Background
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army (Lieutenant General Omar Bradley) seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II. The intention was to take advantage of the distraction of the Germans by the British and Canadian attacks around Caen, in Operation Goodwood and break through the German defenses that were penning in his troops, while the Germans were unbalanced.
Having been delayed several times by poor weather, Operation Cobra commenced on 25 July, with a concentrated aerial bombardment from thousands of Allied aircraft. Supporting offensives had drawn the bulk of German armored reserves toward the British and Canadian sector and coupled with the general lack of men and materiel available to the Germans, it was impossible for them to form successive lines of defense. Units of the U.S. VII Corps led the initial two-division assault, while other First U.S. Army corps mounted supporting attacks designed to pin German units in place. Progress was slow on the first day but opposition started to crumble once the defensive crust had been broken. By 27 July, most organized resistance had been overcome and the VII and VIII Corps advanced rapidly, isolating the Cotentin Peninsula.
By 31 July, XIX Corps had destroyed the last forces opposing the First Army, which emerged from the bocage. Reinforcements were moved west by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge and employed in various counterattacks, the largest of which, Unternehmen Lüttich (Operation Liège), was launched on 7 August between Mortain and Avranches. Although this led to the bloodiest phase of the battle, it was mounted by already exhausted and understrength units and was a costly failure. On 8 August, troops of the newly activated Third United States Army captured the city of Le Mans, formerly the German 7th Army headquarters. Operation Cobra transformed the high-intensity infantry combat of Normandy into rapid maneuver warfare and led to the creation of the Falaise pocket and the loss of the German position in northwestern France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
The Game
The scenario was set up to reflect the last remnants of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division holding their positions against the early US attacks in the countryside close to the town of Coutances. We played the scenario in 15mm using Donner and Blitzen rules.
The Germans had one Kampfgruppe of regimental strength (two infantry battalions and regimental assets holding the line. They were supported by a mixed battalion of the divisions artillery. In reserve, were the remaining elements of the integral Sturmgeschutz Battalion, reinforced with a platoon of Panthers from the 2nd SS division. All the Germans were dug in to start the game.
The American consisted of a Combat Command from the 4th Armored Division, reinforced with an Infantry Battalion from the 9th Infantry Division. The Combat Command was supported by three battalions of 105mm divisional artillery. The US forces entered the table on their first move.
Early Game: The US forces advanced along two axis of attack. On the right, one battalion attacked the German forces guarding one of the exit points. The plan was for this formation to demonstrate against the Germans to keep the front line locked in place. Should an opportunity open up, they would try to break through. The main attack was targeted for the center. The US forces would use brute force to overwhelm the Germans a break through. The initial movements were by the two tank battalions. The moved forward in the open and attempted to push back the Germans with long range fire. The infantry was moving up in the rear to take advantage of the disordered Germans when the time was right. Unfortunately, the llong range duel favored the Germans in their dug in positions. If was not long before both tank battalions had taken heavy losses with little to show. They both pulled back and awaited the infantry to get into position.
Late Game: With the infantry finally in position, the US tried one last lunge, supported by their still ineffective artillery. The Germans took some heavy casualties, but were able to blunt the final attack and sent the US forces back to their starting position. The game ended as an unhistorical German victory.
- Manteuffel