by Griff Hosker
There were no Germans at Le Marais but we did hear firing to our left and right. It was in the distance. Overhead we saw more flights of fighter bombers as they raced to the aid of the two columns which flanked us. We seemed to be having our own private war. I saw a tiny road heading south. "Head down that road but go carefully."
We did not have to drive far to find Mandeville which was little more than a pair of houses. It was very close to Trun. When we reached it I said, "Stop. Sergeant Poulson, take charge. Davis, bring your sniper rifle." The two houses were deserted. We stopped behind them so that we could not be seen and we made our way to the river. We stayed in the woods and I scanned the river and the opposite bank. It was a ford. I saw Germans in the woods. You had to look carefully but they were there.
Davis used his sniper scope and he said, "Eighty eights sir. A pair of them upstream towards Trun. They are well camouflaged and look to be a hundred yards inside the woods. Clever buggers. You won't see them from the air. It looks like they are covering the ford from that side."
I turned the glasses downstream, to the right, and saw that were two guns there too. They would enfilade anything trying to cross the ford and could easily penetrate the side armour of a Sherman. It was the perfect angle for an ambush. "Right let's get back without showing ourselves."
We only had a hundred or so yards to travel before we reached the half track. "Jerries and they are dug in. Corporal Fletcher tell the Major that we have found a ford. We can't see German armour but they have anti-tank guns. Give him the map coordinates."
"Sir."
"Emerson you stay here with the half track. Wait for the major and tell him where we are. The rest of you, arm yourselves and don't forget your tin lids. Stay under cover and let's go Al Jolson eh?"
We took out our sticks of burnt cork and blacked up. I took pieces of twigs and jammed them in the netting on my helmet. Finally I grabbed two of our camouflage nets and handed one of them to Davis.
"All sorted sir. The Major is bringing the column down that little road. I hope they fit!" I knew they would not but a Sherman could demolish the small wall and tear up the hedges. New paintwork was cheaper than men's lives and they would be hidden from view.
When we were ready I led them down towards the river. We crawled the last fifty yards on our bellies. The Germans had not moved. I had my sniper rifle. We needed accuracy if we were to take out the gunners. I pointed to Sergeant Poulson and tapped my pips. He was in command. He nodded and I led Davis up the bank, keeping to the cover of the undergrowth so that we could use our rifles against the anti-tank guns' gunners. We covered ourselves in our netting and went on all fours.
It was when we neared the anti-tank guns that I saw a dark hidden shape some forty yards inside the woods on the southern bank. It was a Tiger. Davis saw it too. He whispered, "What do we do, sir?"
"Sit tight. The tanks will be crossing the ford to our right." My heart sank, however, as I knew there would be a second tank on that side too. The Germans were clever. They had used just four guns and two tanks. They would, however, be able to stop a whole column of Shermans.
I sensed a movement to my rear. If I moved quickly then I might alert the gunners. I rolled slowly on to my back. I saw a blacked up Private Beaumont crawling towards me. "Sir, there is a Tiger downstream."
"And there is one upstream. Tell the Major and have Sergeant Barker try to take out the anti tank guns with his grenade launcher."
"Sir," He disappeared crawling backwards.
I rolled back on to my front and waited.
An hour passed. I heard the sound of Sherman tanks as they closed with the bank. I guessed that the Major had been preparing his plan. The ground beneath us began to shake as they approached. I aimed at the sergeant who commanded one of the anti tank guns. He had heard the sound of the tanks and he ordered his men to action. I risked looking over my shoulder. At first I saw nothing and then I saw a Sherman. I guessed the others were close by. It looked to me as though they had been lined up a hundred yards behind the woods on the road. It made sense. They would have firmer ground. When I saw the sergeant open his mouth I fired and my bullet smacked into the side of his head. Davis hit the officer in the other gun emplacement and he spun around.
Then all hell broke loose. The other two eighty eights, downstream, fired and then I heard the crump of a grenade. Even as I switched targets and fired at another gunner the Shermans opened fire. The air above my head was filled with cordite, shells and shredded trees. I fired as fast as I could reload. Our luck could not last and soon I saw German panzer grenadiers rushing to the river bank to eliminate us. I switched targets and hit a German setting up a machine gun. Then I heard the chatter of an MG 42. It was not in front of us but behind us. Bill Hay had brought up that most powerful of machine guns.
I watched as a Sherman drove down to the ford. It began to cross, the water lapping three quarters of the way up the tracks. I fired at another German and hit his gun. Then the Tiger fired. The shell slammed into the side of the Sherman and it burst into flames. The crew who survived leapt out but were wreathed in flames. When their charred bodies fell into the water and didn't move it was a mercy.
I fired again at the anti tank guns. So far they had done no damage. The tanks behind us had now seen the danger of the Tiger and four of them fired at it. The trees, the fact that it was hull down, and the superior armour meant that the shells bounced off. The Tiger fired one shell and a Sherman's turret was blasted off. I saw the remaining Shermans withdraw.
We kept sniping. Thanks to Lance Sergeant Hay's machine gun the panzer grenadiers were being kept back from the edge of the woods. It went quiet. We had no more targets. I took out my binoculars but could see nothing that was moving. I looked at my watch. It was after noon! I heard Sergeant Poulson, "Sir, can you come?"
"Davis stay here and keep an eye on them." I handed him my spare clips. We had more in the half track. I crawled backwards so as not to attract any fire. After forty yards I stood. "What is it Sergeant?"
"The Major needs you." He pointed to the east. "There is German armour heading from Trun along the road."
"Tigers?"
"No, sir, we got the message from a Mosquito pilot flying reconnaissance. He said they were a hotch potch of Mark IVs, self propelled guns and armoured cars. There are about twelve of them with infantry support."
I was going to ask Poulson what the Major expected of me but I knew that was unfair. I saw that the Major had pulled six tanks around across the road and on either side of it. The Kangaroos had disgorged their crews. "Captain, you have been up the road aways. What is there?"
"Trun. There were two bridges to the south but we destroyed them. The Germans were supposed to be repairing them but I doubt that they will support tanks if they have begun to rebuild them. That means the ford is our only way across and the only way for the Germans to escape."
He nodded and threw away the stub of his cigar. "We have elements in the outskirts of Falaise and the Poles have taken Hill 262. That means that the Germans are surrounded. The Americans are at Chambois. We have to hold them here. I have left two tanks at the ford."
"I don't think either of those German Panzers are going anywhere. The one closest to us is hull down. They are using it as a defensive position."
"A shame there is no damn cover here. "
"There are trees sir. Put your Shermans behind them."
"And leave the road wide open?"
"Just taking a page out of the German's book. Your tanks will get a shot at their side armour. "If you want a road block sir then use a Kangaroo."
Just then the Tiger fired from the woods on the other side of the river. The Sherman on the right hand side of the road was hit in its tracks.
"Damn! Lieutenant pull that Sherman off the road. Get the others in the woods and cover them. Captain Maxwell put a Kangaroo across the road." He smiled, "Thanks Captain. I don't know where we would be without your know how. Now if you could do something about those Ti
gers..."
"I have an idea or two."
"I was joking!"
"When it comes to the S.S. sir, you do not joke. With your permission I will pull my men back and let them have some rest."
"Of course. Captain Maxwell I want a platoon on the river keeping down the heads of those Krauts!"
Once back at the half track I saw that the Canadians had set up a camp around the hamlet of Mandeville. "Emerson get some food on the go. Sergeant Poulson, go and round up the men."
I took off my helmet and rolled up my camouflage netting. I put the sniper rifle in the back of the half track. I had a feeling I would need it again. I checked that I had plenty of magazines for the Colt. I didn't. I only had five clips left. However, the job I had in mind needed the silenced Colt. I would have to use my precious ammunition up. I took out my dagger and my whet stone and sharpened it. That I would need.
The men arrived. All looked intact and reasonably happy. "Thanks for the MG, Hay. It was getting a bit hairy."
"No bother, sir."
"Private Beaumont what kind of charge would you need to destroy a Tiger tank?"
"From the outside, sir, a lorry load, from the inside nowhere near as much. The strength of the armour would work against it you see. It would contain the explosion. If we use some petrol and just some TNT and a grenade then, with the hatch closed, everything inside would be destroyed. If you are thinking about the ones over the river then half the job is done for us already. They are hull down. I'll go and get something ready." Beaumont would make a good chess player; he always thought three moves ahead.
"No, eat first and demolitions later. We won't leave until dark. You and Shepherd prepare the charges. We will have two teams. I will go with Private Beaumont and Fletcher. We will take the upstream tank. Bill Hay will take Shepherd and Davis, they will take the downstream one. Sergeant Poulson and Emerson will guard my team and Sergeant Barker and Corporal Hewitt the other."
They nodded. "What about the anti tank guns?"
I looked at Private Beaumont. He shrugged, "Put some shells in the emplacements and chuck in a couple of grenades. Simple."
Often it was the simplest ideas which were the best. After we had eaten we reapplied the blacking. The hard part would be getting across the river. Gordy came up with a solution to that. "We'll distract them sir. I'll lob a few grenades over the ford and then Polly can fire the MG 42. They will think we are attacking there and you lads can swim over the river. It is not that wide and looks to be fairly shallow."
"That will do. 2200 hundred hours for the off."
Private Beaumont supervised the charges we would be using. He filled two empty wine bottles with petrol. If we doused the inside of the tanks then we would have instant fire. The real problem would be the crew. This was the 1st SS. They would die hard! While Barker and Poulson were getting in position I said, "Take no chances with these S.S. They are all ruthless killers. We have two Colts between us, Fletcher, and our job is to watch Private Beaumont's back!"
"Sir!"
We were wearing our rubber soled shoes. They would not weigh us down. We crept closer to the river and waited. One of the German sentries was careless. I saw the glow of his cigarette. I marked his position. The sound of the grenade landing and exploding was our signal and we slipped into the water. I guessed it would not be very deep and so it proved. There was the sound of alarm in the German camp. Then the heavy MG 42 started up. It sounded like a chain saw as it ripped through the undergrowth. It must have confused the Germans. A second grenade landed and the machine guns fired again. We were on the other bank when it stopped. There was silence. Then I heard Germans shouting orders and there was movement deep in the woods as men were rushed to defend the ford. I drew my Colt and held it before me as I emerged from the water. I saw a white face appear from my right and I fired. At a range of twenty feet I could not miss. I heard the sound of Fletcher's silenced gun and then a German asked, "What is that Dieter?"
I mumbled, "Something I ate," and made a vomiting noise. When he laughed there was s second phut and Fletcher shot him. We moved down the bank towards the anti tank guns. There were sandbags around them and two sentries sat atop them smoking and talking. They were darker lumps against the blackness of the night. Fletcher and I crept forward. As I neared them, moving silently, I heard them speaking.
"What do you think that firing was before?"
"The damned British and Americans just want to keep us awake. Don't worry the men we sent there will send them back to their beds. They do not attack in the night." He laughed, "At least not without artillery! They are fools. You know when they are coming! Look on the bright side. We now have this magnificent sandbagged hotel all to ourselves. Hans left that half sausage he stole from the farmhouse. When we have our coffee we will have some."
There was silence. It was so quiet now that the firing had stopped that I could hear them breathing.
"The Engineer sergeant says we pull out tomorrow."
"And where would we go? Across this puddle? Their Sherman tanks might be death traps but there are still enough of them to stop us."
"Seth told me that he heard there are poles to the north of us. I wouldn't want to go there. The Poles have long memories."
"The Fuhrer was right; they are not humans. We did not kill enough when we were there. But how does Seth know? He listens to the radio that is all. We know that their chatter is just that, chatter. We have been in worse than this and survived. The sergeant does not know us. Let him make the tank traps and then he can scurry back to Dusseldorf. We are S.S. and we stay and fight."
We were less than four feet from them. I raised my gun and, after nodding to Fletcher, fired two bullets into the back of the one on the right. They both pitched forward. In one movement the three of us leapt into the first emplacement. Private Beaumont quickly grabbed shells and began to lay them around the gun. Fletcher went to the second one while I scanned the woods. I could see, some way in, a glow. They had a fire going. Although I could not see it I knew that the Tiger was deeper in the woods. I did not think the next part would be as easy.
I found the path which led into the woods. I went to scout it out. I could neither see nor hear anyone close by. It made sense. Our machine gun and rifles had made the bank untenable. They would not risk us firing at night. The sentries had told me where the rest of the watch was. They had gone to the ford. Private Beaumont and Fletcher joined me and we walked cautiously down the path. With the bodies littering the riverbank we now had to work quickly but too much speed meant noise. We would not be careless.
There were five men near the tank. In their black uniforms they were almost invisible. I only knew where they were from their conversation. These were playing cards and gambling. The fact that there were five meant it was the full crew. I saw the long snout of the barrel and the huge turret. It was a blacker shadow against a black night. This would be a harder kill than the last one. The backs of three were to us. That meant that two faced us. They had to die first.
Lying prone I held my Colt in two hands. The range was just fifty feet but it was dark. I did not want to risk going closer for the Germans who faced us might see us. They had some sort of dim light to enable them to see their cards and it gave a slight glow to the faces of the two men on the far side. I aimed at the one on the right. Annoyingly one of those with his back to us kept moving. I hissed, "One, two, three."
On three I fired. My first bullet must have clipped the arm of one of those with their backs to us before hitting the man at whom I had aimed. I shifted to the right and fired again. The man I had clipped had cried out but my second bullet silenced him. Fletcher had hit one but the other two had risen. One shouted, "Alarm!" as they hurtled towards the danger. I saw they had pulled S.S. daggers from their belts. I shot the one, who had shouted, with two bullets. I heard the click of a jam from my left and Fletcher mumbled, "Shit!" The German dived on to Fletcher. I put my Colt to the side of the German's head and fired. The head disappeared, sh
owering Fletcher in blood, bones and brains.
Just then one of the Germans I thought was dead reached out and grabbed me. My gun was empty and, as I fell I let it fall and drew my dagger. I saw a flash of metal in his right hand and I grabbed it with my left. My right hand darted in and stabbed him in the throat. His right arm went limp and he gurgled his life away.
I stood, "Private Beaumont, you have minutes, if that!"
"Sir."
In the distance I could hear shouts. At night sound can be misleading. They had heard the shout but would not know the direction. Then I heard firing. It was the other team. It was all going badly wrong.
"You alright Fletcher?"
"No sir. Bastard stuck me." He held his hand to his shoulder.
I took a dressing from my webbing and jammed it under his battledress. "Get back to the eight eights and we will follow. Go!" As he lurched away, clutching his shoulder I reloaded my Colt. I saw the dagger in the German's hand. I stuck it in my battledress. It was the least I could do for Fletcher.
I heard footsteps coming through the woods. I ran towards them and knelt. I saw white faces. Holding the Colt in two hands I fired steadily. There was a cry and a German voice said, "Take cover, they are by the tank."
I took out a grenade and hurled it high into the air. I turned and ran back to the tank. "Private Beaumont! Now would be a good time!"
He emerged from the top of the tank. I could smell the petrol. He slammed shut the hatch. "It is a five minute timer sir but they are not that accurate....."The sound of his voice was drowned by the exploding grenade I had thrown. There were cries and then a machine gun chattered.
"Run! Fletcher is injured by the eighty eights. I will cover you." As he ran I turned and fired four shots in an arc. Then I followed him. Bullets shredded the trees above my head. I was just a hundred feet away when the tank exploded. It did not make as much noise as I had expected. Private Beaumont had been right; the hull had contained most of it. Then I heard the ammunition as it exploded inside. It sounded like a fire fight. As I neared the gun emplacement I heard a second explosion from the other side of the ford. This one was not as loud. Fletcher was slumped on the ground.