AAR - Mord vs DC - Villa Castelletti ME

[theFightingSeabee]

I was really rooting for Zimmer to kill that tank!

Fantastic stuff!

[Darknight (DC)]

Not too much later, I got a squad forward to Zimmer's last position and they were able to triage and evac him, so I guess he gets his Purple Heart and a Medal of Honor, and not posthumously.

[Darknight (DC)]

1722 hrs

The only notable occurrence along Route 122 would be that the StuG that has dominated the armor engagement so far has oriented itself away from Sgt Bradford’s

M4A1, instead facing itself towards the Ranger scouts in the fields of the Cipolla Farm; this could be helpful if the smoke clears enough for Bradford to establish visual

contact with the assault gun. In the Orchard, the advance scouting teams from 2nd Easy were wiped out by the advancing mass of Germans supported by armored

cars and halftracks. Sgt Knight led a rifle team to retrieve the bazooka at Cpl Zimmer’s former position but there is a PSW 222 with sight to their position.

S/Sgt Rexford’s tank found a target solution for the StuG spotted advancing from Route 124 across the valley and drilled a shell straight through the vehicle just an

instant prior to taking another hit themselves from the Panzer IV on the Forested Ridge. The German StuG began to reverse towards Route 124 and did not fire any

shells after taking the hit from Rexford’s Sherman.

Through-and-through

Capt Gable’s crew put another round into the StuG his tank had already engaged, causing it to erupt into flames; Gable subsequently gunned down the fleeing crew

before continuing to another position further along the Gully.

Nails in the fiery coffin

Attempting to reverse out of the deadly line-of-sight of the Panzer IV, Rexford’s Sherman took another hit, this time losing their engine and a track. Inside the

completely immobilized tank, S/Sgt Rexford’s crew began to panic, as a stationary tank on the battlefield, especially one already ranged into the enemy’s sights,

stands a very good chance of becoming a fiery coffin. Seemingly oblivious to the mortal danger, the wounded Rexford was fixated on taking as many Germans with

him as possible and he began blazing away at a soft-skinned vehicle spotted behind the Bottaro House. Another shell slammed into their tank and still they engaged

the enemy, then another shell penetrated their hull, but the entire crew remained at their posts, until finally, a shell penetrated the tank’s hull and set off an explosion

inside the confined space which silenced Rexford’s M4A1 at last…their Sherman had indeed become their fiery coffin.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them Volley'd & thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell…

[Heinrich505]

DC,

Great action and excellent screen shots. The tale is riveting. I'm enjoying this a lot. Thanks for posting.

Nice that you managed to get the zook guy off to medical attention. I figured he was a goner for sure.

Sadly there won't be much left for graves registration of S/Sgt Rexford's crew.

Heinrich505

[Darknight (DC)]

Yeah...all gone at once....but Rexford's sacrifice helped stop the German advance on Hill S135.

If they hadn't thrown a track to that damn pzIV, they were going to hit the Orchard from the flank. As it was, they held on through several hits and caused havoc for my opponent for a turn or two.

I'll continue the tale after work tomorrow.

[Darknight (DC)]

1723 hrs

The fighting in the Orchard remains tense, with the Germans consolidating their positions along the stone walls that had recently been 2nd Easy’s scouting line.

1724 hrs

The action in the Orchard continues. One of the Ranger mortar teams dialed in the range on what is believed to be a 50mm AT Gun hidden behind a wall at the

eastern edge of the Orchard; several rounds were confirmed on the location and hopefully they knocked the bugger out. A substantial number of Germans is still

pushing through the Orchard, backed by fire from their armored cars and halftracks. Meanwhile, Capt Gable is playing hide-and-seek with another German halftrack

and a StuG near the Gully.

1725hrs

The tension in Sgt Bradford’s tank astride Route 122 could be cut with a knife; Bradford knows that there is a StuG maneuvering to his front but still cannot gain

a solid visual on the tank [Observation: My opponent knows I’m there too, as he has a sniper and LMG team to my left that occasional take pot-shots at the

Sherman; I can’t move back and moving forward has resulted in the StuG gaining the visual and a one-shot kill in every case here so far, so I have to hope that

my stationary Sherman (which has complete LoS to the entire area containing the StuG) will get the first visual/shot on the moving StuG…though I doubt it at

this point].

In the Orchard fight, Sgt Liming has brought his team’s MMG to bear on the advancing Germans, but is being stymied by a stone wall (which doesn’t seem to be

stopping the Germans from firing back). Trooper James took a blind shot at the position of the PSW 222 that annihilated the scout teams, then laid some smoke

down on the far side of the Orchard. Cpl Salberg raced his M4A1 to the position that had originally been occupied by Sgt Mannering’s Sherman. During all of this,

Sgt Knight’s team acquired the bazooka left behind by the heroic Cpl Zimmer, who was tended by a medic.

Sgt Liming’s No2 is wounded

Retrieving Zimmer’s Bazooka

Cpl Simonds' 81mm mortar team finished setting up in the stand of trees previously occupied by Easy Coy HQ, and immediately spotted the Panzer IV on the Forested

Ridge; the team dialled in the distance and immediately began dropping rounds on the tank’s position. At the Gully, Capt Gable spotted two additional halftracks while

reversing to cover to avoid the StuG lurking near the edge of the trees. A halftrack blundered directly into Gable’s sights and the Sherman dispatched the vehicle and

crew within a few seconds.

A German SPW 250/3 stumbles into contact with Capt Gable in the Gully…

…and realizes its fatal mistake too late

[Darknight (DC)]

1726 hrs

Sgt Bradford attempted to lay some smoke to his front, in order to be free to attempt to maneuver away from the StuG, but he had spent too long in his exposed

position and the damned krauts dialed in his location for a mortar barrage. During the barrage, the StuG came into Bradford’s view and his gunner scored a direct hit,

but the bad luck continued, as the round deflected off the StuG’s weapon mount.

Finally, a direct hit, but it bounces off…hopefully some damage was incurred

The situation was tense at Sgt Liming’s MG position, as the Germans continued their advance into the Orchard, though Liming’s force was bolstered by additional rifles

from Cpl Alvarez’s light mortar detachment nearby. The flanking friendly troops provided a much needed boost to moral for Liming’s men and they forced the Germans

to retreat with significant casualties.

Initially looking pretty bad for Sgt Liming…

…but the situation on the ground can change swiftly

Trooper James directed his Sherman over the crest of Hill S135, heading deeper into the Orchard to support the beleaguered 2nd Easy’s position and attempt to

prevent it from being completely overrun. An SPW 250/1 came into view and then disappeared in an explosion, as the M4A1 opened up on it. Another shot was

meant for some racing enemy infantry but they were saved for the moment by the sturdy stone wall in front of them. Those lucky German soldiers caught another

break, as Trooper James spotted a higher priority target to his right, the elusive PSW 222, and a PSW 221 which was frantically trying to reverse. After a moment

of indecision, the Sherman dispatched the PSW 221 and then turned its attention to the 222, which was also destroyed.

One very lucky German

Destruction of the PSW 221

The Panzer IV on the Forested Ridge that had been scaring the tank crews on the right flank was finally forced to reposition deeper into the trees, as increasingly

accurate fire from Cpl Simonds mortar team bracketed the tank. Meanwhile, the remaining tanks of 1st Platoon raced over the crest of the hill and sped for Capt

Gable’s position in the Gully. Unfortunately, they were too late to prevent the destruction of Gable’s Sherman by an unseen enemy tank.

[Darknight (DC)]

1727 hrs

Sgt Bradford gave the order and his driver put their Sherman into reverse, hoping to make the relative safety of the reverse slope near the house where the Rangers

had located their Company HQ; mortar fire continued to plaster the area around Bradford’s tank but luckily there were no damaging strikes. Because the reverse

maneuvering was done entirely blind, and a mistake could result in their demise, the driver made the decision to reverse with the tank half-perched on the roadway

as a guide. The decision paid off, as the tank made good time and soon was out of danger.

Precarious Perch

Cpl Salberg, having arrived on Sgt Liming’s flank as support but finding the Germans had been turned back, decided to race forwards in an attempt to catch the enemy

while in disarray; there are a significant number of enemy bodies strewn about the Orchard. Salberg’s Sherman, which had its main gun damaged earlier in the fight,

raced past the StuG astride Route 122, spotted an SPW 250/10 lurking on the far side of the Villa and arrived at the narrow pass near the Castelletti Hill.

An unfortunate place to be wounded…

The main line in the orchard being held by 2nd Easy is secure for the moment, thanks in large part to the arrival of Trooper James’ Sherman. Presently, James is safe

from enemy AT fire and able to work in support of the hard-pressed men of 2nd Easy. German halftracks and a kubelwagen have also been spotted moving around

just to the east of the Orchard.

Cpl Masconi, cautious but determined after recently witnessing Capt Gable’s tank get knocked out, continued forward in search of the enemy threat, and was soon

rewarded with a StuG clearing the trees directly into his sights. The StuG was promptly struck by several 75mm shells and the exiting crew met their fate after being

hosed with coax MG fire. Meanwhile, Sgt Contini raced his Sherman to the left of the Gully, in an attempt to flank the StuG. Pushing quickly around the Gully, Contini’s

tank was struck on the back of the turret by a smaller calibre shell, possibly from an armoured car, though not damaged; this could prove very dangerous, as the rear

of the Sherman is exposed to incoming fire from the direction of the Orchard.

The StuG lumbers into view…

…and is immediately engaged…

…knocking it out and forcing its crew out into a murderous MG fire

[Wodin]

I love those counters..if only we had something like that in game..love the detail and unit badges etc etc..

[Darknight (DC)]

Mord and I are/were working on something for the community.

These were made special for our games but I have a plan.

Mord's computer has been giving him fits, so that has been an issue with working on this.

(And also probably why we haven't heard any commentary yet in this thread)

[Wodin]

Mord and I are/were working on something for the community.

These were made special for our games but I have a plan.

Mord's computer has been giving him fits, so that has been an issue with working on this.

(And also probably why we haven't heard any commentary yet in this thread)

Sounds great..I really do love them..proper wargame like and top quality..Loads better than most wargame counters in PC games...clean and crisp. Perfect.

[Darknight (DC)]

1728 hrs

At the narrow pass along Route 122, Cpl Salberg’s M4A1 ran into a halftrack and the Sherman driver incredulously decided that it was more efficient to climb the

embankment than press on through the German vehicle; needless-to-say, this was the wrong decision to make, as a grenade from the enemy infantry on Castelletti

Hill blew a track off the Sherman, which then came under fire from the damn Panzer IV that is still maneuvering on the Forested Ridge and was knocked out.

That’s what happens when the driver doesn’t listen to the commander…

Interestingly, the Spw 250/10 spotted at the Villa decided to open fire on Sgt Liming’s MG team; in doing so, the Germans have exposed themselves to S/Sgt Blum’s

60mm mortar.

The fighting in the orchard continues to be as ferocious as ever, with some Germans retreating, some standing their ground and a single poor soul trying to surrender.

Chaos in the Orchard

As Sgt Contini attempted to get his Sherman to cover in the Gully, another smaller calibre round struck the turret; the source was never spotted but it is most likely

to have come from near the Villa. The damage from these strikes was negligible, but a single shot from the Panzer IV on the Forested Ridge knocked out the Sherman

[Observation: Damn that Panzer IV and its goddam insane optics/firing accuracy…I believe I have lost 5-6 Shermans to this bugger…every bloody shot seems to

hit].

1729 hrs

Cpl Salberg’s crew seemed to garner the attention of just about every German near the Castelletti Hill, with the entire crew eventually becoming casualties, though in

the chaos, there were some German casualties as well. Sgt Bradford was ordered to remain in cover, as there was no margin for further armor losses [Observation:

In sacrificing Salberg to buy time on the repositioning of Bradford, I essentially traded a Sherman with no main gun for a fully operational Sherman]. S/Sgt Blum

acquired the SPW 250/10 as a target and dropped the rest of his mortar rounds on that location, and although none of the rounds appear to have had a damaging

effect, hopefully the vehicle will at least go back into hiding. The German sniper on the Castelletti Hill has again become active and will have to be dealt with

eventually. The Germans in the Orchard are reduced to a handful of men, possibly less than a half dozen bodies, and 2nd Easy continues to hold the line; if it were

possible, replacing 2nd Easy with 1st Easy would be attempted but there is still too much fire in the Orchard itself, and better that they remain intact for the fighting

sure to come near the Villa. The StuG along Route 122 is still operational and probably the biggest threat to our operations, though there is believed to be another

possible StuG hiding on the opposite side of the Orchard, beyond the dissipating smoke screen. Trooper James has reversed his Sherman to a more covered position

until the infantry screen can identify further threats. In the Gully, Sgt Contini, upon exiting his stricken tank, discovered that he was face-to-face with an enemy

halftrack and he defiantly began peppering it with fire from his sidearm.

My kingdom for a grenade…

[Darknight (DC)]

1730 hrs

Half an hour into the firefight and the armor from both sides has taken a beating. For the moment, the action has mostly subsided along the Route 122 corridor. At

the Villa, the mortar fire from Blum’s team appears to have done some damage to the tracks or engine of the SPW 250/10, as it is very ponderous in its attempts at

evasive moment. Trooper James’ Sherman, having spotted the threat but lost it amid the dust clouds, takes a few shots at last spot it had contact, coming ever so

close to a direct hit with their first shot, but connecting on the second and knocking the vehicle out. Also of note, another SPW 250/10 was glimpsed maneuvering

itself into position around the southeastern corner of the Villa Castelletti.

So Close

Second time is the charm

In the Orchard, the Germans are pulling back, with one exception…there is a team with automatic weapon that opened up on 2nd Easy from behind a wall near the

derelict armoured cars which proves troublesome. And some good news, as Sgt Naranjo has finally succeeded in rallying his crew to re-mount their Sherman, which

had been abandoned when it was damaged by the German StuG that had rolled over Hill S135 several minutes ago; the tank has no main gun but it might still be useful.

After 30 Minutes

[Darknight (DC)]

1731 hrs

A German halftrack advanced onto the periphery of 4th Easy’s tenuous position in the Orchard but was scared off by a couple of bursts from Sgt Liming’s MG. In the

Orchard itself, 2nd Easy didn’t have it so easy, as the Germans dropped some more mortar rounds directly onto their position, causing a few casualties; mortar fire has

been pinpointed to a location just beyond the Castelletti Hill, though we have no assets available for counter-battery fire yet. Confirmation was finally received that

the enemy AT gun along the far Orchard wall was out-of-commission and no longer a threat. An SPW 250/10 was also confirmed to be at the Villa and apparently

overwatching the Gully where much tank action has recently occurred; this is probably the gun that initially fired on Sgt Contini’s Sherman at the Gully. Meanwhile,

Cpl Masconi is cautiously repositioning in the Gully, utilizing an infantry screen from 3rd Easy to spot potential threats; the scouts that initially infiltrated the Gully have

now been bolstered by a full squad.

1732 hrs

The StuG astride Route 122 came back into action, as it engaged a forward scout Ranger with its bow machine gun, eventually killing the unfortunate American. The

enemy halftrack returned as well, and advanced on 4th Easy again, but was again repulsed from the plateau by Sgt Liming’s team, while nearby Pvt Jones, the last

survivor of a 60mm mortar team, worked to save the lives of two of his teammates, despite being wounded himself.

True Heroism

The remnants of the German assault on 2nd Easy continued to be cut down as the frenetic fighting in the Orchard began to subside; a few German soldiers, reaching

the limits of what they could endure, threw down their weapons and tried to surrender.

Some Germans attempt to surrender to Pvt Boggs…right in the middle of an intense firefight.

Cpl Ezra’s M1919A4 machine gun team finally located a spot from which they could provide meaningful supporting fire and were provided with a clear view of the enemy

SPW 250/10 hiding near the Villa Castelletti. An enemy LMG team on the eastern side of the Orchard appears to be the only German infantry still defiantly maintaining

their position on the plateau. This enemy position has been very effective in causing casualties among the men of 2nd Easy. Pvt Weylandt’s bazooka team, having

endured 20 minutes of mortar and shellfire in their forward positions in the Orchard, couldn’t take the fire any longer and dashed for safer ground, luckily making their

escape while the German LMG team opposite them were sheltering behind a stone wall to reload.

In the Gully, several infantry teams are stalking the SPW 250/1 which is just outside the treeline, hopefully causing some damage with their suppressive fire.

Simultaneously, Cpl Masconi directed the fire from his Sherman onto the last known position of the German 37mm halftrack at the Villa; several shells landed in

close proximity to the halftrack, though it remained in its position.

1733 hrs

S/Sgt Stephan’s 60mm mortar team replaced Blum’s team with the intention of engaging targets on Castelletti Hill. Meanwhile, an enemy halftrack was spotted on the

far side and to the east of the Cipolla Farm on the extreme left flank of the Ranger contingent. The pesky German LMG still in the Orchard fight let off a final burst and

then beat feet to the safety of the eastern slope.

Cpl Musconi’s Sherman at the Gully continued to fire away at the SPW 250/10 alongside the Villa, finally succeeding in knocking the vehicle out, though at exactly the

same moment, enemy small arms fire raked the Sherman, severely wounding the turret machine gunner; apparently, elements of an enemy platoon were able to make

their way from the eastern slopes of the Orchard to the Gully without being spotted and are positioning to attempt a close assault of the Sherman. The Germans were

spotted by a scout element of 3rd Easy, which lobbed a grenade into their midst.

Slightly bittersweet moment

[Darknight (DC)]

1734 hrs

The SPW 250/1 on the northeastern side of the Cipolla Farm crossed the road but did not proceed into the shallow ravine, instead remaining in sight. The enemy

halftrack near the Orchard returned again and was again peppered with fire from Sgt Liming’s gun before reversing away. Sgt Boggs team advanced to retrieve a

bazooka and lost another man, then found themselves right next to a German 37mm support halftrack which had crept up to the nearby wall. At Sgt Liming’s position,

several of the men hurled smoke grenades about their position, hoping to mask them from the new threat, but this did not stop a nearby shell from killing members of

the team and severely injuring Liming. All enemy troop activity has ceased on the eastern edge of the Orchard. Cpl Simonds 81mm mortar team finished off their store

of ammunition with a smoke barrage on the panzer IV’s position at the Forested Ridge; ironically, one of the smoke rounds finally scored a direct hit on the pesky

German tank.

Close Contact

Events at the Gully took centre-stage, as a number of Germans moved to close assault Cpl Masconi’s Sherman; with detachments from 3rd Easy either dashing to

the Gully or already taking up positions at the location, there is little danger of being completely overrun but the supporting armor could be lost. A German team was

spotted attempting to establish a firing base from behind the nearby burning StuG, which drew more smoke and a hail of coax fire from the Sherman. Whether it was

the machine gun rounds striking the StuG or maybe just due to the spreading fire itself, the result was that at that exact moment, the ammo in the StuG cooked off,

simultaneously causing the German infantry to break and run and the remaining crew in the Sherman to panic and reverse into the Gully (blowing the rest of their smoke

mortar rounds in their haste to extricate themselves), and nearly running over their supporting infantry (which had also hit the dirt when the explosion happened).

The StuG explodes and sends everyone running

1735 hrs

The German halftrack took up a position at the stone wall to the east of Cipolla Farm and will need to be dealt with and unless Sgt Egert’s Priest can get an angle on

its position, it will be unopposed for a short time. The SPW 250/10 took a few ineffective shots at 2nd/4th Easy but took casualties from return fire and withdrew;

the SPW 250/1 returned briefly then also withdrew. The StuG also came back into action, moving undetected into a dangerous position on the edge of the Orchard.

On the eastern approach to Hill S135, another enemy SPW 250/1 and the remnants of a few infantry teams pressed forward and took casualties; eliminating the

halftrack would likely secure this position. The action at the Gully has died down considerably, though the Germans moving forward and back took some casualties;

it is believed that there is only a small contingent of enemy infantry left near the Gully.

[Darknight (DC)]

1736 hrs

The SPW 250/1 at Cipolla Farm was spotted by Sgt Bradford’s Sherman and it began to reverse towards the shallow ravine while firing on the M4A1. Cpt Pine’s Ranger

Company HQ fired on the halftrack from their observation position in a house along Route 122, while Sgt Egert added some 105mm HE shells to the exchange; Cpt Pine

himself scored a few superficial strikes on the AFV, while Sgt Egert, manning the mounted MG on his Priest, perforated the German halftrack several times, causing it to

be abandoned, while his main gun finished off the crew.

Sgt Egert perforates the German halftrack, causing casualties and disabling the engine

A 105mm HE shell ensures the bailed crew don’t escape

Along the northern approach to the Orchard, the enemy halftracks returned yet again, covered by the StuG. 4th Easy lost their HQ, when S/Sgt Hart was wounded

by a shell from the SPW 250/10; a German LMG team was also spotted advancing with the AFVs. The only positive at the present is that Pvt Boggs team seems to

have been ignored to the side/rear of the German vehicles and they were able to retrieve a bazooka (though only a single projectile round was salvageable).

Triaging a wounded platoon-mate and locating a working bazooka

Deciding to Act....Courageous or Fool-hardy?

The troops of 2nd Easy at the eastern approaches to Hill S135 are quite fragile at this point, due to the re-appearance of two German halftracks. There are not many

enemy infantry supporting the vehicles but the machine guns of the AFVs caused casualties and panic among the remaining Americans at this position and some even

saw their morale break and eliminate them from the fighting completely; unfortunately, too much has been asked of these men. It is believed that this could be the

last of the enemy’s strength at this position though and if the advance can be stopped, then the possibility of securing the Orchard increases. Meanwhile, the fighting

at the Gully has ended as quickly as it started, as there was no further enemy activity detected while 3rd Easy continued to secure the position.

[Heinrich505]

Darknight Canuck,

Man, what action! He is leaping the wall to keep attention from being drawn to the other guys behind the wall, if he fired from that position. I'm going with courageous on that point.

That is going to be a point-blank shot if he doesn't get noticed by the halftrack crew. If only he had 2 rounds, he might be able to take both out.

Great story here.

Heinrich505

[Baneman]

He may even be too close

Isn't there a minimum range for zooks and schrecks to arm ?

[Darknight (DC)]

1737 hrs

Chaos reigns again, as the action heated up north of the Orchard and along Route 122. Sgt Bradford and Sgt Naranjo both moved east, parallel to

the roadway until Bradford’s Sherman began taking small arms fire from the German LMG supporting the enemy AFVs; the gunner, having announced

his presence, was promptly gifted with an American 75mm HE shell. Bradford then turned his attention briefly towards yet another SPW 250/1, which

had been advancing westwards along the roadway, laying a burst of coax fire on the vehicle, which then began a frantic reversal in order to avoid

further confrontation with the passing tank.

Sgt Bradford eliminates the German LMG

Pvt Boggs’ teammate lets fly with the scrounged bazooka round…

Meanwhile, Pvt Boggs’ cut-off team popped their heads up long enough to spot a target in front of them and blasted the enemy halftrack with their

borrowed bazooka [Observation: I’m glad they made the shot count but their target selection sucks, as they had the choice of a rear shot at an

SPW 250/1 or an even closer side shot at a StuG, both of which were visible to them…they chose the wrong target!]; Bogg’s team was

subsequently lost to the surrounding enemy forces. The StuG and the 37mm halftrack continued to decimate the remnants of 2nd/4th Easy, killing

Sgt Wilcox, scrambling Sgt Ezra’s MMG team and generally causing havoc, which was made worse by another damned mortar strike on the position

coming from the edge of the Orchard. The halftracks on the eastern edge of the Orchard also continued to take their toll on 2nd Easy (essentially

combat ineffective at this point). Despite the nearby destruction, Trooper James moved his Sherman closer for a shot at the German AFVs in the

Orchard and was treated to a tasty target when the StuG turned into his sights; a round hit the weapon mount on the StuG, which had not

apparently spotted his Sherman attacker yet. The Gully has now become the quiet sector.

…and while successful, he chose the lesser value target

Trooper James’ Sherman lands a hit on the priority target

[Darknight (DC)]

1738 hrs

Decisive action along the northern edge of the Orchard. Another shot from Trooper James’ Sherman exploded on the tree behind the StuG, severely

injuring the tank commander; it is possible that the enemy vehicle was still not aware of the presence of James’ tank, situated in 4th Easy’s original

deployment area, as it turned to engage Sgt Naranjo’s Sherman just beyond the crest of the ridge instead of the more pressing threat. Naranjo’s

crew, already jumpy after re-crewing their crippled mount, deployed smoke and reversed back towards the highway and away from the engagement.

A lucky treeburst

Sgt Naranjo’s crew gets spooked

Meanwhile, Sgt Bradford’s M4A1 began to move over the crest to the rear of the German vehicles, having flanked them just below the ridge. The rear

of the SPW 250/10 was the first target to present itself and Bradford’s gunner made no mistake, then the Stug was spotted reversing towards them,

having taken another hit from James’ Sherman, and Bradford perforated the hull side of the assault gun that had caused so much consternation and

chaos for 3rd Tank Platoon; the panicked enemy crew then ran right in front of Bradford’s path and were eliminated. Also spotted was another enemy

SPW 250/1 in the Orchard that reversed to the eastern slopes like a bat out of hell when Sgt Bradford’s Sherman appeared.

Sgt Bradford races along the enemy flank

Scratch another SPW 250/10

We’re going to find out if this StuG likes it kinky

[Darknight (DC)]

1738 hrs (con't)

The StuG crew almost gets run over…not that it mattered

The mortar pounding continued at the hillcrest, resulting in more casualties, including Capt Lorentzen, the Easy Company CO, who took some mortar

fragments and was incapacitated but not killed; the XO, Lt Metzger assumed command of the company. The German halftracks continued their

deathwatch on the eastern approaches, preventing the remnants of 2nd Easy from withdrawing or doing anything but trying to hide, though with no

supporting infantry, the enemy AFVs cannot advance with confidence. The Gully remains silent, with no more enemy troops spotted by 3rd Easy.

1739 hrs

Sgt Bradford spotted and eliminated a German soldier lying directly in front of the tank, then reversed into a less exposed position astride Route 122.

The remnants of more enemy infantry were spotted advancing quickly across the Orchard, near Bradford’s furthest advance; less than half a dozen

men but they will need to be dealt with next, hopefully with the remains of 2nd/4th Easy Platoons. Lt Contini began leading his Ranger platoon into

the shallow ravine that runs up and around the Cipolla Farm, hoping to approach the northwestern sector of the Villa via this route.

Fritz has learned the first lesson of not being seen (not to stand up) but forgot to choose even an obvious piece of cover…

The fighting at 2nd Easy’s original position continues with men on both sides refusing to be completely cowed into submission. The enemy halftracks

which had recently dominated the eastern approach to Hill S135 were apparently spooked into retreating from their position due to a lack of covering

infantry and incoming fire; several casualties were apparent and fire from the Gully may have incapacitated one of the AFVs.

3rd Easy makes it too hot for an enemy halftrack

The Germans also displayed their continued willingness to contest the ground at the Gully, when a small squad charged forward and lobbed a

potato-masher grenade into 3rd Easy’s position, badly injuring one soldier and shaking up several others.

Incoming!!!

[Darknight (DC)]

1740 hrs

Sgt Bradford moved his Sherman back towards the Orchard, aware that several Germans had returned to man the stone wall; being confronted with

the return of the American tank, the enemy infantry began to fall back along the wall. Trooper James’ Sherman also returned to action, though he did

not spot any targets in the Orchard and instead chose to ensure that nobody ever mounts the abandoned StuG again by putting three more rounds

into its hull. Sgt Naranjo continued to struggle to move his tank along Route 122 due to various shell holes and the burning wreck of a 3rd Platoon

M4A1 in the middle of the roadway.

The Dichotomy of War

With desultory fire emanating from the Orchard, several brave lads took the time to tend to their wounded comrades in the former 2nd/4th Easy lines

and around Hill S135; still others rushed forward to rescue trapped squadmates. At the Gully, Cpl Masconi turned his attention to a nearby depression

where German infantry appeared to be sheltering, providing them with some 75mm HE in an effort to convince the to quit the Gully. Of great interest

was the observation that the panzer IV on the Forested Ridge began to move north, away from its dominating position and possibly opening up the

ground somewhat for the remaining ‘C’ Company tanks to maneuver more freely; it may also be an indication of the weakened state of the Germans

near the Villa, who appear to now be without significant armored assets.

After 40 minutes

[Heinrich505]

DK,

And through it all that one poor German soldier is still patiently waiting to be taken prisoner. Amazing that he hasn't been whacked by nearby explosions or StuGs being ripped apart by Shermans. His knees have to be asleep by now.

Is that tank crew altruistically trying to save lives through buddy aid or are they aggressively up-gunning themselves for some single-handed "Sgt. Rock" charge on the Villa victory position? With a dismounted tank crew on the loose you can just hold your other units and wait for those guys to win it all by themselves.

Great stuff.

Heinrich505

[Darknight (DC)]

The tank crew was assisting in casualty evac (and there were quite a few casualties in that area due to a nasty mortar barrage).

[Darknight (DC)]

1741 hrs

Sgt Bradford chased off most of the remaining German infantry along the near stone wall at the Orchard and repositioned his tank to engage the

enemy halftrack astride the highway. There have been no signs of enemy activity at the Villa Castelletti for some time, though it is believed troops

still occupy Castelletti Hill. The fighting in the Orchard has died down, with minor gunfire exchanged and the elusive crew of a destroyed SPW 250/1

finally deciding to surrender. On the eastern approach, a halftrack was spotted again moving towards 2nd Easy’s positions. At the Gully, 3rd platoon

remains on alert for any nearby enemy infiltrations.

1742 hrs

Sgt Bradford repositioned onto Route 122 and located the nearby SPW 250/1 hiding in a depression; the German AFV was trapped in place with

nowhere to go and subsequently eliminated in a fiery blaze. In the Orchard, the indomitable 2nd Easy continues to display a will to fight, despite the

hell they have endured. A 3-man fire-team led by Pvt Young maintains station behind a stone wall in the face of two enemy halftracks and managed

to put enough accurate fire on one AFV to cause it to retreat from the battlefield.

Nowhere left to hide

The men of 2nd Easy standing their ground