Made another attempt at a scenario from PG Airborne, this time Montebourg Station. A much better scenario than the last, a slightly superior in numbers German force had to defend against a better armed and better supported (arty) force of Americans. The Germans were in defensive positions around the location that would be the jump off spot for the American attack on Cherbourg. The Americans succeeded in real life, but the follow-on operations against Cherbourg did not go as smooth as the attempt by an airborne battalion to take Montebourg Station.

Lt Col James set up his command post and artillery support well to the south of the German positions. He sent his deputy and most of his force northeast to attack his objectives, and a small force led by a Captain to the northwest to disrupt German reinforcements. He knew the Germans were dug in before Montebourg and would be tough to break through. Hopefully the force moving northwest could draw off a little attention…

Capt Barth had received reports that American airborne forces were moving towards his positions. His defense was strong, but with so many surrounding hedgerows he needed to ascertain the enemy’s location. He ordered Lt Pfaff to take a strong reconnaissance force to make contact with the Americans. He phoned back to his artillery support to prepare them to unleash a rain of shells based on Lt Pfaff’s information.

Lt Pfaff led a reinforced platoon through the hedgerows. In fairly short time he contacted the Americans in strength. Unfortunately for Lt Pfaff, Capt Zucker saw the Germans first. In what turned out to be a disappointing show of artillery support during the battle by the Americans, the American artillery did choose this one moment in time to shine. The German force was torn to shreds by the incoming fire. The unit disintegrated instantly. The small number of survivors attempted to reorient themselves and began to reform just as Capt Zucker’s men came down upon them and finished them to the man.

The sudden and complete loss of his recon efforts shook Capt Barth horribly. Now on the defensive, he had little choice but to let the enemy come to him. Only to the west where another defensive position had come into contact with a moderate sized American formation attempting to cut his lines of communication could he afford to keep units mobile.

Capt Zucker, an experienced soldier, kept his troops moving, easily outpacing the deputy, Maj Jenners, and the engineers. Coming close to the German positions, he called back for a scout. Lt Barns, showing more bravery than sense, ran forward to begin observing for the artillery. His constant direction onto the German mortar positions kept the mortars from ever engaging the Americans, but neither did the Americans destroy the mortars. Still, his spotting support would cause fits for the Germans.

To the west, American forces were attempting to cut the German lines, but a German mobile force and some artillery kept the Americans at bay, extending a stalemate that would only be broken when the Americans withdrew and took up positions overlooking the road to Montebourg. Harassing fire from the Americans would do little to German efforts, and the mobile German force moved to support Montebourg.

German reinforcements began to appear from the north. American troops cringed at the site of a platoon of armored cars moving into Montebourg. With no antitank support, prospects dimmed for the Americans. In a hasty assault, Capt Zucker assaulted the remaining defensive position in front of Montebourg. The Germans, caught by the unexpected assault, quickly fell to pieces. While casualties were moderate, half the force survived only by routing faster than the Americans could pursue. The Americans quickly dispatched the remaining Germans only to find themselves looking down the throats of the armored cars that had flanked them. In what can only be described as foolhardy, Capt Zucker, with Lt Barns leading reinforcements, launched an all out assault against the armored cars. Totally surprised by the action, the armored cars succumbed to machine gun fire and well placed grenades while inflicting minimal casualties.

Flush with two successful assaults, the true foolhardiness of the charge became apparent. German artillery rained down on the exposed Americans. This was joined by fire from both sides by the defenders of Montebourg. The wall of fire was too much, and half the American force fell where they stood. Capt Zucker, realizing the severity of his change of fortune, did the only thing he possibly could. He gathered what few coherent men he had left to him, including Lt Barns, and launched an assault against the German mortar position. Exhausted beyond belief, Capt Zucker was unable to destroy the mortar company, but the German troops, having suffered relentless artillery barrages, could take no more. They broke and ran for cover, leaving only a few to occupy the tenacious Capt Zucker.

Maj Jenners, in the meantime, had maneuvered forces into position to assault the eastern side of Monteboug. With outstanding coordination between infantry and engineers, Maj Jenners quickly cleared the east side of the town. German defenses crumbled rapidly, and with surprisingly light casualties the east side of the objectives lay securely in American hands. Maj Jenners began to consolidate for a move against the western side of the town.

With a third of his forces destroyed, half his officers dead, and half his artillery support dysfunctional, Capt Barth had had enough. The morale of his men around Montebourg was shattered. He ordered the withdrawal of what remained of his forces towards the small town to the west, the only portion of his defense to hold. From there he would abandon Montebourg and fall back to contribute to the defense of Cherbourg.

Observations: Fun little scenario forcing the American to crawl forward through the hedgerows and assault. Germans made two mistakes. First was bringing their first force out of defensive positions and allowing the Americans to drop arty then assault, opening a big hole in the German defense. Second was leaving the armored car unsupported when the Americans had a chance to assault. On the American side, too much effort wasted in a western movement that got nowhere. Trying to attack the town from the swampy area allowed a few Germans to tie up a larger American force. Neither side could gain the advantage, but the Americans suffered the more since their forces were needed more critically in the east. If they had immediately moved to block the road they would have been more effective.