Gaming: Scenario - Skirmish at Vimont 18 July 1944 - Hold until relieved!

t has been awhile since any fighting actually took place and I have yet to have a battle while writing this blog. However, my brother and I have set aside a afternoon/evening this month to have a session of all things bolt action. The basics of the scenario were simple. 750 points of British verses 750 points of Germans. Based on a random draw we select Scenario 10 from the Rule book called 'Hold until relieved'. Again based on random selection he would be the defenders and I would be the attackers.

Because our games are so infrequent I thought it would be fun to put a bit of background to it (with some poetic license because I largely have early war DAK partial painted, he has mid/late war Brits and most of our scenery is based around European villages and farms!). As our scenery dictated somewhere in France I would therefore set this battle in Northern France (and not the Desert). Digging around for a bit of historical inspiration I have  found reference to the Battle of Caan, Operation Goodwood and the small village of Vimont that would allow us to create a relatively small scenario that would feature in a bigger context. Thus the following developed:

                                  Picture: British forces in 'Normandy'

Back ground

General*

The historic Normand town of Caen was a D-Day objective for the British 3rd Inantry which landed on Sword Beach on 6 June 1944. Possession of Caen and its surrporundings would give the Allies a staging area for a push south to capture Falaise, which could be used as the pivot for a swing left, to advance on Argentan and then towards the Touques Rivers. The terrain between Caen and Vimont was especially promising being open, dry and conductive to mobile operations. Since the Allied forces outnumbered the Germans in tanks and mobile units, a fluid fast-moving battle was to their advantage! Therefore, it would be key for the Allies to capture Caen and the surrounding areas. After several attempts (with limited success the allies undertook operation Goodwood.

Operation Goodwood*

Was a British offensive in the Second World War, that took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, to capture the rest of Caen and the Bourguébus Ridge beyond, forcing the Germans to keep powerful formations opposite the British and Canadians on the eastern flank of the Normandy beachhead. Goodwood succeeded in this limited aim and Operation Cobra, the First US Army attack which began on 25 July after a delay, forced the German defenses opposite to collapse. 

Goodwood was preceded by preliminary attacks later called the Second Battle of the Odon. The offensive began when the British VIII Corps, with three armoured divisions, attacked to seize the German-held Bourguébus Ridge, the area between Bretteville-sur-Laize and Vimont and to inflict maximum casualties on the Germans. On 18 July, the British I Corps conducted an advance to secure a series of villages and the eastern flank of VIII Corps and to the west, the II Canadian Corps launched Operation Atlantic, synchronised with Goodwood, to capture the rest of Caen south of the Orne River.

When Operation Goodwood ended on 20 July, the armoured divisions had broken through the outer German defences and advanced 7 mi (11 km) but had been stopped short of Bourguébus Ridge, only armoured cars having penetrated further south and beyond the ridge.

*Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goodwood

Scenario

British

Picture: Unknown British Officer (British Commander) seen in the suburbs of Vimont - one of my brothers British - he's a better painter than he thinks!

The British forces will form part of the Guards Armoured division who were set to push east to capture Vimont as part of operation Operation Goodwood. This small advanced force have pushed on to secure the road and railway junctions at the small village of Vermont and must hold it until the main force is able to break through the German defenses.

German

Picture: Lieutenant Baumann (German Commander)

Vimont is tactically important for the Germans as they are aware that its capture could also be a staging point for further allied operations. It also connects the major routes that allow the Germans to bring up reinforcements to boost their defensive efforts. Controlling elements of 21st Panzer division the German forces  must dislodge the small British force before reinforcements arrive! 

Next.....Order details and available intelligence!