Flashback: Konflikt `47

As I mentioned yesterday, I wasn't completely absent during the Pandemic of 2020-2021. In fact, 2020 saw me enter the world of Warlord Games Konflikt `47 game.

I'd been eyeing Konflikt `47 for a bit. The story line of the game is that, during World War II, a couple of space/time/something rifts open in the United States and Germany. Due to these rifts, Germany learn show to animate corpses, and some troops begin to change into things like werewolves. On the Allied side, technology jumps forward and bit, and armored walkers and Tesla-coil weapons start appearing on the field. The alternate history has the War continue past 1945, and into 1947.

Early in the summer of 2020, my wife innocently asked if I needed anything when she went into town for groceries. “A British Konflikt `47 starter set from the game store,” I joked.

To my surprise, she arrived home with said starter set.

The British are Coming!

Being in pandemic lock-down, there weren't going to be any games happening anytime soon, but I'd have plenty of painting time. Thus started my foray into the weird world of K`47.

Weird War Elements

I'll cover individual units in upcoming posts. For the short story, I painted up the box set, added some command and support units, and generally had a good time putting together an army. As summer went on, the world started opening up again, including the game space at our local game shop. There was a small group of regulars in the area who played K`47 weekly. On July 6^th, I joined them for my first game.

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Report of the action of 6 July, 1947.

Orders received at 16:21. Intelligence indicated the presence of a small strategic point just past enemy lines, roughly one city block from our position. With enemy infantry on the ground in the area, it was requested that we take their strategic point while simultaneously holding our own. A Bren gun team was stationed on our right flank at the axis of two main roads, providing cover along both open ways. A team of automatons was sent forward along the right to scout. On the left flank, a medium mortar team was set up. Their spotter, overlooking the city, was in radio communication from the top of a building near the machine gun team. A second team of automatons and one infantry squad were placed in the center.

Infantry, with Automaton backup, take up positions.

Sniper fire began instantly, targeting our infantry. A member of the mortar team spotted the muzzle flash, and a shell was immediately laid down on that position, destroying the threat. With our first pair of automatons clanking slowly up the right side, our infantry moved across the road to take cover along the walls of a ruined cathedral. The machine gun team was ordered into defensive position, keeping an eye on both roadways. Enemy infantry were spotted, just out of range, moving on our right and center. Infantry from our reserves arrived near a ruined farmhouse in the center of our line. Calls for armoured support went unanswered.

As enemy infantry approached carefully on our right, a second section of infantry rushed into the ruined cathedral, firing on our second automaton squad, which was destroyed. The first automaton section, firing into the building through the windows, caused casualties among the enemy riflemen. On our left flank, a Spinne Panzemech appeared in the distant rubble. Mortar fire was directed to its position, but no damage appeared to be caused. With the appearance of the Panzermech, our amoured division brought forward a Cromwell-T to support our men on the ground. A Guardian light mech was requested, but was not available. The newly arrived infantry took shelter in the ruins of the farmhouse in our center.

On our right, while our machine gun laid down defensive fire on approaching enemy troops, infantry from both sides traded fire. On the left, there were reports of Nachtjager in the area. An anti-tank team was also spotted, firing into the left quarter of the newly arrived Cromwell. Keeping an eye on the Spinne Panzermech, the Cromwell's crew moved their vehicle into cover next to a nearby building, aligning their turret to be able to fire at the enemy through broken windows. Another call was made to the Guardian, which was still not in the area. The platoon medic and myself arrived on scene, positioning ourselves near the farmhouse, just as an enemy Panther-X tank came into view up the street to the right. As the tank approached, our machine gun defensive position was eliminated.

Light Machine Gun team covers intersecting streets.

 
Heavy fire continued along our front. A couple of men in the farmhouse had been hit, but our medic was able to save one, a Private Orwell from Shropshire. Enemy infantry was beginning to come out of the rubble of the cathedral, but took immense fire from our boys. On the flanks, however, the fight had turned against us. The Panther tank, moving quickly up on our right, shredded our brave infantry who had sheltered against the cathedral wall. On our left, two Nachtjager did indeed appear, ripping apart the rear of the Cromwell-T before the crew had fired. Our forward observer, who had taken shelter in a building right across from the tank, sacrificed himself, calling down an artillery strike on his position, and the fowl flying beasts, keeping them from taking our location. Back on the right, a pack of Schreckwulfen attempted to jump our remaining automatons, but were eliminated by the team's machine gun fire. Distracted by the Schreckwulfen, however, the automatons fell to the enemy infantry still on our right.

Tesla armed Cromwell arrives for support.

 As our defensive line crumbled on both flanks, the requested light walker finally arrived. It traded shots with the Panzermech, but strategically blundering by placing its back to the Panther while taking cover behind a building. The Guardian was quickly eliminated by a shot to the rear.

With our forces nearly eliminated, we were required to retreat with the small remains of our infantry, leaving our strategic point in the hands of the enemy.

- 1st Lt. Nigel Teetotaler