Panzer Ace, Normandy, July, 1944

Outskirts of Le Dézert, Normandy

On 22 October, I took part in another game of I Ain't Been Shot Mum (IABSM), by Two Fat Lardies. My opponent Steve and I arrived at the home of our host and umpire, Dan, at about noon. The day before, after having read the scenario, I opted to play the German side, which looked like it'd be a challenge.

The scenario comes from the book Heroes of Omahaand Panzer Lehr from SkirmishCampaigns. The scenarios appear to be game agnostic, so Dan would tweak things a bit, possibly adding troops to fit the IABSM rules set.

Scenario Map

Initial intelligence given in the scenario indicated U.S. troops just outside the village of Le Dézert on the road toward Saint Jean de Daye in Normandy, France, on the morning of 11 July, 1944. My task, as commander of two elements of Panzer Grenadiers and one armored section, was to move at least two armored vehicles through the hedgerows and off the east side of the board within 10 turns. As indicated on the map, the Americans may have reinforcements coming in on that side.

Based on the map, my initial plan was to put flankers out on either side of my main column, which would drive up the road. Not knowing how thick the bocage was, I also wanted to attempt to get a unit on top of the hill overlooking the manor house, to cover my movement as I crossed the bridge. The bridge looked like it would be the choke point, and most heavily defended.

Initial Deployment

Upon arrival, I was put in command of the following:

• One armored section containing a Panzerkampfwagen Va. tank (Panzer), a Sturmgeschütz IIIg tank (StuG), and a Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234 armored car (Puma).

• Two Panzer Grenedier infantry platoons, each with three sections of 10 riflemen and one Panzerfaust each, mounted on half-track personnel carriers.

• One truck mounted Quad 2.0cm Flak gun

• One headquarters unit in a Kübelwagen

• The armored and infantry sections each had a “Big Man” officer attached

For the terrain, the bocage hedgerows were impassible for vehicles, and would take infantry two actions to climb over, which would slow things down. The hedgerows also blocked line of sight, but could be fired out of and into. This would mean driving the vehicle column blindly down the road, at least to the houses and bridge. The good news was that the stream was shallow, and could be crossed by both infantry and vehicles. I wouldn't have to use the bridge to cross if pressed.

No sightlines? No problem!

The game began with my German troops lining up along the road. Since the Americans hadn't spotted us yet, blinds were used. Due the bocage, I knew I wouldn't get a vehicle to the top of the hill overlooking the houses, but, fearing a bazooka ambush from the sides of the road, I decided to stick with my original plan of sending out flankers. Infantry Platoon 1 was deployed in the field to my right. Platoon 2 was deployed to the left field, dismounted from their half-tracks. Along the road, I deployed in the following order: The StuG took point. With no turret, but heavy frontal armor, I figured it would act as my shield. The Panzer came next, able to fire to either side of the StuG. Lightly armored, the Puma was third, hiding behind the Panzer for protection. Behind the armor came the Quad truck in support, with the HQ unit bringing up the rear.

Lining Up

The dismounted Panzer Grenadiers on my left flank moved quickly up to the first bocage at the base of the hill and took an action to see if anything was on the other side. Spotting no troops, they climbed over the blockade and took up positions in the orchard on the hill. On my right, the half-tracks of Platoon 1 are spotted by the Americans, so the blind is removed. Steve now knows where half my infantry is. My armored column, not wanting to get ahead of the infantry, begins slowly moving up the road. The StuG, in front, spots movement on the second floor of a house to the left. Lobbing a shell into the house, the men there are pinned down by falling debris. The Panther follows suit, also targeting the second floor, which causes the Americans there to flee out of sight to the first floor. Panzer Grenadier Platoon 1, hearing the opening bursts, dismount from their personnel carries and move quickly up the the hedgerow in front of them.

On the move

Opening shot on target!

Pulling up to the end of the bocage along the road, the armored column takes a moment to look at the upper floor of the building to their right. The infantry on that side cross over the bocage into the orchard, checking the first floor of the house. No enemy are spotted. The Americans appear to have opted for a defense further back on the board. Light mortar fire begins landing in the orchard, but no damage is taken by the Panzer Grenadiers.

On the left, Infantry Platoon 2 moves over the hedgerow, from the orchard there, to the hill overlooking the buildings of the farm complex. Now in the open, they take fire from the Allied side, taking one casualty killed in action.

Clearing the flanks, and slow advance.

With the right flank clear, the tank crews move up and begin targeting the first floor of the building previously hit. The Americans, seeing the danger, and having already experienced two tank shots on the upper floor, evacuate the building, taking cover in the larger structure in the nearby farm complex. Platoon 2 on the left continues across the open hilltop, hoping to take cover against the hedgerow in front of them. They take another burst of fire from the buildings, losing another man killed in action. Platoon 1 continues to take light mortar fire, but they keep their heads down and out of danger. As they take cover up against a stone wall surrounding the orchard, they take infantry fire from behind the bocage on the opposite side of the stream that splits the terrain. They take their first KIA. As they set up to be on overwatch, two Allied M10 Tank Destroyers rumble into view, blocking the road ahead.

Anti-tank guns arrive.

Back on the right again, my infantry continues taking light mortar and small arms fire from Americans behind the bocage to the east. They suffer one more man killed, but return fire, blindly shooting into the mass of brush, rock, and trees ahead of them. Platoon 2 on the left flank presses ahead, crawling through the bocage, crossing a small lane and stream, and diving into cover behind a stone wall in front of the occupied buildings. They are fired on, taking another KIA for their effort. They fire on what infantry they can see on the second floor of the nearest house. My armored column, seeing the new M10 threat, begins to deploy for a fight. The StuG, in the lead, pulls to the right, clearing the road for the Panzer and lining up for a shot against the tank destroyers. Before the crew can take a shot, though, one of the M10s opens up with a direct hit. The StuG explodes in a massive fireball. The Panzer pulls up to, but not onto, the bridge, leaving just her turret exposed to the enemy. The second M10 fires, but the shell bounces harmlessly off the Panzer's armor. The Panzer fires back, causing damage to the M10's machine gun. The Puma, moving quickly, wheels around to the right of the burning StuG, lining up to fire its gun across the river.

Deploying for battle.

My infantry platoons on both flanks begin taking machine gun fire from the American infantry. Three more men are killed. On the left, from behind the farm complex, a small anti-tank gun rolls out of cover, firing two shots into the Puma, shocking it and pinning it in place. Things are beginning to look bad for my armor. We need to press on across the river and down the road, but the way is blocked, and we're taking heavy fire from all sides.

StuG down!

On my left flank, my Panzer Grenadier squad is furious. With one section firing on the 2^nd floor of the building ahead of them, the other two squads rush the building, coming into direct contact with the enemy. The Americans win the melee, throwing the grenadiers back to the edge of the stream. We kill four, but take five casualties of our own. A bloody affair with no gain. The M10 tank destroyers open up again. The Puma is missed at first, but a second shot lands square. The crew won't be doing anything this turn. The Panther also continues to take fire. A shot takes out the big cat's machine gun, but a second shot bounces off its heavy armor. Platoon 1, seeing the anti-tank gun, and taking infantry fire from their front, decides to advance into the cover of the small stream, lobbing a Panzerfaust toward the tank destroyers, with no effect. The American anti-tank gun also targets the sitting-duck Puma, but its shots have no effect.

At this point, the infantry of Platoon 1 on my right also begin taking sniper fire from the hedgerow ahead of them. Another man killed. We can't see them, but behind that bocage to our front are a mortar team, an infantry team with machine gun and rifles, and now at least one sniper. Who knows what else may be lurking there. The tank destroyers are blocking the road, and the anti-tank gun will have our left flank if we move forward. The stone buildings of the farm complex are occupied by infantry, and we're taking casualties on all fronts.

I haven't seen any bazooka teams, but I have a horrible feeling they are hiding in the houses, ready to hit my Panther in the side should I cross the bridge. Though the first assault went horribly wrong, I take a chance and rush the house on the left with my infantry again. Though they take another KIA, this time the Panzer Grenadiers are successful, dislodging an enemy machine gun and rifle squad from the building. My platoon occupies the structures themselves, with one squad on each floor, and another in reserve (and cover), just outside. On the road, the German Flak gun opens up. The fire is scary, but has no effect on the enemy. The American anti-tank gun continues firing on the little Puma, the crew of which, finally having had enough, quickly pull back to take cover behind the orchard house on our right. Their morale is super low, and they'll likely be out of the fight unless I can get them to rally. In my center, the big Panther stays put, being in cover behind the bridge crossing. A bazooka team finally reveals itself, but its shot bounces off the cat. It's time to open up. The Panther fires a shot at the M10 ahead and to the right. The shell hits direct, turning the tank destroyer into an exploding pile of parts. A second shot from the Panther hits the second M10, briefly immobilizing it. A third shot does the trick, hitting the second M10 again, causing it to withdraw as its crew panics.

Puma retreat.

M10 knocked out.

The road is clear, but we're still exposed on the flanks if we move forward.

Platoon 1, hunkered down in the stream, is getting whittled down. The anti-tank gun, having dealt with the Puma, switched to anti-infantry ammunition, killing one man in the squad. Machine gun fire from in front kills another. Poking their heads up, they fire into the hedgerow in front of them, and take another KIA from machine gun fire. On the left, Platoon 2 takes advantage of their new position in the house, firing with deadly effect into the flank of the American anti-tank gun. The crew abandons the gun and retreats. At this point, the Americans in the larger farm structure, and the Panzer Grenadiers in the house, begin firing back and forth across the courtyard at each other, both having heavy cover, but plinking away at each other. In an effort to clear any threat should we decide to move up the road (and we need to), the Flak gun blindly opens up on the corner of the bocage, hoping to inflict maximum damage on anything hiding in there. While we couldn't see it, we managed to take out half of the bazooka team. The Panther at the bridge once again fired on the remaining M10, this time knocking it out completely. Having been rallied by my Headquarters unit which had been creeping down the road during the firefight, the Puma recovers, and takes up position on the bridge in front of the Panther. At this point, the game was ending Turn 7. While I still had threats ahead and to the right, if I continued to move slow I may run out of time.

American AT crew takes rifle fire.

With the vehicle column reorganizing behind me, my infantry on the left kept up their gun battle with the Americans in the farm. Trading several bursts with each other, the American squad on the second floor finally broke and ran, while their men on the first floor continued to fight. On my right, in the stream bed, my infantry rallied their courage for one last push. With the overall commander of the mission shouting them on, Platoon 1 rose from the stream, rushed across the open field, and threw themselves over the bocage and into direct contact with three enemy units. A fierce hand-to-hand combat ensued, with the Germans overwhelming the right side, and the American winning on the left. This caused the combat to swing sort of counter-clockwise, with the remaining Germans taking on the remaining Americans, who finally gave ground. With the loss of both his armor and his left flank, my opponent conceded, withdrawing his remaining troops to fight another day.

The final push.

This was a great game, which really felt like it could go either way at any time. Had this been a campaign game, or, God forbid, actual combat, I probably wouldn't have made the three infantry assaults, but the time limitation pushed me to be a little more risky than I usually tend to be. At the end of the day, I had taken 20 KIA casualties, plus whatever men I lost in the final push, along with the StuG that was knocked out at the beginning of the mission. Given that I had two 30 man platoons, I took over 30% casualties. To their credit, my officers did their jobs well, and kept the men from breaking, leading to the eventual win. Had they not done that, I believe we would have all been captured without crossing the stream at all.

Big thanks to Dan and Steve for a great game!

Onward to St. Jean de Daye!