D-Day and beyond. Part 5

Being the continuing story of a wargame

7th June 1944

Report from Captain Copley.

No reinforcements having been received, except for a few stragglers coming in overnight and one of the Churchills that the Yeomanry managed to recover, I reorganised the company into two platoons. Lieutenant Smythe became my 2 i/c and I put the other platoon in charge of Sgt. MacGregor.

Each of the platoons had the standard three  sections with Brens and rifles, but benefitted from two PIATs and two 2” mortars each.

I deployed Sgt. MacGregor’s platoon on the heights around hill 621 to our front and Lt. Smythe’s on the right flank, mainly in the woods.  The Yeomanry took post between the two platoons, guarding the road with their single tank.

I kept one rifle squad with me at the company HQ in the large building near the beach.

The enemy attacked us at 08:00.  Some ineffective small arms fire was received against our forward positions on the hill, which was returned with interest!

But 10 minutes later heavy artillery began to fall on our forward positions and we lost half a dozen men.

At 0840 two SP guns appeared, one on the road and one in the woods on the right flank.  The Churchill had a crack at the one in the road and it ceased firing.  The tank fired again, knocked out the gun and advanced to the gap between the cliff and a stone wall to defend the defile.  On the right flank we lost a bren team to the second gun.

Lt Smythe ordered his platoon to advance, keeping under cover.  He left the two 2” mortars to the rear with the protection of one section.  He moved forward to find a vantage point from which he could direct the fire of the mortars.

The tank was caught in a heavy artillery stonk but survived.  On the right flank the PIAT team crawled forwards and fired at the SP gun to their front.  Some damage was observed.

Two rifle squads dashed forwards to assault opposing infantry in the houses to our front.  The enemy was wiped out and we occupied the houses.

In the centre the Churchill tank fired at a MG in the woods beside the road junction.  Wiping the enemy out the tank advanced and took over the position.  Finally we held the road junction; one of our objectives for yesterday.

Sgt. MacGregor sent two of his sections out to left and right to outflank the MG position in the house to his front.

Suddenly the Churchill was struck by what appeared to be a Panzerfaust bomb fired from the house to its right.  The tank quickly backed off to a position from where it could fire at the building.

The tank fired, then a rifle squad stormed the building while defenders were still shaken and cleared them out.

On the left flank a MG team was driven from the house they had been holding.

At around 09:15 the enemy called off their attack and withdrew.

During the action we lost ten men and one of our bren guns.  We estimate the enemy lost about three times that number, including one SP gun destroyed.