This scenario gave the German players the task of enabling assets to escape from the Falaise pocket by crossing safely across the length of the table, edge to edge. The British players would have the task of stopping or destroying these assets.
- The central road which the British must attempt to close.
The Germans had a PAK 40 anti-tank gun and 4 infantry sections, the positions of which were identified on a hex-grid map so that they could be ‘discovered’ by the British units as they attempted to cut the German escape routes.
- The British units arrive on the table edge.
The PAK 40 was deployed in ‘ambush’ mode in a small area of woodland adjacent to the main and fastest German escape route along with an infantry section in a supporting hex. Two further infantry sections were located in buildings either side of the said road and a command section slightly further back in support. The fourth German infantry section was allocated a more offensive roll of pushing forward and disrupting any advanced British units.
- The German PAK40 waits for the British armour.
- German units try and escape along the road. A Tiger tank squeezes between the hedgerows.
British infantry sections advanced quickly on the table supported by Sherman tanks. These offered an obvious early target for the PAK 40 which revealed its position when it opened fire on the leading bren-gun carriers. Opening shots were off target, but accuracy improved in subsequent shooting phases.
- British infantry advance to attack the German defenders.
As more British armour arrived the PAK 40 switched its attention to these tanks, which in hindsight turned out to be the wrong decision as it took pressure of the British infantry sections which were advancing to attack the German occupied buildings adjacent to the road.
- A Stewart tank passes PAK40 victims!
Meanwhile, Panzer IVs, SDKFZs and a Tiger tank were arriving on the road at the table edge in numbers in their bid to escape. A Stuart tank had taken up position at a key crossroad and with shells flying across the road between the PAK40 and the British tanks, the German escapees chose the slower but significantly safer cross-country route.
- British armour continues to arrive
The British Shermans had failed to silence the PAK 40 and it was gradually picking off the lead armoured vehicles. The German infantry section holding the key building next to the road halted the British infantry attacking it for a good while. However, its casualties were mounting and although it passed its first morale test, it wasn’t going to hold out much longer.
- A mid-game coffee break!
A German infantry section moved up to a building overlooking the crossroads with the aim of destroying the British Stuart, but this was really only a token gesture towards freeing-up the main road and the fastest escape route for the German armour. In reality, despite suffering significant casualties in infantry and vehicles, the British units had succeeded in gaining control of the ground adjacent to the one side of the road. Any German armour attempting to escape along the road would present its side armour to 17pdr and 76mm armoured piercing shells from the now numerous British tanks. The road would soon be blocked with burning tanks!
- German infantry about to loose possession of the farmhouse protecting the road.
- British infantry advance to take possession of the farmhouse.
The escaping German units were forced into taking the very slow cross-country direction while a Stug IV took up position blocking the road and given orders to ‘ambush’ any British units crossing its sights. The British infantry captured the building adjacent to the lower section of the road having finally dispatched its German defenders. This in real terms had effectively cut the primary escape route for the German units and in doing so achieve a key British objective.
- British armour advance to secure possession of the road and the primary German escape route.
Game Analysis
The British forces achieved a victory in this scenario by blocking the primary German escape-route. This was achieved at some cost in infantry and vehicles, but this sacrifice prevented significant numbers of valuable German units from escaping to ‘fight another day.’
