Claymore 2022 - Holding Carentan
The town of Carentan fell to the US 101st Airborne Division on June 12th, after its final defenders, a rear-guard of 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment was overrun. The town had been one of the US division's objectives on D-Day, but the scattered drop meant that it had taken six days to gather the men and equipment, organise the attack and gradually drive the German defenders south. The town was an important objective. It formed the link-up point between the two US Corps coming ashore at Utah and Omaha, thus presenting the Germans with a unified US front, rather than two separate beachheads. The German commanders could also see this, retaining Carentan would drive a wedge between the two US Corps, from which further attacks could be launched. In order to hold the town 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, ‘Gotz von Berlichtingen’ was ordered the defenders. Delays due to lack of trucks and Allied air attacks meant the division was just unable to reach Carentan before it fell. On the night of June 12th, the division's troops and armour were still south of the town, but they had been given orders to launch a rapid attack to retake it, before the Americans could be reinforced.
These German orders had been intercepted by Ultra, and the US General Omar Bradley knew an attack was imminent. He had a reserve force in place; Task Force A, 2nd Armoured Division, stationed 15km away at Isigny. Having cleared the town, the US paratroopers were ordered to quickly push south-west and west to secure a wider perimeter around it, with the 501st Regiment moving to the west, and 506th further south. On the evening of June 12th their advance had pushed in a German outpost line, some 2km from Carentan, and they were to renew their advance at dawn on the 13th.
As the paratroopers prepared to move out again, the SS attack began. Artillery and mortar fire preceded an attack by 17th SS Panzer Regiment's armour (mostly StuGs) supported by 37th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment (on foot) and elements of the 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment. Throughout the morning the paratroopers fought amongst the rain soaked fields and hedgerows, south and west of Carentan. The Germans’ main assault along the Perriers-Carentan highway made some progress, and by midday, they were within 500m of the edge of the town. Further west, 501st had held its lines better (against less odds), but was still under pressure to give ground.
With Carentan under artillery fire and threatened with falling back to the Germans, Task Force A's tanks, armoured infantry and artillery had been dispatched from Isigny at 1000.
The US armour moved through Carentan, and in the early afternoon attacked the German Spearheads. Splitting into two groups, the US tankers thrust south along the main Perriers highway, and along a western side road towards the village of Baupte. Here they relieved the hard-pressed men of E Company, 501st PIR, holding the line in the area of small farm called Donville (marked Douville on the maps). The Shermans led armoured infantry directly into the attack smashing into the SS lines. The fighting continued all afternoon, eventually driving the Germans back 2km from Carentan.
The game was played in 15mm using Battlegroup rules. The full scenario can be downloaded here.
These German orders had been intercepted by Ultra, and the US General Omar Bradley knew an attack was imminent. He had a reserve force in place; Task Force A, 2nd Armoured Division, stationed 15km away at Isigny. Having cleared the town, the US paratroopers were ordered to quickly push south-west and west to secure a wider perimeter around it, with the 501st Regiment moving to the west, and 506th further south. On the evening of June 12th their advance had pushed in a German outpost line, some 2km from Carentan, and they were to renew their advance at dawn on the 13th.
As the paratroopers prepared to move out again, the SS attack began. Artillery and mortar fire preceded an attack by 17th SS Panzer Regiment's armour (mostly StuGs) supported by 37th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment (on foot) and elements of the 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment. Throughout the morning the paratroopers fought amongst the rain soaked fields and hedgerows, south and west of Carentan. The Germans’ main assault along the Perriers-Carentan highway made some progress, and by midday, they were within 500m of the edge of the town. Further west, 501st had held its lines better (against less odds), but was still under pressure to give ground.
With Carentan under artillery fire and threatened with falling back to the Germans, Task Force A's tanks, armoured infantry and artillery had been dispatched from Isigny at 1000.
The US armour moved through Carentan, and in the early afternoon attacked the German Spearheads. Splitting into two groups, the US tankers thrust south along the main Perriers highway, and along a western side road towards the village of Baupte. Here they relieved the hard-pressed men of E Company, 501st PIR, holding the line in the area of small farm called Donville (marked Douville on the maps). The Shermans led armoured infantry directly into the attack smashing into the SS lines. The fighting continued all afternoon, eventually driving the Germans back 2km from Carentan.
The game was played in 15mm using Battlegroup rules. The full scenario can be downloaded here.