St-Mere-Eglise : 6th June 1944

It is not so often that our fairly regular Friday gaming day falls on such an auspicious date as today. So ditching some plans for a Dark ages game I dug around for a D day scenario we could play. My late war collection doesn’t really work so well for beach landing scenarios but I found something manageable on the Rapid Fire website. The German counterattack which took place in the morning of the 6th June against the paratroopers of the 505th holding St-Mere-Eglise.

This required just a little bit of adapting to 15mm and our preferred Bolt Action rules. I also don’t have any 15mm early war French captured tanks which fought on the day so these were swopped for a smaller number of Panzer 4’s

The table as set up, St Mere-Eglise in the Centre of the table in the foreground , Neville Au Plein and in the distance Fauville. Half the American force 3rd Btn I believe are set up in the centre. Germans will attack from the north and South along the table, American reserves 2nd Btn arrive from the West (right in the picture) and I gave them the first arrivals from Utah Beach arriving a bit later from the East (left). The objectives of the American paratroopers is to hold on if possible to the village and the cross roads.

The American paratroopers set up in the buildings on the edge of the village

The Germans advance with infantry and some armoured support

With no opposition they quickly capture Neuville Au Plein

From the south more Germans but this time Georgian troops who are poorly rated

They also have some armour support

Both sides have off table artillery activated by spotters, after a couple of turns the Germans realise the American spotter is in the church tower, and rolling a lucky SIX take him out BOOM !

Another lucky shot sees a direct hit on the first building on the North edge of the village this immediately weakens the defence line form this direction

Turn 3 and reserves start to arrive the 2nd Battalion come down the causeway at the run

German armour is now entering the village blasting away into the buildings and the leading reserves get pinned down

From the North the leading Germans assault and captured the first set of buildings, the Stug swings East to  block any reserves arriving from the beach ?

Requiring 5’s to arrive on turn 5 two Sherman’s turn up from the beach, one immediately immobilises the Stug, the other pushed into the village !

A determined German attack is building from the South with only one partial unit now holding the first line of buildings

The northern outskirts are now in German hands

Another support Pz can be burning having been knocked out by a Bazooka team.

The American reserves are now  moving into the village but a Pz IV is sweeping around the western edge of the village

The Germans have made it to the centre of the village around the church but time is running out

A series of pretty desperate hand to hand assaults are carried out by both sides, but not surprisingly the elite Paratroopers get the best of combats and the german infantry is knocked back or out !

This was the scheduled end of the battle the Germans have taken the church and the two buildings to the North, but the paratroopers are still holding in force the three buildings around the cross roads itself. The puff has been taken out of the German Counterattack and we gave the Americans the win.

So despite a very promising early start and a sense that holding the village would be a tough ask the Paratroopers did a great job. A fun battle played in excellent spirits and really nice to get to play this on the 81st Anniversary, despite my efforts a historical outcome which was perhaps appropriate.

I have a few other things to post but these can wait as I wanted to post this up today.

Thanks as always for checking in

Matt ♥️