Little Great War - Battle of Isla Santa Maria

Upon the other side of the world from where events were developing in Europeia, in the Golden Empire of Khitai, the remote naval stations of Ruberia and Azuria began to receive word. A return home, especially for the Azurians, under-resourced at Tsingting (Qingding) was clearly indicated. Without access to the refuelling, revictualling and repair resources available to the Ruberian navy at Bong Gong, the Azurian Est Asien Escadron commander concluded that, apart from detaching a merchant cruiser commerce raider, his battle squadron would as soon as possible take the long voyage home. This would be no easy undertaking, as the high seas in the Great Western Ocean would be swarming with Ruberian naval units.

Even crossing the Halcyon Ocean from Khitai to the Vespuccian coast would be fraught with hazard owing to the presence of the Ruberian Far East Squadron. Not that he thought the latter as strong as his own force, but a fight could prove compromisingly damaging. 

Nevertheless, having formed his resolve, Vice-Admiral Comte Maximilien de la Spée ordered his squadron to sea on the moonless night of July, under cover of a minor storm. Under Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Redick, the pursuing Far East Squadron was already at sea... 

Ruberia Far East Squadron: Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Redick

HMS Calamity Jane (flag).
Pre-dreadnought Flotation 15/5 
Main guns 10-inch:- Range (hex)

• Broadside:5/4/3/2/1 Dice
• Fore/Aft: 3/2/2/1/1

Secondary 4.7-inch: 4/3/1

HMS Empress Eugenie,
Protected Cruiser Flotation 10/3
Main guns 9.2-inch 

• Broadside: 3/3/2/2/1/1
• Fore/Aft: 1/1/1/1/1

Secondary 6-inch: 5/4/3/1

Torpedo tubes: 4

HMS Nantwich,
Light Cruiser Flotation 8/3

Main guns 6-inch

• Broadside: 4/3/2/1
• Fore/Aft: 2/2/1/1

Secondary 2.2-inch: 2/1
Torpedo tubes: 4

HMS O.K. Fjord

Armed Merchantman Flotation 6/2
Main guns 

• Broadside: 2/1/1
• Forward only: 1/1

Secondary: 1/1

Note: secondary guns of both fleets shoot broadsides only.

Est Asien Escadron. ANS Villeneuve 
 supposedly carries the Vice-Admiral's flag

Azurian Khitai Station - Est Asien Escadron: Vice-Amiral Comte Maximilien de la Spee

ANS Villeneuve (Flag):
Pre-dreadnought Battleship Flotation 18/6
Main guns 12-inch.

• Broadside: 7/6/5/4/3/2/1
• Fore/Aft: 4/3/3/2/2/1/1

Secondary 6-inch: 3/2/2/1
Torpedo tubes: 2

ANS Chevalier Blanc:
Pre-dreadnought Battleship Flotation 14/5

Main guns 13.4-inch 

• Broadside: 3/3/2/2/1/1
• Fore/Aft: 2/1/1/1/1

Secondary broadsides:

• 9.4-inch: 2/1/1/1/1
• 5.4-inch: 3/2/2/1

Torpedo tubes: 2

ANS Armand Reclus

Armoured Cruiser Flotation 8/3

Main guns 7.6-inch

• Broadside: 3/3/2/2/1/1
• Fore/Aft: 2/1/1/1/1

Secondary 6.4-inch: 3/2/2/1
Torpedo tubes: 4

As the intentions of the Est Asien Escadron were unknown, Rear-Admiral Redick kept his own polyglot force - a battleship, two light cruisers and an armed merchantman - patrolling the East Khitai Sea for several days, until word arrived that the Azuria Squadron was far into the Halcyon Ocean, bombarding Ruberian island colonies. This had the look of the Azurian admiral trailing his coat. Anticipating the Azurian move to the Great Western Ocean and home to metropolitan Azuria, Redick at once ordered a course for Cabo de Hornos. He hoped to anticipate the Azurian squadron before it reached the Cape.
Apprehending disruption and destruction of seagoing communications and trade, the Admiralty in Ruberia sent to Sir Christopher instructions to find, engage and sink the importunate Azurian squadron. That at least confirmed the Rear-Admiral in his resolve. 

Reaching the Cape, around which the Azurians must pass to enter the Great Western Ocean, Redick learned from radio traffic and communications with the shore that the Azurians were believed still to be in the Halcyon. This was soon confirmed when messages were received that the Azurians had been in contact with the Vespuccian shore some hundreds of miles north in order to refuel and revictual for the long journey home. At once he raised steam and sailed north not far out of sight of the coast, his flagship flanked at some distance port and starboard by his cruisers, combing a rather stormy sea for the enemy.

A couple of days later, the weather clearing, lookouts aboard HMS Nantwich descried smoke several miles distant off the starboard bow. At once Redick altered course to the Nor'nor'east to investigate. It was not long before his suspicions were confirmed. Here was the enemy.

For his part, the Vicomte Vice-Amiral was inclined to welcome the action. Whatever would be hunting him in the Great Western Ocean, getting rid of the squadron before him would hardly hurt his chances.
Though his three ships faced four, his were on the whole the more powerful, particularly if he could keep the Ruberians at anything over mid-range of his guns. He could almost discount the armed merchantman...

Aside, here: 
A certain amount of calculation indicated only a very marginal Azurian edge in flotation points, and that if the range got close, the Ruberians might even have a very slight advantage. This was not going to be a completely one-sided action (I thought). I also gave the Villeneuve 12-inch main guns about equivalent to the British Mark IX - a significant improvement upon the Mark VIII, but improved upon further by the Mark X.

The Ruberian squadron had formed a line abreast as they steamed northward up the coast, the better to discover an enemy force coming the other way. Calamity Jane and the armed merchant formed a central column, with Empress Eugenie and Nantwich flung far out to port and starboard respectively.

In contrast, not especially seeking out a foe, the three Azurian vessels stayed in a battle line, ready for what might come. The small armoured cruiser, Armand Reclus led the line, Amiral Spee's flag fluttered from Villeneuve's forward mast. Chevalier Blanc formed the rear.

Sighting the enemy, the Ruberian line drew in towards the centre, both sides seeking to close the range. The first salvoes, between Armand Reclus and the Nantwich and Calamity Jane were largely ineffectual, apart from a ten-inch shell that landed squarely upon the bridge of the Azurian cruiser. It's command and control for the moment knocked out, Armand Reclus carried on its southerly course, as the battleships altered course west of south. It was to be some time before Armand Reclus returned to the action.

Now it was two ships against four, but the Azurian were both battleships, against one, with much smaller craft attached. Finding the range more quickly than the Ruberians, the two battleships landed serious blows upon Calamity Jane and O.K. Fjord. The armed merchant's guns far outranged by the enemy, its captain, Lt-Cdr James Smith-Blogg steered bullheaded toward Villeneuve, determined to contribute something more than mere attendance to the action.

On fire astern, to begin with, O.K. Fjord took hit after hit, but not only got close enough to fire off its main guns with some prospect of scoring a hit, actually did score -  a damaging hit into the bargain. But drawing the attention of the more powerful secondary guns of both battleships, the armed merchantman simply disintegrated under the barrage. O.K. Fjord went down, taking with her gallant captain and most of her crew.

During the course of these exchanges, the opposing forces were steaming past each other. The Ruberians were still in the process of forming its battle line, Nantwich yet to reach its station. 

.....

The range had opened out, as well, not even Calamity Jane's old ten-inch guns able to reach the Azurians, whilst the latter added to the fires that had already begun aboard Calamity Jane.

Determined to put an end to the enemy squadron, Amiral Spee ordered closer action, in the expectation that his superior gunnery should carry the day. This risky manoeuvre had the effect of the Ruberians 'crossing the 'T', but with neither side could achieve any hits. Far to the south, Armand Reclus was still in range of its guns, but also without success.

The manoeuvring had the effect of the rival squadrons circling each other, to the point at which both sides had reversed their courses. Failing to profit from Amiral Spee's risky charge, Admiral Redick apprehended that the enemy could cross the 'T' astern of his column. He ordered a course change slightly westward of due south. The rapidly closing range left Nantwich exposed astern, yet to complete the turn of the column. Salvo after salvo punched two holes below the waterline, and a critical hit in the upper hull below the forward gun turret. Ablaze and dead in the water, Nantwich proved an easy target for a torpedo from Villeneuve. Admiral Redick was down to two ships - but they were the strongest two.

For all the punishment it took, Nantwich had let Chevalier Blanc know it was in a fight, landing two heavy blows of its own. One struck under the stern, though the damage to the steering was speedily resolved. The other, more serious, struck the upper hull under the forward turret, causing fires that only quick action kept clear of the magazine. Flooding the magazine had the effect of reducing the gun of one shoot only, no further ammunition immediately available. The other two ships also started minor fires aboard the two Azurians.

Settled upon their southerly course, the Ruberians set off after the Azurian cruiser, still steaming southward, its command and control still compromised. The Azurian battleships had to turn after them, but now had the Ruberians between them and their goal, the Cape.

As Armand Reclus finally came under proper command, she about faced to join the main squadron. By now the action was becoming something of a chase, as the Ruberians continued on their own course for the Cape. As Villeneuve turned after them, she scored several hits upon Empress Eugenie, until then unscathed apart from an inconsequential hit several minutes into the action. For the next hour, Eugenie received strike after strike, hull holed, command tower hit, fires everywhere. When the ranged closed, she fired off a torpedo to no effect. Gradually, Eugenie slowed, Calamity Jane, having taken much less damage, pulled away. 

Nothing could save Empress Eugenie, and Admiral Redick took the realistic, if rather ungallant, course, and was not going to try. Dead in the water, Empress Eugenie took a torpedo from Armand Reclus under its quarter, turned turtle, and went down by the stern. By then Calamity Jane was well  to the south, well out of range, and disappearing into the gloom of a late afternoon. 

That was a fairly easy victory for Amiral Maximilien de la Spee: three enemy ships sunk for no apparent loss. But he was less sanguine when he received his captains' reports. His flag vessel had taken some damage to secondary armament, and a hole on the waterline, though, apart from the damage to the bridge, Armand Reclus had got off lightly. More worrying was the state of Chevalier Blanc. Right at the close of the action, Empress Eugenie had hit the forward main turret causing the flooding of the magazine. Chevalier Blanc was in no battleworthy condition - and there was a whole ocean between them and home....



As this is a type of 'mini-campaign' within a larger one, it has become a matter of the extent to which battle damage is carried forward, absent any dockyard facilities for repair. The solution I have decided upon is that all critical damage is resolved at sea - sufficiently to restore the functions 'after a fashion'. However, some damage has to be carried forward, and I have decided upon restoring just half of the lost Flotation Points. So here's the damage:

The Villeneuve,18FP, lost 7FP during the battle. 4FP restored, now stands at 15FP . To tabulate:

Villeneuve: 18FP - 7 + 4 => 15FP
Chevalier Blanc: 14FP - 10 + 5 => 9FP (Woo - that's bad!)
Armand Reclus: 8FP - 2 + 1 => 7FP

And the surviving Ruberian  battleship?
Calamity Jane: 15FP - 6 + 3 => 12FP

Backlog of Reports

In the last couple of months I have been having trouble putting fingers to keyboard (and pencil to paper) to keep this blog spot going. The muses Calliope, Clio and Hexahedra seem to have deserted my literary creativity. I don't know why, but it is not the first time, and it is the reason I am no novelist (my first tentative essays in that direction quickly dried up the well of inspiration).

But I have at least to keep this blog spot alive, so, here are some teasers for items to come...

Portable Battle of Aspern-Essling, 21 May 1809

Early morning. Marshal Massena's Corps on the march
just as the Austrian Army appears on the skyline.

French cavalry attacks by the cavalry Divisions of 
d'Espagne, Lasalle and Marulaz holding back the Austrian |centre

***

Portable Battle of Aspern-Essling, 22 May 1809

A clash imminent, all along the front line

Marshal Bessieres leads a Division of 
cuirassiers into the attack on the Austrian centre

The battle rages, the issue still in doubt...

***

Battle of Isla Santa Maria

The Ruberian Far East Squadron intercepts the 
Azurian Khitai Station group attempting to return home 

Early action, the gallant charge by the armed merchantman 
O.K. Fjord ends tragically...

***

The Azuria Convoy.

A Ruberian hunter group comprising battleship RMS Royal Sceptre and protected cruiser RMS Ewalda 
intercepts a convoy of four freighters protected by an ironclad battleship, and armoured cruiser and an armed merchantman.

The lumbering freighters turn about whilst the escort 
ships face off against the attackers

***

The Glacial Ocean Convoy.

A Ra'esharn convoy intercepted by a 4-squadron 
Group of bombers. 

A mid-ocean melee as the escorts try to hold off 
a Kiivar intercept squadron. White = Kiivar; Red = Ra'esharn
Now: what can that green die, showing a six, portend?

This last game was played under the rule set I proposed in the latest Portable Wargame Compendium, the Fourth in the series.

I hope to give these actions a more sensible write-up in due course, though the Aspern-Essling battles will receive a fair brief summary for each day. 

Operation Archduke - Expanding the Bridgehead

Though disappointed in the failure on D-Day 6 June 1884 to establish a beachhead extending miles inland, the Ruberian invasion commander felt that at least he was sufficiently established ashore to bring in the I Corps heavy equipment: artillery, train and the machine gun battalion. But priority had to be given the 1st Cavalry Brigade - 16th and 17th Lancers. His object for today would be to push out the beachhead to the villages Venus la Tour and, behind the Petitriseau stream, Petiteville village.

Once landed, I Army Corps comprised:
Beach LandingCommander: General B.L. Montgeremy
1st Brigade: Brig. H. H. Reddick
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Battalions

15th Brigade: Brig Sir Bartholomew Rosewarne
- 43rd, 44th, 45th Battalions
19th Brigade: Col. M.T. Russett
- 55th, 56th, 57th Battalions
24th Brigade: Brig. Sir James Madderston
- 70th, 71st, 72nd Battalions
1st Light Cavalry Brigade: Col Raylan Lord Reddington
- 16th, 17th Lancers
1st Machine-Gun Battalion
1st Field Artillery
95th Field Artillery
Train etc

Overnight, Ermine Rommeau handed over command of the defence to General of Brigade Cyan Vicomte Pernod. The forces available to him were slender enough: the remnants of 114th Coastal Brigade (though still with its MG company) and Vicomte Pernod's own Brigade, the 31st (91st, 92nd and 93rd Regiments). Attached to 31st Brigade was a battery on ancient smoothbore heavy artillery, entrenched half way between Venus la Tour and the heights east of Oualmentville-sur-Mer. 

Dividing the front between his brigades, the 114th reduced to three battalions, and the 31st also with three, the Vicomte anchored his defences upon the villages, 114th having the protective stream across half its front.

At first light, the Ruberian advance rolled forward. The main push was carried out by 24th Brigade advancing directly upon Petiteville and its associated defence works. Pushing forward on the right, the battered 15th Brigade attempted to envelop the enemy line. Its resources limited, the defenders flank hung 'in the air', the earthworks protecting the refused flank a none-too-reliable expedient.

Supported by 1st Field Artillery and the machine gun battalion knocking out the defending mitrailleuses, 24th and 15th Brigades swarmed the two coastal regiments defending Petiteville. Outnumbered four to one, the defenders exacted a severe toll upon the Ruberian soldiery crossing the stream.

Events developed more slowly on the other flank. The first tentative infantry attacks were thrown back with little trouble. Advancing up the railway line, elements of 1st Rifle Brigade attempted a storm of the 339th Coastal Regiment, entrenched close by the road turnoff to Venus la Tour. Third Battalion was unable to close with the defences held by 91st Regiment north of that village, but the cavalry brigade essayed a charge against 93rd Regiment hastening to fill the gap between the fortified localities. At heavy cost, the Ruberian horse threw back the 93rd, whereat the Vicomte Pernod threw his reserve, 92nd Battalion, onto the cavalry's flank. 

Meanwhile, 15th and 24th Battalions were making heavy weather of turning out of Petiteville the remaining shreds of 114th Coastal Brigade. The odds increasing to six to one (12SP vs 2) rather disguised the toll taken - some 5SPs the attackers had lost, and were still struggling across the stream west of the village. One battalion, the 71st, had already battered itself to pieces at the bridge crossing. It took some exhortation from Sir James Madderston to induce the 72nd to attempt the storm, closely supported by machine gun and artillery fire. Not even the inspiring presence of Rommeau could hold the defenders to their posts.

After some hard bought success on the eastern flank, the offensive seemed to be stalling. First Battalion had taken the earthworks flanking the south road and the Venus la Tour turn-off, but the cavalry was taking heavy losses in the attempted pursuit. To counter the flank attack from 92nd Regiment, 17th Lancers attempted a counterr-charge that at least brought the poilus to a halt flanking the earthworks sheltering the 91st and the ancient gun battery. Sixteenth Lancers were in the meantime brought to a bloody halt by the orderly retreat by 93rd Regiment. 

So severe were the losses to the Cavalry Brigade that the 16th was reduced to a stricken herd of fugitives (reduced to 0SP), and the 17th were almost as bad condition. Even if further counterrattack were out of the question, the Azurian Rifle Brigade seemed set to establish at least a new defence line.  

Then, word by runner came in from Rommeau's command. Petiteville had fallen, 114th Coastal Brigade was no more, Venus la Tour was no longer tenable. Reluctantly, the Vicomte Pernod ordered the retreat. The enemy beachhead thus extended, and with enough reinforcement pouring in, the invaders would take a gigantic effort to evict...

 For their part, the landing Corps had taken very heavy losses to establish their beachhead - almost 50% over the two days. Further landings would be more in the nature of relief than reinforcement.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, at the other side of the world, in the Golden Empire of Khitai, events were stirring in the remote naval stations of Ruberia and Azuria. Without access to the refuelling, revictualling and repair resources available to the Ruberian navy, the Azurian Far East Station commander concluded that, apart from detaching a merchant cruiser commerce raider, his battle squadron should probably take the long voyage home. This would be no easy undertaking, as the high seas in the Great Western Ocean would be swarming with Ruberian naval units.

Even crossing the Halcyon Ocean would be fraught with hazard owing to the presence of the Ruberian Far East Squadron. Not that he thought the latter as strong as his own force, but a fight could prove compromisingly damaging. 

Nevertheless, having formed his resolve, Vice-Admiral Comte Maximilien de la Spée order his squadron to sea on the moonless night of July, under cover of a minor storm. Under Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Redick, the pursuing Far East Squadron was already at sea...

The meeting of the Far East naval commands - the Battle of Isla de Santa Maria
about to begin...

Operation Archduke - The Landing

 

The Plan.

For years before the opening of hostilities between Azuria and Ruberia, the latter's High Command had been planning - and rehearing far from prying eyes - a quick surprise landing somewhere upon Azurian shores. Of course, such a design could scarcely be kept secret, but flooding Dame Rumour with a plethora of misinformation, disinformation and obfuscation at least force Azuria to form its countermeasures contingent upon a wide range of possibilities.

So it was that, when the landing Armada approached the Portesable Bay they were to find that they would have to fight their way onto the beaches. The shore to be crossed included and stretched either side of the considerable town of Oualmentville-sur-Mer. The landing area was divided into three beaches, styled, east to west:

• Gemstone - east of the town, but including a shore artillery emplacement: 1st Brigade, I Army Corps, in landing barges
• Jupiter - the town itself, plus the short stretch of beach east of Petitruisseau river mouth: 19th Brigade, in transport ships
• Scimitar - west of the Petitriseau: 15th Brigade, in landing barges

Behind the first wave of three brigades awaited a fourth: 24 Infantry Brigade, plus Army Corps artillery, machine guns and cavalry. 

First Brigade was to storm Gemstone Beach, carry the defence works, and exploit on to the heights inland, thence, by nightfall, the village of Venus-la-Tour. They could count on RMS Warrior to silence the shore battery.

The transport ships carrying 19th Brigade were boldly to range up to the wharfs along the waterfront and decant their passengers directly into the town. The bay forming a pronounced bight, it seemed likely that this landing could not be effected until the flanking Brigades were fairly ashore. By which time, it was supposed, gunfire from the Warrior, Earnslaw and Eurydice having suppressed the shore batteries might do the same to anything that might inhibit the landings in the town. That proved rather an optimistic view, and 19th Brigade were to have a hard time of it. 

Fifteenth Brigade's objectives were the Heights crowned by the village of Nonstreham and the shore guns on the point, thence to cross the Petitruisseau stream and take, carry or seize the Petiteville.



Opposing the landing was 114th Coastal Brigade - a formation of semi-civilian draftees of whom the question of their military value was to be answered emphatically in the event. Supporting this Brigade were the shore batteries sited at the town end of Gemstone Beach and upon Nonstreham Point. The Brigade also possessed a battery of ancient rifled pieces emplaced at Venus-la-Tour, and, in Petiteville, the machinegun company attached to 342nd Battalion around Nonstreham. Another MG company was established near Petiteville. This belonged to 31st Rifle Brigade, the main body of which had been billeted in several villages well inland.

Gemstone Beach.

Surprise achieved to the extent that 1st Brigade was close to the shore by the time the defenders were alerted to the attack, 3rd Battalion was ashore quickly and moving across the sand to storm the infantry lines flanking the east shore battery. Second Battalion soon joined the first, followed by the 3rd. Landing in front of the shore battery, 1st Battalion attacked straight out of the boats. The brought a halt to RMS Warrior's bombardment of the strongpoint - woefully ineffective as it was. Not that the shore gunnery was any more damaging!

General view of the approach of the 
Invasion fleet.

I'll pause the narrative here, for the next eight pictures, and then resume.



















Third Brigade were fortunate to land pretty much unscathed. They raced across a wide section of beach to storm the earthworks beyond, whilst 2nd Battalion attacked the shore battery position. First battalion soon joined that assault, straight off the barges.

Although the defending 339th Regiment were soon driven with loss out of their entrenchments, 3rd Battalion had taken such heavy losses that barely 25% remained in action. Second Battalion found themselves pinned down in front of the shore battery. Hoping to surround the battery and to force the survivors of 339th Regiment well away from the beaches, 1st Battalion fetched a sweep through the warehouse district of the town to emerge on the flank of the 339th.

The enemy infantry proved stubborn defenders, driving 3rd Battalion back to the beach and inflicting loss upon the 1st.

All the same, heavily outnumbered as the were, 1st and 3rd Battalions between them, at considerable further cost, were eventually able to scatter the remnants. Meanwhile, at the end of the day, 2nd Battalion were still held up by the gun battery. 

Scimitar  Beach

The wide beach in this sector narrowed at its eastern end rapidly to point upon which stood the second shore battery behind fortifications. 

Forty-third Battalion was the first to land, at the western end, where the beach was widest. They had, therefore, the farthest to run upon disembarking under not only the rifles of 342nd Coastal Battalion, but the Coastal Brigade's mitrailleuse company as well. Under that lash, barely half of the unit reached the ridge upon which the defenders were dug in. Ahead of the 44th, 45th Battalion swung off to the left to attack the gun emplacement on the point. That installation was at that time engaging in a deadly gunnery duel with the two light cruisers, Earnslaw and Elizabeth.



Rapidly closing upon the shore battery, 45th Battalion's flank attack dispatched what remained of the crews, then switched front to attack in flank the dug in infantry about Nonstreham. By that time, 43rd and 44th had taken considerable stick from their frontal attacks, between them taking 50% casualties. 



The irruption of the 45th upon the defenders' flank unhinged the whole defence of the Nonstreham heights. Overrunning the mitrailleuses, the whole 15th Brigade forced the 342nd Battalion back past the village, and bade fair to push the enemy right off the feature.

The Coastal Battalion were not, however to be hustled. Conducting a slow, fighting retreat, they made 15th Brigade pay heavily for their 'victory' - if victory they could claim. At the end of the day, barely a third of the Brigade remained in action (4SP out of 12). Although the shore battery and mitrailleuses had been lost, the Coastal Battalion still retained half its original strength.

Commanding in Chief the Ruberian Expeditionary Force (REF) General B.L. Montgeremy concluded at the end of the day that 24th Brigade should be landed, and, if time allowed, committed to the battle.  To reinforce the depleted 15th Brigade, 70th and 71st Battalions were directed to land on Scimitar Beach. Seventy-second remained to reinforce 19th Brigade in the town.

Jupiter Beach (Oualmentville-sur-Mer).

The ships carrying 19th Brigade were expected, under the cover of gunfire from the light cruisers to pull up along the Oualmentville-sur-Mer waterfront, and to disgorge their battalions straight into the fight for the town. The gun armed ships were ordered to ignore the incoming from the shore batteries (which, fortunately for the invasion force, proved remarkably inaccurate, for the most part), and to pound the shorefront buildings in the hope of forcing the defenders - 340th Coastal Battalion - away from the waterfront itself. 



In this they enjoyed no success, and the three attacking battalions found it difficult to maintain even the meagre toehold they established at the outset. A toehold at least the defenders could not hope to have prevented, but, even at three to one odds in their favour, the attackers found it a struggle to penetrate beyond the esplanade.



They could count themselves fortunate, perhaps, that 341st Coastal Battalion for a long time remained, unengaged, within their earthworks between the town and the stream. There was some reason for this, as the REF still had the 24th Brigade waiting in reserve well offshore. But 340th were doing well enough on their own.



In fact, for a goodish while it seemed that 340th might well drive 19th Brigade back onto their ships or  into the sea. Outnumbered three to one, they were inflicting losses at a rate of four to one. Had 341st intervened now, it might have been all up with the 19th Brigade, and possibly even the whole invasion. 



Gradually, the attackers began to get the upper hand, at last driving the defenders back, away from the waterfront. Rather late in the day calling in the assistance of 341st Battalion the Coastal Division Commander Ermine Rommeau managed to halt 19th Brigade at the southern edge of the town.




The invasion stalled within stone's throw of the beaches, Montgoremy brought in 24th Brigade. Seventy-second Battalion came in to land at the section of Jupiter Beach left undefended by the departure of 341st Coastal. 



By now the day was well advanced and the late afternoon sun dipping well towards the horizon. The losses taken by the invaders were such as to obviate any further attempt to push inland. Exhausted by the day's fighting, the troops needed a night's respite to reorganise. For their part, the shattered wrecks of 114th Coastal Brigade pulled back to the Petitville-Venus-la-Tour line. 



Overnight, 114th Coastal Brigade was relieved by the regulars of 36th Brigade, which formation took up positions around the two villages. If they could hold for a day or two, perhaps larger formations would be on hand to drive the invaders into the sea. 

Perhaps.

Acknowledging that the beach landings had fallen short of their stated objectives, General Montgoremy ordered that, on the morrow, the bridgehead be expanded to include the two villages to the south. He needed the room to land the other two Corps of his Army. The issue was still problematical, but he was beginning to feel confident that he could maintain his army in the field upon enemy soil.

To be continued ... sometime.

My apologies to readers for the length of time it has taken to produce this narrative, and there is a sequel, but after that, I may have to place this particular project on the back burner for a while. To be added is the D-Day+1 battle, and a small naval mini-campaign, part of the Little Great War, that I will call 'The Far East Command'. The first of these battles has been fought...