Dan and I have just started out on this interesting campaign and so I really need to do an intro. This campaign sees the plucky Heer PanzerGrenadiers of ‘Kampfgruppe Fuller’ tasked with attacking the Americans of the 30th Division defending the area north of Mortain with the objective of securing le Neufbourg within a specified time (8 campaign turns). The unit had been included in the attack known as ‘Operation Luttich’ and was at full strength and full of confidence containing 3 PzGren zug, a zug of Pz IV’s and various bits and bobs from battalion HQ. The Yankees would be stretched across the 3 possible routes of attack so might be thin on the ground although we have had intelligence that they would be beefed up with a slew of anti-tank guns.
One thing I’ve said to Dan for this campaign is that I will be restricting the number of ‘spare’ sections that I use as I feel that these can be mis-used as ‘meat shields’ and I’ve always wondered where they came from within the unit so there will be 2 cobbled together from runners, cooks, mechanics etc and they will be either combined after taking casualties or broken up and used as replacements to the other units. Once these have gone any extra sections bought from the support list will be from the other platoons, just adds a bit more realism and another headache for the CO.
Before the campaign gets going here’s a reminder of the lads of the ‘Kampfgruppe Fuller’.
HQ:
CO: Me!
Adjutant: Oberleutenant Müller, 24, Bavarian, short, thin and pale he is the middle class son of a decorated veteran of the First World War. Nicknamed ‘Der Bomber’. Was Erste Zug’s commander before being promoted and posted to my staff. (Will be the second replacement Zug commander if needed)
Feldwebel Klopp. 26, Wurttemberger, a strapping bloke and former gamekeeper. Quite religious. (He will be the replacement/’spare’ Senior Leader if needed, currently with my staff)
- Ersatz Gruppe 1: Obergefreiter Schweinsteiger, 24, Bavarian, an average sort of lad, another party member.
- Ersatz Gruppe 2: Obergefreiter Huth, 26, Berliner, another large man, former Cabaret musician with a face only a mother could love.
1.Zug:
Zug Kommandant: Oberfeldwebel Beckenbauer (‘der Kaiser’). 38, Bavarian, an average sort who is an old soldier and a veteran of Spain.
- Erste Gruppe (Black): Unteroffizier Breitner, 24, Bavarian, slightly on the short side he is a former communist.
- Zweite Gruppe (White): Stabsgefreiter Klinsmann, 25, Wurttemberger, an average sort from Stuttgart where his family have a bakery.
- Dritte Gruppe (Red): Stabsgefreiter Ballack, 21, Saxon, a strapping City boy from Chemnitz, favourite number is 13.
2.Zug:
Zug Kommandant: Leutenant Hitzlsperger (der Hammer), 23, Bavarian, former banker, he is tall and thin.
- Erste Gruppe (Black): Unterfeldwebel Völler, 24, Hessian, Party member, model citizen and popular in the unit.
- Zweite Gruppe (White): Stabsgefreiter Rumminigge, 21, Westfalian, country lad and close friends with Unteroffizier Brietner from 1.Zug
- Dritte Gruppe (Red): Stabsgefreiter Krankl, 25, Austrian, a thin and pale city boy from Vienna.
3.Zug:
Zug Kommandant: Feldwebel Hamann, 26, Bavarian, the company gambler and was a journalist.
- Erste Gruppe (Black): Unteroffizier Schürrle, 22, from Pfalz, a city lad from Ludwigshaven.
- Zweite Gruppe (White): Stabsgefreiter Rösler, 22, Thuringian, a former gamekeeper.
- Dritte Gruppe (Red): Stabsgefreiter Pogatetz, 21, Another Austrian, from Graz, nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’.
Tracks and Threads 