There are no special rules in effect for this turn.
The XXX Corps continued its advance up the highway and neared a breakout. The 101st Airborne continued to take a pounding as the Germans reinforced with artillery. The skirmish around Grave continued and the 1st Airborne lost a key defensive position to a well executed surprise German counter-attack.
XXX Corps (Map D)
Once again, the Germans on the west (left) flank continued their retreat, pursued by the 32nd Infantry Brigade of the Guards Armored (GA) division.
The Germans continued their tactic of retreating in front of the main mass of the advance and no units were eliminated. The British occupied the last two entrenchments on or near the road south of Valkenswaard while advancing on both sides of the next patch of forest straddling the main road.
On the right, the Welsh Guards achieved a breakout by blowing through a battalion of the German 7th Parachute Division. (See the tactical detail of this action in the previous post.) The 15*19 Tank Regiment raced up the side of the map, threatening to by-pass the entire German position, but was blocked by a single Anti-Tank battery.
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| Guards Armored Advance |
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| German defensive preparations along the main road from Valkenswaard to Eindhoven |
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| Map D - Start Line to Eindhove at the end of Turn 5 |
The northern and central sectors of the 101st Airborne's position were completely quiet. In the south around Best, however, the battle raged on. The fighting itself was limited to exchanges of mortar and artillery fire as both sides sought to optimize their positions. The Germans upped the stakes and danger level by relocating the artillery from the 180th Infantry division, that had been garrisoned in Eindhoven, to the center of their position in Best. The 101st is faced with the prospect of even heavier casualties in the Turns ahead.
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| Best |
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| Map C - Eindhoven to Veghel at the end of Turn 5 |
Units from the 504th, 505th and 508th Regiments of the 82nd continued their efforts to eliminate the German Flak units along the Waal River and the Maas-Waal Canal and destroyed the Flak unit in Malden. After that the 3rd Battalion of the 504th rushed off towards Grave to reinforce the rest of its regiment.
The battle for Grave continued. Both sides exchanged heavy weapons and artillery fire. Once again, the Americans failed to eliminate the German Flak unit occupying the Grave City hex.
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| The 82nd Airborne quietly goes about it's business |
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| The struggle for Grave continues |
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| Map B - Grave to Nijmegen at the end of Turn 5 |
This should have been another quiet Turn in the north while the Germans awaited their reinforcements. But the British got greedy and chased after an exposed German HQ. This allowed the Germans to capture the British Anti-Tank unit surrounded by Dike hexsides on the main road north of Arnhem with a beautifully executed assault.
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| North of Arnhem |
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| West of Arnhem |
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| Map A - Arnhem area at the end of Turn 5 |
The successes of the British XXX Corps in the south were more than offset by the loss of a key British strong-point north of Arnhem, the failure of the Americans to capture Grave and the looming disaster for the 101st Airborne at Best. The Germans won this turn.
The Victory Point totals at the end of Turn 5 are:
Allies - 143
Germans - 79
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