Scenario and AAR Forward the Guards Scenario 7 Chateau St Pierre D'Oursin

 

Area of Action from historical tactical map

Modern air photo from Google maps

Deployment zones and objectives in yellow

Company size game 

Scenario 6 Chateau St Pierre D'Oursin

Background 

On July the 20th the Irish Guard again pressed east. They rounded the ruins of Emieville and advanced to the large hedgerow that marked the boundary of the Chataeu St Pierre D'Oursin with its orchard and outbuildings. The previous night Kampfgruppe Olboeter moved into the chateau grounds and set up a strong defence. The Chateau would threaten the left flank of the Irish Guards advance so must be cleared. 

Kampfgruppe Olboeter fought hard for every field and orchard re enforced by halftrack mounted panzer grenadiers. 

Game 

There are two objectives the in the game the outbuildings of the Chateau and the road East. Both are in the German deployment zone.  The German player cannot claim an all objective victory. German defenders set up first with all defences including the platoon of Panzer Grenadiers in fox holes and 1d3 other units. 1d3 units may be given Ambush fire orders before the game.  The remainder arrive from turn 3 1d6 units at a time. Infantry riding as passenger in or on vehicles count together as 1 unit. 

The Irish Guards deploy in their deployment area around Emieville. They deploy all Reconnaissance troops and 6+1d6 units. 1d3 units may be given the Reserve Move order before the game. The remainders of the Irish Guards force arrive as reserves from turn 2 from the Emieville table edge at 1d6 units per turn. 

First turn is decide d by highest roll of 1d6 +number of Recce units. 

German Forces  

Kampfgruppe Oelboeter from 12 SS Division Hilterjugend

736 pts  Officer 3 scouts 0 BR 38

1 Forward Headquarters Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter and 3 men in Sdkfz 251/3

1 Panzer Grenadier Platoon (Veterans)  all in foxholes 

1 Panzer Grenedier platoon HQ 6 men with 2 panzerfausts

3 Panzer Grenadier squads 5 men with 2 Panzerfaust and MG42

3 Medium Machine gun team 3 men with MG42

Defences

2 mortar pits with 82mm mortars and crew

1 Improvised Barricade 

1 Fortified Building

1 Sniper Hideout

Reinforcemnts 

1 Armoured Panzer Grenadier Platoon (Veterans)

1 Armoured Grenadier Platoon HQ 6 men with 2 panzerfausts in Sdkfz251/10

3 Armoured Grenadier squads with 5 men  2 panzerfausts and MG42 in Sdkfz 251/1

3 Medium machinegun teams 3 men with MG42 in same Sdkfz 251/1

2 Jadgpanzer IV mit L/48

British Forces 

3rd Irish Guards 

736pts Officer 4 scouts 2 BR45   

1 Sherman Tank squadron

1 M4A4 Sherman tank HQ

1 M4A4 Sherman Tank

1 M4A4 Sherman Firefly Tank

2 Infantry Platoons  

each consisting of:

1 Infantry platoon HQ 5 men

3 Infantry sections 10 men with Bren LMG

1 PIAT team in Bren Carrier 2 men

1 Vickers Machinegun Teams in Bren Carrier 3 men

1 3" Mortar Team in Bren Carrier 3men 

1 FAC in Bren carrier

1 RA Forward Observer in Humber Light Reconnaissance Car

2 Daimler Armoured Cars

1 Crusader Mk2 AA 

1 Wasp flamethrower carrier 

Off table 1 battery of 2 25lbs guns

AAR

My opponent deployed his one platoon of Panzer Grenadiers and mortars in pits. A temporary road block blocks the advance along the eastward Route d’Emieville. Around the Chateau and outbuildings the remainder of his forces deployed after the game began in there armoured carriers and the Panzerjaegers IV in reserve. 

The Irish Guards begin with two platoons behind the hedgerow on the Emieville side of the board. Mortar and off table artillery 

The Germans set up a layered all round defence. MG pits in the front observer teams and mortar pits behind. The Panzerjaegers arrived to cover the roads  and the armoured carriers with reserve take cover in the woods .

The  reconnaissance troops in armoured cars try to make use of the roads to get to the chateau objective. They get with a few inches before being KOed by the many Panzerfausts  

FHQ observed from his half track covered by the guns of the Panzerjaeger 

The Wasps advanced  with the recce troop toward the cross road objective 

The two M4A4 tanks of the troop advance to menace the Chateau carrying a section of infantry.  One is lost to a panzerfaust

German reserved conterattack in there half track bringing the British advance to a halt. 

The advance in the centre supported by Shermans and a vickers machine gun. They struggled to make progress repeatedly pinned by the MG42's of the defenders

The Sdkfz 251/10 found great hunting  for its Pak 36 amongst the recce armoured cars 

A Panzerjaeger cover the round whilst the 80mm mortar concentates on pinning the British infantry advance. 

Panzer grenadiers with 2 MG42 per squad provide a netwrk that pins the British Infanry approach

The closest point to the Chateau that the guards would make

A PIAT team in carrier approach the cross roads 

The Crusader Mk2 AA tank found no aircraft targets for its twin 20mm cannons and so turned its guns on the german grenediers 

Germans used there reserves in a mix of counter attacks and the thicken up the main axis of British advances here a MG42 team take cover in a bomb crater outside the Chateau.

A platoon of guardsmen supported by a 3" morat in a crater 

Good fortune for the german defendrs as the AA tank hits a mine and is immediately destroyed 

German reserves deploy to teh chateau 

A German sniper in a hideout covers the right and cente of  KG Olbeuter position 

The road block and covering Pazerjaeger IV 

Half tracks delivering reinforcements to hold the Cross roads and repulse the strong attack from the British right flank

Ouch. The results of a blood assault replused  48BR out of 45

A competent defence of a strong position BR11 out of 37