Le Havre

Major General "Bubbles" Barker's Polar Bears have assembled the biggest collection of Hobart's Funnies ever seen in one place in preparation for an assault on the German-held Channel port of Le Havre. These 'Funnies' were specialist armored vehicles created by the British and operated by the 79th Division under Major-General Percy Hobart. At Le Havre, they included Sherman Crabs, Churchill Crocodiles, AVREs, and Kangaroo personnel carriers, supported by tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. Facing them were German "festung" defenses that included a series of mutually supporting, formidable concrete strong points defended by mines, anti-tank ditches, and wire.

1944-09-10

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Major General "Bubbles" Barker's Polar Bears have assembled the biggest collection of Hobart's Funnies ever seen in one place in preparation for an assault on the German-held Channel port of Le Havre. These 'Funnies' were specialist armored vehicles created by the British and operated by the 79th Division under Major-General Percy Hobart. At Le Havre, they included Sherman Crabs, Churchill Crocodiles, AVREs, and Kangaroo personnel carriers, supported by tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. Facing them were German "festung" defenses that included a series of mutually supporting, formidable concrete strong points defended by mines, anti-tank ditches, and wire.

Le Havre, France

Operation Astonia was the codename for an Allied attack on the German-held Channel port of Le Havre in France, during the Second World War. The city had been declared a Festung (fortress) by Hitler, to be held to the last man. Fought from 10 to 12 September 1944, the Allied objective was to secure the harbor facilities intact, to deliver supplies to the Allied armies in Continental Europe. The Allies refused to let the civilian population be evacuated, despite offers of free passage by the fortress commander. From 26 August, Royal Navy ships and Royal Air Force aircraft carried out a blockade and an extensive preparatory bombardment of the city, which killed over 2,000 civilians and 19 German troops. The land attack was carried out by the British 49th Infantry Division and the 5ist (Highland) Infantry Division, aided by detachments of specialist armoured vehicles from the 79th Armoured Division, including Canadian troops. The German garrison of about 11,000 men surrendered on 12 September; the port was badly damaged but it was re-opened on 9 October. After the killing of so many French civilians, Allied commanders allowed the French inhabitants to leave Boulogne and other ports before attacking.

Wikipedia: Operation Astonia

German

British

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

Website Access: Classified