BLUF: At 1200 hours on 17 September, the Germans made a battalion-sized hasty attack against the US defenses guarding the western approaches to the 101st Airborne’s drop zone near Best. This attack was supported by the battalion’s organic heavy weapons, and was later reinforced with two additional infantry companies. The Americans met this attack with two companies that had just dug in along a string of widely spaced farmsteads that served as an outpost line. After some delay, three 75mm pack howitzer batteries began firing in support of the defense. Most of the German thrusts were halted by the combined effect of US small arms, mortar, and artillery fire, but one German company managed to seize the farm on the US right. Two additional US companies were then called forward from reserve to bolster the defense, and one of these companies managed to retake the lost farm by 1530 hours. The battered German companies then withdrew, after sustaining heavy casualties. American losses were lighter, but still significant. The Americans managed to hold their position, but had to commit their reserves to do so.
Game Report:
The table was 12 feet wide by 4.5 feet deep. Four farmhouses were evenly spaced across the table, roughly 24 inches from the German baseline. These farms are referred to as OBJECTIVES 1, 2, 3 and 4 from left to right (all directions are from the US perspective). The terrain was based on a satellite photo of the area, and consisted of open polder fields, with some high crops, woods, orchards, tall hedges and tree lines (the photos will also show some stone walls, which were used because we didn’t have enough hedges with us — the walls count as hedges). The roads were played as having wet ditches along each side that counted as bulletproof cover; if a team was on the edge of a road, it was considered to be in the ditch.
The German mission was to take the farms (controlling at least one objective on each half of the table) and/or penetrate the US position. The US mission was to hold the farms and prevent a German breakthrough. Killing the enemy while preserving one’s own force were implicit objectives as well. The US side was also encouraged to not use their reserve companies unless absolutely needed. We allotted 12 turns to play this game, which we equated to about 3.5 hours of time in the campaign (and which took us about four hours to play).
Two parachute rifle companies of the 101st Airborne formed the initial US defense. Each company had two full-sized platoons (each with 7 rifle teams, 60mm mortar team, bazooka team and two attached .30 cal LMGs) dug in up front Each company also had a small third platoon (only 5 rifle teams, with mortar and bazooka) placed to the rear — in a standard two up, one back deployment. Three 75mm pack howitzer batteries were available off table as immediate reserves (rolling for availability starting on Turn 1), which started firing on Turns 3-5. Two more companies, each with two full sized platoons with attached LMGs, were off table as delayed reserves, rolling to enter starting on Turn 3 — if the US commanders called for them. All US units were rated as Fearless Veteran.
Three German infantry companies (rated as Confident Veteran), each with three full sized platoons (7 Rifle/MG teams) and four HMGS, started on the table within 8 inches of the German baseline, supported by an 8.0cm mortar battery, a 7.5cm infantry gun battery, and a 15.0cm IG battery. Two more similarly composed reserve companies entered the table from the German baseline, starting on Turn 3.
The Germans opted to push on both flanks, while their center company held back. Their two reserve companies would reinforce each flank. The German commander on the right pushed one platoon down the roadside ditches toward OBJ 4 while two platoons moved to flank this objective through the large woods on the far right. This company brought OBJ 4 under 8.0cm mortar fire. The bombardment was effective, and the targeted US platoon lost three teams and failed to unpin. The US commander then opted to pull this weakened platoon back, rather than face an imminent assault. Thus OBJ 4 fell to the Germans on Turn 4, and the Germans stopped advancing in order to consolidate their hold on this objective.
The German commander on the left was much more cautious, staying in cover and digging in, while waiting for his two IG batteries to soften up the US position in the orchard around OBJ 1. This artillery fire was very effective, killing four teams. The US commander on this flank pulled his platoon out of sight behind the orchard to avoid a continuation of this fire, but the Germans were not close enough to take advantage.
In the center, the German commander pushed one platoon down the ditches toward OBJ 3, where it came under fire from single light mortars and small arms, and, despite being in bulletproof cover, steadily began taking casualties which would eventually eliminate it. One platoon moved toward OBJ 2 but did not leave the cover of a small wood, and never really threatened this objective. The third platoon stayed back to await developments, and ultimately followed the path of the first platoon toward OBJ 3, with equally poor results. This company, unlike the other two, held its HMGs back, and they spent the game firing at long range with little effect.
Both US company commanders ordered their third platoons forward to thicken the defenses. On the left, the third platoon moved into position to the left of OBJ 1, and on the right, the third platoon moved into the otherwise empty center, near OBJ 3. Given the high casualties already sustained, both US commanders opted to call their reserve companies forward. Each company arrived during Turns 4 and 5. On the left, the reserve company deployed behind OBJ 1, where it proved to be not needed, as events turned out. On the right, the reserve company started threading its way forward through the roadside ditches to try to retake OBJ 4.
The mid-game started when the German reserve companies entered the table and were committed to the attack. On the right, the German reserve company moved through a field of tall crops and some open ground to try to capture OBJ 3, while an artillery battery shifted its fire to bring OBJ 3 under bombardment. This German company came under severe mortar and small arms fire as it approached. Not being in hard cover, this company took heavy casualties, and when it attempted to take the farm by assault, the assault was defeated. The company then withdrew with further loss, including the loss of its commanding officer. The US platoon holding the objective was also written off due to losses suffered in the preparatory bombardment and assault. Fortunately for the US commander, the damaged platoon he had withdrawn from OBJ 4 was in now position to take over the defense of OBJ 3, and his unengaged third platoon in the center shifted position to more closely support the defense of this objective. Together, these two platoons would secure OBJ 3 for the US.
On the left, with the arrival of his reserve company, the German commander finally made a push toward OBJ 1. However, his troops had a long way to go, and they came under fire from US mortars and off-board artillery, taking heavy losses as they approached One platoon was able to assault the farmhouse through the orchard, but was wiped out in the ensuing close combat. The surviving Germans on this flank then fell back, licking their wounds. Thus OBJs 1 and 2 remained in US control.
By the end-game, the only question remaining was whether the Germans could retain control of OBJ 4. The US commander used one 75mm battery to put the farmhouse under bombardment while his 60mm mortar teams struck targets behind and to the side of the farm. This fire only killed a few teams over several turns, but kept the Germans pinned down. While the US commander waited for his artillery to take effect, he maneuvered one platoon to the right, to confront the Germans in the woods. This move was risky and ineffective, and the US commander was lucky to only lose one team before pulling this platoon back to ditches along the road. Finally, as the day grew late, the US commander massed his two platoons to assault the farm, and took it in close combat. A German counterattack on the following turn took it back, then on the last turn of the game, a renewed US assault captured the farm once and for all. Thus all four objectives were in US hands at close of play.
The final body count was 67 eliminated German teams (including one company commander) in exchange for 35 eliminated American teams (25 of which were on the more heavily engaged US right, and included one company commander who fell while attacking OBJ 4). The German losses represent 50% of their total infantry strength; the US losses represent 30% of their infantry strength (although, in Flames of War, eliminated teams do not necessarily represent every man in the team being killed or wounded, so many of the men in the lost teams will return to their units). With a high kill ratio and possession of all four objectives, this result normally would be considered a major victory for the US side. However, because the Americans used both of their reserve companies (thus making them not available for use elsewhere), the scale of their win was downgraded to a minor victory.
- TJ