Last stand of kampfgruppe Van Fons in Flames of war

end game for Kampfruppe Van Fons?

After much delay we have finally got around to finishing our Pieper's charge Ardenne campaign. After two engagements both sides are even. The German broke through the initial defences at Lohiem on time but were checked by the combat engineers at Stavelot.  All that remains between the kampfgruppe and victory is the villages of Thirmont and Cheneux.  Thirmont is defended by a rifle platoon and Cheneux is defend by a combat engineer platoon. The defense have been reinforced by a scrapyard tank platoon (tanks pressed into service from the maintenance pool) and a paratrooper platoon from the 101st airborne. Additional reinforcements are on the way in the form of more paratroopers, tanks platoons and air support.

The 1st (and only booby trap kill of the campaign)

German panzers roll on to the Cheneux road

The scrapyard platoon is engaged on the Cheneux road 

But does not last long

American Armour finally appears

And starts dueling with the german panthers

Who are happy to return fire

King tigers make an appearance

And American armour quickly evaporates

The paratroopers mix it up with the german sherman (aka Panzer IVs)

With the bazooka managing a hit

The Panzer ssuaslt is pushed back 

Paratroopers keeping the road closed

At Thirmont Fallschirmjagers assualt the rifle platoon

Pieper and friend try to flank Thirmont but are in turned flanked and assault by paratroopers from Cheneux

The Cheneua road is closed to the German advance

merican air support makes an appearance and Panzers start to explode

Pieper is captured by paratroopers

elsewhere paraproops rush to reinforce the Thirmont road

Unable to clear the defenders of Thirmont, the Panzers simple drive past them 

More american armour fails to make an impression on the King tigers

The last defenders on the road try to hold the panzer march

The tigers clear the last defenders but run out of time to exit the battlefeild

So end a nail biting campaign The Germans broke the line but ran out of time before capitalizing on the result.  Another campaign is on the way maybe this time using version 4 of the flames of war rules

 

That is all for now thanks for stopping by