San Michele - Combat Mission: Afrika Korps

In the early morning hours of July 29th units of the New Zealand 24th Battalion began a slow climb up the ridge north of the Battalion's forward position at Castellare. It's objective was the village of San Michele, a small cluster of buildings situated along the road that runs up to point 261, part of the New Zealand 6th brigade’s preliminary objective. Following a brief firefight the Kiwis overran the few defenders and dug-in, waiting for first light and the remainder of the brigade. However, when dawn broke the first to come calling were not New Zealanders, but the tough veterans from the German 29th Panzergrenadier division. The daylong battle for San Michele was about to begin.