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Two New Ones Coming


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Okay, off my butt and on my feet, well, in a manner of speaking. I don't do scenario design standing up :D

Two new ones coming to you in the next week or so.

Armored Ambush

Title: Armored Ambush

Type: UK attack vs German Defend

Date: July 18, 1944

Location: Emeiville, Normandy

Weather: Clear

Terrain: Dry

Turns: 25

Author: Wild Bill Wilder

Wild Bill's Raiders

bwilder@bellsouth.net

The Scenario:

This scenario depicts the hard fighting to take the ground southwest of Cagny by the British Guards Armored Division.

The History:

After six weeks of hard fighting, the city of Caen and the surrounding vicinity was still putting up stiff resistance. The struggle had been costly for both sides, especially in men.

General Montgomery now proposed an operation that would utilize the three armored divisions under his command. They were the Guards, the 7th, and the 11th Armored Divisions.

Against this formidable force of over 700 tanks Rommel had prepared well his defenses in five separate layers. Each layer had a buffer zone of infantry backed by armored mobile forces with well hidden antitank guns behind them. The German defenses had a depth of nearly seven miles, a few miles more than what the British anticipated.

After a devastating carpet-bombing executed by most of the aircraft of the British Bomber Command, the advance of the tanks began. It was a long and difficult process. The attackers were bound on the right by continuing resistance of the Germans in the southern end of Caen. To their left the high ground of Troarn, heavily wooded, precluded any armor entering in strength.

Thus the British tanks found themselves wedged into a narrow line of advance with little room for maneuver. This was an ideal defensive situation and the Germans took full advantage of it.

After reaching the town of Demouville, the three British armored divisions moved in different directions. The 11th Armored moved to the southwest; the Guards to the southeast, and the 7th following the first two divisions and pressing on to Bergebous Ridge.

After suffering serious losses at Cagny, the Guards Division turned to the left and moved toward Vimont further to the south and to link up with the British 3rd Division covering the left flank of the advance.

Though suffering terribly at the hands of the British carpet bombing, enough tanks of the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion were able to get moving and provided an additional bitter surprise to the weary British tankers.

For the Guards, this was their first major engagement in World War II. It would be a costly one. In fact, all three divisions met with disaster. The Guards lost nearly half their tank strength in a period of two days. By the end of the first day of action in Operation Goodwood, British tank losses were in the hundreds, a very high price to pay for a small bit of ground gained.

The only plus of the entire operation was that the Germans too had suffered irreplaceable losses and were forced to begin a retreat from the area.

A CANADIAN CONFRONTATION

(GO CANUCKS!)

Title: A Canadian Confrontation

Type: Canadian Attack vs German Defend

Date: July 18. 1944

Location: South of Caen

Weather: Clear

Terrain: Dry

Turns: 20

Author: Wild Bill Wilder

Wild Bill's Raiders

bwilder@bellsouth.net

By July 19th, the second day of Operation Goodwood, the Canadian 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions had crossed the Orne River and completed the encirclement of Caen.

The next move was south, toward Bourgebous Ridge. In the lead was the Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade. The 12th SS Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) had been giving and taking from the Canucks for over a month.

The series of confrontations would come to a fiery climax here on the battlefield as what remains of the Hitler Youth make a hard stand south of Caen.

I'll let you know when and where.

Wild Bill

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