Gaming: BATTLE REPORT: The push further South (Operation Goodwood) - 19th July 1944 - (Part 1 -The British Advance)
This would be a 23 v 27 dice affair (the largest we'd played to date and represented about 2000 points apiece). The battle started with the Romanian forces deploying the majority of armour and heavy guns in the heavy cover of the ruined hamlet. Several infantry squads and jeeps kept in reserve to plug any gaps.
The Romanians deployed first. On their right in the bunker and sandbag redoubt the y deployed a medium AT gun, Panzershreck and machine gun supported by the T-34 (a captured vehicle pressed into Romanian service by the Germans). In the middle a heavily armoured carrier and on the opposing flank the armoured car. The infantry not held in reserve held defensive positions in and around the ruins of Valmery.
Pictures: Romanian deployment
The British deployed everything in the cover of the French hedgerows. The bulk of their force on the right flank including all their armour. On the left was a weaker force lead by the home guard and supported by paras and French resistance whose local knowledge would hopefully guide them safely to the town! Deciding that the need to press forward was important no units were held in reserve.
Picture: British ready for attack!
Picture: Deployment complete
The first dice out the bag was British and the first artillery observe called in a barrage on the British left flank onto the dug in AT gun and T-34 - with any luck that would arrive next time. The rest of the turn was fairly quiet (the quiet before the storm!) The snipers from each side traded shots and for a time the only noise above the roar of engines was the odd crack of rifle fire.
Picture: Snipers view
Picture: First blood to the Romanians, but there would be a great number of causalities
The remainder of the turn largely consisted of strategic maneuvering. The British advanced across the board, while the Romanians adjusted there defensive positions.
Pictures: British 'General' advance
Turn 2 started with the artillery barrage! The call to the gunners behind the lines was successful and shells rained down around the target area.
"From the shelter what was once an shop we could see the British advancing across the fields in front of us. Then suddenly we heard a whistling noise above us 'DOWN' someone shouted and we all fell to the floor, hands cupped around our head offering some form of forlorn protection as shells burst around us. The building shook and rubble and dug fell around us. Outside I remember hearing explosions and screams as fellow soldiers were caught in the explosions of the barrage. After what seemed like forever it stopped. We managed to regroup. Outside the gun crews appeared shaken, but intact. A near by machine gun crew were no longer there. Plumes of smoke among the scattered ruins as futher evidence of the carnage"
- Notes from Private Popescu's diary
The barrage took out a machine gun nest and also put down some serious pins on the T-34 and support squads.
Picture: Popescu's squads position pre-barrage
Picture: The British launch and artillery barrage on the Romanian defenses
The British command had considered the barrage a success and the T-34 would effectively be out of action for a while. The advance order continued - led by the Cromwell the right flank moved up to the next row of hedges. The Cromwell took a position in the gate way to one of the hedges and took aim at the armoured car that came into its sights. The Cromwell made easy work of the armoured car, but failed to spot the light anti-tank gun lying in wait in the village ruins....
"While the artie boys blew seven bells into Jerry we were confident that we could move up an give them a surprise our side. We spotted the armoured car and blasted its turret clean off. As we swung hour gun to fire another round into a nearby building there was suddenly a almighty explosion and blinding flash. Smoke filled the tank and coughing blindly I called out to the boys to get out. Jock opened the escape hatch and we crawled out, with Reeves the loader - literally falling of the tank onto the ground below. We scrambled away to safety - Albright never made it - we found out later that that the shell had penetrated the drivers compartment and done for him.."
Pictures: Action as it unfolded: the Cromwell takes out the armoured car, but is promptly blown up by the AT gun.
This now caused the British a bit of a headache. They had lost their main armoured thrust, but also the tank now blocked the only gap in the hedge row the Damlier cars could get through (Author note: It was my eagerness to destroy the armoured car as an 'easy' target that meant the Cromwell got exposed - my brother (co-commander) was not impressed!). Also, a well placed mortar shell would disable the universal carrier in another gap and thus blocking up the fields - this would see one Damiler essentially stranded for most of the game. The British attack now had to shift a bit more centrally, but with the other Romanian heavy guns pinned the threat was deemed minimal.
The Romanians now began to bring on reserves with the infantry reinforcing the duggout that suffered in the first barrage and the heavily armoured jeeps bursting through the center and taking up a defensive position in the old cattle corral. The second artillery observe brought down a further barrage on the spot of the first - again inflicting a number of pins on the T-34 and surrounding units.
As the attack grew closer the British started to take more and more but still the British wave plowed on! However, the Romanians were not without loss the Universal carrier in the center was finally blown to pieces and the jeeps started to take on pins that would leave them largely ineffective for awhile.
Pictures: Battle progress around turn 3 - the British are within striking distance of the Romanian deployment zone.
"The attack was largely going to plan. Although, we had lost a fair few men and vehicles the enemy were suffering well and appeared largely in active on our left - largely I suspect from the continuous bombardment we had dished out for them! To our front there now stood a collection of ruined buildings that jerry had occupied with 'two bit' soldiers. If we could create a breach here we could funnel our men through and launch a attack on the rear of our enemy! They would run I suspected with a full out assault. With covering fire from our remaining armour A and B companies charged forward..."
- Extract from 'War Stories' a biography on the life of Lieutenant Blythe during World War II.
At the start of turn 4 it was 12 points to 6 in favour of the Romanians. However, the British were on the verge of the deployment zone. Could the Romanians hold them back? Would Blythe's plan work and unlock the Romanian defense? The close combat fighting would be brutal......
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