The Battle of Five Armies - Battles of Normandy

Chambois, France, southeast of Falaise, August 20, 1944 (Scenario Size: Corps. Designed to be played as German against the Allied AI, but can be played Head to Head with the more experienced player taking the German side). Hitler's counterattack at Mortain had failed. American units were pouring through the gap in the German lines and fanning out through France. An opportunity existed to surround the entire German Force in Normandy. For a host of reasons, including command indecision and personality conflicts, this opportunity was not prosecuted as forcefully as possible. The Germans were forced into a narrow salient that ran from Mortain in the west to Falaise and Chambois in east. Allied air power showed its dominance and lashed out at the fleeing Germans. Belatedly, the Allies began to push to close, what had become called the Falaise Pocket, around the Germans and deprive them of any chance to escape. This attempt came to a head on August 19, 1944. On that date, the Canadians seized Saint Lambert sur Dives and its critical bridges across the Dives River. Further east, the Poles had caught a long column of escaping Germans on the heights near Mont-Ormel and turned the road into carnage. But in so doing, they used most of their remaining ammunition and they were cut off from resupply. They established two strong positions on heights, one near Coudehard and the other just east of Chambois. Both of these positions were astride the German escape routes. And further south, the GIs of the 90th Infantry Division had pushed north and met up with the Poles near Chambois. The pocket was sealed, but there were large gaps between the Allied positions and there were lots of Germans in the pocket who would and could still fight. August 20, 1944 would be the critical day in the Escape from the Falaise Pocket. Scenario notes: There are several German units being carried by transport units. These units represent the rear echelons of the German Army and while armed, have little combat value. It would be considered bad form as the German player to intenionally remove the "On Foot" status of your units. You can as the German player, remove the troops of the 2nd SS Panzer Division through the exit objectives as they arrive, but they will be unable to assist your retreating comrades as they struggle eastward under the Allied guns.