Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of previous newsletters and After Action Reports.

---

Der Gemsenjäger

Frontblatt der 5. Gebirgsjäger division    2. /GJR 100

Torrance Tactical After action report

F.P.Nr.24971c                                                                                17-18 November 2007 

Torrance Pa. has turned into one of the best tacticals that our unit attends. So far every event we have attended here has turned out as one of our best. Some sad news to report from the battle site is the area with most of the period looking buildings has been sold off and can no longer be used as part of the battle site. This is a major loss for all the photo opportunities that the buildings provided. Anyway here’s how the battle went.

We arrived Friday around noon and set up camp while Oberschütze Mlynek fixed up a nice stew to warm our bellies later in the afternoon. Later in the evening at the commanders meeting Jäger Sisler and I was approached by an airborne unit from Pa. They asked if we were the 5th Gebirgs and when I told them yes they said that they had heard we were a very good unit and they would like to have a meeting engagement that night at the old barn. They said that they have five new recruits that have never been in a night engagement before and wanted us to scare the crap out of them. Thinking this might be fun I agreed, and we would meet around 11pm. Outside of the camp site the rest of the battle field became tactical at 7pm and stayed so all night.

It was a cloudy night and not much moonlight so everything was dark gray and black. As we left the camp area our first order was to cross a small bridge and proceed pass a crossroads. Which we have found out the hard way at past battles here, that there are usually airborne troops waiting in the underbrush. I halted the squad just short of the bridge and was preparing to scout ahead so as not to expose the entire squad when from behind us troops were coming down the road right for us. Being dark we couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe, so we called out the password in German and when they wouldn’t answer all hell broke lose. After a brief fire fight the enemy set off a very bright flare and I told the guys as soon as the flare burns out we are charging across the bridge and don’t stop till we are pass the crossroads. Well when the flare went out most every ones night vision was lost for a few seconds which was enough time for us to make our escape with hardly a shot being fired. We now know that the airborne are now behind us.

As quietly as we could we made our way up to the old barn and found out to our surprise that the place was empty and there were no enemy units nearby. I knew that the enemy would be expecting us to take up positions either in front of or in the barn so I set up an ambush on far side about one hundred feet away in a dense pine groove where we could hide in the dark shadows. After what seemed like a long wait we finally could hear the enemy approaching the barn. I’m not sure but I believe they assaulted the barn for a couple of them even started shooting into the barn. But they soon found out that we were not there. It wasn’t long before they started to let their guard down and became careless. Meanwhile we were still laying in ambush waiting for the right moment to spring our trap. Suddenly a GI walks right up to within about eight feet of us and is looking around, I thought maybe he was going to take a piss right on us so I whispered to him “hands up” and he freezes. I was hoping to take him prisoner but instead he takes off running and the whole squad opens up on him and the other GI’s that were near us. I wonder if any of them did piss their pants? By now it was almost 1am and it was time to head back to camp and get some rest for we had to get back up at 4:30 am to deploy in the field. I’m sure those airborne guys were still looking for us well after we were fast asleep.

Before we knew it, it was 4:30am and time to get ready for deployment into the field again. Our orders were to meet up with other units at 5:30 and force our way through the enemy lines. Just our luck the other Gebirg unit we were attached to did not go where they were ordered to go and became lost from the rest of the Kampf Gruppe. We found out their CO could not read a map. Checking with HQ we were ordered to sweep our far left flank and check for any enemy activity and find our lost comrades. Well we found neither. Our next objective was to take and secure the barn that we had set up the ambush at the previous night. We coordinated an assault with a SS unit and took the barn and the surrounding area without incident, so far so good!

By now fighting could be heard in the distance and we knew we getting closer to the enemy’s main line of resistance. It’s funny but you get this strange feeling in your gut when you are getting close to the enemy, the question is where are they? We made our way up a ridge and into field of tall grass dotted with many cedar pines. I had the men form up into a skirmish line to sweep to the entire area and still no enemy. They had to be close by! We crossed a road into a narrow patch of dense woods and sure enough we found them. The initial assault went well steadily advancing by leaps and bounds then we ran into a 30cal machine gun and we started to take casualties. Finally I was able to pinpoint the location of the MG nest and was able to lobe a grenade and take out the MG position. We were able to destroy and breakthrough the far right flank of the allied lines but we suffered 50% casualties in doing so and broke off the attack.

Since the allied lines were pierced in several locations our next orders were to proceed to and take a bridge that was vital for the continued advance. It was a long walk mostly across wide-open fields, but we did not see anyone till we neared the bridge. Upon hearing that the bridge was already in German hands and that an allied attack was emanate we decided to head back out into the fields and position ourselves on some high ground between two fields. There was a drainage swath covered with tall grass and it provided a great view and plenty of concealment. There were only two ways for the allies to advance on the bridge and this was one of them. At this time we broke out some much needed food, water and even a little rest. But the sight of GI’s advancing on our positions soon interrupted that.

The American forces out numbered us more than two to one and advanced very quickly on our positions. We barely had time to try and position ourselves since we had to crawl around so as not to be spotted. As it was two or three of our group had to let lose on the advancing GI’s, for we could not bring the full weight of our Gruppe to bear. We had surprise and the high ground to our advantage but they had some heavy weapons including a mortar and a 30cal mounted on a jeep. We immediately took out three or four of them then it became a slugfest. Fortunately we were able to keep the jeep with the MG at bay and the mortar was totally ineffective. I believe they scored only one hit on us with their mortar rounds. One thing I must throw into this write-up is the clueless guy with the 30cal. Sure a 30cal MG is an awesome weapon and we always give them a lot of respect. But this guy had a propane-fired gun with unlimited rounds. And as you can guess all he did was hold the trigger down for about ten minutes straight. This kind of crap can really ruin a battle. Fortunately there was a judge watching and giving out points to the different units involved, and he walked over to the guy with the 30cal and declared his gun no longer functional, a over heated weapon. Daahh!! After about a twenty minute or so battle with neither side able to move or gain ground the judge called it a draw. We did receive extra points for a stubborn defense. And the unit with the 30cal. lost points for not knowing how to properly use their weapons. We suffered about fifty percent casualties and the Americans lost about sixty percent.

That was our last engagement of the day. We meet up with the other German units to defend a bridge that we had captured but the allies never showed so we all headed back to camp and what a long walk that was. This battle was a Battle of the Bulge the initial thrust scenario, and I believe the German forces took all our objectives at this event. In closing I would like to tell all the guys that made the battle that you all did a great job and we really would have kicked some butt if we had our Rifle Grenadier. Hint, hint!

Reickert, Oberjäger und Gruppenführer

2./GJR 100