Re: Sagermann Journals for the Blog

 

Action in Russia May 1944

Kampfgruppe Sagermann

Hauptmann Sagermann looked around at his force

• A grenadier platoon of SMG/Pfaust command plus 6 LMG teams with attached HMG section & 2 PAK40s
• .2cm armoured Flak platoon of 2 vehicles , only arrived that morning from the railhead (ebay!)
• An 8cm stumpfmorser mortar platoon, consisting of 2 tubes.

These were all solid frontschwein, & could be relied upon to do their

duty for Fuhrer & fatherland but they did look so very thin on the

ground.

Half an hour of pleading & threatening on the field telephone resulted in reinforcements promised by Division HQ

• A marder platoon of 2 marder III
• The rest of the HMG platoon (2 HMG teams)
• Another grenadier platoon.

Kapitan Baskovich's force

• Company of SMG armed infantry with attached maxim guns
• A flight of sturmoviks
• A company of T34s.

These were not the raw conscripts of 1941 but were man for man no match for Sagermann's veterans. Kapitan Bascombe was not convinced he had enough. His infantry had to get in very close to be effective.

Sturmovks are all very well, when they turn up, & Kapitan Vlasov the tank CO seemed very shifty. Baskovich was sure he'd heard the name before..........

Turn 1

The action started with a "hurrah!" From the Ivan infantry and a headlong dash through the cornfields, the tanks opened fire, as they pitched & bucked over the fields, on the entrenched landser without much effect .

Then followed an ineffectual attack from 2 Sturmoviks, one was forced away by the flak the second, flustered by the loss of his wingman no doubt, missed. The Sturmoviks retired to a barrage of catcalls & wild PPSH fire from Baskovich's infantry.

The German mortars opened up on the Ivans pinning them briefly, Baskovich gave a rousing patriotic speech, the commissar then shot the reactionary elements of the company & this got them back on their feet.

The PAK 40s scored a glancing hit on the Vlasov's tank "forcing"

him to bail out, Baskovich wasn't convinced.

Turn 2

After briefly considering a career change, Vlasov re-mounted & carried on, Baskovich's infantry continued to wade through the corn. The German mortars were off target this time, the PAK40s managed to brew one of the T34s. Vlasov started to look through his pockets, where was

that piece of paper dropped by that German plane?

Turn 3

The Ivan infantry were now in range of the grenadiers, their maxim gun section opened up the grenadiers returned fire assisted by one of the 20mm guns. The Ivan infantry took appalling casualties but were unchecked, the grenadiers were pinned down by the sheer weight of PSH

fire inaccurate though it was.

The T34s put one of the PAK40s out of action & another more enthusiastic Sturmovik attack took out half the mortars.

The German reinforcements division had promised didn't turn up, Hauptmann Sagermann harangued a rather effete adjutant on the field telephone, who promised they would arrive "soon"

In an attempt to stem the rot, Kaminski the German 2IC grabbed an armful of panzerfausts & set off with a panzerschrek section "to sort out the T34s" he was never seen again........

Turn 4

The Ivan infantry stormed the grenadiers' positions, it was an uneven fight & the landser were virtually wiped out, the few survivors abandoned the trenches. The Ivan infantry seized one of the objectives. The remaining PAK40 & one 20mm were put out of action by a close

assault.

The T34s, who had been pushing their luck somewhat in the rough terrain , had 2 tanks bog down in the cornfields, coincidentally one of these was Vlasov's. The remaining T34s pushed on taking the trench line & seizing the second objective.

Sagermann promised that if he made it he would buy the adjutant a drink, the reinforcements had started to arrive!

Obergefreiter Fussmann's grenadier team close assaulted the 2 ditched T34s, destroying them, Vlasov, warming to the idea of a career change,ran off, looking for a German to surrender to, the rest of the T34 company retired in disorder, leaving the second objective in Sagermann's hands.

Coming straight into the action the marders opened up spirited MG fire on Baskovich's infantry, who began to waver.

Patriotic fervour, more speeches & a few more shootings restored order & the Baskovich's infantry held to win the day. The commissar started to look up Vlasovs service record..........

----- Original Message -----

From: mark & amber

To: 

Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 12:57 PM

Subject: Re: Sagermann Journals for the Blog

 

Nov 1^st FOW game

Action in Russia June 1944

Kampfgruppe Sagermann

The Russkis had broken through again! Their offensive was now stalled however & the worst was over, but marauding bands of Russian tanks & foot were still at large.

Sagermann found himself again defending lines of communication There were 15,000 litres of aero-engine coolant & 40 tonnes of tinned meat in 2 small dumps which needed guarding. Hardly glamorous but "Befel ist befehl".

Feldwebel Lenze had just checked the company positions

• A grenadier platoon of SMG/Pfaust command plus 6 LMG teams with attached HMG section & a PAK40
• .A weak white Pioneer platoon with attached PAK40 & HMGs
• Half battery of 4 x105mm guns
• 4 12cm mortars
• There was also Schwartzbein a sniper from battalions special service section, a strange type with a wild look in his eye & a twitch. He had wandered into the company lines last night

The downed telephone lines & Ivan's radio jamming had cut Sagermann off from the outside world. At the last battalion briefing 3 days ago he was told there were the following reserves, somewhere in the area.

• A platoon of 4 Panzer IVs
• A mobile AA section
• Another grenadier platoon
• A grenadier Scout platoon

The position had dense wood to Sagermanns left flank & a ruined village to the right with the forces available Sagermann had no choice but to hedgehog one platoon around each of the 2 supply dumps.

They had already seen off a few half-hearted probing attacks from jeep-borne troops but the dust clouds on the horizon & the labouring of tank engines told Sagermann today was going to be busy......

Baskivich's Battlegroup

Baskivitch hadn't stopped in 5 days, they had started the offensive that, along with the American & British landings in France, would crush the Fascist invaders.

The break through was relatively easy, but he was now cut off.

Yesterday he had fought off 2 attacks from German tanks, half his force including 5 precious T34s was still trying to disengage from them, now he ran into more Nazi infantry, guarding what looked like a fuel dump he desperately needed the fuel, so would have to attack.

A company of 10 T70 light tanks

A company of motorised infantry with SMGs supported by Maxim guns.

A Guards Katyusha battery

Division had attached a battery of Katyushas to his command, their firepower would be useful. Their CO Petrov was a nice enough guy, but stone deaf an occupational hazard for Katyushniks.

The light tank company CO Dropitof was completely unhinged, due to the broken exhaust which spewed half bunt diesel fumes into his tank, he smiled manically as he charged across the steppe.

The Katyushas moved into position using up the last drops of Baskivitch's precious fuel then opened fire on the Nazi positions. The tanks rolled forward squeezing through a gap in between the dense woods. The infantry rose up & started their dogged advance

Rockets fell around the Grenadier platoon smashing the PAK 40 stretcher bearers ran forward to remove the shattered bodies of the gunners. The grenadiers hugged the earth for protection leaving them pinned down. Schwartzbein's nerve broke at this point he ripped off his uniform & ran to the rear.

Sagermann's artillery now struck back, the Russki tanks paid for their carelessness in bunching up, a vicious artillery barrage left 4 tanks burning fiercely.

The katyushas now shifted target to the second PAK a lucky hit sheared the breach off the gun putting it out of action incredibly the entire crew survived unharmed. This left Sagermann with no anti tank defence saving a few panzerfausts. The tanks & infantry rolled forward, two tanks bogged down in the woods. A second straggling company of infantry arrived to bolster the attack.

Counter battery fire fell around the Katyushas putting one out of action their fire was now much less effective. Sagermann's HMGs opened fire on the infantry who began to take heavy casualties. Their advance wavered but continued.

The T70s continued their advance the 2 bogged tanks managed to get moving again, the katyushas blasted ineffectively at the pioneer platoon. The tanks sprayed the grenadiers position with MG fire bolstered by the 2 HMGs of the infantry. They then went in to close assault the grenadiers.

The grenadiers' panzerfaust accounted for another T70 and the pioneers MG fire caused the Russian infantry to rout. Sagermann & his 2IC attacked the T70s with panzerfausts & panzerschreks but to no avail the Russkis had captured the supply dump Sagermann was now forced to retreat after riddling the tinned meat with MG fire to spoil it for the Russians.

Baskivich was now no better off he had used his last drops of diesel in capturing the dump but couldn't run his trucks & tanks on engine coolant.

Dropitof tried, blowing the piston rings on a T70 for his trouble. His infantry tried to drink the coolant two died one went blind. It was going to be a long walk back to division.............