The Americans attempt to push into Germany

After retirement at the end of May our doughty reporter realised that he was missing the cut and thrust of combat so returned “to the colours”. Refreshed from his break and hoping for a journey to warmer climes he was dismayed to find himself in dark, dank Western Europe in February 1945. The allies were starting their push into Germany, and this game saw armour from Combat Command B of General Maurice Rose’s US 3rd Armoured Division trying to take the small town of Elsdorf held by an ersatz Kampfgruppe from Hurst Von Mellenthin’s 9th Panzer Division.

The Americans roared onto the table with A Sherman and Hellcat veering south and another Sherman and a shiny mew M26 Pershing advancing down the centre and in the North. The Germans had cunningly deployed a Hetzer in a wood and quickly moved the Tiger to block the Northern advance. The MkIV seemed to be held in reserve in the centre. Very wise! At this stage all vehicles were on blinds.

Phil’s Northern M4 got a nasty shock when it found itself staring down the barrel of the Tiger I and beat a hasty retreat into cover. Tony’s Hellcat moved into position to try and take on the Hetzer but failed to spot the German tank hunter in the woods and suffered the ignominy of a “first shot first kill” as the Hetzer’s 75mm L/48 barked into action.

The accompanying M4 then fired twice at the Hetzer only to record two misses.

Back in the North it became a game of “big cat hunting”. In the end the Americans broke cover hoping to use their speed to counter the Tiger’s slow turret. A cry of “oh crap” was heard from Dave as he realised the “fast” American vehicle wasn’t a lightly armoured tank destroyer but rather the formidable Pershing with 10 defence and 11 strike dice.

However, the Yanks luck ran out as the Tiger managed a flank shot into the Pershing and a “burning” marker was placed on the table.

Back down south, Tony engaged in a frantic war of manoeuvre with the Hetzer, inflicting some damage but not the killing bow.

Finally, the Hetzer emerged from the catfight bloodied but with a burning M4 in its wake.

That left a solitary M4, the same that had prudently hidden from the Tiger at the start of the game. It started a Keystone Cops style chase around a building with the MkIV but in the end the game was called as the Yanks were beaten. Indeed, the next turn may have seen the destruction of the M4 as the Tiger had an obscured flank shot as per the photo.

The game did reflect reality. The battle of Elsdorf witnessed the combat debut of the M26 Pershing and one was destroyed by a Tiger 1. That said the American gunnery rolls, courtesy of the Umpire was truly pathetic.

 Simon