Colonel Wittmann I am clearly not

Gaming the 75th Anniversary of D-Day





I am playing Normandy 44 Gold by John Tiller Software and the Wargame Design Studio.







I suffered major defeats, lost half my tank strength and never inflicted more than eight lost vehicles on the enemy. My best scenario result was a draw (I seized both objectives and held them because the Allied AI regrouped and ran out of time). Yesterday, I played the “Proving them wrong” (June 13) scenario about a half dozen times as the Axis and didn’t come close to replicating the historical result for the Battle of Villers-Bocage.I suffered major defeats, lost half my tank strength and never inflicted more than eight lost vehicles on the enemy.My best scenario result was a draw (I seized both objectives and held them because the Allied AI regrouped and ran out of time).





Wittmann’s advantages came from the application of his force on a tactical level, achieving surprise and German tank superiority. The combination of these factors enabled Wittmann and his platoon to destroy 12+ tanks in under 15 minutes. I barely managed 8 destroyed tanks in 10 hours. Maybe the results can be adjusted by improving the Tigers’ even more, or by lowering the unit quality of the Allied forces even more. My not reaching the historical victory of 30+ destroyed vehicles could be because of my command ability, (Colonel Wittmann I am clearly not), but I think it has more to do with the limitations of this operational game.Wittmann’s advantages came from the application of his force on a tactical level, achieving surprise and German tank superiority.The combination of these factors enabled Wittmann and his platoon to destroy 12+ tanks in under 15 minutes.I barely managed 8 destroyed tanks in 10 hours.Maybe the results can be adjusted by improving the Tigers’ even more, or by lowering the unit quality of the Allied forces even more.





I just didn’t come anywhere near the historical combat result. That said, I played the hell out of this scenario and almost achieved a minor victory.I just didn’t come anywhere near the historical combat result.











Some other thoughts

I am a fan of smaller scale JTS Panzer Campaigns scenarios due to my personal limitations on gaming time.





The map is 12km by 10km (postage stamp sized really), and the highest elevation points are 200m. You can see below that the French bocage country is well represented with the graphic choices by the game designers. “Proving them wrong” is a short 5 turn (10 hour) scenario.The map is 12km by 10km (postage stamp sized really), and the highest elevation points are 200m.You can see below that the French bocage country is well represented with the graphic choices by the game designers.













Wittman’s tanks are “A” quality and 7th Armoured’s Fireflys and Cromwells are C quality. There is no artillery support for either force. The German infantry has an advantage in quality and quantity. The Germans have a superior but smaller armored force (reflected in the Victory Point totals below).Wittman’s tanks are “A” quality and 7Armoured’s Fireflys and Cromwells are C quality.There is no artillery support for either force.The German infantry has an advantage in quality and quantity.

As I said, I tried this scenario multiple times and the best combat result that I achieved was when I isolated, then disordered the defensive force on Hill 213 before finally assaulting it.

The assault pictured below occurred on turn 3 and it took two more assaults to reduce the force on 213, but I ran out of time before I could secure the objective. During that play-through my Tigers spent the first few hours of the battle pounding the Hill from 1-2km away (Tiger range is 2 hexes) while I moved 3.130 Abt. from Panzer Lehr into place.The assault pictured below occurred on turn 3 and it took two more assaults to reduce the force on 213, but I ran out of time before I could secure the objective.









If I was going to play this scenario again, I would attack Hill 213 first, rather than attack the town of Villers-Bocage and Hill 213 simultaneously (this was my strategy for every play through).





Concentrating and then attacking with that much infantry and Wittmann’s supporting tanks should yield the 50-point objective with minimal loss.





During your planning, keep in mind that Villers-Bocage is only worth 20 victory points and is vulnerable to forces occupying the higher ground west and south of the town.





I have added the label, and you can The map included within the game for this scenario has omitted the label for Hill 213, even though it was a key part of this battle.I have added the label, and you can download the revised map file here





You can also read the actual scenario description below:





Villers Bocage, west of Caen: The 13th of June will forever be remembered in the annals of armored warfare as the day when so few defeated so many near the little Norman town of Viller-Bocage. Elements of the 4th City of London Yeomanry, of the 7th British Armoured Division, the famed "Desert Rats", had halted for mid-morning tea after executing a left hook in the drive for Caen. Unfortunately for them they were about to face a small battle group of the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. But this was no ordinary battlegroup! This was the famous German Tiger Ace, Michael Wittman. A Veteran panzer commander with 117 tank kills on the Russian Front. Wittman was not a man to worry about odds in an attack and as he seized the opportunity is said to have stated "They're acting as if they'd won the war already. We're going to prove them wrong". [Size: mini; Length: 5 turns]





A related, much larger scenario of comparable length is the 7 turn “Caumont Gap” scenario pictured below.











