What a Tanker in Northern Germany or O what a lovely war this has been

After a weeks well-earned rest our now refreshed reporter headed to Northern Germany in the Spring of 1945 to witness some of the final action of WW2. The British 11th Armoured Division is heading towards the River Weser . Trying to find a suitably elevated position for an AOP, a battlegroup has been despatched to take the small village of Stolzerau and install observers in the Church tower. Elements from an SS Panzer Division are still in the town and plan to defend to the end.

The British advance into the village with the Cromwell Recce and a Comet to the South and the other factory-fresh Comets to the North, albeit the Germans have no clue. The lightly armoured but potent Archer tries to cover the centre but seems reluctant to move. At this late stage of the war the British are getting a reputation with their more gung-ho Yankee allies for being overly cautious. 

The Germans move a PzIV to head off the fast moving British Southern force, the lethal JagdPzIV and the 2nd PzIV taking the North to face the Comet threat. The mighty Koenigs Tiger crawls onto the Southern flank seemingly unsure of what to do next.

Despite getting in each other’s way for several moves the Cromwells finally spot the Tiger...

and the PzIV lurking in the wood. The Big Cat does little whilst the other tanks play cat and mouse leaving a Cromwell a smoking hulk. 

The PzIV decides to “bug out” in the face of a Comet, Cromwell and the Archer. The Big Cat can take care of them! To the North German fire from the Jagdpanzer only scares some British infantry whilst the Comet move into position and damages the Jagdpanzer.

The British now make excellent use of their speed. The remaining Cromwell races round the King Tiger firing into its rear removing several dice from its hand. The Tiger finally gets a bead on the Archer but misses. The Comets now combine in the North attacking the German force from both front and rear. A PzIV dies thanks to a rear shot and the crippled Jagdpanzer finds itself immobile and succumbs to a side-shot from the Comet’s “17pdr HV” gun. 

The end is nigh for the Big Cat as it too finds itself badly degraded, and suffering the ignominy of brewing-up thanks to more shots from the Cromwell’s mighty 75mm gun.

With only one remaining PzIV, and a cordon of Comets and Cromwells closing in the Germans surrendered. 

A famous British victory with many “mentioned in despatches”.

Next week we return to the Levant, but not “Outremer”!

Simon