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.
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| Map D - XXX Corps left flank after Turn 3 |
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| Map D - XXX Corps center, Irish Guards on the highway, Coldstream Guards in the lead to the right |
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| Map D - XXX Corps right flank after Turn 3 |
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| Map D - German 180th Division arrives |
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| Overview of Map D - Start Line to Eindhoven at the end of Turn 3 |
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.
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| Map C - the fight at Best |
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| Map C - to the north at Veghel |
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| Overview of Map C - Eindhoven to Veghel |
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.
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| Map B - the looming struggle for Grave |
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| Map B - Nijmegen |
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| Overview of Maps B & C from north and east of Veghel to the Nijmegen suburbs |
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.
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| Map A - Arnhem at the end of Turn 3 |
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| Map A - KG Kraftt tries to escape and points west |
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| Map A - KG Allowarden and Spindler get moving NE of Arnhem (they start the game disrupted) |
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| Overview of Maps A & B from Arnhem to Nijmegen |
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.
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