Barkmann's Corner - Flames of War

Barkmann’s CornerThe homeland gets occasional details of the heroic defensive battle our soldiers are wagingin the East. Names like Stalingrad, Welikje-Luki, Rschew, Illmensee and others have becomesymbols of the unbelievable heroism of German soldiers and their allies. We hear also of theheroism of individual soldiers, in comparison to whom all former military exploits pale. Thereis no point in giving the details of every individual act of heroism and bravery, for in the endall those fighting to stop the bestial foe are heroes. Like wolves in the forest, the enemyattacks only with overwhelming number. Every day, positions held by a few troops mustwithstand steady attacks by enemy masses. Yet they hold firm.Heldentum! Normandie, 6 August 1944On a hill overlooking the fields ofNormandie, Panther 424 prowls the woodshunting its prey. Barkmann, a hero ofmany battles in the East, prepares hisbrave crew to hunt the wolves from theWest. Skilled mechanics work throughthe whole night to repair the damageinflicted by a wandering Jabo fighterbomber.By daybreak Panther 424 is onceagain fully operational and now rushesto rejoin its unit. Years later theywould call his great stand “Barkmann’sCorner”.Moving ever forwards, the sounds ofbattle grow closer. Friendly infantryupon the road wave down and warn Barkmannof a large American armour column approaching.Moving carefully under theopen sky, Barkmann moves from positionto position until he sees the swirlingdust. He scans the surrounding area,and picks the place of the fight. Grovesof large oak trees offer cover form theair, and concealment from the ground,the perfect position.On this day, at an unnoticed littlecorner in Normandie, Panther 424 willpass beyond the sum of its leader, crewand armour. He will become the spirit ofthe German Army.Barkmann and his brave crew’s gallantactions have succeeded in single-handedlydelaying an entire American armoured division’sadvance, allowing the rest ofthe division to establish a new defensiveline. The weight of enemy materialthrown against them takes their toll onthe gallant man, crew, and tank. Severalof the crew suffer light wounds. For thetank, one track is blown off, the drivesprocket is damaged, and the internalventilation system fails. The greatPanther licks its wounds and retires toa nearby village for repairs. He hasstopped the wolves’ attack, and willreturn again to unleash his fury.As they move back to take their placein the new battle line, Barkmann pausesto take two disabled Panthers in tow.Passing through Countances, they findmore Americans. One of the towed Panthersis destroyed by surprise anti-tank fire,but Barkmann pushes on, leaving moresmouldering enemy armour in his wake. Hisband of survivors, including the crewsof the two disabled Panthers, again comeunder concerted air attack and Barkmannhimself suffers a wound to the calf.Breaking through the enemy encirclement,often crossing the path of advancingAmerican armour under the shadowof darkness, they are finally forced todestroy the towed Panther. Then soonafter, fire breaks out in Panther 424,and Barkmann and his crew watch as theirgreat beast explodes in a fiery funeralpyre worthy of the warriors of old. Bowedbut not beaten, Barkmann leads fourteenweary and wounded survivors throughseven kilometres of hostile, enemy-heldterrain to their own lines. There, he isreceived with a hero’s welcome.44Barkmann’s Corner - Scenario

Barkmann’s Corner refights Barkmann’s famous battles wherehe almost single handedly stopped columns of Americantanks with his Panther, then somehow nursed his strickenvehicle back to the workshops.The Barkmann’s Corner scenario uses the One-road Advanceand Prepared Positions special rules.Your ordersGermanThe Americans have broken through. You must delay themin order to give OB West, the German High Command, timeto prepare a cohesive defensive position from which the Amiscan be stopped.AmericanYou must attack and destroy all resistance to clear the way forfollow on forces. The time is now. Any delay will result in theGerman units being able to pull back and organise anotherdefensive line.Preparing for battle1. Set up the table as shown on page 47. The table is4’/120cm square.2. The American player now places the leading Tank Platoonand the Company HQ on the road at A . The remainingtanks will arrive along the road as the game progresses usingthe One-road Advance special rule.3. The German player places Barkmann and his accompanyingPanzergrenadier Platoon at B on the map. Barkmanndoes not have his Workshop in this scenario.Other places, Other TimesBarkmann fought a similar battle just two weeks later. Onceagain he faced the spearhead of the 3 rd Armored Divisionwith just some infantrymen and a light anti-tank gun forsupport. This time the Americans had the additional advantageof hedgerow cutters. While Barkmann and his crewsurvived, his tank was badly damaged and barely limpedaway to safety.You could refight this battle giving the US tanks the hedgerowcutters option (see page 54) and adding a 7.5cm PaK40 antitankgun to the Panzergrenadier Platoon.Barkmann’s CornerBeginning the Battle1. The German troops begin the game in Prepared Positions,so the infantry are in foxholes and all Concealed teams areGone-to-Ground.2.The American player has the first turn.Ending the BattleThe battle ends when:•••the American player captures the objective at C ,the American company is destroyed, orat the end of the American player’s turn 12.Deciding Who WonThe American player wins if they take the objective. Theyhave broken through the last German defences.Otherwise the German player wins. The Amis have beendelayed long enough for a new defensive line to be formed.Special RulesOne-road AdvanceThe American advance is restricted by the Bocage. Movementacross the hedgerows is so slow that only an advance alongthe roads can achieve a breakout.On each of turns 2 and 3 another US Tank Platoon arrivesalong the road at D .Breakout Mini CampaignBarkmann’s Corner can be played as part of a campaign withthe other two scenarios in this book. The winner of the finalRoncey Pocket scenario wins the campaign. However, yourchances of winning that battle will be greatly enhanced orreduced by your performance in this battle and in the Stringof Pearls scenario on page 75.If you decide to combine the scenarios into a campaign, thenwhoever wins this scenario will have extra forces available forthe String of Pearls scenario.Barkmann’s Corner - Scenario45

German 4. Kompanie, 2. SS-PanzerregimentBarkmann checked the camouflage on his Panther tankparked under a roadside tree. Giving a Jabo, one of thoseverdammt fighter-bombers, an easy target would be the lastthing you did here in Normandy.The sound of American tank engines revving could be heardclearly in the clear summer air. The Amis would be here soon.There is only one way they can come—straight down theroad. Settling down in his seat, Barkmann waits.Kampfgruppe Barkmann4. Kompanie, 2. SS-Panzerregiment3. Kompanie, 3. SS-PanzergrenadierregimentBattlegroup Barkmann(Fearless Veteran)SS-Unterscharführer Ernst BarkmannSS-Panzergrenadier Platoon (with two squads)US 32 nd Armored Regiment, CCA, 3 rd Armored DivisionThe 30 th ‘Old Hickory’ have opened a gap in the Germanlines and CCA has been thrown in to get this campaignmoving. Things were looking good for Dog Companyleading II/32 Armored Regiment down the road to Périersuntil the lead tank burst into flames. It’s another ambush!As usual, the Krauts have thrown together a small delayingforce. In open terrain, it would be an easy matter to outflankthem, clean up and keep moving. In the Bocage it’s a differentstory. There will be plenty of work for the chaplaintonight.Dog Company, 32 nd Armored RegimentDog Company HQ1 st Platoon, Dog Company2 nd Platoon, Dog Company3 rd Platoon, Dog CompanyTank Company (Confident Trained)Company HQ (with two M4A1 Sherman tanks)Tank Platoon (with 4 M4A1 Sherman tanks includingStaff Sergeant Lafayette G Pool)Tank Platoon (with 5 M4A1 Sherman tanks)Tank Platoon (with 5 M4A1 Sherman tanks)As the experiments with hedgerow cutters are still Top Secret your company does not have any fitted.46Barkmann’s Corner - Scenario

0cm 15cm 30cm 45cm 60cm 75cm 90cm 105cm 120cm0cm 15cm 30cm 45cm 60cm 75cm 90cm 105cm 120cmD0” 6” 12” 18” 24” 30” 36” 42” 48”ABC0” 6” 12” 18” 24” 30” 36” 42” 48”TerrainThe battle at Barkmann’s Corner was fought in the heartof the Bocage country. The dominant terrain is the Bocagehedgerows. Their six foot high banks are topped with hedgerowsand trees creating an almost impassable obstacle totanks.Narrow RoadsBoth the main road and the side roads are narrow roads.They are too narrow for two tanks to pass, or even to shootpast each other. With a knocked-out tank blocking the roadahead of the column, the only option for the Americans isto force their way through the Bocage hedgerows into theadjacent fields and seek to outflank the Panther.Bocage HedgerowsAll hedgerows on the table are Bocage hedgerows.These are taller than a tank, Very Difficult Going, andprovide Bulletproof Cover to troops sheltering behindthem. Teams must start adjacent to a Bocage hedgerowto cross it. The full Bocage rules are provided in moredetail in the D-Day Campaign Book or at our website,www.FlamesOfWar.com.Barkmann’s Corner - Scenario47