3rd Canadian ID vs 716 Infanteriedivision

A friend and I were recently invited to play an Amphibious Assault Scenario with some new acquaintances. As a result, we had an exciting game, met two great local gamers, were inspired to build a beach and play another beach assault!

Of course this was all inspired by WWPDs Operation Overload Campaign, and since there was a recent call for more battle reports for Juno, I talked our resident Canadian immigrant into dusting off his Royal Winnipeg Rifles and storming Juno!

Setup

Scenario

Hit the Beach from Normandy Battles

Forces

3rd Canadian Infantry Division (1500 point British Rifles from Turning Tides)

• HQ
• 3x Rifle Platoon (3 squads)
• Carrier Platoon (1 Wasp Patrol)
• Mortar Platoon (2 sections)
• Pioneer Platoon (2 squads)
• MG Platoon (2 sections)
• 2x DD Armoured Platoons
• Naval Gunfire Support

716 Infanteriedivision  (1200 point Festungkompaine from the FoW Official Briefing)

• HQ w/ panzerknacker
• 2x Grenadier Platoons (3 squads)
• Grenadier Platoon (2 squads)
• Anti-Tank Platoon (2x 7.5cm PaK40)
• Infantry Gun Platoon (2x 7.5cm leIG18)
• StuG Platoon (3x StuG G)
• Fortifications
• 1x AntiTank Pillbox (7.5cm FK)
• 2x HMG Pillboxes
• 4x Barbed Wire Entanglements
• 6x Trench Lines
• 1x Anti-Tank Obstacle

Deployment

Initial View from the British Navy

716 ID

The 716 deploy fortifications and 2 grenadier platoons close to the beach in a wide defensive line, blocking the causeway with an anti-tank obstacle. The Pak40s deploy in support of the defensive line and the remaining platoons are held in reserve (infantry guns, stug and partial strength grenadier platoon)

3rd Canadian ID

The Canadians launch their DD Shermans and load up the LCTs with 2 rifle platoons, MG platoon, HQ and the naval observer, keeping a rifle platoon, a pioneer platoon, a mortar platoon and the wasp patrol in floating reserve.

Objectives

The Germans place an objective at the crossroads in the town (represented by a German truck) and the Allies place an objective on the hill just east of the beach exit (destroyed sherman)

Turn by Turn

Preliminary Bombardment

The preliminary bombardment knocked out one team from the western grenadier platoon and one PaK 40.

Initial Deployment

Turn 1 - Canadians Land on the Beach

Canadians Land on the Beach

The Canadians swarm the beach and are surprised by a quiet calm while the Germans stay low in their trenches. As the Canadians group up to push on they realize they have lost two DD Sherman to the waves and an additional Sherman and one LTC are stuck out at sea searching for a path to the beach.

Due to the defensive placements and the high seawall, there is very limited line of sight to the actual beach, giving the Canadians an area to regroup for their assault.

Landed: 2x rifle platoons, 3 sherman DDs

Turn 2 - Charge up the Beach

Canadians Advance!

The Canadians send two rifle platoons up the beach and the air is filled with MG fire. The platoons contact the razor-wire and take heavy casualties but hold on to a tenuous foothold. Meanwhile, the DD Shermans are made ineffective by high seawall and the anti-tank obstacle across the only exit off the beach.

Landed: 1 MG Platoon, Company HQ

Turn 3 - Gap the Barbed-Wire

Gap the Barbed-Wire

The Canadians blow a gap in the easternmost section of razor wire and inflict heavy casualties on the western grenadier platoon. The MG platoon moves into contact with the anti-tank obstacle. The 716 company commander elects to take the remainder of the western platoon and fall back to the PaK40. However, counter fire from the MG pillbox and the PaK40 break what is left of the Canadian western assault.

Landed: DD Sherman (finally)

Destroyed: Canadian Rifle Platoon

Turn 4

Losing the Foothold

A Canadian mortar platoon lands on the eastern end of the beach. The remaining rifle platoon stubbornly holds its ground and attempts to gap more obstacles without any luck. In the center, the MG platoon takes heavy casualties. Meanwhile the 716 HQ and grenadier platoon spread out and prepare to dig in.

Landed: Mortar Platoon

Turn 5

Canadian Reinforcements

German Reserves

The Canadians land a rifle platoon and a pioneer platoon land on the eastern side of the beach, but all three LTCs get stuck in the surf. The Germans wipe out the Rifle and MG teams that remain in the hinterlands and breathe a sigh of relief when they see StuGs on the streets in the town.

Landed: Rifle Platoon, Pioneer Platoon

Destroyed: Rifle Platoon

German Reserves: StuG Platoon

Turn 6

Find a Way Off This Beach

The Canadians shift west, attempting to capitalize on the weaker defenses and get the pioneers to take out the anti-tank obstacle. In addition, they manage to return one LTC to sea for more reserves. Since the Canadians stay low on the beach, German fire is limited enough to hear the clip clop of horse hooves as Infantry Guns pulled by horse limbers join the fray.

Landed: Nothing

German Reserves: Infantry Guns

Turn 7

Pioneers Fail to Remove Anti-Tank Obstacle

The Canadians land another rifle platoon, but the Germans concentrate their fire in the center, destroying the pioneers as they work on the anti-tank obstacle and pinning the rifle team. The German HQ and associate teams finally finish their foxholes and the last of the German reserves, an under-strength grenadier platoon, marches into town.

Landed: Rifle Platoon

Destroyed: Pioneer Platoon

German Reserves: Grenadier Platoon

Turn 8

Canadians Assault a Pillbox

Two Canadian rifle platoons head up the beach. One makes contact with the razorwire and takes heavy losses to MG fire. The second heads around the western end of the razor-wire and assaults the MG Pillbox, destroying it and find shelter in the German trenches. The naval and mortar observers finally peek over the seawall and find a suitable spotting position.

Landed: Nothing

Turn 9

Another Wave of Canadians

Canadian bombardments prove ineffective, but the Canadians are bolstered with a large wave of LTCs discharging a rifle platoon, pioneer platoon and a wasp section. Unfortunately, the rifle platoon in the center is destroyed by MG fire.

Landed: Rifle Platoon, Pioneer Platoon, MG Platoon

Destroyed: Rifle Platoon

Turn 10

Final View from British Navy

The Canadians advance up the beach once more, but again take heavy losses.

Landed: Nothing

Conclusion

The Canadian General concedes that he will not be able to capture either of the objectives and the German General admits that he will not be able to keep the Canadians out of the hinterlands. The agreed result is a 'Major German Victory' (5-2).

Observations

Seawall

The combination of the high (2") plateau and the steep seawall meant that there wasn't much line of sight from the defensive positions to the beach. Since the Canadians were unable to gap the anti-tank obstacle, this rendered the Shermans ineffective. In hindsight, I wish I had built the seawall lower and provided a more gradual slope up to the hinterlands. I am sure I can find justification for the terrain I built, but it would be a more interesting game if the Shermans were stuck on the beach but could still provide some cover fire.