Bloody Mortain - The Matrix Games version of West Front

Mortain, 55km S of St. Lo, France: [Best played as Axis] As Patton's Third Army punched deeper into France south of Rennes, it appeared that the remaining German divisions in Normandy were about to be trapped unless they retreated. However, Hitler had other ideas. Instead of withdrawing, he launched four panzer divisions in a counterattack through the Mortain area to sever the American supply lines at Avranches and re-establish a continuous defensive line across Normandy. The attack began early on 7 August, with the 2nd SS Panzer Division tearing through the US 30th Infantry Division at Mortain and pushing down the highway towards St. Hilaire. Attached to the 2nd SS Panzer, the 17th SS PzG Division, now down to regimental strength, was left to deal with pockets of American resistance. On Hill 317 portions of the American 2nd and 3rd Battalions/120th Infantry Regiment, and elements of the divisional tank and tank destroyer battalions, had dug-in and refused to surrender while continuing to call down artillery fire on the German advance from their grandstand view. By noon the Germans had had enough, and the battered panzergrenadiers of the 17th were ordered to sweep the GIs from the hill.