KG Klink, France, Game 9

All,

Ambush at Abbeville, #2
0530 28 May 1940

Following the fighting in and around Flavion, KG Klink was briefly pulled out of the line to rest, refit, perform maintenance on their weapons, machines, and equipment, and bring in a few replacements.  They were actually parked outside the Dunkirk perimeter when they were called back to action; further south, German forces had forced a crossing on the Somme.  At 0600 27 on May, the Allies counterattacked the German bridgehead, striking the German 57th Infantry Division southwest of Abbeville, in an attempt to reach the encircled Allied troops at Dunkirk.

Unbeknownst to the Germans, the French French 4e DCr (or 4th Division Cuirassee, 4th Armored Division) arrived in the battle area that evening.  The French force, heavily armed with Char B1, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss light tanks, immediately set about reorganizing, preparing to attack on the morning of 28 May.

But KG Klink moved all through the night in order to reach the battle area. arriving at approximately  0500 on 28 May.  The plan was for KG Klink to counterattack down the Blangy-Abbevile Road, hoping to flank the French 2e DLC (2nd Cavalry Division), maybe even cut all the way across and in behind the British 51st Highland Division, cutting off the British 1st Armored Division.  With that, KG Klink set off, passing through the German 217th Infantry Regiment, launching its attack down the Blangy-Abbeville Road.  KG Klink passed through Villers sur Mareuil, then Huppy, and were moving towards St Maxent en Vimeu, when they encountered trouble near the three (fictional) villages, Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, on the River Bleu.

The first fight saw Colonel Klink lead the 1st Grenadier Platoon, supported by Stugs, in the attack on Dujours.  Repulsed, they were reinforced by the 4th Grenadier Platoon and drove the French force back onto Hill 44.

The second fight sees the Schutzen Company Commander, 1st Lt Tausch, lead his 3rd Grenadier Platoon, supported by elements of his Schwere Platoon, in the assault on Hill 34, north of the Blangy-Abbeville Road.

The overall area of operations, and that stupid north-seeking arrow at top right is incorrect, north is to far left...  The three villages are, from left to right: Dujour, Deture, and Toujour, and the hills are, from left to right: Hill 34, Hill 44, and Hill 54.  The River Bleu runs east-west down the center of the table.

My intent is to play a series of battles on a 6' x 4' layout, using small pieces, maybe 2' x 2' with 10mm troops.  I've gone back to my old standby, Ivan's "5Core Company Command."

The second fight is Lieutenant Tausch leading his 3rd Grenadier Platoon against Hill 34 (bottom left), with the red arrow showing the axis of attack.

The opposing forces, with Germans on left and French on right.  The French are completely made of Minifigs UK troops, while the German infantry is Minifigs, but the 75mm Infantry Gun and the command stand are Pendraken.

The German force:
CO: 1st Lieutenant Tausch (Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class), Schutzen Company Commander
-3rd  Grenadier HQ Element: SSgt Janke (Iron Cross 2nd Class)
1st Squad: Sgt Nader
2nd Squad: Cpl Arndt
3rd Squad: Cpl Coulver
4th Squad: LCpl Hackl

-Elements of the Engineer Platoon 

2nd Squad: Sgt Klivens
3rd Squad: Cpl Dilbertt
-Elements of Scwhere Platoon
MG34 team: Cpl Creuzburg
80mm Mortar team: LCpl Vigerte
75mm Infantry Gun team: Sgt Oberlander

The French force:
Commanding Officer
2 x MG Team
75mm Field Gun
81mm Mortar team
Four Rifle Squads

My interpretation of the operational area, with the villages Dujour (top left), Deture (center), and Toujour (far right) and hills 34 (bottom center left), 44 (top center left), and 54 (bottom center right, with the River Bleu running east-west (top to bottom) at center.

The battle area, north is left.  The Germans are attacking across the fields at left, with their base of fire element at top left and the engineers hoping to get get into the farmhouse (top center left) and cause some trouble, while the French are defending from positions atop Hill 34 (right).

The German deployment: the two Engineer Squads are at far left, with LCpl Hack's 4th Squad covering them, while the Infantry Gun, MG team, and mortar team are in behind the hedge.  Meanwhile, Lt Tausch is leading the assault element, consisting of (from left to right): 1st Squad, SSgt Janke's command squad, 2nd Squad, and 3rd Squad (top right).

The French defense, from left: 1st Squad, CO, 2nd Squad, the 75mm Field Gun and MG team #1, the mortar team, MG Team #2 and 3rd Squad, and 4th Squad.

Time to fight!

Once again the French defenders get the drop on the German attackers.  The battle is initiated by the French 75mm Field Gun, which busts an HE round close enough to pin SSgt Janke's command squad (top center).

Then MG Team 1 (bottom center) opens fire on the German skirmish line, pinning Cpl Arndt's 2nd Squad (top left).

And then, on the French right, their MG Team 2 opens fire, catching LCpl  Hackl's 4th Squad in the street...

Gunning them down and suppressing Sgt Klivens' Engineer Squad.

Sgt Oberlander jumps into action, and his Infantry Gun crew sends a75mm HE round back up Hill 34, suppressing the enemy Field Gun.

**I don't know what the hell I was thinking, but I didn't allow a single German element to react fire during the French phase, this is all in the German phase of Turn 1!!!

And then LCpl Vigerte's mortar team gets into action, sending 80mm rounds up the hill and suppressing the French MG Team 2.

Lt Tausch sets about righting his stalled attack, rallying SSgt Janke's command squad and Cpl Arndt's 2nd Squad...

And then the Company Commander leads his infantry forward, to the base of Hill 34.

On the French far left, their 1st Squad fires downhill on Cpl Coulver's 3rd Squad , suppressing them...

Then forcing them to fall back (far left, from explosion at bottom right)!

*The fall back was a random event, Panic!

The French CO rallies his Field Gun crew.

And they pump HE rounds downhill at the German attackers...

Suppressing SSgt Janke's command squad and causing casualties on Sgt Nader's 1st Squad.

*It's getting mighty hard to keep up the momentum of the attack, how 'bout it, support section?

Sgt Oberlander's Infantry Gun (bottom left) returns fire, without effect...

The French MG Team 1 (bottom right) fires downhill, causing casualties on Cpl Arndt's 2nd Squad!

Cpl Creuzburg's MG team (bottom left finally gets in on the action: the MG-34 rattles, but no one up on the hill seems to be bothered...

And then the French mortar team (bottom right) begins dropping rounds on the German support section (top left)...

But they fall short.

LCpl Vigerte's mortar team (bottom left) keeps firing uphill, again suppressing the French Field Gun.

While Lt Tausch continues rallying his beleaguered command.

Before pushing them further uphill (top right, from bottom center)!

The French 1st Squad continues hammering away, but the incoming fire has no effect on the determined Germans.

On the German left, Cpl Dilbertt maneuvers his Engineer Squad up to shield Sgt Klivens' squad, and help them rally.

*It's killing me, I've been unable to get the Engineers into the fight at all, was really hoping to get their flamethrowers into action.  I probably should have put them on the right, exchanged them with a rifle squad, use them and LCpl Hackl's squad (which is now lying broken in the street) as a base of fire.

The French CO again rallies his Field Gun crew, but they're still a bit shaken up (rallied up to pin).

And then he moved right (center, from top right) to rally MG Team 2...

Who immediately slams their gun all the way to the right, firing their FPL to the left, across the French front line, but the weapon was improperly placed and can't hit the Germans (top center right) because of dead space.

*Actually, he just completely missed on 2K 2S, so the Germans have that going for them, but their support section can't react because they can't see MG Team 2...

The French MG Team 1 turns its gun and fires on the German infantry, suppressing Sgt Nader's 1st Squad.

Again Sgt Oberlander's Infantry Gun (bottom left) fires uphill, and again Sgt Oberlander's Infantry Gun misses!

On the French left, their 2nd Squad moves up to assist their 1st Squad in the treeline defense (top left, from right).

*The French really wanted to fire their Field Gun at the German support section, but couldn't, they needed to get more infantry up to counter the German advance.  In any case, the two sides' supporting weapons have launched a lot of lead with not much result, oddly enough.  If you think about it, the only unit that's been knocked out is the German rifle squad caught in the street by a French MG.

But Cpl Creuzburg (bottom left) spotted the movement (top right), and his MG-34 roars, but that's all it does...

The Germans are in a pickle; the MG team and Infantry Gun are already engaged, and they're too close for mortars.  Lt Tausch rallies Sgt Nader's squad.

1st and 2nd Squads open up on the treeline at point-blank range, but the cover is thick and they only manage to pin the French 2nd Squad.

As the 1st (left) and 2nd Squads (center) are laying down cover fire, the Iron Cross holder, SSgt Janke, knew what had to be done.  He immediately jumped to his feet, signaled to his men, and lead his command section around the right flank (top right)...

But the French 1st Squad (center, with their 2nd Squad pinned at right) pours fire into them at point-blank range, halting them in their tracks and causing heavy casualties!

Both French squads in the tree line unleash a horrendous fusillade, causing more casualties and suppressions on the German assault element.

As the French MG Team 2 (center left bottom) reloads and continues firing the FPF, causing casualties in Sgt Nader's 1st Squad, and...

Forcing Lt Tausch to fall back (bottom right, from center top)!  The German attack is flailing!

The French Field Gun (bottom right) fires on the German support section, overshooting its target.

As the French mortar team continues dropping rounds on the German support section, causing casualties on LCpl Vigerte's mortar team!

To add insult to injury, the French MG Team 1 (bottom center right) turns the gun on Cpl Coulver's 3rd Squad (top left), which is suppressed and hasn't really even gotten off the start line.  The French MG team rakes the prone Germans, causing heavy casualties.

Cpl Creuzburg (bottom left) is watching the tragedy occurring over on the German right, with their assault element being thrown into disarray, and he's now worried the French riflemen in the tree line (top right) may charge out of their defensive positions and close assault the German assault element into oblivion.  He orders the gunner to sight in on the tree line and open fire, and it's very effective, putting heavy casualties on the French 2nd Squad and pinning the 1st.

Sgt Oberlander's Infantry Gun (bottom left) sights in on the French Field Gun (top center right) and fires, missing it but pinning their MG Team 1.

From behind the farmhouse (bottom left), Cpl Dilbertt's Engineers use their rifles to put fire on the French tree line (top right), but it's ineffective.

Cpl Creuzburg's MG team (bottom left) continues laying into the French tree line (top right)...

And the French 1st Squad is put out of the fight!

The German Engineer squads leapfrog up behind the wall at the farmhouse (top left, from the right side of the farmhouse.

Taking advantage of the fact the French MG Team 2 (center bottom right) is currently facing left, at the German assault element.  The French 4th Squad (next to MG Team 2) opens fire on the German Engineers (top left), pinning Sgt Kliven's squad.

Under heavy fire, Lt Tausch steels his heart and charges back up the steep slope, setting to rally his faltering grenadiers (center top right, from left).

Cpl Arndt's squad (left) is able to get back in the fight, but SSgt Janke's command section (right) is still suppressed and dealing with casualties.  "Go, now, go!" screams Lt Tausch.

Cpl Arndt leads his men up into the treeline, close assaulting the French 2nd Squad...

And putting them out of the fight!

Cpl Arndt continues his rampage, charging up to the defensive emplacement.  The French crew manning the Field Gun reach for their rifles...

But it's too late, they fall under a hail of grenades and small arms fire!

And with that, the back of the French defense of Hill 34 is broken, the remaining troops surrender!

Well, that's better!  Nothing like coming off a loss to almost have another loss but finish with a resounding win!  The Germans accomplished their mission of taking Hill 34 and immediately set about securing the hilltop, evacuating the wounded, reorganizing, and redistributing ammo.  "Hell of a job, Arndt!" praised Lt Tausch, "you really carried the day!  That damned Coulver, now, hmmm..."  The Lieutenant was clearly not pleased with Corporal Coulver and 3rd Squad's performance; Cpl Arndt wasn't sure they ever even got off the line of departure.  Lt Tausch was sure to go back and visit with his support section, they'd done a great job of hanging in there under some very heavy fire form the French 75mm Field Gun, 81mm mortar team, and one of their machine guns.

Germans: ~25 KIA/WIA

French: ~30 KIA/WIA, 1 75mm FG destroyed, 45 captured

Of the named characters, only one was hit:
LCpl Hackl, 4th Squad Leader, WIA, out for campaign

And Cpl Arndt was decorated for personal bravery in leading the assault which broke the back of the French defense of Hill 34, receiving the Iron Cross 2nd Class.

As they were reorganizing, SSgt Janke motioned to Cpl Arndt and Lt Tausch; "look there, there go them Recce boys!"  All three craned their necks atop the sunny hill top to watch the stream of armored cars and motorcycles rush south in a cloud of dust, destined to pull off another of their famed 'Hussar Tricks,' looking to grab the bridge over the River Bleu before the French even realized it was in jeopardy.  

Lt Tausch could hear the Colonel on the radio net: "Yes, yes, Wehner, push hard, we'll seize the bridge and fling the panzers and 4th Grenadier Platoon across to seize Toujour, now go!"

Coming up next!

V/R,

Jack