Taking the High Road To Berlin with the Glendarrochs.

Operation Martlet; Chain Of Command Pint Sized Campaign

A Foggy Day

Normandy, France. late June 1944. In an attempt to break through into the more open country, where the Allies hope their numerical superiority in armour can be better used to destroy the German forces facing them, Field Marshal Montgomery has decided to launch Operation Epsom which sees the British, Canadian and Polish forces on a drive to the west of Caen. 

Preceding Epsom by a day is Operation Martlet where the British hope to secure the western flank of Epsom by capturing the Raury Spur and the town of Raury. In the forefront of this operation are the infantrymen of the 1st Glendarroch Highlanders and the tank crews of the Isle Of Sheppey Border Mounted Rifles mounted in the ubiquitious Sherman tanks.

The scenario map. The British were attacking from left to right

2Lt Gervaise Regal was lost. Along with the rest of his men from 5 Platoon, B Company, 1 Glendarroch Highlanders, he was supposed to be advancing towards the town of Fontenay. But a heavy fog had descended over night and he, his platoon and, for all he knew, the whole 59th Division, were lost. 

Overhead he could hear the shells roaring towards the enemy postions in Fontenay and the surrounding area

so he knew he was facing roughly in the right direction but, beyond his radio operator, McKenzie 39, and his platoon runner, another McKenzie, this one McKenzie 73, he could see no one else. Sgt Grouse had gone forward a few minutes earlier accompanied by the platoon 2" mortar team, swallowed up by the fog, as he attempted to link up with Cpl Livet's 1 Section. His parting piece of advice to "just keep that 'edge row on your left, sir" spoken in his Cornish burr, wasn't much help as Regal had lost the hedge where it had been broken up by an earlier barrage. Holstering his pistol and trying to look more confident than he felt and more capable than his 23 years , 2Lt Regal stopped his small group and drew out his compass "now how does thing bally thing work again..." he thought to himself...

the farm track leading to Fontenay, the axis of 5 platoons advance

open pasture before the farm house

Sgt Amos Grouse attempted the contradictory act of trying to shout quietly to get the attention of man in front of him. This advance was rapidly turning into a crock of shit. Striding out he caught up with the soldier in front "'Iggins, where's Cpl Livet?" he demanded. "Up front, sarge, I think". "Bloody Hell! Okay, 'Iggins, keep coming" replied Grouse, then breaking into a trot, passed the other section members, urging them to keep up but keep in touch with the man behind, till he saw the imposing frame of Cpl Glen Livet appear out of the mist, kneeling with his Bren team close to the hedge on the sections left  "Jock!" hissed Grouse "any idea where we are?" "Aye, sarge, Jerries up aheid, in that farmhouse" he said, indicating the farmhouse looming up ahead in the mist "saw them moving about; about four ae them".Grouse looked towards the farmhouse now looming in the slowly thinning mist. With it's thinning he was now able to place himself. The platoons axis, the tree lined farm track was across the field from them. The calvary at the road junction was just visible where the tree lined track joined the road. Across the road stood a sturdy walled farmhouse and, near where the section had stopped, was an abandoned house, it's neglected appearance giving it an uninviting air.

"Roight, Jock, get that Bren team o' yours set up 'ere covering the spot where you saw them Jerries and take the rest of your lads into that 'ouse there. Go easy though; keep back from the windows on t'other side. Just 'ee ave a look see and let me know what's on t'other side of that there wall. The mortar will stay 'ere with me an...." a sudden burst of machine gun fire from the farmhouse interrupted Grouse and they all hit the deck as twigs and leaves, torn from the hedge by the firing, rained down on them like confetti. "E's firing high!! e's in that window, Sarge" shouted Wilson the Bren gunner, pointing. "Thankee, Wilson, good of you to point that out..now bleedin' well fire back, man! And don't 'ee miss!!" shouted Grouse and was rewarded by the sound of the Bren replying to the German machine gun fire.

Grouse turned to the 2" mortar man "Blacky, get that there mortar set up. I want smoke in front of that farm 'ouse right away!!" Turning back to Livet, Grouse said, "Wait till the smokes thickened up a bit then get moving, Jock, remember, stay back from the windows, we don't know what were dealing with yet so no 'eroics"

1 Section under Cpl Livet advance towards the
abandoned house covered by the mortar smoke.. 

Accurate mortar smoke from L/Cpl "Blacky" Jack...result!!

Cpl Livet watched the smoke develop in front of the farmhouse "Right lads" he shouted "We go on mah wurd o' command; check your pouches and get ready. Danny, you stay here wi' Sgt Grouse and keep them Jerries heids doon" this last to the section 2i/c, Lcpl McKenzie. The smoke thickened and soon obscured the front of the building. Let's go" shouted Livet and he and his men got to their feet and, crouching as low as possible the rifle team scurried towards the empty house.

Behind them, Sgt Grouse looked back the way they had come. More figures appeared from the mist. Recognising Cpl Bob More, he beckoned his fellow Cornishman towards him. Cpl More's section advanced, keeping their heads down as they did so. "Alright, Bo? Good to see you" grinned Sgt Grouse. Cpl More returned the grin "We's foine and dandy, Amos. Wos going on 'ere then?" "S'all going tit's up, it is" replied the sergeant "There's no sign of Mr Regal and we've just bumped into them Jerries in that there farm 'ouse. I've sent Jock Livet up to that 'ouse for a look see; any sign of Cpl Horse and 3 section?" Another burst of fire passed overhead. "Last Oi saw they was on our left about five maybe ten minutes ago but we lost touch with 'em passing over that churned up field back aways! said More, jerking his thumb in the direction they had come.

More shots passed close over head "Blacky, were's that fire coming from?" shouted Grouse. "house across the field" replied the lance corporal. "Well chuck some smoke at 'im then, there's a good lad"

"Now, Bo, I wants you to take your lads along past that 'ouse and up to the wall and wait. I'll hang back here for the moment and wait to see if Mr Regal or 3 section turn up. Or better still some of those bloody tanks; off 'ee go now"

Cpl Bo More and 2 Section head for the wall

Cpl  More leads the way 

German SS troops man the ruined building

In the orchard behind the farmhouse, more SS troops
wait for the Tommies to advance

 ""Take cover!" shouted Cpl Wyatt Horse to his section. To a man they dashed forward a pace or two, hit the ground and crawled into  what cover they could find. Spandau bullets whipped over head and around them, churning up the ground. Wyatt Horse peered from beneath the rim of his helmet. The fire was coming from a half wrecked house ahead of them. "Them bastards have got us cold" he thought "well, let's see if our training was any good".  Raising his voice above the sound of the now slackening machine gun fire, Horse shouted "3 section, listen in. Bren team; engage the enemy. Rifle team, on my command "advance!" we will dash forward and then get down, just like in training; got that" A chorus of dissenting voices broke out. "Shut the fook up, get ready and listen in" he cried  the Bren opened up on the German position and Cpl Horse shouted "Rifle team...ADVANCE!" The squad started to their feet and took a step or two before dropping to ground again as bullets whipped around them. "who's hit?" demanded the section commander as screams rose from amongst the men to his right...

L[Cpl Blacky Jack crawled along at the base of the hedge towards the  farmhouse where 1 Section were now firing from. The machine gun fire from the Germans had begun to get too close for comfort, especially as they had started drawing fire from a Spandau near the junction, and a change of firing position was called for "Okay Robbo, this'll do fine" he shouted to the mortar team number 2. Blacky dug the mortar baseplate into the ground and aligned the mortar onto his next target. "Smoke Robbo.." "Thanks; don't mind if I do, Corp" replied Pte Robertson. Blacky grinned "that joke never get's dull, Robbo; now load a smoke round, please, Private Robertson, this particular smoke is for the confusion of the Boche!" Robbo dropped the smoke round into the mortar tube and Blacky aligned the mortar onto the target, tilted his head down and pulled down on the firing cord. "Bloody 'ell, Blacky, that nearly landed back on the beaches" said Robbo, watching the smoke billowing on the far side of the ruined house.

Crouching by the house, Sgt Grouse pondered the platoons situation. They were well spread out, no sign of the platoon commander or their armoured support. The fire from the farmhouse and it's surroundings was increasing; Jerry was certainly well entrenched and judging from the sounds of it, had some armoured support. 5 platoon were out on a limb at the moment "Sod this for a bloody game of soldiers" he thought.....  

Sgt Grouse weighs up his options

German view of 3 Sections position

Medium machine gun position covering the junction

Post Script

A rather unusual end to a game.Talk about a tough nut to crack. With the platoon commander and, more importantly the Sherman tank having failed to turn up on both attempts they are allowed to make before being "lost" for the game the British attack had petered out. Meanwhile the cunning Boche were waiting for the first sign of the British popping their heads above the wall.

Fortunately as it's a campaign game we just reset the clock, so to speak, and the British come back with a more cunning plan...or more armour...or loaded dice...or all three. And as it's a campaign game I couldn't throw my men's lives away just to make a poin as they will be needed as the Glendarrochs fight through to Rauray so 5 Platoon will have to hunker down, redistribute ammo, get a brew on and curse the ruddy fog!!