Mulhouse, Alsace, November 1944
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History
In November 1944, the Free French First Army, under General De Lattre de Tassigny launched a major offensive in Alsace.
The Spearhead unit of the offensive was the 1st French Armoured Division.(1Dble) breaking through German lines lead units of Combat Command 3 (CC3) were actually some of the first Allied units to reach the Rhine at Rosenau (about 30miles east of Belfort and 70 miles south of Strasbourg) on 19th November. Here Lieutenant Jean de Loisy (4th Squadron, 2nd Regiment Chassuers d`Afrique) with great ceremony baptized his unit`s pennant in the Rhine. This officer would then be killed in his tank by a panzerfaust hit during the fighting near Lefebvre Barracks, Mulhouse on November 23.
The assault to liberate the strategic city of Mulhouse, a major industrial center began on November 20th, 1944. This was a key part of the drive towards the Rhine and Strasbourg (which was liberated by 2Dble on November 24th), Though the loss of these cities didn`t prevent the Germans amazing ability to reorganise their defences which formed the Colmar Pocket later that winter.
The liberation of Mulhouse (official order No36 issued by the Chief of Staff - Col. Caldairou) involved intense fighting with units of the 1st French Armored Division, the 6th Moroccan Tirailleurs Regiment; supported by French Forces of the Interior (FFI).
Free French forces entered the city on November 20, making slow progress against German entrenchments, particularly in the barracks, before the city was completely liberated on November 23, after days of fighting.
The Game
Whilst doing some light research into this battle I came across a number of interesting photos, which led me to the idea of creating this scenario.
The above images are captioned as being of members of 6th Moroccan Tirailleurs during the fighting at Mulhouse (note in interesting mix of US and French gear)
This photo is the HQ platoon of the recce platoon of 6RTM note the French cavalry helmet on the RTO
This gave me the idea for an interesting visual game where I could use my 1940 French infantry as Tiralleurs; my 1940 French motorised troops as the recce unit and my regular US troops as II Battalion, Zouaves (the mechanised infantry of CC3). The scenario would also allow me to reuse the industrial table set-up left over from the last game (with a few tweeks).
I decided just to focus on one part of the battle where Groupement 3 (in American terms - Task Force 3) are ordered to break into the city, at the very least it is hoped they draw defenders away from other advancing groups.
Combat Command 3, 1st French Armourd Division, November 1944
Groupement du Colonel de Lepinay (Groupement
3 of CC3, 1Dble)
Chef d`Escadron Dewatre
Battalion
HQ, II Zouaves (Capt. Arnould)
1st company of II Battalion Zouaves, (Capt. Kleinmann) - armoured infantry
Contra Avion platoon II Zouaves - AA platoon
3rd Company 2RCA (2nd Regiment Chasseurs d`Afrique) Capt. d`Ussel - Shermans*
* Obviously this unit included Lieutenant Jean de Loisy as mentioned earlier, above
Peloton of 9RCA (9th Regiment Chassuers d`Afrique) Aspirant Plateau * - M10s
* "Aspirant" is a French rank equivalent to the old rank of Ensign, a junior officer not quite ready for lieutenancy
Section de 3/88 Genie (Lt. Navarro) - engineers
6th
battery, II battalion 68 RAA (68th Regiment Artillerie d`Afrique) Capt. David - 105mm guns
In direct support attached but not part of CC3
Recce
Platoon of the 3e RCA (3rd Regiment Chasseurs d`Afrique) Lt. Jean Lamaze
Recce
of 6th RICM (Regiment d`infanterie Coloniale du Maroc) Capt. de Cambourg
5th
Companie du 6 RTM (6th Regiment Tirailleurs de Maroc)
FFI units
The Germans defending the city were a very mixed bag of units part of General Wiese`s XIX Army under the command of Major General Hartmann.
These included:
About 100 men & HQ staff from the NCO school at Rastatt
Security Battalion Merker (about 200 men)
14th Company of 30th SS Division (I assume AT guns) *
An anti-tank company (no other info available on this unit)
Scattered elements of various units who were left in the city
5 Panthers (which I have to assume were replacements send for 106th Panzer Brigade)
All the info above comes from the booklet:
Mulhouse,
20 au 26 novembre 1944 - Lieutenant
Colonel de Waziers
Which
can be found here:
I`d
like to thank Alan
McCoubrey
and Alberto
(PeloBourbon) off TMP for their input and advice
The Game orbats
French
HQ
II Zouaves: radio half-track, couple of Jeeps, FOO 6th
battery II/68RAA, medical unit, engineer platoon (half-track)
Contra
Avion platoon: 40mm AA plus tow
1st
Company, II Zouaves:
HQ
(Jeep), 3 infantry platoons (half-tracks), support platoon
(half-track), Pak 40 + tow
2RCA
– 3 Sherman
9RCA
– 1 M10
5th
Company 6RTM – HQ, 3 platoons, support platoon
Recce
3RCA - M20, 2 Jeeps (6 figs)
See special scenario note 1
Recce
6RICM – 3 Jeeps (9 figs)
See special scenario note 2
FFI
– 2 platoons
See special scenario note 3
German
Major Renschling
HQ staff, scratch platoon, medical unit, 80mm mortar team, 2 x
sniper, 20mm AA plus crew
1
platoon NCO school (veteran) LMG, Panzerfaust
2
platoons, Battalion Merker (LMG, panzerfaust)
1
platoon odds`n sods (LMG)
14th
Coy, 30th SS – 2 x Pak 97/38 + crews + tows
See scenario note 4
1
x Panther
Some
wire & emplacements
1
off 6 x 2” mixed mine field
1
off pre-positioned 30kg demolition charge (has the effect of a 100mm
shell, may be positioned under a road or inside a building, etc)
Scenario notes
1: Recce 3RCA, this unit acts as an independent recce unit and can call support fire from the guns of 6th battery, II battalion 68 RAA outside the direct chain of command.
2: Recce 6RICM (as Recce 3RCA above)
3: FFI platoons, these are independent of one another, both have radios conected to the CC3 command net and can call artillery or advise of German positions via these. On Turn 10 they activate as independent infantry platoons (treat as high morale militia) and may actively attack the Germans.
4: 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarusian)
Was a short-lived German Waffen SS infantry division formed largely from Byelorussian, Russian and Ukrainian personnel of the Schutzmannschaft- Brigade Siegling in August 1944. The division was transferred to South-eastern France by mid-August 1944 to combat the French Forces of the Interior (FFI). The division's performance in combat was poor, and two battalions mutinied, murdered their German leaders, and some actually defected to the FFI. Other troops of the division simply abandoned their posts and crossed the Swiss border and were interned. Afterwards, some of the division's personnel were eventually transferred to the Russian Liberation Army while others were retained to form the SS "White Ruthenian" infantry brigade from January 1945.
On paper at least 30th SS still existed in November 1944, in fact some elements took part in a desperate counter-attack by 198th Infantry Division at Delle on November 24th (see my earlier game here: https://baberonwargames.blogspot.com/2022/01/delle-2-re-match.html
Whilst considered unreliable with the French breaking through to the Rhine, the Germans were forced to commit whatever they had available. Accounts of the actions are sparse but most agree the elements of 30th SS which participated gave a fair account of themselves. We have to assume 14 Kompanie (for whatever reason) was still in Mulhouse on November 22nd.
My table
The
game
Dispositions:
The
Germans spread their four platoons across the built-up area, the two
from Battalion Merker held forward positions with the others in close
reserve. With the AT guns of the 30th SS, the mortar, 20mm AA and
snipers all supported the front platoons. The Germans only had the
Panther and their HQ platoon as a general reserve!
The
French decided to throw the Tirailleurs
towards
the left, whilst the Zouvres and armour would hit the center and
right. The independent recce units split with 3RCA supporting the
Tirailleurs and the unit from 6RICM moving down the center. The two
FFI platoons were concealed within the town awaiting their
opportunity.
Turns
1-3 saw the French advance to suitable jump-off points before their
attack.
Turn
4 The French come under fire from German machine gun teams, mortar
and the 20mm – they take casualties! This brings the general
advance to a spluttering halt whilst recce and spotter teams try to
locate the guns. All radios fail to work!
Turn
5 most guns are now spotted, the lead Sherman fires at but fails to
hit the 20mm, the Germans continue to lay down fire inflicting
casualties among the French. Still no contact with the artillery!
Turn
6 The Tirailleur
60mm mortar wipes out one MG positions
The
lead Sherman again fails to hit the 20mm, which in return turns a
half-track into a colander though fortunately the Zouvres had already
de-bussed. Finally the artillery FOO contacts his battery. To
counteract the Shermans, the German commander orders his Panther to
reveal itself!
Turn 7 The Sherman wipes out the 20mm!
The Panther misses with its first shot! But reveals itself to the
French tankers, an M10 moves forward to engage the menace!
On the French right, a flanking move by a Zouvres platoon supported
by the 6RICM
recce
and a Sherman appear to have found an opening.
On
the left the Tirailleurs move forward now that the LMG and the 20mm
are silenced but, they are still receiving defensive fire and a
mortar round wipes out half of the 3RCA recce team!
The
first French artillery rounds land around the German front-line
without much effect.
Turn
8 The lead Sherman and M10 exchange fire with the Panther (every
round hits) - the Sherman takes light damage, the Panther shrugs off
both hits (fail to penetrate). The FOO asks the artillery to redirect
against the Panther (first rounds well wide).
In
the center the Zouvres are pinned by well dug-in Germans, though the
6RICM LMG team takes out a German sniper (who has taken killed 3 men
over the last few turns). The Zouvre 60mm sets up to take on the
German defenders.
On
the right the flanking move is halted abruptly when the Sherman takes
a Panzerfaust rocket! The supporting Zouvres are hit by an LMG and
lose a man to another sniper, forcing them to go to ground!
On
the left one Tirailleur
platoon
enters the factory, whilst the other two infantry and support
platoons continue to advance under fire.
Turn
9 The Panther, Sherman and M10 again exchange fire, this time the
Panther misses, but the M10 scores light damage on the German
monster!
Moments
later the Panther is blasted by direct artillery hits and destroyed!
In
the center the Zouvres are still pinned!
The
same thing on the far right, though the 6RICM radioman is calling for
artillery support!
The
1st Tirailleur platoon is searching the factory.
The
rest of the Tirailleur are pinned by well positioned defenders.
Turn
10 the two FFI platoons are now active and move out of their hiding
places
In
the center the Shermans begin blasting stubborn German positions,
this fire is supplemented by 60mm mortar and rifle grenades from the
Zourve support platoon
On
the right the artillery comes online and devastates the main position
holding up the French advance on that side!
On
the left the Tirailleur in the factory have reached the top floor,
clearing the building.
The
rest of the company are still advancing under fire, casualties
chipping away all the time!
Turn
11 Just when it looked like the Tirailleur in the factory will be
able to bring enfilade fire onto the German positions in front of the
Zouvres – the building blows up!!
The
Shermans and support weapons continue to poor fire into the positions
in front of the Zouvres in the center. The artillery once again
plaster the position on the far right also.
The
rest of the Tirailleur upon seeing a whole platoon disappear in the
factory explosion are forced to make a morale check – which they
fail and go to ground!
The
two FFI platoons move into position to attack, one heading for the
German HQ, the other an AT position covering the German center.
Turn
12 the Zouvres with a Sherman and M10 in close support advance
against sporadic resistance in the center. On the right the 3rd
Zouvre platoon along with 6RICM recce also advance into the town. On
the left the 3RCA radioman calls artillery to clear the positions in
front of the stalled Tirailleur.
The
1st FFI platoon attacks the German HQ, killing most of the sentries.
The
2nd FFI platoon opens up on the AT position from behind, totally
exposed the German crew is virtually wiped out!
Turns
13-18 the rest of the game was a series of small scale skirmishes,
house-to-house fighting and close assaults, until overwhelmed by
casualties the surviving Germans surrendered!
The
situation was made worse by Major
Renschling and
his staff were overwhelmed by the FFI on turn 14.
A
rather simple late war attack-defense game, made interesting by a
nice mix of figures.
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