Big battle of Normandy 1944
German Panzer division (300 pts)
Formation 1 Pnz Company (mixed)
Formation 2 Pnz Company (mixed)
Formation 3 Pnz Company (french)
Support, Artillery, inf, AT-guns, AA-guns
Dug in on at the village: Beach defence company
American armoured Division (300 pts)
Formation 1 Sherman Company
Formation 2 Sherman Company
Formation 3 Armored rifle company
Support: Tank destroyers, Artillery, AA-guns, Air-support
Forward position: Airborne 101 dug in at the beach-heads.
Objectives:
On the battlefield is seven strategic locations, including 3 bridges, 2 hills, and the town. The side holding most objectives at the end of their turns respectively will consider the battle a strategic victory.
Each side will begin with a platoon and HQ from each formation while the remaining forces are arriving from reserve. The Germans will also start with artillery and AT-guns, as well as a poorly trained company of infantry holding the frontlines.
Americans have paradropped two platoons of Airborne dug in at the beach-heads, delaying the German reserves. Allies gets the first turn after a German artillery strike.
Turn 1
The Allies push ahead and encounter resistance in the fields ahead of the village. A few defenders are killled but the mayority holds the line. German armored reserves are arriving along the roads.
Turn 2
With all core companies on the battlefield, both sides struggle to reach the town. Not many causalities are inflicted, but a few defenders as well as a few tanks are destroyed.
Turn 3
Divisional support arrives on both sides. The tigers reinforce the battle, but one is lost to the Sherman 76s. The town is now occupied by the German panzer company, while the armored rifles struggle to cross the HMG nests deployed in the village. The Germans break one of the airborne platoons holding one of the bridges, opening up a road to reinforce.
Turn 4
with both armies approaching the center, the faster moving Germans has the upper hand. However, continued fire from the massed Sherman's on the American left flank takes its toll of the panzers. On the US left flank, the Sherman takes a few shots over the river, destroying a few French tanks, while the armored rifles in the center find themselves pinned by fire.
Turn 5
At the beginning of turn five, one of the Airborne platoons are still holding the bridge against the French tank company. But massed fire and the oncoming assault finally push the paras back.
The wooden bridge is held by the Americans, but a reckless blitz move takes a panzer close enough to contest it.
Final scoring
To even out the odds in a big battle, we decided to count the points in each of the sides last turn. Most objectives where contested, but each side held two objectives.
Another turn would have been more decisive, as the assault was stalled for a few turns due to the dug in infantry on both sides. But as long as it lasted, it felt like a good simulation of historical events that could have been.
