Teaser Alert :)

Klaus Fischer

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
359
Reaction score
2
Location
Germany
Country
llGermany
One French Summer
A Battlefield Tour with Kampfgruppen Commander Krüger

It is May 1940 and we accompany Major Krüger, the Commander of the newly created Kampfgruppe Krüger, from the 7. Panzer Division on its drive through France. By order from Rommel, Krüger built his Kampfgruppe of units from Panzer Regiment 25 and 7. Schützen Brigade. Fall Gelb, the invasion of the Lowlands and France is based on the Sichelschnitt (Sickle Cut) Plan, which aims at driving the 4. Panzer Armee through the Ardennes right to the River Meuse and from there to the Channel coast. During the individual engagements Rommel will support the Kampfgruppe with various supporting units.

Building the CORE Force (7.1):
The CORE Force is the heart of the Kampfgruppe, as the player will keep these units throughout the entire campaign. CORE Force composition is done via Campaign Game Purchase Points (CPP) within the restrictions of the Campaign Game Parameters. In OFS the German player has 240 CPP that can be spent in < 10 CORE RG.
Since Kruger’s grand strategy is mobility and firepower, he purchases the following RG:

1x A3 (a) consisting of 1x PzIVC, 1x PzIIF, 1x PzIB at 16 CPP
1x A4 (a) consisting of 3x Pz38(t)A at 20 CPP
1x A6 (a) consisting of 3x PzIVC at 24 CPP
1x A7 (b) consisting of 2x PSW 221, 1x PSW 222 at 12 CPP
1x I3 (b) consisting of 3x 4-6-7, 1x dmMMG, 2x Motorcycle, 1x Sidecar at a Cost of 22 CPP
1x I4 (a) consisting of 3x 4-6-7, 1x dmMMG, 1x dmMTR, 2x Sidecar, 1x Motorcycle at 24 CPP
1x I9 (a) consisting of 3x 4-6-8, 2x DC, 1x FT, 1x LMG, 3x SPW 251/1 at 44 CPP
1x M2 (a) consisting of 4x 2-2-8, 1x dmMMG, 1x dmMTR 80mm, 1x 37L AT, 1x 37L AA, 2x Kfz 1, 1x Opel Blitz at 28 CPP
1x M3 (a) consisting of 2x 2-4-8, 1x 2-2-8, 1x dmMMG, 1x 37 AT, 1x Kfz1, 2x Sidecar, 1x PSW 222 at 20 CPP
1x G3 (a) consisting of 2x 2-2-8, 2x 88L FlaK 18, 2x SdKfz 7 at 28 CPP
for a total of 238 CPP.

All CORE Force RG are automatically received at full strength (7.11). After purchase each “A”-RG must roll for Armor/Crew Quality, determining if the RG is Inexperienced, Normal, or Elite (12.15). All of Kruger’s Armor groups are of normal quality. The next step is to determine the Leadership of each RG via DR (12.14). Krüger ends up with the following Leadership:
A3 (Kompanie Tross, 1. Kompanie (leicht), I. Abt, Panzer Regiment 25) -> no Armor Leader
A4 (3.Zug, 2. Kompanie (leicht), I. Abt, Panzer Regiment 25) -> 10-2 Armor Leader
A6 (1.Zug, 1. Kompanie (mittel), I. Abt, Panzer Regiment 25) -> 8-1 Armor Leader
A7 (2.Zug, 3. Kompanie, Panzer-Aufklärungs Abteilung 37) -> no Leader
I3 (2.Zug, 2.Kompanie, Krad-Schützen Battalion 7) -> 8-0 Leader
I4 (4.Zug, 2.Kompanie, Krad-Schützen Battalion 7) -> 6+1 Leader
I9 (1.Zug, 1. Poinier Kompanie, Pionier Battalion 58) -> 9-2 Leader
M2 (1.Zug, schwere Kompanie, Krad-Schützen Battalion 7) -> no Leader
M3 (1.Zug, 4. Kompanie, Panzer-Aufklärungs Abteilung 37) -> 9-1 Leader
G3 (1. Batterie, 1.Kompanie, FlaK Abt 23) -> no Leader
plus Krüger himself, represented by a 8-0 Personal Leader, which can be promoted throughout the campaign (This is an Optional Rule). All in all, quite a respectable force, with focus on mobility and firepower, but also heavy weapon backup for defenses.

In the early morning hours of May 10, 1940 Kampfgruppe Krüger crosses the German-Luxemburgian border. On Belgian territory the Kampfgruppe reaches a small village, defended by Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais (1). As the advance column of its Kradschützen passes a small patch of woods they are greeted by machinegun fire.
The following Panzerspähwagen of the Panzeraufklärungsabteilung soon reveals two MG positions in the village and a line of pillboxes along the northern outskirts (2). At the same time the 4. Zug of the Kradschützen probes the southern perimeter of the village. Here a deep gully dominates the landscape, crossed only by a small wooden bridge. Alerted by the outburst of machinegun fire in the north, the motorcyclists dismount and approach the bridge on foot, while a Pz38 negotiates the gully and attempts to bypass the village on the south.
Within seconds the southern front is engulfed in fire, as the Kradschützen come under small arms fire from the graveyard while crossing the bridge and a Belgian 76mm Infantry Gun fires at the lone Panzer in the south, setting it aflame with a lucky shot. The Panzer 1V from the Kompanie Tross (the HQ Section) fires smoke onto the bridge to give the advancing infantry some cover, while the remaining two Pz38 from 1. Zug/1. Kompanie engage the Infantry Gun in the Orchards. Krüger orders the Poinier Zug over the bridge to crack the enemy defense line anchored around the graveyard. Covered by the protection of their Schützenpanzerwagen the engineers cross the bridge and attempt to attack the Belgian strongpoint with a Flamethrower. A first long-range shot by the Flamethrower forces the Belgians to retreat and just as the next engineer squad tries to cross the graveyard wall, it stumbles into a minefield, loosing several men.
Supported by a Panzerspähwagen and a little PzIB the motorcycle infantry in the north is finally in position to attack the machinegun nest in one of the buildings. Even though the Belgians have orders to conduct only rearguard actions and then retreat (3), they offer the Germans a stiff fight.
Krüger knows that he needs to speed things up, since French reinforcements are surely on their way to the Frontlines (4). So the PzIV and PzII leave their over-watch positions in the east and move over the bridge to assist the engineers in the village. As the two tanks cross the bridge a hidden Anti-Tank Rifle opens fire and scores several hits on the small, thinly armored PzII, shocking its crew. The revenging fire from the tanks big brother kills the entire Belgian squad and opens a first hole in the Belgian defenses. But Krüger must now decide if his force will either take the village, bypass the enemy and thus cut them off of their supply lines, or if he has to destroy the enemy (5). Each option has its pros and cons. Since his orders are to proceed to the Meuse River at greatest speed possible, he decides that speed is the most crucial element of the campaign and thus the Kampfgruppe bypasses the Belgian resistance, leaving it to the slow foot infantry to mop-up and secure the area.
But disengaging from the enemy is not as simple as it sounds and the Kampfgruppe looses a SPW and an engineer squad in the process. Just as they skirt the village in the west, the first French units arrive, in the form of a Cavalry platoon and a section of AMC29 Armored Cars. Nevertheless the Kampfgruppe presses on, exchanging only pot shots with the French, but still killing or suppressing several Cavalry units and wrecking one of the Armored Cars. The first engagement of Kampfgruppe Krüger is an overwhelming success, piercing the Allied defenses and creating havoc in their rear (6).


Setting-up and playing the Initial Scenario (12.1-13.8):
The Initial Scenario is one of the scenarios with rather set forces in contrast to the generated scenarios during the Campaign. R1 “Breaching the Woods” pits the Kampfgruppe against Allied non-CORE units, called Auxiliary (AUX)
units, represented by the Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais.
AUX units are available for one only scenario and removed afterwards. Usually each player randomly draws these units from a Card Deck and then decides if he wants to use them in the upcoming scenario, or not. Another option is to purchase AUX units from the CPP Pool (CPP accumulated over the campaign). (1) In the Initial Scenario the French AUX force is completely pre-configured and the player has the option to enter up to 2 Reinforcement Groups (RG) of his CORE force on/after Turn 2.
The German player may use a total of 6 RG for this scenario and his only option is to randomly draw one AUX Card, he may not purchase any AUX units. Since Krüger is attacking against a prepared defense he decides to use two Motorcycle platoons (I3, I4), his Recon platoon (M3), the mechanized Engineer platoon (I9), the mixed tank platoon (A3), and the medium tank platoon (A4). He draws the I2 Infantry platoon (just 2nd Line foot infantry) from the AUX Card deck, but he doesn’t utilize.
(2) The M3 Recon platoon immediately reveals its hidden strength at the end of its Movement Phase, as the Campaign Game Historical Special Rule (CGHSR) 21 gives each AFV/MMC (but not Crew) of a Recon Platoon, which ends its MPh in Good Order (after all declared Defensive Fire), the ability to automatically recon all hexes within five hexes, which are in its LOS. A Leader expands this recon range by one hex per negative Leader Modifier. The opponent must reveal Hidden units/Fortifications if the revealing conditions are met and O11.6245 applies where applicable.
(3) Since the Belgians have an ELR of 1 in this scenario – historically the Chasseurs Ardennais had orders to only fight rearguard actions, delay any German advance, and then retreat – Krüger expected an easier fight, especially as all buildings are wooden by SSR and an additional CGHSR states that Grain is in season, so there is less open ground to traverse. (4) But time is crucial in this scenario as the game length is set to 5½ Game Turns and the French can enter their reinforcements on/after turn 2.
(5) Krüger’s main advantage in this, and all other, scenarios are the variable Victory Conditions. The attacking player has usually three different Victory Conditions he may try to achieve; he may strive for the Exit VC, the Control VC, or the Casualty VC. The key philosophy for OFS is to represent the German Blitzkrieg, and therefore all Victory Conditions are set for a rather easy German win – which by no means indicates it will be no fun for the Allied Player – but the Kampfgruppen Commander system also offers several levels of victory, and this victory level determines any further progress in the campaign. The different Victory Levels are:
Loss: the attacking player did not meet any of his Victory Conditions and thus failed completely. The player does not receive any Sector Victory Points and his campaign stalls.
Marginal Victory: the attacking player wins this scenario and receives Victory Points for this Sector, but he did not manage to breach the defense and campaign process is slowed down and subject to movement restrictions.
Tactical Victory: a solid victory, the defense is breached, and the campaign can proceed at full speed.
Strategic Victory: this victory is so complete that the defense is compromised and the attacker receives additional Victory Points, as well as increased advance in the campaign.
Since Krüger was able to exit more than 23 Victory Points along the West edge, he achieved a Strategic Victory and will greatly benefit from this in the ensuing Phase between scenarios.

Despite of the success, the Kampfgruppe suffered considerable losses in its first engagement, loosing two Panzers, an Schützenpanzerwagen, as well as a grand total of 3 squads (of which one squad was an engineer squad). Krüger radios his success and the casualties to higher command. Rommel is very pleased with his progress and grants him additional supply and reinforcements (1). Scanning his map, Krüger decides to move in northwesterly direction along the Clerf-Malmedy road, before moving back towards Bastogne through the hills (2), as he knows that 1. Panzer Division is operating in the south and he doesn’t want to interfere with their operations (3).
While some of the units stay behind for repairs the majority of the Kampfgruppe swiftly traverses the road gaining twice as much terrain as anticipated. The swift move however results in several vehicles breaking down, and the FlaK Battery getting lost (4). Just after noon the Kampfgruppe establishes contact with the enemy. The retreating Allied forces soon realize that they can’t escape the German steamroller and decide to establish a hasty defense along the Clerf-Malmedy road in a small Hamlet (5).
Since the Allies already passed the Hamlet they have to turn around and race for the hamlet placed in a small valley, while the German proceed along the road towards the very same hamlet. A wild, fast and very mobile battle ensues as both sides try to control the few houses (6). Krüger positions his support tank platoon on the dominating hills, while the heavy weapons platoon of the motorcycle infantry and the armored cars of the Panzeraufklärungsabteilung enter the village, supported by the replenished Kompanie Tross of the tank company.
Just as a French AT-Gun from a halftrack-borne heavy weapons platoon is in position to threaten the German tanks, Krüger’s forward observer from the II Abt/ArtReg 78 establishes contact with his battery and requests a fire mission onto the AT-Guns position (7). Tensely they watch the spotting round explode close to the French position, as a French 75mm Artillery round whizzes by and crashes into the Orchards immediately behind them
Krüger and the FO hit the ground and crawl away from the French Artillery fire – this is quite a nasty surprise! In the village the German infantry is able to occupy several buildings and from this cover repels repeated French Cavalry attacks. But now a platoon of AMD35 Armored Cars enters the fray in an attempt to regain control of the village. .......


To be continued in the next Issue of Recon by Fire :wink:
Klaus
 

Klaus Fischer

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
359
Reaction score
2
Location
Germany
Country
llGermany
Hehe!
:D
now check out this little sniplet of feedback:
> > Anyway, since I am in feedback mode, let me finish with this set of
> > extremely positive comments. He can see just how flexible it is -
> > much more so than the Trad HASL. This (ie KC) is the way he always
> > envisaged a "true" campaign to be, with a host of different choices
> > at a level set above the usual HASL, allowing the player to
> > participate in the bigger picture of the whole thing. He is very
> > positive about the concept, as ofcourse, am I!!
8)
 
Top