8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

1/676

By Casey Davies U PDATED ON

12 D ECEMBER 2013

8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

2/6

You must field one platoon from each box shaded black and may field one platoon from eachbox shaded grey.

1

4

4

3

H E A D Q U A R T E R S

KampfgruppeKersher HQ

HEADQUARTERS

2

C O M B A T P L A T O O N S

ARMOUR

506. Schwere panzer Platoon

INFANTRY

Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon

S U P P O R T P L A T O O N S

ARMOUR

Tank-hunter Platoon

KAMPFGRUPPE KERSHERTank Company

Battlegroup Kersher

Schwere PanzerPlatoon

ARMOUR

3 Reserve SchwerePanzer Platoon

ARMOUR

3

Reserve SchwerePanzer Platoon

ARMOUR

3

On 6 April 1945 the Soviet Red Army launch their mainoffensive against German forces at Knigsburg. wo dayslater a small group of iger I E tanks counterattacked. Duringthe ensuing battle, one igers was destroyed, reducing thebattalions strength to just 9 tanks.On 12 April 2. Schwere Panzerabteilung was split up intogroups of 2 to 3 tanks, to wait for the Soviet offensive tocatch up with them. Oberfeldwebel Kersher and another iger

were deployed near Norgau (20 miles/31.5 km northwest ofKnigsburg).he next day Kampfgruppe Kersher engaged the Sovietspearhead and destroyed more than 20 tanks. Later that day

the second iger I E had to withdraw due to a damagedgun. Kersher continued to fight, knocking out another 15tanks.On the evening of 12 April a supply truck brought someammunition forward and a second iger I E, commanded byUnteroffizier Weigand, arrived to reinforce Kersher. A short

while later the two igers knock out a further 12 SU-100tank-hunters. Afterwards, Weigands iger and nearbyinfantry were called away to a different location.

A couple of days later Kershers iger suffered mechanicalfailure and became stuck in third gear. Despite this hetried to support the two igers of Feldwebel Hermann and

Unteroffizier Baresch, but his tank is hit and he is woundedin the head. Hermanns tank becomes immobilised andhad to be abandoned, while Bareschs tank was destroyed.

he survivors manned Kershers crippled iger and madea strategic retreat. Another tank takes over the position while Kershers tank relocates to the battalions maintenancefacility.On 21 April, Kershers repaired iger made its way tothe front line and stopped several Soviet attacks in theNeuhusel Forest with assistance from a pair of Hetzersfrom 1. Kompanie/502. Schwere Panzerabteilung , a PaK, anda iger II from 506. Schwere Panzerabteilung . Between them,21 enemy vehicles were knocked out and Kersher broughthis personal tally to over 100. Te iger II then ran out ofammunition and withdrew, while the Hetzers and the PaK

were redeployed.he next day Kershers tank took several hits and his fueltanks started to leak. Over 300 litres of fuel spilled into thehull. Kersher simply drained it off and kept fighting. Afterknocking out several more tanks he was relieved by twoigers returning from workshop after repairs.Kersher was then called on to support the local infantryagainst another Soviet thrust. His iger took another coupleof hits and had to fall back to the maintenance facilityagain.Kersher returned to Neuhusel Forest to engage enemy tanksthat had penetrated into the forest. He tried to mount adefence with another iger, but when that tiger was knockedout Kersher withdrew to Pillau. Once he had reached theharbour he had no choice but to scuttle his tank and escapeon a ferry to Frische Nehrung (near Danzig).

8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

3/6

8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

4/6

By this stage of the war there is little in the war of freshpanzers making their way to the frontline, and units have topatch up damaged tanks as best as they can.

Troughout April the maintenance facility was able torepair a small number of tanks and get them back into the

eld. Even Kersher had to make use of these facilities onoccasion.

On 26 February 511. Schwere Panzerabteilung consolidatedall of its remaining iger I E tanks into the second company.Due to a lack of fresh tigers from the factory being in shortsupply, the 1st company of511. Schwere Panzerabteilung wasre-equipped with Hetzer tank-hunters.

Te veteran crews gave a good account of themselves in thetank-hunters, however by April the Hetzer company hadbeen involved in heavy ghting and only a few of themremained.

Panzerjger Platoon

Leutnant

Leutnant

HQ SectionCommand Hetzer

Tank-hunter

Unteroffizier

Hetzer

Schwere Panzer Platoon

Feldwebel

Feldwebel

Command Tiger I EHQ Section

Unterfeldwebel

Tiger I EPanzer section

Reserve Schwere Panzer Platoon

Feldwebel

Feldwebel

Command Tiger I E

HQ Section

3

PLATOON

2 Hetzers 185 points1 Hetzer 95 points

SUPPORT PLATOONS

COMBAT PLATOONS

PLATOON

2 Tiger I E 430 points1 Tiger I E 215 points

PLATOON

1 Tiger I E 165 points

In missions that have Reserves of any type (Reserves,Scattered Reserves, Delayed Reserves, etc.), Reserve SchwerePanzer Platoons must be held in Reserve and are always thelast platoon to arrive from Reserve.

In missions that do not normally have any form ofReserves, Reserve Schwere Panzer Platoons start the gamein Reserve.

P ANZERJAGER P LATOON

A Panzerjager Platoon uses the iger Aces special rules on page 244 of the rulebook, where a iger Ace skill refers to igertanks or 8.8cm tank guns, treat that as referring to a Hetzerand its main gun instead.

SCHWERE P ANZER P LATOON

Remember to roll for your iger Ace Skills before each game.

R ESERVE SCHWERE P ANZER P LATOON

Reserve Schwere Panzer Platoons roll for their iger Ace skillswhen they arrives on table from Reserves.

8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

5/6

On paper, the third company of 511. Schwere Panzerabteilung was equipped with iger II tanks. In reality they neverreceived them, as they got diverted to another unit.he only iger IIs in the area belonged to 506. SchwerePanzerabteilung .

506. Schwere Panzer Platoon

Hauptmann

Hauptmann

Company Command Tiger

Company HQ

4

PLATOON

1 Knigstiger (Henschel) 345 points

Te Weapons Squad is made up of Weapons teams. Tere isno actual team called a Weapons team. Instead these can beany of the following types of teams:

up to one 7.5cm PaK40 anti-tank gunup to two MG42 HMG up to two 8cm GW34 mortar

A Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon is unusual in thatthe composition of the platoon can change from game to game. You must choose the composition of your GrenadierKampfgruppe Platoon for each game before deploymentbegins.

GRENADIER K AMPFGRUPPE P LATOON

PLATOON

HQ Section with:2 Grenadier Squads 155 points 120 points1 Grenadier Squad 95 points 75 points

Add:2 Panzerschreck teams +50 points +40 points1 Panzerschreck team +25 points +20 points

3 Weapons teams +110 points +90 points2 Weapons teams +80 points +65 points1 Weapons team +50 points +40 points

CONFIDENT TRAINED

M OTIVATION AND SKILL A Veteran Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon is rated asCondent Veteran.

A Fresh Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon is rated asCondent Trained.

CONFIDENT VETERAN

V ETERAN K AMPFGRUPPE

FRESH K AMPFGRUPPE

506. S CHWERE P ANZER P LATOON

Remember to roll for your iger Ace Skills before each game.

Grenadier Kampfgruppe platoon

Leutnant or oberfeldwebel

Unteroffizier

Weapons Squad

Unteroffizier

PanzerfaustRifle/MG

team

PanzerfaustRifle/MG

team

Unteroffizier

Leutnant or Oberfeldwebel

HQ Section

Command PanzerfaustRifle/MG team

Grenadier Squad

Panzerschreck team

Panzerschreck team

Grenadier Squad

Weapons team Weapons teamWeapons team

PanzerfaustRifle/MG

team

PanzerfaustRifle/MG

team

8/13/2019 Kampfgruppe Kersher

6/6