Slaughter in the Saarland

On Thursday our hardy correspondent reported for duty on the French-German border in March 1945. American forces were trying to take the Saar-Palatinate as part of Operation Undertone. The town of Uttweiler had seen the scene of bitter fighting for several weeks and once again the Germans were trying a counter-attack. A mixed assault-gun and Panzer force from the 17th SS Panzer are attacking with the defenders being from the US 7th Infantry supported my M4 Shermans and a pair of M10 Wolverines.

The Americans started with an M10 deployed on-table hidden in a copse looking towards the German line of the expected German advance. Tony immediately turned it and sent it racing south. The Germans advanced on a broad front, trying to cover the likely routes of the more numerous American vehicles. With Shermans advancing in the North the second M10 roared onto the table in the centre, reaching the hedge line and again inexplicably turned ninety degrees and followed its compatriot into cover on the southern table edge. We would soon see if this was genius or sheer insanity. After all it was Tony we are talking about!

The small Hetzer took the battle to the Yanks going toe-to-toe or rather mantle to turret with a Sherman. Both shots missed and then Tony’s M10 rolled good dice, managed to acquire and sent a three inch shell into the side armour of the Hetzer. It didn’t end well for the SS crew.

Phil then decided to gamble on advancing a Stug down the road. Once more an M10 crept round the corner and slammed a round into its side. Even additional “Schurzen” couldn’t help save the Stug.

Down to two vehicles the Germans decided to redeploy a Stug to face the Shermans coming from the North-West. However, Tony raced an M10 out of cover and for the third time they destroyed a German vehicle.

Down to one vehicle, and with Phil joining Americans to ease the command-and-control burden on the Australian contingent, the Umpire offered the German to throw in the towel. In true SS style Rob adopted to fight on. His Panzer IV found itself pinned in the extreme south-east corner of the table with the Americans closing in from all sides.

The M10s tried to finish the job but both found that going head-on versus a Panzer with only four armour was suicidal. Both ended up as blazing wrecks.

The three M4s finally encircled the lone Mark IV. Even then one was only saved from a killing side shot by the judicious playing of the “Impressive Bush” card which meant the Panzer commander couldn’t acquire the target. In such a situation the neutral Umpire “called it” as an American victory.

Although an emphatic American victory, for a game that seemed to be over in one hour, how the Germans kept going for the second hour was pretty impressive.

Simon