The Breville Gap – Game 5: 2nd Breville

The 2nd British attack on Breville. My force was unchanged. Colin built one of his "custom defensive companies" with as many platoons as possible.

German Grenadiers (Fortress Europe)
Something like:
HQ & 3 Grenadier Platoons
HMG Platoon
4 x 8cm Mortars
2 x 20mm FlaK
1 Section Scouts
3 x Nebelwerfers
4 x Marder IIIM
Full FJ Platoon

No. 6 Commando (Orne Commandos PDF)
HQ, Lovat & PIAT
4 x Commando Sections
3 x Commando 3” Mortars
2 x Commando Vickers MMG
4 x M10 3” SPAT
8 x 25-pounders
Limited Typhoons




The Table, Germans deployed Grenadiers, Mortars, PaK 40s and more Grenadiers.


British Deployment

Turn 1 & 2




The British advance across the board, Artillery spots nothing and Air Support is not called



On Turn 2 a German Grenadier Platoon doubles on from reserve. Apart from that the Germans do nothing.

Turn 3



The Commando 4th Section moves up to assault the Grenadiers. 25-pounders provide the pin; the assault destroys two teams and the Grenadiers break-off.

Elsewhere, German Nebelwerfers and a pair of 20mm FlaK arrives from reserve.

Turn 4





Commando 4th Section assaults the (still pinned) Grenadiers again, destroying them over two rounds. They then Breakthrough-assault the PaK 40 and observer in the orchard (destroying both) and consolidate around the objective.








The German CO spots a Troop of Commandos across the road...





German Marders arrive from reserve. In their half the Germans also reveal their Ambush...of Fallschirmjaeger. From the picture they are plainly deployed illegally (within 6” and LoS). Despite an argument, Colin insists they can deploy there and I can’t really be bothered anymore. FJ were never present in the Orne region anyway, so our “historical forces” were already going downhill...






The inevitable assault forces the Commando to break off, and I then fail motivation for being below half. M10s also take fire, losing 2 vehicles to Marder fire. Nebelwerfers later snipe another and the platoon departs.





Turn 5






I smother the FJ platoon with artillery and MG fire, destroying nearly half the platoon. Commando 1st Section then clears Grenadiers from the southern-most house.





In Colin’s bound Scouts and 2 HMGs double-on from reserve. The FJ launches an assault against the house the 1st Commando Section just took, but drag in the Commando 3rd Section. Despite 12-odd shots I only manage 4 hits, but destroy 2 out of 4 assaulting teams. Colin then destroys a team, and the Commandos wipe-out the FJ in the counter-attack.

Turn 6 +





Commando 2nd Section, having been advancing up the British right under the cover of a smokescreen, now launches an assault into the wood.



Several Grenadiers and 2 HMGs are destroyed. All German platoons counter but to little damage, but annoyingly I then fail to counter and have to break-off.

At this time is getting late and Colin calls it quits. We had both lost 2 Platoons, but with 3 viable Commando Sections I believe could have take either objective in another turn, German platoons consisting of 6 Grenadiers, 2 Grenadiers, 2 Scouts, PaK 40 and Command team


Despite not having actually “finished” the campaign, Colin and I both agreed to call it a stalemate. Retrospectively we should have started this earlier I think, as we’ve both been using the current armies for a while now and feel the need for a change of forces and playing style. I also found the usual problem: keeping other people interested in a campaign of any sort can be tough. I suppose as I am very interested by the whole history of the forces and fighting in the Orne Bridgehead this isn’t a problem for me. A disappointing way to end the campaign nonetheless.



I should have Part 2 of the British Painting Guide finished in the next week or so, I’ve just been preoccupied with other things lately. I will also amend the posts: Part 1 will be re-worked and focus on British Infantry in North-West Europe, Part 2 Italy and Part 3 Commandos and Airborne. So they’ll be WiP for a while since I can never do things in the correct order, but ultimately the division into theatres should make more sense and be much more useful.


CdlT