Combat briefing. Market Garden Campaign. Game time: Turn 2, Week 2.
Orders were given to continue the pressure on the American paratroopers in the Groesbeek heights area and other drop zones, to hold the lines and defend the bridges everywhere else and to attempt a nearly suicidal delay action against the armored columns in the Eindhoven and Helmond Bridge areas.
As they say, a good plan only lasts until contact with the enemy. The Allies took the initiative and attacked the Son Bridge and Venray Road, while in plains south of the Groesbeek hills our German commander continued his plunder of the Allied drop zones looking for Spam, Lucky Strikes and toilet paper.
Three battles between the Axis and Allied generals resulted in two losses for the Axis but one, incredible, against all odds win for the Axis at Eindhoven. The Allies attacked the Son Bridge reinforced by a Sherman troop and Typhoon support. On the German side, the Luftwaffe bridge defenders were there to assist the ground troops and even made a good accounting for themselves by destroying allied armor. Several Stugs were lost when they attempted to crush American GI’s but were later avenged by Fallschirmjagers. In the end, the Allies failed to capture the bridge and broke and ran from the field of battle, with the Germans hot on their heels and not stopping until Eindhoven was back in Axis hands. An incredible turn of luck that fulfilled one of the major but seemingly impossible orders for the turn.
At Venray road, another Allied attack caught some dug in Pioneers by surprise without their anti-tank magnetic mines and wiped them out to a man without so much as a scratch. Hiding behind them in the wooded marshes were some Pak40’s who could not seem to stop the tanks either until they were within spitting distance or bogged down at the woods edge. Even as Allied artillery soared overhead to strike the empty polder beyond, the AT gunners zeroed in and finally found their marks! Victory seemed near after that especially when the supporting American GI’s broke and ran. It was all for naught though, as the whole time another platoon of US Paratroopers were skirting around the Germans lines and popped up behind them to capture the objective making the positions the Axis held untenable forcing them to retreat to Mass Bridge and await reinforcements.
Reports are sketchy regarding the situation on the plains south of Groesbeek. Retreating survivors report an Allied terror unit, which appear to be a force of Irish Guardsmen, has taken back the Drop Zone designated as “N” by the Allies. The madmen charge Axis lines screaming and firing madly even as their own shells fall among their victims. In the confusion of the defeat, some of our heavy 8.8cm guns were routed. Interrogation by the Gestapo of our terrified men is under way to try and determine what sort of terror weapon these Guardsmen are using that makes them so unstoppable and the rumor of belt-fed rapid-fire artillery has risen its ugly head again.
Strategically, the Allies landed some more paratroopers; among these were the Polish at LZ-S northwest of Arnhem. Supplies were also dropped. Where was the Luftwaffe FW190’s to shoot down those lumbering transports? Apparently, fuel or ammo shortages kept them grounded as they were nowhere to be seen. In the South, having cleared Venray road the Allied armor raced up the road to link up with the US 101st Airborne unit sent to hold the Gemert Road after their scout reported it was temporarily clear of Axis troops. This tenuous link was enough to allow the first of the Allied armor to race up to the Vokel road and even now they threaten the Grave Bridge area. Meanwhile, the Germans have rushed whatever reinforcements they could to Eindhoven to hold this unexpected prize. Elsewhere, stretched to the point of breaking, hard decisions have been made in order to give our fighting men the strength they need to have a positive effect on the coming battles while still holding vital areas.
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