The Two Bits of SPA 501 Must Be Assigned to One of Two Panzer Assault Groups Below, Since There

Kasserine

Axis OrBat

5 th Panzerarmee

LOG n/a V Panzeramee (Generaloberst von Arnim) POL n/a Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 1) 1/Sw Pz Abt 501 Tiger I Feb 14th a.m., D/E/F OOO 2/Sw Pz Abt 501 Tiger I Feb 21st a.m., E OO 334th Mobile bttn A/C recce (S) Feb 21st p.m., D OOO

The two bits of SPA 501 must be assigned to one of two panzer assault Groups below, since there is no army level POL to support them. The do not need to be assigned to the same group, although historically both served with 10th Pz.

LOG n/a 10th Panzer Division Assault Group (Generalmajor Freiherr von Broich) POL OOO Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 2) 10th Pz POL Bowser Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOO KG Gerhardt HQ (E) HQ Feb 14th a.m., E/D O KG Reimann HQ (E) HQ Feb 14th a.m., E/D O 2/7th Pz Regt Pz III Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOOO 1/69th Pz Grenadiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOO 1/69th Pz Grenadiers Tpt Truck Feb 14th a.m., E/D O 2/69th Pz Grenadiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOO 2/69th Pz Grenadiers Tpt Sdkfz 251 Feb 14th a.m., E/D O 1/86th Pz Grendiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOO 2/86th Pz Grenadiers Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., E/D OO 86th Pz Grenadiers Tpt Truck Feb 14th a.m., E/D OO KG Lang (S) (moves as wheeled) M/c Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., E/D OOOO

Either 10th Pz HQ can command any 10th Panzer Assault Group unit. KG Lang is a motorised unit.

LOG OOO 21st Panzer Division Assault Group (Generalmajor von Randow) POL OOO Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 2) 21st Pz LOG Truck Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOO 21st Pz POL Bowser Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOO KG Stenkoff HQ (E) HQ Feb 14th a.m. F/E O KG Schütte HQ (E) HQ Feb 14th a.m. F/E O 1/5th Pz Regt Pz III Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOOO 2/5th Pz Regt Pz III Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOOO 1/104th Pz Grenadiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOOO 2/104th Pz Grenadiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOOO 104th Pz Grenadier Tpt Truck Feb 14th a.m. F/E OO 155th Arty Regt (-) 105mm Feb 14th a.m. F/E Range 24” OO 155th Arty Rgt Tpt Truck Feb 14th a.m. F/E O Pz Recce Bn 580 A/C recce Feb 14th a.m. F/E OOO 3/25th Flak Regt Sdkfz 7/1 Feb 14th a.m. F/E OO

Either 21st Pz Assault Group HQ can command any 21st Panzer Assault Group unit. 21st Pz is detached from DAK. If it is returned, any 21st Pz unit can be commanded by Rommel.

1 Kasserine

LOG OOO KG Buhse (Oberstleutnant Buhse) POL n/a Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 2) KG Buhse HQ (E) HQ O 1/1/47th Regt (I) Inf Bn OO 2/1/47th Regt (I) Inf Bn OO 1/2/47th Regt (I) Inf Bn OO 2/2/47th Regt (I) Inf Bn OO 27th Africa March Bn (L) Inf Bn OO It 2/91st Basilicata Regt (L) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., Fondouk S OO It 2/92nd Basilicata Regt (L) (-) Inf Bn Feb 14th a.m., Fondouk N O It 5th CCNN Bn (L) Inf Bn Feb 14th noon, D OO 22nd Arty Regt (-) 105mm 24” range. OO 22nd Arty Regt Tpt Truck O KG Buhse LOG Truck O It 5/5th Bersaglieri (L) Recce det Feb 14th p.m., D O It 24/5th Bersaglieri (L) Inf Bn Feb 15th p.m., D OOO

LOG OOO 21st Panzer Screening Group (?) POL n/a Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 1) 104th Pz Gr HQ HQ Feb 14 a.m., Faid, E edge O 4/104th Pr Grenadiers (S) Inf Bn Feb 14 a.m., Faid, E edge OOO 1/104th bis Pz Grenadiers Inf Bn Feb 14 a.m., Faid, E edge OO 2/104th bis Pz Grenadiers Inf Bn Feb 14 a.m., Faid, E edge OO

2 Kasserine

Deutches Africa Korps

LOG OOO DAK Assault Group (Oberst Borowietz) POL OOO Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 2) FML Rommel HQ Feb 17th a.m., G O DAK HQ (E) HQ Feb 17th a.m., G O 1/8th Pz Regt Pz III Feb 17th a.m., G OOO 1/Africa Regt (S) Inf Bn Feb 17th a.m., G OOOO 2/Africa Regt (S) Inf Bn Feb 17th a.m., G OOOO Africa Regt Tpt Truck Feb 17th a.m., G OO DAK Arty Grp Gun Feb 17th a.m., G Range 24” OO DAK Arty Grp Tpt Truck Feb 17th a.m., G O 33rd Panzer Recce Bn A/C recce Feb 17th a.m., G OOO DAK POL Bowser Feb 17th a.m., G OOO DAK LOG Truck Feb 17th a.m., G OOO

Rommel can command any DAK unit.

LOG n/a Jaeger Brigade (Major von der Heydte) POL n/a Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 1) Jaeger HQ HQ Feb 17th p.m., G O 1/Jaeger Inf Bn Feb 17th p.m., G OOOO 2/Jaeger Inf Bn Feb 17th p.m., G OOOO Jaeger Bde Tpt Truck Feb 17th p.m., G OO

LOG OOO Gruppo Centauro (Col Bonfatti) POL OOO Recovery Rate 1/3 (max = 1) Centauro HQ HQ Feb 18th a.m., G O 14/5th Bersaglieri Inf Bn Feb 18th a.m., G OOO 12/7th Bersaglieri Inf Bn Feb 18th a.m., G OOO Bersaglieri Tpt Truck Feb 18th a.m., G OO 15/131st Tank Regt (I) M14/41 Feb 18th a.m., G OO Centauro Arty Grp (I) Gun Feb 18th a.m., G Range 24” OO Centauro Arty Grp Tpt Truck Feb 18th a.m., G O 22/5th Bersaglieri Inf Bn Feb 18th a.m., G OO Gruppo Centauro LOG Truck Feb 18th a.m., G OOO Gruppo Centauro POL Bowser Feb 18th a.m., G OOO

3 Kasserine

Game turns 14 Feb Axis a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 15 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 16 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 17 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 18 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 19 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 20 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 21 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 22 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. 23 Feb Axis Weather a.m. midday p.m. night Allied a.m. midday p.m. a.m. = 0630-1030; midday = 1030-1430; p.m. = 1430-1830; night = 1830-0630

Axis Order of Arrival 14 Feb a.m. 10th Pz Div Assault Group @ E or D 21st Pz Div Assault Group @ F or E (one Assault Group per entry point) 1/Sw Pz Abt 501 with 10th or 21st Pz Assault Group 21st Pz Screening Group @ E edge of Faid box IT 2/92nd Inf (-) @ N edge of Fondouk box IT 2/91st Inf @ S edge of Fondouk box 14 Feb noon IT 5th CCNN @ D 14 Feb p.m. IT 5/5th Bersaglieri @ D 15 Feb p.m. IT 24/5th Bersaglieri @ D 17 Feb a.m. DAK Assault Group @ G 17 Feb p.m. Jaeger Bde @ G 18 Feb a.m. Gruppo Centauro @ G 21 Feb a.m. 334th Mobile bttn @ D 21 Feb a.m. 2/Sw Pz Abt 501 @ D

4 Kasserine

Designer’s notes None of the major formations present fought as anything like coherent units, although in sharp contrast to the American experience, this doesn’t seem to hurt the Axis forces too badly. There are a smallish number of strong German bttns plus a collection of supporting arms, which I have almost universally chosen to represent as twice as many weaker bttn groups. This seems to more accurately reflect their deployment and combat potential. Therefore I have used the plethora of 88mm Flak companies to strengthen infantry units in assorted ways. These are tri-purpose weapons that could and did fire in the AA, field artillery, and AT roles. Since there are already plenty of PAK 36 and even some PAK 40 AT guns with the infantry, these 88s really ought to do more than just count as eliminating (I) ratings – but making them a separate field artillery units seemed a bit strong – they were never massed – so some have become (S) modifiers, others odd SPs.

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 was the very first Tiger unit formed. There are formally 2 companies, each nominally with 9 Tigers and 8 Pz IIIs, plus an HQ zug with 2 Tigers and an 8-vehicle light “company” entirely of Pz IIIs. So there aren’t a huge number of Tigers (all 20- odd were never running at once) but they are almost always backed by about twice as many Pz IIIs. The two main companies operated separately, and are shown as effective bttns because the handful of Tigers did have a disproportionate impact (they are “really scary kit”). Technically the whole SPA 501 bttn was assigned as 3rd bttn of the 7th Panzer Regt (10th Pz Div) but that doesn’t seem to have had a lot of bearing on where it went.

The other army level unit is a rag-bag of all the mobile bits from the 334th division, comprising 2 m/cycle infantry companies, one PzJgr company, one towed AT gun company, and one A/C company. Formally it was probably the divisional recce element and is shown as such, but given an extra fire die as it has lots of firepower – so it effectively moves as recce but fights as if infantry.

10th Pz Div is relatively coherent, although it almost entirely lacks artillery. Only the 2/7th Pz Regt is present but it’s well up to strength. In reality there are only two bttns of Pz Grenadiers present, but they are fully up to strength and veteran plus having attached PzJgrs (Marder IIIs), a company of StuGs and a couple of companies of Flak 88s, so I’ve modelled them as 4 weaker bttn groups rather than 2 strong bttns and another vehicle or gun of some sort. 1/69th is strengthened and rated as (S) because it has the sole artillery element (less than a bttn) of 10th Pz assigned. Similarly 1/86th is (S) because it has the StuGs. KG Lang is a slightly odd unit: 2 companies of m/cycle infantry, 2 companies of armoured infantry in SPWs, and a company of 88s – the basic unit is the 10th M/cycle infantry bttn, but it’s significantly stronger than that.

21st Pz Div is a bit easier than the 10th: there are 2 full bttns of Pz Grenadiers, each with two companies of 88s (why they’re (S) and 4 SPs). There are 6 tank companies (companies 3&4 are missing) but easily enough tanks to merit 2 bttn groups. Two battalions of the 155th Arty are present meriting a rare full arty unit.

However there’s a separate regimental group of 104th Pz Grenadiers elsewhere which is entirely leg infantry. This has a fresh bttn, plus two march battalions (consolidated replacements) labelled “bis” since they have the same numbers as the battalions fielded elsewhere. There’s an attached battalion of artillery (from 155th Regt) making one of the units (S) and none (L).

5 Kasserine

KG Buhse is a largely static blocking force, containing a rag-bag of immobile units, some Italian and some German. Oberstleutnant Buhse is the commander of the 47th Grenadier Regiment, but his role has expanded a bit! 47th Grenadiers themselves are shown in half- bttn groups: not much offensive potential but probably OK on the defensive. The Africa March bttn are replacements and therefore short of heavy weapons. Regular Italian bttns are from the 91st Superga division, which were trained for seaborne assault on Malta. Bersaglieri are fragments of the Centauro armoured division, absent vehicles.

DAK assault group is built around the remnants of the 15th Pz Division, but the Africa infantry regiment is really the consolidated survivors of almost all the German infantry units at Alamein, or at least all those who could be motorised. These two bttns are extraordinarily strong, hence their SP level and (S) rating.

The Jaeger Bde is effectively the bulk of Parachute Bde Ramcke which escaped from Alamein, plus some replacements. These are largely elite veterans of every battle from Eban Emael to Crete, and they have yet another of those ubiquitous 88mm Flak companies attached, hence strong units not (I).

Gruppo Centauro is mainly the survivors of the Centauro Armoured division, plus some other bits and pieces. There are only enough trucks for 2 of the 3 Bersaglieri bttns. The infantry is not (I) because there is yet another an attached German 88mm Flak company. The tank unit represents about one strong company of tanks and one of Semovente assault guns, hence the weakness.