GRE1 Green Berets at Termoli
Termoli, Italy, October 3rd 1943. The seizure of Termoli by the British 78th Infantry Division was more a cakewalk than the expected hard battle. Losses were very light and the defenders soon eliminated. But the Commanders of the “Battleaxe” Division, as the 78th was nicknamed, knew that nothing was more certain than a German counterattack. Orders were given to set up defensive positions around Termoli. No.3 Commando, attached to the 78th Division, dug in around the town, reinforced by anti-tank and machine-guns. Soon the sound of tanks filled the air…The 16th Panzerdivision started the counterattack!
GRE2 "Alarm, die Tommies kommen!!!"
Wailly, France, May 20th, 1940. Unaware of the British forces counterattacking Arras, the 7th Panzerdivision started directly towards them on the morning of May 20th. Two columns of the Durnham Light Infantry, supported by Matilda tanks run into the new arrived SS-Regiment „Totenkopf“ at the small hamlet of Wailly. Taken by surprise and being unexperienced, the SS soldiers panicked and routed toward the south. Stopped by units of Schützenregiment 6, the Germans formed an ad-hoc defense, reinforced by some „Acht-Acht“guns…
GRE3 Wikings Catwalk
Kovel, Poland, March 29th, 1944. The Polish town of Kovel was an important traffic junction in 1944. Declared to a „ Fester Platz“, the order was given to hold the city to all costs. Soon Kovel, only held by weak German forces, was encircled by a large number of Russian divisions. The 5.SS-Panzerdivision "Wiking" got orders to break the ring around Kovel and relief their comrades in the town…
GRE4 Bukit Chandu
Pasir Panjang, Singapore, February 14th 1942. After the invasion of Malaya, the troops of the Imperial Japanese Army finally reached the island of Singapore. After they had crossed the waterways which separated Singapore from the mainland of Malaya, the invaders marched on. Reaching Pasir Panjang ridge on February the 13th, the units of the 18th IJA Division clashed with the 1st Malayan Brigade. After a bitter struggle, the defenders were forced to retreat towards Opium Hill or Bukit Chandu as it was called by the natives. Here the Malayan soldiers, together with British troops, formed a last defense line…
GRE5 The Dornot Horseshoe
Dornot, France, September 10th 1944. After a fruitless attack versus Fort St.Blaise and Fort Sommy on the east bank of the Moselle, Companys F and G of the 11th Infantry found themselves back again in their starting positions, a small, horseshoe like, wooded perimeter with the river banks in their backs. Together with units from the 23th Armored Infantry Battalion and some support from self-propelled guns west of the river, they defended the bridgehead bitterly against the experienced men of the 17th SS-Panzergrenadierdivision. Time and again the Germans attacked the dug-in Americans…with no success. But for how long can the decimated defenders hold the line?
GRE6 The "Wehr"
Houx, France, May 13th 1940. The fast Kradschützen of the German 7th Panzerdivision reached the riverbanks of the Maas in the early hours of May 12th. Encountering no enemy resistance, the men found a passage over the river in form of a Wehr (dam) and immediately crossed it during the night. Realizing the problem the next morning, the French tried to destroy the Germans in their bridgehead, which for their part attacked with the goal to get full control over the river crossings…
GRE7 Block by Bloody Block
Kharkov, Russia, 12 March 1943. Approaching Kharkov from the west, 2.SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" began to attack the inner city circle on 11th march. Remembering Stalingrad, Generaloberst Hoth ordered 1.SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" not to join 2.SS Panzer Divison in this attack, but to move further around Kharkov, encircling the town and to start infiltrating from the north-east. On 4:00 AM of 12th march Panzergrenadier Regiment 1 of LAH was in position. They received direct support from the Tiger Kompanie of LAH which was equipped with the very new Tiger I tanks. While parts of the LAH moved further east to complete the encirclement, Panzergrenadier Regiment 1 started its advance to meet her sister Division ("Das Reich") which came from the south-west. Russian resistance was heavy and every cityblock received a bloody fighting which most often was only decided when the supporting tanks gave direct Fire support.