The Battle of Dompaire

DATE: 14/01/2024

TIME (GMT): 19:00

ERA: WW2

MAP(S): Marenice

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Jarvis for Brothers in Arms

SLOTS: 66 / 93

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RATING: (33)

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The Battle of Dompaire was an engagement between Free French and German armoured forces in and around the town of Dompaire in northern France. The battle took place between the 12th the 14th of September, 1944. In prelude to the battle, Tactical Group 'Langlade' penetrated deep behind the weak German defensive line caused by the advance of General Patton's Third Army; the unit would encounter no resistance and liberated several towns and villages. Groupe 'Massu', consisting of the 5th and 7th Infantry Companies, supported by Sherman tanks, broke from the force and advanced towards Dompaire.

Groupe 'Massu' and Groupe 'Minjonnet' would meet the 112th Panzerbrigade, specifically the 1st Battalion, Panzer-Regiment 29, on the night of the 12th in an engagement between both units tanks. The Panther Battalion's command tank was destroyed in the engagement and both sides would fall back to their original positions. The French had taken this opportunity to perform an in depth reconnaissance of the town whilst a plan was formulated. In coordination with USAF P-47s of the 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, mechanised infantry and tanks of Groupe 'Massu' would storm Dompaire from the north whilst Groupe 'Minjonnet' cut off National Route 166, effectively trapping the Germans in the town. The Germans would lose many Panther tanks to artillery and air strikes whilst in the open, and several Panthers were abandoned by their crews without being hit.

The taking of Dompaire, as well as the subsequent attempts of Panzer Battalion 2112 to break the encirclement, would result of the destruction of nearly 70 German tanks, all either Panzer IVs or Panzer Vs, is regarded as one of the fastest cases of the destruction of a German Panzer Division on the Western Front. The 112th Panzerbrigade having lost most of its tanks and Panzergrenadiers was absorbed into the 21st Panzer Division only weeks after its formation.

13th September, 1944 - Dompaire, Vosges Region. Sous-groupement Massu begins its move to complete the encirclement of Dompaire and destroy the 112th Panzer Brigade.