Kampfgruppe x kommandos
the flame of the Zippo, he heard the familiar sounds of an
kampfgruppe x kommandos
Sgt. Hansen took the last drag from a Lucky Strike
cigarette before flicking it to the ground. The exhaled smoke
blended with a cloud of breath caused by the cool December
air. Hansen toyed with the idea of lighting another one when
he spotted distant lights cutting through the morning fog.
“Vehicles are approaching!” Hansen snapped to sev-
eral figures hidden in the pre-dawn darkness. “The sooner
you remove the explosive charges the sooner we can get the
hell out of here!”
No one answered Hansen, but he could hear scram-
bling on the bridge he was assigned to capture. It was only
minutes before the first truck of the American convoy came
into view. Hansen started to wave down the leading vehicle
and commanded it to a halt. The driver gave a friendly wave
as the entire American column stopped.
“What’s up ahead, Mac?” asked the driver as Hansen
swung himself up on the running boards.
“We have orders to blow this bridge to stop the Ger-
mans. They are only a mile east of here,” Hansen told the
driver. “You are going to have to go around this bridge by
detouring through Malmedy.”
“Damn!” the driver replied. “I hope they get this all
straightened out. Just a couple of days ago this used to be a
great rest area, now I’ve been driving night and day.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve been standing by this
bridge all night and my feet are killing me.”
Hansen pulled a cigarette from his breast pocket and
asked the driver for a light. As Hansen was leaning in towards
American Jeep.
“Sergeant!” came a voice from behind. Hansen
jumped off the running boards and looked at an American
captain straight in the eyes.
“Why are my vehicles stopped, we have direct orders
to reach Stoumont by morning!”
“Yes, sir!” replied Hansen trying to keep a smile
from creeping across his face. “I was just telling one of your
drivers here, we are fix’n to blow the bridge. I’m afraid that
you will have to detour around.”
The American captain looked obviously annoyed but
had decided to accept the facts. He threw a large map onto the
top of the jeep. Hansen quickly pointed to the map and started
to give directions to make it around the bridge.
“If you can make good time to this crossing, you can
be in Stavelot by noon.” It was all Hansen could do to stop
himself from laughing. The directions he was giving the cap-
tain were way off base. Not only would the Americans be a
great distance from Pieper and his men but there was no way
the convoy could drive through the poor roads.
The Captain barked a few words at the driver of the
truck and as he put it into gear, he waved the other trucks for-
ward. Hansen helped direct the traffic onto the new road as
the Captain took his place in the convoy. As the last truck’s
taillights faded into the morning mist, Hansen let his German
accent slip back into his speech.
Kampfgruppe X Kommandos
Wpn
Type Leader Morale Points Class
Elite 16-1 14 1000 NA*
Kommandos comes with the following:
1 Kommando Leader with M1 Carbine SLR, Binocs & SCR 536
1 Kommando with M1 Carbine SLR
1 Kommando with M1 Carbine SLR
1 Kommando with M1 Carbine SLR
Kommandos are mounted in a Recon Jeep with .30 cal.
All Kommandos are armed with two Mark IIAI Hand Grenades
and All One Nebelhandgranate (Smoke Grenade) Stick Grenade
hidden. *may not purchase any other weapons.
key to the west®
 Kampfgruppe x kommandos
“Stupid Amerikaners!”
Hansen readjusted the hidden Luger in his jacket
then headed off to the bridge and his men. “Come on guys,
let’s get out of here before they figure it out.”
Operation Greif was Hitler’s brainchild to dress up
German kommandos as Americans in order to infiltrate behind
enemy lines. These kommandos would be english-speaking
Germans who would wear American uniforms and gear and
drive captured American vehicles. Their mission was to run
about the Allies rear area creating as much confusion as pos-
sible by delaying units, giving wrong directions, and spread-
ing false rumors. The responsibility of this project fell upon
the shoulders of Germany’s most famous commando of all:
Otto Skorzeny. He was given broad powers to recruit and req-
uisition the men and materials that he needed. The operation
got off to a poor start when Skorzeny came up short with
Allied vehicles and English speaking men. After only a few
weeks of training he divided up his new kommandos into
several units. Named Kampfgruppe X, Skorzeny’s komman-
dos ultimately were formed to assist Peiper in his advance
to the Meuse River. A special company of jeep teams where
formed under the command of SS-Hamptsturmfuhrer Steilau
and given the designation, Einheit Steilau. These men were
the best English speaking men in the Kampfgruppe and were
equipped with the best uniforms. Each team of four men
dressed as American MPs and was assigned an American jeep
to travel behind enemy lines. Their orders were direct and to
the point: cause confusion, secure a path of bridges for Peiper
to follow, and then reach and secure the Meuse River bridges.
There was little doubt that everyone who was to follow Steilau
would be shot on sight if caught.
Special Rules
The kommandos of Kampfgruppe X worked behind enemy
lines dressed as American MPs. Because of this they have
rules that effect Campaign Play as well as rules for Combat
play.
Kommando Teams
Each Kommando Team consists of four Germans dressed up
as American MPs mounted on a jeep. The German player may
only purchase two teams during the campaign game. If only
playing a single scenario, the German player may only pur-
chase one. The points for the Jeep and a single .30 Cal MMG
are included in the point cost of the unit.
Kommando Tasks for Campaign Play
At the top of any day phase, any Kampfgruppe X Kommando
Team can perform one of the following tasks:
Battleground World War II®
1. Prevent any American unit from rolling to destroy (with
demolitions) a bridge on that particular Game Day Phase. The
Kommando Team must be located in the Tactical Location
where the bridge is located.
2. Reroute any American reinforcements to another Tactical
Location. The Kommando Team must be located in the Tacti-
cal Location where the American unit is trying to enter.
3. Force the American player to reveal all of his forces at the
Tactical Location the Kommando Team is occupying.
Compromised
When a Kommando Team performs any of the above tasks
they must make a roll to see if they have been Compromised.
Roll a d20, if the die roll is greater than the number indicated
on the chart then that team is Compromised. Each task has
a different degree of risk for the Kommando Team. When a
Kommando Team has been Compromised they no longer have
the ability to perform any of the tasks. Furthermore if more
than one Kommando Team is behind enemy lines the chance
of failure increases for the other Kommando Team as well.
Compromised Task Chart
Task Die Roll
Prevent Bridge Demolition 5
Reroute US Forces 10
Reveal US Forces 15
+5 if another team has been Compromised
Combat Play
During Combat at a Tactical Location where a Kommando
Team exists, the American players must set up their forces on
the game table. They may not use a map or Hidden Move-
ment. The last unit placed on the game table is the German
Kommando Team. It may not be located within 8” of any
American unit but can be placed anywhere on the game table.
No American unit may shoot at the Kommando Team unless it
has fired first or it has been Compromised in a previous Game
Day Phase and also spotted by an American unit on the game
table with a +3 Column Shift to all Sighting Checks.