Decision at Le Mer D-Day -1

Apologies to the reader on the delay of final part of this, wrote it a couple of weeks back but forgot to take photos at time. Was going to do it , put days and other things got in way, so will publish and if anyone wants the photos of the last bit of game I can add them on request.

The final session for this part of the battle was difficult to keep track of. Despite intensive re-shuffles of cards in deck the moves tended to be Germans activate, an American unit activates and both tea break cards appear.

The upshot of this was the German Tanks were able to move right across the table to take up position by the warehouse that had been 3rd Squads previous home. Here they took up position and began to shell and machine gun the their opposite no’s in the 4 story building that had supported U.s 1st platoons 2nd Squad attack on Sgt Muller . Sgt Muller decided to dash across the road to better direct the fire from his 3rd squad on the same target.  His  completely forgotten 2nd Squad moved to the hedge to find that both the Tanks and any Americans had gone, they felt a bit like the lone U.S para at the end of the Longest Day , who spent all of D-day moving to the shooting to find it had all gone by the time he got there.

The forgotten pak 75 on the end of the southern road, could see lots of activity around the the above building and feeling bored decided to lobb a few shells at it particularly as no on could see where they were firing from.

This concentration of fire pretty much shot the American 3rd squad to bits with them down to only 2 men, who had to be dragged to safety by their big man. Though on the odd occasion they activated they managed to kill 2 men from the German 3rd Squad.

In the meantime in the odd times they activated, the American guns had begun to move to the cross roads, leaving one in position to over the Eastern road. Lt Summers seeing that the tanks had gone, gathered his troops and leap frogged his squads to assault the coal warehouse in preparation for attacking Sgt Muller squad at the end of the town.

Sgt Muller had a a dilemma despite the fact he seemed to have taken care of the enemy troops attacking his position. Not knowing  2nd squads location, he was down to around 9 effective’s  with his command squad and the 6 remaining 3rd squad. His tanks support was down to 3 light not particularly effective tanks. One of the guns his command had been left behind to protect had been destroyed by the American paras, which although he had momentarily dealt with their threat, he had no idea of the size of their force, and according to the tanks commanders more Americans where gathering in the town and it was almost certain they would assault his position with possibly overwhelming force, using the various town buildings to cover their approach from his tank support.

Discretion being the better part of valour he gathered his remaining troops, fired a very pistol , the pre-arranged signal to withdraw to any of his men still surviving in the area , and used the cover of the tanks to withdraw in order to join up with units of the Panzer Lear he knew were moving into the area.

For more await Decision at Le Mer D-Day