Hauptmann Turrill commanded two Tigers and four Panzer IVs, and four platoons of Panzer Grenadiers for a furious counter attack into a shattered town. The Germans had to negotiate a number of hedgerows and chokepoints and push out a small but tough force of Americans.

The Americans under Captain Patchen had two small platoons of infantry but were rich in armor and support assets: a full platoon offive regular Shermans and two Shermans with 76 millimeter guns. They also have a small 82 millimeter mortar battery on call and, most importantly, Mustangs with rockets ready for their master's call.

The Americans

The Germans

The Germans enter from the east. Tigers on their left, supported by dismounted grenadiers in the center and the Pz IVs and more mounted infantry on the right trying to make an end around the church into town.

US Infantry contests their left flank at the church in hopes of creating a bottleneck.

Burning German Panzer IVs stack up after bazooka teams and Shermans plug the gap.

Big gun Sherman burns in the center of town after dueling with the Pz IVs.

Left flank road around the church is blocked with burning wreckage but German infantry turns the position, defeats the American platoon, and pushes into town.

Two Tigers started out and one got bounced by a P-51 and blown up but the other continued around the US right flank and into the rear of town for a face to face dual with the sole surviving big gun Sherman. Guess who won...not Brad Pitt.

The German infantry pushes in the center. After a bloody repulse of one platoon in close combat, 2 others push into town. Armored Panzer grenadiers disembark and begin to push the remaining G.I.s in town.

The Tiger killed by the flyboys burns. By the way, when the Mustangs tried to come back and get the other Tiger, they overshot their target and their rockets killed the forward air controller who was calling in the strike. Sad. And that put an end to any further Mustang assistance to the Americans for the game.

The surviving Shermans cower behind the last building in town, awaiting the last Tiger's approach.

Close-up view of the victorious German panzer grenadiers.

Overview of the board from the left rear of the US position.

It was a great game and it had a little bit of everything. The Germans were clearly in the lead when we called the game. There was still some bloody hand to hand fighting to do in the rubble in the center of town but it certainly looked like the numerically superior and mobile Germans were going to win that fight and then push the penned in American armor into a disadvantageous fight with the remaining German armor which they were not likely to win!

Joe Patchen

AAR 1944 France: Shattered Town by Joe Patchen