THE BATTLE

The morning rain has become heavier in the afternoon with visibility decreased from the morning (visibility = 2d6 hexes). The rain also has sodden the ground bogging the vehicles slowing them down considerably.

The British believe the PzIVH in the northwest will be a big problem and decide to move against them in force.

1330

British begin to advance southward.

The Northwest Shermans advance and a platoon is lost to the PzIVH. British move their Cromwells westward to set up flanking fire. 1 Cromwell platoon is also lost.

1345

Seeing the danger, half the Panzer fall back while the others try to hold back the British Armour, eliminating some Achilles and reducing two platoons of Cromwells.

1400

Panzers hold their ground and decimate the British armour! 4 Cromwells, Stuart and Achilles are hit. But British keep on the offensive and with flanking fire eliminate two of the Panzer platoons! The British gambit pays off!!!

Marder III and 75mm reduce a Cromwell that advanced too far south.

1415

Heavy rain begins to ease up into light rain. The 3rd Company, 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion, Panzer VIe (Tigers), are deployed and begin to move.

British win the initiative and the Fireflies and Shermans attach the PzIVH reducing them both. The Panzers try to flee south through the hedgerows. Cromwells sent in pursuit.

In the east, the Shermans advance under the fire of the 105mm near Colleville.

1430

Northampshire Yeomanry trying to push south down the centre. Hussars advance down the east.

Achilles eliminated by 105mm. Cromwell eliminates the German Marder III.

1445

Wespe platoons open fire against the 23rd Hussars (eastern armour column). Sherman platoon is eliminated.

1500

Wespes are hit by the Hussars.

In the north, the British Infantry tries to advance. M3 is eliminated by 20mm AA Guns. Remaining infantry dismounts to advance on foot.

1515

Western column (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) advances and eliminates one of the reduced PzIVH. They are spotted by the 88s which reduces a Firefly platoon.

Assaults begin all along the German line. Grenadiers assault some Shermans with Panzerfausts and 3 Sherman platoons are eliminated! Wowzers!

Tigers enter a town in the southeast ready to fire upon the advancing 23rd Hussars.

1530

Can the Tigers stop the Shermans in the east?

The British armour advances and the Tigers open fire. The Fireflies are decimated losing two and a half platoons!

In the west, the Yeomanry slowly advances. They have been quite delayed. But delayed enough?

1545

Tigers move to stop the Fireflies and Stuarts.

Halftime Comment: Even if the British get to the bridge, can they hold off the PzVIe platoons? This has become a very interesting battle. There is an urgency for the British to advance, they can’t afford to stay and fight.

1600

British win initiative and a reduced Firefly and Stuart move to elude the Tigers. The Stuart is eliminated by opportunity fire.

In the west, German Grenadiers initiate assaults versus the British armour.

In the south, the Grenadiers begin to fall back toward the bridges.

1615

The Battle of the Line continues as the Tigers and Grenadiers withdraw towards the south bridges. More British armour manages to sneak past the 88s on the west.

1630

One Tiger platoon advances on the Cromwells in the center while the Second platoon heads to the southeast bridge.

German front line is collapsing under the heavy British attack. But they have done their job in delaying the Allies. Success will depend on the troops and armour to the south now.

Who will win? It appears the British may win as the Tigers may prove too slow to retreat to the bridges

1645

Tiger eliminates the Shermans in the center.

The German AT Guns are too restricted in their field of fire to be very effective. The 88 has had terrible luck and misses the majority of its attacks

1700

The race to the south continues with more British armour moving south. The British control two bridges. The Tiger has control of the southeast Bridge and begins to move west.

Five turns (75 minutes) to go!

1715

The British move to block the southeast bridges.

1730

The Tiger moves westward through the light woods, but 3 more Shermans are coming down the eastern road! They are attacked by the Central Tiger reducing one platoon.

This Tiger *has** to stop the Shermans, otherwise they will regain control of the southeast bridge.

German Grenadiers are hit hard (lose 2 steps) by the Fireflies at the southwest bridge.

1745

Shermans in the east are hit hard by the Central Tiger and stopped dead in their tracks. But more Shermans arrive from the north!

Tiger in the south decimates the Friefly at the south central bridge.

The Battle continues to rage in the north, but this is now inconsequential.

30 Minutes to go!

1800

The central Tiger wins initiative and eliminates the two undisrupted Shermans!

The disrupted Shermans fail to recover and can’t make it to the Southeast bridge in time. Focus goes back the Southwest bridge.

In the South, the Tiger clears out the British Armour north of the bridge as the Grenadiers advance.

1815

The Centeral Tiger finishes off the disrupted Shermans in the east.

In the South, Grenadiers recapture the South Central bridge, but run out of time to initiate an assault against the last half platoon of Fireflies holding the Southwest Bridge.

The battle is over! The British hold on to a single bridge with half a platoon and win by the skin of their teeth!

BRITISH MAJOR VICTORY!!!

Aftermath

Wow! One more turn and the Grenadiers would have initiated an assault and taken away control resulting in a German Major Victory!

This battle really was down to the wire.

I believe both sides made some major mistakes. The Germans particularly had the wrong Battle Plan. Instead of trying to hold they line, they should have executed a fighting withdraw and particularly blocked the Bridges. They also should have abandoned the central hill a few turns earlier and beaten the British to the bridges.

The British should have advanced down the east and west on foot, with the M3s trying to keep up. With the sodden ground, foot would have been faster, even if it would have made them vulnerable to mortar and artillery fire. In the halftracks, they were so susceptible to anti-tank fire, that they spent the first two hours mostly paralysed.

I almost felt overwhelmed in this scenario. Neither side had an “obvious” strategy and both required manoeuvre. This would be an interesting scenario to play face to face.

The Tigers did well covering the road and proved why they were feared.

Casualties were enormous with about 75% of the British armour eliminated.

Scenario Rating: 4/5 – Very difficult scenario both tactically and with the Special Rules. Played (mostly) in a single evening, I at times felt overwhelmed at the complexity. The Tension in the final 8 turns kept me wondering who would win and pushed me to play until midnight.