Ambush at Neivre
A motley collection of German armor makes up marauding Kampf Group Klein. These fierce warriors have been assigned the tassk of penetrating deep behind enemy lines and attacking an enemy division HQ. From left to right: Pz III-M, Pz IV-F, JgdPz IV/70(V), (top) Stug IV, Pz IV-J ( #615 center), Pz IV-F2 (above #615), and a Ferdinand.
Pz III-M
Pz IV-J which carries the German Commander.
Pz IV F2
Stug IV
Over the last rise in the wheat field lays the quiet town of Neivre and a secondary road leading to the enemy HQ!
The road exit south (at top) by which the Germans must leave on in order to continue with their mission.
To the east on the German front left flank a section of M4A3s lay hidden in ambush, #1 foreground and #2 on a small rise behind. Their instructions are to wait for flank shots and to be prepared to exploit the German flank on order.
#1 hidden behind a small grove of trees.
#2 with an excellent view of the rise in the wheat field. The Germans should appear at any moment!
To the west and on the German right flank a second section of M4A3s in hiding. #3 at center and #4 at right.
#3 is covering the length of the road which enters the town from the north east.
#4, the American commander, sits on the Allied left flank and covers the approach from the field through an orchard.
View from the exit point looking north. This is the destination for the Germans victory.
Looking north east. You can see the buildings lining the road through the town. The defenders quarters are to the left.
American tank platoon billet. #4 is to the upper left and #3 at top center in the woods. Road exit is to the right.
The table from the south east looking north west. Americans #3 & 4 at top left, #1 & 2 to the right. Germans top right.
The Germans approach! The JgddPz IV, Stug IV, and Pz III-M get the order to move forward. #2 prepares his sights!
Topping the rise #2 gets a beauty profile shot and punches a round through the hull! The German halts and explodes!
Ambush! The German commander orders all his vehicles forward!
The Pz III-M moves out to the left flank searching for the shooter. The main armor advances center, Stug and Ferdinand on the German right flank watching the woods at top for more enemy.
Having fired #2 is barely visible from his hidden position in the woods on the rise. All Germans engage him but are unable to get good shots or penetrate the protection of the trees!
The Pz III-M on the German left flank advances and also takes #2 under fire!
#1 rolls out of his hide position and fires! Miss!
From across the board #4 takes a flank shot at the Pz III-M in the foreground - another miss!
The Stug and Ferdinand now turn to fire on #2 but not before he hits the German commander's tank and main gun forcing the driver to panick and reverse course!
The entire German line opens a withering fire on #2 and the woods that he is hiding in!
The view from the turret of #2... German Stug...
Ferdinand...
Pz IV-F...
...and the Pz III-M!
The barrage is too much and the Ferdinand slams an 88 through #2's turret! An explosion ends a noble career!
The Germans cheer!
#4 at the top left fires on the Pz III-M again - hit! The loader, driver, and hull gunner are all wounded! #1 fires from his position and scores another hit! The Pz III-M begins to burn and the crew bails!
No sooner has #1 scored the kill than he is met head on by Pz IV-F and F2! It's a showdown!
The Germans open fire but miss!
#1 calmly aims for the Pz at center - another hit! The turret is jammed, the tank goes dead, and the crew bails!
The Stug watches the German left flank using the rise at left as cover from #4.
#4 at top center can't see the German to his front!
The two surviving German crews on the left flank regroup in safety behind the rise in the wheat field.
The German commander is livid! Three tanks knocked out and his own main gun is useless! Ferdinand advances...
The Ferdinand sits hull down and manages to bounce a shot off #4 disabling his turret and driving him off!
#1 begins to swing his gun to try and take the last German tank - will his luck hold out? The Pz IV-F2 slams a shot through the turret wounding the crew and knocking out the drive shaft! Things look bad...
With the way clear the Stug advances out of the wheat field and takes up position near an abandoned building...
#3 lies in wait for the Germans to advance the abandoned building - #4's vacated position is seen at top.
The Stug advances down the road looking to draw enemy fire...
... and #3 obliges him with a shot to the side skirt! The round penetrates barely but manages to knock out the radio!
The Ferdinand spots #3 from his firing position and shifts to engage!
The German Pz IV-F2 hastily reloads and fires another round into the silent Sherman!
The round knocks out the main gun and sets off the ammo - #1 goes up in a fiery inferno!
#1 burns in the foreground, #2 at top left. Stuf at center with Pz CO advancing. The Pz III-M burns at right...
The Stug spins to take #3 under fire but the shot hits a tree!
Pz commander advances after the Stug to recon and provide MG support...
The Ferdinand continues to fire on #3 but the woods are just too thick!
#4 has made it back to the platoon HQ and takes up an enfilade firing position of the main road....
The German left flank is a mess at top left while #1 burns at top right. The German commander rolls onward...
The Pz IV-F2 rolls up the German left flank skirting the field and pulls up behind the Stug dueling with #3...
#3 bounces a shot off the Stug and on seeing the Pz IV-F2 roll up hollers for support from #4!
#4 rolls out of his ambush hide and takes up a blocking position on the road with the Stug dead in his sights...
The German commander at bottom makes a mad dash down the back yards of the buildings at right as he scouts a bypass around the Sherman road block on the opposite side of the building from him...
German CO at left, American Sherman in blocking position at right...
The Ferdinand just can't get a clear shot at #3 in his hide position at center...
The Pz IV-F2 and the Ferdinand continue to pound away at the well dug in Sherman hiding in the woods!
Finally the Stug slams a round through #3's hull - crew wounded, turret jammed, and tank drive shot out! The TC fails his morale check and bails out of the tank only to be cut down by the machineguns of the Pz IV-F2!
At center #4 bounces a shot off the road at the Stug but misses! The Pz IV-F2 moves up on the left...
...and into firing position on #4!
The Ferdinand is ordered to advance and begins to move into position where he too can take #4 under fire! There is a long drawn out duel with the Sherman with the Stug taking another hit but shrugging it off. Taking careful aim the Stug draws a bead on the lone survivior and fires!
Hit! The hull is penetrated and the Sherman brews up in a fantasitc explosion!
The surviving Germans are ordered to advance down the route reconed by the German CO to continue the attack...
Germans - Minor Victory! (They won but at a pretty heavy price!)
Americans - Minor Defeat! (They lost but took a lot of the enemy with them!)
Regards