Operation Cobra July 1944 – Hasty Attack
Introduction
I suggested to Roger we play a scenario I developed, he readily agreed. After we had played it he suggested I publish it which I have done here as “Hasty Attack”. I agreed to provide the Germans against his Americans. I won the right to choose whether to defend or attack, and opted to “Defend”.
Situation
Prior to Operation Cobra a number of missions were taken to secure the start-line and shape the battlefield for the forthcoming operation. 35th(US) Infantry were tasked with gaining ground around St Lo. A number of subsidiary missions were planned and aborted by the Divisional Staff because of the difficulty of moving through the Bocage. However, an aborted attack by the 1st Battalion of the 134th Infantry Regiment, was rapidly reinstated and directed to go forward at short notice.
Meanwhile the defenders from the German 352nd Infantry Division had regrouped to form a battle group to defend the line. Their composite force was drawn from the 915 Infantry Regiment and the Panzer Lehr’s Panzeraufklärungs-Lehr-Abteilung 130, under the command of Leutnant Horst Von Wittak.
Enemy Forces
Intelligence was scarce about the US forces. The immediate opponents were a leg infantry division but it was likely that they would secure support from an independent Tank Battalion equipped with M4 Shermans.
Friendly Forces
Von Wittak’s battle group was provided with 2 rifle sections, and a veteran and motivated grenadier squad with assault rifles. A MMG team and Panzershrek team were allocated a long with a Sniper team who were provide the latest Gewehr 43 semi-automatic sniper rifle, but they did not have time to zero it in. The Panzer Lehr provided a SdKfz 250/9.
Mission
Von Wittak’s battle group is to hold the road junction at Les Maréchaux in order to prevent the encirclement of St LO from the North East.
Post Mission Report
The Battlegroup were able to secure the ruins of the village. The sniper took up residence protecting the road with the MMG on its left flank. The infantry section were ordered to deploy and secure the rest of the village.
The initial American response was to drive a truck into the village in an attempted coups de main operation. The combat photographer caught the moment on film in this shaky image when the fire from the infantry section disabled the truck and forced the enemy to dismount.
It soon became apparent that the Americans were supported by combat engineers as they brought a flamethrower into action, forcing the sniper out of their position. Additionally the MMG abandoned its position and retired. Only the arriving infantry section gave it sufficient motivation to hold its ground. Meanwhile the rest of the Battlegroup arrived. Von Wittak led the veterans forward to secure the east flank and to ambush any Americans.
The infantry section directed to seize the rest of the town were forced to occupy the building vacated by the Sniper. The recce team have wisely moved their half track in to the lee of the village because of a Sherman that appeared from the North West. The MMG team have managed to suppress the combat engineers.
The Americans brought forward a field gun in support and deployed their observer forward looking for targets.
Von Wittak has brought the remainder of the Panzershrek team to the village; it was to be the only effective anti-armour weapon available to the Battlegroup. Meanwhile the MMG and the rest of the infantry have consolidated their position in the village.
The reserve infantry section has destroyed the combat engineers and has now moved forward to destroy the enemy unit on the other side of the road. Gefrieter Johann Berger has bravely advanced to engage the enemy tank, but his fire has been wide of the mark and he is shot down by the tank. Enemy artillery ranging shots are already falling in and around the village, in a few small moments they land on target and destroy the infantry occupying the building.
In the east the veteran grenadiers have moved forward to allow them to move against the village from the east or to try and take out the artillery piece. However, their leader Fahnenjunker Gerhard Ottlieb’s morale fails him and he takes the section to ground and they lose all interest in the battle. Meanwhile the job of protecting the east flank has been left to the half-track.
An American bazooka operator has moved forward to try and engage the half-track but he opts to take cover from the fire that is directed in his direction, largely from the sniper with his new semi-automatic sniper rifle. However the failure to zero the weapon before combat now proves the German’s undoing as he fails to destroy anyone and only manages to keep the Amercian’s heads down.
Finally, the US infantry advance beyond the half-track to secure the objectives, and hence provide a platform to open up the advance to St Lo from the North East.
A convincing win for American force led by Roger.
Honours and Awards
Corporal Joe Brett Jones Junior of Idaho, operating the Bazooka was awarded the Purple Heart. His commendation for Silver Star was not approved because of his failure to destroy any vehicles.
Fahnenjunker Gerhard Ottlieb was stripped of his rank and lost the opportunity to become an officer. He was sent to a Penal Battalion on the East Front for a failure of leadership and resolve.
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