Incursion Comes to Blackwolf

Last night saw an entertaining Grindhouse Incursion game between Pete and Andy. Andy mounted a very effective 'overlapping fires' policy with 2xHMG and 2x'Grunt' APEs, neatly sidelining Pete's one Blitzhund with a roof 'cave in'.

However, Pete managed to sneak a few of his Bombie Zombies up to a couple of Andy's APEs, weakening them enough for a mass Zombie rush.

The game ended with Andy managing to push is last remaining HMG APE to successfully close and lock the second of the three doors he had to seal, before marching into a red mist of HMG fire shreaded Storm Zombie, almost reaching the last zombie entry door, before being finally swamped. A fine hour for the 7th, despite the eventual German win!

Last stand of the HMG APE!

Phil T. 23rd Sep 2011

PMZ Campaign: Hamburg

Report from General Schlemm,
commanding First Parachute Army
The battle for Hamburg, dated April 30th 1945

Having withdrawn to the Elbe, I have had little time to prepare my defences before the inevitable British attack. I still have the Panthers of the 101st Pz Brigade and I have also been allocated two companies of JgPanthers from the training schools, unfortunately they have little fuel or ammunition.

My right is resting on a large lake where I have placed a force consisting of Stugs and Panzer Grenadiers of the 116th Pz Divn supported by Volksturm and one company of JgPanthers. The 553rd Volksgrenadier Divn is holding a line of hills on the left with attached Stugs and JgPanthers. In reserve is the remainder of 116th Pz Divn with the Panthers.

The British attack is beginning on the right. Here a single infantry battalion supported by JgPanthers holds, then throws back an infantry division supported by Sherman and Churchill tanks. Meanwhile a second British division is occupying a village on the far side of the river but is unable to cross due to heavy fire. Unnerved by this unexpected reverse, the attack appears to be faltering.

Now the British airforce attack in strength and they renew the attack on the right with another division, meanwhile sending amphibious units across the lake. The defending battalion has taken heavy losses, and at last retires, forcing the JgPanthers to retire as well. Taking advantage of this development, an armoured division is advancing on the left while the division in the centre has at last forced its way across the river.

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The view from behind the German positions. The units defending the right have retreated, leaving the British in control of the village. Many British units are queing to cross the river. Some units of the 553rd Volksgrenadier Divn are holding the high ground against the British armoured division on the left. The reserve Panthers and Panzer grenadiers are about to move into action.

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The Volksgrenadiers are retreating from the British armour, their single battalion of Stugs destroying many of the new Comet tanks before being itself destroyed.

I order the 116th Pz Divn to counter attack but they have been met by a wave of British armour and infantry.

German units are retreating all along the line with only a Panzer Grenadier battalion still intact, defending the supply centre.

Reports are confused but the Panthers appear to have retreated. Comet tanks are reported near my command post ..... ......... attacking ... ......... heavy fire ...... ..... overrun ........... ............

This was the final report by General Schlemm before his capture by our forces. With the destruction of First Parachute Army, and all available reserves being committed to Operation Spring Awakening in the East, there were no forces available to prevent us entering Berlin in early May. The British army is now occupying the Seelow heights while negotiations continue with the Soviets.

PMZ Campaign: Troyes 3

Report from General Fortsch,
commanding First Army
The third battle for Troyes, dated April 15th 1944

I had ample of time to dig in along the river line, anchoring my left on a large lake and my right on some wooded ground protected by minefields. Unfortunately my request for reinforcements had been denied so I was lacking armour, having only the 2nd Panzer Division with a reduced battalion of Panthers and some companies of StugIVs. The Jagd Panthers have been reallocated to another sector.
The Americans attacked initially on the right against the wooded ground with an armoured division. Leading the attack were some new Pershing heavy tanks. Fortunately they were stopped by the minefields in front of the concealed Panthers who made short work of them. This attack having been halted, the Americans then attacked the village in the centre with a second armoured division, the village was protected by a battalion of the 352nd Infantry division. This battalion held out for some time, delaying this attack.

The Americans then launched two attacks, an infantry division attacked on the left, driving back the 352nd Infantry from the river and a third armoured division attacked on the right, supported by intense airpower. Eventually this assault took its toll on the few remaining tanks of 2nd Panzer and it was forced to retire.

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The view from behind the German positions. The 2nd Pz Divn has retired on the right, the Americans have yet to exploit this. The 352nd Inf Divn is holding out on the high ground and left of the road but they are soon to retreat. Some units of the 272nd Volksgren Divn can be seen in the centre.

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With our forces retiring, it was left to the 272nd Volksgrenadier division to hold the line which they did gallantly. However the American armour had now crossed the river and the 272nd were unable to prevent them overrunning the Corps command centre.

Realising that the position was compromised, I ordered the withdrawal of the army towards Metz.

PMZ Campaign: Gorzow

Report from General Dietrich,
commanding Sixth Panzer Army
The battle for Gorzow, dated April 8th 1945

As part of operation Spring Awakening, I had been given the task of driving the Russians back from the borders of the Fatherland. The Fuhrer had allocated all the armoured reserves to this attack and great things were expected, we were not to disappoint him. Poor weather had grounded the Red airforce so we attacked under a ferocious artillery bombardment which however proved fairly ineffective. I had been promised all available aircraft, but apparently the bad weather made them ineffective as well. The Russians were occupying a line of hills with a large area of wooded ground in front of them.

The 1st SS Pz Division attacked on the right with the few tigers available, their task being to outflank the main defences. The 3rd SS Pz Division with attached PzIVs advanced through the woods. On the centre left the 16th Panzer Division with its Panthers and half of the Jg Panthers advanced cautiously against the centre of the Russian position keeping concealed as much as possible. The 232nd Pz Grenadier Division with PzIVs and the remainder of the Jg Panthers swung round the left flank.

The 1st SS engaged T34-85s at the far side of the woods and confidently outmanoeuvred them, destroying many in the process. These Soviets now came under pressure from the 3rd SS advancing through the woods and were forced to withdraw.

Meanwhile in the centre the 16th Pz had taken up position behind a crest line and awaited instructions. On the left the 232nd PzGren were advancing rapidly and beginning to push the Soviets back through the woods on that flank.
At this point the Soviets committed their reserves, Guards with sherman tanks against 10th and 30th SS. As soon as they did this, the 16th Pz attacked in the centre, slowly driving yet more T34s off the high ground. Meanwhile the 232nd PzGren were emerging from the woods into the Soviet rear area. The guards fought a bloody battle with the SS at close range, both sides eventually losing most of their tanks and being forced to withdraw.

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The view from behind the German positions. The 1st SS is advancing on the right having driven off the T34s. The guards have moved forwards to oppose them. The 3rd SS have moved through the woods on their left. 16th Pz have moved up onto the high ground and are about to drive off the T34s and Polish infantry in front of them. The 232nd on the left are advancing into the soviet flank. Wrecked Soviet units can already be seen streaming to the rear.

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The 16th Pz had now cleared the high ground and were advancing directly into the centre of the Soviet position at the same time as their remaining units were being surrounded by 232nd PzGren. At this point the Soviet command knew all was lost and began a headlong retreat. We pursued them as far as Lodz, where we were forced to stop for lack of supplies. We had retaken all the ground lost since February. It is rumoured that the Soviet front commander has been shot and that I will receive another addition to my Knight's Cross.

PMZ Campaign: Lodz

Report from General Graser,
commanding Fourth Panzer Army
The battle for Lodz, dated Mar 20th 1945

I deployed the newly arrived Grossdeutchland division on my left, with its flank protected by a large lake. The 16th Pz Division was in the centre on a line of hills, the 72nd Infantry Division on the right with its flank protected by wooded ground.

The Soviets began their attack in the centre with the Guards tank corps with its JSIIs, ISU152s and new SU100s. This attack was driven back mainly by the Panthers of 16th Panzer. On the right, the 72nd Infantry kept the Russian infantry at bay.

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The view from behind the German positions. The Panthers on the hills have driven back the Russian guards in the centre although some of 16th Pz have retired with considerable damage. Grossdeutchland on the left have made a tactical withdrawal.

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The Soviets then attacked on the left with a Polish division supported by tank brigades and the Red airforce. With the 16th Panzer occupied by a renewed attack by the guards, Grossdeutchland began to give ground. Russian infantry then used amphibious vehicles to cross the lake. The guards were again driven back but the Poles broke through and overran the main supply dumps.

I considered the position to be untenable so requested permission to withdrew towards Gorzow. Taking no reply as an affirmative I immediately withdrew.

PMZ Campaign: Essen

Report from General Schlemm,
commanding First Parachute Army
The battle for Essen, dated March 20th 1945

Having had two months to prepare my defences I deployed my troops behind a riverline in heavy defences.

The key to the position was a line of hills. Here I placed the 422nd Infantry Division supported by a battalion of Panthers from the 101st Pz Brigade and some armoured engineers. On the right was the veteran 422nd Infantry Division supported by a battalion of Panthers, while the left was defended by the newly arrived 18th Luftwaffe division supported by a battalion of PzIV and the King Tigers of Pz-Abteilung 503 and protected by minefields.

The attack began with a massive bombardment on the central hillline. At the same time I received reports of a mass parachute drop on the Elbe bridges. The British attacked with two armoured divisions in the centre while another attacked my left. The fire from the Panthers drove back attack after attack and inflicted huge losses on the British armour. The forward units of the 18th Luftwaffe took heavy losses aand eventually were forced to fall back to the embankment behind them. The British pursued fiercely and overran the rear positions before the Pz IVs and King Tigers could stop them. On the right the British attack was easily repulsed so those Panthers redeployed behind the centre. Many Typhoons were over the battlefield but they had little effect on the outcome.

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The view from behind the German positions. The Panthers on the hills hold back the British tide but are soon to be forced back. Tanks from the right flank have moved into the woods behind them and are preparing to counter-attack. The 18th Luftwaffe on the left have withdrawn with the British in pursuit.

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The continued assault in the centre eventually told and the last remaining Panthers were forced to withdraw from the hills. On the left the morale of the 18th Luftwaffe was broken and they retreated, taking the tanks with them. The redeployed Panthers now counter attacked the hill but were attacked in flank by mechanised infantry and forced back.

With the hill line lost and the British moving into the rear areas, I ordered a general withdrawal towards Bremen.

PMZ Campaign: Troyes 2

Report from General Obstfelder,
commanding First Army
The second battle for Troyes, dated February 25th 1945
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The view from behind the German positions. Despite the units on the right having withdrawn to more defensive positions, German units still hold the central ridge and the riverline. The Americans have been driven back at all points.

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Despite having fewer Panthers available due to their tranfer to face the British, the combination of the river and accurate fire from Jagd Panthers prevented the Americans making any progress.

PMZ Campaign: Warsaw

Report from General Graser,
commanding Fourth Panzer Army
The battle for Warsaw, dated Jan 24th 1945

Having been informed of the success of General Obstfelder against the Americans, I decided, like him, to place most of my units in concealed fortified positions lining the river with fields of fire commanding the ground in front.

Having lost all my heavy tank hunters in the previous battle, I deployed the 16th Pz Division in the centre guarding the river crossing, the 72nd Infantry Division on the left and the 254th Infantry Division on the right with its right flank protected by a large lake.

The Soviets attacked in force all along the line, their heaviest tanks in the centre. The first attack was driven back mainly by the Panthers of 16th Panzer, however they soon regrouped and attacked again. This time the Soviets were more successful, disabling many of the Panthers. All three German divisions fought stubbornly and the Soviets were again thrown back.

The Soviets then attacked for the third time. The units on the left were clearly exhausted and were easily held by the 72nd Infantry, however, the Guards Tank Corps in the centre, with JSIIs and ISU152s forced the 16th Panzer to withdraw, enabling them to cross the river. The 254th were then forced to give way as they were in danger of being outflanked.

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The view from behind the German positions. The 72nd Infantry Division on the left have held the Soviets. 16th Pz have withdrawn in the centre and the Soviets have crossed the river in force.

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I considered making a counter attack with my final reserve of armoured engineers together with the few remaining tanks. However, with little chance of success and the probable destruction of the entire Korps, I decided to give up Warsaw and withdraw in good order to my next defence line where I could regroup my units.

PMZ Campaign: Troyes 1

Report from General Obstfelder,
commanding First Army
The battle for Troyes, dated January 20th 1945

The river being the best defence line available, I decided to place most of my units in concealed fortified positions lining the river with fields of fire commanding the open ground in front. The Americans attacked in the centre right, throwing wave after wave of units against the 2nd Panzer division and elements of the 352nd Infantry division who steadfastly stood their ground. An advance on the extreme right was held up by heavily forested ground. An advance over the frozen swamp on the extreme left was stopped and eventually thown back by heavy fire from the 189th infantry division.

Eventually the advance on the exteme right outflanked the 352nd whose morale now gave way and they retreated. This in turn precipitated the retreat of the heavily pressed 2nd Panzer division from the vital river crossing, now that its flank was exposed.

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The view from behind the German positions. The 189th Infantry Division on the left have repulsed the Americans. 2nd Pz are driving back the Americans in the centre. The Americans on the right have advanced across the river.

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At this point I suffered a serious head wound so information is sketchy but it appears that the Americans were now exhausted having suffered very heavy casualties. Some infantry and recon advanced across the river but a counter attack by elements of the now unopposed 189th infantry division together with the remaining tanks of 2nd Pz stopped them and eventually drove them back across the river. The few Americans who had crossed the river on the right were withdrawn at this point.

I hope to rejoin my command before the next attack on the riverline.