Battle of Ranville

10th June 1944

The Battle of Ranville was the Germans’ last major attempt to destroy 6th Airborne Division’s bridgehead over the River Orne. Exploiting a gap between the paras of the 6th Airborne Division and the commandos of the 1st Special Service Brigade the 346 Infanterie Division, supported by armour of the 21 Panzer Division attacked from Bréville towards Ranville across Drop Zone “N” which was littered with abandoned gliders. Supporting attacks were made on No 45 Commando in Amfreville and later on 9th Parachute Battalion in Bois des Monts.

The German attack commenced at 7:30am, although harassed by the British artillery the Germans advanced across Drop Zone “N” and were almost upon Ranville when concentrated close range fire from the paras of the 13th battalion smashed the attack. Although the Germans launched a serious attack on the commandos and a lighter attack on the 9th there attacks petered out during the day.

Although the Germans had been halted there were still plenty in a position to threaten Ranville. To remove them elements of the 7th Parachute Battalion supported by tanks of B Squadron 13/18th Royal Hussars launched a very successful counter attack starting at 3:30pm

Map and Order of Battle

British Deployment

No.4 Commando, No.6 Commando, No.45 Commando and 9th Para Battalion are deployed as shown on the map within the zones delineated by the pink hashed lines

13th Para Battalion can be deployed anywhere within 12" of Ranville.

All allied units are in foxholes (-2 Cover).

The 7th Parachute Battalion is a reinforcement. Before turn 7 roll for arrival - the unit arrives between points A & C  on a roll (d6) of 5-6. It it fails to arrive turn 7 it arrives turn 8 on a roll of 3-6. if it fails to arrive before, it will arrive on turn 9. The British player may delay arrival for a turn, in which case the unit may arrive anywhere on the board edge  from A to D

The M10 of the the 20th AT Regiment RA is a reinforcement. Before turn 5 roll for arrival - the unit arrives between points D to C  on a roll (d6) of 5-6. It it fails to arrive turn 6 it arrives turn 7 on a roll of 3-6. if it fails to arrive before, it will arrive on turn 9

Note Point C is 12" from Point B

No reinforcement can arrive within 12" and LOS of an un-demoralised enemy stand. If entry is impossible, the reinforcements can enter a turn later up to 12" from  their indicated entry location. If entry is still impossible move 12" further away every turn until entry is possible.

German Deployment

I/ 587 IR plus  II, III & Stab 858 IR are deployed in the zone delineated by the pink hashed lines

III Btl & Stab 857 IR; 2Kp 200StuG Abt and 4Kp 22 Pz Regt are in a single file column along road ZY in the order indicated on the map

Terrain

The table is 8ft x 5ft if playing 1" = 50m

The light green “woods” are actually orchards. These are very sparsely planted and visibility within is 300m (6"). However all are surrounded by high hedges or occasionally walls which will block line of site. Walls give -2 cover, hedges -1 cover. Treat the orchards as light woods.

The dark green woods are very heavily overgrown and are bad going for infantry (1/2 speed) and impassable for vehicles and manhandled guns

The yellow area is Drop Zone “N”. It is covered in abandoned Horsa and Hamilcar gliders and studded with 10 foot anti landing poles (which didn’t work!). Maximum range for effective direct fire in the landing zone is 300m (6"), though indirect fire can be called anywhere in the zone. Halted troops in the zone can use gliders as medium (-2) . The zone has an additional hazard for any tracked vehicle crossing it. It is strewn with abandoned parachute harness which may become entangled in the tracks (all 6th Airborne Armoured Recce’s Tetrarchs were immobilised this way on D-Day). For each vehicle moving in the zone roll 1d6 at the half way point of every move. On a 5-6 the vehicle is immobilised. To free the tank roll a 5-6 on a d6 at the end of any subsequent turn when the tank is not under fire. Add one to the roll each turn.

The red lines are roads – for the most part cobbled or tarmac. They are only one tank wide and outside Drop Zone “N” they have thick hedges each side which break LOS and give -1 cover. All stands on the road are assumed to be adjacent to both hedges at all times.

The green dotted lines are tall hedges and tree-lines that break LOS. -1 cover

The Grey squares are BUAs and are stone buildings (-3) cover. the small BUA's comprising Amfreville are only capable of holding a single stand. The Simple Town Fighting rules are in effect.

The Châteaux St Come is three stories high and on top of  a hill. From the top a person will have a good view over the entire battlefield. This means any stand in BUA can spot for IDF over all intervening terrain (but not into terrain. There is a 3" "shadow" behind all terrain that breaks LOS where the observer in the chateaux may not spot. Also note max visibility is 24"

The brown dotted lines are ridgelines. They do not offer commanding views but do break LOS and offer hull down positions

Special Rules

The game starts at 7:30am and finishes at 9pm turn 14 – turns are 1 hour long

It is raining max visibility is 24".

All of 346 ID's artillery is programmed to bombard No.4 Commando at the start of turn 1. Each stand in the commando will take a single hit at factor 5 and be suppressed. This means that the Germans will have no IDF at any other targets turn 1 and that the NbW will not be able to fire again until turn 3.

Victory Conditions

Most of the BUA's on board are worth 1VP. The Chateaux is worth 2 VP and Ranville is worth 3 VP. La Mariquet is worth NO VP as such, it is is south or road BQ

The Germans get two bonus VP if they have stands in good morale south or touching road BQ

The side with the most VP's wins the game

To hold a BUA on side must have the only stands wholly within in good morale. Good morale is not shaken or demoralised.

Historical Outcome

The counterattack by 7th Parachute Battalion supported by tanks of B Squadron 13/18th Royal Hussars was hugely successful in removing the Germans from the woods east of Ranville. The Germans retreated to their start positions in Bréville. Although the paras took few casualties the Hussars were not so lucky, loosing many tanks to AT guns in the Bréville area. The British didn’t have enough strength to advance on Bréville so reinforcements in the shape of the 5th Black Watch Battalion were brought up. However their attack did not go in until the 11th and turned in to an utter disaster. Breville did not fall until the 12th when taken by the scant reserves of the 6th Airborne Division

 

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