Dust: Training Day

OKH Battle report.

Classified information, for OKH members only.

As you might be aware or not, the Panzerabteilung 203 has been removed from the Zverograd because it had suffered too many casualties.
The 203 was brought back in an area thought secure: Alsace Lorraine (in occupied France).
We were proven wrong when Allied paratroopers took control of a small village nearby the 203's garrison.
If you read this report, you know that the 203 was outmatched by the new heavy armor the paratroopers were equiped with.

Thankfully two other divisions were on their way to liberate the small village, but once again the 203, or what remained of it since it saw action in the Zverograd campaign was at minimal manpower and had to be relocated.

This is when three new 'wonder-weapon' were made available to the 203's High Kommand:

--Ubertotens

--Hortens Jetfighters (finally! We had requested those to the factory in August!)
--The war hero, Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub's holder Panzerprinz.

The later was to form new troops on walker warfare and to ensure the quality of the platoon was up to the former 203's standards.

 Now we all know the allies hold a strong grudge against the 203, especially since the second liberation of France and their failed operation 'Market Garden' but our informants didn't expect they would hold a grudge strong enough to send a whole platoon of Canadians to try and annihilate a reforming 203.

The following happened in Belgium 20km from the town of Vieteren.

Conditions of the Battle: Off-target Shelling

<<The Allies were proud of their bombs? Let's show them what the 203 can do: Fire the KoenigsLothar!>>
--Panzerprinz
Deployment of the Battle:

<<They landed far from here, wish we still had our Sturmprinz>>

--203 Grenadier
Battle Objectives: Eliminate the Enemy
<<I don't care for survivors, I just want training to resume as quickly as possible.>>
--Panzerprinz

Forces:
Axis: 203 Panzerabteilung (Sturmgrenadiers Platoon)
Command: Panzerprinz
1st Section: Heavy Flak Grenadiers
2nd Section: Laser Grenadiers (+grenades) Support: Ludwig

203 Recruits (Blutkreuz Platoon)

Command: Sturmpionere

1st Section: Ubertoten Assault Squad (+grenades)

2nd Section: Ubertoten Assault Squad (+grenades)

3rd Section: Ubertoten Suicide Squad (+grenades)

Support 1: Horten III
Support 2: Horten IV

Allies: CommanderFrancois' Canadians

Now we do not know yet the exact composition of the army sent to fight the 203 nor do we know how it was able to locate and get to the 203. (It's in Belgium! I thought we had the coast secure!!)   

Pre-Battle Anylisis:
Looking at Francois' list, I see two squads of Grim Reapers (I hate them!), one squad of Tankbusters (hate them too!)...The usual 'heavy armor' allies.
With three squads of what? Snipers?!? I'm toasted!
And as if this wasn't enough, there's an Allied Super Heavy and I forgot my Heavy Laser Grenadiers home.

Okay things COULD look grim, but let's take a look at what the 203 brings today:
-Panzerprinz in a Ludwig: Penetrator on a cheap-ish anti-tank weapon, that is not bad.

-Ubertotens, lots of them.They don't suffer from the Off-target Shelling conditions. Okay, I seriously think their weapons' small range is a big incentive to load them in a Sturmprinz but I had to keep my points for...
-Hortens III & IV: yay!! I'll finally will get to play my planes! I know I shouldn't have taken both at the same time and one with my usual Flamm-Luther would have been better but I couldn't resist! Of course, Francois guessed that he would see both of them and as such has two squads of Grim Reapers. I'll have to play carefully...or bomb them!

Okay recruits: this is a live training!

The Canadians' deployment

203's deployment

In order to avoid the Fireball's Napalm thrower as well as Sniper fire, the bottom 203 force hugs the edge of the battlefield.

Panzerprinz ready to repel the Allies!

Canadians Tankbuster sighted!

As well as a Canadian Kill Team

Using the Fireball as a moving cover

''Everything looks in order. Time to fire it up.''

Axis wins the initiative and tries to cross the map as fast as possible to get some protection from snipers. The planes race through the skies.

The Hortens take some shots but miss everything.

''Schnell!''

The Ludwig piloted by Panzerprinz blitzkrieged out of cover to try and shoot the Fireball but the shells fall short.

A BBQ squad gets behind a house, ready to roast ubertotens.

Where did the air support go?? Zogdam Grim Reapers!!

Allies behind the house!!

The Fireball continues it's slow advance while bottom 203 forces get murdered by Grim Reapers and sniper fire.

''Something's not right with the opticals!'' Maybe that could explain why the Ludwig missed all it's shots (even with sustained attacks).

Go suicide squad we got you covered!
(sadly both squads were reported MIA)

Top 203 force gets annihilated as Bazooka Joe and the boys throw an insane amount at the lone surviving Ubertoten leader.

End of round 4. No remaining Axis on the table.

 

Panzerprinz really liked the 203 Ludwig he had been assigned for platoon instructions. While the metal walker was from the earlier production of the design and as such was missing some improvements commonly found on Wotans, it felt almost reassuring to pilot one of these.
After all, Germany had gotten out from the jaws of defeat countless time thanks to the rugged design. This one had probably seen its fare share of battles.
It made leaving the Ludwig even more painful, but it was the only option to avoid roasting under the Fireball's Napalm Thrower.
Seconds later, that venerable Ludwig was a molten slag.

Thankfully the fireball had been critically damaged by Ubertotens recruits firing panzerfausts at it and though most of them paid this bravery with their lives it allowed Panzerprinz to make it make to the woods safely.

From the vantage point he could see the allies regrouping, clearly they thought all of them dead and although they had brought flamers, they did not use them on the corpses laying the battlefields.

It was far into the night after the Allies rigged-up the immobilized Fireball to prevent its capture, packed up and left. As the last one got out of sight, Panzerprinz howled. There was slight movements and then 'fallen soldiers' bullet-ridden walked back to meet him.

''Okay volks, defeat is the best way to learn...
Lesson one: the few of you that took the serum are alive. That'll teach the others.
Lesson two: never, ever, understimate the enemy: I thought it was a small recon force and it turned out to be a full fledged annihilation team...Lucky for us, they under-estimated you and did not bother burning the corpses...Probably the first time theses Canadians fought Ubertotens so don't count on that mistake next time.
Now get ready, we walk the 20km back to HQ...It'll teach us to never go out without some Sturmprinz!''

MIA and Casualties of this battle:
Axis: Every single thing. They fought to the death for the 203's honor.
Allies:BBQ squad

Allied casualties

Axis casualties

Post-Battle Thoughts:
A good day for Suicide Squads!
The Fireball was immobilized way too late, the Ludwig did a grand total of...0pts of damage to the Fireball. Everything was done the 'good ol' way with Panzerfausts' from the Ubertotens (who did 8pts of damage by themselves!! Go Ubertotens!)

In retrospect, a Sturmprinz could have been a good idea, same with a Flamm-Luther. Having two planes against Allies is giving these Grim Reapers two easy targets.

Next time: more heavy vehicles (the Allies' weakness, makes these Grim Reapers less good and same for the snipers) and a Sturmprinz or two to bring my ubertotens in range while avoiding sniper and Grim Reapers' fire.

Hope you enjoyed this battle as much as I did!
Getting annihilated is not fun against a boring opponent but in company of Francois (and spectator Nicolas) it made this game and my mistakes a really funny one.

Stay tuned: I'll try Tactics and write a Tactics Battle-Report very soon! (After all the regionals in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) are happening at Gamers' Vault in less than two weeks for Tactics ;).