Section Leaders:
Fionn Kelly & Madmatt

Riesberg

German – Riesberg
Turn 16

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ORDERS FOR SIXTEENTH MINUTE

  I fully anticipate that the US tanks will split; one will drive out of town parallel to the road and attempt to finish the destruction of Bahr’s platoon. Therefor, I order Bahr to get into the thick woods and deep culverts that line the road, and hide as best he can. If the enemy tank manages to find a firing position, Bahr will be annihilated. Even if they survive, the newly observed Americans are all around him; there is no way he can disengage without annihilation.

The other tank will drive toward Meister’s men, and the error I made so long ago regarding Ploebsch will now spill the blood of Meister’s command. Without effective anti tank weaponry (my men seem reluctant to use their Panzerfausts against the tanks) I can only order Meister to seek shelter behind the church, attempting to keep an obstacle between himself and the tanks. Thieser, alone in his building, must remain there; moving would only expose him to gunfire from every US unit around him.

Meister’s veteran squad is to join my command section in the building adjacent to where Eymer and Jacob were killed. We must prevent the Americans from cutting off our route out of town. But here there are two courses.

Should we remain in this building as a simple block in case the enemy attempts to move through their building? If that happens we will kill them for certain. If the enemy squads remain in place, though, I will be unable to hurt them. Additionally, the tank that will certainly come up the road will be able to completely dominate the area, and prevent any of my remaining men in the center of town from escaping.

If, on the other hand, I order my ad hoc group to run into the building now containing those US infantry and we can kill them, we will most probably have time to get back to positions hiding us from the fire of the US tanks. After that, Meister’s men should be able get from the church to the rear of the town, and from there can disengage. However, there is the risk that both Meister’s veterans and myself will be killed. I decide that, after Meister’s veterans reach me, we will, in fact, go forward to attempt to push the US infantry out of their building in preparation for getting out of the town. I will delay the movement of my HQ section in an attempt to ensure that we and Meister’s veterans will make the rush together.

Schafer’s first squad must move forward to support the third. Only together can they stand fast in the face of the renewed enemy infantry assault.

If I and Meister’s men cannot clear the route behind us immediately, we will be unable to clear it at all; the tank will guarantee that. If such happens, I will be forced to ask for terms to prevent the futile loss of not only my own life, but those of the rest

ACTION IN SIXTEENTH MINUTE 

I have made serious errors in every way regarding the firefight for control of the route out of town. Firstly, Meister’s veteran squad moves more quickly than I anticipated, and enters the enemy-occupied building alone. There, they find that the enemy is not going to be driven out, for a company command group has joined them. Almost immediately Meister’s veteran squad has only one man remaining. Then, when I and my assistants attempt to aid them, we are subjected to a storm of small arms fire that was intended for the veterans; another man of my section is killed. It is becoming apparent that the stress of this battle, combined with all the battles that came before, has been having an adverse effect on my judgment.

“This shows clearly the mistakes I made in rushing the American infantry in the town’s center.”

Meister’s forward squads are not crushed by tank gunfire as I had feared, but they are now surrounded; the American infantry I am fighting sit along their withdrawal route. The tanks, though they did not this turn, would have no problem nosing among the buildings, hunting down my men piece by piece.

Elsewhere, matters are almost as bad. Schafer eliminates the HQ section of the veteran infantry, as well as reducing them to two one-man squads. These two men are no longer a threat. However, two more enemy squads, one apparently composed of inexperienced soldiers and the other of regulars, charge in from behind. The shell-shocked survivors of Lamp’s platoon fight bravely, inflicting casualties, but are themselves eliminated. Schafer’s men, turning toward the new, greater threat, cause more damage, and kill or wound half the Americans. Still, there is no denying the fact that Schafer and his platoon, like the rest of my men, are exhausted. The fact that the two enemy squads boldly charge forward into Schafer’s position despite the treatment they have already endured leads me to believe I have not hurt the Americans as badly as I had hoped. These enemy troops show no signs of panic, while Schafer’s men are at their very limit.

“Schafer’s men have eliminated one threat (the enemy infantry at left) only to face another.”

Bahr and his survivors are safely in cover, but it matters little. They have no way to disengage. Thieser is in the same situation. Surrounded by the enemy, movement invites only a storm of gunfire that they cannot counter.