Battle Report: The Battle for Sainte-Mère-Église

Back after our second game of the Normandy Campaign: Scenario 2: The Battle for Sainte-Mère-Église.

The game was a modified version of the 'Surrounded' scenario from the bolt action rule book. We played it that the US paratroopers had to hold the town from a German counter attack until their reserves arrived to relieve them. The first turn was played with night fighting rules before the sun rose in the early morning and illuminated the battlefield. 

The objective was to hold the town square just in front of the church. If a unit held it without any  enemy units with 6" then that side would win.  Any other result (no units holding it or the objective contested) would end in a draw!

The battlefield was as follows:

 

US forces (Back Left to Front): Bazooka Team, Pathfinders, Paratrooper Squad with BAR, Medium Machine gun Team, Paratrooper Squad with BAR, Paratrooper squad with rifles, Colonel Krause and man with rifles.

 

 

German Forces (Back left to Front): Sdkfz 251 Hanomag, Mortar Team, MG42 Team, Grenadiers with MG34 team, Grenadiers with MG34 team, Veteran Panzergrenadiers with STG44 and MP40s, Leutnant Heinrich Guttendorf and man with STG44.

 

June 6th 4:30am. The scattered units from the 101st and 82nd airborne infantry have landed and successfully captured the town of St Mere Eglise from the small German garrison force holding the French town. However, in the confusion of the landing and the fighting that followed a few squads had sustained casualties and were tending to their wounded. Private James McScruber of the 82nd Airborne took position in the church bell tower and checked his 30.cal. He gazed out over the darkness of the morning and could hear the engine and whining tracks of vehicles coming down the road to the South. Knowing all too well that it was far to early for US armored to be arriving in the town, he called out to his comrades to prepare themselves for the German counter attack.

The US machine gun team nervously have positioned themselves in the church bell tower. They scan the darkness for enemy targets.

 

Leutnant Heinrich Guttendorf gripped his Maschinenpistole as he ordered his forces to advance into the town of St Mere Eglise. He ordered his mortar team to set up in the woods on the edge of town while the main grenadier force advanced down the main road covered by an MG42 team.  He was blessed that he had a group of Eastern Front veterans under his command this morning, battle hardened and ready for action, he ordered them to mount their Sd.kfz 251 and advance up the Eastern flank of the town. The darkness of the early morning concealed his troops movement, but also concealed the location of the US airborne who were now hiding amongst the ruins and houses on the main street.

As the sun crept over the hills to the East and filled the sky so did the rattle of small arms fire and the sounds of combat. The German mortar team fired a shell screaming into the air and expertly hit the house in which the pathfinders were taking cover. The blast killed two of the troopers and forced them to go down in the ruins of the building. The Germans seized the initiative and began their assault on the town with the two grenadier squads heading down the main road and the Sdkfz 251 tearing up the fields surrounding the town. The Sdkz sprayed the buildings with MG42 fire, pinning the infantry squad within.The US forces grit their teeth and fired back with little effect. They had no choice but to hold until their reinforcements could gather themselves together in the surrounding area and make their way to the town.

The German Mortar team skillfully sends shells
onto the American positions with in the town.

A second shot from the German mortar rang out and landed amongst the pathfinders again with a thundering boom. They had little choice but to remain down in the ruins lest they be blown to pieces. The Skdfz 251 advanced onto the town firing its MG42 at the paratroopers in the buildings. Private Fred Simmons gripped his M1 Garrand with white knuckles as the flurry of bullets smashed windows and tore up the brick of the house. All seemed lost when suddenly a thundering boom silenced the machine gun fire and a column of fire and smoke filled the sky. A bazooka team scattered from the night drop had come to the town just in time and put a round into the side of the Hanomag halftrack. The vehicle was ripped apart and the veterans riding within had no choice but to bail out and hit the dirt as shrapnel fell around them.

The Bazooka team takes out the Hanomag which was suppressing the paratroopers in the houses.

 The remaining grenadiers continued their advance up the main road under the cover of the MG42. The US machine gun team in the bell tower fired on them as they advanced causing a few casualties. Suddenly, squads of Paratroopers lead by Colonel Edward Krause emerged from surrounding fields and began to fire at the German forces advancing up. The battle was far from over.

The German Veterans gathered themselves and regrouped. Using their blown up transport as cover they killed both members of the Bazooka team in a hail of automatic fire.  Leutnant Heinrich Guttendorf himself brought down two US paratroopers who advanced into the town on the Western flank. He told his men to ignore the pinned pathfinders and continue their advance in the center of town. The Grenadiers continued to advance up the street as more mortar rounds landed amongst the heavily pinned paratroopers.

The Germans advance into the
town covered by machine gun and mortar fire.

Colonel Krause ran to the paratroopers pinned in the houses and his presence helped rally the men. They grabbed their rifles and prepared to storm from the buildings into the streets to meet the Germans. The paratroopers on the Eastern flank charged the German veterans and killed them to a man, losing several of their own in the bloody hand-to-hand combat. They regrouped behind the Hanomag wreck as the MG42 team swung their weapon around to fire at paratroopers.

Fierce combat between the German Veterans and the
US paratrooper squad on the Western flank.

Against all odds, the pathfinders who had been pinned all battle by accurate mortar fire summoned their courage and charged from their house into Grenadier squad advancing up the street. The sprays of their Thompsons wounded half of the Grenadiers and caused the survivors to flee from the field of battle. The second squad of Grenadiers then returned the favor and cut down the pathfinders in a spray of Kar98 and MG34 fire. Leutnant Guttendorf cursed the Americans and their gung-ho bravery! The US machine gun in the church tower sprayed the surviving grenadiers and forced them to hit the ground. The paratrooper squads began to advance into the town square and secure their hold of the town. 

Leutnant Guttendorf assessed the situation, he had little hope of capturing the town before more and more American reinforcements would arrive. With a last ditched cry he ordered his remaining grenadiers to charge into the Americans grouping before the church. However, the grenadiers had had enough, they ignored their leader and fled back down the Southern road. The MG42 and mortar team covered their retreat and the German forces abandoned St Mere Eglise. 

Krause and his men hold the centre of St Mere Eglise.
Victory is theirs!

 

 

Colonel Krause watched as the German forces retreated from the battle and surveyed the state of his forces. With many killed and wounded, the US paratroopers had held onto the town and driven back the German attack at a great cost. St Mere Eglise would be the first town in France to be liberated by the allies and it would certainly not be the last.

 

 

 

 

Once again it was an absolute cracker of a game with some very lucky dice rolls on both sides and nail biting moments. Easily could have gone either way but the Americans were able to snag another win in our campaign. Current score 2 - 0 US way! Can't wait to play our next game at the battle of les forges!

Signing out,

Chewie