DAR Kampfgruppe Engel (Mission 2) Warning Spoiler alert!

[LUCASWILLEN05]

Or it could be the Nebelwerfers just hit a truck!

Looking forward to whenever Battlefront to Kursk so we can have Stukas. Germans liked to mass them when attacking towns, strongpoints. I reckon a good size Stuka airstrike on that town would look pretty spectacular.

[Hilts]

Or it could be the Nebelwerfers just hit a truck!

Looking forward to whenever Battlefront to Kursk so we can have Stukas. Germans liked to mass them when attacking towns, strongpoints. I reckon a good size Stuka airstrike on that town would look pretty spectacular.

Well, knowing my luck I'm pretty convinced it will be a truck! BTW I wish BF would get something done about that vehicle smoke. It's behaviour looks vaguely ridiculous compared to Aris's efforts.

Stukas would be good!

[Frankster65]

Beautiful DAR! Getting my popcorn now.

[Hilts]

The advance continues....

Pioneers move alongside the hedge and observe the buildings for any sign of enemy activity. They appear to be deserted.

Stummel on left flank moves into position to observe down the main road.

PzII on left flank moves into position to support infantry assault on the buildings

On the right flank PzII and Ober's Panther move into the cornfield flanked by friendly infantry on the look out for any American troops armed with AT weapons.

[Hilts]

Ten minutes into the battle and my troops have advanced to their positions without too much trouble. Still no definite sign of enemy armour apart from a couple of Stuarts in the town. Though there is sound contact of a tracked vehicle approaching down the Argentan Road, which is a bit alarming as HQ informed me that American reinforcements would be coming from the East and South. I am almost wishing they would show up so that I will at least have some clue as to what I will be up against. I fear that it is going to be very hard work without those missing Pz IVs. I am very low on firepower.....

1st Zug scouts sprint across open terrain towards the house in the centre.

My scouts reach the first enemy positions and discover eight dead and dying Americans behind the hedge line.

This is the position after 10 minutes of fighting.

[Hilts]

Things hotting up on left flank as 1st Zug gruppe moves towards it's first objective, the Northern approach to the town.

A squad races over open ground crossed moments earlier by the scouts.

What looks like a mortar round (I have no idea where from) lands amongst them killing one and incapacitating two others. The fourth one was caught in crossfire.

A Panzer II opens up on American units just north of the town.

[Seedorf81]

Your AAR, or DAR (During Action Report) in fact, is very good. Screenies very nice and explanations to the point. Love it so far.

BTW, what video card and processor do you have?

[Hilts]

Your AAR, or DAR (During Action Report) in fact, is very good. Screenies very nice and explanations to the point. Love it so far.

BTW, what video card and processor do you have?

Thanks. The idea was to try and get the pictures to tell the story rather than a lot of difficult to follow narrative. I had this vision of posting the pictures as if a war reporter were on the scene taking them and sending them back with a minimum of dialogue.

I hope it's working.

I have a Pentium Dual Core 3.07 GHz processor with 4 GB ram and a NVidia Geforce GT440 graphics card.

[Hilts]

LEFT FLANK......German forces consisting mainly of pioneers now occupy the terraced houses and get ready to carry out an assault on the Northern Approach.

Panther, in support puts three shells into the building where enemy troops were seen, in preparation for the assault.

RIGHT FLANK.......Leading elements of 2nd Zug come across an enemy team hiding behind the hedge on the left. They open up with enfilade fire causing three enemy casualties. The others run away.

Panzer II moves into position. There is a Stuart somewhere behind the trees in the centre background

[Bradley]

Has to be one of my favorite vehicles the Panzer II. To move them into position for an infantry assault, the sheer joy of it.

[Ranger33]

I just played through this one again this last night. Finally had some free time this weekend so I picked up the 2.0 upgrade and decided to make a fresh run at the Engel campaign (was thwarted repeatedly by the red button of doom bug the first time around).

I actually had great success with the "up the gut" strategy, using my 105's to blast northern approach area and immediately assaulting the dazed Americans. After that taking the town was a breeze, then disaster: my Panther got taken out by a single, head-on shot from **spoilers** a 57mm AT gun halfway across the map. I was literally sick to my stomach for a few minutes. It made the next mission much harder.

Be sure to leave someone behind to occupy the Northern Approach objective. I forgot to do that. So annoying.

[Hilts]

RIGHT FLANK.........The first tank dual of the battle takes place. Munchbach's Lynx spots the Stuart behind the trees and opens fire. The shot hit's the Stuart's turret but glances off. The Stuart returns fire hitting a tree branch before reversing out of there and breaking off contact.

Stummel moves up searching for targets and on the lookout for enemy armour.

Scouts armed with MP 40s cross the road and open fire on fleeing enemy troops.

[Hilts]

LEFT FLANK.......Larcher's Panzer II opens fire with machine gun and catches enemy troops in the open near the Northern Approach.

HMG team sprints across open ground to set up their MG42 in the top floor of the end house. Should give good FOF over the Northern Approach when the assault goes in.

Enemy mortar shells still landing in the vicinity of the road junction. I am unable to rescue my dead and dying men at the moment due to this. Also there is an enemy armoured car with a 37mm gun way over on my left flank ,which I think is also covering this junction so I am reluctant to advance my AFV's any further up the road, at the moment. I am trying to set up my ATG to deal with this but am having trouble with deployment.

[Alan8325]

my Panther got taken out by a single, head-on shot from **spoilers** a 57mm AT gun halfway across the map. I was literally sick to my stomach for a few minutes. It made the next mission much harder.

***Spoiler Alert***

Didn't know this was possible. APDS round? IIRC a 57mm team has 2 of them.

[ridethe415]

Has to be one of my favorite vehicles the Panzer II. To move them into position for an infantry assault, the sheer joy of it.

I agree. Love the sound of the 22mm firing. Coolest sound ever.

[Hilts]

An abandoned Sherman, a victim of the rocket attack at the start of the battle is seen amongst the ruins of the town.

Two American scouts armed with Thompson sub-machine guns pop up from behind a wall and open fire with devastating effect on a team of five Germans advancing up the road

Four of them are wiped out

[Hilts]

The assault on the Northern Approach begins. The Stummel puts two HE shells into the building in the left foreground.

Then two German sappers race across the road to occupy the building.

Inside there are two dead American soldiers with a third cowering in the corner. He promptly surrenders.

[Hilts]

Lt Ober's Panther moves over to the right flank to try and exploit better fields of fire. It immediately comes under fire from a Greyhound armoured car hidden behind some bocage on the Argentan road over on the American extreme left flank.

Ober returns fire

....and scores a direct hit killing all the occupants.

[Hilts]

The attack continues. On all sides American forward elements are seen fleeing back towards the town. Some don't make it. Still no sign of enemy armour.

Over on the right flank Graf's two man scout team armed with MP40s rush into a building and surprise three enemy soldiers, who are immediately gunned down. I was lucky.... I thought the building was unoccupied

Here are the dispositions on the right flank after about twenty minutes of fighting.

[Hilts]

House clearing continues at the Northern Approach. Same deal as before. Two HE shells accompanied by covering fire from a HMG42 across the street. Then two sappers rush in.

This time the house is empty...

Dispositions on the left flank after about twenty minutes.

[Seedorf81]

Lookin' good so far.

I went around the left, but less coordinated.

Questions:

- How much arty do you still have?

- How do you get rid of the UI in your screenies?

Like your DAR-style very much, a pleasure to watch.

[Hilts]

Lookin' good so far.

I went around the left, but less coordinated.

Questions:

- How much arty do you still have?

- How do you get rid of the UI in your screenies?

Like your DAR-style very much, a pleasure to watch.

Cheers!

I still have all my artillery intact apart from the Nebelwherfers. With the Yanks in retreat I am thinking about another bombardment of the town but I also like to keep some in reserve (for emergencies).

I simply crop the UI off by using the PAINT.net programme

[Hilts]

RIGHT FLANK: Units advance towards the outskirts of the town and the Western Approach over on the right.

...and immediately engage enemy infantry in the house centre background. I may have to put some shells into that next turn.

On the extreme right flank I need to know what's behind that bocage lining the Argentan Road, where the destroyed Greyhound is. A scout unit is dispatched to find out.

More units move up towards the town passing American dead on the way.

[Hilts]

LEFT FLANK: More sappers move into position for the assault on the final building in the Northern Approach sector. These lads are carrying explosives should they be required. Meanwhile Larchers's Lynx changes position and is on the hunt for any routing enemy units.

I have set up my Pak40 behind some bocage to anchor the extreme left flank and to cover any American armoured counter attack in this area. I also have a good field of fire covering the Chagny Road, which you can see on the embankment running from left to right where the red writing is. If any enemy reinforcements come down this road it should get interesting.....

[Hilts]

All the action in these turns takes place at the Northern Approach. After just over twenty minutes of fighting all units ordered to check their ammo. Some teams are running low so trucks brought up from the rear for re-supply.

Sappers blow a hole in the wall then rush through and occupy the final building in the Northern Approach sector.

There are two dead and dying American soldiers lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor. Better check upstairs on next turn.

Meanwhile on the other side of the street assault goes in on the big house overlooking the Northern Approach.

When this house is cleared the Northen Approach should be secured.