Herr Pferdmann rides again!

[Horseman]

Levant
July 29th 1942
Karl and Otto were covered in oil. They had spent the past few days trying to piece Bertha back together following the damage she’d sustained during a naval bombardment. “It’s no good Otto, we’ll never get her right again” Otto, fighting back the tears ,looked at Karl “Don’t say that! Never say that! She’ll be fine, just fine, you’ll see” Another turn of his wrench sent a jet of oil squirting into his eyes. “Gentlemen, you’ll never fix that. It needs replacing” The two freinds immediately jumped to their feet, spinning to face this intruder who dared suggest the love of their lives was gone. They both realised just in time that it was an officer who had addressed them, fighting back rage they both snapped smartly to attention as the man continued “What you need is a replacement socket, then we can get the old girl fighting fit. Lucky for you I have some spare parts in my truck. Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I am Leutnant Viktor Schmid, would you accept some assistance?”


August 2nd 1942
General der Panzertruppe Pferdmann stood gazing out beyond the Suez canal. It had been a week since his forces had driven the British from north Afrika and already his losses had been made good with replacements from Germany. Although he had not yet received authorisation to move further east, he was sure it was coming. The British were on the ropes.
Both of his divisions had received Sdkfz 234/1s for their recon battalions and the Panzerjagers had been upgunned. Hes Korps was in good shape indeed,
90.Light infantry division was beginning to take shape as well. Mainly made up of infantry raised locally, the support battalions would be equipped with whatever Pferdmann could get his hands on. The first of the division's formations had arrived in Egypt this morning. 190.Artillerie regiment. Well the first battalion at least.


Anchored just off the Egyptian coast were elements of the Italian navy. They were to provide direct support to the Afrika Korps. Led by the Battleship Roma this small force was none the less powerful. Supporting the Roma was the Bolzano (CA) and the Muzio Attendolo (CL) with the Destroyers Lanzerotto Malocello and Leone Pancaldo providing escort.
The Dandolo, the only vessel not heavily damaged in the conquest of Egypt was also in attendance. Pferdmann sighed. The fleet presence was welcome (especially with the landing craft that may allow him to bypass the forward defences going east) but he was still lacking air cover. The Luftwaffe was in pieces and were unable to spare any planes and the Italians kept informing him that they had diverted all their air assets to help over central Europe.


August 6th 1942 04:00


Pferdmann had been waiting for this. Within the hour he had marshalled his forces on land whilst 21.Panzer had set off from Port Said, the Italians in close escort.

The Plan was simple. Panzer forces supported by artillery and Pioneers would land, isolate and then seize Beirut. With the port secure the remainder of the division could be landed.
Meanwhile 1.Panzer would advance along the coast, fighting their way through the bottleneck.


Elements of 21.Panzer in vessels not suitable for combat landings that will need to unload in port.


August 6th 1942 07:00
Pferdmann checked the report. Four British ships had been sighted. A Light Cruiser (HMS Sheffield) and three Destroyers (HMS Eskimo, Nubian and Sikh). “We need to get 21.Panzer on land immediately, tell the Italians that they have to buy us time” Pferdmann was nervous, where was the rest of the Royal Navy?

New purchase:
Wurfrahem 40
Upgrades:
Both AT to StuG IIIF/8
Both recon to Sdkfz 234/1 8 rads
With elite replacements all round that left me with a still just about OK 644 prestige (yes my forces were rather battered following Egypt!)

This map looks horrible. A serious bottleneck all the way along the coast. A chance to out flank though the desert feels like a trap...there is just nothing out there and it would take me ages to get forces round to the north. And I'm not convinced 8 units are going to have an easy time on the attack on Beirut. I'm landing with four Panzers because they're the toughest units and hopefully can survive even if I've bitten off more than I can chew.

I had a good long think before this scenario on what I want in my core. Frankly I have enough of everything really except I could do with a couple more AA (and more artillery is never a bad thing). But with no airforce and no OS I have slots to spare (and I expect many more later!)

What I've decided on for now is to simply get an infantry division built up (90.Light infantry division) We are talking 4-6 infantry (plus a Pioneer?) 2-3 artillery, 1 recon, 1 AT and maybe a single unit of tanks. The idea with these guys is to provide security forces for rear objectives (thinking of two specific scenarios here) but also units I can cycle into the front lines if my "main" units get hit too hard. Plus, big city fights like Moscow and London will benefit from extra infantry no doubt! I will also build up my AA numbers at some point - mainly to cover the larger force! but also back ups will be handy here when ships start smashing my units again (Sealion I'm looking at you) We'll see how this plan pans out!

Edit: Forgot to add my thoughts on new hero placement. It was really a choice between front line units (tanks/recon) or by back line (art/AA)
I went with AA because its quite squishy when targeted and the AI likes to shoot it. Its also pretty expensive to replace. Plus the AA guns can still do their job when repairing. They can't use their own shoot action but they can fire in support!

[Horseman]

August 6th 1942 08:00 (1)
The gentle quiet of the area was breached by the noise of 4.Aufklärungs Abt. as they scouted the path ahead. A lone battalion of British Engineers stood ready to defend Beer Sheva. Pferdmann’s brow creased with concern. The British were not known to leave the forward positions so undermanned.


Generalmajor Fischer directed 1.Panzer forward. Careful to keep his Panzer out front whilst infantry moved in to deal with the dug in Engineers.


The mighty Battleship Roma rocked as her main batteries opened fire. The target of her ire, HMS Sheffield was far out of range to respond. A voice sounded out on the Roma’s bridge “We have a confirmed hit, I repeat we have a confirmed hit!” Cheers erupted all around only to be quickly silenced by the Captain “Stay alert, there is bigger pray waiting for us out here”
Bolzano and Muzio Attendolo, careful to remain out of range of the Royal Navies guns engaged HMS Eskimo scoring several decisive hits.


Near Beirut, the Lanzerotto Malocello engaged a British MTB with both vessels taking moderate damage.


HMS Sheffield, unable and unwilling to stand against the Italian Battleship now bearing down on her, withdrew to the south. Turning her guns inland she attempted to reduce the German AA coverage with little success.
Major Wallis of the British army grimaced as a piece of shrapnel was pulled from his abdomen. He’d been apprehensive when he’d been ordered to attack. The Stuart tanks that made up his battalion were not well suited to front line combat versus German Panzers. His boys hadn't even made it to the Panzers, heavy artillery fire had stalled them and then out of nowhere, accurate fire from tank destroyers had all but obliterated the formation. “Sir we lost 90% of our strength. We have to pull out”


August 7th 1942 (2)
Oberst Braun didn’t know how they’d managed it but several explosions confirmed that they had. “First and Second companies advance. Schwarz’s boys have managed to disrupt the British positions now we need to clean them out.”


An entire Panzergrenadier regiment with ample Pioneer and artillery support had fallen on the Engineers holding Beer Sheva. Brave as they were, they could not stand.


Major Wallis looked on helplessly as the Panzers finally came. Several of his few remaining tanks had already been abandoned by their crew. What was left was all but helpless to slow the German advance.


4.Aufklärungs Abt. followed the road until it forked for Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The former with a lone infantry battalion and the latter screened by some Humber armoured cars with more infantry in the city itself were all that seemingly stood in the way.


1.Panzer advanced to the city outskirts, ready to assault tomorrow.


Roma steamed forward, barely able to keep pace with the fleeing British Cruiser. Several more direct strikes left Sheffield with plumes of black smoke billowing from her aft deck.
Closing the range, the Italian Cruisers scored decisive hits on HMS Eskimo,sending the proud ship to the bottom.


The British MTB was giving Lanzerotto Malocello and Leone Pancaldo some difficulty when a lone torpedo impacted splitting the small ship in two. The Dandolo had settled the argument.


5.Pioneer Abt. quickly spread through Beirut port. Luckily they had met little resistance so far but they needed to lock it down quickly to allow the troop ships behind somewhere to offload.
To the north of the City, Panzers made landfall and quickly established a beachhead.


The British armoured cars had taken them by surprise. Speeding recklessly into contact. Caught still preparing, 5.Pioneer Abt. fought like men possessed. As the attack finally ceased they stood bloody but defiant. Less than half their number now stood ready to fight. The remainder dead, wounded or scattered through the port.


Pferdmann read the report. The British had immediately assaulted the beachhead with air and armour. 21.Panzer now sat under siege with little support and little supply.


Captain Scott of the HMS Nubian did not hesitate. His ship charged forward to bring her guns to bear on the Italian Heavy Cruiser that had sunk Eskimo.


HMS Sikh fell back to add her guns to those of Sheffield’s in an attempt to stall the German advance on land.

First big mistake of this scenario - being to impatient and landing up north a turn to early. I should have waited until next turn when I could also land the support units. 21.Panzer were in a lot of trouble here! Part of my haste was concern over the Royal Navy. What I can see is pretty much done for. But this is the British, there's bound to be more.

Also I was over focused on taking Beirut so I could then deploy the rest of my forces. I should have landed together in the north so I could also use the north edge for supply (as ridiculous as that is) and then pushed for Beirut in force with a solid defensive line. Isn't hindsight wonderful?

[Horseman]

August 8th 1942 (3)
Oberst Braun led 1.Panzergrenadier regiment in the attack. British armoured cars that had unwisely taken up positions amongst the hills outside Jerusalem were quickly eliminated.


Allowing Obersleutnant Schwarz to lead his Pioneers into the city itself.


Major Wolf approached Tel Aviv from the north. Unlike most other Panzer officers, he did not fear driving into the city. The fierce assault drove the British infantry out of the city.


Colonel Richard Rose led his men to the local airfield fully expecting to find planes to fly them to safety. “Erm sir. There’s no planes at the airfield and there seems to be some German tanks coming our way!”
The Colonel looked at the shapes coming ever closer “Don’t talk gobbledegook old boy. Those aren’t tanks, they’re self propelled guns, nothing for us to worry about” The Colonel jumped with shock when the lead self propelled gun let out a deafening roar as her gun found a target. Seconds later his face went pale as the wheel of his now destroyed staff car rolled away from the wreck “OK lads, back to the city!”


With Jerusalem and Tel Aviv secured, 1.Panzer prepared to race north to relieve the pressure on 21.Panzer.


The two halves of HMS Sheffield disappeared beneath the waves whilst in the distance the Roma came about ready to finish what was left of the Royal Navy still operational in the area.


Bolzano struggled to find her range as she opened up on HMS Sikh.


Muzio Attendolo fared much better.


21.Panzer was a cornered, wounded animal. And the best hunters know that such beasts should be treated with respect. A ferocious counter attack saw the pocket broken as the 40mm AA battalion was destroyed.


With the stranglehold on their position weakened, 21.Panzer regrouped alongside the newly landed support battalions.
In Beirut port, 5.Pioneer Abt. regrouped and reformed their lines.


With RAF support, what was left of the Royal navy surged forward. Destroyers versus Cruisers rarely worked out in the formers favour, but here, with skill and experience on their side the brave British made their mark.


Pferdmann had asked for a status report on Beirut port “We need to land the rest of the Division, how long until the port is in our hands?” The reply from 5.Pioneer Abt. was grim. “Heavy armoured presence. Hold on port district tenuous.”


August 9th 1942 (4)
21.Panzer, with their backs to the sea, struck back with vengeance. A battalion of Crusader tanks were destroyed.


And the infantry holding the airfield could not stand against the power of two full Panzer regiments.


Slowly but surely, 21.Panzer were grinding their way forward away from the coast. Inside Beirut port, 5.Pioneer Abt. continued to regroup, desperate to hold their position.


Major Weiss led the way north to Haifa. A battalion of Vickers quickly standing down when they realised they were facing a full Panzer division head on and alone.


Generalmajor Fischer was spurring his men forward. “21.Panzer needs our help. Forward, forward now!”


2.Panzer regiment alongside 1.Panzergrenadier regiment were to head east towards Amman whilst the remainder of 1.Panzer division went north to support their brothers near Beirut.


HMS Sikh left a trial of black smoke in her wake. Battered by Italian Cruisers it was a miracle she was still floating much less operational. Sadly her sister ship HMS Nubian had taken fire from the Roma. No Destroyer in the world could survive that.


The Beirut beachhead was once more under pressure. A British armoured Brigade including Churchills, Valentines and Shermans forced 21.Panzer to halt.


HMS Sikh approached the shore with trepidation. She needed someplace safe to hide and attempt repairs. Her Captain had expected the German forces to be further south than they were, they had advanced so quickly. When the German artillery opened fire he had little choice but to order heis ship to return fire.

[Horseman]

August 10th 1942 (5)
Generalmajor Fischer listened intently to Pferdmann’s instructions. 21.Panzer were in trouble. Still trapped with their backs to the sea and no way to escape. 1.Panzer HAD to relieve them and quickly. “Major Krüger, prepare your men. We’re punching through the English lines” The young officer quickly dismissed himself to organise his battalion. He’d seen that look in Fischer’s eyes before and knew his men would need to be properly prepared.
Twenty minutes later 1.Abt/1.Panzer Rgt drove into the mountains towards the British lines. Major Krüger had managed to convince the General to accompany his 2nd company whilst he himself led the 1st from the front.
Pferdmann read the report and smiled, he knew his old friend would not disappoint him.

In the very first scenario I explained why I put my rapid fire hero on a tank rather than the more common choice of Artillery. This is the exact reason why. Sometimes you just need something to go ham and tear it up. And this was in a PzIIIN, imagine the fun that can be had in a Panther/Tiger!

Major Wolf brought his battalion forward in support. With the General breaching the enemy flanks now was the time to assault Haifa. Spurred by reports of the first battalions success, the second battalion pushed hard to ensure their leader was not cut off.


Obersleutnant Schwarz jumped form his transport. 1.Company had already headed into the mountains to finish the retreating British that had just abandoned this position. “Tell command that Haifa is secure and the roads are clear”


Overhead the skies were still filled with planes of the RAF. Schwarz saw the AA guns take up position and fire. “Not so many planes now eh?” he mumbled to himself.


Major Weiss did not know why the British had taken Grant heavy tanks into the mountains but he did appreciate the favour. His Panzers had an edge in close quarters fighting and he made sure the British learned that lesson well.


With the British forces scattered 1.Panzer advanced.


Muzio Attendolo brought the HMS Sikh into range and finished what was left of the Royal navy still contesting this area.


With the sea now clear, Roma and Bolzano began bombarding Tyre in support of the German advance.


5.Pioneer Abt. steeled themselves. The fight for the port had been brutal but they had a job to do. Launching themselves at the city itself they fought with a fury that the British infantry had seldom witnessed. Barely able to hold the Pioneers advance they fell back and became easy prey for the Panzers to the north.


To the east of the city, Panzer IVs engaged a Sherman battalion, forcing the British back and gaining valuable breathing room to regroup in.


Karl and Otto were happy. Bertha was as good as new (they’d swear better) The British planes that had attempted to disrupt the landings now became targets themselves. “See boys, told you she’d be fine” The two friends smiled at the words Leutnant Schmid, maybe not all officers were bad.


Beirut port buzzed with life once more. German transports had docked and begun to unload their cargo.


“Watch out Karl!” The gunner heard his friends shout just in time as he dived to cover as machine gun fire whizzed overhead. “Hey Otto, let's get to Bertha. Show these Brits what she thinks of their armour” The two were soon running to their precious gun.
21.Panzer held their ground against yet more armoured assaults.


Near Beirut itself the British sent in 6Ibr Portees and 40mm SPAA in an attempt to contain the breakout.


August 11th 1942 (6)
Pferdmann shook his head. His people were making slow progress towards Amman. The mountainous terrain was not particularly suitable for his Panzers and his infantry’s cross training was some years ago!


4.Aufklärungs Abt easily overran the defenders of Tyre. The handful of men left were quick to surrender.


The men had been cooped up onboard a ship for days, waiting for their chance to land. The chance to stretch their legs was welcome and the chance to take out their frustrations on the nearby Portees was even more welcome.


Captain Raines knelt over the body of his fallen commanding officer. Shaking his head he knew what had to be done “Tell the crews to bale out, hands in the air. We nee dto make it clear we’re not putting up a fight!”


Major Klein watched as a shell literally passed though one of the SPAA trucks without knocking it out. “Damn it, AP shells are not much use against unarmoured targets!” Still the return fire pinged harmlessly off the Germans thick armour.


As the British battalion withdrew in the face of an enemy they could not harm, Panzers raced past to finish the job.


With Beirut secure and most of the division now landed. 21.Panzer strengthened their perimeter, ready for yet more British attacks.


Pferdmann allowed himself a broad grin. 21.Panzer had held their ground. And now his friend had arrived in the area to reinforce the German push. This would soon be over.


The British were not yet ready to throw in the towel. Gaining high ground advantage the Shermans failed to make an impression against the supported Panzers.


Unseen artillery beyond Amman targeted the lead Panzers whilst P.40s buzzed overhead.

[Horseman]

August 12th 1942 (7)
From their vantage point in the mountains. 16.Flak Abt had a clear shot at the P40s filling the skies over 2.Panzer regiment.


Whilst on the ground Amman was brought under siege.


Even reduced to half strength the British Shermans simply refused to die. First the StuGs and then an entire Panzer regiment were drawn into the fight.


The Valentines on the British northern flank were caught from the rear, surprised and bloodied they fell back into the German lines.


“We’ve gone the wrong way Colonel!” Colonel Melchitt checked the positioning.
“Blimey Captain, you’re right. OK lads, about turn. Lets try and break out of this little situation”


With half of Damascus occupied, the Afrika Korps formed up and prepared for the final advance to Homs.


Pferdmann was surprised. He had expected yet another British counter attack and yet none came. From behind him came the voice of his aide, Walter “Perhaps we’ve bled the British dry? Surely they don’t have an infinite number of men to throw at us?” Pferdmann scratched his chin and sighed “We can only hope. But British India lies eastwards. I fear an invasion in that direction will see us swamped by uncountable hordes”

August 13th 1942 (8)
Oberst Braun had flashbacks to Norway. He had hated those mountains but by god at least they came with some chill. Here he thought he was going to melt. A rough looking soldier approached him, snapping smartly to attention as he came to a halt. Braun nodded for him to speak. “Herr Oberst. We’ve discovered a trail that will lead us straight to those gun positions.” The man paused “Herr Oberst, they have no guard on the route, we’ll take them completely by surprise” Now Braun allowed himself to smile.


16.Flak Abt. continued to enjoy her vantage point. A wing of Spitfires becoming her next targets.


Amman was now facing enemies from all directions, Her defenders, with typical British stubbornness, prepared for what was to come.


Caught behind the lines, what was left of the British armour near Beirut surrendered.



German Flak continued to clear the skies


And the final assault on Damascus cleared the infantry, Portees and Humber armoured cars.




Despite witnessing it on so many occasions. Pferdmann could not help feeling pride in his men. They operated as one well oiled machine. Striking hard and fast and seemingly without effort they reformed their lines ready to support each other once more.


Oberst Braun wasn’t feared for no reason. Two full British battalions assailed his position including elite Para’s. He stood as an anchor in his line. His mere presence drove the soldiers around him to double their efforts lest their leader fall.


August 14th 1942 (9)
1.Panzergrenadier regiment swept the remaining British at Amman aside in a single ferocious assault.


Probing into the desert beyond the city, the forces in the south could find no sign of further resistance.


4.Aufklärungs Abt. reported Homs was well fortified but lacked heavy British units.


Being sure to remember security first, the Afrika Korps advanced.


Colonel Peters saw the advancing Germans “We hit hard and we hit fast. Don’t give them a chance to know what’s going on. We break their lines” The gathered group of officers looked less than convinced.

[Horseman]

August 15th 1942 (10)
With the British exposed, Pferdmann gave the command “Attack!”
First the Bofars were cleared form the flank.


The the artillery rained fire on the infantry guarding the airfield and the AT guns holding Homs.


British planes desperately attempting to get airbourne amongst the shelling were easily picked off by well sighted German Flak batteries positioned nearby.


Now surrounded by Panzers the British infantry quickly gave up the fight.


British Valentines that had been halted by the German armoured cars were forced to give ground.


And quickly abandoned the fight.


The reserve Vickers battalion found itself attempting to fight off Panzers that had swun gin behind. Homs itself not isolated from further help.


August 16th 1942 (11)
Pferdmann watched as the last of the British resistance was quickly overwhelmed.




Before the sun had set, he was once more as was his custom, going through his casualty reports. Despite the losses, his Korps was in good shape ready for a push into the Middle east.


And hopefully his Italian allies would not be too upset with the damage to several of their ships.

That was one I quite enjoyed. Despite the slight wobble with 21.Panzer and their landing it wasn't actually too difficult. Just keeping my head and remembering to keep units supported let them fight their way out.

You have absoulotely tons of time on this scenario. There is zero reason to rush. If I was to play it again I'd probably send a force over the desert to come at Ammans from behind (nothing else in that direction) and save myself from that particular bottleneck. I'd also hold off on the naval landing for a few turns. What ever is coming up the coast can slowly batter its way through (its one hell of a bottleneck though so no nifty encirclements are likely) then as they come towards Beirut, bring in the marines!

I was overly worried about the Royal Navy in the beginning, but they're really weak here (not surprising since you took Suez last month!) So theres no issue in holding off with your landing craft.

With no air and no OS on my units deployment zones are really getting tight, hopefully there will be some more open scenario soon to allow my force to shine!

[fluffybunnyuk]

Yup Caucasus, you'll love it with your army setup.

[Horseman]

Yup Caucasus, you'll love it with your army setup.

Is it too late to go to Russia?

[Horseman]

Middle East
August 31st 1942
Oberst Lange stood smartly to attention as he addressed Pferdmann. “Herr General. May I introduce Major Udo Schroder” Pferdmann looked the new arrival up and down before offering his hand “Welcome to the Afrika Korps Major. I trust you are not displeased to be transferred here?” Pferdmann noted that the Major had a firm grasp as he shook the offered hand before replying “It will be an honour to serve under you, Herr General. After over a year recovering in a hospital, I am pleased to be back in a combat unit. Though since Afika is far behind us now, perhaps a change in name is in order?” Pferdmann allowed himself a chuckle “Well technically we are still assigned to the Afrika theatre. Besides, I rather like the name. Welcome aboard Major, Klaus speaks very highly of you and I think very highly of Klaus. You’ll do just fine”


September 1st 1942
Pferdmann received the news with relief. 155.Infanterie regiment was assembled and transferring east. With them came 606 and 607 Flak battalions. With the Luftwaffe still unable to offer support and the Italians offering no further support beyond Egypt, he was glad to have more AA cover.


September 9th 1942 06:00
Pferdmann woke to the news he was waiting for.


He had already drawn up his plans for the liberation of Iraq some time ago and his forces were mostly in position. Sadly 90.Light Infantry division was still in transit but he was assured they would arrive in time to participate.

The plan, as always, was simple. 1.Panzer (red) would drive east and once over both rivers would turn north. 21.Panzer (Blue) would cross the Euphrates with the aid of two Brukenpioneer battalions (one of which would then transfer east to support 1.Panzer), clear the open desert and drive directly to the northern objective. 90.Light would (when they arrived) act as a link between the two Panzer divisions and support wherever was needed.


Units still transfering to the front.


September 9th 1942 08:00 (1)
A battalion of Shermans stood blocking the path east. Major Weiss had already moved his unit forward before the official order came to advance. Taken by surprise by enemy armour arriving in their rear, the British quickly surrendered.


With the way clear. Generalmajor Fischer ordered 1.Panzer forward towards Haditha.


Pferdmann could not help but be impressed with how quickly the Brukenpioneers were able to erect sturdy pontoon bridges. Mere hours after the order to attack had come, 21.Panzer was swarming over the Euphrates river.


Major Jones read the report from command. The Germans were advancing. RAF spotters had located the position of several battalions and he couldn’t help but notice a chink in their line “Look here Captain. A clear route to their bloody artillery!” The Captain glanced at the report then at his superior officer “With respect sir, there’s large amounts of space that haven’t been confirmed clear yet” Jones just scoffed
“Don’t be silly lad, lets get these Shermans rolling!”

Major Krüger stood talking to Generalmajor Fischer “They just drove straight at us sir, didn't even seem to notice we were here until we fired!” Fischer smiled at the still young (but no longer inexperienced) officer “And that is why reconnaissance is so important. Don’t forget that lesson Major.”


The British had obviously foreseen that the Germans would attempt to cross the Euphrates and had forces positioned accordingly. A lone Sherman battalion advanced on the enemy, intent on holding off an entire division.

Here we go again - a couple of Major rivers impede my path so time to trot out the bridging troops!

Purchases:
2x Wehr infantry with trucks
1x3.7cm Flak
1x Sdkfz 7/1
1x Bruken pioneer.

No upgrades.

Now attentive readers might notice that is too many slots and as you read on might also notice I only have 1 new Wehr infantry. Well thats because I brought them got all deployed and then realised that I'd forgotten to deploy any Brukenpiooners! I simply put one of my infantry in reserve and changed the towed Flakvierling to a half track version. I could have simply disbanded on of the infantry but I'm starting here with 2020 prestige and if that's not enough to see me through then I'll have bigger problems than a unit of infantry in reserve!

I could have stuck with one Brukenpioneer and left one core slot open to allow me to split them (I want two as feel like both avenues of attack will require their services) but ultimately at only one core slot a piece I'd rather have the resilience to at least eat an attack or two if it comes to it.

I had a new "prototype" available here as well. 20 strength points of Tigers sat tempting me with their delicious stompyness. I'm not sure how long those prototypes will have to last me until I have unlimited amounts available and I'm not having too much difficulty dealing with the British armour yet so I resisted the urge.

The new hero is interesting. Its basically another envelopment hero. He works slightly different in that instead of not allowing the enemy to retreat he "kills" all their movement points when he attacks. Now if I'm right in how this works I have two options, 1) Use him like the envelopment dude and he'll do the same job or 2) He can combo with my force retreat hero. He attacks first and removes the enemy movement points and then force retreat attacks and we have a surrender! Whether I remmeber to use this combo in the heat of battle is another matter!

On a side note: Technically this is an attack to liberate Iraq from British rule. Which means technically (for one whole scenario) I'm the good guy!

[fluffybunnyuk]

On a positive note:- This could turn out to be a not good day..

[Horseman]

On a positive note:- This could turn out to be a not good day..

Hopefully for the British

[Horseman]

September 10th 1942 (2)
Scores of Hurricanes flew in a pattern over 1.Panzer, preparing for their attack runs. German flak opened fire and the Hurricanes were forced to scatter, the sheer weight of fire driving them form the skies.






1.Panzer advanced cautiously. They had expected stiffer resistance than they had so far faced so maintained a defensive formation.


Pferdmann was struggling to keep his calm “Yes I said I want them gone, I know they are unarmed but they can SEE! Do you understand yet? As we speak they are reporting 21.Panzers full disposition, SHOOT THEM DOWN!”


Major Schroder was pleased to get a chance to prove his reputation. His Panzers falling on the flanks of the attacking Shermans proved too much.


More Flak arrived to remove the British “Eyes”


And with that 21.Panzer secured their bridge head. Behind them, 90.Light division arrived in the area.


September 11th 1942 (3)
Major Friedrich Richter wasn’t sure he heard his radio operator correctly “Sorry, what? Did you say we’ve had orders to assault Haditha? Request confirmation please. I thought we were here to build bridges”


Bertha wasn’t really designed to track and hit fast targets like Spitfires but Karl and Otto knew what they were doing. Clouds of Flak exploded in the air sending Spitfires into banks and climbs to avoid the worst of it. Some pilots didn’t react quick enough and others had nowhere to go but into the maelstrom.




With little resistance offered, 1.Panzer continued to advance.


Likewise, 21.Panzer advanced into the desert. Ready for the inevitable British counter attack.


22.Panzer regiment held their ground. Their Panzer IVs easily gaining the upper hand on British Valentines whilst their Panzer IIIs struggled to so much as dent the Churchills that came at them.


September 12th 1942 (4)
RAF Typhoons lifting off from their airbase came under fire from over the river. Vulnerable at take off due to the limited ability to maneuver the British planes were devastated.


1.Panzer advanced on Falluja and Karbala. 4.Aufklärungs Abt had taken the lead and British forces were confirmed to be in fortified positions. Infantry and guns so far. Pferdmann knew the armour would not be far behind. “Tell Generalmajor Fischer to advance at once and break those positions. But stay alert, British armour won’t be far away”


22.Panzer regiment easily overwhelmed the Valentines that had attacked yesterday.


The armour on the British Churchills is formidable and not easily penetrated. But Pferdmann knew that for all their might a tank without supply was nothing more than a coffin for her crew. To that end 5.Panzer regiment swung south to enclose them in a cauldron which would have no escape.


Generalmajor Fischer had dismounted to get a good view of the British disposition. The first he was aware that anything was amiss was when Major Krüger bundled him to the ground shouting “Take cover!” The artillery barrage was mercifully short but in its wake several Panzers were in need of repair.

This scenario is slightly different to most. Normally you have a nice big formation of enemy units to punch through then smaller pockets here and there as you advance across the map. Here I've barely hit any defenders so far. Its led to a reasonably tense opening few turns (for me at least) as every time I hit end turn I'm half expecting the armoured hoards to arrive! The BIG concentration of troops has to be somewhere......

[Horseman]

September 13th 1942 (5)
Generalmajor Fischer knew the danger those 6Ibr AT guns posed to his Panzers “Once the artillery has them suppressed move in for the kill if you would Mr Kruger”


With the AT guns taken care of Fischer ordered the attack. The British fortifications could prove difficult to assault directly, but with clear ground all around the Panzers could simply stand off at range and begging laying down fire.


The Spitfires that swarmed the skies over the heads of 1.Panzer were quickly engaged.


And finished.


Obersleutnant Schwarz had held back. This was not a combat operation against enemy forces, those mines needed to be gone but his men didn’t need his help.


The skies over 21.Panzers positions were no less busy. The Flak battalions assigned to support them were no less deadly.






Major Klein watched as shot after shot from his battalion's guns simply failed to penetrate the armour of the British heavy tanks. Just as he was about to give the recall order he caught the flicker of something from the nearest Churchill. It was something white and then in an instant he felt relief. The foolish British were waving a white flag. “Better tell HQ we have some British heavy tanks that’ll need shifting. Better tell them they need to find us some bigger guns whilst you’re at it”


Flight Lieutenant Hodges brought his plane round in a sharp bank. Heavy flak filled the air around him and the wing of reconnaissance aircraft he led “Evasive maneuvers lads. The Krauts have brought up some 88s”


With the British armour dealt with, 21.Panzer advanced onwards.


Obersleutnant Schwarz was bleeding from multiple close calls. British Paras had come from Fallaju and caught his men with their pants down. The majority of the Pioneers were mine clearing when the attack came and were ill prepared to fight. With just his third company in position, Schwarz had led them forward to stem the tide and give the other companies the chance to fall back. When the nearby infantry joined the attack he simply slid another magazine into his trusty MP38 and called “Hold men, hold!”

Almost immediately after I’d clicked the attack button to clear those mines I knew I’d made a mistake. All it achieved was opening a space for reinforcements to come through the city and attack the most vulnerable front line unit I have. The AI took advantage and I was lucky it was “only” Paras. A strong tank could have seen Schwarz and his faithful men dead. Lesson of the day - Just because you can clear mines doesn’t mean you should clear mines!

September 14th 1942 (6)
With enemy reinforcements coming in 1.Panzer pressed their assault. The center of their line was quickly overrun.


Panzers assaulted the British artillery allowing the Panzergrenadiers to charge forward and silence the guns once and for all.


More Panzers rolled forward and begun to shell the British positions.


Major Krüger didn’t need telling twice. Schwarz had called for support and that meant he was really in a bind. Sweeping forward his men easily breached the now undermanned fortifications ahead of them.


And routed the Para’s pressing the Pioneers.


Obersleutnant Schwarz heard a familiar click as his trusty MP38 ran dry. With no more magazines he pulled out his Walther P-38. The British advance halted unexpectedly and Schwarz quickly saw why. From behind their positions Panzer IIIs were charging forward “Tell the men to fall back slightly and regroup”


A battalion of British Para’s had dug in at the airfield, their commanding officer, when notified of the advancing German armour gave only one order “We hold until these damned planes can get back in the sky”


The Para’s on the ground were relieved as planes began to take off. That relief turned to horror when German Flak streaked overhead, knocking out easy targets. They could only be thankful that some of the pilots managed to avoid the deadly fire.


With no other enemies in sight, 21.Panzer advanced towards the Tigris river.


Near Karbala a battalion of Vickers tanks launched an attack to stem the tide


Racing down the road the British Portees had only one mission. Locate and knock out the German flak that was causing carnage to the RAF. As the Germans retreated leaving many burning vehicles behind the British suddenly became very aware of one thing. They were now alone and almost completely surrounded by an entire German Panzer division.

Another slight mistake here - I hadn't really considered how fast something could move down that road to get at a squishy target in my rear. Still I don't think those Portees will be long for this world...... And at least it was a flak unit (RAF more or less beaten by now, and I have several spares!) rather than an artillery.

[Horseman]

September 15th 1942 (7)
The German infantry quickly recovered from the armoured assault from the hills and launched their own offensive to drive the British back.


Major Weiss personally led the attack on the infantry still desperately trying to hold the southern fortifications.


The pontoon bridge was still being constructed when the men of 37.Pioneer Abt. began their crossing. Obersleutnant Schwarz was not waiting around, he’d been told there were some British 6Ibr guns on the other side that needed removing before the Panzers crossed.


More RAF bombers had dared to claim the skies over the heads of 1.Panzer. Karl and Otto were singing a jaunty tune as they brought Bertha around to fire when the former suddenly stopped “We’re going to need to come up with a better system” Otto looked over at his friend with a puzzled look “A better system for what?”
“Marking kills. We’ve run out of space!”




With the AT guns dealt with, Generalmajor Fischer ordered 1.Panzer to begin crossing. He had been warned to expect resistance in this area but he was still troubled by the sheer number of British forces marshalled against him.


Still, with Karbala cut off from supply and reinforcement, 1.Panzer will be able to concentrate her strength to the crossing.


“What the hell are they doing? Tell them to scram, we’re almost done here!” The British Colonel was shaking his head in disbelief. His men had dug their heels in and held their ground against a major armoured thrust to allow the RAF reconnaissance aircraft based here to get in the sky and withdraw. Now the Silly buggers were flying in circles overhead whilst German Flak batteries took pot shots at them!




German Pioneers quickly made short work of the foolish Portee battalion that had charged into the middle of the division.


With their ammunition spent the brave Para’s had no option but to surrender. As their Colonel knelt in the sand with his hands on his head he could still hear the engines of British planes overhead. “Bloody idiots” he growled.


21.Panzer (supported by 90.Light Infanterie) advanced on Mosul whilst their attached Brukenpioneer prepared to assist in crossing the Tigris.


They seemed to come out of nowhere. Striking fast the Commandos hoped to catch the Germans by surprise.


The Valentines sped through the open desert. It had become quickly apparent that they were caught in a cauldron and needed to break it. They should have been more cautious in their advance, the German Panzergrenadiers had remained unseen until the last possible moment. Caught by artillery and then a determined close assault, the British armoured battalion was shattered. Wide on their flanks the supporting Portees had more success. But now dangerously unsupported , both battalion were in trouble.


September 16th 1942 (8)
With infantry already engaging the British AT guns, Major Wolf quickly seized the opportunity to eliminate the threat.


Close by a battalion of Wasp flame tanks posed a threat the infantry. Major Wolf simply smiled “They took care of the guns for us, shall we return the favour?”


The Garrison at Falluja joined the list of British units now cut off.


Slightly north, 21.Panzer struck back at the British attempts to break the encirclement.




In Mosul, 90.Light Infanterie joined the fight. The British Commandos, now facing double their number and with many wounded, fell back.


But 5.Panzergrenadier regiment pursued and caught them trying to cross a bridge.


Major Schroder led his battalion across the bridge. His doubts over whether the temporary structure could support the weight of his Panzers quickly evaporated. The Brukenpioneers knew how to do their job. “Sir, enemy sighted!” Schroder quickly responded to the sighting with a show of force. Charging forward his men caught the British Long range desert force completely by surprise.


With word from Schroder confirming the east bank currently clear, 21.Panzer crossed the Tigris in force.


Pferdmann smiled. Churchill heavy tanks now led the charge to dislodge 1.Panzer from the northern bank of the Euphrates but they had waited too long. They should have attacked before the lack of supplies begun to affect them quite so much.


Both sides were surprised by the sudden contact. The German commander reacted quicker, calling in support from some nearby StuGs which punished the Stuart light tanks and even the Flak cannon scored some kills.
Major Schroder was meanwhile also calling for fire support, two full battalions of Crusaders attempted to break the bridgehead. In an hour of deadly fighting saw the Germans take some light losses with the British down to a company of tanks remaining in the field. One last battalions of Shermans came again at the Flak holding the rear, Major Klein, by now exhausted, managed to direct his battalion to blunt the assault. “Tell command we need more shells. And I don’t mean soon, I mean yesterday!”

[Horseman]

September 17th 1942 (9)
Obersleutnant Schwarz felt the vibrations through his hands as his trusty MP38 did its work. His men were back to familiar work, clearing built up areas of enemy infantry. The ferocity of the German assault troops drove the British from Falluja.


And left them easy prey for the marauding Panzers supporting the attack.


Corporal Harris of the British army was desperately trying to hold his nerve. His AA battalion had been stationed to protect an airfield west of Baghdad. They had not expected to face the German army head on! Infantry had already attacked and left the battalion in bad shape, when the Panzers appeared out of the morning haze he knew they only had one chance “Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes lads, these Oerliken’s won’t penetrate that armour at long range”
“But Corporal, they’re in tanks, by time we can see any eyes they’ll be on top of us!”
“Exactly lad, exactly”


Major Cleeves sighed. It was bad enough having to surrender. But surrendering an entire battalion of Valentine tanks to some German armoured cars really stung his pride. If the lads back home heard about this, he’d never live it down.


1.Panzer closed in on Baghdad. This would be no easy fight, they all knew that. Luckily the General had a plan to break the bottleneck and everyman present trusted the General.


Major Klein watched the last Crusader come to a halt with its turret missing and black smoke billowing from its innards “I need a munitions check, how many shells have we got left between us?”


Men of 21.Panzer and 90.Light Infanterie worked tirelessly. With no Pioneers in the vicinity they had the dubious honour of clearing the mines that blocked the southern bridge. The sounds of heavy artillery and rockets exploding in the distance did little for their nerves. Each loud bang made them look up for a nearby mine that hadn’t been cleared cleanly.


The Bridgehead over the Tigris river was expanded as the remainder of 21.Panzer prepared to support the attack on Mosul.


September 18th 1942 (10)
The British garrison at Karbala had reinforced the south west defences, with Panzergrendaiers deployed in the hills this seemed the most likely avenue of attack. When the Bruken Pioneers came at them from the North East they were quickly forced to redeploy. With at first the Panzergrenadiers joining in and then at the last some Panzers the garrison were quickly overwhelmed.


With a small foothold in Baghdad already, Obersleutnant Schwarz’s confidence was riding high. Yet another ferocious assault form his men saw the British driven before them.


And relentlessly chased down by advancing Panzers.


Major Thorpe was quickly bundled into a makeshift stockade. At once he heard the sound of an old colleague and university friend “I see they got you too old boy” Thorpe, despite the situation, couldn’t help but smile “The blaggarts had me surrounded. Still at least it was Panzers that did me in, imagine the embarrassment of surrendering to armoured cars” Major Cleeves groaned inwardly. He’d never live this down.


With all parts of Baghdad west of the Tigris now occupied both sides took a breath. The Germans knew the way through Baghdad would be hard fought, the British knew the Germans were coming.


The sounds of heavy guns and rockets were augmented by the distinct noise of 88s opening fire on RAF planes. With the last of the mines cleared, German infantry secured both bridges across the Tigris in Mosul.


More British armour found itself surrounded and forced to surrender. When news reached Pferdmann he did allow himself a small smile. The British armour certainly maintained the reputation of their ancestors. Dashing cavalry who couldn’t help but charge themselves into trouble.


The remaining infantry of 21.Panzer advanced north to support the attack at Mosul. Meanwhile the mobile elements prepared to face anything coming from Baghdad in support.