On 8 June 1944 during a local
counter-attack, No. 10 platoon of the Canadian Scottish, led by one
of the divisional recce cars and reinforced with additional elements,
found a gap in the positions of II. Battalion of the 26th SS Panzergrenadier
regiment. With their blood up and confident that the rest of the Scots would be quickly following up, they raced towards a stone
bridge in one of the many small hamlets that dot the countryside of
Normandy.
They were spotted, however, by an enemy forward observer hidden in an old church tower nearby. All that could be spared was quickly dispatched, a platoon under Untersturmführer Strausser from 2. Kompanie with a Panther in support. Their orders were simple: contest the crossing and hold it until relieved.
The hamlet of Trudeau-sur-Tabernac.
The lead German section was nearly at
the bridge when the Canadian scout car roared up across the way and
let loose with its 20mm gun. Casualties were suffered and they were
forced to go to ground to escape the accurate fire.
The Canadian recce scout car with a
Cromwell as back-up. Truck loads of Canadian Scottish followed in
their wake.
At the sounds of gunfire ahead, the
Canadian Scottish dismounted and began to deploy for action.
The remainder of Strausser's platoon
arrived on scene.
Bolstered by the presence of the
Panther, Strausser wasted no time in ordering his young men forwards
into contact with the enemy.
As it turned the corner, the Panther spotted the Canadian recce car but was unable to bring its main
gun to bear due to the men to its immediate front. The armoured car
took this opportunity to quickly reverse out of the line of fire.
The Canadian Scottish continued their
advance towards the bridge and a Bren carrier brought forward a towed
6-pounder antitank gun.
The panzerschreck team that was up
front with the lead section spotted the Cromwell and bravely dashed
forward to the bridge under a hail of fire to engage it. For the
veteran team leader Scharführer Dorsch this sort of thing was old
hat to him.
Under a fusilade from every weapon that
could be brought to bear onto him and his young loader, Dorsch calmly
took aim and with his first shot immobilized the Cromwell.
Ominously, a spotter round landed
amidst the Canadians...
The scout car darted out of cover and
and mortally wounded Dorsch's loader. In reply, the Panther caught
the Cromwell in its sights and with one deadly shot brewed it.
On the right flank, the other two
sections advanced through fields towards the cover of the tall hedge.
Figuring enough excitement was had for
one day, Scharführer Dorsch removed himself from the bridge.
An accurate mortar barrage landed among
the Canadian Scottish and caused terrible casualties.
The Hitlerjugend advanced with deadly
intent on the now much weakened Canadian flank.
On the left, the lead section hurried
to catch up with the Panther whose commander, in a fit of youthful exuberance
over his kill, charged up to the bridge. Spotting rounds landed among
the Germans here but the delivered barrage that followed had little
effect.
The Panther continued its mad charge
over the the bridge and started shooting the place up with its
coaxial machinegun.
Spurred on by Untersturmführer
Strausser, the young SS men waded though waist deep water and a rain of
2" mortar bombs in an effort to support the Panther.
Lying in wait as the Panther turned the
corner was the 6-pounder antitank gun. Courageously crewed, the Canadians
held their ground and traded point-blank shots with the raging tank.
Back on the right, the 2nd and 3rd
sections prepared to assault across the stream.
The recce car continued to pop in out
of cover to take the Germans still trying to cross the stream under fire. Then from up the road a truck
load of Canadian Scottish barrelled in and scrambled out within
meters of the Panther...
...and bravely assaulted the enemy
tank! All were vying for Victoria Crosses this day but unfortunately
for the Canadians, the Panther withstood their assault. With the
Germans now over the water and approaching fast, the Canucks withdrew
back to the cover of their truck.
A lucky shot from the 6-pounder
penetrated the Panthers armour but caused only a small fire that was
quickly extinguished but not without rattling the crew inside.
The assault begins!
The Canadian Scottish in the end were
unable to break the determined defence of the Hitlerjugend and
withdrew back to their regiment's lines lest they be cut off and
encircled by the German counter-attack that was sure to soon follow.
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Another fun game of Bolt Action on a great looking table. The Canadian forces and all terrain seen here except the hedges and telephone poles are courtesy of our local terrain guru Pattus Magnus. May your brushes always be pointy!
This was another victory for the Hitlerjugend but marred, however, by a rule error we made regarding the barrage on the Canadians. It should not have been nearly so deadly and it likely ended up costing them the game.
Battlegroup: Overlord is due to arrive in my sweaty hands sometime next week. Look for the next AAR to be using those rules.
Battlegroup: Overlord is due to arrive in my sweaty hands sometime next week. Look for the next AAR to be using those rules.
