Mission 1 "Villers- Bocage: Birth of a Legend" | Campaign "Tiger Ace" CoH: ToV Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Main missions:
- Stop the convoy;
- Destroy the enemy panzer units;
- Destroy the Sherman Firefly tanks.
Medal missions:
- Destroy (4) antitank guns.
This scenario is based on a real campaign (in fact every other is also based on one) of Michael Wittmann, German tank expert who on June 13, 1944 destroyed the 4th County of London Yeomanry, British 7th Armoured Division squad, the famous "Desert Rats". Though Wittmann was commanding a while platoon of tanks and here we have only one Tiger under out command, there is no doubt that Hauptmann Voss is Wittmann's virtual alter-ego. Your first task is to stop the British convoy travelling the nearby road. Drive the Tiger near it to begin the massacre. You can shoot by successively pointing the next targets, or check out the new addition in this part of Company of Heroes, the direct fire mode. In order to use it, press the icon in the panel in the bottom right corner or press the D button (the default setting) and destroy the British vehicles while controlling the Tiger's gun. However you won't be able to use this tank for too long, because the engine will break down soon enough and your Tiger will be quite useless. The driver will take care of it and in the meantime you should concentrate on destroying the enemy vehicles. Especially look out for the Cromwell tanks and Staghounds. Destroy everything else if there aren't any around. Once the Tiger is up and running again head forward to the crossroad on the right, while still shooting the enemy vehicles and also soldiers.
You will get some experience points fairly quickly which you can spend on upgrading your kitty, by pressing the button near the minimap. I would suggest you pick up the fragmentation ammo used to destroying buildings and annihilating the enemy troops. You can switch between different ammo types by pressing the adequate icon.
During the fight the crew in your Tiger will automatically get other updates. One of the first will be the ability to order the tank commander to open the hatch and look outside (the adequate command in the panel). Make use of this whenever it becomes available, it will increase the effectiveness with which the crew will be spotting enemies. After getting to the crossroad near Villers-Bocage you will receive a new task: destroy the enemy armoured units. Their localization is marked on the minimap and the main map with green circles - just head there with your tank. During the ride eliminate the enemies: infantry in the building (the most dangerous are the sappers equipped with grenade launchers), some more armoured vehicles (always try to face them with the front of the tank, where the armour is the thickest) and some anti-tank guns. Destroying four of those guns will earn you a medal in this mission. Of course you should use the fragmentation ammo to destroy the guns and infantry.
When it comes to those guns, I won't give their positions - firstly, I'm not sure if their localization isn't random and secondly, they move around quite often. That is in fact the best opportunity to destroy it - wait for the crew to dismantle it (there will be a gray bar above it) and start moving to a new location. While they're on it, quickly approach them and shoot them like ducks. Alternatively you can wait in an ambush until they approach you on their own; it all depends on where they're moving the gun.
As I have mentioned before, the enemy tanks that you must destroy are marked on the maps with green circles and additionally with green arrows - so move your Tiger to those places in order to find the enemy. From time to time you will have to repair your Tiger if it gets heavily damaged. Use a smoke screen (the corresponding button on the panel), retreat a little and begin the repairs (another button). Remember that the tank will be immobilized during this time!
Between some buildings the German commander will detect British "cans" on the reinforcing. Try to approach them from the side or from the back if it's possible - it will be easier to eliminate them this way. Near the end of the mission (probably when the engine will break down once again) you will receive new orders - destroy the Sherman Firefly tanks. Two of those will arrive from the north. It's your worst enemy, equipped with powerful guns. Well, they appeared in the worst possible circumstances, you're quite defenceless at the moment.
Depending on what position your tank is in, place a smoke screen and turn your kitten in the direction of the enemy (if you're standing sideways or worse, backwards to the Fireflies) or just start the fight (if you were luckier and ended up facing them). Firstly eliminate the first tank with anti-tank ammo. Once you're done with it, repair your kitten and manoeuvre in order to get the second one as well as the other enemy vehicles.
After you destroy them, the British infantry will retreat (if you haven't already killed all of them). Unfortunately, while you're leaving the village, the Tiger will be shot and the commander will order to leave the tank behind (Wittmann was also returning on foot from the first mission, after his tank got hit with a hidden anti-tank gun).