Event AAR underneath photos, scroll Down!
22nd of September, 1944.
We have been continuing our advance as per our orders. Our section had been dispatched from our Battalion to confirm and if possible rescue a section of British paratroopers thought to be nearby. Using a dirt road into the Dutch Forest our unit was cut down to minimal strength due to men being on sick parade or needing to practice the piano. With our Officers and NCOs out of the picture our Old Contemptible took charge of the section.
Our section linked up with some yank section of Infantry and we advanced with all causation with our rifles at the port towards gunfire. We made visual contact with a company of SS putting our Airborne boys to cricket. Let’s just say they’d been Bowled fairly hard and relieving their position was to be a sticky wicket.
We took up positions in the woods opposite of the Jerry area of operations. while the American section attempted a flanking attack, we never heard or saw those yanks again. Having made our position, several SS tried to secure the tree line we held to the detriment of their health. Our Old Contemptible was wounded but we continued to hold. Once he was back in fighting shape he ordered a general bayonet charge. The handful of SS still guarding our airborne lads were caught off guard and were either felled or falling for retreat. Once we captured the position, we received word to fall back and rest.
After having some locally obtained Dutch bread, salted hard tack, and water we reentered the field of operations. There myself and our Old contemptible noticed Jerry was building a defensive line. It was decided to begin outflanking our opponent and causing him to divert his defensive to cover multiple approaches for the inevitable scrum to begin with an allied offensive in the area. We hiked over what seemed hill and dale until finally converging on Jerry’s rear.
Our resulting fire cut down plenty of unaware SS men and even caused a pair to surrender (the SS men grenades their own surrendering men). What more was a pair of our section was able to secure the heights above the SS entrenchments. But we lacked the man power to utilize such a position to it’s full potential. At some point the SS must have realized that and came under a flag of truce asking for our surrender. Our Old Contemptible told them no and I asked if they would surrender to us. They walked back to their defensive positions in quite the dejected state.
We held a somewhat defensive position behind logs and trees to await our inevitable extinction. That’s when our Airborne lads returned, and in greater numbers. Deploying several MG positions to fell their outer most defenders. Airborne Riflemen and our section advanced to the the edge of a tree line and cut down the few SS trying to flank our MG lads and a counter attack. With the SS’s numbers thinned the Americans finally arrived on the opposite front and began an attack in earnest (Americans late as usual). As the enemy attempted to relocate, or turn to meet this new attack, we were able to cut more of them down. Unbeknownst to me until I turned around to reload, in the fire fight the Airborne’s Colour Sergeant was cut down after valiantly leading his men to link up with us. In the ensuing confusion discipline and stoicism rose. It was agreed a bayonet charge would be required to remove the handful of holdouts.
As we all rushed the enemy, they panicked and stood up to meet us. Our charging riflemen and MG positions set them back to the ground. Almost all of those charging were wounded or killed. But the holdouts were now standing up and looking around to gut us where we lay. Had it not been for the American charge (again late to the engagement) the three remaining SS men would have held the position and gutted us.
In essence our day had included linking up with our Airborne lads, Billy goating over hill and dale, holding off various German counter attacks, been on the verge of being extinguished, and then bayonet charges.
-Private Shaw
We have been continuing our advance as per our orders. Our section had been dispatched from our Battalion to confirm and if possible rescue a section of British paratroopers thought to be nearby. Using a dirt road into the Dutch Forest our unit was cut down to minimal strength due to men being on sick parade or needing to practice the piano. With our Officers and NCOs out of the picture our Old Contemptible took charge of the section.
Our section linked up with some yank section of Infantry and we advanced with all causation with our rifles at the port towards gunfire. We made visual contact with a company of SS putting our Airborne boys to cricket. Let’s just say they’d been Bowled fairly hard and relieving their position was to be a sticky wicket.
We took up positions in the woods opposite of the Jerry area of operations. while the American section attempted a flanking attack, we never heard or saw those yanks again. Having made our position, several SS tried to secure the tree line we held to the detriment of their health. Our Old Contemptible was wounded but we continued to hold. Once he was back in fighting shape he ordered a general bayonet charge. The handful of SS still guarding our airborne lads were caught off guard and were either felled or falling for retreat. Once we captured the position, we received word to fall back and rest.
After having some locally obtained Dutch bread, salted hard tack, and water we reentered the field of operations. There myself and our Old contemptible noticed Jerry was building a defensive line. It was decided to begin outflanking our opponent and causing him to divert his defensive to cover multiple approaches for the inevitable scrum to begin with an allied offensive in the area. We hiked over what seemed hill and dale until finally converging on Jerry’s rear.
Our resulting fire cut down plenty of unaware SS men and even caused a pair to surrender (the SS men grenades their own surrendering men). What more was a pair of our section was able to secure the heights above the SS entrenchments. But we lacked the man power to utilize such a position to it’s full potential. At some point the SS must have realized that and came under a flag of truce asking for our surrender. Our Old Contemptible told them no and I asked if they would surrender to us. They walked back to their defensive positions in quite the dejected state.
We held a somewhat defensive position behind logs and trees to await our inevitable extinction. That’s when our Airborne lads returned, and in greater numbers. Deploying several MG positions to fell their outer most defenders. Airborne Riflemen and our section advanced to the the edge of a tree line and cut down the few SS trying to flank our MG lads and a counter attack. With the SS’s numbers thinned the Americans finally arrived on the opposite front and began an attack in earnest (Americans late as usual). As the enemy attempted to relocate, or turn to meet this new attack, we were able to cut more of them down. Unbeknownst to me until I turned around to reload, in the fire fight the Airborne’s Colour Sergeant was cut down after valiantly leading his men to link up with us. In the ensuing confusion discipline and stoicism rose. It was agreed a bayonet charge would be required to remove the handful of holdouts.
As we all rushed the enemy, they panicked and stood up to meet us. Our charging riflemen and MG positions set them back to the ground. Almost all of those charging were wounded or killed. But the holdouts were now standing up and looking around to gut us where we lay. Had it not been for the American charge (again late to the engagement) the three remaining SS men would have held the position and gutted us.
In essence our day had included linking up with our Airborne lads, Billy goating over hill and dale, holding off various German counter attacks, been on the verge of being extinguished, and then bayonet charges.
-Private Shaw