Operation Totalise

Tue Mar 13, 2018 8:39 pm

In order to be able to use my Italeri Priest Kangaroos I planned a game loosely based around Operation Totalise. The premise was that the Brits/Canadians had achieved their objectives in Phase One and had pushed on further south. The Germans had rushed forward a small force to plug a gap in the line. I used Google Earth to find a suitable layout for the battlefield and selected a section of the village of Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil.

The Recce phase began and three objectives were taken in short order. As the recce patrol in the Bren Carrier pushed through the hedges on the British right, the Humber pushed down the track to try and take another objective. The lone German sniper took up position in one of the corn fields from where he was to be a minor nuisance for the rest of the game. Reinforcements started to arrive for both sides from the second turn. The British Stuarts, Achilles and kangaroos advanced across the open fields while the Germans moved into the farm buildings in Cramesnil.

Fierce fighting took place in the environs of the farm, while on the British left a brave Panzerschrek team crept forward and blew up the Humber. The Germans brought forward truck-borne Panzergrenadiers trying to get close enough to use panzerfausts. Alas the trucks proved only too fragile and as a plucky M10 crew went beyond the call of duty, they managed to destroy the lurking Jagdpanther and the German armoured FHQ, sending Mariusz over his BR total.

With the British taking only light casualties, the Germans pulled back to re-group before no doubt launching another counter-attack.

Operation Totalise Sudr6ZX