[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.