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Orders phase
House-to-house fighting!
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Two platoons storm the next house in the row.
I can see one enemy squad and another unidentified unit there.
The left squad stays in the patch of trees and is ordered to
rotate to provide covering fire for the two platoon. The reason I
do this is because this squad has suffered three casualties in
the previous turn (I am not sure from which direction) and is
slightly shaken. In the background, the two platoons assaulting
the town from the south can be seen. Notice also that I have to
exit the house first before entering the other one. The reason is
that walls can only be crossed when there are doors. How you know
that there are doors? When you issue the move command, the line
extracting from the selected unit to the target point turns red
when the way is blocked...
Further north, 1st platoon is
ordered to make the final approach to the church. It seems to be
abandoned by the Germans.
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Notice that the victory flag above the
church already changed to US! YEAH! But - for how long can I hold
it?
So my grip around the town is tightening. I
intend to squeeze the Germans out of the block buildings from
both flanks and then orientate eastward to setup defenses for the
approaching German counterattack. Oh, and by the way, with the
extra reinforcements I figure that the need for a smoke cover
from my 105mm howitzers is not necessary anymore. I cancel the
fire order for the FO and wait. Wait for a better target...
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An overview shot to help visualize the
assault around the town.
As usual, the news from the east are not half
as good as what's happening around the town....
"Major?" The corporal crawled forward
to the slope I was lying on, observing the battle around the town
with my binos.
"Major, the platoon commanders from the
eastern line are asking for permission to withdraw, Sir!"
I turned around and looked at the young soldier.
The tension and fear were written in his face.
"The southern OP is reporting that enemy
infantry has infiltrated their position, supported by light
armored vehicles. Only two bazookas and one MG are still
available..."
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The bazooka team has to targets to choose
from. The left halftrack is behind the stonewall and, as can been
seen above, in hull down position relative to the bazooka. The
right halftrack is further away, but in the open, and the hit
chance is about 10% higher as with the other HT. I order the
bazooka team to target the right halftrack.
I didn't answer and the corporal went on with a
puzzled look.
"In the center, enemy infantry and
halftracks are assaulting our position under a heavy artillery
barrage! The rifle platoon is mostly intact and fighting back,
but most of the heavy weapons are gone! And we have received a
grabled radio message from the north flank... something about
being surrounded by enemy infantry... Sir?"
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The bazooka team running from the northern
woods towards the street realises that the Germans are about to
take the center position. I cancel ist order and deroute it to
the nearest farmhouse to take on the halftracks.
Retreat or stand and fight? Retreat and fall
back to a second line of defense? Or stand and fight and hope to
keep the Germans engaged for as long as possible? But WAS there a
second line of defense? Giving up the position near the
farmhouses ment to make the road clear of German vehicles, since
there was no sufficient cover for another defensive line anywhere
near the road all the way up to the bridge. Giving up the
position would mean to encourage the Germans to race for the town
earlier rather than later.
"Sir, do you hear me, Sir?"
But what when the line is overrun and
annihilated?
"Corporal," I answered slowly. "I
received your report, but I have no further orders at this time..."
I looked in his eyes. He understood exactly
what this ment. He crawled back to the radio to tell the men to
stand and fight...
What I am fighting for is time! There was
little doubt about my line in the east breaking sooner or later.
But when we retreat now, it will play in German hands and make
their way free into town. Holding the position will most likely
cost me a lot of brave men, but it will possibly buy those extra
few minutes for my to take the town, prepare defenses and allow
my tanks need to arrive.
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When my line in the east breaks, the Germans
will have to cover a lot of open ground. Although there are no
fighting positions in the area (except for one bazooka team
hiding in a house by the road), my HMGs which were suppressing
targets in the town, now turned around and can provide some
harrassing fire against the approaching Germans. Not to mention
the intact Sherman in the north and the prepared bazooka ambush
on the south road.
Action Phase
In the north, the bazooka team and HQ unit
lying in ambush are faring better against the German infantry
than I expected. With the immobilized Sherman and an HMG
suppressing the Germans, the two units managed to deliver a good
fight in hand-to-hand combat. The bazooka team loses one man, but
the HQ unit annihilates one German infantry team.
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The bazooka team and HQ unit are putting up
an incredible fight, of course aided "a little" by the
Sherman firing HE rounds at the Germans... The bazooka team loses
one man in hand-to-hand combat, but the HQ unit manages to
annihilate one German infantry team. As can be seen above, some
of the Germans are already retreating...
In the south, the battle is over. Just before
the Jerries overrun my position there, one of the bazooka teams
manages to knock out another halftrack.
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While the HMG team is firing at the
approaching Germans, the bazooka team manages to fire off a shot
at the halftrack. Distance is 80 meters or so, but the halftrack
is standing still. Bad luck...
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Flames erupt from the burning vehicle! But
there is no time to cheer...
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...because shortly after the Platoon HQ in
the area has had it enough and surrenders. A few seconds later,
all my remaining units raise their hands. The Germans have taken
my south flank... Notice the infantry storming down the road in
the right background - they are hussling out of the woods along
the southern road.
In the center, my position is close to being
overrun as well. More artillery and intense fire from the enemy
vehicles and infantry causes most of my men to panick and run for
the cover of the farmhouses.
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Tracers, explosions - the German assault is
breaking through. Two units (a rifle squad at half strength and
the Company HQ) are broken and run for cover in the nearby
farmhouses (the TacAI is at work here!), while another squad is
pinned hopelessly in face of the heavy incoming fire. Notice the
bazooka team on the left, just arriving from the northern woods
and running to the farmhouse. I hope that it will be able to get
off a few well placed shots at the enemy halftracks in the next
turn...
Around the town, things are heating up
tremendously as my platoons dash across the streets and storm the
buildings to take out the defenders.
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A rifle squad is overwatching the dash of
another platoon for the next row of houses. Bullets are whizzing
everywhere. Notice the smoke in the background - it's from the
burning building on the eastern edge of town.
In the big blockbuilding, two of my platoons
entered the corner house and are locked in a deadly melee against
the German units! But sheer numerical superiority should decide
the matter in my favor. One of the German teams surrenders
shortly before the end of the turn.
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In a room with the Jerries! One of my squads
is pinned, but the others are slowly overwhelming the enemy.
Notice the POWs on the right... Rainbow Six meets World War Two ;-)
All across the town, German units are starting
to surrender. I count two badly beaten up Fallschirmjäger squads
and one or two other Wehrmacht units (one with only 1 man out of
9 still alive!). Looking good!
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A German Fallschirmjäger unit is raising
its hands. Caught out in the open on the street and surrounded by
US soldiers, it figures it has no other choice...
If not for the crumbling of my defenses in the
east, I'd be very happy overall...
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