AAR 1944 France: Find the Front by Mark Luther

View from the North

The British entry edge is at the bottom. Almost immediately off table is a railway (RR) cut with a couple of vital elevated crossings over it. The ground gently slants up towards the back edge. The Seullles is off to the right. Plenty of hedges but the only real bocage are is in the center right. Another almost identical group from the 61st would be moving off table to the right to make their way along the Seulles river.

View from the German entry road

Tim brought his units along this road to head towards the right and the village of Audrieu. Like the British units, his overall command had to send roughly half of his forces to try to secure bridges over the Seulles river (straight ahead in this view).

Normandy farmland

I like setting up Normandy games because the table always looks interesting. Lots of small farms, hedges, orchards, fields.This farmhouse was in a great spot to cover the left flank of the Germans so I set up a Pak 38 in its yard. The rest of the remnants of the 5 Kompanie, II Battalion, Regiment 352 are off to its right.

Road to Audrieu

Looking up the approach road from the left British entry road.

Village strung out along a slight rise

The main road ran through this village. View from behind the German 'front'.

British recce force moves on the table

8 Troop of C Squadron, 61st Recce Regiment appears on table rather bunched up. Dummy Blind in the lower field and 7 Troop is coming up on the other road, still on Blinds.

Recce Troop

I had to fake it with some of the vehicles. I do not understand why no 6mm Humber LRC exist! Each troop had two Humber Mk IV armored cars, two Humber LRCs, two sections of carriers with total of six carriers, one 2-inch mortar and a PIAT, and four LMGs.

Pak opens fire

My cleverly positioned Pak 38 ATG opens up on the recon vehicles coming in from the western road. I miss my shots.

Some Grenadiers are spotted

Brian see some of the remnants of the 5 Kompanie, II Battalion, Fusiliers Regiment 352. They were in amongst the buildings and hedges in the village of Audrieu. I hope to block the road as long as possible with these troops.

Pak overwhelmed

After missing my shots on the rapidly moving recce force, Brian put the pedal to the metal and rushed around the Pak's flank, unloaded his carrier sections and overran my PaK crew. The supporting MMG was busy hosing down another group of carriers to their front. The 4th carrier belongs to the section CO of that pinned section. They (other two carriers) tried to cross a hedge and got hung up. This cut Brian's infantry support practically in half. Lesson here is don't run through the hedges when you can drive around them (and use them for cover also). Bad luck to get 2/3rd of the unit bogged, but it happens.

Regrouping

The car elements of 8 troop made a dash through the village and lost one of the LRCs to a panzerfaust. Of course it was their CO. Definitely some Jerries there. They took the first right and dashed out to a Y-intersection close to where the carrier sections had KO'd the PaK. Pictures I took of that action were terrible.

Fire fight with the carrier section

Two of three carriers of 8 troop bogged when trying to cross a hedge. The MMG (off to the left) and a couple of infantry sections from the 5 Kompanie survivors then opened up on the men as they scrambled back.

PanzerSpah Kompanie comes down the road

The heavy cars (Sdkfz 234/1s) and the Sdkfz 232 radio car of the SS AuFkl Abt 12 finally get to move. I suspect that they were dodging the Allied flyboys. ASt least that would be the logical explanation for the German Blind card not coming up for several turns. Some of their comrades are further back. They are at the intersection that the Brit A/C turned off on after zipping through town.

Followed by the elements of the 2 Kompanie

Four Sdkfz 250/9s and a command Sdkfz 250/3. Lots of firepower in these German units.

The 234/1s on the trail of the British Humbers

Tim sent this heavy car unit off to his left to cover his flank. There are only a few actual bocage type hedgerows on the table and they are all close to the center of the board. The cars are driving past one here.

7 and 8 Troops plotting their next moves

Or at least what is left of them. They've lost an LRC and Big Man from 8 Troop and most of that troop's carriers sections are stuck back by their entry road taking casualties. 7 Troop did lose a man taking the Pak.

Carrier section assault

Brian sends one of the 7 Troop carrier section down the road and another through the bocage to take on the fusiliers of the 352nd Regiment. Should've used the 2-inch mortar to help cover the attack.

The light armored cars

The group of Sdkfz 222s followed the heavies down the main road but went straight instead of turning left. The burning Humber LRC is in front of them.

Retreat of the Heavies

The 234/1s ran smack into the Humber A/C at the intersection in the center of the table. They came off worse as all four of the Humber a/c had a chance to shoot. The Germans lost one of the 234/1s and had another take a Shock point in the uneven exchange. Nice feature is the ability to run fast in reverse.

Humbers advance

Brian moves the remnants of 8 Troop back to the village after running off the 234/1s

3 Zug with its Sdkfz 250/9s

After getting no movement for the first several turns (the German Blind card just wouldn't come up) Tim had a nice open road. The zug of 250/9 halftracks gets to move at top speed down the road towards the beach. Another fuzzy picture. The lighting at Gigabites is really terrible. I can't even tell if the field is in focus when I (or others) take these snaps.

Supporting section sent back

The section from the carriers that was trying to work around the right lost its bottle and headed back to the farmhouse. They managed to take some of the shock off quickly though.

Heading to the Beach

The light armoured cars (Sdkfz 222s) take the lead and continue down the main road to the beach head. I don't think the stranded, pinned carrier sections will have much chance to stop them.

Carrier section wins the first round

They manage to get into the hedgerows and drive back one of the German sections. The grenadiers quickly counterattack and drive the Brits back though. The German Big Man is a goner though.

Timing is a bit off

This group of Humbers arrives just a bit late to help with the carrier section attack. They could've really chewed up the Grenadiers behind the hedgerow. And been in a good position to intercept the German recce parade that just zipped past.

Leaving the table

The halftrack zug makes a clean escape off-table to really mess things up for the British. What seemed liked bad luck - the lack of German Blind card coming up - at the beginning for Tim, turned into an opportunity to win big. No chance to get bogged down fighting the Brit recce in the village. Brian had shifted his entire force to his right which left the main road open just as Tim buzzed down the pike.

Position at Game End

The fight between the carrier section and the remnants of 5 Kompanie, II Battalion, Fusilier Regiment 352, won't solve much. The light units of the SS Aufklarung Abteilung have already gotten past. The remaining 234/1s are on the road at the top of the pic. The Humber troop on the crossroad center right. So there might be a bit of an engagement there.