantry with support points each battle, perhaps trading in some repair points sometimes. To make this work I may have to buy a core battery of off-map artillery to free up more support points for infantry although I'm trying to delay that purchase as long as possible.

What you can do if support points are short is buy the arty & or some infantry in the core then sell them every battle or 2 & repurchase effectivly for free. This way however they dont hang around long enough to gain experience so in effect you have increased your support pool.