Massacre at Maltot

 Enthused by his initial wargame, Ben requested another game before he had to head off home.  We chose a Normandy scenario based upon the operation to secure the village of Maltot near to Hill 112.

Maltot village, held by elements of 272 Infantry Division and supported by 10th SS Panzer Division in reserve, was a key objective for the Allies, in order to secure the high ground over looking Caen, Hill 112.

Here is the centre of Maltot, with German defences extended forward into the hedgerows and buildings.

On the British right flank are the Churchill tanks of 9RTR, supported by 5 Wilts and a 25pdr battery in direct support.

The Germans have infantry, anti-tank guns and machine guns in defensive positions.

A feature on the German right flank is the Chateau, held by elements of 272 Infantry.

The British left flank consists of more tanks from 9RTR, 4 Wilts and another battery of 25pdrs.  There are also some Royal Artillery M10 tank destroyers and an air OP.

Ben kicks off with and armoured push straight into the village.

Unsupported, one of the M10s falls victim to a Panzerfaust fired from the buildings:

The same fate falls upon a Churchill that gets too close to the infantry in the hedgerows.

And a second M10 is taken out by a Panzer IV lurking behind a hedge.

Two Tigers from 10 SS rumble forward on the German left and make short work of another Churchill.

And further Churchill burns in the village.

Having rallied, more Churchills enter the village, having driven out the German infantry in the large building.

Attention shifts to the German right flank as 4 Wilts begin their advance:

German infantry destroy a Churchill at close range:

And the Tigers take out the last of the 9 RTR tanks on the left flank.

A third Tiger edges through the streets and scores a hit, destroying another British tank.

Just as things were going well for the Germans, Typhoons streak over the battlefield, however instead of attacking the German Tigers, they make an attack on the infantry in the Chateau, forcing them to retreat.

A second RAF attack takes out a Panzer IV by the Chateau.  It is clear that Ben is making a concerted effort to attack the German right flank.

In the centre, the 10 SS Tigers drive the British out of the village, destroying another Churchill in the process.

An artillery strike destroys the last defenders of the German right hedgerow:

And one of the Tigers is taken out, but it is too late, the British are forced back and Maltot remains in German hands.

The British commander draws out the mess Webley and goes off to do the decent thing....

A very interesting game, with some stark lessons learned.  Unsupported tanks do not fare well in close country, and the Allied airpower should have been directed at the Tigers.  The British artillery could have been better used to soften up the hedgerows.  As in real life, Maltot was a really tough nut to crack, but I am sure the same mistakes will not be made in the future.

The game was played using modified Memoir '44 rules, a mix of mostly Airfix figures and Roco tanks.

The Churchill tank memorial at Hill 112, Normandy