To celebrate the May two four weekend, at the last minute (late Friday) I decided to run a game of Kampfgruppe Normandy.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of the disastrous reception the rules received the last time I ran them. I chose a much smaller scenario. "A Panther Hunt" with the Americans taking the place of the British, the lack of the 17 pounders was felt. The Panther is invulnerable to AT shots from the front by the US 76mm guns, whereas the British Firefly and Achilles Tank destroyers can slice it open easily.
I had 3 players Andy, Martin and one other guy (I didn't catch his name), I umpired and taught the rules. Martin played the Americans, he setup across the entire width of the table, tanks behind the Orchard (on his left) infantry in the middle, behind woods, and in the wheat field on the right.
The German infantry set up behind the hedges lining their road, the Panther and PAK 40 in the woods, the Mark IV and platoon HQ behind the building.
Turn 1: US Move forward. The PAK 40, on covering fire, slays the M10. Germans fire at US in wheat field wiping out the HMG team and killing 4 from the Squad.
How the rest of the game went:
The Germans finished off the Americans in the wheat field, Shermans kill the PAK 40 crew, and a Mark IV, Panther kills the shermans and the US Infantry in the central woods, the Americans clear the house and sweep behind the Panther, but are intercepted by some German infantry but promptly blow them away and the game ends, in an American victory.
We played 9 turns in 3.5 hours
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| Battlefield From the U.S. side. |
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| American advance halted by the German defenders (the M10 is burning just out of picture to the right). |
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| A sherman, on covering fire, dispatches a Mark IV |
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| And is promptly slain by the Panther |
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| The last American squad trying to flank the Panther are intercepted by a German squad detached for that purpose. American firepower slays them all |
