AFTER ACTION REPORT

CEDARS OF LEBANON OSTFRONT EVENT

DEC. 8 01

                As per usual at the Cedars of Lebanon Ostfront event, the morning started off with beautiful, sunny skies and the thermostat sitting at a comfortable 70 degrees.  And if you believe that, I’ve got some lovely property you might be interested in smack dab in the middle of the Pripet Marshes.  In reality, it was mid to low fifties and raining, typical Cedars weather.  After ensuring that everyone had registered the 1^st SS formed up to take stock in manpower numbers.  Communiqué’s informed us that Hptstmfhr Taylor was unable to join the unit due to another regression in his continuing battle with advanced syphilis and Obstmfhr Fraker was hauled off to another inquiry on charges of having relations with several Russian grandmothers.  With this terrible news, I found myself in charge of the unit.

                The LAH was represented well with 32 members present including two gruppes from my own zug, a strong gruppe from 2^nd zug, and several Einsatzkommandos from headquarters.  After a lengthy ammo inspection and safety orientation we moved out to the staging area.  Ivan was up to his old tricks again and had stolen a bridge that was thought to be secure.  Due to the heavy rain in the past couple of days the creeks had swelled and were impassable, severely confining our maneuver area.  The commander of a large Heer unit and I planned for the best way to assault the bridge and cross roads beyond.  The LAH was to take the lead and assault the bridge, allowing the Heer to pass through once the bridge was secure to attack the crossroads.

                The Russians had dispersed themselves to harass us along the main line of approach.  Detaching a squad to take care of these outposts, the LAH pressed on to within sight of the bridge.  A sharp firefight ensued with the surviving Ivans escaping across the bridge to the far bank.  Unsure of the enemy strength across the span, SS Unterscharfuhrer Quattlebaum volunteered his gruppe to ford the raging waters downstream to hit the enemy in the flank.  Leading the way, Quattlebaum smartly marched into the water and promptly disappeared under it.  His gruppe writing him off for dead, Quattlebaum emerged from the murky depths and struggled to the far bank.  The gruppe quickly unvolunteered itself from the task.  SS Unterscharfuhrer Quattlebaum qualified for the Submariner badge.

                Meanwhile, I led a small contingent with an MG42 to force a crossing of the bridge.   Three quarters across the bridge, a mass of 20 or so Russians charged from their positions at the crossroads.  Ignoring massive casualties and withering fire from the 42, the Russians pushed their way onto the bridge and engaged in close quarter fighting.  Their attack fizzled as German and Russian dead piled up on one another.  Having shot their wad with the desperate counter attack, the Russians could not hold up our follow up units from taking the span and establishing a bridgehead.

                Consolidating our strength, we allowed the Heer units to pass through our lines and pursue Ivan to the crossroads.  Allowing the Heer time to engage Ivan, the LAH pushed to sweep the forest on the right flank clear of Russians.  A bloody struggle ensued.  Ivan was pushed north and once our objectives had been reached word reached us that Russian partisans had overrun the approach to the bridge and the bridge itself.  We were cut off from our main supply and communication route.  We formed up for a counterattack.

                The gruppe leaders and I went on a recon and found some suitable routes for maneuver.  On the recon we spied Ivan moving into position in an attempt to spoil our effort.  SS Unterscharfuhrer Quattlebaum’s gruppe was selected to harass and contain a section of Russians while the main body of the unit attacked the bridge proper.  Moving quietly and quickly through the thick brush, the LAH engaged the enemy with overwhelming firepower.  The two remaining gruppes + split into two spearheads and pierced the Russian lines up to the bridge embankment.  Close combat ensued with the forces firing and tossing grenades at one another from a distance no wider than the road.  Eventually LAH bravado and coolness under fire prevailed and the Russians were eliminated to the man.  The female soldiers, on the other hand, were spared for some time.      

                After the fighting died down and before the men were entrained, a formation was held and two cuff titles were awarded.  Congratulations to these two men.

                                                                                                                                SS Oberscharfuhrer Deering

                                                                                                                                1^st Zug, 2^nd Kp.

THE GOOD:  Good LAH turnout, the miserable weather, lots of trigger time, the impressions of LAH men and their fighting prowess

THE BAD:  Outnumbered the Russians (again), the miserable weather, flooded creeks restricted maneuver area

THE UGLY:  To quote Shoop, many Russians actually Nashville homeless given uniforms and weapons.