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#0613_01: Villers Bocage - Wittmann's Ride - Battles of Normandy

#0613_01: Villers Bocage - Wittmann's Ride Image
Panzer Battles Ladder

#0613_01: Villers Bocage - Wittmann's Ride

By David Freer
Axis 3 - 1 - 3 Allies
Rating: 7.73 (9)
Games Played: 7
SM: 1
Turns: 18
Type: Stock
First Side: Axis
Second Side: Allies
Caumont-l'Eventé, south of Bayeux: June 13th, 1944 (Scenario Size: Brigade. Head to Head or Human vs AI for either side) The small town of Caumont-l'Eventé represented a major junction for the armies fighting in Normandy. Not only was it the boundary between the American V and British XXX Corps but it was also the boundary between the German LXXXIV and XLVII Pz Corps. For almost a week the British and American forces had slowly expanded their bridgehead, stretching the defenders to the point of breaking and with the tactical withdrawal of the German 352nd Division on 10 June the break finally came at Caumont-l'Eventé. But due to the nature of the Corps boundaries, both sides failed to immediately grasp the seriousness of the situation. On the Allied side, it was not until the morning of 12 June that LG B. Bucknall, commander of the British XXX Corps, was informed that the American left flank (the depleted 1st US Infantry Division) was advancing against almost no opposition. He immediately halted the 7th British Armoured Division's frontal attack against Panzer Lehr at Tilly-sur-Seulles and ordered it into the Caumont-l'Eventé Gap. The British spearhead was intercepted by the Tigers of 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion at Villers-Bocage and they provided just the delay necessary for Panzer Lehr to redeploy to meet the threat to their flank. This scenario is taken from #0613_02: Caumont-l'Eventé - An Opportunity Lost and is focused on the fighting around Villers Bocage.
Player Voting Stats
Member Balance Enjoyment
Compass Rose's ProfileCompass Rose Slightly Pro Axis 10
FroBodine's ProfileFroBodine Well Balanced 8
Cyrano's ProfileCyrano Slightly Pro Axis 9
panzerde's Profilepanzerde Slightly Pro Axis 8
Alex1812's ProfileAlex1812 Slightly Pro Allies 10
Compass Rose
2nd Lieutenant
Compass Rose Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:19 am
Very fun and entertaining scenario.
FroBodine
Private 1st Class
FroBodine Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:31 am
A couple too many turns at the start before the reinforcements arrive, makes for a bit of unnecessary down time. Otherwise, a blast to play!

Next time I'll try harder to keep Wittman alive!
"I only ride 'em. I don't know what makes 'em work."

-- Oddball
panzerde
Private 1st Class
panzerde Sun Feb 21, 2016 1:56 am
Good game. Those Tigers are really tough for the Brits to counter!
Gris
Colonel
Gris Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:45 pm
I watched the last reply of the game waiting to see if it was going to draw or if the Allies would gain the Vp's needed for the win. Near the very end, 50 British infantry pushed 44 Pioneers out of the objective hex and so ended the battle. To say it was a close fight is an understatement.

THe first half of the scenario plays rather quickly until reinforcements from both sides enter piecemeal and then turns into a real slugfest. There is little time and the fighting quickly became fierce.

The only downside was Wittmann. He didn't make it. His tank is the same as all the others (no bonuses AFAIK). The tank battle of Tigers and Cromwell's is a quality vs quantity match. My Tigers did not do well at all, and honestly the Mk IV's out performed them. In this scenario it can go either way.

A nod to the scenario designers for placing the British in"disrupted/travel mode" to simulate Wittmann's ride through Villers Bocage. The Axis player would do well to take advantage of this.

Well played by my opponent, very enjoyable scenario.
'Millions died or suffered in the mud of Flanders between 1914-18. Who remembers them? Even those with names on their graves are by now unknown soldiers.' - Mier Ronnen, Jerusalem Post, 1933 Gris
Barbarrossa.
Major
Barbarrossa. Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:02 am
Allies seem powerless no allied airpower or decent arty
Scrivener
Private 1st Class
Scrivener Frid Aug 04, 2023 7:28 pm
Accurately captures a sense of buttlefield confusion!