The guilt is killing me

[Mailer]

I lost an entire platoon of men in Nuenen and the guilt is killing me.

***************SPOILERS**********************

It was operation Market Garden. I was in command of Easy Company from the 101st. My objective was to clear the main road running through Nuenan.

I had 8 British Cromwells attached to Easy Co. (damn fine tanks in my view) and intelligence predicted light resistance.

I found some key locations to serve as strong points on my flanks and in the heart of Nuenan was a cluster of large, two-story buildings and the LARGEST VICTORY FLAG ON THE MAP.

I moved in quick to secure the center of the town, and converted the buildings into a fortress bristling with machine guns and rifles.

So my flanks are secure, and the heart of Nuenan is in my control, and I actually haven't engaged much infantry other than the occasional rifle shot, etc.

But there was combat. I had two Cromwells engaging anything that came down the LONG stretch of main road running through Neunan

and despite intelligence reports, there had to me nearly a company or two of Panzer IV js and hs. The two Cromwells controlling the main street knocked out eight Panzers in the first ten minutes.

and if a Cromwell got knocked out, I would move the next one up out of reserve.

So its going pretty well, especially considering that the scenerio is called "a hell of a licking"

But with the center of Nuenan locked down, I see that there is another great position with 2 two-story buildings and a heavy brick building, all sheilded by a hedge.

Now, I had a great position, but I knew that if the enemy got ahold of that forward stronghold, it would be a great launch off for an assault on the center of Nuenan.

They would never take it of course, but they might get enough men up there to contest the big VICTORY FLAG

So I made a fateful decision:

I told Ratyski to move a couple of squads from his platoon up to take the buildings before the enemy could.

So the two sqauds charged the buildings. They ran into a couple of kraut squads who were also just arriving in the buildings, and my boys tore them to pieces.

We had taken the first 2 story building of the forward strong point!

And thats when the horrible, raking machine gun fire started tearing through the building. Four of my boys were dead instantly.

The fire was coming from a grain field about 100 yards away. and in that grain field was an entire company of Krauts, all firing on the two squads I had sent forward.

And now some of the squads were charging across the field toward their position. Keep in mind that my boys are Screaming Eagles, and they withered the enemy as they charged, but that machine gun fire was tearing them apart.

"Get another squad up there!" I yelled to Ratyski over the radio.

So he sent another squad forward. They had to run across Main Street, through the crossfire where the Cromwells and Panzers were still dueling. But everyone made it across ok.

So I have this third squad take the single story brick building, but they encounter more Germans with the same plan. My boys run them out real quick.

But things are getting bad. Enemy fire is supressing a lot of my boys, and more and more krauts are getting across the field.

And now they are coming from the North as well, and I can see that they are about to take the second two story building in the strong hold, and then its going to be window to window fighting.

"My boys are getting cut off, Captain," Ratyski yelled over the radio, "You want them to fall back?"

I should have had them fall back. The decision haunts me still today.

"That's a negative, Ratyski. I'll get those Cromwells up there to support your boys."

I had taken out all known Panzers, so I ordered the two cromwells to advance up main street. I also had another barreling through an orchard to take out those machine guns in the grain feild.

But the Krauts were closing in fast, and there was a couple of squads about to take 2-story building number 2.

So I ordered one of the squads to charge into building 2, maybe they could get in first and poor bullets into krauts as they came through the doors.

It worked! My squad got in there and sprayed bullets into everything that moved. I've never seen Germans run so fast.

But there were so many more coming.

And now, a couple more PANZERS turn onto main street, so my Cromwells have to stop and engage the tanks.

"When are those tanks coming?" Ratyski yelled over the radio.

"That's a negative on the tanks, Ratyski. See if you can get a machine gun in there, and you better get in there and take command."

"Sir?"

"I said get up there and get in the fight, your boys need you."

"Yes sir." And Ratyski moved out.

More Germans charged into BUILDING 2, the single squad defending it poored gunfire into them but they just kept coming. When they ran out of ammo, they fell back to BUILDING 1.

Ratyski and his staff ran for Building one, a machine gun from the Grain field cut one of them down, but they made it and took command. The boys were glad to see their commander.

Krauts stormed the single story brick building and now 2 STORY BUILDING no. 1 was the alamo for three torn up squads and a CO. Fire came from every direction and I could see that the Germans were preparing to storm the last building.

The machine gun never made it up to the building, it got pinned in some trees and had to contribute from there.

German grenades and gunfire bombarded my boys from all direction, and they were dropping like flies.

"Get out of there!" I yelled to Ratyski over the radio.

They fled the building. Most of them were cut down by machine gun fire, or shot in the back with rifles by the assualting Germans.

I saw Ratyski get hung up in the hedge and cut to pieces by an mg42.

three men made it out of there alive. 3 men out of an entire platoon.

The after action report declared the battle as a Tactical victory. Although I was unable to clear the road through Neunen, and contol of the village itself was contested--I had managed to destroyer 12 panzers at the loss of only 4 cromwells. This put a good dent in the Nazi war machine, but overall, the battle was just one more contribution in the failure of Operation Market Garden.

I resigned my command of Easy Company after we pulled out of Holland.

[ November 03, 2003, 11:08 PM: Message edited by: Mailer ]

[rleete]

Nice AAR.

[Screaming Flea]

Indeed, the field of glory is never a pretty sight.

[Maj. Battaglia]

Guilt and remorse are both a part of the realism.

[lazysack]

Nice!

[Mailer]

Thanks, I hope the description of the building layout at the contested stronghold was clear enough. I wrote the whole aar so fast it got a little jumbled I'm afraid.

Doesn't matter anyway, cause the real story is the one of sacrafice and loss in the streets of Nuenen.

[russellmz]

Originally posted by Screaming Flea:

Indeed, the field of glory is never a pretty sight.

"Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won." - The Duke of Wellington (in a dispatch from Waterloo 1815)

by mailer:

I resigned my command of Easy Company after we pulled out of Holland.

can you do that without getting shot?

[CMplayer]

You should've watched that BoB episode, then you would've known to watch out.

By the way, where'd you get the scenario?

[ November 01, 2003, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

[CMplayer]

Originally posted by russellmz:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />by mailer:

I resigned my command of Easy Company after we pulled out of Holland.

can you do that without getting shot? </font>

[Crank_GS]

Yo CM Player!

Go to the Scenario Depot. Sorry, have no link to post (am at work, not working...) but if you're like me, it is saved to your Faves anyway. It is called "BB - A Hell Of A Licking" IIRC. Anyway, there is an abreviation before the "A Hell Of A Licking" part. I fount it easily enough, you will too.

I read this AAR and the first thing I wanted to do it right away. It is sitting on my 'puter right now, waiting.

GREAT AAR, by the way. Thanks!

[CMplayer]

Thanks for the almost-link, and thanks to the top for the AAR.

[Mailer]

HI ALL

I did see that episode of Band of Brothers, which is why I played it. I remembered that they warned the English Tankers about the panzers, but they just pompously drove down the road and got brewed up anyway.

But in the BoB series, I don't remember seeing so many Panzers so I wasn't expecting so many.

Also, A Hell of A Licking IS the scenerio I played, and it came with my SPECIAL EDITION version I bought (I actually bought CMBB first and have just recently bought CMBO)

Yes, I'm pretty certain you can resign command at higher levels without getting executed. They just don't treat officers the way they treat enlisted men. I Could be wrong though.

Mailer

[Mailer]

Idiot that I am, I didn't warn about spoilers in my AAR. If I screwed up someones enjoyment of this excellent scenerio, I apologize. I have edited now to correct the oversight.

Thank you,

Mailer