Company of Heroes: Mission 5 - Montebourg Company of Heroes Guide

Last update: 05 January 2023

Primary objectives: [*1] Rescue Dog Company [*2] Secure the Road [*3] Defend Redball Express Secondary objectives: [*] Destroy Axis Forward Base Additional objectives: [*] Destroy Panzer Grouppen (award: "Distinguished Service Cross") Note: It's a mission with enemy often harassing you with bushfighting. Enemy uses mostly armoured vehicles, motorcycles and Pioneers. It's also a first mission when you build sizable base and destroy enemy base.

You start with three medium tanks Sherman (with 75mm gun), three armoured cars Greyhound, with a halftrack and a riflemen squad. [1] First you must rescue as fast as possible boys from Dog Company besieged by Krauts in buildings in the middle of a map [*1].

[1]

[2]

Split your forces - send all three Greyhounds to the north, by left road margin (use "attack move" order) and all three Shermans to the farmyard among the buildings occupied by Dog Company. Right behind the wall you see on first picture your Greyhounds will encounter some german infantry trying to join the Krauts besieging Dog Company. They shouldn't run to far... Rifle squad you have at your disposal load to the halftrack and send it follow the Greyhounds. Disembark next to the building you've encountered first enemy nearby and enter it - hence now this building is your HQ. Produce three teams of engineers immediately. Right after entering the building with your rifle squad leave it (you've done this only to seize it) and follow the Greyhounds moving farther to the north. You can leave halftrack here as a transport mean for units produced in HQ later. [2]

A bit farther Greyhounds will encounter more enemy infantry also trying to get to the middle of a map - kill as many as you can, driving to the north constantly. Notice AT gun Pak38 standing nearby (white dot on my map) - the Germans shouldn't hit on an idea to use it against you but you can capture it with your riflemen. Then move back to the HQ with remains of this squad, replenish their manpower and go back to the north again to capture another AT gun. Roll first AT gun follow your armoured cars. If you produced in HQ first team of engineers send them to the north, capture first munitions point. Further more, at the left edge of the map, Greyhounds will encounter two squads of german infantry armed with Panzerschrecks - finish them but don't drive up too close (you can help yourself with AT gun and sappers heading to this spot). Afterwards proceed with your people to the building that stands in front of a fuel point - you see this house in the distance on picture [3]. Organize there a defensive point (Germans will start harassing you with counterattacks soon, they'll try to get to your HQ and destroy it). Greyhounds can now drive back to the HQ with a task to protect it against enemy counterattacks from southeast.

[3]

[4]

For now let's see what is happening with Dog Company defending itself in spot [*1]. Your medium tanks Shermans should be in place right now - drive in on the farmyard and kill the Krauts (3 squads) besieging the buildings. A moment later you'll see three other squads of infantry and a Stug assault gun attacking through the northern gate. Try to place your tanks as you see on suitable picture [4] (one of them frontally to the gate, two on the sides) and Stug will be transformed to the wreck soon and only one Sherman will need repairs. [4] Start repairing it with engineers from Dog Company you will get under your control after pushing back all Jerrys (first primary objective - rescue Dog Company - should be accomplished at that time).

Send rifle squad (from Dog Company) with one Sherman to the east, move second tank to the west, under the building where you should organize defensive point. On the east get over with two squads of Germans near the buildings at the right edge of a map. [5] Heading to this spot you can capture munitions point and after killing Krauts here - seize the fuel point (but don't build observation posts on them, leave it for engineers). Later collect with your riflemen a Panzerschreck that should left after Jerrys, then put this squad in the building you see at the top of a picture and place your tank between the building and right (east) edge of the map. [5]

[5]

[6]

Send here one team of sappers which you had to produce in HQ (they can seize strategic and fuel points near the main road and build on them observation posts if you already have enough resources). By seizing strategic points situated along the main road [*2] you secure the road which is your second of primary objectives. Repair damaged tank with these engineers then place them in building occupied by rifleman squad (first - build an observation post on nearest fuel point). Here you will also organize a defensive point (so we're slowly starting to create the whole line) because Germans will try to penetrate this way to the south (in my play they were sending motorcycles here). Generally Jerry loves to attack you along both edges of a map in this mission. [6] Oh, and the main goal of the whole journey to the east was to capture this sector to cut off southern (german) territories from the north (also german).

On the west your defensive point looks like this: in building in front of a fuel point you have a team of engineers and a rifle squad armed with Panzerschreck (this is the squad that have captured AT guns and replenished manpower in HQ). You can also capture one more AT gun situated in front of a building, near a fuel point (kill its crew before). So you'll have three AT guns Pak38 - for the moment place one of them to the left from a building to destroy every armoured vehicle enemy is sending to you by the left edge of the screen. When not wrecking vehicles destroy with this gun an observation point opposite enemy built on fuel point and kill german Pioneers trying to repair it. You can put second AT gun near the main road and point it to the north: this gun will work as a decoy for german tanks driving from time to time by the road - when enemy tank is fighting with your AT gun you can get off the side with your Sherman hiding behind the building and finish him (repair your tank with engineers). You can also use riflemen armed with Panzerschreck instead of Sherman tank: leave the building, do what you should do and go back. [7] Generally it's best to place AT guns behind buildings or hedgerows perpendicularly to the direction enemy tanks come from: when Jerry passes by he gets hit from vulnerable side - AT gun he didn't see is shooting at him. Before he'll turn his turret or even entire hull (if it is Stug) it's possible he'll get a second shot.

[7]

[8]

If you're using for tank-destroying purposes your riflemen armed with a Panzerschreck you can send back Sherman tank to the farmyard where boys from Dog Company were defending themselves (from where he arrived). Germans are also sending some vehicles that way so your tank can be more useful there. Send third AT gun to the farmyard [*1] too and organize there third defensive point. Repair your tanks with engineers from Dog Company. Initially, when tanks are in not so good condition, place them on the farmyard in the same manner as AT guns - perpendicularly to the direction enemy tanks come from and behind the buildings so they'll be able to destroy german vehicles driving in by the gate and wall to the right. When you grew strong here you can take a risk of placing your tanks frontally to the directions german vehicles come from (sometimes with infantry). Destroy with tank guns an observation post built by enemy on fuel point to the north from Dog Company buildings. Put engineers to the building between your tanks, raise an observation post on farmyard's strategic point first. [8]

When an observation post on a fuel point to the west, near the right edge of a map has been destroyed by your AT gun you can capture it with your forces: roll AT gun to the left from a fuel point so the gun will still be able to observe left edge of a map. Seize fuel point with your riflemen, build an observation post. Kill Germans hiding in building near the crossroads with your tank (I didn't send him back to the farmyard in my game), then you can install own riflemen and engineers in a house you see nearer on picture [9]. Roll along the main road second AT gun, place it so it will be able to provide fire on the main crossroad in the middle of a map. If your halftrack finished transporting engineers produced in HQ all over the map you can arm it with machine gun (that will cancel its transport function) and move it closer to the frontline (its armament is priceless when annihilating enemy infantry). [9]

[9]

[10]

Eliminate Germans attacking your base from southeast sectors (armoured cars and Pioneers) with your Greyhounds - strike enemy from sides and rear and you'll have no problem with him. Try to extend your base with engineers produced in HQ - I suggest to build barracks first (you will need infantry to support your tanks and for recon purposes) but you should focus on building tank factory cause tanks can give you final victory (I didn't raise a building producing weapons support teams in my game). [10] In the spare time (you won't have it a lot) you can build around your base/HQ some fortifications, MG emplacements for example.

To get off from insistent Krauts harassing your HQ it's best to capture their southeastern sectors that you already cut off from rest of german territory on the north. First zero in on this one lying near the dirt road. Attack it with your Greyhounds but avoid to drive in to the Pak38's field of fire that is hiding under the tree behind a building. Finish Germans occupying a building, help yourself with engineers armed with flamethrowers when necessary. Then jump into the building and burn AT gun crew under the tree. [11]

[11]

[12]

Sector farther to the south should quickly fall into your hands, eliminate possible enemies in this area (for example halftrack Sdkfz 251) with Greyhounds attacking from various sides or engineers armed with flamethrowers. Watch out for another AT gun Germans may roll closer, destroy it in the first instance (your armoured cars should have armor plates in this fight - install them earlier by clicking on suitable icon in the lower right corner of the screen). [12]

In the meantime build in your base tank factory. Send first produced tank to help Greyhounds. Equip your tanks with better 76mm gun by clicking on suitable icon in tank factory. [13]

[13]

[14]

Greyhounds and the tank can easily seize the sector situated in the lower right corner of the map - eliminate Germans hiding in the buildings with your Sherman tank, kill the crew of enemy mortar placed behind one of houses. [14] Destroy with tank gun an observation post raised on a munitions point and go back to the first frontline but leave here one armoured car (place it near the dirt road and point it to the east) because when an allied convoy called Redball Express will appear on map you will see on this road german infantry entering off-map and trying to get to the convoy and destroy it. And your Greyhound placed here won't let them to get there...

Oh, I forgot to mention that you will see on the battlefield enemy tank platoon soon (approx. 4 PzKpfw IV tanks). It's Panzer Grouppen - destroy it (it's additional objective) and you'll be awarded with Distinguished Service Cross. 76mm tank guns could be very effective against these enemy vehicles... [15]

[15]

[16]

Simultaneously, when half of a map is yours, it's time to strike further. At the right (east) edge of a map, on the hill, you'll see enemy base - it produce most of units that are harassing you with attacks. Destroy this military base [*] to complete secondary objective and to make german attacks weaker. Drive in the german base through the gates (south&west). Follow your tanks with engineers (repair tasks) - sappers may concentrate on other tasks only when you discover a possibility to repair your tanks with their crews). Quickly destroy enemy AT gun near the western gate and burn with sappers one more behind the wall (inside the base), to the left. [16]

Start demolish german base - shoot the Krauts in one of houses first, then destroy remaining buildings starting from this producing enemy vehicles. Your engineers can burn something just a little now. Place other infantry squads in buildings so they can observe the gates (north&west) leading to the base and nobody will take you by surprise when demolishing. [17]

[17]

[18]

Demolishing is a time-consuming operation so in the meantime capture highway crossing - drive on it with your tank (riflemen and engineers should jump to the buildings on sides to secure vehicle flanks) and eliminate enemy infantry hiding in building opposite and in front of it. Repair with engineers your tank after the fight, seize the strategic point and build an observation post on it (it's a continuation of realization "secure the road" [*2] primary objective). [18]

When it's done you'll see allied trucks appearing on the main road on the south - it's Redball Express convoy (I mentioned about it earlier) which has to travel safely to the north across the whole map. But for the moment the Redball Express will stop next to the strategic point near your HQ and will wait till you capture roads on the north. Germans will have a fancy to destroy the convoy, you must defend it [*3] - it's the last primary objective. [19]

[19]

[20]

When allied vehicles halt you'll see on the dirt road to the east german infantry entering off-map (groups of enemies appear there from time to time). Their task is to destroy the convoy from the flank but if you left in that munitions sector an armoured car (as I suggested you) you should have no problem with those Krauts. [20]

At the same time strike northwest, attack another munitions sector: neutralize enemy AT gun standing there with your gun and a halftrack armed with MGs. Get closer with your tank and infantry (riflemen and engineers), seize the munitions point, start to build observation post on it, jump into the nearest building. Then (probably when you're capturing the munitions point) you should see german infantry (approx. 4 squads) entering off-map from west and heading to the nearby church. Welcome them suitably with your halftrack (real killer) and a tank. They should break down under your heavy fire soon and start running in panic to the main road near the church and to the north then - try to intercept them and kill as many as you can. [21]

[21]

[22]

When you finished demolishing enemy base on the hill leave it with your Sherman tanks (recognize the terrain outside with infantry first) and proceed to the right branch of a main road. Destroy all german tanks you may still encounter, you will have your reward for that in the end. Capture roadside strategic point - it's possible you have to secure both branches of the main road to let Redball Express safely travel to the north (but in my game the convoy always chose left branch). [22]

Both roads are mined (red fields with M letter on my map), at least on sections near the tree line running across the map. So before you move further equip your tanks with mine flails by clicking on suitable icons in the lower right corner of the screen, close to the orders menu, then lower these devices (orders menu) to let them work! Repair all tanks with your engineers or by clicking on icon next to the minimap then move north by the roads. [23] You can equip your engineers with mine detectors too but there are usually MG-42s positions behind the minefields and sappers will take heavy losses when clearing them. So it's better to use tanks.

[23]

[24]

Follow your tanks with engineers, order them to repair damaged vehicles. Quickly destroy enemy AT guns that may wait for you right after the tree line or farther. [24] To the left from the roads you can see some smaller enemy bases sending german reinforcements on the battlefield - try to capture these sectors as quickly as possible with your infantry following the tanks and destroy with tanks these enemy buildings. Then invert the roles - let the infantry to move ahead, recognize the terrain with your soldiers and support them with tanks when in trouble.

Seize both crossroads near the northern edge of a map, watch out for enemy infantry hiding in buildings and entering off-map (they appear at roads ends and come to you) till you capture strategic points on the roads. [25] You can run over Germans coming to you when they are pinned down - it's horrible death under the working mine flail...

[25]

[26]

When strategic points on roads are yours (this completes primary objective - to secure the road [*2]) Redball Express convoy staying all the time near your HQ starts moving forward, to the north and mission ends. [26]