George Kelln
Elder Member
Greetings;
After numerous questions and enquiries;
A WORD ABOUT THE PANZER ACES SCENARIO PACK
Panzer Aces is a compilation of scenarios featuring some of the Panzer
Commanders of the German Panzertruppe of the Second World War. Each 9-2
Armour Leader in the scenario represents one of these commanders. While
their feats were nothing short of spectacular, it is something, which is
difficult to recreate time and again in a scenario and then try to make the
scenario perfectly balanced. Thus as the Scenario Designer, I have opted to
place the units, ordnance and vehicles on a battlefield which best
represents the field of battle in the scenario and then let the players
“pull the rabbit out of the hat” to fulfil the scenario’s Victory
Conditions. It is thusly why I have decided not to sell the pack and use it
only for a prize.
Here is the official summary of the Pack:
6 May 1945… Wherever the tanks went there were civilians tattered and
exhausted a cargo of misery and tears. The soldiers no longer had weapons
built loading ramps and helped the civilians. It was the job of
Oberfeldwebel Hermann Bix and his Jagdpanthers to enable this giant escape
action to succeed by defending the surrounding area. Oberfeldwebel Bix saw
through his binoculars the muzzle brake of a giant gun belonging to a
Russian behemoth come crashing out of the trees in front of him.
Momentarily astonished by its size he gave the order to “Load
armour-piercing” and “Range 400 metres, Fire!”…
12 April 1945… Since the beginning of April when the pincers around the Ruhr
Pocket snapped shut. The American First Army led by the 17th Airborne Corps
was pushing northwards into the pocket from the south. The Germans launched
several counter attacks in an attempt to reopen the pocket, but each
encountered strong American resistance. Hauptmann Albert Ernst received
what would to be his last orders from LIII Panzer Korps. He was to hold the
Deilinghofen Airfield near Iserlohn for 24-hours. Late in the afternoon, an
advance guard of the US 99th Infantry Division was pushing to capture the
last remaining useable airfield in the Ruhr Pocket. Kampfgruppe Ernst armed
with last Jagdtigers prepared to hold out as the Americans probed their
defence…
17 May 1940… The men of France’s Second Armoured Division had also endured
three anxious days. Its tanks had been loaded on to trains and separated
from the division’s wheeled elements. It was the fate of the French Second
Armoured Division that Reinhardt’s 6th Panzer Division was heading for Signy
as well. As the panzers of Oberleutnant Dr. Bäke rumbled forward, the
French heavy tanks opened fire from positions at the edge of the town. The
few still operational anti-tank guns fired on the French tanks, whose muzzle
flashes betrayed their positions. “Panzers Forward, maximum speed!” called
Bäke. The panzers rumbled forward overrunning a hidden AT-Gun in the
process. The German motorcycle troops had fought their past the French
positions at the edge of town and were now engaged in house-to-house
fighting in Guise.
29 October 1944… Under the protection of a mighty barrage, which shifted
slowly to the north, Soviet tank and infantry brigades went to the attack.
The main blow was directed against the German 30th Infantry Division, but
soon the 4th and 14th Panzer Divisions were also under attack. Herman Bix’s
and his platoon of Panthers engaged the T-34’s and super-heavy Stalin tanks
of the surging Russian armoured formations in and around the deep-forested
ravines of the Letila Heights. Bix then received orders to counterattack
with the 108th Grenadier Regiment to retake the Letila Heights. Herman Bix
pressed forward the attack and weighed into the battle. His Panther was
struck several times ripping armoured skirts and storage bins off but was
unable to penetrate the Panther’s thick armour. Bix then manoeuvred his
Panther to intervene when a wave of Russian armour seemed to overrun the
grenadiers. Herman Bix and his crew were at the end of their strength.
19 December 1943… Feldmarschall Busch, the commander of Army Group Centre,
appealed to the other three armies of his army group to voluntarily send
whatever forces they could spare to the threatened Third Panzer Army.
Detraining just before dawn, the much-feared 8.8cm armed Hornisse of the 2nd
Platoon, Kompanie 1, sPzJg 512, under the command of Leutnant Albert Ernst
arrived outside of the village strongpoint east of Vitebsk. As dawn rose
the thunder and crash of artillery pounded the trench line, as the Russian
guns zeroed in on the German Infantry Company. Behind the infantry, Albert
Ernst spotted several dark box shape objects rapidly moving forward. Flames
erupted from the stricken T34s, abruptly the entire phalanx of the attacking
tanks stopped. The three Hornisses with their long-barrelled eighty-eights
continued to pour fire into the attacking Soviet tanks
11 February 1943… The Russians penetrated three kilometres into the German
lines. They captured Krasny Bor, but were halted at the Ishora River. The
Spanish “Blue Division’s” Fusilier Battalion lost 90 percent of its
effectiveness. The 1st Company 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion launched a
counterattack with the 27th Freiwilligen “Flemish Legion” Grenadier
Division. The small force of Tigers, whose mission was to drive the Soviets
out of the former positions of the “Blue Division”, moved off again.
Suddenly enemy tanks appeared and within a few seconds, Oberfeldwebel Hans
Bolter counted ten. The shells fired by the Tigers smashed into the wave of
attacking Soviet tanks in rapid succession. Russian troops charged the
Tigers, and were driven off by the escorting infantry.
So there it is the long and short of Panzer Aces. Just a note that in the
near future PANZER ACES 2 should be out as it is now in development. It also
should follow the similar path and not be for sale, but only used a prize.
George
After numerous questions and enquiries;
A WORD ABOUT THE PANZER ACES SCENARIO PACK
Panzer Aces is a compilation of scenarios featuring some of the Panzer
Commanders of the German Panzertruppe of the Second World War. Each 9-2
Armour Leader in the scenario represents one of these commanders. While
their feats were nothing short of spectacular, it is something, which is
difficult to recreate time and again in a scenario and then try to make the
scenario perfectly balanced. Thus as the Scenario Designer, I have opted to
place the units, ordnance and vehicles on a battlefield which best
represents the field of battle in the scenario and then let the players
“pull the rabbit out of the hat” to fulfil the scenario’s Victory
Conditions. It is thusly why I have decided not to sell the pack and use it
only for a prize.
Here is the official summary of the Pack:
6 May 1945… Wherever the tanks went there were civilians tattered and
exhausted a cargo of misery and tears. The soldiers no longer had weapons
built loading ramps and helped the civilians. It was the job of
Oberfeldwebel Hermann Bix and his Jagdpanthers to enable this giant escape
action to succeed by defending the surrounding area. Oberfeldwebel Bix saw
through his binoculars the muzzle brake of a giant gun belonging to a
Russian behemoth come crashing out of the trees in front of him.
Momentarily astonished by its size he gave the order to “Load
armour-piercing” and “Range 400 metres, Fire!”…
12 April 1945… Since the beginning of April when the pincers around the Ruhr
Pocket snapped shut. The American First Army led by the 17th Airborne Corps
was pushing northwards into the pocket from the south. The Germans launched
several counter attacks in an attempt to reopen the pocket, but each
encountered strong American resistance. Hauptmann Albert Ernst received
what would to be his last orders from LIII Panzer Korps. He was to hold the
Deilinghofen Airfield near Iserlohn for 24-hours. Late in the afternoon, an
advance guard of the US 99th Infantry Division was pushing to capture the
last remaining useable airfield in the Ruhr Pocket. Kampfgruppe Ernst armed
with last Jagdtigers prepared to hold out as the Americans probed their
defence…
17 May 1940… The men of France’s Second Armoured Division had also endured
three anxious days. Its tanks had been loaded on to trains and separated
from the division’s wheeled elements. It was the fate of the French Second
Armoured Division that Reinhardt’s 6th Panzer Division was heading for Signy
as well. As the panzers of Oberleutnant Dr. Bäke rumbled forward, the
French heavy tanks opened fire from positions at the edge of the town. The
few still operational anti-tank guns fired on the French tanks, whose muzzle
flashes betrayed their positions. “Panzers Forward, maximum speed!” called
Bäke. The panzers rumbled forward overrunning a hidden AT-Gun in the
process. The German motorcycle troops had fought their past the French
positions at the edge of town and were now engaged in house-to-house
fighting in Guise.
29 October 1944… Under the protection of a mighty barrage, which shifted
slowly to the north, Soviet tank and infantry brigades went to the attack.
The main blow was directed against the German 30th Infantry Division, but
soon the 4th and 14th Panzer Divisions were also under attack. Herman Bix’s
and his platoon of Panthers engaged the T-34’s and super-heavy Stalin tanks
of the surging Russian armoured formations in and around the deep-forested
ravines of the Letila Heights. Bix then received orders to counterattack
with the 108th Grenadier Regiment to retake the Letila Heights. Herman Bix
pressed forward the attack and weighed into the battle. His Panther was
struck several times ripping armoured skirts and storage bins off but was
unable to penetrate the Panther’s thick armour. Bix then manoeuvred his
Panther to intervene when a wave of Russian armour seemed to overrun the
grenadiers. Herman Bix and his crew were at the end of their strength.
19 December 1943… Feldmarschall Busch, the commander of Army Group Centre,
appealed to the other three armies of his army group to voluntarily send
whatever forces they could spare to the threatened Third Panzer Army.
Detraining just before dawn, the much-feared 8.8cm armed Hornisse of the 2nd
Platoon, Kompanie 1, sPzJg 512, under the command of Leutnant Albert Ernst
arrived outside of the village strongpoint east of Vitebsk. As dawn rose
the thunder and crash of artillery pounded the trench line, as the Russian
guns zeroed in on the German Infantry Company. Behind the infantry, Albert
Ernst spotted several dark box shape objects rapidly moving forward. Flames
erupted from the stricken T34s, abruptly the entire phalanx of the attacking
tanks stopped. The three Hornisses with their long-barrelled eighty-eights
continued to pour fire into the attacking Soviet tanks
11 February 1943… The Russians penetrated three kilometres into the German
lines. They captured Krasny Bor, but were halted at the Ishora River. The
Spanish “Blue Division’s” Fusilier Battalion lost 90 percent of its
effectiveness. The 1st Company 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion launched a
counterattack with the 27th Freiwilligen “Flemish Legion” Grenadier
Division. The small force of Tigers, whose mission was to drive the Soviets
out of the former positions of the “Blue Division”, moved off again.
Suddenly enemy tanks appeared and within a few seconds, Oberfeldwebel Hans
Bolter counted ten. The shells fired by the Tigers smashed into the wave of
attacking Soviet tanks in rapid succession. Russian troops charged the
Tigers, and were driven off by the escorting infantry.
So there it is the long and short of Panzer Aces. Just a note that in the
near future PANZER ACES 2 should be out as it is now in development. It also
should follow the similar path and not be for sale, but only used a prize.
George