"O" Group" Drop the bridge. 1940

"O" Group" Drop the bridge.  Nouvion, 25th May 1940

The Cameron Highlanders hold the line to the Durham's right.  The Dorsets are on the left.  HQ has ordered a last stand whilst the beach  evacuation begins.  Several waves of Germans will attack the Durham's line, a Panzer attack, an Infantry attack and a Mixed Force attack.  This could get nasty.  

An engineer platoon has been attached to the Durhams and is under orders to drop the bridge.  If they succeed the Durhams will buy enough time to begin evacuating.  If they fail its off to a German POW camp.

German Aerial Recce Photo, Nouvion May 1940.

The famous girder bridge, pride of the town of Nouvion.  The Royal Engineers attached to the Durhams have plans to drop it into the river.

The North Durham Fusiliers: 

 HQ, F.O. and 3” mortars, along with three Infantry companies. 

An infantry company consists of one Company Commander and three Infantry Rifle platoons. British platoons were generally organised with three sections per platoon. 

My support choices are: 

Recce Carrier Platoon (One Infantry platoon with two carriers: 4 points) 

Support Platoon 

One Vickers MMG and one Boys AT Rifle 3 pts.

Lt Freddie Dibnah and his Engineer platoon, bridge demolition a speciality. 3pts.

365 Regt (the Bonn Boys) 1st Bn

Battalion HQ Company, including the HQ and FO, along with three Infantry companies. 

An infantry company consists of one Company Commander and three Infantry Rifle platoons. German platoons were generally organised on a square platoon structure of four sections per platoon.

Support Platoons 

Machine Gun Platoon  Three MG34 sections, 1 per company: 6 points

Reconnaissance Motorcycle Platoon: 3 Motorcycle sections: 4 points

Deep Pockets Reserves

1st Panzer, Lt Gruber in his Pz I, plus Smallhausen in an Sdkfz 222

1st Panzer, Hauptman Geering, Pz II troop, 2 tanks.

1st Panzer, Col. von Strohm Pz III troop, 2 tanks.

More than three ones in my set up roll gives the Germans a "hesitant" Company,  Not a good start.

The British Combat patrols go down,  The green dice indicates my HQ Orders.

The Germans get some Combat Patrols down and begin to creep forward

And the Germans bring on their armour in a race for the bridge

The Germans are trying to overcome the area around the bridge with heavy firepower.  

My old 1:200 Skytrex PzIV don`t really look the part except as generic German tanks.

The Durham fusiliers however are using the buildings for cover

And that Hesitant Company finally get moving, only to get hammered crossing the stream.

With its leading platoons suppressed the German A company is in trouble.

And a localised counter attack by the British carriers and a supporting platoon damages the Germans "B" Company too.  

The Germans cross the bridge but the lead tank is knocked out.

With orders to push the wreck clear the Germans try to get through

The bridge blows as Lt Pea, the former Grammar school science teacher, uses impromptu explosives.  Its a major win for the Durhams

Still, even with a win under their belts the Durhams must now withdraw to Dunkirk, and a final battle before evacuation.