4.30a.m., D+5, 11 June 1944
It was
reasonably quiet on this warm night in St Germain, but even so, Lieutenant
Cooper couldn't get to sleep. Outside, beyond the broken window frame, there
was the glow in the sky from the fires burning in distant Isigny, the
occasional flash of some distant explosion, irregular bursts of gunfire from
far away. But it was the war inside his
head that was keeping him awake. Too many recent memories that he would already
rather forget. The first three days had been fairly uneventful. The advance
into France had been slow, and the only Germans he'd see had been those taken
prisoner or those dead in the remains of bunkers or ditches beside the road.
Until yesterday, when the Major had ordered him to lead G Company in the
assault on St Germain. And so they had seen the enemy off, and opened the way
for the attack, and been given some time to recover. He'd even found a
comfortable bed in what remained of a hotel. But there were just too many
thoughts chasing around in his head, and he couldn't relax. Not long, he thought, and the sun would be
rising again, and all his chances of getting to sleep would end. He shifted
position, hoping that would do the trick.
----------------------------
Outside,
in the pre-dawn light, there was movement along a hedgerow to the north of St
Germain-du-Pret, as a platoon of German grenadiers crept slowly through the
darkness, approaching the village with as little noise as possible. Their
commander, Oberleutnant Klaus Neumann, a young clean-shaven patriot, whose
ambition had already led to his promotion beyond his capability, was keen to
grasp the opportunity to prove himself in this war, and confidently signalled
his men forward. The men, who were far less confident, looked to Gefreiter
Keller, an older, wiser man, who had seen action in North Africa and the
Balkans, a man in whom they put much greater trust, even though he hadn't
shaved recently. The NCO read their expressions, smiling grimly at his men when
the
officer had turned away, gesturing
them to follow.
Having taken the initiative from the Americans by
holding them off at Cardonville, the Germans choose to buy some time by
counter-attacking at St Germain. They are the attacker in an Attack/Defend
scenario. Because the Americans have taken the village during Turn 4, the
terrain on the table was adjusted from that set in 29, Let's Go! to allow the
Germans to approach from the south. Their challenge is not insignificant. They
play the game with a fresh platoon with +10 (29LG) -1 (Men's opinion) +2 (no
Marders) = +11 support points, starting the game with -1 on their
Force Morale roll because of overall German losses to date. The Germans select
an Adjutant, a FO and 8cm mortar battery, a second Panzershreck team and an
MG42 on tripod mount as support.
The Americans defend with a fresh platoon +19 (29LG)
+6 (second time played) = +25 support points, which must include at least two
Shermans. They select additional BARs for each team, a sniper, a FO and 60mm
mortar battery, an HMG team and two Shermans.
Patrol Phase
The Americans deploy their patrol
markers generally around the church and buildings in the village, and the
patrol phase is swiftly over as the Germans pin down these markers with their
own. Three American jump-off points are positioned near the buildings while the
Germans have two in woodland and hedgerows set forward on their left flank, and
one at their base table edge towards the centre right. With good dice rolls,
both sides begin the game with a Force Morale of 10. The Germans take the first
turn.
Oberleutnant Neumann
signalled the men to halt. Crouched behind the hedge, even in the half-light of
dawn he could clearly make out the church, the key strategic position in St
Germain and their objective, barely fifty yards away. All that lay between it
and their position was an open field and the churchyard hedge. Looking to his left, he watched as the
machine gun team set themselves in position to provide covering fire, and
ordered his men across the open field ahead. The Gefreiter, encouraging his
men, obediently followed, and with as much speed as they could muster without
breaking silence, they advanced across the open field.
"Did you see
that?", the private at the window asked the corporal. "Something in
the field, there." The older man squinted through the broken window frame
in the direction the private was pointing. For a moment, scanning the distance,
all he could make out was the line of the hedge and the silhouette of a copse
of trees against the brightening horizon. And then, in the centre of the field,
he saw movement. The captain had warned them the enemy might try something
exactly like this. Counterattacking at dawn: a plan straight out of the German
battle manual. He pointed out the target and instructed the machine gunner to
open fire.
 |
| German infantry sneak towards St Germain as the sun begins to rise |
Turn 1, Phases 1-2
The Germans deploy their MMG team
behind a hedge on the approach to the church, with their first infantry squad
and their Senior Leader to its right, deployed as far forward towards the
church as possible, in the open. The adjutant enables them to deploy without
delay. The Americans respond by positioning their first infantry squad in the
upper storey of the house beside the church and immediately open fire.
Having spent so much
time in silence, the sudden burst of gunfire, raising spouts of dust from the
dry soil around them, was alarming. The Gefreiter, though, was undeterred. He'd
seen it all before, many times. Raising his arm, he pointed at the house, where
irregular flashes betrayed the enemy machine gun position in an upper-storey
window. The NCO smiled again, and then fell back, and stumbled to the ground
clutching his arm, landing beside two of his men. They were quick to bind the
wound - nothing fatal, but the Gefreiter wouldn't be taking much part in the
action from now on. With disappointment, the men realised they would have to
trust in the Oberleutnant's judgement from here on. In the distance, they could
make out movement, and occasional shots being fired. They had lost the element
of surprise.
"Forward!"
the Oberleutnant ordered, and the squad scrambled the few yards ahead into the
cover of the ornamental hedge lining the churchyard, their own machine gun
opening up on the defenders, as gunfire rained all around.
 |
| The German mortar observer has a good view of the village |
Turn 1, Phases 2-3
With a lucky result from the first
shots of the game, the Junior Leader of the German first squad is wounded, and will be unable to activate again
this turn. German Force Morale falls by one point. The Americans deploy a
second infantry squad in the church, positioning one BAR team in the tower.
They shoot the same target inflicting a point of shock. The US Sergeant is
deployed behind the hedge along the main road opposite the advancing Germans
and the first Sherman at the end of the road on the US left flank. The German
FO is deployed with a field of view toward the village, away from the main
German force. The German Senior Leader removes one point of shock and advances
the first squad to take cover behind the hedge along the churchyard edge, while
the MMG returns fire at the church tower, inflicting one point of shock. The
German second infantry squad are deployed to the right behind the hedge line
and open fire on the troops in the house, killing one.
As the first rays of
the morning sun brightened the horizon, between bursts of machine gun fire the
radio man in the clock tower reported the situation to his commanding officer.
"Twenty - no,
thirty Germans, advancing from the south-west, to the east of the copse,
sir" he confirmed. "One squad is almost at the church already. How
did they get so far forward?"
The BAR team beside
him fired again, watching one of the enemy below fall as they crossed the hedge
into the churchyard.
The radio went dead,
ended by an explosion of bullets and stone chips that killed three men,
silencing the gun in the tower. Behind the hedge, the German machine gun
steamed as the morning dew lifted. The tower silenced, as they crossed the
hedge and crouched amongst gravestones, the German mood had improved. Perhaps
the enthusiasm of this young officer was infectious - with blood dripping from
the side of his head where he had been clipped by an enemy bullet,
he certainly had luck on his side. And they
had made it across the field and the church door was only a few yards away
across
the churchyard. Behind them, on
their left flank, another squad of Grenadiers was advancing across the field in
support. The omens were good.
 |
| The Germans advance rapidly towards the church... |
 |
| ...taking heavy fire as US forces become more organised |
Turn 1, Phases 4-5
As the Sherman advances along the road
towards the bridge, the Americans fire again, killing one man in the German 1st
squad and with another lucky hit on the Senior Leader, who takes a light wound
that reduces his Command Initiative by 1 and reducing German Force Morale by
another point. Despite this, the German Senior Leader advances the 1st squad over the hedge up to the church and removes the point of
shock. The German 3rd squad is then
deployed into the open field on the left. The Germans concentrate their fire on
the church tower and kill all men in the BAR team. American force morale falls
by one point.
 |
| American armor approaches |
Stretching up from
the cupola, scanning the area ahead with binoculars, the tank commander took in
the scene. The gunfire was on the other side of the village, beyond the church.
As the Sherman rode the crest of a small bridge, the could make out American
infantry moving rapidly along the road up ahead, taking defensive positions on
the left hand side, as they fired at the unseen enemy.
In the fields,
unaware of the American armour approaching, the German advance continued. The
infantry covering the left flank were taking heavy fire, but in the centre,
they had reached their objective.
Wiping blood from
the side of his face, machine pistol at the ready, Oberleutnant Neumann gave
the order: "Handgranaten!" The Grenadiers charged, bursting through
the church doors, their entrance heralded by the explosion of two grenades. But
the last words of the radio man in the tower had been heard, and the Americans
were ready. Behind overturned pews, they met their enemy with a strong defence.
The Germans fell in the doorway, their only survivor the young officer, who
somehow managed to escape and make it back to the distant hedge line
alive. Inside the devastated church, the
high price the Americans had paid for victory had been high, the two men who
remained unscathed tending their wounded friends.
Turn 1, Phases 6-7
The American 3rd squad is deployed to face the threat of
the German 3rd squad, who come under heavy fire, taking one point of shock and
losing two men, but continue their advance across the open field. The Sherman
moves up the road and crosses the bridge. The Germans request mortar support. The German Senior Leader orders his men to assault the church, calling
for Handgranaten and charging in. Their entire squad bar the Senior Leader is
wiped out, while the Americans lose all but the Junior Leader and 1 soldier
with a BAR. The German Senior Leader flees back to comparative safety. German
Force Morale falls by two more points.
 |
| The mortar barrage offers some support to the German counterattack |
In that moment, the
momentum of battle shifted. Either side of the church, American infantry in
strong defensive positions put down a hail of fire on the Germans, stalling
their advance. In the open field, the Grenadiers hit the dirt, despite the
cover of the hedge line only a few yards ahead.
"Get up! Get
up!" their NCO shouted, kicking and dragging men in the direction of the
hedge. "Stay here and you'll die here!" But his shouting had no
effect, and as bullets hit the ground all around, too many hitting their
targets, the NCO fell to the earth, clipped in the thigh by enemy fire.
To their right,
around the church, smoke was rising as German mortar fire landed nearby. The
men crouching in the field looked hopefully towards the barrage. If the smoke
came closer they might be given the opportunity to retire in safety.
Behind the hedge,
German soldiers were having similar thoughts. The fire coming from the distant
buildings had increased its intensity and was taking a toll. Their young
commander, disregarding his own wounds as well as those of his men, was
unwilling to order a withdrawal, but the decision was taken out of his hands
only moments later as a stray bullet found his forehead and he fell dead to the
ground. And as the wind blew mortar smoke across the front that separated them
from their enemy, abandoning their guns and ammunition, those men that could
get away fell back towards safety in disarray.
 |
| German forces fall back after the failed assault, but not fast enough |
Turn 1, Phases 8-15
US forces open fire, killing 1 man and inflicting 2 points of
shock on the German 3rd squad and killing 1 man and dealing out 4 points of
shock on the 2nd squad, while the Sergeant removes 1 point of shock from the
survivors in the church. The Germans press on, but roll a double 1 when
advancing the 3rd squad, which because of accrued shock means they do not move
at all. As the German Senior Leader attempts to control the accumulation of
shock, German mortars begin firing - on target but to no effect. The American
FO deploys as the Americans continue to shoot. The German 3rd squad, caught in
the open, over two phases suffers 4 casualties, 2 points of shock, and their
Junior Leader receives a light wound, while the 2nd squad receives a further 3
points of shock. German Force morale falls dangerously low and their central
jump-off point is removed. Unable
to control the build-up of shock, contemplate withdrawal but decide to fight on
for one more phase, their shooting and mortar barrage inflicting 1 casualty and
3 points of shock on the Americans. The Americans then roll 2 sixes, and
concentrate their fire over two phases. The German 2nd squad suffers 1 casualty
and 2 points of shock, and their mortar barrage is requested and arrives on
target, killing the German Senior Leader. German Force Morale is reduced to 0
and the game ends.
----------------
Colonel Goode was
woken early when the news arrived. An unexpected German counterattack on the
left flank had been repelled. Again, Major Foster had done well. He needed
reliable men like that; the Major's promotion prospects were looking good. Less
nervous than when he had gone to bed, he called in his aide to give the order
for the men to continue their advance. The road to Isigny was clear.
The counterattack at
St Germain-du-Pert may have been repelled, but it had succeeded in its primary
purpose, to gain time. American forces had been slow to advance along the
causeway, and were still some distance from the bridge at Isigny, but the
Germans need even more time than this to complete their escape.
