6mm 21st Panzer Division D-day afternoon

So, at Joy of 6 this year, we (Richard P, Ian S, Richard C, me and occasional helpers) played out a brigade level game of BKCIV, based on the 3rd British Infantry Division attempt to seize Caen on the afternoon of D-day.  The terrain stretched from Sword Beach to the outskirts of Caen and involved 185th British Infantry Brigade (3 battalions) with attached tank regiment from 27th Armoured Brigade, supported by a RM Commando with attached 13th/18th Hussar squadron and RM Centaur tank support.  The 185th was tasked with liberating Caen by advancing across Perriers Ridge (in the centre of the table below) and pushing into Caen.  The RM Commando was to cross the Orne Bridges and relieve the paratroopers holding Ranville and surroundings.

The long approach roads into Caen.  Lebissey Woods on the right.

Arrayed against the British was 21st Panzer Division.  This had been subdivided into three Kampfegruppes.  KG von Luck, mainly panzergrenadiers with a company of Pz IVs in support, was to advance on the far bank of the Orne, through Columbelles and take Ranville.  KG Oppeln and KG Rausch were to push along the near bank of the Orne, across Perriers Ridge and nip out the British lodgement at Sword beach.  The scene was set for both forces to clash head on.

Three Pz IV companies from Abt 1 of Pz Regt 22 with panzergrenadiers in the background heading for Lebissey Woods.

Panzergrenadiers from KG Rausch advancing on the flank of KG Oppeln.

The panzergrenadiers showing more appetite to get into the fight than the panzers!

The British deploy around the forward slopes of Perriers Ridge.

RM Commandos heading for Ranville on the far edge of the British advance.

The Jo6 setting - lots of people buying things and peering at very small figures.

A willing victim - sorry, games participant.  He enjoyed rolling some dice.

KG Rausch securing Mathieu and Epron.

Some troublesome Shermans at the base of Perriers Ridge.

KG Oppeln resting just out of Sherman range before Perriers Ridge.

Most of 21st Panzer stalled around Lebissey Woods.  On the far bank of the Orne, KG von Luck trading fire with the paratroopers around Ranville.

Where the game ended.  Short of a major clash, neither side was able to get to grips with the other before we had to call it a day.  However, the outcome was pretty historical in that the British drive for Caen was over for the day, while 21st Pz had come up against a serious hold up for it's drive on Sword.  On the day, 21st Panzer swung progressively further and further to the northwest, bypassing the British armour, eventually exploiting the gap between the Canadians from Juno and the British from Sword and reaching the sea in the vicinity of Lion-sur-Mer, before heading all the way back to the Epron area after being flown over by massed gliders landing 6th Airborne's reserves late on D-day.  I think I might use the image below as the starting point for another, smaller game, where the combatants can get to grips with each other sooner.

The models are all from Heroics and Ros, except the infantry, which is mainly Adler.  A lot of 21st Pz vehicles were from Ian Armstrong, although these are now available from Herocis and Ros - and lovely models they are too.

As ever, thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division counterattack - the British perspective

Thanks to Will for his write-up and photos, on his new Hudl, of the weekend game, written from the British perspective (linked below).

http://willwarweb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/d-day-afternoon-in-6mm.html

It was nice for the German player to be able to use the limited artillery to good effect, multiple suppressions and occasional outright kills of the infantry in the open was about the only effective way of slowing the relentless advance.  Especially when the British could call air strikes, Naval gunfire and two Priest Regiments worth of artillery down on anything that fires.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division Counterattack - the conclusion

Day two of our games weekend dawned to a typical foggy November morning.  We got on with the action, which largely consisted of the various elements of 21st Panzer hunkering down in any suitable obscuring terrain (mainly Lebisey woods and the outskirts of Caen and Epron), while the British artillery (both Naval and Field) and Typhoons plastered anything in the open.  II Abt of PzRegt 22 lost a couple of PzIVs and Somua S35s to this, but they mainly made it into the woods and took up positions on the northern edge of the woods.  The Pz-pioneers eventually debussed at the edge of the Caen BUA and deployed along the edge of town, with 88mm Heer Flak assets in support.  The 21st Panzer FAOs called down battalion barrages on anything that looked like a concentration of infantry and any armour they could include in the beaten zone.  A recce Stuart stand tried to locate infantry in the woods, but was close assaulted by a pioneer and panzergrenadiers, becoming a casualty.

We called it a day in the early afternoon, having reached c. 6pm in game time, with the 21st Panzer firmly establishing a stopline in Lebisey woods and the edge of Caen and still contesting Epron and Blainville, both of which, especially Blainville, remained vulnerable to British advances, although probably at a high cost.  In the end we agreed that the British and German artillery, while unpleasant to be on the receiving end, was probably pretty realistic.  We thought the use of air power was probably too effective and discussed possibly allowing a random sortie to be available on a random basis, say a 50% chance, but still needing to be called in as usual.  We also felt that the game would have benefited from a wider table layout to allow more room for 21st Panzer to sidestep the advancing British, as they did in the actual battle.  We also considered using a more random appearance for the British (e.g. 6 on D6 on turn 1, 5 or 6 on D6 on turn 2, etc.) and German (6 on d6 on turn 3, etc) off table forces, to simulate delays getting off the beach for the British and Allied airforce interdiction delaying the Germans.

All in all a really enjoyable game with quite a nice flavour for the period.

The British infantry suffering the effects of suppression from artillery as they advance between Mathieu and Epron.  Losses were particularly high in infantry and supports in this area.

 Epron and Caen to the right with Lebisey woods in the centre background/.

 Looking north showing 21st Panzer deployed in Lebisey woods and Epron, with one stand surviving in  Blainville (to the right and behind Lebisey woods).

21st Panzer troops at the edge of Lebisey woods and the stalled British advance beneath Perriers Ridge.

 Looking south from Benouville.

 Looking southeast from Perriers Ridge.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division counterattack AAR



It's a Deeside Defenders games weekend.  We (Ian and I) had planned a big Sword Beach game incorporating airborne and beach landings plus the push for Caen, but we would have needed about 6 players.  In the event, Will joined us for the day, so, with three players we scaled the game back to 3rd British Divisions push for Caen by 185th Brigade and the counter attack by 21st Panzer.

 

The photo below shows the view of the table looking south with Perriers Ridge at the far end, the eastern table edge representing the Orne River and the outskirts of Caen in the foreground.  

 Looking east.

 Looking north.  A parachute battalion started the game dug-in in Benouville, east of Perriers Ridge, with a company from II Battalion PzGren Regt 192 in Blaineville just beyond and the remainder of the battalion in Lebisey woods.  88mm AT gun assets were placed with the II Batt and in the outskirts of Caen along with Heer AA assets.  The game was scheduled to begin at 3pm game time with the three battalions of 185th Brigade, plus an attached Sherman regiment, entering the table using mobile deployment from north of Perriers Ridge (at the bottom of the photo).

 View along Perriers Ridge, looking west at the end of turn 3.  The British battalions have crossed Perriers Ridge and are approaching Lebisy Woods.

 View looking south at the end of the third turn (3:45pm).  Elements of Kampfgruppe Oppeln are on table moving along the east bank of the Orne, while Kampfgruppe Rausch are partially on table in the suburbs of Caen.

 KG Rauch moving into Epron and the eastern edge of Lebisy woods.

 And again.

 I and II Abt from PZ Regt 22 moving up behind Lebisy woods anchored on the Orne River to the east.

 By move 6, the Germans had learned the power of British artillery and air support.  KG Rauch had lost most of its armoured transport to 105mm Priest artillery barrages, while I Abt of 22nd Panzer had been eliminated by repeated strikes by Naval artillery, Priest barrages and Typhoon strikes.  In the photo the void left by the demise of 22nd Panzer I Abt is to the east of Lebisy woods in the right mid-ground.  KG Rauch has been reduced to dismounted infantry hunkering down in Epron and Lebisy woods,  II Abt Pz Regt 22 and more Pz-grenadiers are moving up behind the woods.  In the distance, the British battalions on the German left and centre have both experienced some Hun hate in the form of concentrated 105mm and 150mm arty barrages, which have hurt the leg infantry quite badly, stalling their advance up to now.

 Looking east, the killing zone between Lebisy woods/Epron and Mathieu/Beuville where movement for both sides is currently a problem.

 Looking south towards Caen in the distance.

This is where we called it a day for Day 1.  Tomorrow will be an interesting contest between the might of British arty and air assets and the pluck of Jerry infantry trying to hold the stop line around Caen.  Interestingly, this is where the 21st Panzer did stop 3rd British Infantry Division historically, although they did manage to get a company of Pz-grenadiers onto the beach before pulling back to Epron at the end of the day.

All in all a fun days play with some interesting thoughts and experiences, particularly the frustrations of getting moving for the British and the devastating effect of British arty for the Germans.  Thanks to Ian and Will for a great game.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division - Normandy - Kampfgruppe von Luck

The last battlegroup, KG von Luck.

Stab Pz-grenadier Regt 125, CO/HQ in Kubelwagen, pioneer platoon in S307, motor-cycle combination recce platoon and Pak38 with Laffly tow.

II Batt/Pz-grenadier Regt 125, front right HQ in ex-French half-track with 8 Schwere Ko behind with 2cm Flak 38 in U304, 7.5cm Pak 40 on S307 and 8cm Reihenwerfer on S307.  To left, 5 Ko, three infantry stands plus one MMG and four ex-French/Itlian/British truck transports.

6 & 7 Kos from II Batt/Pz-grenadier Regt 125, as 5 Ko above.

On left, 3 Pz-gren Ko from I Batt, Pz-grenadier Regt 125.  On right 4 Ko from I Abt Pz Regt 22, 3 PzIV platoons.  Behind them are a stand each of Reihenwerfer on S307 (10 Werfer Ko - Pz-gren Regt 125) and a 15cm Lorraine SPG (9 SiG Ko - Pz-gren Regt 125).

 I Batt Pz Artillerie Regt 155, 1 battery of 10cm K18 and 2 batteries of 12.2cm FH396(r), all towed by Laffly prime movers.

 Stug-Abt 200, in centre HQ with Lorraine half-track, with 2 stands of 2cm Flak 38 on U304s behind, surrounded by 5 Kos, each comprising a 10.5cm Lorraine SPG, a 7.5cm Pak40 on S307 and a Pzbeobacht Lorraine FAO.  Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten the 2 stands of pioneers in S303s that should go with the HQ.

So, that should be it for the three KGs as they appeared on D-day, assuming I finish a couple of pioneer stands plus transports for Stug-Abt 200.  For completeness, I've yet to finish off Pz Aufklarungs Abt 21, but they only became available to von Luck late in the day of D-day.  More importantly, I need to put together the six stands of Pak43/41s for Pz-jaeger Abt 200 for defending the approaches to Caen, the SP Flak 38s and Flak 41s for Heer Flak Abt 305 and a R-Vielfachwerfer on S307 for 10 Werfer Batterie of Pz Artillerie Regt 155.

I'm not aware of anyone making a Vielfachwerfer, so might have to cannibalise a Katyusha rocket launcher to mount on a S307 half track.  Alternatively, I might just use a Reihenwerfer vehicle as it would historically provide KG von Luck with off-table fire support.

I think these should be able to keep the paratroopers at Ranville busy for a day or tow.

21st Panzer Division - Normandy - Kampfgruppe Rauch

Next up, Kampfgruppe Rauch.  Still plagued with poor light problems for photography, unfortunately.

Stab Pz-grenadier Regt 192, motorcycle/sidecar recce and CO/HQ, pioneer stand with S303 transport and Pak 38 with Laffly ex-French softskin.

 I Battalion Pz-grenadier Regt 192.  At the back HQ with S303 transport and Lorraine 10.5cm SPG. In the foreground 1 and 2 Kompanies, each three infantry and one MMG in U304s.

 The rest of I Battalion, 3 Kompanie as 1 and 2 above, and 4 Kompanie with one stand each of U304 with 2cm Flak 38, S307 with 7.5cm Pak 40 and S307 with 8cm Reihenwerfer.

 II Battalion Pz-grenadier Regt 192, with HQ with unarmoured ex-French half-track at the front, with 5 and 6 Kompanies, each three infantry and one MMG stands in captured softskin transports (various British, Italian and French trucks, plus some ex-French half-tracks.

 7 Kompanie,as 5 and 6 Kompanies above, plus 8 Kompanie as 4 Kompanie above.  At the back are 9 and 10 Kompanies, one stand of a Lorraine 15cm SPG and an S307 Reihenwerfer.

 Panzer Pioneer Battalion 220, 2 Kompanie at the front, three pioneers, an MMG and 81mm Mortar stand with S303 transports, and 3 Kompanie at the back, as 2 Kompanie but in softskin transports.  On the left is the CO in S303 transport.  1 Kompanie is detached to KG Oppeln.

 II Battalion Panzer-Artillerie Regt 155, batteries 4, 5 and 6, of 2 10.5cm and 1 15cm Lorraine SPGs, each with a Pzbeobacht Lorraine FAO.

This KG provides the infantry support for KG Oppeln's armour, allowing ground taken by the armour to be held by the supporting infantry.

I've almost wrapped up KG Von Luck and I'm still working on Stug Abt 200, Pz Aufklarungs Abt 21  and some smaller elements to complete the Division.

Thanks for looking.