DEFEAT IN THE CORNFIELDS

Transcription

1 DEFEAT IN THE CORNFIELDS BRAS, NORMANDY, JULY 19, 1944: On the second day of Operation Goodwood, several small towns still had to be taken before the main objective, the ridges beyond could effectively be confronted. Fighting through the cornfields on the outskirts of Bras, the British were suffering heavy casualties. With the arrival of their SP guns, they were finally able to push into the town and force the SS defenders to withdraw. YOUR ORDERS GERMAN: The British tank assault was stopped yesterday with heavy losses, but the Tommies are coming again. The area to the south of Caen is fairly open with the only defensive terrain being the various hamlets and stone Norman farm complexes that dot the landscape. Hold the village! BRITISH: The tank assault that kicked off Operation Goodwood did not lead to the breakthough everyone has been hoping for, and 29 th Armoured Brigade took heavy casualties from German anti-tank guns and tank destroyers. A major failing in yesterday s operation was the lack of infantry support for the tank squadrons. Now it s the chance of 11 th Armoured Division s infantry component to clear out the Germans, who have turned the village of Bras into a strongpoint. PREPARING FOR BATTLE 1. Set up the terrain using the map as your guide. 2. Place the German troops in their deployment area. The Germans start in prepared positions and may keep one platoon in Ambush. 3. In addition the German player may deploy four sections of barbed wire. 4. The German off-table artillery is no longer available after turn five. 5. The British player may make a Recce Deployment move with his Carrier Patrol, from anywhere along the Northern table edge. 6. The British player moves his force on-table from the Northern table edge at the start of turn one. He has two sections of Defrocked Priests available as company assets, which can be used to mount up two of the Rifle Platoons. 7. The British delayed reserves also enter from anywhere along the Northern table edge. 8. The British player has the first turn. ENDING THE GAME The battle ends when: 1. The British player has entered and cleared all of the buildings in Bras village, without any German teams reentering to contest ownership.

2 2. One of the forces fails a Company Motivation Check. DECIDING WHO WON The British player wins if they manage to clear all buildings in the village of Bras of German troops, or if they force the Germans to leave the field of battle. The German player wins if they avoid the British victory conditions, or have forced the British to leave the field of battle. SCENARIO MAP 1. The table size is 6 x 4 foot. 2. The Chateau is a two-story, multi-room building. The Chateau grounds are skirted by low stone walls. 3. The vegetation is a mixture of light woods, orchards and treelines at the edge of roads and fields which all counts as difficult going. 4. The cornfields count as concealing area terrain for both infantry and vehicles, but will not slow down tank teams. 5. Although this scenario is set in Normandy, the area to the south of Caen was not bocage country. The hedgerows are not bocage, they offer concealment, are difficult going if crossed, but are not bulletproof cover.

3 N CHATEAU GERMAN DEPLOYMENT ZONE BRAS

4 SCENARIO FORCES ELEMENTS OF THE 1 st SS PANZERJAGER ABTEILUNG, 1 st SS PANZER DIVISION (FEARLESS VETERAN) Company Command: CinC SMG team, 2iC SMG team (both with Panzerfaust) 2 x Snipers 1 x Observer team (for off-board arty) 1 st Platoon: Command SMG team with Panzerfaust 6 x MG teams 1 x MG42 HMG 2 nd Platoon: Command SMG team with Panzerfaust 6 x MG teams 1 x MG42 HMG 3 rd Platoon: Command SMG team with Panzerfaust 6 x MG teams 1 x MG42 HMG Panzer Platoon: PzJager Platoon: Stug Platoon: 2 x Pz V Panther 3 x Jagdpanzer IV 2 x Stug III G OFF-TABLE SUPPORT Arty Battery: 4 x 105mm Howitzer with Staff team ELEMENTS OF 159 th INFANTRY BRIGADE & 29 th ARMOURED BRIGADE, 11 th ARMOURED DIVISION (CONFIDENT VETERAN) Company Command: CinC Rifle team, 2iC Rifle team 2 x 3 Mortar 2 x M5 HT Company Transport assets: Motor Platoon: 4 x Defrocked Priests Command MG team

5 3 x MG teams 4 x M5 HT 1 st Rifle Platoon: 1 x Command Rifle/MG team 2 nd Rifle Platoon: 1 x Command Rifle/MG team 3 rd Rifle Platoon: 1 x Command Rifle/MG team 4 th Rifle Platoon: 1 x Command Rifle/MG team MG Platoon: 1 x Command Rifle team 4 x Vickers HMG teams Armoured Platoon: 2 x Sherman 75mm 2 x Sherman Firefly Scout Patrol: 3 x Bren Carriers DELAYED RESERVES

6 SP Field Battery: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x Jeep 1 x Staff team 1 x Truck 1 x Observer team (on table from start) 4 x Sexton