"Calling Dunn Kempf players (again)" Topic

from time to time we have posts that references the US Army's training simulation using micro armor from the mid 70s to late 80s – the Dunn Kempf system – many grognard veterans recall playing it but there are virtually no pictures out there of the game in play – I'll be dusting off my set of boards – all 10 of them ( 8' x 10' of thermoformed plastic nothern Fulda Gap terrain goodness)and bringing them to Historicon 2025 – 12 players Fri & Sat noon & a War College presentation on the history of Dunn Kempf by Mike Dunn (no relation) join us – rules as written as a bit of nostalgia for us old timers

from time to time we have posts that references the US Army's training simulation using micro armor from the mid 70s to late 80s – the Dunn Kempf system – many grognard veterans recall playing it but there are virtually no pictures out there of the game in play – I'll be dusting off my set of boards – all 10 of them ( 8' x 10' of thermoformed plastic nothern Fulda Gap terrain goodness)and bringing them to Historicon 2025 – 12 players Fri & Sat noon & a War College presentation on the history of Dunn Kempf by Mike Dunn (no relation) join us – rules as written as a bit of nostalgia for us old timers

Would love the chance to play again.

I remember the system fondly. At Fort Knox, the Basic Officers Course had both this system and the Firefight board game.
At Fort Hood, I was assigned to the 1/9 Cavalry Squadron of the First Cavalry Division. D-K was available to combat units for in house training. Since the boards did not show actual terrain, we used the models to practice deployment and maneuvers. The models were GHQ.
The Three Corps had a Simulation Center which had actual Fort Hood terrain. The officers and senior NCOs practice actions especially during ARTEP preparation. They used 1/285 made by West Wall. They were local.

At Fort Riley, the First Infantry also had a Simulation center with D-K and had boards of both the post and assigned area in Europe. The boards were on wheels and looked impressive in the gym. We had GHQ and got replacements at the local store. As the S4 of the MI battalion, I as actually signed for them and all of the rest of the Soviet AFVs. Lol.

Heard a lot but never played. Curious, you say 8'x 10' is that each board or how big when all 10 are set up together? Thank you.

Rudy,

The large rolling terrain boards at Ft. Riley did represent a specific area of Germany, but what many didn't know is that the maker of the terrain did it so the north edge matched up to the south edge so you could scroll the terrain either direction or set up the battle with the river in the middle rather than on the northern side.

I used the Dunn-Kempf game to teach my officers and NCO's to give spot reports. I would put them behind cardboard shields with a small vision slit and they would have to pass reports of what they could see and from what the soldiers moving the troops could try to tell them.

@ stephen m

"Heard a lot but never played. Curious, you say 8'x 10' is that each board or how big when all 10 are set up together? Thank you."

There are 10 2'x 4'panels that only go together one way and match the terrain of a portion of the 1:50,000 Hunfeld mapsheet.

the panels are set up – 2 panels wide (east-west) & 5 panels long (north – south

@ TimePortal & Major Mike

– small world -

I was @ Riley 84-86 & played on the Sim Center boards with the local club run by Gary Mills – maybe we played together