KG Klink Campaign Plan for Greece, April 1941

All,

Time to get KG Klink back into action! Following their blitzkriegs through Poland and France, they've been up to a whole lot of nothing. They're lost combat action was May of 1940, stemming an Allied counterattack near Abbeville; after that they pulled back to refit, then sat on the perimeter of Dunkirk as the British pulled off one of the most successful (if not the most successful) retrograde actions in the history of warfare. They held fast on the coast for awhile, then moved south for the parade through Paris. After that they prepared for Operation Sealion, but it never came, so mostly they've been sitting on their butts, chasing dames, drinking too much, and getting soft.

But the Kampfgruppe is once again gearing up for war; in October 1940, their Italian Fascist allies invaded Greece and, being Italian, were quickly stymied, and a Greek counterattack in March 1941 was causing some real embarrassment for Il Duce, and thus, the German dictator. So Operation Marita was dreamt up, a German invasion of Greece to bail their Italian cousins out of trouble. KG Klink was tabbed to be a part of that, and so they're on the move, leaving sunny France for frigid Bulgaria, where they will soon be pushing south into Greece, to face British, Australian, and New Zealand troops hoping to stem the tide.

The Kampfgruppe itself remains largely intact, with only two changes:

1) Major Schultz was promoted to LtCol and received orders to leave KG Klink to attend a command staff course, after which he will receive orders to a new unit. We'll see how it turns out, I've always got too many ideas running through my head, but my intent is for Col Schultz to get his own Kampgruppe, and we can follow them, too, into North Africa.

2) The Schwere Platoon of two MGs, two 8.0cm mortars, two 7.5cm infantry guns, and two Pak-36 ATGs has been upgraded to a Schwere Company, with its own company commander, platoon commanders, and doubling the strengths listed above. This was done to aid this mini-campaign concept, where I needed another company commander, several more platoon commanders, and some more heavy weapons to distribute.

So, I'm doing things a bit different this time: rather than play out my 'normal' string of somewhat linked games in a linear-timeline fashion, this time I'm going to play out a mini-campaign inspired by Peter over at his blog, here:
https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/2019/08/ww2-mini-campaign-begins.html

And he's getting ready to start another one, this time the American Civil War, can't wait!
https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/2019/11/acw-mini-campaign.html

So, copying Peter's style, I went and made myself up a handy-dandy mini-campaign map:

Sorry, I'm not as high-speed as Peter (plus, my printer isn't working), so it's strictly low-tech for me.  I think things are pretty self-explanatory, except maybe the gray mountains (impassable) and the brown humps (hills).  The town/village names are all real, though in some cases they are modern names, not the ones used during WWII.  And I can assure things are not to scale, they're more relative ;)

I've also made some hand-drawn counters. I did things a little different than Peter, here. Rather than have separate platoons on different counters, and stack them up, I essentially created company-sized task forces/battlegroups, so there are fewer counters and there will be no stacking. Here are the forces I created from KG Klink, and their Allied counterparts:

KG Klink:

Infantry BG #1 - Capt Freitag (Schutzen Company Commander)
1st Grenadier Platoon - 1st Lt Tausch
1st Rifle Squad - SSgt Janke
2nd Rifle Squad - SSgt Aust
3rd Rifle Squad - Sgt Lutz
4th Rifle Squad - Cpl Lipniki

2nd Grenadier Platoon - 1st Lt Klugmann
1st Rifle Squad - SSgt Mader
2nd Rifle Squad - SSgt Sachs
3rd Rifle Squad - Sgt Lehmkuhl
4th Rifle Squad - Cpl Orel

Weapons Platoon - Sgt Creuzburg (MG Plt Cmdr)
- Cpl Steinkamp (MG34)
- LCpl Moen (MG34)
- LCpl Hager (80mm mortar)
- LCpl Schiff (80mm mortar)

Assault Gun Platoon - Officer Cadet Hinkle (Stug III)
2nd Assault Gun - Sgt Kulle (Stug III)
3rd Assault Gun - Sgt Wagner (Stug III)

Infantry BG #2 - 1st Lt Ginter (Schwere Company Commander)
3rd Grenadier Platoon - 1st Lt Ost
1st Rifle Squad - Sgt Nader
2nd Rifle Squad - Sgt Arndt
3rd Rifle Squad - Cpl Coulver
4th Rifle Squad - Cpl Rishel

4th Grenadier Platoon -
1st Rifle Squad - Sgt Kandler
2nd Rifle Squad - Sgt Imhofe
3rd Rifle Squad - Sgt Axthelm
4th Rifle Squad - Cpl Hackl

Weapons Platoon - Sgt Osswald (Mortar Plt Cmdr)
- LCpl Jorgensen (MG34)
- LCpl Grun (MG34)
- Cpl Vigerte 80mm mortar)
- LCpl Sondland (80mm mortar)

4th Panzer Platoon - SSgt Mangold (Pz IVC)
Vehicle Two - Cpl Rausch (Pz IVD)
Vehicle Three - Sgt Graebner Pz IVD)
Vehicle Four - Sgt Kapp (Pz IVC)
Vehicle Five - Cpl Progen (Pz IVC)

Recce BG #1 - 1st Lt Wehner (Recon Company Commander)
Armored Reconnaissance Platoon (-) - 2nd Lt Weider (Sdkfz 222)
2nd Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle - Sgt Keck (Pz II)
3rd Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle - Sgt Pichler (Sdkfz 231)

1st Panzer Platoon (-)
Vehicle Four - Cpl Leno (Pz II)
Vehicle Five - Cpl Stegan (Pz Ib)

1st Motorcycle Platoon - Officer Cadet Distler
1st Motorcycle Squad - SSgt Dorn
2nd Motorcycle Squad - Sgt Wilhelm
3rd Motorcycle Squad - Cpl Visner
4th Motorcycle Squad - Cpl Wallon

Weapons Platoon - Sgt Oberlander (Infantry Gun Plt Cmdr)
- Cpl Drexler (PaK-36 37mm ATG)
- LCpl Boxleitner (PaK-36 37mm ATG)
- LCpl Groen (75mm gun)
- LCpl Graehme (75mm gun)

Recce BG #2 - Major Bohm (KG Executive Officer)
1st Panzer Platoon (-) - Officer Cadet Kleiber (Pz Ib)
Vehicle Two - Cpl Gruden (Pz II)
Vehicle Three - Cpl Neuer (Pz II)

Armored Reconnaissance Platoon (-)
4th Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle - Cpl Fasbender (Sdkfz 222)
5th Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle - Cpl Edst (Sdkfz 222)

2nd Motorcycle Platoon - SSgt Gradl
1st Motorcycle Squad - SSgt Behrendt
2nd Motorcycle Squad - Sgt Eisen
3rd Motorcycle Squad - Cpl Obst
4th Motorcycle Squad - Cpl Klostermann

Weapons Platoon - Sgt Kallenbach (ATG Plt Cmdr)
- LCpl Saucen (PaK-36 37mm ATG)
- LCpl Gerdt (PaK-36 37mm ATG)
- Cpl Kallmeyer (75mm gun)
- LCpl Nans (75mm gun)

Armored Battle Group - 1st Lt Loeb (Panzer Company Commander)
2nd Panzer Platoon - Officer Cadet Fahrmann (Pz IIIF)
Vehicle Two - Sgt Fittzbaum (Pz IIIF)
Vehicle Three - Sgt Mayer (Pz IIIF)
Vehicle Four - Cpl Peske (Pz IIIE)
Vehicle Five - Sgt Mettner (Pz IIIE)

3rd Panzer Platoon - Sgt 1st Class Friessler (Pz IIIF)
Vehicle Two - Sgt Jurgens (Pz IIIE)
Vehicle Three - Sgt Zedler (Pz IIIE)
Vehicle Four - Sgt Harms (Pz IIIF)
Vehicle Five - Cpl Geiger (Pz IIIE)

Panzerjaeger Platoon -Sgt Dittrich (PzJgr I)
2nd Anti-Tank Vehicle - Cpl Hamburg (PzJgr I)
3rd Anti-Tank Vehicle - Cpl Halstenburg (PzJgr I)

Assault Engineer Platoon - 2nd Lt Orstens
1st Engineer Squad - Sgt Barkstrom
2nd Engineer Squad - Sgt Klivens
3rd Engineer Squad - Sgt Hafl
4th Engineer Squad - Cpl Dilbertt

Allies:
Royal Engineers/New Zealand Cavalry
Armored Car Platoon: 3 x A/C
Engineer Platoon: PC, 3 x Engineer Squads
Weapons Platoon: PC, 2 x Vickers, 2 x 3” Mortar

New Zealand 27th MG Battalion
MG Platoon: PC, 4 x Vickers
Light MG Platoon: PC, 4 x Bren Gun Squads
Mortar Platoon: PC, 2 x 3” Mortars
AT Platoon: PC, 2 x 2-pdr ATG

New Zealand 21st Infantry Battalion
2 x Rifle Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” Mortar, ATR (each)
Weapons Platoon: PC, 2 x Vickers, 2 x 3” Mortar
AT Platoon: PC, 2 x 2-pdr ATG

British “Rangers,” 9th Bn, KRRC, 1st Armored Brigade
Tank Platoon: 1 Cruiser, 1 Matilda II
2 x Rifle Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” Mortar, ATR

Australian 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment
Rifle Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” Mortar, ATR
Carrier Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” Mortar, ATR, 6 x Bren Carrier
Weapons Platoon: PC, 2 x Vickers, 2 x 3” Mortar
AT Platoon: PC, 2 x 2-pdr ATG

“Lee Force” Australian B/2/7
Tank Platoon: 1 Cruiser, 2 Matilda I
Rifle Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” Mortar, ATR
Weapons Platoon: PC, 2 x Vickers, 2 x 3” Mortar

4th Hussars, 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
Tank Platoon: 1 Cruiser, 1 Matilda II
Tank Platoon: 2 Matilda II
Tank Platoon: 2 Vickers Mk VI
Carrier Platoon: PC, 3 Rifle Squad, 2” mortar, ATR, 6 Bren Carriers

“Wellington Company” 19th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
3 x Rifle Platoon: PC, 4 Rifle Squad
AT Platoon: PC, 2 x 2-pdr ATG

I'm going to keep this real simple, with Germans entering from the north (top), Allies defending the length in depth. The Allies will have a couple Battlegroups in the first row, then the rest of their Battlegroups will be spread down the length of the table, pretty randomly, though I will make sure their armored reserve (4th Hussars, 3RTR) ends up in the deep third, center of the table. The Germans will have three Battlegroups come on in turn 1, the remaining two in turn 2. I figure I'll have two turns per day, with nothing happening at night (it's too cold up in the Greek mountains in April!).

Regarding casualties, I figure games will result in draws, minor wins/losses, major wins/losses, or breakthrough wins/route losses.  I'm thinking Battlegroups have six strength points:
Breakthrough: +1 point
Major Victory: No effect
Minor Victory: -1
Draw: -1
Minor Defeat: -2
Major Defeat: -3
Route: -5

In terms of casualties, I will also be tracking loss of units/equipment, with the idea that some of it can be put back into action/reformed between battles, depending on the situation, i.e., if the British lose two tanks, but retain the field, I'll roll to see if they're able to recover them and put them back into action.

Also, in terms of immediate movement (before the next turn occurs, can cause another fight) after the fight:
Breakthrough: +2 Movement
Major Victory: +1 Movement
Minor Victory: Stand fast
Draw: Stand fast, fight again next turn
Minor Defeat: -1 Movement
Major Defeat: -2 Movement
Route: -4 Movement

So, given the movement scores, you can beat an enemy, drive him back, and pursue, but you're not going to catch him in the pursuit phase, you're going to have to wait for the next turn to do that. The defenders' post action moves (assuming defeats) will be directly away from the enemy, while pursuit moves and regular 'turn' moves will be diced for, weighted as per my normal most likely, most dangerous course of action concepts.

So, with that, I think we're ready to get this thing started!

V/R,
Jack