PS Event - October 21, 2018

7th Armoured Division

After Action Report

Community Event

19:30 BST 21st October 2018

Key Details:

On 21st October 1st Troop 5th Royal Tank Regiment in Company with 1st Platoon A Company Rifle Brigade were tasked with securing the hamlet of Doorwerthsche Bosch. In addition to the above forces a detachment of Royal Engineers and Hungarian infantry played a supporting role.

At 19:30 hrs two tanks under the command of Lt Stokes advanced to the crossroads at H5 on map Doorwerth S01. Arriving at the crossroads and finding no enemy opposition the armour took up positions facing East with the infantry mounted in half tracks under Sgt Vasco in supporting positions to the north overlooking the objectives. Hungarian Allied forces moved to secure the hamlet with 7AD forces holding the flank and RE digging in defensive positions around the armour.

At 19:32 German forces believed to belong to Panzer Lehr and Infantry Regiment 9 were sighted advancing from the east towards the objective. The armour opened up on the advancing infantry causing significant casualties.

Having been repulsed the Germans split their forces, with a significant infantry contingent assaulting the hamlet from the North East while a combined arms force probed to the south of 7AD positions.

During this engagement multiple enemy armour including 2 Panthers, 2 Stugs, 3 Panzer III’s and a half track were engaged and destroyed by the armour. Both Tpr O’Neil, and L/Cpl Fairy crewing the Firefly performed extremely well during this phase of the engagement acting cooly under pressure and identifying and successfully engaging multiple targets.

The Stuart under the command of Sgt Morley also performed well during this period with Gunner Tpr Volunteer keeping up steady fire on advancing enemy forces which hampered their initial attacks.

With the armour engaging at range L/Cpl Miller skillfully deployed his section reinforcing weak points and ensuring that enemy infantry was kept back from the armour allowing the tanks to engage enemy forces from long range. Having taken up good defensive position Miller’s section successfully engaged multiple German assaults at range, inflicting casualties and breaking up attacks before they reached the hamlet itself.

After approximately 20 minutes of sustained enemy attacks the Stuart had to withdraw to rearm allowing the enemy an opportunity to move up additional armour support to the North while the Firefly was engaged from the south. Returning to combat the Stuart was engaged by a Panther and with little choice Sgt Morley closed to extremely close range in an attempt to ge inside the traverse but was knocked out in the process. The firefly relocated and successfully knocked out the Panther but during its absence from the original commanding position RE infantry were overwhelmed by a coordinated German infantry assault and the Firefly was put out of action by enemy AT infantry.

Left without armour support L/Cpl Miller’s section initially held their position with supporting fire  from Sgt Clark’s mortar detachment being directed onto the advancing German infantry. This was possible due to the heroic actions of Rfn Shin who called in the mortars on his own location sustaining serious wounds in the process. In addition Rfn Shin inflicted significant casualties with his rifle and has been recommended for the military medal for his actions. The mortar barrage slowed the attack allowing Miller to deploy his forces to the South and repulse the initial German push. As the pressure decreased Miller redeployed to his original position overlooking Doorwerthsche Bosch leaving RE watching the southern approaches.

At the same time the armour was attempting to rejoin Miller however was ambushed en route  and despite causing further casualties including a Panzer III and StuG knocked out by a Cromwell commanded by Sgt Morley both tanks were put out of action by enemy AT infantry.

Having secured the south the enemy forces pushed west attempting to find the supporting mortars and having located them detached a mixed Kampfgruppe including a Panther tank with infantry to destroy them. Taking up defensive positions Sgt Clark was able to avoid sustaining serious casualties and Rfn Ulrich was able to immobilise the Panther with a well aimed shot from his PIAT. The Panther was finished off by the Firefly.

At approximately the same time the enemy finally managed to coordinate an assault from both north and south simultaneously managing to fix Miller’s section in place while eventually overwhelming him from both directions.

Having lost the strategically important high ground numerous attempts were made to retake the position but were beaten back having sustained heavy casualties.

Having been rebuffed in the south focus shifted to the north of the hamlet with both armour and infantry linking up to clear the northern end of the hamlet destroying light vehicles, AT gun’s a Panzer III and a Panther before another AT gun knocked out the Firefly and a German counter attack contained a push attempting to clear the southern end of the objective.

A final assault on the mayor's house to the south of the objective and an attempt to retake the high ground lost earlier in the engagement was unsuccessful and at the end of the engagement both sides were left holding part of the objective with the enemy in possession of the high ground and southern end of the hamlet.

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