Torrance Tactical After action report
F.P.Nr.24971c 30 März 2007
Torrance is located about one hour East of Pittsburgh Pa. This is one of the finest battle sites that we attend. The terrain has it all and the period type buildings are what really set this site apart from all others. Check out our Torrance photos page.
Our orders for the day were to head out into the field early in the morning and harass the enemy airborne and try to keep them from linking up together. Before we knew it, it was 3:30am and time to get up and gear up. Not many of us really slept that night, maybe four hours of rest. We had to be in the field by 4:30. Our unit was the first to leave camp and we had a full moon, which made moving around quite easy. I wanted to position our unit in a woods surrounded by large open fields, keeping a watchful eye out for the enemy. It was quite a sight seeing our unit advancing across an open field in the moonlight. As we neared the woods all was too quiet and the woods was very dark, if the enemy was already there we will be history. But we were lucky and as we advanced through the woods there was no sign of the enemy. I positioned the unit on the far edge of the woods and hunkered down for a while watching and listening for the enemy.
As daylight started to break there still was no sign of the enemy except a few gunshots heard once in awhile off in the distance. Suddenly a welcome sight appeared it was a reconnaissance unit of the Gross Deutschland Division consisting of a 251 Hanomag halftrack and motorcycle sidecar. We exchanged intelligence reports and soon they were on their way. Soon after we spotted movement on a hillside about a quarter of a mile away, it’s the Americans! Time to shift the unit to the West side of the woods. Taking up good defensive positions we spotted more movement across the field directly in front of us. Everyone was ready as the GI’s started across the field right in front of us. As the squad of GI’s reached about halfway across the field we let loose. The MG team and the Rifle grenadier had a field day. Only two or three GI’s made it back to the woods.
Since the enemy now knows our location it was time to move our position. We found an excellent defensive position a couple of hundred yards away, set up and waited for the next attack. By now our little woods had become a “hot spot”. Which is an area that the allies must control for a specified period of time to score victory points, or the axis forces must keep control of for the same specified period of time to score points. There were also referee’s watching as the battles unfolded to award or take away points from units.
It’s too bad they didn’t see our last engagement! I must have positioned our unit in the right place because it wasn’t long and the GI’s started to very cautiously advance across the field directly in front of us again. This time it wasn’t squad size but platoon size in numbers. We held our fire and stayed very still until they were about 40-50 yards in front of us and then opened up with everything our little squad could throw at them. It was another turkey shoot the GI’s were devastated. They suffered about 75% casualties with no losses to our unit. The referee’s were so impressed they gave us bonus points for a great defense. As we had what was left of the first wave pined down a second wave of GI’s hit us, and I must say whoever these guys were they would not take their hits. In fact a whole squad of them ran right in front of our MG team and ignored the fact that they would have been mowed down in real life to the man. I believe I heard the referee say he was deducting points for that unit not taking their hits. It’s screwballs like this that ruin a good battle. We eventually were overrun, only because one GI unit thought they were supermen. But we knew and the referee’s knew that we kicked some butt!
As walking dead we made our way back to HQ so we could come back to life and rejoin the fight. The allies were preparing to assault our HQ so we were ordered to help protect the left flank. Our squad along with another squad decided to probe the left flank and hit the allies before they hit us. Finding a weak spot along a small heavily wooded ridge we went on the offensive pushing the allies back about fifty yards. The rifle grenades worked great in blasting out the entrenched enemy. But we lost the momentum and had to pull back as the allies were starting their assault on our HQ from the right flank. We took up positions on small ridge of dense pines overlooking a small valley in a horseshoe shape and it wasn’t long before the enemy showed their ugly head, hitting us from two directions. But we were able to beat back all attempts to take our HQ. For an hour the battle raged but they could not break through. Our defenses held even though we were out numbered three to one.
The next hot spot was the old sanitarium; a large brick building built around 1900 very period looking. We had a little time to rest and break out the canteens and share in some food before the next engagement. As we were enjoying the food and drink suddenly an officer comes charging in and tells us we are abandoning the sanitarium and moving out again. We will again try to hold off the allies at a small village about a mile away to the north. Making our way to the village we scanned the skies for enemy aircraft, for if they showed up now we would have been caught in the open surrounded by nothing but open fields. Fortunately the march was uneventful.
Upon entering the village we found it already occupied by friendly forces, so I proceeded to find our HQ to receive our new orders. This little cluster of 7-8 buildings is about as perfect a 1940’s European setting as you will find anywhere in the USA. See our Torrance photos pages. As we were setting up our defenses word came that the rest of the battle had been called off because of an accident. One of the referee’s was injured when the steering on his jeep broke and he lost control and was thrown out of the vehicle. Word came later on the he will be ok. So our unit took the opportunity to hang around the village for a while and take some fantastic photos.
This was one of the best battles our unit has participated in a long time. We had a ton of trigger time, just myself going through around 175 rounds of ammo. Everyone did a fantastic job in the field and it seemed like we were always in the right place at the right time. I don’t think our unit has ever taken out so many of the enemy while we had so few in losses. The MG crew and the rifle grenadier both did bang up jobs along with everyone else. You guys made me feel quite proud to lead you in the field. Well done!!
2./GJR 100