AAR - Attacks on the Azeville Battery, June 1944

Hi folks,

Just getting the time to post some images from a few weeks ago, where I joined DaveD for some 15mm Cold War planning and a couple of small games of Flames of War. 

Dave had set up a table representing the German Azeville Gun Battery, around 15km from Utah beach and was first attacked by 20 US paratroopers on the night of D-Day. These troops were from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 

So our first game represented this small force attacking the garrison, needing to work round behind the casemates in order to break in and lay charges. 

Battery as seen from the direction of the initial US attempt

Battery as seen from the later attempt

For this initial battle, I had a US Para infantry platoon reinforced with a formation commander. Technically incorrect as per the rules, but it worked for us given the small force. This effectively split the platoon into two units, the manoeuvre element and the support element. The manoeuvre element had a command team, two bazooka teams and four rifle teams. The support element had two machine gun teams and a 60mm mortar team, as well as a command team. We allowed the 60mm mortar to direct fire smoke (another departure from the rules). 

My plan was thus - take advantage of the limited field of fire of one MG bunker, suppress the two tobruk MG positions, breach the wire and get into the trench line, then work my way round. The support element would handle suppression and direct fire smoke to offer concealment. 

Blue = manoeuvre plan, green = support and orange represents the limited arc of the HMG bunker

Things initially went well, with the German garrison being pinned due to the surprise element of the attack. 

In short order the Paras were inside the perimeter and clearing out defenders. Things were going well until the garrison troops started responding and an HMG bunker covering the rear of the position caught my assault going in and chopped it to bits. 

I'd tried to work my way round, and risked an assault against the tobruk on the right hand side of the position. Unfortunately, I think I lost a good chunk of my rifle teams going in, and was pinned before I made contact. However, I had brought up the support element, so thought I could try from another direction. 

My second plan was to loop around the second gun bunker, and try to get out of line of sight of the HMG bunker. Unfortunately my small remaining assault ran into fire from the garrison troops and was also repulsed. With that I fell back, reduced to my support weapons and little else. The Paras just didn't have the strength to take the position, despite inflicting heavy casualties. 

The next game saw an attack from the opposite side of the complex, with troops from the 1st and 2nd Battalion of the US 22nd Infantry Regiment. We represented this with two platoons of rifle infantry, an MG platoon and some DD tanks. The attack was proceeded by heavy naval gunfire. 

The artillery prep inflicted some casualties and caused some German squads to be pinned down for the whole game (they remained in their bunkers!). I used similar tactics to the first game, using a base of fire to suppress, direct fire smoke from the Shermans and careful manoeuvre to avoid bunkers line of sight. I got my rifle platoons forward and through the wire, and started them clearing out bunkers. I did lose a Sherman on the way in to Panzerschreck fire, but in short order the wire had been breached and tanks and infantry were in the position. I correctly guessed that the road entry to the position was mined!

A great couple of small scale tactical games with some roleplay twists. My first gaming in a while, and I really enjoyed it.

Many thanks to Dave for the game, the food and the wonderful table and miniatures.