A 6mm I Ain't Been Shot Mum game played at GigaBites Cafe May 2022

This was going to be a two part battle, with the first contest covering the attack by 46 Royal Marine Commando and the Ft Garry Horse on the village of le Hamel on June 11, 1944.

View looking west with the River Mue and Rots off the near table edge.

Intersection of Chemin de la Cavee and Chemin du Hamel

The hedge along the Chemin de la Cavee was where historically and game-wise the Forward Defence Localities of the 4 Kompanie SS Pzgrd Rgt 26 were set up.

The house of Louis Huet is to the left of the intersection.

All the info for this game came from the incredible The Waist High Cornfield book by Keith Taylor Written as a tribute to his dad, Eric Taylor and other members of the 46 RMC.

Looking NE over le Hamel

The Commonwealth units would have to cross a large patch of Normandy corn and a wire fence before getting to the hedge and road.

View looking east

The Commonwealth units started at the left edge.

Both Rob and William had a troop of commandos and a 3 tank troop of Fort Garry Horse each. Rob was on the left with S Troop ( Capt J Baker-Davies) and 4 Troop of FGH ( Lt F J Curtin). William on the right with Y Troop (Capt H Minchin) and 1 Troop of FGH ( Lt Rushford).

They had to have 1 intact Commando troop and 1 Sherman troop able to exit the table off to the east to secure the bridge over the River Mue and enter into Rots to win. The Germans had to cause enough casualties to hold the Brits. If they could they needed to exit survivors off the same way along the Chemin de la Cavee or south on Chemin du Hamel.

Historically 1 Trp FGH did not advance due to some scrambled orders.

I gave the attackers 2 Stonks from Centaurs of the Royal Marine Armored Support Rgt which they laid down across the center section of the hedges and Chemin de la Cavee.

Rob and Sean look over their unit sheets

Sean had the defending SS from the 1 Kompanie SS Pzgrd Rgt 26 of the 12th SS. It consisted of 1 - 3 section platoon and 1 - 2 section platoon. A small HQ section with 6 men and a pzshk. 2 PaK 40s from the 4th Komp. He also had 5 Big Men and 2 lvl 2 snipers. All could be dug in.

Blinds advancing

Rob's S Troop was in the center and left with the 4 trp of FGH. William and Y Troop with 1 trp of FGH came in to the right of the right hedge and along the road.

No German Blind cards came up for 2 phases, but the German 'Rally' card did so Sean was able to remove a lot of Stonk induced shock as both Paks and his men dug in along the hedge were hit. He did lose 2 men in his 1st platoon.

The stack of cards in the center is just the draw pile.

Section 1 S Troop at the wire

They were first under fire from Sean's 2nd platoon along the hedge (still not deployed ).

4 Troop Ft Garry Horse

An easy unit to spot and soon to be targeted by both PaKs.

Historically both ATGs were hit by the pregame stonks. In the game they suffered shock only.

1 Section Y Troop

They were pinned by a sniper in Chabert's Farm-the large white buildings to their front. Sean had put his men across the front and there was no real opposition in their path.

Historically one of the PaKs was in front of Chaabert's farm.

German right

It consisted of the 2 section 2 platoon and 1 Pak40.

(The ATGs actually had Italian trucks, but I did not have those models)

Fight along the Chemin de la Cavee

Sean had to pull back some men to cover his exposed left.

Smoking Shermans and pinned Commandos

The PaKs destroyed a M4 and a Firefly. Lt Curtin's Sherman took hit destroying his 75. The 1st section of S Troop was taking serious casualties including their section co leader.

1 Troop FGH securing the right

Meanwhile Y Troop's 1 Section rushes the farm of Chabert and chases out the sniper.

Chabert's Farm is taken

No sign of the Germans

The blind on the other side of the wall was a dummy.

More Commandos move up on the right

William thought for sure that there would be more SS on this flank.

2 Section Y Troop

They engaged the Pak and killed that crew and were trading shoots with Germans along both sides of the Chemin de la Cavee

Abandoned Pak

1st platoon firing to their front and flank and getting whittled down.

West le Hamel

William's Y Troop[ has secured this part of the town. The damaged M4 of LT Curtin managed to get out of the cornfield.

Sean trying to face left and pull back into the houses.

Smoke on German left

The Commando's 2 inch mortars were busy dropping smoke and HE.

PaK escaping to Rots

Sean pulled back his surviving ATG to add to the available arsenal in Rots. The other tow vehicle is trying to make a run for it also as Rob's PIAT tries to hit it.

Still quiet on the right

1st troop FGH had an uneventful game. Meanwhile William was sending his 1st section of Y Troop through the gardens behind Chemin de le Cavee

Y Troop advances

Lt Curtin moves to back up the Commandos even though his main gun is KO'ed

S Troop gets to the road

Still plenty of fight in the SS defenders on this flank. The second shot from Rob's PIAT took out the fleeing transport.

Fight along the Chemin de le Cavee

Sean's SS is suffering attacks from 2 sides, but a fresh section fires from a house along the Chemin du Hamel (bottom right) causing 3 casualties on William's 1 Section.

S Troop crosses the road

S Troop CO Capt Barker Davies takes a subsection across the road to cut off the SS from the Mue bridge. A sniper is still causing some casualties on this flank too. The blind is a dummy

1st Kompanie strongpoint isolated

William has all 4 subsections pouring fire into the HQ building of 1st Kompanie. Their panzerschreck team has been cut down trying to take out Lt Curtin's M4

The retreat is on

Sean is trying to get as many men off to the east as possible. But Rob has blocked his path. In a attempt to dislodge the subsection on the south side of the road, a close assault cost the SS one section and the Commandos 2 men including Capt Barker Davies.

Game ends

The M4 of Lt Curtin is hit with a pzfst killing 3 of the crew, but the Germans are left with just 1 intact section after the fight.

Final casualties are 36 SS, 1 NCO, 1 Pak 40 and 1 transport.

The attackers lost all 3 tanks of 4 Troop FGH. 16 men and Capt Barker Davies and 1st Troop leader of S Troop. William lost 9 men in Y Troop. The Allies won by driving the Germans off and having enough men to move up to the bridge over the Mue river and Rots.

Mark Luther