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WAR LETTER, ACHNACARRY, 1944

swurvin — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 17:45:43 +0000

In June 1944, units of the 346th Infantry Division occupied Bréville-les-Monts, a village on a watershed between the rivers Orne and Dives. From this vantage point, they could observe the positions of the 6th Airborne Division, defending the River Orne and Caen Canal bridges and beyond them the British Sword at Ouistreham. Following several German attacks on British positions from Bréville-les-Monts, the capture of the village became essential to secure the 6th Airborne Division positions and protect the Allied beachhead.

The British attack occurred over the night of 12/13 June 1944, when Major-General Richard Nelson Gale committed his only reserves, the 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion, a company from the 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment and the 22nd Independent Parachute Company. To support the attack, a tank squadron from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars and five regiments of artillery were assigned to the division.

Their defensive line, however, was incomplete, as the small village of Bréville-les-Monts, between the commandos and the 3rd Parachute Brigade, was held by the Germans. Located on the ridge line it gave the Germans a view into Ranville, at the heart of the British position, the two captured bridges and in the distance Sword.

PLAN

Our task will be to secure and destroy two German gun batteries that have been harrasing the beaches and the towns around Pegasus Bridge in the British sector. We will be joined by squads from the Parachute Battalion who landed in the DZ's around Breville and Amfreville.

The task is to push north and connect the beaches, destroying any German forces inbetween. It is known there is SS units in the area around Breville along with German Paratroops to the south and around Amfreville.

We will join with armoured elements of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to secure the last battery before digging in around the town of La Haye. No.6 Commando will push to the north east in order to bring forces away from the main gun batteries.

Special Service Brigade
General Staff HQ
War Rooms, London
6th June, 1944

WAR LETTER, 1940, ACHNACARRY

swurvin — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 23:55:40 +0000

OPERATION CLAYMORE

The morale damage that the nation took at Dunkirk is top priority for the Prime Minister and has called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. The Prime Minister has told the joint chiefs of staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe and stated that "... they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast".

The destination chosen by the war committee and the Prime Minister is the Norwegian Island's of Lofoten. Here lays important glycerin production from the parafin and fish oil factories that line the coast. We must destroy these before the German Forces have time to bolster efficient defences and start production.

Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke, has already submitted such a proposal to General Sir John Dill, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal. So now we send this order as the Luftwaffe bomb cities and towns all over our island, we must hit back and send a message that we shall not surrender under any circumstances.

PLAN

The commandos taking part are all ranks from No. 3 Commando, all ranks of No. 4 Commando. They will be supported by a section of Royal Engineers of No. 55 Field Company, and four officers and 48 other ranks of the Norwegian Independent Company.

The landing force are to destroy the oil-producing facilities in the ports of Stamsund, Henningsvær, Svolvær and Brettesnes, engage the German garrison and attempt to take prisoners of war found in the area. They were also to detain any supporters of the Norwegian Quisling party and persuade the local population to leave the island and join the Free Norwegian Forces. Any volunteers that are skilled in communications are to be transported back to Great Britain.

The force will begin its assembly at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, on 21 February 1941 and remain there a week before leaving for Norway just after midnight on 1 March 1941. The landing force is distributed amongst the ships, headquarters special service brigade are to be transported on HMS Somali.

No. 4 Commando are assigned to the landings at Svolvær and Brettesnes. They will be transported on board HMS Queen Emma.

No. 3 Commando, are assigned landings at Stamsund and Henningsvær. They will be transported by HMS Princess Beatrix. The Royal Engineers and Norwegian forces will be divided between both the landing ships.

Good Luck.

For King And Country.

Special Service Brigade
General Staff HQ
War Rooms, London
10th February, 1940

DOWNLOAD MOD

swurvin — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 23:19:19 +0000

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1195447305

THE GREAT WAR - REMEMBRANCE DAY

swurvin — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:44:52 +0000

As everyone probably knows, the 100 year anniversary of WW1 is on Sunday. In this light we have decided to do a one time event as a British regiment in one of the offensives during 1918. The event will be on Sunday instead of Saturday just for the sake of the one time chance to do this on the exact day, exactly 100 years ago. Please try to attend as it's the only time we will get to do an event during the great war.

No operation tonight due to high number of leader LOA's

swurvin — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:16:16 +0000

Continuing on Thursday.

No operation tonight due to high number of leader LOA's

swurvin — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:16:15 +0000

Continuing on Thursday.

COMMANDOS SHIPPED TO AUSTRALIA

swurvin — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 18:18:20 +0000

ID: 3141455
HQ: Australian Command, Papua
Date: 5th September,1942
Reg: 1st Special Service Brigade

SITUATION

In the early evening of 21 July 1942, Japanese troops landed close to Gona. The Japanese advance party moved rapidly toward Kokoda and the airfield stationed there, reaching the Kumusi, at Wairopi in the afternoon of 23 July.

The PIB and Australians have engaged the advancing Japanese with ambushes. B Company, 39th Battalion assembled a force to make a stand near Oivi on 26 July. One platoon remained at Kokoda. Threatened with encirclement, the force at Oivi withdrew south to Deniki.

Having lost contact, the platoon at Kokoda also withdrew to Deniki on 27 July. With the force reassembled, it reoccupied the village unopposed on 28 July. The first battle at Kokoda was fought over 28–29 July. Repeated, determined attacks caused the Australians to withdraw back to Deniki.

A Company was able to occupy Kokoda but, isolated and under attack, it withdrew during the night of 9 August. Companies of the 39th Battalion had withdrawn back to Deniki by 12 August and were attacked the following morning. With the threat of envelopment, the battalion commenced to withdraw toward Isurava on the morning of 14 August.

This front is the last stand between Australia and the invasion Japanese forces, if we fail here it will mean the homeland is next.

OBJECTIVE

We will be landing in Port Moresby in Papua on the allied lines under the command of the Australian HQ stationed there. You will be mixed in with a reinforcement group heading up the trail with supplies and ammunition to meet with the encircled troops holding the front in the mountains near Isurava.

An assault has been planned once we reach the possition, it is focuses on an area with two objectives, Mission Ridge and Brigade Hill. You will be advancing forward to attack and capture the Japanese held positions there and to create a force to block them from gaining more ground on the trail. The enemy is equip with light howitzer artillery and heavy machine guns, we are outnumbered 10 to 1 with no artillery support. The only help is from limited fighter cover and strafe runs.

The trail is one single track with bends and twists along steep and thick jungle terrain, this track is your lifeline. If you are cut off there is no resupply, no defences and no help. Do not get cut off.

ORDERS RECIEVED - OPERATION IRONCLAD

swurvin — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:16:01 +0000

ID: 8314135
HQ: British Command, South Africa
Date: 28th August,1942
Reg: 1st Special Service Brigade

The orders for the pacific which were given last week have been revealed to be fake for secrecy purposes. Now that we have arrived at the destination, it is confirmed to be the island of Madagascar where a British landing force and No.5 Commando landed in May this year to occupy the island from Vichy French troops. We will be arriving to reinforce the new upcoming offensive which will be named and confirmed in the coming weeks.

SITUATION

The war rooms have heard the rumours of Japanese plans for the Indian Ocean. Last year, early 1941 the British Chiefs of Staff discussed the possibility that the Vichy government might cede the whole of Madagascar to Japan, or alternatively permit the Japanese Navy to establish bases on the island. British naval advisors urged the occupation of the island as a precautionary measure, which Churchill and the Free French General, De-Gaulle also agreed with.

The task is Operation Ironclad and executed by Force 121, which we will be reinforcing. The operation includes allied naval, land and air forces, commanded by Major-General Robert Sturges of the Royal Marines.

The British Army landing force includes the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group, No.5 Commando, and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division. The Allied naval contingent consists of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H, the British Home Fleet and the British Eastern Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Edward Neville Syfret. The fleet includes the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, her sister ship HMS Indomitable and the ageing battleship HMS Ramillies covered the landings.

The forces completed their landings with minimal casualties but the French inland defences consist of high quality concrete bunkers, pillboxes and gun batteries which constantly shell allied areas each day. No counter-attacks have been made except from machine gun and sniper fire along the lines, sometimes with strafing runs from called in from the rear lines.

The defending Vichy forces includes about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 are Malagasy tirailleurs. A large proportion of the rest are expected to be Senegalese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops are concentrated around Diego Suarez. However, naval and air defences are relatively light and/or obsolete: eight coastal batteries, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, a few midget submarines, Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters and Potez 63 bombers. There is also the possibilty of Japanese naval and air support in the area.

OBJECTIVES

We will be landing in the allied area on the south eastern side of the island and moving inland to the command post in time for a briefing. The details are not yet known so you will find out on arrival.

SHIPPED TO THE PACIFIC

swurvin — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 17:10:51 +0000

Orders have reached Drumlanrig from the war rooms, a deployment to somewhere in the pacific has been agreed, the exact location will be given after docking. We will be back under the command of the SEAC for the time being, a squadron of RAF will be coming along to assist.

PSA NO EVENT TUESDAY 25/09/2018

Lord Farage — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 10:49:39 +0000

Dear all,

Having just completed the Dieppe Raid and the various preparations for it we are now in between campaigns and as a result we will be having no event this upcoming Tuesday. Normal schedule will resume on Thursday and information on our new campaign will be released over the coming week so keep an eye on the discord and the steam group.

Regards,

SMaj. N. Farage