KG Krafft, 5 June, 1942 - Afrika Korps
Repair, resupply, and reorganization: Replacement vehicles finally arrive, all panzer platoon leaders (excepting platoon D) now have PzKw IIIL model panzers and the /1 panzers are all PzKw IIIj/1's giving two panzers in each of the main panzer platoons with the 50L60 long barrel 5cm guns (and incidently, smoke dischargers).
Situation: For nearly two weeks, Rommel's forces have been trapped in "the Cauldron" between an extensive minefield and stiff British resistance. A few days ago a corridor was opened for resupply, splitting the Allied front in half. Early in the afternoon, Rommel issues orders to resume the attack. KG Krafft's operational area is the "Knightsbridge box", a generally open sandy region with numerous hills topped by rocky outcroppings. Numerous sand dunes are present however there are also a few windswept areas of packed earth as well as an east/west road running through the area about three quarters a kilometer from the southern edge of the area. [Assault mission, visibility 57, length 47, standard victory hexes, 100x100 map size]
Orders: Launch an assault against the "Knightsbridge box", destroy the enemy defenders and sieze control of the area. Attached to KG Krafft for the duration of the operation is the II battalion of the 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment. Primary artillery support will be provided by the I battalion of the 33rd Artillery Regiment (10.5cm) with Korps providing one captured 25pdr battery for counterbattery and smoke only (limited ammo). Luftwaffe is able to provide four Bf 109E-7's and four Bf110E-2's for tactical airstrikes.
Battle Plan: The initial axis of attack is west to east one kilometer north of the southern edge of the area. The panzergrenadier battalion will lead the advance two up with the third company held in ready reserve. The panzer company will follow and provide direct fire support. Upon reaching the southernmost objective area, the axis of attack will change becoming south to north towards the center of the northern objective areas.
Execution: KG Krafft kicked off the assault with artillery strikes on likely AAA positions followed by an all out airstrike of eight planes. The airstrike resulted in one Grant tank destroyed and a small number of infantry units destroyed, decimated, and/or routed. British also fired interdictory missions from four 25pdr troops but with no casualties resulting.
Artillery and airstrikes continue to pound the British defenses as KG Kraft advances. At the 15 minute mark, Oberstlt Krafft gives the wind up order and the mechanized and motorized portions of the kampfgruppe prepare to move out. On the next pass of the Luftwaffe one Bf109 strays too far north and is nearly shot down by Bofors 40mm AAA fire, the pilot coaxes the badly damaged airplane towards the nearest friendly airbase. The sIG33's, having shifted firing positions, are given a new mission to bombard infantry positions spotted by the Luftwaffe pilots.
The Luftwaffe, as usual, refuse to follow ground guidance and intent on avenging their crippled comrade, find two of the AAA positions, destroying one of the Bofors and damaging the other. The previous fire mission for the sIG33's is cancelled and they are given a new one to knock out the remaining AAA position. Enemy artillery fire comes uncomfortably close to KG Krafft's SdKfz 10/4's and, while undamaged, they are forced to reposition.
Platoon T of S company is fired upon by a dugin infantry squad. A torrent of long range machinegun and 5cm cannon fire together with fire from the nearby platoon U of S company quickly suppress the enemy unit. Mortar fire is plotted just in case and the 10.5cm batteries of the supporting artillery battalion are retasked to fire smoke to mask off the enemy front line from rearward support elements. Within minutes the solitary British infantry squad near the road is routed.
Another airstrike, this time a Bf109 and a Bf110 are damaged but the second known AAA position is knocked out of commission. A second infantry squad is encountered, about 250 meters east of the first one, and yet another fires but remains unspotted. The lead British squad has been eliminated and the second routed as the advance continues. The sIG33's are being reloaded so the 8cm mortars are given instructions to shift fire towards the second position further east. A smoke mission is called on the secondary obscuration targets about 500 meters east of the first obscuration targets.
Two more squads are spotted as the second of the first two encountered routs. Both are in reverse slope positions that render them immune to long range direct fire except from very narrow angles. Fortunately a few machineguns of the panzergrenadier battalion found themselves in one of those narrow arcs. Given the restricted vision into the surrounding area, forward observers were having a tough time getting the mortars to shift fire onto those new targets so the sIG33's, despite not having completed reload, were once again given the mission.
Mines were spotted on the road and just as the pioniers attached to the panzergrenadier battalion arrived to remove them, enemy artillery began falling. Fortunately the enemy spread out its fire missions to a number of other spots as well, only one of which resulted in any damage (a disabled truck). Still the enemy artillery failed to stop the advance, supported by the panzer company, the lead elements of the panzergrenadier battalion overran the British platoon protecting the road. As the engineers cleared the road of mines, the advance continues and artillery fire is called in on suspected enemy positions near the southern objective area.
Just as the advance is starting to pick up speed, another, much more extensive, minefield is detected (in one case stumbled upon). The mechanized pionier platoon is ordered forward just in case the minefield proves deeper than anticipated. Time is not yet a factor, but at nearly an hour and a half into the battle, the deadline is two and a half hours away and the plan doesn't allow for too much wasted time. Of course, the British pick that moment to begin raining artillery down on the troops near the road and the minefield.
Oberstlt Krafft curses the designer of the Knightsbridge box minefields, just when you think you've penetrated them, you run into another batch. Time is beginning to become a factor as the 10.5cm batteries are running low on ammo and most of the Luftwaffe aircraft have returned to base either out of ammo or too damaged to risk continuing. Two hours in to the battle, KG Krafft is still 500 meters short of the first phase objective. Enemy artillery continues to play a minor role in the delay, but of far more importance are the multilayered and random minefields being encountered.
Using long range machinegun fire to suppress squads and smoke to separate them from their support, the panzergrenadier battalion closes in towards the first objective area, overrunning two more British infantry squads on their approach. A sniper opens up on the advancing panzergrenadiers but liberal spraying of machinegun fire in the sniper's vicinity soon flushed him out and direct fire from a 5cm mortar battery finished him off.
While 25 pounder troops unleash shells on the reargaurd of the advance causing some halts and rerouting of traffic, the British have a colossal turn of bad luck when they launch a counterattack right in to the teeth of the advance. A new, never before encountered, size of ATG has fired upon one of our panzers, fortunately it missed. It appears about the same size as our 50L60 PaK 5, perhaps a bit larger, this does not bode well. The 10.5cm batteries report HE ammo nearly exhausted and no more smoke shells available. The sIG33's still have over 50% remaining after last resupply, the 8cm mortars have been fully restocked, and the 7.5cm IGs are currently being resupplied.
A pair of Honey tanks launched a brief counter attack from the north, they managed to destroy one halftrack before being destroyed. A troop of Grant tanks with accompanying infantry has been spotted in the north, it is headed west, presumeably to attack our rear area. Of course, there's nothing there to be attacked. A Bofors AAA position in the north has been destroyed and the only spotted 6pdr ATG has been damaged, it is also under mortar bombardment.
The southern objective area has been secured and a little over one hour remains to capture the two northern objective areas, Oberstlt Krafft orders the commitment of the reserve panzergrenadier company. Enemy artillery falls among a group of machineguns but, as they have not been moving for awhile, there were no immediate casualties. The G3 panzer was lost to 6pdr fire from an unspotted gun. A pair of Lee tanks are spotted coming down from the far north and the Grant tanks have reversed course, now heading generally in the direction of the southern objective area.
A previously unspotted Bofors 40mm gun just east of the northeastern objective causes major damage to the G4 panzer. The G1 panzer destroys the gun with its second shot. The G2 panzer is lost with all hands to a 6pdr ATG located near the northwestern objective area. The G1 panzer destroys another Grant tank and destroys another Bofors 40mm gun. The G0 panzer is heavily damaged by ATG fire and is forced to withdraw.
A 6pdr ATG located within the northeastern objective area fires upon and destroys the E3 panzer, it also heavily damages the E4 panzer which is forced to withdraw. There are three Lee tanks advancing south just west of the northeastern objective area and there are at least two squads of infantry supported by an immobilized Grant covering the northwestern objective area. Time is running out, less than an hour remains. Panzer platoon F takes the Lee tanks under fire, destroying two with the help of the command panzers and then the F3 panzer advances and kills the last Lee tank.
With half an hour remaining, the D1 panzer is brewed up by a Bofors 40mm AA-gun that was hiding in the area of the northwestern objective. From the far north, a Matilda II is spotted advancing towards the northeast objective area. A troublesome Vickers HMG squad in the north continues to catch the occasional unwary squad during movement with a burst of deadly fire. The reserve panzergrenadier company (Y) rode its Opel trucks within a few hundred meters of the northwestern objective area using smoke from nearby units to cover the path. Having disembarked, they are advancing on that objective. The northeast objective area is being secured by the KG's pionier (gep) platoon with support from panzer platoon D.
Company Y stumbled upon a group of three bunkers just south of the northwestern objective area, fortunately they were facing west and the nearest was quickly destroyed with grenade bundles. The Matilda II, hit with a blizzard of 5cm AP rounds, popped smoke. A few minutes later, the Matilda emerged from the smoke screen only to find itself at short range to a half dozen 5cm barrels, the surprise was short. Panzergrenadiers destroyed the bunkers near the northwest objective area while panzers and artillery supressed the Vickers machineguns. Three pillboxes were discovered northeast of the northeastern objective area and to their east, the British headquarters. Within ten minutes, the pioniers had destroyed all three pillboxes and the British headquarters surrendered to panzer platoon D. Another 6pdr ATG was discovered just west of the northwest objective area, it was destroyed by panzergrenadiers.
With ten minutes left, the northwestern and northeastern objective areas were declared secure. Oberstlt Krafft radioed in the 'all clear' message and KG Krafft went into hasty defensive positions awaiting further orders.
Decisive victory, KG Krafft!
Last turn file attached, thanks for reading
