The British The Germans

Moving quickly out of the town of Villers-Bocage, Michael Wittmann, a veteran of four years of almost
A Squadron 4 CLY, veterans of the famous Eighth Army, constant combat, watches as the British column roars by his
advance down the road towards Caen. In the desert, you well-hidden tanks. With so much at stake, and his orders
can see the enemy from a distance. Here the troops scan the clearly defining his role, he decides to act immediately. A
surrounding hedges for any sign of the enemy, yet nothing simple plan of action emerges.
meets their gaze. Finally, after days of ambushes and frustra-
His once mighty company of 14 Tiger I E heavy tanks is now
tion, it’s back to the best days of the desert—fast free-wheel-
reduced to a mere five as the rest straggle in from the long
ing advances.
march. Yet Wittmann knows, even in such small numbers, a
They have encountered no enemy all day. Villagers flock to Tiger in the hands of his elite crews is more than a match for
wave at the column of troops as they pass, giving the march anyone. He orders four of his five tanks to take Point 213.
a festive air. ‘Perhaps the road is open all the way to Caen’, He will take the fifth tank alone on the most dangerous part
the desert veterans reason, an easy victory within their grasp. of the job, preventing British reinforcements from getting
to the hill until his men get the job done. With the enemy
Despite the general cheer, Major Scott, commanding the
tanks on the hill destroyed, together they can move to clear
squadron, is feeling pushed and claustrophobic in the dense
the town as well.
terrain. The advance is moving too fast. The recce troop sits
in the middle of the column rather than scouting out the The four mighty Tiger tanks run along a small dirt track
flanks and securing the route of march. Yesterday’s ambush parallel to the main paved road the British travel on. They
proved that the Stuarts don’t have the firepower for the job. must take the hill and secure it against all enemy attacks.
Each tank crew knows its duty to the Fatherland, each ready
The decision to preserve the strength of the recce troop is one
to sacrifice all if they must.
that will haunt the Major as events unfold.
Two of the tanks are commanded by platoon leaders, untried
The column pauses at the top of the hill providing a view
in armoured combat. The other two Tigers are crewed by
of the entire plain almost all the way to the coast. From the
veterans, ready and able to do battle. Hardened steel creeps
top, the city of Caen is visible in the distance. The heavy
forward, ready to take out the awaiting British on the hill.
bocage breaks up some of the view, but it is spectacular none
the less. Lieutenant Colonel Lord Cranley, the regimental The tanks move closer along the small track. There, hidden
commander, calls his officers forward to give them the in the bocage, sits the British advance guard, the officers in
next course of action. But that action will be decided for conference, the tank crews unprepared. The game of cat and
them. In the bocage another man has already begun to act mouse among the hedgerows begins.
in the decisive manner that has covered his gun barrel with
kill rings.

1
 GERMAN 101. SCHWERE SS-PANZERABTEILUNG
Obersturmführer Wittmann had only five tanks to stop the British at Villers-Bocage. He sent four (211, 221, 223, and 234)
to Point 213 and took his own tank back to Villers-Bocage to stop reinforcements arriving.

Tiger 211 Tiger 234

Tiger 211 was commanded by Obersturmführer Jürgen Unterscharführer Herbert Steif was another hardened combat
Wessel, a veteran of infantry combat on the East Front, but veteran of the Eastern Front. Steif had served in Tiger tanks
with no tank combat experience. with Wittmann earlier in the year.

Tiger 221 Tiger 223

Untersturmführer, George Hantusch in tank 221 led 2. Zug. Oberscharfürher Jürgen Brandt was a hardened combat
After combat in Russia in 1941, Hantusch studied mechani- veteran who joined the Tiger battalion to lead the recon-
cal engineering at the SS automotive school before becoming naissance platoon. Instead he found himself in a Tiger tank,
a Tiger commander. going on to rack up an impressive 57 kills.

2. Kompanie 101. s SS-PzAbt Tiger SS Tank Company (page 17 D-Day: Waffen-SS)

1. Zug. Tiger 211, Obersturmführer Jürgen Wessel Tiger SS Tank Company HQ
Tiger 234, Unterscharführer Herbert Steif (2x Tiger)
2. Zug. Tiger 221, Untersturmführer George Hantusch Tiger SS Tank Platoon
Tiger 223, Obersturmführer Jürgen Brandt (2x Tiger)
Use the Tiger Ace Command Cards

2
 BRITISH 4TH COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY
The 4th County of London Imperial Yeomanry (King’s With the situation on the Continent heating up once
Colonials) has a proud but fairly recent past. Originally again in the mid 1930’s, the army was expanded and, on
formed in November of 1901 at Charing Cross, London, its 27 September 1939, the 4th County of London Yeomanry
members came from throughout the British Empire. Each (Sharpshooters) (4 CLY) were formed as a duplicate of the
squadron was drawn from overseas residents from one area. 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) (3 CLY).
A Squadron was ‘British Asian’, B Squadron was ‘British
Their first battles were fought in the Western Desert with the
American’ or Canadian, C Squadron was Australasian, and
7th Armoured Division in Operation Crusader at the end of
D Squadron was ‘British African’ or South African. In 1902
1941. They continued to fight with the Desert Rats through
an E Squadron was added comprised of New Zealanders.
the rest of the Desert War and into Italy before returning to
The regiment was renamed in 1905 as The King’s Colonials, Britain at the end of 1943.
Imperial Yeomanry. While the name stuck, in 1909, each
There the Sharpshooters were issued fast Cromwell tanks,
of the separate ‘colony’ squadrons was discontinued and the
replacing the Sherman tanks they left in Italy. They landed
squadrons were homogenised. Then in 1910 the name was
in Normandy on D+1. After heavy losses at Villers-Bocage
changed a final time to King Edward’s Horse or The King’s
and in Operations Goodwood and Spring, they left the
Overseas Dominions Regiment. After being transferred to
7th Armoured Division and merged with 3 CLY on 1 August,
Special Reserve in 1913, the regiment was revived for the
1944 to form the 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry
First World War. There they fought at Mons, Loos, Ypres,
(Sharpshooters).
Cambrai, and Italy, before being disbanded in 1924.

A Squadron, 4 CLY Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured

Squadron (Page 54 D-Day: British)
Lieutenant Colonel Lord Cranley Formation Commander Daimler Dingo scout car
HQ Troop, Major Peter Scott Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured Squadron HQ
(2x Cromwell IV (75mm), 2x Cromwell CS (95mm))
1 Troop, A Squadron Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured Troop
(3x Cromwell (75mm), 1x Firefly (17 pdr))
2 Troop, A Squadron Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured Troop (as 1 Troop)
3 Troop, A Squadron Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured Troop (as 1 Troop)
4 Troop, A Squadron Desert Rats Cromwell Armoured Troop
(1x Cromwell 75mm)
‘O’ group, A Company, 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade 4x Unit Leader Bren Gun teams (LB161) with an M5 half-
track each (M5 half-track Transport Command Card)

3
 BATTLE FOR POINT 213
With its commanding views of the surrounding terrain, the Beginning the Battle
high ground is critical. By taking Point 213 you will be able 1. The British player starts the game Bailed Out and Pinned
to observe the ground all around, thereby dominating the Down as per the Tea Time special rule.
road all the way to Caen.
2. The German player takes the first turn and counts as
The Battle for Point 213 scenario uses the Random moving as per the Meeting Engagement special rule.
Deployment, Meeting Engagement, and Tea Time special
rules. Ending the Battle
Your Orders The battle ends:
• When the Germans take the Objective,
German • At the end of turn 12, or
You must take Point 213. By holding this you give the rest • When no German Tiger tanks remain on the table.
of I. SS-Panzerkorps the opportunity to counterattack the
Allied thrust, sending them reeling back from whence they Deciding who Won
came. The German player wins if they take the Objective thereby
breaking the British hold on Point 213 and freeing up the
British road for the advance to Villers-Bocage.
With you in possession of the hilltop, the enemy will have The British win if they can hold the objective thereby
to withdraw, offering your division the chance to begin the maintaining a jumping off point for the continued drive to
pursuit of the enemy. Caen.

Preparing for Battle

SPECIAL RULES
1. Set up the table as shown on page 5. The table is a
4’/120cm by 4’/120cm square. Mark the table centre. Tea time
2. The British player places the objective on the table no The British column having stopped for an ‘O’ Group
further than 12”/30cm from the table centre. has decided to have tea. The movement thus far has been
3. The British player now deploys their entire company un-eventful and the men are hungry. Gathering around the
on the table within 16”/40cm of the centre of the table. small fires the men begin to have a cup of tea and some food.
All Independent, Formation Commanders, and Unit Leaders All British Tank Teams start the game Bailed Out and all
teams must be deployed within 4”/10cm of Lord Cranley. British Units start the game Pinned Down.
4. The German player rolls for each of their Units deploying In addition, all Independent, Formation Commander, and
them in the table corner indicated by the dice using the Unit Leader teams must deploy within 4”/10cm of Lord
Random Deployment rules. On a 5 or 6 the Unit may be Cranley as they gather to receive orders.
deployed on any corner. The Tiger tanks are set up next to or
on the road at that corner on the edge of the table.
5. The German player rolls for their Tiger Ace abilities using
the Tiger Ace Command Cards.

VILLERS-BOCAGE CAMPAIGN
If you decide to play the Battle for Point 213 scenario as part teams, so must move directly towards their Unit Leader and
of a campaign with the other two Villers-Bocage scenarios in suffer the effects of being Out of Command. A Unit can only
this book, the outcome of Wittmann’s Wild Ride will change arrive if its Unit Leader is still at to lead it. If there is no
this scenario in the following ways: Unit Leader team for a Unit, the Unit will wait off the table,
only arriving when a Formation Commander is at ready
• If the German player won Wittmann’s Wild Ride, their
to take command at the start of the British player’s turn.
force this scenario is increased by a full strength SS Scout
Reconnaissance Platoon with Sd Kfz 250 half-tracks that • If Wittmann’s Wild Ride was a draw, then there is no
will arrive using the Delayed Reserves special rule on page change to this scenario.
104200 of the rulebook.
Different Choices
• If the British Player won Wittmann’s Wild Ride, then they Historically, Wittmann ordered all four of his Tiger tanks to
may bring all the remaining forces on as reinforcements in fight at Point 213, leaving him to fight alone.
this scenario. These reinforcements enter the table at        any
turn after the turn in which Wittmann was destroyed in this You could find out what would have happened if he had
game. So, if Wittmann was destroyed on turn 6, all remaining taken an additional Tiger tank with him instead. Add an extra
British forces can arrive in the Battle for Point 213 game from Tiger tank to support Wittmann in the Wittmann’s Wild
its turn 7. Of course, the arriving Units have no Unit Leader Ride scenario to represent this option. If you do this then
fight the Battle for Point 213, with one fewer Tiger tanks.
4
Point 213
Point 213 is the top of a gently-slop-
ing hill. The slope is so gentle that the
hill had no effect on the battle.

Bocage Hedgerows
All hedgerows on the table are Bocage
hedgerows. Bocage hedges are Tall,
Bulletproof, Difficult Terrain, so
require a Cross Test to get through.
They are Tall, blocking fields of view,
and their stony base gives teams hiding
behind them Bulletproof Cover.
The main road (shown in grey) is a
major thoroughfare. Wide and paved,
it offers vehicles more room to pass
than most other roads in the area.
Teams on the small side tracks (shown
in brown) are considered to be adjacent
to the hedgerows on both sides of
the road. The track is so narrow that
vehicles may neither pass nor turn on
them.
The Bocage rules are on pages 78 to 79
of the D-Day: British book and on our
website: www.FlamesOfWar.com.

OTHER PLACES, OTHER TIMES

As with Wittmann’s Wild Ride you can try this scenario with One of Otto Carius’s battles on the Eastern Front involved
other forces to see what would have happened had someone him and his company facing a Soviet tank force settling
other than the British 7th Armoured Division made the dash down for the night in a village in the middle of a forest.
to Villers-Bocage.
You could refight the scenario with a couple of T-34 Tank
You could refight the scenario with a US M4 Sherman Tank Companies (a few armed with 85mm guns) and a IS-2
Company from the 2nd Armored Division. Replace the Desert Guards Heavy Tank Company lining the village’s only road
Rats Cromwell Armoured Squadron with a M4 Sherman while their officers gather to get their orders.
Tank Company equipped entirely with M4 Sherman tanks
armed with 75mm guns. The Unit Leader infantry teams are
all M1 Garand rifle teams mounted in M3 half-tracks. The
soldiers are making breakfast, so the Tea Time special rule
still applies.