A Tank Company of the British 1^st East Riding Yeomanry, 27^th Armoured Brigade pushed out of Sword Beach, expanding the bridge head. They ran into a Panzer Grenadier company from the 2^nd Battalion, 192^nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 21^st Panzer Division. Both sides engaged in a vicious free-for-all.

Turkey Shoot On My Right

On my right Simon threw in two platoons of 3 Shermans and 2 M10s (He also had 4 Priests on his table edge). Opposing them I had a dug-in 88mm Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun, two PAK40 Light Anti-Tank Guns, 4 Stug G and a dug-in Panzer Grenadier Platoon.

The mighty ’88’ with a high rate of fire.

Across the bocage, the British armour rolls forward

On Simon’s first turn his Typhoons and Shermans hit the 88mm gun but when the dust cleared, to our amazement, the 88 remained active. In response, the 88 killed a Sherman platoon (2 destroyed and 1 bailed – failed motivation test). In the next turn Simon’s artillery and his Typhoons again attacked the 88, but when the dust cleared it was still operating. The 88 killed both the M10s. Meanwhile the two PAK40 and Stugs had destroyed the other Sherman platoon. This ended the attack on my right. Subsequently the 88 started to pepper the Priests, but this was cut short by another air strike which destroyed the gun. However, the command team passed their last man standing test, and the platoon wasn’t lost. The Stugs moved over to the left.

Burning tanks fill the foreground. Camera shaky as the Typhoon’s rockets impact again.
Crisis On My Left

Simon attacked on my left with another Sherman platoon of 3 Shermans, his HQ platoon (of 3 Shermans) and a Rifle Platoon. However, the left defence, my 105mm artillery battery and second panzer Grenadier platoon had failed to dig in (failed two attempts!) and paid the price, as the Panzer Grenadiers were severely reduced by the Sherman’s machine guns, and the artillery destroyed through shooting and assault. I had two 8-rad armoured cars which managed to halt the British Rifle Company through massed 20mm cannon fire. However, Simon had managed to get air support every single turn, and this was devastating my forces.

The Shermans trundle up the edge of the German line.

Unable to dig in, the Panzer Grenadiers are shot up and pinned down.

This was the moment of crisis, because I had lost three platoons – the PAK40 (to Simon’s artillery), my artillery (to Sherman assault) and the two 8-rads (two turns of air attack). Simon had the much reduced Panzer Grenadiers he could assault, and three unarmoured AA half-tracks to shoot. The loss of either of these would have meant I was below half company strength. However, Simon’s last Sharman platoon and the HQ platoon engaged in a duel with my four Stugs, which resulted in both the Sherman platoon and the HQ platoon being destroyed (both through failed motivation tests). I had survived to pull off a 4-3 victory.

Simon was very unlucky with his dice rolls, failing several 3+ firepower tests to take out the ’88’, and he also failed every single motivation test. Its a credit to Simon that he still almost managed a win.