Matrix Games Forums

Arras France
5/14/1940
1600 Hours

We have been given orders to push the british out of france once and for all.We are advancing forward against a very determined enemy today. By pushing them back today we can maybe encircle them and destroy there whole force. Even tho it is very hazy out today visability is not bad around 850 yards or so. We are to move east to west thru a lot of open ground.

A company has been assigned the north flank. they are to move out and take a small town maybe 500 yards to the front of them. Once this has been done they are then to move 350 yards SW and take there major objective.

Company b is maybe 500 yards to there south. They will move out straddling a road which runs east to west. They will have to move over two small hills to reach there objectives. I believe they will have the hardest part of the battle today. I expect them to meet the stiffist resistence here.

A hundred yards to the south of them C company will make there advance. They will take the far south objective then move nw towards the center to help B Co.

Each company will have 2 platoons of tanks as support. We also where able to get trucks today to move the 37mm ATG as well as the sig 150s along with each company. 2 batterys of 150 heavy guns have been promised for us as support. I expect my men to handle there selves very well today I know they are in top physical and mental shape. After all we have been training for over three months. We just dont know what our tanks will do today against the british armor. Nor do we have any idaea how much armor they will want to sacrifice against us today. Well i hear the deep roar of the engines starting up so we will begin our push forward within the next five minutes

Hq: X SS Panzers
Col: Karl Vogel

Arras France
5/14/1940
1620 Hours

Company A has moved into the outskirts of the village. They have run into a lot of armor. The British tanks are a tough nut to crack open. We have lost at least three tanks already. Out of the two platoons at least three are torn apart and 2 are disabled. Our tanks have taken down at least 7 of there tanks in the process. The town is ours and we are moving on the main objective to the sw of there. One brave squad took out two tanks before being completely wiped out by several more tanks that appeared behind the two they were concentrating on. They will be awarded the iron cross for there bravery. Visability may be 800 yards but due to the smoke laying over the battle field this has been cut down to maybe 300 yards. I figure this is why the other tanks were not seen before they assaulted the first two. Several squads from the first platoon have been cut down to less then five men each. Have lost a HMG and A Lmg to these tanks. tring to bring up our sig 150 and 37ATG to help remove these tanks which is holding up any movemenet forward in the north.

C company in the south has moved to with in 400 yards of there main objective. ran into at least 7 tanks sitting on a hill in front of them maybe 100 yards from there target. The 2 platoons of tanks supporting have lost at least 3 tanks destroyed and 2 immobilized while taking out at least 9 tanks so far.

The bombardment from the British side has been horrendus so far. Lots of casualties to our side from this constant harresment. Several trucks have beeen lost from there big guns so now am using a ferrying system to move our guns up into position. This takes some time and right now we need them against the horde of British armor.

B company has been halted in there advance by at least two platoons of tanks sitting on a hill in front of them. The two platoons of tanks supporting has at least 2 tanks immobile and 2 destroyed while taking out at least 6 tanks in front of them. Several squads have been able to get close enough and take out 2 of there tanks as well. I have seen several cases of unbelieveable heroism today from our men. Lots of iorn crosses will be given out after this battle. Men running up to tanks just to throw a hand grenade at them. A HMGunner emptying a whole magazine at a tank trying to help his platoon leader who was sure to die if he hadnt opened fire on the tank next to him. he gave his life saving him.

The men have shown they are true heros today. I am very proud to command such a brave group of men. What ever the outcome of this battle today theyhave nothing to be ashamed of.

Hq: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel

Arras France
5/14/1940
1640 Hours

A company in the north has taken there target. Several squads in the company have been cut down to less then 5 men. have lost a 50mm mortar and a HMG from the company so far. Also lost at least five tanks from the 2 platoon in support of A company. Ran into at least 15 tanks as they csme up over the hill sw of town. This is where the hardest part of the fight was waged. Lost most of the men and tanks here. Even tho the vis was at least 700 yards the heavy layer of smoke laying over the battle field cut it down to less then 300 yards. This meant we were on the enemy before we saw them it made the fight a lot more up close and in your face. They were laying down a very heavy bombardment as well with 4.5 and 25mm shells this caused a lot of confusion. And really slowed any advance by the infantry in support of the tanks which meant some tanks got ahead of the foot troops and left them high and dry for awhile. They have captured the northern VH and have begun to squeeze towards the center in the hopes of taking some pressure off the middle line. Enemy armor continues to show up one and two at a time as they move sw and west to the rear. These have been delt with in mostly frontal assualts by the ground troops. Some very heroic action by these men to say the least.

C in the south have taken there objective . there was some very heavy action on the hill just in front of there target. As we approached that hill at least two platoons of enemy tanks appeared. In a 15 minute of intense fighting we took out all the tanks again with frontal assault and what was left of the 2 platoon of tanks they had for support. Again we came out in front due to some heroic assaults from the troops and our tanks. We lost at least four tanks to heavy fire from there side and there big guns laying down heavy support fire. We are losing way to much equipment and men in this fight . The British are fighting for there very survival trying to not get pushed into the ocean and hoping not to be annilhilated.

B company in the middle has been stopped cold at the base of a hill just east of there objective. it looks as if the british has made this area there last stand. There must be at least 20 tanks scattered around trying to hold these VH. We take two out and two more pop up right behind them. Right now we are trying to marshall the company for a big push forward. Have begun to have the trucks move up all the sig 150 forward to where they can get a shot at the tanks as we move forward. have also called down all the remaining batterys of 150 we can muster. It is a problem getting anything to fire as ammo has become an issue. All the 81 mortars have run out and will not be of any help. Have gotten the 50 mm mortars moved up closer so the range to the tanks will be cut down to more like 50 or 100 yards. they seem to have more of an effect at the closer ranges.

Just to show you how tough the British tanks are i would like to tell you about one battle between our tanks and a matilda C company had today. Two squads from 1st platoon C company happened upon one of there tanks. Both squads made 2 assaults against the tank all they did was knock off a tread. Immobilizing the tank even at that he opened up on the squads taking both down to 5 men left. In the mean time 5 of there support tanks came up over the hill and began to fire at the enemy. In this platoon was 1 stug b 2 Pz IVc and 2 Pz IIIe tanks the PzIIIe opened fire first firing 4 rounds that just bounced off recieving return fire the PzIIIE was disabled and could not move the next PzIIIe began to fire and put 4 round on the enemy tank they too recieved fire losing there main gun in the process.
The Pz IVc opened putting 3 rounds directly on the tank and got fire in return. Same with the other PZIVc but they got no fire in return. The stug B then put 2 rounds dead on the target but failed to blow it apart. Thats 4 direct assaults and at least 10 rounds laid into the tank with only a track knocked out. To top it off the crew managed to sneak out and get away somehow. We moved up with a squad and they blowed it up by setting charges inside before we moved on.

We will take our objectives there is no doubt but at what cost is the question. Id say we have lost at least 12 tanks to there loss of at least 40. WE have also lost over 100 men but im sure they have lost some where near a thousand men.

Hq: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel

Arras France
5/14/1940
1705 Hours

We have lost several trucks and 2 AA units to the 4.5 bombardmment. It has not let up for close to an hour now. A 50 mm mortar crew was blown apart a few minutes ago. We are losing way too many men and equipment today. What with the shells constantly falling on us and the uncanny accrucy of the British tank gunners. We hit there tanks with several dead on shots with no luck and they fire back one time to take out a tank of ours. I have ordered the infantry to engage there tanks first before any of ours open up. At least this will give our boys a fighting chance. We have lost way too many tanks to there shooting today. So we must conserve wnat tanks we have left. Finally got our sig 150 moved up to where they can help. They have begun to fire on the group of tanks holding up centers progress. Have taken out 2 so far only 8 more left to deal with. Infantry now trying to move within assault range of those same tanks.

This first hour of battle has seen a lot of our comrads being killed. This battle to advance against the enemy has been very costly to us. They are well dug in and have concealed there tanks very well too. We will defeat them there is no doubt in that but at what cost to us is the question. The center has but to advance over a small hill to accomplish there mision. But this hill has cost us at least 100 men and 4 tanks trying to get over it. This has been the heaviest point of resistence . Just got word that the british spirit has been broken and they are in full retreat. This battle will be over in the next 30 minutes. All objectives will also be in our hands by that time as well.

Hq: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel

Arras France
5/14/1940
1740 Hours

All objectives are in our hands the British have run from the battle field. We managed to fight them to a draw. This was due to the high loss of life and equipment. We lost 405 men while taking 1171 of them with us. 4 of our artty was destroyed while we took out 14 of theres. We also lost 6 trucks from there bombardments. Our biggest loss was in tanks 24 were turned into scrap but they accounted for there selves they took out 62 of the british behemouths.

Once we had moved onto the front objectives and began to move towards the rear ones they were beaten. There was nothiing to hold up our movement from there to the rear. They had nothing in reserve to hold us up or to hinder our movement towards the rear. Found one 25mm gun near the rear objective. Might have found some more if had taken the time to look. Just wanted to get this dam battle over.

We have been ordered back to berlin till next month. All our towed 150 sig 33 are to be replaced by SP 150 sigs. Also our towed 37 MM ATGs will be replaced by 37mm SP ATG. We are to become mobile and fast moving Panzer attack force I assume. All destroyed tanks will be upgraded to stug B or Pz IVds we hear. There will be no more Pz IIc left in the tank platoons as they were all lost in our last battle. Wanted to up grade the PZ IIIe to PZ IIIf with the bigger gun but none were available to us.

Well we pushed the Briish back some more closer to the ocean. If we can catch them at Dunkirk and destroy them wont be long before Britin will be brought to there knees and have to give in to us. They have made a major blunder and have got there army into one heck of a pridicument. There is just not enough boats in the world to move them off the beaches at Dunkirk. We will destroy the whole British army at Dunkirk. Nothing can stop us from taking the whole world once that has been accomplished. It will be a bloody and terrible next month im sure. But i am sure our men and equipment are the best in the world and we will do what we have to do.

Hq: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel