The Iron Riders' Road East: Part 5 - Protect the road!

Snow began falling. It came fast and it came heavy. One of the supply routes was being threatened, so 1st Platoon was sent over to help create a defensive line to try and stop the Krauts cutting the road. They had been probing up and down the road and scouts had reported a company to platoon sized force with some armoured support on the way to cut the road in this area. 

Matty O'Doul with 1st squad and the M4 would sit atop the hill on the left flank. Their job was to provide covering fire across the road onto the other hilltop. Lt. Rourke would occupy the farm and hold Hennings and 2nd squad in reserve, while Malloy's 3rd squad and the 30 cal team would quickly cross the road and try to set up a defensive line in the roods on top of the hill. They would try and do this before any Germans arrived. 

Here we see O'Doul and 1st squad along with the M4 overlooking the valley.

Here are Malloy and 3rd squad getting ready to rush across the road. 

There were two possible concentrations of Germans! Malloy's squad was almost on the crest of the hill.

Malloy separated his BAR team from his rifle team. They each positioned themselves up on the edges of the two copses to set up a crossfire. There was a rumble and a squealing of metal on metal. Over the crest appeared a Panzerjager IV along with a smattering of infantry loping along, hugging cover. An MG34 tore the atmosphere with a spray of bullets, forcing Malloy and his rifle team to duck for cover. 

With timing that could only be described as disastrous a supply column appeared over the horizon and slowly rumbled along the road. 

A sharp crack split the air. Kraut high velocity rounds! There was a Pak 40 in the woods!

One of the Deuce and a Halfs erupted in flame! The road was incredibly exposed and at risk of getting cut!

Malloy and the rifle team exchanged fire with the German squad, killing one of them. The Panzerjager IV crept closer to the road. 

The convoy trundled forwards. 

More sharp cracks as rounds were shot off by the Pak 40 and SPG!

Explosions threw up dirt from the road. Shrapnel tore through the canvas coverings, but the trucks kept moving.

Lt. Rourke ordered Hennings and his squad forward across the road. The 30 cal team also pushed forwards.

 

O'Doul and the M4 also advanced down the hill in an attempt to flank the top of the hill on the other side of the road. 

Malloy and his team continued to exchange fire with the Krauts on the hill. More fire came down the hill and another truck was blown apart. 

German reinforcements arrived! The rest of the platoon hurried into position on the hill top and began engaging in the battle.

O'Doul and his rifles had to duck for cover as they were engaged by one of the newly arrived German squads. 

The M4 and BAR team engaged those Krauts and sent them scurrying for cover and inflicting a casualty.

Hennings' squad, the 30 cal and Malloy's squad engaged the Krauts on the hill again, doing more damage. The fighting on the hill was getting quite intense!

One of Malloy's men went down under fire from the MG34 and some HE from the Pak 40. While rallying his team a shard of shrapnel zinged across the air, hitting Malloy, sending him sprawling, bleeding. 

The Germans on the hill poured rifle fire down the hill. The 50mm mortar team also let off a few rounds.

Now stuck in the valley O'Doul and his team became pinned down by the rifle and mortar fire! Their plan had turned them into more of a liability than a help!

O'Doul, gaining in confidence and tactical awareness rallied his squad and returned fire. Supported by the Sherman, they set the top of the hill ablaze...

...causing the German rifle team, who had been giving O'Doul all of the problems took casualties. The remainder broke and ran. 

More furious exchanges of fire atop the hill! A bazooka round ricocheted off the side of the Panzerjager. Bullets peppered the ground around the MG34 team. The German rifle team who had been engaging Malloy came under heavy pressure. 

The Panzerjager took another shot at the convoy, missing. Hennings was slowly advancing up the hill. His BAR team was covering from the road. Lt. Rourke got on the horn with a warning and request for any available support. He was told it was on the way, just sit tight and keep the road open.

The Pak 40 and MG34 team redirected fire onto the 30 cal team. 

In the woods two German rifle teams charged, with difficulty, at Malloy's BAR team. The Americans poured defensive fire onto the attackers, forcing one rifle team to stop in their tracks. 

The other group of Krauts made it through the fire. It was deadly, vicious and close. Casualties on both sides. The Americans just had the edge, keeping their resolve. The German squad, what was left of it fell back. 

The Sherman fired on the mortar team, pinning it. A German rifle team crept towards the woods edge to engage the convoy.

Hennings and his team arrived in the woods. The Germans, having regrouped, returned fire onto the mauled BAR team, causing them to keep their heads down. 

Caught in the open, the 30 cal team took heavy fire. The rounds came thick and fast. Neither crewman survived. 

The SPG fired over at Hennings' BAR team on the road, suppressing them. Things were falling apart for the Americans. The road was going to be cut!

Another rumble. More squealing of metal on metal. This time from the road. This time the rumble was US armour. Enough armour and supporting infantry to prevent a gap in the line appearing. 

With the road secured, and the division suffering heavily, it was decided they would be sent back to a quiet sector of the line. They would be switched out with a unit protecting the Elsenborn Ridge. They would have access to hot meals and billets with, if not beds, a roof, walls and some warmth. 

Malloy was dead, along with half of his squad. These men would likely not be replaced for a while. Keeping the supply route open felt very much like a Pyrrhic victory.  

The Iron Riders' Road East: Part 4 - Prisoner snatch!

On December 30th 2025 my mother in law bought my children the game Minecraft. They played that day and loved it. That evening I started playing it and was instantly hooked. That is quite literally the sole reason I haven't been actively engaging in my other hobbies! I might make a post showcasing my humble creations. Last night I just put together a quick game and fought it out. I had largely ignored my campaign info and have no printer ink - so couldn't really prepare anything anyway. I enjoyed the fight and intend to have a few more battles over Easter.

After a few days off the line, the acquisition of replacements, and a good rest, the men were going to be sent back into positions. However, the Brass wanted more intelligence. It had been noticed that 1st Platoon had been rested and Jake Rourke seemed to know how to successfully lead men in this awful territory. As such an intelligence officer was attached to the platoon and they were going to be sent to infiltrate a forward defensive position, grab a couple of poor sods, maybe even a leutnant, and find out what they know. 

The entire platoon would be going in, supported by a Browning .30cal team and a Sherman for some HE. 

2nd Lt. Jacob "Jake" Rourke - interested in working his way through the ranks to best provide for his family back home. Bold but inexperienced. 

Staff Sgt. Michael "Micky" Delaney - Fond of a tipple, he has seen a lot. Aged 29 he is the old man of the platoon, the backbone, and trusted by all.

Assistant Squad leader - 1st Squad: Cpl. Matty O'Doul - More laid back than Kingsley, but no less able. 

Squad leader - 2nd Squad: Cpl. Walter "Walt" Hennings - An aggressive patriot, will stop at nothing to fight for the cause of freedom. Admired and feared. 

Squad leader - 3rd Squad: Cpl. Frank Malloy  - promoted after the death of Sgt. Bandowicz. Inept and in it for himself, this man is unpopular. 

The German forward defensive line is clearly anchored on the thick-walled 18th century barn, overlooked by the copse on the high ground. Any attack would have to be quick and dirty across open ground. Suddenly Lt. Rourke didn't feel so pleased to have been noticed by the Brass. 

1st Squad would head up the centre with the Sherman. Lt. Rourke and his team would stay close, in order to support O'Doul in his first combat leadership mission. On the right would be 2nd Squad led by Hennings. They would make a dash up the slope, supported by covering fire from the centre. Malloy's job was to advance over the fields and lay fire into the barn from behind the hedge. 

 

O'Doul and 1st squad advanced to the low hedge, ready to set up some covering fire. The Sherman and CP held back.

Malley had his men rush across the field, trying to spend as little time in the open as possible.

Hennings' squad began taking fire as they charged up the slope. 

Ignoring the plan, O'Doul decided to rush the farmhouse. An MG42 team was in the yard and opend fire. Caught in the open the BAR team took fire and was and pinned down! 

Rallying from their pin, O'Doul's entire squad and the Sherman began firing on the MG team, heavily pinning it down. 

Pausing to open fire, Hennings' squad poured lead into the tree line, killing one of the Germans and pinning the team down.

Lt. Rourke and O'Doul's squads opened fire on another German team! They laid down a withering hail of fire, but with twigs snapping, bullets zipping past their heads, and little dirt clouds thrown up by bullets hitting around them the krauts stayed in place. The heroics of their NCO had them keep their calm and return fire. 

Even though pinned down, the German MG team gunner held fast to the trigger, throwing bullets over to O'Doul's BAR team, pinning them down with one GI becoming a casualty! O'Doul, in a questionable move took his rifle team to aid with clearing the woods. Rourke took over command of the BAR team left behind.

Hennings' squad kept up the fire at the tree line, causing the squad of Krauts to break and run! Their squad leader was powerless to rally them!

Fire was exchanged! The forest edge and MG team in the farmyard were firing. The Sherman and central squads of 1st platoon were firing back. It was a big mess. No-one was moving at the moment.

In an attempt to break the deadlock Malloy took his squads to the hedgerow to create a crossfire onto the farmyard. Unfortunately an MG team hidden in the field made itself known and tore strips into the exposed squad. At the same time a kraut rifle team took up positions in the barn and took Malloy's squad under fire. Pinned down and suffering a casualty they hugged the hedgerow even tighter.

 

The Sherman switched target and tried to blow the barn apart with HE, to dislodge the rifle team inside. O'Doul's BAR team, along with Rourke's team and Malloy's BAR team managed to pour enough fire onto the MG team in the farm to break their will to fight. This would help the centre out. 

With the Krauts in the woods in disarray, Hennings' squad, the .30 Cal team, O'Doul and his rifle team all charged up the hill, bayonets attached.

O'Doul and his riflemen charged the remaining Germans in the woods, and in furious close quarters fighting drove them out of the woods, inflicting heavy casualties. 

Meanwhile the MG42 team in the fields continued to pour fire into Malloy's team. While attempting to rally them Malloy took a stray round, crumpling and going silent.

Still caught in the open O'Doul's BAR team finally broke under pressure from the Krauts in the barn. They retreated back into the field, and the limited protection of the low hedges on its edge.

A Puma armoured car and another rifle team approached up the road in an attempt to support the beleaguered team in the barn. 

The remains of Malloy's squad put hands on him and dragged him out of the field and, while the Sherman kept pouring rounds ineffectively at the barn, they opened fire at the Kraut MG along with Rourke's team. They managed to dislodge it, killing the crew. 

On the right Hennings' and O'Doul's teams took up positions on the wooded edge, setting up a deadly crossfire. 

The Puma, aware of the Sherman firing on the barn took a shot at it. 

It missed. The Sherman returned fire...

...It didn't miss. Up brewed the Puma with a large pillar of oily black smoke. 

Surrounded on three sides and with little hope for relief the team in the barn surrendered. The intelligence officer was happy and took them away for interrogation. Before the platoon could even settle down to set up some defensive positions, they were ordered 500m down the road to hold a vulnerable section from what looked like suspicious German movements. The casualties taken by the platoon were insignificant, walking wounded. They would be handed an M1 each and bundled into a foxhole anyway. Malloy, while wounded, was just winged. It was shock more than anything that had knocked him down. His wound would develop into a cool scar in the future, but right now it was bandaged and he was going to be back on the line. 

O'Doul would still be replacing Kingsley who was on the mend and wanting to get back into the fight. 

They would be accompanied by 1st Lt. Arthur Cavanaugh, a logistics officer who had been assigned to judge whether this road could still maintain a secure supply route further into the forest.