[m113apc]

The first face of the advance went almost as planned.
The enemy had many light armored recon forces, which reach my objectives before my forces did. It was specially these units that created a threat against my objectives in the rear area, since I had no forces to defend these objectives, they are fast moving.

As you will read later on in this DAR, enemy forces have breach my line, and is now roaming my rear areas.

My Panthers reach their first main objective, hill 201 and hill 201/1.
The Panthers on hill 201 engaged enemy tanks coming out of the forest 4 to 500meter west of the hill; it was at least two platoons of Cromwell 1 and VII (see map 201/2). Here I also had one Brandenburger platoon, advancing along the road in to the forest. They engaged the enemy armor. One of my Brandenburger knock`t out 3 tanks, and some infantry units and have a total kill of 7. Couldn’t be more proud of them.

The Panthers also engaged enemy recon forces north of the canal, but there were only a few places where some of my tanks had LOS to the road on that sector.

My recon forces came in contact with light armored enemy recon forces, and manage to stop their advance, but I lost 2 of my 3 sections here (See map 101/1). After a while I had to redraw my forces back to the staging area, and back over the bridge where they have moved in to a defensive position (see map 101). I have no spare troops to reinforce this battered combat group, and may have to blow up the bridge.

My main concern is the Achilles that may be left in this northern sector.
My panthers got two of them. With their 17 pounder gun, they throw quite a punch, and are quite a concern for me right now.

Other enemy forces north of the canal were Staghound, Daimler Dingo and Humber Mk.IV. About 7 of these vehicles was engaged and destroyed.

But I have now pulled them of hill 201, and they are moving west towards the town north of hill 201/1, I have only two Brandenburger teams in support, and no other infantry units to spare. They are all engaged along the frontline. My plan is to use all my arty on this town, before moving my units in. This means moving one platoon of Sdkfz 251/1 Rak up closer to the front for support. This is a risk, since I’m not having full control of this area.

When the town is reached, I will secure it and the bridge, then I has isolated the remaining enemy forces there (See map 201/3).

My second Panther platoon reach hill 201/1 pretty easy, taking the victory areas east of the hill and on the hill. Here I disembarked my Brandenburger units, to secure my Panthers. My Panther Company vehicles I placed in a defensive position in front of the tree line (See map 201/4), to secure the victory area and have an over watch on 201.

Enemy forces are strong in this sector. I lost two of my Panthers to a 6 pound AT gun; this is placed in the town north of 201. I had to pull out my remaining Panthers since the hill was about to be run over by enemy forces, I have three Brandenburger units left on this hill. Suddenly it was swarming with enemy armor, Staghounds, VC Firefly (again and awesome 17 pounder), Humber Mk.IV, Bren Carriers and Daimler Dingoes. And at least 1 company of Paras, and they have made my life hard here. I have lost one Flammpanzer III and one Moebelwagon-3,7cm defending 201/4. There are also regular infantry here, but I’m uncertain of what strength they may have.

The situation in this area is that I’m still holding 201/4, I will await further advance to take 201/1 until the town is secured.

In the sector south of My Panther Company I have one platoon of Tigers, set up in a Company formation, with two Flammpanzer III and Moebelwagon-2cm in support.
My Tigers have one platoon of Brandenburgers in support for close defense and security.
They reach 202 with ease, and met no resistance. I moved two Tigers up the hill (See map 202/1), where they engaged and took out 4 Humber Mk.IV. The rest of the Tigers moved to the hill (see map 202/2) and took up a defensive position. This sector is quiet, but there are heavy fighting north and south of this sector, so I have left two Tigers and my Brandenburgers in a defensive position in 202/2, and moved two Tigers to the north, and two to the south to support my forces there.

South of my reduced Tiger Company I have three combined put together forces, it was in this sector the enemy have breach my line (red arrow at map), and have now at least two fast moving armored vehicles driving around. They have already knocked out at least two Sdkf 251/1.
I encountered light armored recon forces all over the sector here. There was at least one platoon of Daimler A/C, one Humber Mk.IV, one Stuart VI, one AEC Mk II and Daimler Dingoes. They managed to slow me down, and regroup. They came right at me; they came right in to my southern flank, and through the town. This helped the enemy to get some of their heavy armor up to the front, and I am now confronting Churchill IV and VII. My StuG and StuH don’t have enough punch to knock these out, but two of the Tigers that I sendt south from 202/2 engaged and knocked out two Churchill VII and one Churchill AOP. There is at least one platoon of Churchill’s in this sector, and recon has told me that there are at least two platoons south of this area. I have designated whole this area 301 for the first contact, and 301/1 for the second. Its in 301/1 I’m against the Churchill’s. Im in hard fighting against superior numbers of infantry in 301/2, but I have reached the victory objectives in 301/3 with two StuG. I will pull these StuG out, and strengthen the area when the enemy is beaten in 301/2.

I have lost one StuH, and several Sdkfz 251/1 in this area. And my infantry is engaging scattered enemy infantry forces all along this section.

Right now I’m holding, and are about to consolidate my forces in this area.

South of this sector I have my Tiger II platoon, set up in a Company formation, but with no support. They have one objective. That is to secure 203, and hold. When the areas north of the town were secured, they would move west, and secure the area 203/1. After a while they did, and was suddenly in contact with light Stuart IV and the heavier Churchill’s. As we speak, they are now in close contact with several heavy tanks.

There are also enemy infantry in the area, but my Brandenburger platoon, mounted on my Tiger II are dealing with them.

The southern end of my area is the sector where the most fearful battles have been taking place, and where the enemy breakthrough was imminent. This was also my weakest area when it comes to mobile forces. I have only two Pzkw IVj here.

My plan was to move my forces to the town (see map name OBJ) and deploy in and outside of it, and make it a strongpoint. Enemy recon advancing fast forced me to group out and prepare for battle. Luckily my recon forces spotted the enemy forces. In the eastern end of the town I lost both my recon sections to enemy fire, but they knocked out at least one Staghound. I prepared for battle east of the town, but miscalculated the enemy advance.
I prepared my forces in two battlegroups, with my PaK in group 1 (see map), and my sIG 33 in group two (see map), with supporting infantry. My thought was that only enemy infantry would advance in the area to group 2, and their armor in to the sector of group 1. I was wrong. The enemy advanced on a broad front, turning south after clearing the town and my sIG was helpless against their armor. My PaK 40 with their 7,5cm did a good job, also my Panzer 4 did until one of them was damaged and lost its main gun. I tried to pull it out, but it got shot up in the retreat. I also lost two Moebelwagon-2cm, three Sdkfz 251/1 and one Sdkfz 251/17. Later on I managed to get a platoon of Brummbaer in from my center group. One was lost to enemy artillery. I rushed two Tiger II down, and they managed to knock out the remaining enemy tanks. One, maybe two rounds more and the enemy would have breach my line, and drove inlands. My panzers wouldn’t be able to catch up, to these fast vehicles. My PaK and sIG, and my supporting infantry was at this time pretty messed up, and broken. They are now back in the line.

Known enemy losses in this area:
4 Staghounds
4 M10
4-5 Stuart VII
2 Daimler Dingo
2 Humber Mk.IV
2 AEC Mk II
3 Daimler A/C

These are the losses that I know about.
Many had infantry mounted on, there are possible some of these units disappeared when their vehicle was knocked out.

The few surviving enemy infantry was dealt with.

Enemy Intel so far:
There are numerous enemy tanks in the rear area, spotted by my air-raids.
Enemy AA is strong, there are 40mm all over the battlefield, and many of them are mobile.

The enemy outguns me when it comes to arty. There are at least 3, maybe 4 155mm OB batteries. There are at least one 155mm on-board battery, and one Sexton platoon.
The enemy also has at least 2 batteries of medium size, and numerous 81mm mortars.
There is at least one squadron of airstrike facing me.

When it comes to enemy infantry, I expect that they outnumber me 3 to 1, at least.
My only chance is to get my rocket arty in position; this is risky since they have to move close to the fighting, and because of the enemy vehicles in my rear area.

More to follow.

EOM.