46 Commando RM

Germans of the 12th S.S. Hitler Jugend

The previous page was: "44 Commando RM Burma"

46 Commando RM; under Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Hardy passed through about noon. They had successfully seized a German strong point; a row of internally strengthened houses facing the sea. The fighting was fierce with Germans surrendering to the Commando soldiers.

By that evening 46 Commando Royal Marines had captured a strong point at Petit Enfer, under cover of a naval bombardment. They soon occupied the town and sent two fighting troops to seize La Deiverande, two miles inland.

The Commando's next considerable exploit was to clear the valley of the River Mue from Barbiers to Rots; and to capture the village of Le Hamel and the town of Rots.

No. 46 Commando Royal Marines had the support of a squadron of Sherman tanks, having cleared a number of woods and hamlets along the valley they approached the outer buildings of Rots; which was known to be well defended by determined SS Troops.

How their move against Rots unfolded is described here.

44 Commando RM Burma

The Germans were waiting

The Germans were ready and waiting at Rots when contact was made with the SS Soldiers; they could be clearly seen in brick built buildings across the other side of a wide corn field. The had Germans exposed their machine guns barrels; invitingly waiting for the Commandos to attack them; if they dare.

For the Commandos this was too good an offer to be true; spaced apart they all advanced in line abreast as they moved through the waist high corn; with their weapons held firmly at their hips.

Both held their fire while the Commandos moved closer and closer until they could clearly see each other's features. The Germans were ready and confident of their position, waiting for the Commandos to open fire first.

The Royal Marines continued their advance; the enemy a crack unit of the 12th S.S. Hitler Jugend, felt sure they possessed the best advantage, because they were well protected behind the cover of thick reinforced brickwork; everything was deadly silent.

Still both held their fire, the Commandos were edging nearer and nearer to the enemy; then when they were at point blank range the Germans began to weaken. One broke the silence when he opened fire with the rattling of his sub machine-gun.

Then all at once everybody fired; shooting at each other with equal vengence. There had been silence, but now the air was filled with the music of death. The stench of burnt gun-powder and the noise of machine-guns firing away was unwavering.

The Germans in the houses firing through every aperture available. The Commandos standing rigid in the corn field, firing from the hip with rifles, Bren guns and Tommy guns at the exposed windows and doorway, with extremely accurate and effective shooting.

When the Germans stopped firing, the Commandos slowly and cautiously gradually took their fingers off of their triggers and waited for the SS Troops next move.

Everything was deadly silent again

For a moment everything was deadly quiet again. Then the only noise that could be heard was, the Germans, who were still alive, scrambling out through the back to get away.

When the Commandos looked round they could see that twenty of their comrades had fallen, some others were wounded but still standing. Later in the houses they counted one hundred and twenty-two dead Germans of S.S. Hitler Jugend.

The aperture of a doorway or a window made an exact target area for the Commandos to fire at. The Commandos were targets if you could fire at them; without projectiles coming at you. Being spaced out in the field there was a target but no exact target area to fire at under pressure.

The Commandos also had the knowledge that thirty-feet of corn will stop a bullet. 46 Commando Royal Marines captured the town of Rots and were able to march freely through the streets at 11:20 hours on the 9th June 1944.

'B' Troop moved on Le Hamel there was brisk action with two Tiger tanks, they were eventually mastered, with one of them set on fire.

"It was a city of the dead," recorded Lieutenant B. R. Reynolds Royal Marines a signaler. "Not a soul was to be seen and only the distant firing broke the silent night." The burning tank added a further flicker to the pale moonlight.

Modern-day Pages Fast Boats Pages Joe Wezley Pages

On to Le Hamel

'B' Troop moved on Le Hamel there was brisk action with two Tiger tanks, they stood their ground until they were eventually mastered by the Commandos, with one of them set on fire and the other totally destroyed.

Once the Tiger Tanks had been put out of action; the fighting from the Germans ceased; those that could appeared to have evacuated the area in great haste.

"It was a city of the dead," recorded Lieutenant B.R. Reynolds Royal Marines a signaller. "Not a soul was to be seen and only the distant firing broke the silent night." The smell of warfare hung in the air, with the burning tank adding a further flicker of light to the pale moonlight.

The next Link below will be: "47 Commando kapelsche-Veer"

46 Commando RM 47 Commando Kapelsche-Veer

"Pirates Trilogy" $20