Turn 003 - 1600 Sep 17, 1944 (played 2011-07-18)

OVERVIEW of Turn 003


This is almost a normal Turn, except that the XXX Corps units may finally leave Travel Mode, the Allies may use any leftover barrage points from Turn 2 (I have 3.), and the Germans may finally attempt to remove Disruption from all of the units on Map A.


So XXX Corps begin its push northward and the Allied airborne divisions moved to improve their positions.  Meanwhile the Germans began a counter-attack in the 101st Airborne division's sector (Map C).


XXX Corps (Map D)


On the west flank (left), units from the 15*19 independent tank regiment dropped out of Travel Mode on their first movement impulse.  The German infantry from the 10th SS Panzer division pulled back to the limit of their movement allowance, leaving one company behind to block the bridge. Then the British tanks Close Assaulted across the bridge on their second movement phase.  That attack was successful and the blocking German unit retreated into the nearby Forest after being Disrupted as a result of the attack.


In the center, 3 of the 4 German 2nd Parachute Regiment's units in entrenchments on and near the main highway were Depleted from their attacks in the prior turn.  This allowed the tanks of the British Coldstream Guards to assault them successfully one-by-one while still in Travel Mode.  Meanwhile another battalion of the 10th SS Panzer infantry got pounded by the awesome power of the Guards Armored (GA) divisional artillery.  The tanks of the Irish Guards regiment prepped to assault two entrenched positions that did not contain Depleted units and provided a screen for the Coldstream Guard units that were forced to remain in Travel Mode after their assaults.


The Germans re-positioned units in the 2nd and 3rd rows of entrenchments and retreated the vulnerable units from the entrenchments to the left of the highway.


Then the British had their second Fire/Movement Phase and the assault began in earnest.  The Irish Guards successfully assaulted two entrenchments.  The Coldstream Guards rushed through the gap on the right of the highway created by their earlier assault and the destruction of the blocking units by the GA artillery.  They occupied one entrenchment in the second row and began encircling the 2nd and 3rd rows of entrenchments.


On the east flank (right), the Welsh Guards used their first Fire/Movement Phase to drop out of Travel Mode.  The Germans continued their orderly withdrawal.  By the end of the two German Movement Phases all of the entrenchments on the Start Line were vacant.  The Welsh Guards used their second Movement Phase to occupy all of the entrenchments and to close up on the retreating German units.


Finally, to the north, reinforcing units from the German 180th Infantry division moved into the Eindhoven area.

Map D - XXX Corps left flank after Turn 3

Map D - XXX Corps center, Irish Guards on the highway, Coldstream Guards in the lead to the right

Map D - XXX Corps right flank after Turn 3

Map D - German 180th Division arrives

Overview of Map D - Start Line to Eindhoven at the end of Turn 3

101st Airborne (Map C)


On their first Movement Phase the Americans approached the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Zon and the Germans blew it up.  They were once again unable to remove the German Flak unit in the Broken terrain east of Best.  North in Veghel, the Americans cleared out the lone German garrison unit and captured all of the bridges intact.


The Germans reinforced their counter-attack in the Best area with the tanks from the 9th SS Panzer division that were blocking the canal crossings, then pushed forward towards the drop zone of the 101st Airborne.


With the Zon bridge blown, the 502/101 regiment moved to assist with the defense of the drop zone.

Map C - the fight at Best

Map C - to the north at Veghel

Overview of Map C - Eindhoven to Veghel

82nd Airborne (Map B)


The Americans captured the bridge over the Maas-Waal Canal near Heumen, eliminated the German garrison blocking the north end of the Nijmegen bridge and moved to reinforce the 1st battalion of the 504/82 in their attempt to secure the highway bridge at Grave.


Meanwhile the Germans advanced almost all of the mobile units they have towards Grave to support the single Flak Unit blocking the highway there.

Map B - the looming struggle for Grave

Map B - Nijmegen

Overview of Maps B & C from north and east of Veghel to the Nijmegen suburbs

1st Airborne / Arnhem (Map A)


The only combat that occurred this turn was the 1st Airborne's divisional artillery attacking KG Kraftt.  One German company was eliminated as a result.  Other than that it was a war of maneuver as both sides sought to improve their positions.  Victor Graebner's Recon battalion arrived, but was unable to perform its historical dash to Nijmegen because the British have complete control of Arnhem.

Map A - Arnhem at the end of Turn 3

Map A - KG Kraftt tries to escape and points west

Map A - KG Allowarden and Spindler get moving NE of Arnhem (they start the game disrupted)

Overview of Maps A & B from Arnhem to Nijmegen

CONCLUSION


We performed the End-of-Turn procedure and that ended play for the day.  There was so much going on with XXX Corps that we ran overtime a little.

Turn 002 - 1400 Sep 17, 1944 (played 2011-07-13)

OVERVIEW of Turn 002


This is the first full turn, but has some special rules.  In particular, the Allies get a pre-Turn bombardment that simulates the actual artillery barrages and airstrikes the Allies executed prior to the kickoff of the Guards Armored assault.  In earlier games, this was relatively ineffective because the Germans had the opportunity to disperse in the prior Turn.  With the Phase 13 start, they do not have this option.


All of the airborne units raced to their objectives with varying degrees of success.


XXX Corps (Map D)


The pre-Turn barrage was moderately successful, with no damage inflicted on the west (left) flank, but heavy damage inflicted on the entrenched units in the center.  The central tank columns moved up a little in preparation for the real assault beginning in the next Turn.


Meanwhile, the Germans worked to move their Headquarters from their terrible starting positions to useful locations.  (You can't see them in the pictures.  They are in Entrenchments on the main road.)  They also moved up units from the rear-area Entrenchments in an attempt to block the Allied infiltration of their positions.

Guards Armored units advance prior to Turn 3 assault.  German units move up on center-right.

Overview of Map D - Start line to Eindhoven

101st Airborne (Map C)


The Allies cleared the two German Flak positions northwest of Zon, but accomplished little else as the Germans brought up tank elements from the 9th SS Panzer division to block all of the crossings over the Wilhelmina Canal and began a counter-attack in the area of Best (bottom-left in the detail below).


Further north, units from 501/101 seized the main highway bridge over the Zuid-Willems Canal at Vehgel and established a defensive perimeter along the west side of the highway.

Turn 2 action along the Wilhelmina Canal

Detail of the Vehgel area

Overview of Map C - Eindhoven is just off the bottom of the picture

82nd Airborne (Map B)


The 82nd had a relatively easy time of it because there was almost no opposition.  Part of the 504/82 captured the highway bridge over the Maas River at Grave, then moved on to Grave itself to remove the German Flak unit there.


A little to the east, the rest of the 504th Regiment advanced on the Maas-Waal Canal and captured the secondary road bridge at Malden.  On the other side of the Canal, part of the 505th Regiment advanced from the primary drop zone towards the Canal and captured the railroad bridge at Mook.  The rest of the 505/82 moved to secure the primary drop zone area.


The 508th Regiment moved towards Nijmegen and the Germans brought in reinforcements south of the Maas River near Mook.


The disrupted units in the pictures below are German Flak units that were disrupted in the pre-Game airstrikes by the Allies.

1/504 at Grave

Turn 2 action along the Maas-Waal Canal

Detail slightly to the east of picture above showing the 82nd's drop zone

508/82 advances on Nijmegen.  Two lonely German defenders wait for them.

Overview of Map B

1st Airborne / Arnhem (Map A)


After the disastrous landing, the 1st Airborne moved out to its objectives.  The 1st Para Regiment (1/1) occupied Arnhem in force.  KG Kraftt attempted to escape encirclement by the 1st Air landing Brigade (1AL/1) while the 1AL/1 moved forward to do just that.  A Recon unit reached the railroad bridge south of Oosterbeek, just as the Germans were blowing it up.  British Anti-Tank (AT) units occupied key intersections to block German reinforcements and movement (the Panzer AT gambit).  Finally, Model made good his escape and set up a new position far to the west.

The main area of operations - Oosterbeek on the left, Arnhem on the right.

To the west.  (Note that this picture is upside-down relative to the rest.)  Model is on the upper right edge.

Overview of Map A with a good bit of Map B at the bottom

CONCLUSION


This concluded play for the day.  We did the Setup, partial Turn 1 and full Turn 2 in just over 5 hours.  

Turn 001 - 1200 Sep 17, 1944 (played 2011-07-13)

GAME REBOOT

After the last post, Steve sent me a note that said, "Hey, you know the game is supposed to start on Phase 13 of Turn 1, right?".  We obsessed over and discussed that for a week, but ultimately decided to forge ahead.  Then after our play session last week, Steve sent me another note that said, "Hey, all those German units on Map A that start the game disrupted come back in Dispersed Mode.".  After some consideration, we decided to restart yet again.  I (Dave) am still playing the Allies and Steve is playing the Germans.

Check the earlier post called "Interlude" to see the game setup and introductory pictures.


OVERVIEW of Turn 001


Turn 1 now starts on Phase 13.  That essentially means that the only thing that happens on the first turn is the Allied airdrop and some limited Allied movement in the XXX Corps sector.


I decided that the hyper-aggressive advance from the last game was not a good idea and with the changes to the Game Start, probably not necessary.  However, I wasn't playing very well for some reason and rolled even worse.  Steve punished me severely for those failures.


SETUP


The German Player places all of his starting units on the map.  Then the Allied Player places the British units of the Guards Armored division on Map D, south of the Start Line.  Finally, there is a  simulation of the Allied air forces attempt to suppress the German Anti-Aircraft capability in the area of the invasion.  This was largely successful both in the actual battle and in this game.  I disrupted 10 of 16 German Flak units.

Guards Armored division on the Start Line without Travel Mode markers

This is bad play on my part right off the bat, because the leaders of the tank columns on the left and right edges of the picture can be shot at by German units in Concentrated Mode.  It is unnecessary for these units to be at risk this way because the Germans can be observed by other units.


XXX Corps (Map D)


Turn 1 began with the German attempt to destroy the bridges over the Meuse l'Escaut Canal.  All five of the bridges remained intact.  This was Steve's worst die-rolling of the day.


The Guards Armored division advanced slowly, mainly to prepare for the upcoming bombardment at the beginning of Turn 2.  German units have to be sighted to be attacked, and in order to see the Germans in the Town and Woods hexes a unit has to be next to them.


The Germans countered this advance in their Free Fire Phase and did considerable damage to the British units that they were adjacent to.


101st Airborne (Map C)


The American 101st Airborne division landed without casualties or scatter.

501st Regiment of the 101st Airborne (501/101) lands near Veghel

502/101 and 506/101 land north of the Wilhelmina Canal

82nd Airborne (Map B)


The 504th Regiment of the American 82nd Airborne division (504/82) landed without incident west of the Maas-Waal Canal.  The 505/82 regiment also landed without incident in the primary drop zone near Groesbeek.  Unfortunately, the 508/82 regiment was not so lucky.  One battalion scattered into Germany and another was aborted, leaving the push toward Nijmegen and the bridges over the Waal undermanned.

504/82 after drop

505/82 after successful drop.  508/82 off the reservation at the top of the picture.

1st Airborne / Arnhem (Map A)


The drop of the British 1st Airborne division west of Arnhem began successfully enough, with the 1st Regiment (1/1) landing unscathed in the tiny clear area north of the village of Oosterbeek.  Then the gliders came down - literally.  The first string of the Air Landing Brigade (1AL/1) scattered into the forest and lost strength points and was disrupted.  The second was about to be scattered directly onto KG Krafft where they faced imminent destruction, when a divine wind came up and blew them to a spot southwest where they were only disrupted.


General Model seeing disaster looming almost on top of him, immediately began evacuating the area.

1st Airborne landing west of Arnhem

That ended Turn 1 and it was just barely noon.  We totaled up Victory Points and rolled on...