Brest Defences1

The Brittany Campaign 1944 (3)
The Brest Defences - 14 to 16 September 1944

By David Bickley
Introduction but German sources suggest that the real defensive
position at that time was a nearby Organization
With the successful capture of Hill 103 the Americans Todt work camp! The Germans wanted to hold up the
had a clear view over the city of Brest and its Americans in the area for several days, as they were
defences, but more importantly they had a post for busy constructing a defensive line some distance in
their artillery observers. As the advance continued, their rear. The defenders now comprised the 5th and
on 5 September 1944 the 5th Rangers captured 6th Companies of Falschirmjager Regiment 2, together
three fortified positions on the Bay of Brest and with hastily collected non combatant elements pressed
on 6 September the US Air Force heavily bombed into service from rear echelon formations.
the city’s defences. Such was the vigour of these
attacks that the Germans decided to withdraw into Elements from Fallschirmjäger Regt 2*
their secondary defensive positions. Probing infantry HQ
were dismayed to discover these were merely a few CO + 5 figures
hundred yards closer to Brest. On 8 September
these positions were attacked, capturing three
strongpoints in the line, including the reinforced
anti-aircraft position known as Fort Kerrognant. On
5th Company 6th Company
9 September the village of Penfeld was captured 10 figures 10 figures
and on 11 September the assault resumed, but found
itself stalled by Forts Keranroux and Montbarey, two
mutually supporting positions dominating the last high
ground to the north west of the walls of the city of
Brest itself.
The Situation
Rear Echelon Troops*
On 12/13 September the Americans made sent out CO + 20 figures
patrols against these two positions and mounted
a series of probing attacks. The forts were also
subjected to heavy artillery bombardment. On 13
September a further two hour bombardment and the
laying of an extensive smokescreen preceded another
attack. In a swift advance under cover of smoke the
175 Infantry entered Fort Keranroux and mopped
* no anti-tank weapons
up the surviving members of the garrison, despite
heavy German artillery fire. Ten American casualties
resulted, but 107 Germans were captured. Next On 12 September 2/115 Infantry halted their attacks
target of the attack was the remaining strongpoint, on the area so that 3/115 Infantry could pass safely
Fort Montbarey. through their positions and take up the attack. In
the movement some 219 Germans were captured when
Fort Montbarey surprised unprepared in a complex of bunkers. In
total some four bunkers were cleared by surprise as
Fort Montbarey had earth filled masonry walls Company H/115 had somehow passed unseen between
some forty feet in thinkness and was surrounded two enemy outposts and penetrated the defensive
by a moat some 15’ wide. The area to its north was ring. A gap of some 500 yards had been opened in
covered by 20mm gun positions and rifle pits. Barbed the enemy’s defences. As ever in warfare though, for
wire entanglements dominated its front, covering a totally inexplicable reasons this advantage was not
minefield which included 300lb naval shells fused to immediately exploited.
explode when stepped on! The fort’s main function
in the Brest defences had been to act as a signal On 13 September the German’s fire pushed the
station and store; it seemed it was never seen as a Americans out of the ditch around the fort which
strongpoint! they had occupied on the previous day. Supported
by the newly arrived 116 Infantry in a series of local
The fighting to capture Fort Montbarey began on 11 attacks the Germans were steadily pushed back on 14
September when the 2/115 moved forward. It would September until the fort was partially surrounded.
seem that at that point the fort was unmanned, but The main units involved at that stage were 116
the attackers were driven off by a very heavy German Infantry, men from 121 Engineer Battalion, a platoon
artillery barrage. The attacking Americans estimated of 4.2” mortars and three tank destroyers from 821
the strength of the German defenders at over 200, Tank Destroyer Battalion. The British sent a tank
squadron of 19 Churchill tanks from the 29th Division
at Montbarey, B/141 Royal Armoured Corps. Each
B Squadron/ 141st Regiment RAC
of the 15 Churchill Crocodile tanks was equipped as 3 x Churchill Crocodile, Churchill (95mm), Churchill (75mm)
flamethrower tanks, mounting a 75mm gun, machine
gun and a flamethrower device. In addition there
were two 95mm armed Churchills and two command
tanks. A Crocodile was equipped with a 400 gallon
trailer allowing 120 seconds of fire at an effective
range of 80 yards. These tanks’ radios were not able
to function on American frequencies; instead all
communications were through the command tanks. In
addition the tanks had Cullin hedgerow cutters welded
to their fronts to help deal with obstacles around the
fort.
On 14 September the assault on Fort Montbarey

began in earnest as the crocodiles, supported by
American infantry, began to move forward. German
positions outside the fort’s walls were without anti-
tank weapons, so the infantry occupying these soon
115 & 116 Infantry

HQ Rifle Company
CO + 5 figures, 60mm mortar 10 figures, Bazooka fell back into the fort. Some 60 men safely reached
the position, covered by the smoke from the flame
throwing tanks! Inside the fort the communications
had been destroyed, so the Garrison found itself
isolated. There was no ammunition store and little
water, but there was a supply of gas masks. These
were to prove useful. The 60 defenders were armed
Rifle Company Rifle Company
with small arms, grenades and three machineguns. At
10 figures, Bazooka 10 figures, Bazooka
16.15 the attack on the fort itself began.
First the American Engineers had to clear a path

through the minefield under cover of a smoke screen.
When that task had been accomplished three Churchill
Crocodile Tanks moved forward supported by B/116.
Heavy Weapons Company The attack was supported by fire from the tank
9 figures, 50cal HMG, 30cal MMG, 81mm mortar
destroyers, focused on likely gun positions. One tank
exhausted its supply of fuel and fell into an anti-
tank ditch, the second was blown up by a mine, while
the third made it close to the walls but could find no
opening through which to flame the fort’s interior! One
command tank hit a mine and two other Crocodiles,
Chemical Company Engineer Company only to be stuck in a crater and an anti-tank ditch in
4 figures, 4.2" mortar 10 figures, 4 x demolition charge, turn. However, despite this unpromising showing, the
Bazooka cover it provided had allowed the infantry to eliminate
all defences except those with the fort itself.
The German defenders had only survived the attack

because the supply of gas masks had enabled them to
breathe despite the smoke and fumes. Now they set
Tank Destroyer Platoon 4 figures, 105mm howitzer, about blocking the burnt out doorway with a stone
M10 tank destroyer (76mm) prime mover barricade. During the night of 14/15 September
American engineers cleared another path for the
tanks and at 0830 another attack was launched, this
time with engineers constructing a causeway across
the anti-tank ditch. This attack almost completed the
surrounding of the fort, with only a narrow gap open
to its southeast. By 1030 the Crocodiles had used up
all their fuel in flaming the forts walls without causing
a single casualty or effecting an entry. An armoured
bulldozer was deployed to try to clear the fort’s
entry, but the driver was killed by sniper fire.
Battle Map
Fort
Montbarey
American
attack
KEY
Determined to defend their position to the ‘last
cartridge’, if not to the ‘last man’, the defenders the British tanks Barbed wire
refused two requests to surrender, so, on 16 be used.} If the
September the final attack began. Three Crocodiles Americans do Trench
moved up to flame the fort while the tank destroyers not achieve this
fired some 200 rounds of HE against the fort’s objective, then
the German player
Minefield
doorway at a range of less than 200 yards. The
defenders were forced by the flaming to leave their wins phase one.
positions on the walls while the Americans, under Road
covering fire, penetrated a tunnel under the moat In the second
and entered the passageways under the fort. Now stage of the Wood
a 105mm howitzer was bought up and the barricade game, lasting
destroyed by some 20 rounds of HE. The enemy were no more than
discouraged from targeting the gun crew by infantry ten turns, the Pillbox
fire in support. Now three further Crocodiles moved Americans may
forward to flame the fort. A further Churchill moved deploy all their Fields with
up to replace the howitzer and continued to fire HE forces and the hedgerows
into the fort’s gateway while engineers beneath the British tanks;
fort prepared a massive charge. However, realising even if they did
the position was now hopeless, the Germans decided not win the first
to surrender! Some 80 Falschirmjagers were phase.
captured, the defenders having suffered only one
wounded man in the entire attack! The German player gets no reinforcements, but gets
to hold any positions outside the moat still in his
Winning the game. hands at the end of the first phase of the game or
may remove all his force into the fort itself. To win
I would suggest playing the game on an 8’ x 4’ table in the game the Americans must capture the fort and/or
two separate stages on the tabletop. The fort should force the Germans to surrender. Any other outcome
occupy the centre of the table and not be too large. is a German victory!
There are some nice fortifications available, which,
while not necessarily historically accurate, should look Afterword
nice in a WW II game.
Well, there you are, I hope this scenario has got you
The first stage is the American infantry attack to interested in something other than a ‘Panzer Parade’
clear out the Germans from around the fort. The as the basis of a game. Most players should have
defenders should be deployed within six inches access to the vehicles and figures requires, though
of the fort’s moat at the start of the game. The the fort, moat and ditches may need to be built or
American infantry enter from the west. In some 12 bought specially. If you’ve no crocodiles then use
turns the Americans must drive the defenders into ordinary Churchills to stand in for them, though I’m
the fort to claim a win. {They may not deploy their sure there are models available on the market.e. In
tanks destroyers or howitzer in this phase, nor may the meantime, as Major Dallas said, “Blow them all up!”

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The Brittany Campaign 1944 (3)

The Brest Defences - 14 to 16 September 1944

On 14 September the assault on Fort Montbarey

115 & 116 Infantry

First the American Engineers had to clear a path

The German defenders had only survived the attack

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