First Meeting
Played 28/12/2007
Date:
26 June 1944, 16:30 hours
Location: Just
south of Cheux, Normandy.
History: By midday of 26 June,
the British 11th Armoured Division was on the move south.
Shermans from the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry were to advance
south through Haut Du Bosq and Grainville to Gavrus and those of the
23rd Hussars were to drive south from Cheux to Colleville and
Taourmauville. As the tanks of the 23rd Hussars crossed the crest south
of Cheux, they were immediately engaged by German Forces. The delayed
advance allowed the German reinforcements to arrive in the Tiger shape
of the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion.
This wargame provides a snapshot of this engagement.
German Orders:
Prevent British Victory Conditions
German Decisive
Victory:
Prevent British Victory Conditions and destroy both Sherman Fireflys.
British Orders:
Exit four armoured vehicles south or to the south east road exit.
British Decisive
Victory: Exit five armoured vehicles.
German Players:
Rich and Ed
British Players: Andy, Simon and Connor
A summary account of the battle, with rolling presentation, is available on the slideshow link immediately below.
Notes
The second battle was a large one set out on an 8'x4' table. Mixed 12th
SS Panzer Grenadiers and support seeking to hold off waves of British
Shermans and some motorised infantry.
We greatly enjoyed ourselves. The slideshow captures some of the mayhem that ensued when the British tanks, without support crashed through the farmhouses. Panzerfausts disabled many Shermans until the Tigers came along to engage in long range firing at the enemy armour. Once the British committed their infantry they quickly cleared the German strongpoint farmhouse, but by that time it was too late. Rich always seemed to hit the tracks of the vehicles almost always guaranteeing an immobilised vehicle.
The Germans were victorious through a combination of generous panzerfaust allocation, plenty of opportunity to use it and a lack of combined arms from the British commanders, which rightly exploited the limitations of the tank against close up concealed infantry. The Germans didn't get it all their own way as the overall victory points indicate below. A reduced infantry squad in a forward farmhouse fought with tenacious valour, until being overwhelmed in hand to hand fighting. In the end, they were overwhelmed as were the panzerschrek team and casualties were taken by the panzergrenadiers in foxholes from British tank machinegun fire.
The late arriving Tigers were the final straw. It was amazing to see
the very real morale effect they had on the British commanders as they
saw the monsters roar into an elevated postion. After a gun duel with
the remaining Firefly the British decided to withdraw.
Victory Points
British KIA = 19 (numerous imobilised vehicles)
German KIA = 21
British VPs = 21
German VPs = 24 (Scenario victors - 5 additional VPs)