Sitrep (FOW): Battle of Rue Jarvis ->FOW dust up mission

Late August found Kampfgruppe O'Donnell back in action trying to stem the flow of the Allied advance. The Hauptman was given command of a reinforced Panzer Brigade company and order to seize the Jarvis Rue and stop the advance of Task Force Butler cavalry group.

Shermans versus Panthers somewhere in Eastern France

Attacker Panzer Brigade 101 (Eastern front Panzer brigade from the battlefront website) Main Force 1 Company section with 2 Panther tanks 2 Panzer platoons with 3 panthers each Support units 1 Flak panzer platoon with 4 mobelwagons 1 Volksgrenaider platoon full strength 1 Heavy mortar platoon full strength 1 SS panzer platoon with 3 PIII	Defender Task force Butler (Task Force A from Turning Tides) Main Force 1 Company command sections with 2 M8 2 Cavalry squadrons with 2 patrols each 2 Tank destroyer platoons with two sections each Support units 1 Gun platoon with 3 M8 Scotts 1 Tank platoon with 5 Shermans 1 Light tank platoon with 5 Staurts
Notes: The panzer Brigade support units is a mix of Tank and Panzergrenadier support units representing what was avaiable rather than what was correct	Notes TF Bulter Is still in assemble 24 hours before the game most of the units were just primed. By game time they were aat four colors minimum

The Kampfgruppe placed their defending objective deep in its deployment zone. It attacking objective was deployed on the edge of the Task Force's deployment zone on a hill over looking the main road. The Task Force's placed its defending objective deep in its deployment zone in a farm back from the road. Its attacking objective was deployed on the edge of Kampfgruppe's deployment zone on a hill over looking the main road.

The Kampfgruppe deployed the command section with one Panther platoon, one SS panzer platoon and the heavy mortars with the rest of the force in delayed reserve. The Mortar spotter went on the hill with the Task Force Objective over looking the main roadThe Task Force deployed its command section, both Tank Destroyer platoons, one cavalry patrol and a Sherman platoon.

The Battle start with the panzer platoons moving forward at the double while the mortars dug in. Slightly disturbed by the sight of a lot of tanks advancing at speed the Task Force opted to spread out with one Destroyer platoon trying to move round to the left flank while the second Destroyer platoon tried to move around the right flank. The Sherman’s stayed behind a hill, less than eager, to face off against the Panthers.

Cavalry Patrol races past a smoked Panther platoon

In response the Panzer IIIs platoon and the 2iC moved to intercept the Tank Destroyers trying to out flank them on their right while the Company Commander and the Panther platoon faced off against the Sherman’s and the other out flanking Tank Destroyer platoon. The Sherman’s broke cover to fire smoke on the Panther platoon to cover Tank Destroyer platoon as it moved at the double down the road to out flank the Panthers. The second Tank Destroyer platoon opted to ambush the Panzer IIIs. They destroyed two, bailed out the third and had no effect on the 2iC's panther. The Panzer III passed its morale to stay in the fight.

Tank Destroyers ambush a Panzer platoon

Ironically, the Kampfgruppe reinforcement being to filter forward with the second Panther platoon arriving behind the revealed Tank Destroyers effectively ambushing the ambushers. The sole Panzer III remounted and together with the 2iC moved after the revealed Tank Destroyers. The smoked Panthers opted to move. One engaged the fast moving Tank Destroyer recon section destorying two vehicle and forcing the reminder to flee from the battlefield. The rest of the platoon, with the command commander, engaged the Sherman’s destroying onet. The revealed Destroyer platoon did not last long when attacked from both sides. One destroyer survived the shooting but failed the morale test to flee the battlefield. No reserves arrived forcing it on the defensive. The Sherman’s pulled back behind the hill while the cavalry patrol moved to secure the Task Force's defending objective. The 2iC moved forward to put pressure on the Germans objectives More Germans reinforcement arrived in the form of flak panzers which moved towards the Task Force's defending objective. The remaining Panzers resumed the advance on their objectives. With the exception of the Panzer III and 2iC which hunted down and destroyed the Cavalry's 2iC. Allied reinforcement finally arrived with a Stuart platoon racing across the battle field to threaten. The Sherman’s once more moved forward and smoked the Panthers. The cavalry patrol moved to contest the German attacking objective. 

The last of the German reinforcement arrived in the form of the Volks grenadiers who followed after the Flak panzer towards the Allied defending objective. The Flak panzers moved to contest the Allied defending objective. The panthers moved out of the smoke and towards the out off sight Stuarts. Two more Shermans were destroyed but the platoon stayed in play thanks to the company commander.

Panzer reinforcement being to pour in

Scout section meets a bad end

Under serious pressure the Sherman’s pulled back to engage the threatening Falk panzers, destroying the platoon. The Stuarts pushed through the woods and started to machine gun the Mortar platoon. The last Tank Destroyer platoon opted to reveal itself and destroyed the mortar spotter and threatened the Allied attacking objective. Two more cavalry patrols arrived from reserve and race to bravely engage the Panthers.

Panthers cover Volksgrenadiers.

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The Volksgrenadiers continued to push towards the Allied defending objective with a Panther platoon moving in support. The other Panther platoon moved at the double to contest the Allied attacking objective. The remaining Panzers fell back to support the beleaguered Mortar platoon. The Task force continued to claw back ground. The Tank Destroyers moved around the Panthers that had moved at the double and multiple hits into the Panther's weak side armour destroyed the platoon and secured the objective. The Sherman’s and cavalry patrol harassed the Volksgrendiers has they moved on the Allied defending objective.

Panther race to contest and objective with the tank destroyer.

The loss on a the Panther platoon was crippling to the Kampfgruppe since there was nothing that could deny the objective to the Destroyer platoon. Their only option was to engage and destroy was many units as possible in the hop if forice a company morale test and forcing the Allies of the the table. The panther destroyed a cavalry patrol but it was not enough and the Task Force captured its objective.

 

Shermans engage a Flak panzer platoon As it threatens their objective

Shermans Vs Panther results

Work in progress damaged armoured jeep