Platoon Forward (Operation Overlord) - Into the Mist (Engagement 1)

 It's the morning of the 12th of June 1944. The mist still lingers in the divots and rolls of the hedgerow country through Lt McElveen's field glasses. 2nd Army is pushing ever-further inland and 7 Platoon of the 5th Wessex is tasked with supporting the right flank of a company-wide attack on the small Norman village of Verrières. Their objective: a walled farmhouse surrounded by thick woods and orchards – likely a close knife-fight of an engagement. The company is supported by armor of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, a Vickers from Battalion MG Platoon, and likely a share of the battalion 3” mortars. They’re expecting resistance in the form of motorized infantry with potential for recently arrived armor.

Lt McElveen decides to probe through the woods and forest cautiously, while sending a portion of his infantry with the attached armor to secure the high ground to the west. From this high ground, the armor, machine gun team, and forward observer from the battalion mortars can support an attack with suppressing and direct fire while the infantry moves in. Sgt Clavell sends the platoon scouts press forward, identifying relatively secure approaches toward the objective, securing ground in the northern woods and along the stream valley to the west. The high ground to the west is fortunately uncontested, but it appears the enemy has concentrated their defenses along this walled farmhouse, further securing their positions with lines of wire along the approaches.

The objective as seen from the British lines

Sergeant Clavell takes Corporals Brown and Smith and their sections forward into the wood, probing slowly forward from their jump-off positions. The woods appear to be empty, and Sgt Clavell calls forward the 2” mortar team in support. Cpl Brown sends two of his men forward to where the woods meet a hedge line in an attempt to put eyes on the west side of the compound.

Sgt Clavell and the two leads sections probe forward...

...and are subsequently joined by the 2" mortar

The scouts close on the hedgerow and begin to crawl low through the brush until they can peer through the bramble. Looking towards the compound, they spy a Panzer IV camouflaged just outside the walls. The tank commander spots the team and the scouts immediately yell at the 2” mortar to lay smoke over their position and pull off the hedgerow announcing the presence of the armor.

The identified enemy armor

Smoke lands between the scouts and the Panzer IV as the scouts fall back

Lt McElveen gets the word and coordinates with the attached armor to attempt to outflank the panzer, promising infantry support to the advancing Sherman. The Allied armor moves forward, accompanied by Cpl McHugh's section along with the FOO from the battalion mortars.

The Sherman of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards moves forward…

…screened by Cpl McHugh's section

Meanwhile in the forest, Sgt Clavell slowly moves his two sections towards the edge of the forest where it meets the orchard. The two are divided by a hedge-line and as they close on the orchard they spot movement along the hedges. He orders Cpl Smith’s section to cover while Cpl Brown takes his section forward to investigate.

Cpl Brown’s section creeps forward and almost immediately find themselves under a hail of machinegun fire. An MG-42 team had been lying in wait and two of Cpl Brown’s men fall under the withering fire. Their ambush complete, the machinegun team fall back off of the hedge and back through the orchard towards the relative safety of the farm. Both sections press forward, taking up positions along the now abandoned hedge, and put down fire on the withdrawing team. Their fire catches them in the middle of the orchard, killing two with the remaining member fleeing towards the east.

The German LMG team spring their ambush

Cpl Brown and Cpl Smith push forward and take the hedge

On the western flank of the push, the Sherman presses forward in search of the enemy armor. As they cross the streambed between the two low hills, a tank shell screams past the hull, sending up a shower of dirt. The tank commander identifies the panzer across the field and talks his gunner onto the target. His gunner fires – the shell impacting the panzer’s turret.

The Panzer IV fires on the approaching Sherman - missing its target

The Sherman returns fire...

...knocking out the panzer's main gun

The panzer lurches forward, its cannon hanging listlessly where the shell penetrated. The panzer crew attempts to withdraw from the short, sharp contact with the Sherman and retreat to the security of the farm. In doing so, it exposes itself to a second shot from the Allied armor, this shell impacting the engine block as it attempts to speed into the compound. Flames emanate from the hull as the crew scrambles out of their stricken machine.

The Sherman puts the final round into the panzer

Within the woods, Sgt Clavell regroups his two sections and presses toward the orchard. As they line the hedges, they spot an SdKfz 251 at the edge of the farmyard near the wire. As the halftrack spots the movement, the driver puts the vehicle into reverse and withdraws deeper into farm compound itself. Before it can turn itself into an armored machinegun post, it takes a flank shot from the Sherman overlooking the farm from the western hill. The halftrack begins to burn.

The halftrack's initial position

SdKfz 251 withdraws before taking a tank shell into the flank

Sgt Clavell has Cpl Brown take his section forward through the orchard to try to put eyes on the farmyard and scout what's within. Using the farm's wall as cover, Cpl Brown brings his men to the edge of the wire, peering into yard. They identify what can only be at least two squads in the shelled-out farmhouse, a tripod-mounted MG-42 in the barn, and a small mortar team set up in the courtyard. 

Cpl Brown has his point man post a Mills bomb past the wall towards the mortar team - the deafening blast wiping out the entire team. Just as Cpl Brown was pulling his section back from the wall, they were spotted by the MG-42 team. Under a hail of machinegun fire, Cpl Brown is able to bring his men back and report his findings to Sgt Clavell.

Cpl Brown’s section throws bombs over the wall

On the far flank, with the panzer knocked out, Cpl McHugh brings his section forward to lay eyes on the western side of the farm house. Just tucked behind the walls, he can make out a hidden IG 18 and its crew. Directing his section’s attention to the infantry gun, he finds himself under a hail of fire from the upper story of the farmhouse. This is immediately followed by a deafening explosion as the infantry gun’s 75mm shell rips the ground apart at his feet. He’s filled with searing pain and then nothingness.

The MG-42 in the loft fires on Cpl McHugh’s section…

…followed by the IG 18

From his O-Group position, Lt McElveen witnesses the death of Cpl McHugh and one of his men. Taking a deep breath, he rushes forward to rally the leaderless section. He draws them off of the hedge and out of sight while shouting at the FOO to contact the battery for immediate support. The Sherman, from its overwatch position atop the hill, fires a shell into the top of the farmhouse where the fire originated from. The already shattered roof crumbles and the firing is silenced. It fires a second shell into the infantry gun forcing the crew into cover.

The Sherman on overwatch…

…silences the MG-42 team in the loft

Lt McElveen races forward to rally the now-leaderless 1st Section

From the orchard, Sgt Clavell has his men hold their position as the first mortar ranging round falls into the farmyard. As the stonk proceeds in earnest, Sgt Clavell and Cpl Smith lead his section to the rear of the barn occupied by the MMG team. With the team pinned under the barrage, Cpl Smith is able to maneuver his men over the high walls using the walls and barn as cover from the flying debris.

The barrage lands in the farmyard

As soon as the barrage ends, he has his men post in three bombs hugging the building for protection. The bombs detonate inside the stone barn and one single, dazed German stumbles out, quickly mown down by Cpl Smith's sten gun - the MMG team completely wiped out. Sgt Clavell has his men occupy the barn, setting them up to fire on the rear of the now-exposed infantry gun. 

Cpl Smith’s section posts grenades through the windows…

…and occupy the enemy’s position in the barn

With the attack progressing, Lt McElveen leads 1st Section into the southern end of the woods, calling forward the attached Vickers gun to create a base of fire for the final assault. The Sherman continues to fire on the infantry gun, whittling away at the crew while shrugging off their return fire. The gun's team lead is stunned in the engagement and the crew begin to falter. In a desperate attempt to keep the gun in the fight, the German platoon commander prepares to leave the safety of the farmhouse to rally the gun.

He has his two remaining squads put down covering fire and dashes out into the open courtyard. The suppressive fire from his two squads simply isn't enough. Recognizing an enemy leader by way of his initiative, Cpl Brown leads his men forward through the orchard towards the barbed wire to fire on the enemy platoon sergeant. Between his section's fire and Cpl Smith's the German Feldwebel couldn't make it to the faltering gun - he was killed in his tracks.

The Fledwebel’s fatal attempt to prop up his crumbling defenses

With Feldwebel their killed, the German resistance crumbles - the infantry gun crew surrenders while the infantry in the farmhouse slip out the back and disappear into the hedgerow country.

As the platoon consolidates along their forward positions, they take account of their losses: Cpl McHugh and three other ranks are killed. The tank commander from the attached Sherman seeks out Sgt Clavell, unsatisfied with their day’s coordination. He asks if during their next attack he might join them as an observer, intending to find ways to better coordinate between the infantry and their attached armor. On the other side of the line, Cpl Smith approaches the Battalion Supply Sergeant, a naturally cautious man, seeking an added supply of Mills bombs. The reckless nature of Cpl Smith and the cautious nature of the Supply Sergeant result in a frustrated encounter, with Cpl Smith being sent away with a further reduced allotment.

The sections dig in and settle in for the night, artillery sounding in the distant background, each man wondering what the next weeks, days, and even hours may hold.

Caleb