Confrontation at Caen.

A Game of the second world war, France 1944. 

Using Combat HQ in 6mm.

Organized, using terrain and models and nominally umpired by Mike Leatham.

AAR by Simon Reid.

Players

British     : Mike, Andy, Simon.
German  : Bryn, Andy.

Forces: 
British     : Two Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion. 
Germans: Two Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion. 

British had a superior number of points. Game set in 1944 in a generic area around Caen. 

The AAR is from the British point of view as inevitably being British I wasn’t privy to the full German forces or plan. 

The Map

Initial Deployments

The Battle 

The British plan was to send the 1st Dorsets up the left of the road and the 2nd Dorsets up the Right. They were to take Aubrey farm and St-Pierre Farm by mass assault and create a position for the 12th Hussars to then be deployed. 

Mike leading the 1st Dorsets was somewhat slowed by a hedge line in his way and getting spotted early by the German outposts. 

Andy leading the 2nd Dorsets unobstructed and with failed spotting rolls by the Germans was able to rapidly race to St Pierre Farm getting three full companies deployed at close range. 

The combined effect of the 2nd Dorsets firepower was able to rapidly destroy the German outpost at St-Pierre clearly causing some consternation in the German ranks as the infantry deployed behind a wood behind the farm bugged out back to their main position along the Rued – Rouget farm line. 

The 1st Dorsets took a bit longer to clear Aubrey farm but eventually completed the task but then came under fire from a German infantry company and Hertzer Company deployed behind. 

Simon commanding the British Armoured Battalion sent forward a company of Archers to St-Pierre farm to bring fire on the Hertzer’s in support of Mikes attack. They had their effect driving off the German Armour as Mikes infantry threatened to close on them.

As the German outpost line began to collapse under the pressure things seemed to be going well. The Germans raced up from reserve some more infantry and AT guns to their main line along a line from Rued Farm to Rouget farm to the northern wood. 

British Artillery forward observers plotted a barrage on the German AT units coming up the road and the scene seemed set for a great success as Andy and Mike began to prepare for phase two. 

Photo : Picture Below from German point of view 

Photo: The British Push, 

Alas a constant series of command failures cancelled and prevented the barrage. The terrible sight of a full company of German Panthers and Tigers and a Company of Stugs coming up and forming a line between Rouget and the wood. More German Infantry and AT reinforcing between Rued farm and Rouget farm made it clear that further advance would be difficult without a co-ordinated attack. 

The Archer company which had been driving off the Hertzers along with Mikes Infantry was rapidly destroyed by the hail of German long range AT fire. 

Mike and Andy were largely bogged down at this stage under fire. A decision was taken for both battalions to drive forward with Andy inclining to the north to join with Mikes right flank and his mass of infantry to form a screen as the British Armoured battalion entering on the extreme northern side of the table moved up in a mass column behind the infantry aiming for the point between Rouget farm and the wood , hoping to use the infantry to screen them until they were close enough to take on the German heavy armour at close range and overwhelm them by mass.

Alas the day came to an end and the British could only claim they had at least pushed in the German Outpost line. 

Photo: The Final position before nightfall.

Key Take Aways

The Germans acted very historically using an outpost line of infantry to soak up the initial British advance and slow it forcing units of their blinds and thus slow down. By the time the British had cleared the outpost line the Germans had formed a formidable line ahead.

In retrospect the British, had they used their staff orders early before command failures started they could have used their armour in mass in the centre whilst the two infantry battalions pushed the outposts back and this might have allowed them to get closer to the German main line before the German heavy Armour deployed. It was only when too late and only with a chain of command failures did the British recall they could have put down a smoke screen which would also have helped against the German long range fire power. 

The Germans had held the line.

A good game played in good humour by all. 

Editorial pictures.

During the day I took some pictures of the battle, these are presented in order of the time taken.

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Photos curtesy of Simon and the Editor.