Part 8 - Remote commanders WWII D-Day game

Turn 5 and the end of the game.

The previous days action had seen some gains and losses. American forces had captured the airfield, but struggled with the Village of Arret de Cheval. The road to the town had been costly. The battle so far was in a delicate balance, German reinforcements were starting to take a toll and blunt the American attack.

The Village of Arret de Cheval.
Yesterday the village had seen considerable action, mechanised forces under Lemone had initially done well. Supported by Halls tank destroyers they had made to the edge of the village. The German commander Prille had been bolstered by the arrival of Lindermann and Halls M10s moving away.
McBride ordered his reserve into action, Capt. Gunson had sat idle all the previous day and now was his turn for action.

Gunson's company assault the town.

The first the German Captian Prille know about the flanking American reserves was when his command unit was assaulted. He was killed in the ensuing battle and what was left of his command died with him. Next to face the attack was Lindermann, the well dug in assault pioneers came under heavy fire from inside there own perimeter. American soldiers swept through the town, quickly subduing any resistance.

Prille and Lindermann is lost, the village was now liberated.

Lemore contributed little to the final assault on the village, his forces made their move after the battle was finished. What had lasted all of the previous day was over in minutes.

Von Bock had little information from his commanders in the VIllage, last radio transmissions were garbled and sounded bad. He had to assume that the village was lost. He ordered Schorner and Fressner to move up with all speed. Both commanders reported back the village was lost and swarming with American forces.

Schorner and Fressner make one more push to capture the Village but to no avail.

Putting the situation at the Village to one side Von Bock took one last chance to attack the Airfield. Supported by Hass' Stug company Von Bocks veterans launched one last counter-attack. The famous assault guns poured fire into the rangers holding the airfield, Panzer-grenadiers launched a series of swift assaults but all were pushed back and the rangers held.

The assault guns move into a good firing position and engage the rangers at long distance.

For Burnshaw the morning of the 8th was brutal experience, he was bracketed by enemy assault gun fire and increasingly devastating small arms fire from the forests. His rangers had been fighting for two days now, with little rest, food and ammunition. What remained of Tylers armoured company trundled onto the airfield with battered looking formations of infantry behind them. Despite all of this Van Gurk had been accurately bringing his 105s down all morning, keeping the German attack pinned down and broken up. As quickly as it had started the attacks stopped, fire from the woods become sporadic and the German assault guns rolled back from their firing positions.

As Tylers Shermans moved into the Airfield the German attack halts

Counting his losses, Von Bock was dismayed, nor was he blind to his men's suffering. The forward hospital in the Town was overflowing with casualties. He had manged to contact some elements of High command. It was becoming obvious now that the invasion of France was well underway and his dwindling forces could do little to stop it from here. He reluctantly ordered a fighting withdrawal, knowing his men would rally later, re-equipment and with fresh food in their bellies be ready to fight again.

McBride led a column of his mechanised troops into the town of Murs Blanc. The overjoyed people lined the streets, waved flags and opened long hidden bottles of wine. Only wounded Germans remained in the town, left to be cared for by the advancing allies. The fighting over for now, his men could rest here tonight and be ready to move on-wards in the morning, his losses were considerable but that did not dampen his soldiers celebrations.

The end.