- This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by
Rod Robertson.
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23/02/2015 at 20:28 #18281
Just Jack
ParticipantAll,
We’ve got a snow day here in Dallas, so I’m able to post this a bit early.
It’s 1000, 19 Sept 1939, and, having discovered the positions opposite them abandoned, KG Klink has moved north across the river to begin the grim process of reducing the Kutno pocket. The Poles are beat and they know it; they fought bravely to break through the German trap, but their men are exhausted and their equipment expended, and they are further disheartened as news of the Soviet betrayal (the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 Sept 1939) has just reached them. The Poles are surrendering in droves, though some pockets of resistance remain.
One such pocket is at the village of Krowice (fictional), where KG Klink reconnaissance discovered dug-in enemy troops at approximately 0800 this morning. They promptly pulled back to higher ground to observe as the Poles were given a healthy dose of air and artillery, and no sooner had the last Stuka pulled out of its dive then elements of KG Klink were streaming forward to break the Polish position, looking to hit the Poles before they’d fully recovered from the supporting fires. It worked.
The opposing forces:
The Germans, with a star studded roster of no less than four holders of the Iron Cross 2nd Class: led by the Schutzen Company Comander, 1st Lt Freitag (Iron Cross), all of his 3rd Grenadier Platoon (led by 2nd Lt Tausch, Sgt Schlessinger’s 1st Squad, Cpl Nader’s 2nd Squad, Cpl Hauer – Iron Cross – 3rd Squad, and Cpl Kamphaus’ 4th Squad), three squads from 4th Grenadier Platoon (acting platoon commander Sgt Mader – Iron Cross – with the HQ section, Cpl Kandler’s 1st Squad, and Cpl Imhofe -Iron Cross – 3rd Squad), supported by two tanks of 2nd Panzer Platoon (acting Platoon Commander Sgt Grossman’s Pz Mk III and LCpl Otjen’s Pz Mk II) and Cpl Osswald’s 80mm mortar.
The Poles, with their CO, a Maxim .30-cal MG, a 37mm anti-tank gun, a 76mm field gun, and eight rifle squads, are dug-in but demoralized.
Overview, north is up, with Germans coming from the south and Poles dug-in in the north. Lt Freitag, the CO, is with Lt Tausch’s 3rd Platoon in the center, 4th Platoon is moving up on the far right, and the two Panzers are at bottom left, having been late to the line of departure. The Poles are dug-in, but have been pounded for several hours, and the Germans are looking to close the distance rapidly to take advantage of the Poles shell-shocked state (note: I didn’t do anything to penalize the Poles in the game, this is just narrative that fits after the fact of what happened on the tabletop, if that makes sense).
The Germans are a bit too concerned with the enemy anti-tank gun and miss the Polish infantry squads stealing close.
Someone’s hunting an Iron Cross: a single German squad assaults the hill, dispatching the enemy machine gun (off camera to right) in close combat, dispatching the enemy field gun (center) in close combat, then withstanding counterattacks by three enemy rifle squads (one off camera) led by their commanding officer.For the whole report, check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/02/kg-klink-poland-game-16.htmlIt was one hell of a final performance. Actually I had planned two more fights for the Polish campaign, but I’ve got a bunch of other stuff I need to get to (not least of which is 5Core Brigade Commander play-testing, for which I’ve been amassing 6mm forces. I finished up painting 320 6mm infantry this weekend, only to realize I’m short. Now I’m waiting on more infantry and more bases…), so I was already looking for the door, and when this fight went off the way it did I thought, “what a perfect way to wrap up the campaign.” I hope you had as much fun as I did.
I’m busy painting, basing, and re-basing (dammit!), but stay tuned as more games are soon to follow.
V/R,
Jack23/02/2015 at 20:46 #18283kyoteblue
ParticipantA good ending, glad your Germans figured out how to use a mortar……
23/02/2015 at 21:05 #18285Ivan Sorensen
ParticipantOnly in 6mm does “320 painted infantry” still come up short 🙂
Looks like a solid close to a pretty intense campaign. Well done.
23/02/2015 at 22:57 #18293Rod Robertson
ParticipantJust Jack:
So this is the last game in Poland?!? Well then what I said for Game 15 then.
Cheers.
Rod Robertson
24/02/2015 at 06:48 #18296War Panda
ParticipantNice ending to the campaign (if you happen to be German) and feels appropriate considering the overall historical outcome.
I’ve never war-gamed the Polish conflict. I suppose unconsciously I felt disinclined due to how unattractive the whole proposition of staging such a despicable and cowardly invasion (especially considering the pact the Nazi’s had signed with Russia.)
Yet I’d be more than interested in playing a localized conflict after reading your campaign. (Strange that I’d feel that way given the hobby is about recreating the savage moments of human conflict, carnage and suffering.)
It was excellently done. Great narrative and your well articulated descriptions of each of the battles helped give descent impressions of what was transpiring.
I have to say I’ve personally enjoyed some of your closer photos too. Helps my slow mind to focus on a particular point of the engagement.
Overall I have to say “well done” very enjoyable and looking forward to France
BTW can you make the photos larger on your website? I know people ask me that about my AAR’s and I’ve struggled but I think your’s are even smaller than mine. If its a Blogger Site then I’d imagine each photo set to medium and they could be set to Large? I know your a small guy and all…
“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”24/02/2015 at 11:31 #18341Norm S
ParticipantJack having got 16 games under your belt and the number of game situations that it generated, what are your views overall about the rules?
24/02/2015 at 15:36 #18357Just Jack
ParticipantHoly Cow, let me catch up here.
Kyote – Thanks, man, and hurry up with your Ifat stuff.
Commissar – Thank you Sir, you did alright with the rules, which made all this possible 😉 I’m working on getting my stuff ready for Brigade Commander, but 1) I’m having project ADD (can’t focus on only one), 2) I keep running out of stuff (infantry and bases), and 3) the pure volume is wearing me out…
Rod – No sweat man. Hopefully you saw my response to your questions regarding the Polish MG in the last game.
Panda – Yeah, I don’t have any problem separating my gaming from the political aspects of real life, so no big deal to me. A lot of the campaign (and the upcoming battle for France) was driven by reading the actual history; I really thought there wasn’t much fighting in Poland or France, but it turns out there was quite a bit of ferocious fighting, so I wanted to game that, and threw out the politics. I’m glad you enjoyed the batreps; I wish mine looked as good as yours but went as fast as mine 😉 I can set the photos bigger I suppose, I didn’t know it was a problem. And you calling someone small? If I make the photos any larger you’ll be looking them ‘life-size.’ 😉
Norm – I’ve actually played 21 games: 16 for KG Klink in Poland, but before that I played 5 games of “Somewhere in Italy, 1943.” I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I think the rules are fantastic. They’re simple (the only thing I have to look up is the Random Events table), they’re intuitive (at least to me), they’re quick (games were between 40 and 90 minutes), they add a significant amount of friction without making you feel like a spectator (which is key to my solo enjoyment), the combat system is simple but feels right and is pretty decisive.
I think they handle roughly company-level actions very well, so well that I intend on fighting out the rest of WWII with KG Klink using them, I plan on fighting a similar campaign in the Pacific using them, I plan on continuing my modern French Foreign Legion campaign with them, and I plan on starting a modern USMC campaign using them. I may end up getting burnt out on these rules someday, but today is not that day 😉
The base activation and combat mechanisms are so solid that Ivan is even working on moving them to other periods/genres (you’ve probably seen all the traffic here about Brigade Command).
Hopefully that answers your questions; let me know if you’ve got more.
V/R,
Jack24/02/2015 at 23:08 #18385War Panda
Participant” I really thought there wasn’t much fighting in Poland or France, but it turns out there was quite a bit of ferocious fighting, so I wanted to game that, and threw out the politics.”
Do you know I think you’re right, it’s actually more an issue of my own ignorancy of that area of conflict rather than any sensitivities I’d have. The little I know seems such an outright slaughter that it wouldn’t interest me; in the same way that recreating the Roman colosseum Lions vs Christians…although I shouldn’t give you and Blue ideas; throw in Elvira and a couple of fit goats and you’ll be all over it
“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”25/02/2015 at 02:09 #18401Just Jack
Participant“…Lions vs Christians…”
It’s coming into focus now why you had Arabic subtitles in your video the other day.
V/R,
Jack25/02/2015 at 21:19 #18451Rod Robertson
ParticipantJust Jack:
C’mon Jack, spank the Froggies! Let’s get going Herr Klink. Stop wasting time on the train from Poland. If you’re attached to General Rommell’s Ghost Division you better get moving. Cross the Meuse and overrun the French defences. Raus Schneller!
Cheers and good gaming.
Rod Robertson.
26/02/2015 at 00:15 #18466War Panda
ParticipantHey Rod what did the “Froggies” ever do to you…well apart from smacking your bottoms the other weekend in the 6 Nations
“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”26/02/2015 at 00:35 #18470Rod Robertson
ParticipantAl-Panda el Harb:
They exist and that is crime enough. Remember, I live in Quebec and am surrounded by their distant descendants. But, as bad as the continental French and les Quebecois are, I thank my lucky stars that I am not surrounded by Irishmen!
May you slip on a shamrock and fall!
Rod Robertson
26/02/2015 at 00:36 #18471Ivan Sorensen
ParticipantTry being surrounded by Americans 🙂
26/02/2015 at 00:51 #18472Rod Robertson
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