The Fighting Withdrawal that Wasn't

I played Michael K last month on Game Day at the Knights of Columbus. It took awhile, but I downloaded and resized the pictures and can now share them in an AAR.

I pulled out 1,500pts of 11th Panzer Division. Michael though wanted to go to 1,750pts and use his Panzer Pioneers. I was cool with that and I selected Priority Air Support to get close to 1,700. Michael also had 7 Dice of Air.

My Force:

CiC, 2iC - Pz III L/M
1st Platoon - 4x Pz III L/M
2nd Platoon - 3x Pz IV F-2
3rd Platoon - 7x R/MG Pioneer Stands plus Goliath
4th Platoon - 2x 8-Rads
Priority Stukas

Michael's Force:

Very vague (it's been over a month), but he has 2 platoons of 3x Pz III N's. A Ferdinand. A Pioneer Platoon. Another foot slogging platoon with a puppchen. Priority Stukas.

We rolled up Fighting Withdrawal. As the armored force, I get to attack.



11. Panzer Division



CiC and 2iC and KV-5 objective marker in the back row.



Table looking east, river carving out a path through the center of the field.


Table's west side. Michael's objective in the center, far back. One of my objective markers next to the plowed fields.


Second objective marker was placed in the open on the eastern edge of the table.


Ferdinand and Pz III N's guard the East Obj.


Cowardly Pz III N's hide in the woods, keeping watch on West Obj.


My deployment, spreading out and watching the sky for airplanes. West side is overloaded with the bulk of my force.


Pz IV F-2's get the thankless task of keeping the Ferdinand busy and stopping the Pz III N's from getting any ideas of shifting over to help their comrades in the west.


Fritz! That's AT 16 over there. Hide, hide, hide! Karl, dummkoph, you bogged!


Main attack begins crossing the river. I roll Air, Michael intercepts. Down to 6 dice.


Michael moves cautiously to guard the West Obj.


His other Panzer's think it's a good idea to guard the East Obj. Michael rolls Air, I intercept. Down to 5 dice.


I decide to go into the forest, rather than get bunched up between the forest and the side of the table.


I see you!


F-2's maneuvering around the village building.


At this point, I'm just playing with the camera and taking pictures for possible phone backgrounds. Michael's panzers are out of range. I roll Air. Michael intercepts. Down to 4 dice.


Panzer III N's taking their sweet time to cross the river. Michael rolls Air. I intercept. Down to 3 Dice.


The Journey Through the Forest of Bleakness and Bog Check nears its end.


The combined fire of so many Panzer III's is devastating. The lone survivor scurries off the board. I roll Air. Michael intercepts. Down to 2 dice.


Ferdinand lumbering into action.



Michael springs his ambush. Puppchen is revealed and hits nothing. Michael assaults...



Mucho, mucho MG dice decimate the platoon. Oh and Michael rolled Air and I intercept. Down to 2 dice.


The rest of the platoon and the puppchen are eliminated. I rolled for Air. Michael chose NOT to intercept. I failed to get any planes. Down to 1 dice. Michael has 2 dice.


Michael rolls air. I fail to intercept. 2 dead Pz III L/M's and one bailed. Ouch!!!


I'm pushing to the objective. Michael is moving his pioneers to contest it. It's at this point that we realize he should have been withdrawing platoon and objectives. We've buggered the mission. Oh well, we're having too much fun playing.....and Michael rolls Air...AGAIN! I fail to intercept...AGAIN!


Meanwhile on the Eastern Table Side, the F-2's have been dodging AT 16 shells. We're trading shots, needing 5's or 6's to hit. I do hit Michael's panzers are couple of times, but blow my FP checks. Michael hits me and makes his FP checks. I'm stupid and should have realized his short 75mm are only 24" range. D'oh! He never should have hit me. =( Oops. This is what happens when Tankers start dogfighting with 7 Dice of Air.


Sighs. Curse you Michael and your Stukas!


The Final Turn. Michael and I call it. Another game is starting and I have to go. A fun game, even if we messed up the criteria. The Air Battle was a blast. I'm kicking myself for not remembering that I outranged him with my F-2's. It would've forced him to close the distance with poor results for him. I'm very happy 11.PD was taken out for a spin. It's been awhile.