WWII Campaign in Normandy, Operation Jupiter, July 1944

[bigjackmac]

All,

My son and I played the first two games of Operation Jupiter this past weekend, and here's the first one.  I was playing the British, he the Germans  This was a very simple attack-defense scenario, with not a lot of tactical nuance to it: the Brits, having just shelled the hell out of the objective area, the Les Duanes Farm Complex, lined up in the north with tanks in the lead and stormed south, looking to get atop the defenders before they could reorganize themselves.  Rather than 'feel' the effects of the British arty stonk, the scenario sets it up where the Germans simply don't have a lot of troops.

As usual, the game was played using a 5Core variant, this time "Company Command," and it was done in 10mm, troops from Pendraken, though the armor and guns are prepaints from Takara.  This first fight saw A Company of the 5th Westchesterfords North Riding Rangers of the Highland Coldshire Guards (5th WNRRHCG), led by Major Dillon and his 2iC, Lt Cooman, leading the assult vs the German 1st Company of the the 457th PanzerGrenadier Abteilung Sauer und Krauthammer, led by Captain Sorensen and his 2iC, Lt Weidthaus.

In real life, this occurred 10 July 1944, between: A and C Companies, 5th Battalion, Dorset Regiment, 130th Brigade, 43rd Wessex Division, supported by tanks of B Squadron, 9th Royal Tank Regiment vs 7th Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 10th SS Panzer Division.  In real life the Brits carried out a very quick and relatively easy victory.


A German PaK-40 anti-tank gun (foreground) targets a British Sherman (top center); so much for kiddie luck with the dice!  To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/02/operation-jupiter-batrep-1-les-duanes.html

Success to the Brits, much like the real life battle.  I was fairly confident due to being able to knock out both the Hun's anti-tank guns early on, though I did sweat a bit when I messed up and let a tank get too close (close enough for a squad to rush out and fire a panzerfaust at it), and when the ATG got put back into action.  But his firing dice really let him down; each ATG was firing 2K 2S, and I gave the Pzfaust 3K 2S.  I think he had a total of 5 shots, totally missing twice, forcing two fallbacks, and immobilizing one tank (and the crew didn't even bail!).  So I'm feeling pretty lucky

Casualties:
British: 20 WIA/KIA, one Sherman immobilized but recovered.
German: 30 WIA/KIA, two PaK-40s lost.

And if you really want to see something funny, I actually played this scenario solo a couple years ago, with the same troops but different rules.  My terrain may still be humble, but it has come a long way:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2013/08/first-go-at-operation-jupiter.html

Next up is 5/Dorsets moving on to Horseshoe Wood, where Brit luck didn't hold up as well...

V/R,
Jack

[Ithoriel]

As ever, good looking game, interesting gameplay and an excellent batrep!

[Techno]

Seconded ! 

Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report!
When I read Operation Jupiter I was expecting the 1942 Soviet winter offensive post Stalingrad!

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.  I'll see if I can get the next one posted tonight, though probably tomorrow.  And we'll be playing more tomorrow, too!

V/R,
Jack

[NTM]

Nice report. Hill 112 fascinates me Jupiter in particular.

[bigjackmac]

Good to go NTM.  Almost done with the initial portion (Les Duanes), next up is Eterville, and I think Hill 112 is after that, then Maltot.

I'll post the next fight later today, for now I'm off to upstairs with the boy to fight the good fight!

V/R,
Jack

[Womble67]

Excellent report throughly enjoyed it

Take care

Andy

[bigjackmac]

All,

On to the second fight of Operation Jupiter.  In the last fight, A Company of The 5th Westchesterfords North Riding Rangers of the Highland Coldshire Guards (5th WNRRHCG), led by Major Dillon and his 2iC, Lt Cooman, successfully assaulted the Les Duanes Farm Complex, kicking out the German 1st Company of the The 457th PanzerGrenadier Abteilung Sauer und Krauthammer, led by Captain Sorensen and his 2iC, Lt Weidthaus.  Following on from the farm complex, 5th WNRRHCG is getting closer to Hill 112 (the ultimate objective of the operation), and must clear the nearby Horseshoe Wood.  This fight will see Major Travers, and his 2iC, Lt Rownan, lead their B Company to clear the wood of the German 2nd Company, led by Captain Keipers and Lt Teigner.

Real life, it's still 10 July 1944, and it was D Company, 5th Battalion, Dorset Regiment, 130th Brigade, 43rd Wessex Division, supported by tanks of B Squadron, 9th Royal Tank Regiment, vs 5th Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 10th SS Panzer Division.  Once again, I should be using Churchills but I don't have any, so Shermans will have to do.  In real life the Brits were able to push the Germans out of the wood, but they took very heavy casualties in vicious, hand-to hand combat.


Total chaos, the fight devolves into a fierce melee at point blank range in the forest (note the Sherman at top left is burning).  To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/02/operation-jupiter-batrep-2-horseshoe.html

Fights 3 and 4 happened this morning, next batrep coming up as soon as possible. 

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report Jack, well done the boy!

[Roy]

Nice. 

[ronan]

+1 !

[Ithoriel]

Keep 'em coming.

[petercooman]

Nice ones!

But what an afwul desicion to put me in charge of troops. Don't be surprised when we get lost in the nearby woods!

[bigjackmac]

All,

We are now upon the third fight in Operation Jupiter, the British assault on the Chateau de Fontaine.  This follows the successful assault on Les Duanes Farm complex by A Company, 5th Westchesterfords North Riding Rangers of the Highland Coldshire Guards (5th WNRRHCG).  This was followed by 2nd Company of the the 457th PanzerGrenadier Abteilung Sauer und Krauthammer denying the Brit attempt on the Horseshoe Wood, though ultimately the Germans were forced to fall back due to a pending assault by an overwhelmingly large British force.  Now we have C Company, 5th WNRRHCG, led by Major Lemmuel and Lt Boggler, facing off against 3rd Company, 457th PzGrenSuK, led by Captain Rolfbertsen and Lt Eichtoriel, as the Brits look to evict the Germans from the Chateau.

In real life it's 10 July 1944, and it's C Company, 5th Battalion, Dorset Regiment, 130th Brigade, 43rd Wessex Division, supported by tanks of B Squadron of 9th Royal Tank Regiment, vs 6th and 8th Companies, 2nd Battalion, 22nd SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 10th SS Panzer Division.  In real life the Brits were able to take the Chateau, but they took very heavy casualties and straggling Germans remained in the local area, harassing follow-on British troops, to the point some of them had to halt and deploy to deal with the German troops, which is actually the subject of the next fight.


British tanks advance in the center, with Germans defending the hedgerows to either side of the road.  The German Panzerschreck team launches a rocket...
To see if it strikes home, and how the fight went, please check the blot at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/02/operation-jupiter-batrep-3-chateau-de.html

Two more batreps to come from this weekend, so stay tuned.

And don't worry Peter, your Battalion Commander will keep you in line

V/R,
Jack