Battle of Romagny, 11th August 1944

In early August 1944 XLVII Panzer Korps launched a counter offensive against the US troops involved Operation Cobra. This is usually referred to as the Mortain Counter Attack. By the 11th of August the German attack had failed and the Americans had regained the initiative.

On the 11th the 30th Infantry Division was tasked with taking the town of Romagny from the 2 SS Panzer Division. Spearheading the attack was the 1st Battalion 119th Infantry Regiment. At the same time elements of the 120th Infantry Regiment were clearing Kampfgruppe Ulrich off height 285.

The scenario depicts the attack of the Americans against the Germans

Deployment

OB is here. All units are deployed as shown on the map. All German non-vehicle stands are dug-in. The stands of the II Abteilung 3SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment can be under command of the command stand or the command infantry stand, player's choice.

Terrain Notes

Red lines are main roads, pink lines are minor roads. The black dotted line is a railway.

Green areas are open woods, the grey areas are stone buildings

The blue lines are small streams. They are no impediment to movement but offer cover similar to trenches for infantry.

The brown dotted lines are ridge lines - which are easier to model than contours (if you are interested in contours I refer you to page 219 of Victory at Mortain by MJ Reardon). ridge line break Line of Sight and provide hull down positions to AFVs touching them.

This is bocage country. All roads are bordered by bocage hedges and the "open" ground is divided in to small fields. If done right the ridge lines are pretty much superfluous except to break the long LOS down the roads.

Special Rules

There are no special rules. The first US attacks were launched at dawn, and with the long summer days there is unlikely to be a time limit on the game

Victory Conditions

For a decisive victory the US forces must take Romagny. For a marginal victory they must take La Roche Gris. For a decisive German victory all three Shermans must be destroyed or forced to flee from the table. All other results are a draw

Historical Outcome

Major Herlong of the 119th had two of his companies make a feint attack from the west. Once the Germans were distracted he launched an attack from the south with his other company and the tanks. This took the Germans off-balence and allowed the GIs to take the village. In the north the 120th pushed back the demoralised Kampfgruppe Ulrich.

References

Iron Fist: A Combat History of the 17th SS, Anthony Munoz

Normandy 1944, Nicklass Zetterling

Victory at Mortain, Mark J Reardon