The Battle for Paps-sur-Mer

Bolt Action Batrep. British (1250 points v Germans (900 points) 

D Day, 6th June.  F Company, 1st Battalion Glendarroch Highlanders have landed on the shores of Normandy and are attempting to fight their way inland. Their first task is to clear the town of Paps-Sur-Mer. 

Captain Warwick Hunt slowly raised his aching head. Around him the sound of battle raged adding to the pain in his head. Looking around he could see the scattered remnants of his company, a few were obviously dead but of those who weren't, most were taking cover; only a few were firing back at the Germans. "This will never do Warwick, me old beauty' he though to himself "Time to earn your wages". Looking round he spotted an AVRE lumbering up the beach towards the town. "That'll do the trick" he realised. Getting up on his feet, he started to rally the men and urge them forward alongside the AVRE. Crouching beside it,  the men started dvancing into the town.....

Paps-Sur-Mer at the start of the battle

The German defenders swiftly recovered from the British preliminary bombardmennt

The Churchill AVRE advances down the street. Whilst the Germans had little that could damage it,  they targeted it with their Nebelwerfer. The AVRE was fine but one platoon commander was wiped out. Good shooting from the Krauts

One the other road the Glendarrochs were supported by  a Sherman V from the Ilse of Sheppey Border Mounted Rifles. Progress on this street was held up by an MMG posted at the far end

By now, Captain Hunt had taken control of the advance along the right side of the town. Having spotted a German position in one of the houses he had ordered the AVRE to fire on it but it missed. The defenders of the house, realising their danger, then sensibly got out of it as quickly as possible.

On the left hand street disaster struck the British as a lucky 81mm mortar round from the Germans landed inside the Sherman and destroyed it...bugger!! Still, it had taken out the MG before it bought a packet.

The Germans had both streets covered with small arms and artillery

Realising the German defences were spread thinly, Hunt started to switch the platoons advance to the left. The AVRE, meanwhile, had destroyed a squad in the town mayor's office

Leutnant Heinz Beenz leads the spirited defence of Paps-Sur-Mer. Alongside the squad in the garden is Beenz only anti-armour weapon, a panzerschrek

Leutnant Beenz being heroic

The deadly Nebelwerfer!

The British start to switch their axis of advance

Captain Warwick Hunt and his radio operator in action. The AVRE has just taken out the Germans in the mayor's office

The MMG position was swiftly reoccupied after the MMG team was wiped ou

On the left flank,  two of F Company's rifle sections hug the cover provided by the ruins of Paps-Sur-Mer. Disaster struck here too with another well placed mortar round wiping out the section on the left

In a desperate bid to distract or even damage the AVRE  Leutnant Beenz sends his armoured support, an SDKFZ 250/9 around the side of the church to attempt a flanking shot

easily the Germans most effective unit, the 8cm mortar crew. A Sherman and a rifle section both destroyed; the schnapps will  be flowing tonight in celebration!

Suffering crippling casualties, F Company's assault grinds to a halt.

Captain Hunt sent the word around to the remnants of 5 and 6 platoon to hold their positions. On the flanks either side of them, the rest of the brigade was making progress and the Germans were pulling back or being wiped out. There was plenty of fighting still to be done but for the moment, F Company needed to reorganise itself in preparation for the next battle

Post script. That was a tough encounter. It  all seemed so promising at the start; the  Glendarrochs had a good chance of getting into the Germans deployment zone with a numerical advantage and their armoured support. However two lucky mortar strikes and one nebelwerfer one hamstrung the British attack. Hats off to the Germans for such a solid defence.
The battle now moves inland with yet more deadly fighting as the Allies attempt to take vital real estate in the guise of crossroads and bridges from the Germans as well  as destroy their defensive positions inland.