The Bridge at Baupte part 2

The Bridge at Baupte . A Bolt Action mini campaign

Part 2.

D Day, 6th June 1944. A small force of US 82nd Parartroopers, having seized the bridge at Baupte, vital for the US drive from their landing sites on the beaches of Normandy, have taken up defensive positions just inside the village and are awaiting the German response.

Points; US 800 V German 1000. Both sides were based on the core of the forces they had in the first scenario.

No turn limit. 

Deployment.The US forces would deploy in the centre of the town whilst the Germans would come on from the southern (far) end of the town. Both sides had a sniper each and these deployed as normal. 

With most of his men safely ensconced in the houses, Lt Moncher anxiously awaited reinforcements. To his south he could hear the sounds of vehicles and the harsh shouting of the Germans as they prepared to advance on the town.

His own resources were pretty thin. In the building in front of him where his one anti tank support, a lone Bazooka team. Next to them was postioned his one MMG. In the garden to the rear of the house, Sgt Stone and his squad were deployed. Further back was his artillery in the shape of Cpl Niemier and his 50mm light mortar.

Across the road, Sgt Nolan's squad occupied the house by the church and nearer the bridge, Sgt Kapowzki and his squad were positioned in the large farmhouse guarding the flank and giving Moncher's postion a little depth. In the same house was his sniper team and back, by the bridge was his mobile support, namely one jeep mounting a .30 cal MMG. "Not much with which to defend this vital bridge" he muttered "still a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do.." A single shot rang out followed by the cry of medic from the building in front of him.  "Krauts, sir!!" shouted his runner, Pte Keenan. "Thanks Keenan, I thought that was Chinese New Year celebrations!!" 

On the top of the church tower, Oberschutze Nekemier smiled grimly as he watched the US paratrooper drop to the floor. "First kill since leaving the Eatern Front" he said then fell forward as a bullet smacked into his head. Below him, near the churchyard, more German infantry moved forward towards the graveyard.

Suddenly all hell was let loose as the American MMG opened up on the running Germans as the approached on ether side of the road. A furious exchange of fire took place and Lt Moncher began to wonder if he hadn't spread his guys too thinly as the Krauts started moving around the back of the church.

Sgt Al Kapowski glanced out o the upper floor window and didn't like what he saw. The houses on this side of the road were obscuring the Germans from Lt Moncher and the rest of the guys by the bend in the road. Realising his squad weren't adding much to the battle sitting inside the house, he led them outside were their fields of fire would be better. 

Back in the building, Pfc O' Reilly, company sharp shooter,added to his tally of dead Krauts that he had started back in Sicily and wondered if he could claim an extra for taking out that Kraut sniper.. 

By the road, Moncher could hear the sound of an engine gunning over the noise of battle. "Better get that bazooka ready, Smith!" he called to the troops in the building next to him. "Smith's dead sir!" came the reply "the bazooka's busted too!" came the reply. "Holy shit, just what we need" thought Moncher as large and very dangerous looking armoured car swung into view..

The noise of the Tatra V-12 engine drowned out most of the noise of battle inside the Puma armoured car. Unterfeldwebel Gunther Krapp ordered the driver to advance to the bend in the road. Most of the firing was small arms, none of which concerned him, and a lot of it seemed to be coming from the lower window of the house by the road bend. Turning the turret in that direction, he gave the Amis a burst from the Puma's MMG and the American MMG stopped firing.

By the church 2lt Scharficka hurried his men into the churchyard. Across the road he could just make out Gefrieter Tomas' squad making their way through the garage towards the enemy positions. He wondered how quickly Kapitan Grossen-Sach and the rest of his men would arrive. Already the MG34and the MMG in the kapitan's Kubelwagen were adding their firepower to the battle but there was no sign of the outflanking manouvre the kapitan had promised....  

Sending the Krauts that had been dumb enough to stick their necks out behind the church scurrying back into cover, leaving their dead and wounded behind them, Sgt Kapowski's men advanced.

Wth more German forces advancing down the main street, Lt Moncher's men were beginning to feel the pressure. The Puma was prowling forward with impunity at the Americans tried to stem the tide of field grey..

Realising something had to be done about the armoured car, Sgt Nolan and his men dashed from their cover towards the vehicle in an attempt to put it out of action. Spotting them just in time, Krapp let of a burst of deadly accurate MMG fire and the Yanks were bowled over like ninepins. Nolan and his men fell back into cover dragging what wounded they could with them.

Aboard the company's Opel Maultier, Kapitan Grossen-Sach urged the driver to put his foot down. The vehicle shook as small arms rounds hit is but they careened past the enemy position towards the bridge. Up ahead the lone jeep's 30.cal advanced and opened up, shattering the windscreen and hitting and wounding the driver. The vehicle came to stop. Behind them, Unterfeldwebel Krapp, seeing the American MMG burts back into life, ordered a tank round fired into building in an attempt to silence it for once and for all. "Ami jeep up ahead, Gunther" cried his driver

Hurrying around the back of the church, Kapowski's men suprised the squad of Germans there and let rip, mowing down three of them. Leaping the wall they were just in time to see the Kraut armoured car disappear toward the bridge. Across the road, Lt Moncher could only watch helplessly as the Kraut armoured car smash the jeep aside and drive onto the bridge whilst the crazy looking half track truck followed it. He'd failed!!

End of Part 2. With the Germans holding the bridge. it looked like Lt Moncher had failed and that the US armour wouldn't be able to reinforce the 82nd troopers. What would part 3 bring?