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All,
It’s 0600, 9 Sept 1939. Following the reversal seen yesterday as the Reconnaissance Company tried to push into Warsaw which saw the death of its commander, the unit fell back and awaited the rest of the kampgruppe to catch up and consolidate. Colonel Klink consulted with his commanders and decided on a dawn attack; he’s also received a Warning Order from 4th Panzer Division, which iterated a threat to the west (the beginning rumblings of what would become the Battle of Kutno), necessitating Klink hold his armor out of the upcoming fight, so the morning assault once again saw Lt Freitag’s Landser at the forefront.
An all infantry fight, but for Sgt Pichler’s Sdkfz 221 (he and his crew refused to be left behind after the previous day’s manhandling). The Polish National Guard did their job the previous day, buying time for reinforcements, and so today’s foe is composed of regulars from the Polish 31st Infantry Division.The Poles: CO, 2 x 37mm ATG, 1 x 82mm mortar, 2 x .30 cal. MG, and 7 x rifle squad (4 of which have attached anti-tank rifles).
The Germans: commanded by the Schutzen Company commander, 1st Lt Freitag, Sgt Pichler’s armored car, 2nd Lt Klugmann (an Iron Cross holder) and his 2nd Platoon HQ section, along with his 1st Squad (Sgt Aust), 2nd Squad (Sgt Haas, also an Iron Cross holder), and 3rd Squad (Cpl Arndt), 2nd Lt Tausch and his 3rd Platoon HQ section, along with his 1st Squad (Sgt Schlessinger) and 2nd Squad (Cpl Nader). In support from the Schwere Platoon are Cpl Creuzburg and LCpl Steinkamp’s MG-34 MGs, Cpl Osswald’s 80mm mortar, and Sgt Oberlander’s 75mm field gun.
Overview, north is up, Germans on left (west) and Poles (on blinds, for now) on right (east). The CO, 3rd Plt, and Sgt Pichler’s vehicle are in the north, 2nd Plt, plus one MG, is in the south, minus one squad covering the mortar, an MG, and the field gun in the center.There are still casualties and burning German armored cars on the battlefield from yesterday’s fighting.
Having defeated the Polish left flank, Lt Klugmann and Sgt Haas, both wearers of the Iron Cross, move their squads forward on the enemy’s center, occupied by the two ATGs, their mortar, and their CO. Easy pickings…As always, plenty of drama, but this was the closest to an easy day as I’ve had with these rules.
For the whole fight, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/01/kg-klink-poland-game-8.htmlWhat stands out to me about these rules are the swings in momentum. This may drive some folks crazy, but it’s a big part of the attraction for me. Between the activation rolls (“man, I really need a scurry,” but roll a firefight, and “I hope he rolls anything but a firefight,” but there it is) and the random events (the enemy getting lulls to recover/rally their troops, or reinforcements, etc…, and me getting confused or panicked, etc…), you never know what’s going to happen. It has enough chaos to never let you know what’s going to happen, to never have a fight seem like a sure thing, but it never makes me feel like I can’t control anything. You’re constantly making decisions; it’s almost always the between two or three crappy choices, but you’re always making decisions.
The campaign is moving right along. KG Klink secured a toe-hold in the outskirts of western Warsaw, only to be immediately recalled to combat the threat to the west (yes, behind them!). The Polish army opposite Guderian’s troops coming down from the north have linked up with the Polish army pushed aside by the German 10th Army (which entered from the west). They fought their way together, but ended up in caught in the junction of two major rivers. Now there is much confused fighting, with German forces entering the area from all points of the compass, and the Poles counterattacking to the north, east, and south, seeking to push the Germans back, secure river crossings, and consolidate their combat power. KG Klink is hastily thrown into the fray.
V/R,
Jack
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