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| This is an After Action Report for a Command Decision 4 game recreating a portion of Operation EPSOM where the British fought elements of the German Panzer Lehr Division for control of Fontenay (Normandy, France) on June 26, 1944. All images are thumbnails which can be clicked on for a bigger picture. |
| This is an initial look at the battlefield. The foreground (or area closest to you) is East. The far back of the sand table is West. To the left is South and to the right is North. Two British forces are entering the table from the Northwest and Northeast (upper right and lower right). The Germans will be reinforced on Turn 6 and must hold Fontenay until the end of Turn 12 for a victory. |
| This is the first victory objective that must be defended. It is near the southwestern crossroad. The Germans must hold the town area (grey square) and the bridge. The position is defended by motorized infantry with anti-armor support. |
| This is the second victory objective that must be defended. It is near the southeastern crossroad and is defended by some motorized infantry with anti-armor support and a few Pz IV's. |
| The British move out trying to move around the western German flank. This is a cautious advance since they have not made contact with the enemy yet. |
| This picture shows the flank movement developing as it nears the German position. The Germans have set up some infantry in the hedgerow to the South hoping to ambush the British as they pass by. |
| Even the troops of Panzer Lehr are no match for the British Shermans, Brens and Firefly that burst through the planned ambush! Halftracks go up in smoke. |
| The remaining infantry try to make a stand but cannot fight armor without support. The Germans are forced back and cannot call in artillery support. The armor then turns to the East to move towards the southern bridge over the river. |
| The Germans attempt to set up another ambush in the Northeast. This time the Panzer IV's are moved to the front. |
| The British patiently prepare to launch a frontal assault that will come from the Northeast. If they can apply overwhelming force before German reinforcements arrive, Fontenay will be theirs. |
| If the Germans had air support, this is what their pilots would see to the Northeast. |
| The initial British flanking movement has been successful and an armor column is now flying down the road to the South before it turns East to surround the first victory objective. |
| A British recon force now moves to cross the northern bridge over the river. |
| The British assault from the Northeast moves forward. An armor column charges to the South directly at the second victory objective. One anti-armor unit attempts to slow the advance. The outnumbered German armor has turned to face the main assault to the North. |
| British recon units race around the German eastern flank, securing a southeastern crossroad and harassing support units. |
| The British armor column from the Northeast engages the enemy. Both sides take casualties . . . but the German reinforcements have not arrived yet. |
| The British have outflanked the Germans to the West and have reached the river. In the distance you can see more British troops advancing on the first victory objective. |
| Some German reinforcements finally arrive on the board, but the German position in the West is about to be overrun. |
| The entire western German flank is crumbling. British forces advance past the burning wreckage of the troops defending the first victory objective. (These are some very cool pictures!) |
| The Germans have lost western Fontenay. |
Command Decision 4 AAR: Operation EPSOM