Assault on Carentan 1944

I had to spend a week down south with my family, but luckily the date coincided with a Rapid Fire game in Bristol, where a late drop out meant a place was going, Success!! I was a commander of part of the Fallschirmjaeger division defending Carentan from US paras and the 2nd Armoured Division. A great day out with some old and some new friends. I didn't try to keep a complete record of the events and took very few pictures as most of the fighting took place on the opposite edge of the table. The scenario is a composite of the mini campaign in the Rapid Fire ... where all the tables actually interlink.

Finishing setting up the table (Don did all the hard graft the night before)


The iconic Dead Man's corner


Carentan across the inundation (the roads were keeping the inundation flat until we found some blu-tac)


Carentan, the major objective, I had to old this, and look how close it it to the US base edge


US paras advance with M10 support on St Come-du-Mont


17th SS arrive just in time to stop the US outflanking Carentan, a blazing Stuart marks their furthest advance. By this point a series of lucky (and unlucky for Charles) die roll meant the US para assault on Carentan was driven off leaving the task to the US 2nd Armoured!


The awful moment loads of armoured infantry and tanks arrive, One building has been ruined, but I'm holding on the the fringes.


Slightly later as part of the 2nd Armoured flank Carentan , they get a fright from a FJ unit that had been lurking in the station, but they were unsuccessful with a panzerfaust attack and have suffered the consequences.


meanwhile across the inundation the US paras are also advancing slowly


St Come-du-Mont, still firmly in German hands


17th SS aufklarung racing to the rescue


Our 105mm battery, that switch support between myself and Rob as needed


17th SS to the rescue. Just after my greatest success with a single Panzershreck team taking out a Sherman and a Stuart after patiently skulking in the bushes a horde of SS Grenadiers arrive an commence a counter attack


More devastation being inflicted on the US armour (they then suffered a number of low morale throws leaving only one armoured infantry battalion on the table.


Still only slow progress by the US towards St Come-du-Mont


Shortly after the 17th SS Aufklarung stormed into Carentan and evicted the last GIs holding a building by the crude but effective close assault then opening up with all available weapons once it was repulsed. I was quite relieved as I was only a couple of casualties away from a morale check, which could have at any point left Carentan open to capture.

Overall a difficult game, the 5 foot width was very restricting and ideally there should have been an extra foot on the US side to allow better deployment, etc. I'm not sure that Rapid Fire really copes well with urban fighting (more thoughts to follow)

Thanks to everyone for a great days gaming