Dishonor Before Death:
Scenario Preview, Part Two
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
November 2020

Mike Perryman does not believe in the carriage return.

That makes for an odd experience when first opening a game or scenario set submission. There’s a solid wall of text, waiting to be unfolded. It’s understood that it will be good and it will be fun, but how? What’s inside that gray mass of letters and numbers?

Panzer Grenadier: Dishonor Before Deathrevealed 30 scenarios, grouped into eight chapters, each with a battle game. That means the chapters are short, and the scenarios are small as well, so you and your opponent can get an entire battle game done in a single session. That’s pretty cool.

So let’s have a look at Chapter Two’s scenarios.

Chapter Two
Second SS Panzer Division in Normandy
When Allied forces landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944, the SS militia’s 2nd “The Empire” Panzer Division was in southern France. Immediately ordered northward, the militiamen stopped off in Tulle on 9 June to murder 99 civilians and another 67 in Argenton-sur-Creuse. A day later they massacred 642 people in Oradour-sur-Glane and added 27 in nearby Marsoulas. They committed 112 more murders on the 11th, spread over several villages. Under constant air attack, and apparently none too eager to engage with opponents who might fight back, the division only entered the front lines in late June. At this point the division numbered 20,184 men with 209 tanks.

The commander of the German Air Force’s 6th Parachute Regiment, Friedrich August von der Heydte, noted that the militiamen all appeared young and physically fit, and called the division “marvelously equipped.” The SS division commander, Heinz Lammerding, marked the arrival by taking custody of an American doctor captured by von der Heydte’s men and immediately executing him because, Lammerding told von der Heydte, “he looked so Jewish.”

That was only the beginning.

Scenario Five
Montgardon Ridge
7 July 1944
After four days of fighting the American 79th Infantry Division had finally deployed all three of their infantry regiments to drive the German defenders from the Montgardon Ridge west of La-Haye-du-Puits. Being driven off the high ground was unacceptable to the German command so the next day the leading elements of the just-arriving 2nd SS Panzer Division were quickly combined into a two-battalion battle group with the troops of the 15th Parachute Regiment. The ad hoc group would assault and retake the ridge.

Conclusion
While 2nd SS Panzer received preferential treatment in the allotment of modern weapons and fresh supplies, with plenty of time for rest and training, the 5th Parachute Division experienced a very different war. The poorly-trained troops lacked support weapons and even basic necessities like helmets and uniforms. Colonel August Freiherr von der Heydte wrote a scathing report to his superiors on deploying the paratroopers before completing training or being properly outfitted for combat. Nevertheless, they were all the Germans had to support the SS militia and they went forward at the appointed hour.

The attack’s initial fury drove the Americans from their hard-won gains. The Americans soon rallied and regained their positions on Montgardon Ridge. In the last two days of fighting to control the ridge, the 79th Infantry suffered over 1,000 killed, wounded or missing and over 2,000 in the last five. They badly needed rest and replenishment as they were no longer the efficient outfit who had captured Fort du Roule in June, resulting in the capitulation of Cherbourg.

Notes
The SS are on the attack, with the dubious assistance of a large and unwilling mob of German paratroopers. But the SS have tanks, and the Americans don’t have much in the way of anti-tank defense until some tanks of their own show up.

Scenario Six
Baptism of Fire
8 July 1944
On the previous evening CCB of the Spearhead Division had crossed the Vire River at Airel with orders to attack in the direction of St. Giles. Almost immediately they started receiving small arms fire to get their first taste of combat and it showed. Minor command and control problems cropped up, exacerbated by the lack of a coordinated plan between themselves and 30th Infantry Division for their insertion into the bridgehead. Near St-Fromond-Eglise Spearhead met their first serious opposition, a small contingent of Battle Group Heinz supported by some armor from 2nd SS Panzer Division.

Conclusion
Command Command B had a difficult introduction to its first day of active operations, but they had some success in this small action. The American tankers destroyed four enemy panzers for the loss of one Sherman of their own. The Spearhead Division now commenced a slow advance, overcoming German resistance one field and one farmhouse at a time.

Notes
This time the Americans are on the attack, and they have plenty of tanks but not a lot of enthusiasm or coordination. But it’s an excuse to use those golden-yellow pieces from Spearhead Division, and that’s never a bad thing.

Scenario Seven
Spearhead Stymied
8 July 1944
On the previous day the 30th Infantry Division had finally crossed the Vire River with all three regiments. Although they failed to attain their objective, they secured a large enough bridgehead for XIX Corps to order the 3rd “Spearhead” Armored Division to pass through them and drive to the high ground southwest of St. Lo with the 30th Infantry following as close behind them as possible. The 120th Infantry Regiment ground forward all day against stiff opposition to reach the high ground north of Le Desert. With the Germans still waiting on Panzer Lehr to arrive, a small continent of 2nd SS Panzer Division was sent forward to at least stop them if they could not drive them back.

Conclusion
Spearhead’s Combat Command A encountered numerous problems crossing the Vire River and did not arrive in time to assist 120th Regiment’s effort as planned. Nevertheless the 120th Regiment’s attack went forward without armor support, meeting the enemy reinforcements head-on. Inconclusive fighting inflicted losses on both sides but neither could seize the initiative.

Notes
Only a handful of Spearhead Shermans make an appearance this time, and the SS have some Panthers to counter them. The Germans are actually on the attack, trying to blunt the American advance, and it’s going to be pretty hard for the good guys to remain unblunted.

Scenario Eight
Counterattack at Hill 32
9 July 1944
The 120th Infantry Regiment had taken the heights north of Le Desert a day earlier and thrown back a small German counterattack. At 0700 they would continue their southward drive. The fresh 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment had been brought up and moved into an exposed position to spearhead the regiment's drive on Hill 32. They were delayed by enemy fire on both flanks and waited till 1000 to defend against a counterattack that failed to materialize. They then moved out and made rapid progress until 1230 when upon approaching Hill 32 the long-awaited enemy counterattack finally developed. Then things got confusing.

Conclusion
The U.S. Army's official history states that “about 1430 the storm broke in the 120th's zone. Details that would fix the exact sequence of events are not available.” Conflicting reports flew back and forth between division headquarters, the 117th and 120th Infantry Regiments and their supporting armor. What is known is that B Company, 743rd Tank Battalion was lured into an ambush early in the fighting and were rendered ineffective as a fighting force within fifteen minutes. About a half hour after that SS militiamen worked around both of 2nd Battalion's flank, cutting the battalion off. The battalion was pushed back about four hundred yards and their commander wounded. The SS then engaged the supporting 1st Battalion and the conflicting reports still being received by 30th Division made events difficult to sort out. The American position finally solidified when the remaining armor regained their composure and the infantry refused to fall back any farther.

Notes
The Germans are on the attack, and while the Americans have plenty of troops the Germans have lots of armor and a whole battalion of engineers. But engineers can’t do everything, and the Americans have good chances of victory here if they can bring their own tank support into action.

And that’s Chapter Two. Next time, we look at Chapter Three.

You can order Dishonor Before Death right here.

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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published countless books, games and articles on historical subjects. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children and his dog, Leopold.