The Invasion So Far…

The Allies spent the first week landing on the beaches, repelling German counter-attacks and pushing inland to gain a viable foot-hold. The second week was spent expanding the bridgeheads while the US and British sectors were united. An ambitious attack by Panzer Lehr was stopped just short of Arromanches and the Mulberry was saved. The US was having trouble at Carentan but managed to link Utah and Omaha. By the end of the third week the US aggressively cut the Peninsula and are attacking Cherbourg, the large port city. As we go into the final week of the Campaign Scenario the Germans are exhausted and nearly incapable of offensive action except for spoiling attacks here and there. There are reinforcements on the horizon but the question is whether it will be too little too late.

June 21^st

The Storm clears and the Allies are once again on the move. The Germans shore up their lines somewhat and the 101^st Tiger battalion pulls back to avoid encirclement. The final elements of the US armored divisions are brought to shore, including CCR/3 and the last tank battalion from 2^nd Armored. The 9^th Infantry and CCB/2 Help push against Cherbourg’s defenders as they retreat behind the Perimeter. Notice however that the 9^th Infantry along the eastern road penetrated the Perimeter against a battery of anti-tank units. The Allies gambled with artillery and air support and rolled high enough to destroy the Unit. If the Germans don’t react quickly the city will be lost before they have a chance to consolidate!

The above figure shows the Cherbourg front which has been cut off and can’t receive any more supplies. The Germans have been stockpiling however and have some on hand. The primary impact will be for replacements. I also want to clarify a point here regarding victory points. The 2^nd Edition has changed the Campaign Game victory conditions. In the 1^st Edition, if the Germans held cities north of the 27^th Historical front line and could trace a line of supply to them they counted as VPs to be deducted from the Allied Total. The 2^nd Edition tweaks this to clarify that the supply line must be to a Map Edge Entry Hex and NOT Cherbourg. This means that while it’s imperative for the US to CUT the Peninsula, it doesn’t follow that they have to occupy every last town and hamlet. Note that towns and city hexes INSIDE the Cherbourg perimeter count as Allied VPs.

One big reason the US has been terribly slow in advancing is due to the bocage terrain. Even when the US eliminates units or forces those to retreat, usually the Axis only need to retreat one hex. The bocage is retreat-stopping terrain so to speak and defenders are not required to retreat the full two hexes if their first hex in bocage is not in an enemy ZOC (towns, cities, strongpoints and forests also have this feature but are usually spread out). Furthermore, if you advance into a bocage hex, you’re not allowed to advance a second hex unless you exit the first one via a road. Once you realize more than half the map is covered in this green stuff most combat will end up being channeled through roads in order to advance, or the Germans will create ZOC bonds that prevent advance through roads and force the Allies to go off-road and engage defenders in bad places with minimal advance.

The US 1^st Infantry takes Caumont to add a VP City in the Allied pocket. The 29^th Infantry and 3^rd Armored surround and hit the 77^th Infantry. This turn the Allies executed a lot of relatively low (2-1 to 3-1) odds attacks and generally managed a fair number of exchanges or got some lucky rolls to hit the defenders with no loss to them.

Villers Bocage falls to the 11^th Armoured Division. The Panzergrenadiers are reduced to Cadre strength. The 50^th Infantry has taken lots of casualties though.

On the very eastern side of the front the UK created a huge gaping hole. Of course, this hole is swampy and horrible and Tanks can’t go there except move through roads so the gap is more theory than reality. Still, terrain won’t stop the Allies forever. The 21^st Panzer division was positioned to try to strike and cut off the Allied finger probing east but 15^th Division conducted a spoiling attack. The Germans will have to figure out what to do here.

June 22^nd

Clear skies continue as the Wermacht shakes their collective fist at the fluffy white clouds and beautiful blue ceiling. The German forces shift their lines somewhat and the 1^st SS arrives on the map rapidly charging northeast from Falaise to at least make the British cautious and not just drive recklessly towards Lisieux.

On the opposite corner of the map, the US paratroopers took out another battalion from the 243^rd Division with help from CCA/2. The 9^th Infantry division has pushed into the Cherbourg perimeter. Considering there are at least five more turns left in the game it’s not clear that Germany can hold out.

A recurring motif so far in these AARs is me describing how the 352^nd division continues to take losses. At one point or another I’ve announced the division as shattered, nearly destroyed or just having a few remnants here or there as yet another unit takes a step loss or bites the dust. I’m sure some are wondering just how many battalions does this division have anyway? It must be the Zombie Division. Well, that’s because some turns I would get infantry replacements of 0 troop quality that were used to bring back a unit from this division and put them on the map to plug a gap or cover a hole thus prolonging the agony if you will.

However, at long last we can finally pronounce the 352^nd Division annihilated. Per the rules, once a division loses its last unit on the map you can no longer bring it back with replacements.

Around V Corps and XXX Corps areas of responsibility right at the demarcation line between US and British armies the German 30^th Brigade trades blows with CCR 30^th but still has to retreat up a hill. The 11^th Armoured also pushes back a cadre of Panzer Lehr troops (the Cadre marked B). However, on the western side the 3^rd Armored division takes a punch to the nose trying to dislodge Tiger tanks. On the eastern side, 2^nd Panzer division reinforced by some Flak 88s smash a concentrated attack by 7^th Armoured, 4^th Armoured and 50^th Infantry.

They had double artillery and double air support (Starting on this turn each allied attack can be supported by up to two air support markers). Rolling a 2 on your 5-1 attack resulting in DR (Defender Retreat) is bad when the other side has better troop quality (+1) and Rocket Artillery available for determined defense. The Germans rolled a 5 (add 2 more for 7) which translated into stopping the attack cold and inflicting a step loss to boot.

This side of the front was relatively quiet as the British spent their replacements on the Canadian divisions and armor. The last of the two British infantry divisions are being landed (49^th and 43^rd) and a couple of brigades joined an attack by the 15^th Infantry and 31^st Armoured brigade that managed to push back 21^st Panzer to the town of Colombelles outside of Caen.

Summary

The US army has surrounded Cherbourg and is pressing in. The 9^th Infantry has succeeded in breaching the perimeter and it’s a matter of time before the port city falls. On the southern line there is some mixed success as the US army presses hard on St. Lo. The elite German troops have managed to repulse some very strong Allied attacks but the line can’t be strong everywhere and Caen is now being threatened from the east. As the Campaign Game wraps up Germany is due some very strong reinforcements but can the current front line troops keep it together in time?

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