KG Veritable - 1 - 9/39 - "We're here to stay!"

[Veritable]

This is a GE WW2 long campaign, starting in September 1939. I know, I know, it's all been done to death, but hopefully my narratives will be enough to spice things up.

Setup is SP GenEd v8.403, Enhanced 2008 DVRN, True Troop Cost but Rarity Off, default starting points, which is ~3100. For the core force, I've decided to go with the concept of a modern US Army Task Force, where a tank battalion trades an armoured company with an infantry company from an infantry battalion, forming 2 Task Forces.

Command Element:

1x HQ, 1x Fixed Command Post, 1x Fixed Ammo Dump

Armoured Task Force:

1x Recon Platoon (9x Recon Squads and 9x PzKW-IIcs)
3x Tank Platoons (8x PzKW-IIIes and 4x PzKW-38ts)
1x Mech Infantry Platoon (1x Platoon Leader, 4x Rifle Squads, 5x SdKfz 251/1s)

Infantry Task Force:

1x Recon Platoon (9x Recon Squads and 9x PzKW-IIcs)
2x Mech Infantry Platoons (2x Platoon Leaders, 8x Rifle Squads, 10x SdKfz 251/1s)
1x Mech Engineer Platoon (1x SMG-equipped Engineer w/ flamethrower + satchel charge, 3x rifle-equipped Engineer w/ satchel charge, 2x LMG Sections, 5x SdKfz 251/1s)
1x Support Tank Platoon (4x PzKW-IVcs)

Support Company:

2x Motorized Heavy FlaK Sections (4x 88mm FlaK 18s, 4x SdKfz 6s)
2x Motorized Medium Field Gun Sections (4x 105mm Field Howitzers, 4x SdKfz 6s)
2x SP FlaK Sections (4x 37mm SdKfz 6/2s)
1x Mech Mortar Platoon (1x Platoon Leader, 6x 81mm Mortars, 4x SdKfz 251/1s)

Core force screenies:

[Veritable]

The first few days of war didn't feel like, well, war. Of course, not that any of us ever experienced what war was supposed to feel like before, as those with Great War experiences still in service usually have a few stars on their collars by now, thus somewhat removed from where we stood now, a few days of cautious marches into Poland. Regardless, due to the narrow attack frontage assigned to our Division, the Division advanced in the classic "reversed wedge" formation, 2 regiments in front, 1 regiment in the back. We were the "back," where if everything happened according to plan, there would be no contact anyways.

Actually, even the 2 leading regiments advancing abreast reported zero enemy contact since the Division jumped off into Poland on September 1st. We've received no incoming artillery fire, and our Luftwaffe brothers in the sky seemed to be successful so far in keeping the Polish Air Force off our backs. We've all heard about the bloodletting that the Das Reich Division was going through to our north, wading through minefields, cutting open barbed wires, and reducing stubborn bunkers. Gosh, what guts! Most of our soldiers outwardly voiced desires to "get in on the action," but inside, we all dreaded the time when "it" happens, when it's our turn to "see the elephant." So far, though, as our Regiment advanced in tactical formation in between and behind the 2 leading regiments, it felt the same as one of the numerous training marches we conducted throughout Eastern Germany, just that all the signs were in Polish.

We were just about to finish our positioning for the night bivouac when Regimental HQ received a frantic message from Division. The "elephant" has arrived, in the form of a Polish infantry division attack concentrated right between the 2 leading regiments, the weakest part of any military formation, where 2 units tie in their flanks. Both leading regiments used their recon companies to maintain contact with each other, and the Poles just rolled through the lightly armed Recon Groups and PzKW-IIcs, and the follow-on forces blew through the hole before the tank companies could manuever to plug it.

Finally, everything that happened so far is making sense. Rather than manning the static defences and trading shots with superior German armour, and be pummeled by our dive bombers, the Polish commander in our sector opted instead to suck our Division in with minimal contact, win the recon battle by denying us information on his whereabouts while figuring out our weakest point, then hit that point with everything he's got.

When the Regiment redeployed into a Hasty Defense posture, the Poles were reported to be scant minutes away, which meant there were no time to dig defensive works. Still, our men frantically worked their shovels, hoping to get some kind, any kind of cover thrown up before taking incoming fire. Behind us, the entire Divisional Artillery Command, 4x battalions of 150mm and 2x battalions of 105mm field howitzers were assigned to us as a matter of default; if we couldn't hold our position, they would be next in line to face the stampede.

The elephant was coming, coming to throw us back into Germany. However, as our tankers pulled the hatches down tight and our infantrymen hunkered down behind whatever cover they could find, to a man, we steeled ourselves against the expected onslaught, and the Regiment spoke, as one voice, that we will not back down, and that we're here to stay.

---

For the deployment, the northern forward objective is mostly covered by the Armoured Task Force, with the Recon Platoon in front, both of the PzKW-IIIe Tank Platoons behind, and the Mech Infantry Platoon interspersed amongst the tanks. Because of the capable anti-tank guns fielded by the PzKW-IIIes, no 88mms are deployed in this sector, so both the 105mm howitzer sections are sited here.



---

For the center forward objective, covering the middle paved road and the southern dirt road, we have the remaining Tank Platoon from the Armoured Task Force (PzKW-38ts) overlapping with one of the Mech Infantry Platoons from the Infantry Task Force (hereon referred to as the ITF), part of the ITF Recon Platoon (3x PzKW-IIcs and 3x Recon Groups) in front, and part of the ITF Support Panzer Platoon (PzKW-IVcs) covering the southern dirt road. For anti-armour work, 2 of the 88s are covering the field between the roads, and 2 of the 37mm SP FlaK vehicles cover the paved road.



---

The southern forward objective is stacked with the ITF Engineers Platoon, another part of the ITF Recon Platoon, and 2 88s. To their north, between the objective and the southern paved road, sits the remaining ITF Mech Infantry Platoon, the other 2 37mm SP FlaK, then finally the remainder of the ITF Recon Platoon deployed on the road itself.



---

Finally, the HQ element is between the 2 rear objective areas, along with the 81mm mortars and their attached half-track transport. Due to the length of the defensive area and we expect to be hit all along the line, we have no mobile reserve on hand. Once the general direction of the Polish attack is known, we can pull off lightly engaged tank and recon platoons for containment or counter-attacks, but until then, we'll meet them with everything we've got, as far forward as possible.

[PimpYourAFV]

Okay let's see how this battle goes.

[Veritable]

Turn 1. It's dark, it's raining, and visibility is down to 9 hexes. For the last hour or so, up and down the line our soldiers heard the shuffling of feet, the clatter of hooves and the rumble of diesel engines, muffled by the constant beating of the steady rain drops on the steel skin of their armoured fighting vehicles.

There was a general line of hills that ran north to south just in front of the Regiment's defensive lines, which the Regiment was unable to occupy because it was decided that there wouldn't be time to secure it before the Poles showed up. Our soldiers did try to position themselves just beyond sight of the hills, so that the Poles would have to descend the slopes before spotting us. The DIVARTY batteries pounded the eastern slope with a few rounds from each of its guns, just to sight in the tubes. With the fire missions plotted, they promised that they could rapidly shift fire to the front of our positions as soon as Regimental HQ called.

Meanwhile, men stowed away their shovels and the tank crews mounted their vehicles, and eagerly awaiting the onslaught that would follow, and dreading it at the same time. Who would get the first shot in, and receive the first hit? Who would live to tell the story, and who would spend their last night here in the rain-drenched Polish countryside?

[Veritable]

Turn 3.

The Regimental HQ was convinced that there must have been a section in Murphy's Law that said that the area defended with the fewest tanks (in this case, none) would be struck by the only 37mm-equipped armoured cars spotted all along the line. The southern flank, held by a detachment of the ITF Recon Platoon, the Combat Engineers and a section of 88mm, has spotted the armoured cars crest the hill in front of them. The Recon PzKW-IIcs were the first to fire in anger, kicking off the Regiment's combat career. Unfortunately, the 37mm guns proved more effective compared to our 20mm autocannons, and after a turn of furious fusilades, the Regiment had to accept the unhappy exchange of 2 PzKW-IIcs with 2 armoured cars. Even more maddening, the 88mm FlaK guns were sited 2 hexes behind, and could not even see the top of the hill and help out the beleaguered recon tankers. The Regimental HQ was also convinced that there must have been another section in Murphy's Law for that event as well.



In the center, the hill curved towards the west, and the Regiment was able to take advantage of the high ground. In the valley below, our soldiers heard the unmistakable sound of hundreds of shuffling feet, and to a man, the grip on the trigger were just a little tighter.



Slightly to the north, a valley runs east-west towards the southern flank of the Armoured Task Force's defenses, and was covered by an ATF detachment of 3x PzKW-IIcs and their attached Recon Groups. The valley would soon be dubbed the Valley of Death as the enfilade fires bled the Polish rifle squads channeled into it completely white.

[Veritable]

Turn 4.

In the center sector, the ITF attached tank platoon, 4x PzKW-IVcs were really in the fight now, using their snub-nosed low-velocity 75mm guns to full effect on the Polish infantry, who were trying to cross the valley floor at a dead run, with no armour support.



In the north, because of the flatter terrain, it was the Ride of the Valkyries, as what seemed like a full company of Uhlan Cavalrymen came across the field in full trot, with speedy armoured cars on the extreme north end and anti-tank teams mixed in the middle. Soon, the Recon Platoon detachments in this sector were firing point-blank into adjacent hexes as small cars and horses swarmed all around them.

[Veritable]

Turn 5.

The full effect of the cavalry charge could now be felt, as the northern-most Recon Platoon detachment was about overrun and the couple of PzKW-IIIes guarding the left flank had barely enough time for 2 shots before the armoured cars threatened to zoom past.



In the extreme south, all 3 PzKW-IIcs were out of commission, and just then 4 of the Polish light tanks, TKMs showed up. Murphy's Law once again. Barring any of them blindly stumbling into the Regiment's combat engineers and eating a satchel charge, the 2 88s were all that stood between them and the southern objectives.



Needless to say, things are not looking great, and the Regiment had no reserves except for the DIVARTY, as all mobile elements are currently decisively engaged.... The Colonel stepped out of the bustling tent, away from the junior lieutenants busily relaying contact reports and moving markers on the tactical map, looked up into the drizzling night sky then towards the fireworks show to the east, and perceived the scene in silence.

[PimpYourAFV]

So the Poles managed to cobble together a bit of an attack.  Their cavalry charge is their most potent weapon from the sounds of the story.  Don't lose faith in the spunky little Panzer II's cause the Germans used them a lot even in big Eastern front fights like Kharkov. 

What is DIVARTY?