Having arrived the previous evening near Abbaye Blanche, Lt. Tom Springfield's 1st Platoon, Company A, 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, equipped with four 3in. M5 towed anti-tank guns, set up defensive positions covering the neighbouring road intersections.
With no real idea of where the American defenses were located, SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt.4 mounted an attack against Mortain early in the morning.
As the armoured half-tracks of the Das Reich column emerged through the morning mist, Springfield's guns began to open fire. The unit claimed to have destroyed four half-tracks, three PzKpfw IV tanks, four armoured cars and sixteen other vehicles.
The Das Reich column dismounted and some troops attacked Springfield's guns on foot, getting so close the gun crews resorted to throwing hand grenades and with supporting fire from neighbouring US infantry managed to stop the initial attack.

FROM: Osprey Publishing's, Campaign 335- Mortain 1944

PRICE: £675.00 (Unframed)
IMAGE SIZE: Approx. H 34cm x W 50cm ( H 13.5 inches x W 19.5 inches)
MEDIUM: Watercolour and gouache