Villers-Bocage: The Battle for Villers-Bocage Normandy, 12-16 June 1944

72 Pages·2007·70.32 MB·English

by  Peter Simunovich

THE BATTLE FOR VILLERS-BOCAGE
NORMANDY, 12-16 JUNE 1944
W'ritten by:PhilYates,Steven Ptak PlaytestGroups:AucklandCityGuard (Damian Reid),
Editors: PeterSimunovich,John-Paul Brisigotti Group North (ChrisSuch),
ProofReaders:Paul Beach, ChrisBricky, Kanawha Rifleman (AnthonyBeaver),
John Hutton, Neal Smith SydneyFOWSyndicate(Richard Chambers)
GraphicDesign: Dion Holswich, CaseyDavies Photographs:National LibraryofNewZealand,
MiniaturesDesign: EvanAllen, Seth Nash ImperialWar Museum, BovingtonTankMuseum,
CoverandInternalArt:VincentWai AusrralianWar Memorial, Roger Key PrivateCollection,
Miniatures Painting:JeremyPainter NARA, NationalArchivesOfCanada,
TerrainModelling: Dale Pepperell www.ww2modelmaker.com.
Photography: BattlefrontStudio US ArmySignal Corps
webSupport:WayneTurner
CONTENTS
Villers-Bocage, 1944 2 Divisional Support 35
Operation Perch 3 German Arsenal 41
SS Painting Panzer Lehr 44
I
Villers-Bocage, 13June 1944 45
101. SchwereSS-Panzerabteilung 6
BRITISH
Obersturmfuhrer MichaelWittmann 8
I
Wittmann'sWild Ride 9 7th Armoured Division 50
SergeantTom Stanley 52
Schwere SS-Panzerkompanie 12
Armoured Squadron 53
Point213 15
Motor Company 55
l, GERMAN
Rifle Company 58
Panzer Lehr 20
Divisional Support 63
Panzerkompanie 22
Desert Rats Special Rule 66
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie 25
BritishArsenal 66
Panzerpionierkompanie 30
Painting Desert Rats 68
Aufklarungsschwadron 32
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'The roar of tank engines fades in the distance as the tracks squealing as we turn onto the road, our speed
enemy continues up the hill past our hide position. lhe increasing as I pour machine-gun ~re into the remaining
Obersturmfuhrerstrides over to my tank, that intent look vehicles until, one byone, they burn. Thick blacksmoke
on hisface, the look that means wewill be paintingmore twirls in the wake ofourTiger as ir we clatter down the
kill rings on the barrelofthe88 tonight. It'salookIhave wide road into town.
seen many times on the face ofObersturrnfiihrerMichael
The tank rings like a bell under the peppering ofsmall
Wittmann in the battles we fought together when I was
arms fire from the nearby buildings as the shells bounce
his gunner in Russia. It is good that we fight together
offits thick hide. Part ofme nervouslyawaits the louder
once again in the same tank. Promotions have a way of
bang of something larger. A small adjustment to the
separatinga team, but today it is likeold times.
traverse wheel while our Tiger moves forward before I
"Do you still remember how to shoot Bobby?" Michael pull the trigger. Blinded by the flash and resulting cloud
asks me as he climbs onto the deck, "Looks like I'll be of dust, I peer intently through the scope, seeing the
joiningyou." SilentlyIslip into thegunner'sseatwithout blackoilysmoke billowingfrom the now burning British
answering, leaving the commander's position to the Cromwell tank. Suddenlythe rearofthe turret ringswith
Obersturmfiihrer. the hit that puts my nerves on edge. My ears reverberat
ingwith the concussion...serious that one.
lheintercom crackles to life in myear, "Well boys, ready
to go?" Michael's voice crackles over the intercom system, firm
and lacking emotion. "Driver turn right, four o'clock.
"lawohlHerrObo)-turnifiihm;" my crewchorus as one.
Bobby, Sherman, biggun, 1 0 meters."
"Gut. Wessel, Hantusch, and the othets will destroy the
The great beast swings to the right as I furiously hold
Britischerson thehill. Wewill head for the town andstop
down the turret traverse wh~l, the driver gunning the
any others from interfering. We do this for our beloved
engine in order to help the ponderous turret swing.
Fatherland, driverschnell!"
Another loud clang, and I vow to thank the workmen
111e Maybach engine growls over the clatterofthe tracks
that toil d over this vehicle, building it to such high
as we leave the hide position. Within minutes of our
standards of workmanship. I see a Btitish Panzer with
moving the three British tanks on the road are nothing
an exceptionally long gun coming into view, that long
more than smokingwrecks, there crews dead or running
gun pointing towards us. I press the trigger once again,
for the trees on eithetsideofthe road. Thelarge88 shells
waiting anxiously for the concussion that will tell me if
tearing huge holes through the Briti,-herarmour like its
we liveordie this time...
mere tin.
I release a breath I didn't know that I held as I see the
"Gut, now lets finish ofthe rest ofthestragglers and take
curl ofsmoke. Another kill ring on the already crowded
the town," Wittmann orders. The engine revs loudly,
barrel, I think to myself.
TheBanleofVillers-Bocagebegan as a race, onethatstarted Witharoarofengines,theDesertRats' tank! movedforward,
with neither side understanding what the other side was makingexcellentprogressagainstan unscenen my. Thefirst
doing. Itwasa racedictated by terrain and circumstances. units of the Desert Rats, A Squadron, the 4'h ounty of
London Yeomanry and A Company, 1 Battalion,TheRifle
When the Allies landed in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June, Sl
Brigade, reached Villers-Bocage at 0830hrs, 13June.
1944, thecityofCaenwasoneofthe majorobjectives. Ifthe
euphoria ofthe crews was tinged with a feeling of unease.
Germans held the city, they could bring troops into batrle
Where is the enemy?When would theystrike?
quicklyand supplytheir troops using roads running behind
their lines. If the British held the city, German positions Calling a short halt, Lord Cranley joined his A Squadron
norrh of the Odon River would become untenable. With on Poinr 213 and summoned all platoon commanders up
Caen in their hands, the British would be in open country, for orders for the next phaseofthe batrle. With their leaders
outofNormandyand threateningabreakout to Paris. gone the complacentinfantryand tankers began to brewtea
for breakfast.
Unfortunately, the British did not take Caen on D-Day, nor
inthefollowingdays.TheGermansrushed21. Panzerdivisiol1 Deeper, though basic, military tenets had been ignored
(21" Armoured Division), 12. SS-Panzerdivisiol1 (l2'h SS there was no reconnaissance. A Company's scout platoo
Armoured Division), and then the Panzer Lehr Division had sunkcrossingthechanneland theStuartlight tanksof4
through Caen gradually extending their line eastwards, just CLYhad been pulled backdue to theirlackoffirepower, but
fast enough to keep the British from breaking through. nothing had been done to replace them. 111is was a mistake
theywould payfor dearly.
However,furtherwesttheUS 1"InfantryDivisiondroveback
352. 1nfanteriedivision (352nd Infantry Division), opening a The Germans well understood the predicament on their
holeberweenitandPanzerLehr.TheBritishseizedthechance. flank, but they lacked the forces do anything about it. The
On 12June, they launched Operation Perch, throwing the first available reinforcement, 2. Kompanie, 101. schwere SS
,h
famous 'Desert Rats', their 7 Armoured Division, into the Panzerabteilung(101 SS HeavyTankBattalion),wassentto
Sl
hole with orders to race around the German flank and cut fill thegapand reached theoutskirtsofVillers-Bocageon the
thcm off. eveningof12June.
From Bayeux, where they had been fighting, the roads led Watching the British drive past his hide at a range ofjust
south to Tilly-sur-Seulles and Villers-Bocage. From there 250 metres the next morning, the company commander,
they led east to Caen. Tilly-sur-Seulles was firmly held by Obersturmfiihrer Michael Wittmann, .ordered four of his
PanzerLehr, so Villers-Bocage was the roure to take. There Tiger tanks to taclde the British tanks on Point 213, while
the road ran along high ground with the Odon River to he took the remainingTiger back to Villers-Bocage to deal
the south, providing a natural flank. IfVillers-Bocage and with the infantry.
the road to Caen could be taken the entire German flank
At0900hrsthe first explosionrocked the Britishcol
(including at lea·t rwo German armoured divisions) would
"11~;;ytoff.

sc
•
101 SCHWERE SS-PANZERABTEILUNG
~~~
i:fl:!Ostubaf"onWcstemhagen
Tiger! No orher word caused more angsr in rhe hearrs of Armoured Corps of rwo or three Panzer Divisions) needed
Allied soldiers and sriffened rhe spine of German soldiers. an independentTigerbattalion. InJulyof1943, 101. schwere
Enemy infanrry panicked ar rhe word, and rheir rankers 5S-PanzerabteiLung(101" Heavy SS Tank Battalion) was rhe
L-_,...... simply ran away. Such were rhe capabiliries ofrhis fearsome first such barralion ro be formed as parr of/ SS-Panzerkol'l)s.
rank rharsoon every German Panzer became aTiger. 'To kill
Orders soon pur
one in combar would be a fear ofvalour worrhyofa medal.
rhe bartalion on r:
TheTiger was the mosr feared German rank ofrhe war-irs
the long drive ro
repurarion for dearh and destruction proven in everyarrack.
the front. Moving
ll1is havoc was wroughr by a tank, the production ofwhich
ar night ro avoid the Allied
never r tailed more rhan 1,354 and one rhar mosr soldiers
jabo fighter-bombers thar
would n v rsee.
prowled the skies, crossing'
ll1e German armaments indusrry creared and nurtured the Seine River despire
lhis bea r ofwarfare from irs very inception. A technologi blown bridges, rhe battal
cal marvel, theTiger was capable ofdesrroying any rank in ion continued irs relentless
rhe world with irs 88mm gun. Irs armour was capable of drive forward.
toppingashorfrom any known rankgun. Theworkers rhar Itrook unril 12Junebefore
made ir were rhe besr in the indusrry. Hand picked, rhey
rhe first elements of the
lovelycrafred each rankas ifir were a masrerpieceofart.
battalion pulled inro their
Whar rhe German armaments industry produced rhe positions between Caen
erman milirarycommand then rook and massed in special and Villers-Bocage. For
formation: Thus was born the schwere Panzerabteilung. 111e days afterwards the bat
best panzer crews ofrhe army rode ro bartle in rhe belly of ralion's Tiger ranks strag
aTiger rank-men ofvast experience and know how. ll1e gled in as they complered
result was a formation of unsroppable tanks, and soldiers rhe gruelling road march.
iliar knew how to use rhem. This would create rhe mysrique D spite being shorr
ofrheTiger, a repuration rhat men on the other side ofrhe handed rhe barralion im
uench learned [Q fear. mediarely foughr its mosr
famous barrle.
staffdecided rhar rhe Tiger tank was uch a formi
piece of quipmenr rhal every 55-Panzerkorps ($

Born on 22 April 1914 in Bavaria, Michael Wirtmann In his first summer in Russia, Wirtmann was awarded the
becameperhapsthebestrecognised, evenlegendary, tankace Iron Cross Second Class, soon followed by the Iron Cross
ofWorld War II. His military career started in 1934 when FirstClass. Inthespringof1943,hejoinedtheLiebstandarte
he joinedthe armyas an infantrysoldier. This earlytraining 55AdolfHitler Division's 13th Panzer Company as a Tiger
sparkedWirtmann'sinterestin tanks. tank commander. By 1944, he had the Knights Cross with
OakLeaves for his gallantservicein combat.
In1936attheendofhisenlistment,hejoinedtheAllgemeine
55 and began his career in the 55-Verftgungstruppe, the Villers-Bocage would be his heyday. In a single day he
military branch ofthe 55. When the war began, Wirtmann stopped, almostsingle-handedly, anentireBritishArmoured
was still in training as an armoured car commander. After Division and saved the flank of the Panzer Lehr Division
only a short combat stint in Poland commanding an from being trapped and destroyed, earning the Swords for
armoured carwith just a 2cm, he found himselftransferred his Knights Cross in theprocess.
to a Sturmgeschiitzassault gun with a 7.5cm gun. While his
Hediedasoldier'sdeathon 8AugustatGaumesnil,southof
performance in the subsequent Balkan campaign was good,
Caen, leadinghisTiger tanks into battleonelast time.
itwould bein Russia thathis talents becameobvious.
WITTMANN IN FLAMES OF WAR
Like all 55 soldiers, Obersturmfiihrer Michael Wirtmann STURMMANN GONTHER JONAS - RADIO
puts rhe Fatherlandbeforehispersonalambitions. Heis not
For the Commander!: Wirtmann's ability to get the most
afraid to die for his country.
out of the men in his command was extraordinary. They
Having many battles behind him and serving in the most would follow him anywhere. It is up to Sturmmann Jonas,
arduous conditions imaginable he knows how to fight and the radio operator, to keep Wittmann in touch with his
live. Already his tally ofkill rings covers the barrel of his entirecommand.
Tiger tank.
Wittmann and any platoon led by him
Motivation Tests ona rollof2+.
CHARACTERISTICS
UNTERSCHARFOHRERWALTER MOLLER - DRIVER
Obersturmfuhrer Michael Wirtmann is a Warrior and a
CompanyCommandTank team rated as FearlessVeteran. Grind them Under: Unterscharfiihrer Muller always keeps
the tank moving while assaulting infantry, grinding them
Wittmann can join any Schwere SS-Panzerkompanie and
under the tank's tracks as he
replaces the Company Command Tiger I E tank team fir
+100points. Wittmann takes over the Company Command AnyteamthatassaultsWittmann mustre-rollthesuccessfulSkill
Tigertankashisowntank. TesttohitfOranyhitallocatedtohistankinanassaultcombat.
Iftheypass this testtheygetpastthe tracks andthe tank must
AsWittmann isawarrior, hedoesnotrollfir TigerAceskills. makeanArmourSaveasnormal. Ifthere-rollfailed, than the
Hero of the Fatherland: Michael Wirtmann is one of assaultingtroopshavenothitthetankandthehitisignored
Germany's greatestheroes. Everyboyknows hisexploitsand
UNTERSCHARFOHRERBALTHASARWOll- GUNNER
wants to emulare them.
IfWittmann is Destroyedduring agame the morale ofthe EveryShot Counts!: Unterscharfiihrer 'Bobby' Woll always
set his sight for 800 meters and left it there. He felt it only
entire Germanpeople takes a heavy blow, despite any other
slowed him down to re-calibrate the distance every time he
gains,andtheGermanplayerlosesoneVictoryPointandtheir
shot.Hesimplyovershotorundershotthereticuledepending
opponentgainsoneVictoryPointattheendofthebattle.
onthedistancehefelt rheenemywasat.While theexpertsof
tank gunnery chastised him for his methods, he only rarely
missed, makingWittmannappreciate him even more.
OBERSTURMFOHRER MICHAEL WITTMANN Wittmann's Tiger tank may re-roll anyfailed roll To Hit
I
when itshoots.
, Ambush!: MichaelWirtmann was a man on the go, always
manoeuvring to a position ofadvantage before striking the
STURMMANN GONTER BOLDT - LOADER
enemy. His favourite tactic was to strike from the flanks,
where the enemyleastexpectedit. Rapid Fire!: Sturmmann Boldt is the gun's loader. As fast
as Bobbycan acquire targets Gunter can load the gun. This
Wittmann may be deployed using the Ambush special
combinationkeeps theirTigerfiring faster than anyotherin
rule onpage 196ofthe rulebook in addition to any other
the company.
platoons that would normally be deployed in Ambush.
Wittmann maydeploy inAmbusheven in missionsthatdo The 8.8cm tankgun ofWittmann's Tiger tank hasROF3
notnormallyusetheAmbushspecialrule. whenstationaryandROF2 when moving.