Purple Heart Hill
Played 26/09/2004
Date:
18 June, 1100
hours
Location:
Hill 108, just
northwest ot Villers-Fossard,
History: As
a result of
the determined advance of the 1st
Battalion,
175th Infantry Regiment on the previous day, US forces had positioned
themselves on Hill 108 near Villers-Fossard. Hill 108 was a dominant
position, though less of a hill than a distinct rise in the terrain.
German units opposite the 175th had been disrupted by an attack on the
HQ of the defending 352nd Division and by a lack of manpower. Only on
16th June had units of Kampfgruppe Bohm (the mobile elements
of
the 353rd lnfantry Dlvision) arrived from Brittany. Kampfgruppe Bohm
was quickly mustered and prepared to attack US positions. The attack
would be the first assault on US forces occupying hill 108.
US Orders: Prevent German orders.
Game Length: 8-10 Turns.
Two German squads, Recon
team,
with
command,
a kubelwagen and supported by 8cm mortar, HMG and some 105mm divisional
artillery were to attack the waiting Americans. The Americans were a
couple of fire teams, command team and 60mm mortar and bazooka team.
A ravine to the West and bocage to the East provided boundaries to the large open area, in which the target trench was located.
The German tactics were to advance the recon team, one squad, and observer for the artillery along the ravine, and one squad to the East of the bocage. The support HMG and mortar elements would advance centrally through the orchard to provide a fire base. The command unit was to drive up the road in the kubelwagen and then, well we'll see...
The Americans had one squad in the ravine, one gaurding the East edge and the mortar at the rear with good view of the ravine. The command unit sat in the trench and waited to repulse any attack.
Both deployments were solid. It
was clear that there was going tro be conflict in the ravine and that
the Eastern german attack would quickly come under fire.
The attack begins with the
German elements moving to their start off positions and pressing
forward. In the image to the right you can see the waiting American
squad in the ravine to the North. This squad led a charmed life. Morale
was increased due to a mail sack that brought letters to the boys
before battle was joined. They then 'found' a spare BAR to add to their
firepower.
The German recon team bumped into them and evaporated under the hail of
BAR bullets. This exposed the Americans and the Germans in the ravine
started to fire on them. Fire was traded between these units for much
of the rest of the game.
To the east the germans crossed the bocage line and were under
immediate fire. They knew roughly where the fire was coming from but
couldn't pinpoint the enemy. They were going to have a hard time of it.
Back to the ravine. The american mortar team fired at the ravine and
the German artillery fired at the Americans in the ravine.