Scenario - The Battle for Carentan

Scenario - The Battle for Carentan

Scenario - The Battle for Carentan
with Matthew Viergutz

Carentan was a focal point in the German defense in the days after D-Day. As US forces expanded their beachheads, German positions in Carentan prevented the linking of the VII Corps from Utah Beach and V Corps from Omaha Beach. The 101st Airborne Division was tasked with clearing the town. 

Carentan was defended by 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment. However, after receiving heavy artillery bombardments on 11 June and running low on ammo, most of the 6th had withdrawn to the south, leaving a company-sized rearguard in the town to delay the Americans. 2nd Battalion, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment would flank the town and attack Carentan from the south, while 1st Battalion 401st Glider Infantry Regiment would attack from the north. At 06:00 on 12 June (D+6), Easy Company, 2nd Bn 506 PIR attacked up a road to a Y-intersection then into the town, with Fox Company attacking parallel to them to the north and Dog Company supporting in the rear. Despite being initially pinned by German machine gun fire on the approach to the town, Easy Coy’s commander, Lt Richard Winters, rallied his men and took in the attack. The US paratroopers assaulted the town through heavy machine gun fire and sporadic artillery bombardment. In a short but violent period of street fighting, Easy Coy drove the Germans out of their sector of Carentan and had consolidated by 12:00.

Scenario - The Battle for Carentan


Scenario - The Battle for Carentan 1

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Special Rules

  • Flanking Immediate Reserves (US Player)
  • Ambush (German Player)
  • Strategic Withdrawal (German Player)

Scenario - The Battle for Carentan

Setting Up

  1. The approach to Carentan lead to a Y-intersection with a railroad track across it and houses throughout. The road can be lined with trees or hedgerows. The town was surrounded by flooded fields and swamps.
  2. The US player places an objective on each spot marked with an X.
  3. Starting with the Defender, the players place Ranged In markers for all of their deployed (including in Ambush) Artillery Units.

Deployment

  1. The German Player elects one unit to remain in Ambush and then deploys their remaining force in the German deployment area. 
  2. The US Player then deploys their units in the US deployment area, keeping their Airlanding Company in Flanking Immediate Reserves. 
  3. All infantry and gun teams start in foxholes.

Starting the Game
The US Player has the first turn.

Note, the Defender must remove Units from the table starting on turn two using the Strategic Withdrawal rule.

Winning the Game

  • The Attacker wins if they end their turn Holding an Objective. 
  • Otherwise, the Defender wins at the start of their ninth turn after checking Force Morale.

Easy Company 2nd Bn 506 PIR

 Scenario - The Battle for Carentan

 Rearguard Company 6th Fallschirmjäger Regt.

Scenario - The Battle for Carentan