A BRIDGE TOO FAR
CGIII
Legion playing British
18AM
Well, there can be no denying I was quite happy with the result of the last game. Although I lost more troops than anticipated, the taking of so much territory, as well as denying him the most important Blocks for the calling of the coming OBA storm was just a total bonus! Now comes the difficult task, holding it all as long as possible…
The Germans will be building up their forces, but only slowly, so this first counter-attack (if he tries to attack) should not be a major problem as it will come in piecemeal if he wants to meet the requirements of R9.6151 (Attack Coordination).
Remnants
648 x10, 648 (Engineers)x5, 458 x5, 328 x1, 248 x4, 228 x2
10-2, 9-2, 9-1 x3, 8-1 x3, 8-0
LMG x7, PIAT x3, Lt MTR x2, FT x2, DC x4, 76* MTR, 57L AT
Jeep x2
Captured: LMG x2, PSK
Reinforcements
4x Para Pltn
648 x16, LMG x4, PIAT x4, 10-3, 8-1 x3
3x Glider Pltn
458 x12, LMG x3, Lt MTR x3, 9-1 x2, 7-0
Engineer Pltn
648 x3, LMG, FT, DC x2, 9-1
MG Section
228 x3, HMG, MMG x2
SAN +2
After this I have just one more chance to buy big in infantry… I need to optimise my points and since infantry is all I can buy, then that is all I shall buy!
Objectives
Take Block O
Take Block N or at least deny it to the Germans
Maintain my hold on the vital Blocks (R, S, P, K etc) – the rest are safe or relatively unimportant
Kill AFV’s and men!
My reinforcements will enter and mostly linger on the Western edge of the map to hit any forces that he attempts to enter from KampfGruppe Harder
Weather Clear, Moderate with a Mild Breeze to the South West (4)
Stat Table
(We are using Battlefield Integrity)
The Game
TURN 1
Little to report, apart from the opening intentions… I start ‘making like a mole’ and begin a frenzy of foxhole digging/expanding or move to positions that I want to dig into. Units move immediately into Block N, as well as Block O; I have to try and grab O of course and maintain a minimum of presence in N at the end of the CG date. As intended my initial reinforcements (41 IB Points worth) take up positions to stop any entry attempts he might make along the Western edge of the board from KG Harder. I try to place PIAT or captured PSK units near frontline hexes, as well as placing units in areas with Street Fighting options. I expect attacks from the North (towards N) and the South/East (towards R/S) as well as the inevitable Western attacks.
The SS hordes start to roll on in, though exclusively from the N/E corner of the board. My troops have enough LOS to strip the ? of all the units entering through the Northern road hexes (DD0) but WP and SMOKE placements makes shooting futile.
The surprise moves from JP are the forceful attempt to push into Block N – I mean of course he has to try to take this Block, but he has moved AFVs (mostly HTs from an SS PG HW Sect) into factories (HH9), even managing to Bog an AFV (FF7) as he crashed theatrically through a wall (this same AFV then had a MA Breakdown when he fired for Aqr!); on top of that he has pushed a gun (probably an AT from an AT Btty) into another factory (EE6) as well. Not only is this slow going, but should he fail to take the Block, then even an Uncontrolled result will cause the loss of any AFV/Gun units stranded here.
I am not powerful enough to take him on and cannot afford to lose men uselessly, and so I will be happy to make him come for me. He has placed 2 Spotting Rounds on board (Y6 – on target and an off target one in JJ17) and that is a little daunting, as they could only come from off-board observers – but once I am within Block N I should be a little safer.
TURN 2
The good citizens of Arnhem help out with a little civilian info revealing a field phone totting leader (II16) – got to be happy with THAT! I finish off an upgraded foxhole (Q2) in Block Orchard, and dig one with a first attempt in the middle of the orchard strip (C13) on the West of the Board; this is now to be designated Block Strip and I hope it will be a good first line of defence against incursions from KG Harder. JP manages to fix the MA of his AFV first go (and I even rolled the bloody dr too), alas…
Movement is a little on the nerve-wracking side. I am assuming from the reinforcements he has brought in so far that it MUST be only KG Harder’s forces left, so I feel I can make some moves that might be a little on the risky side. I make grabs for Blocks Z and Y and rush a DC carrying MMC out from the Blockhouse ready to Set a DC on the first bridge hex R23 in my next turn – if he has bought reinforcements from KG Graebner then I will be in trouble – so just to cover myself I also send a PIAT wielding MMC to the roundhouse. Units are still rushing towards the Eastern side of the board, and I am also placing units deep within Block H to build up some defensive positions – I want to turn that whole area in to a moon-cratered foxhole zone, the final battles for the CG will be fought here and what few FPP I have I shall need for other surprises. My biggest concerns are moving to maintain ? and the impending falling of his OBA (2 SRs are on board). As things stand in Block N, he will have to come to me first and the longer he takes the stronger I get! One last piece of manoeuvring is the use of my Jeeps; placing them near HS so that I can create the impression (or reality) of a swift grab for his rear Blocks… I need him to leave some troops behind to weaken his Block N assault.
A little AT fire that breaks one of my Block N 458s is quickly paid for with a decisive SAN on his field phone carrying leader (8-1) who dies a coward’s death behind the front lines. Essentially JP appears to be solidifying his front lines, actually pulling back from the upper areas of Block N and using the mass of troops and AFVs in the huge factory (HH9) to shoot for Acquisition on empty hexes and to try and ‘accidentally’ burn the place down with WP grenades. Someone should tell the poor German commander that the war is won by killing men, not buildings.
If he doesn’t get some sort of offensive going soon then my guess he will use this time to just build up his forces, especially infantry – an interesting tactic, not at all what I expected. If he doesn’t grab block N he might make it harder for himself (even with enough men it takes time to move through this Block and his OBA is not effective without LOS to my locations), and I will only need 1 unit to keep this Block uncontrolled.
TURN 3
I continue my efforts to dig in with units attempting to entrench all over the map.
Movements are not much different from before, I consolidate my position and the ‘Mexican Standoff’ in N with a total of 5MMC in the block (though I don’t want too many men up around there – this is NOT the main battle). I also successfully Set a DC on the first hex of the bridge (R23), this might provide some insurance for the later stages of the game. I reinforce the middle areas of the board from top to bottom.
I suffer another break when his (obviously off-board) observer drops 80mm MTR OBA on me when out in the streets (JJ18) attempting to claim Block X on the extreme East of the board; this would have been the deepest I would have chosen to expand. Still it could have been worse, and I quickly rout out of there!
I am continuing to consolidate my hold on the Western side of the board, with Block H attracting units to it like a magnet. I also reinforce my hold on the Block O/P area, but to a great amount, these units can be vulnerable if cut off (though I could make a hedgehog in Block O if things get desperate here).
Little happens in his turn; although he does present a strong front in Block N – I still cannot see him launching German ‘human wave’ however. The OBA shifts to hammer another ? unit (para with a captured LMG(GG17) in Block R), and he BU a SPW250/sMG that I was hoping to fire at this turn and moves it into Block N – he must be confident he can capture this Block or escape in time to save his vehicles.
TURN 4
I continue the theme of this game (chess on valium) by continuing to dig foxholes and brew up cups of tea – I nearly failed a MC when an officer forgot to pack milk and sugar, but luckily these are elite troops!
My front lines rearrange themselves; mainly to get out of the way of the OBA from the newly recovered field phone (II16) and the off-board observer… I have rallied 1 of my broken MMCs, and he ran like the clappers to get away from the OBA too. I was starting to think that JP was going to wait for me to die of old age when a HIP AT Gun (JJ11) opened up with a CH on FT carrying units running in the open on a wide road (AA16) between Block R and P – luckily the actual IFT roll was wild and I only suffered a broken leader and PINned FT MMC, and again he was penalised with a hot SAN that breaks his other 75L gun crew (BB0). His AT tries again, gets another CH and 2 hits (one with IF) but only succeeds in breaking the MMC, nothing more – talk about lucky (for me). Trying to get to his broken AT crew, the only open spot in his defence, became the focus of the rest of my turn… but it was just impossible, there is a HMG facing me off down the road (CC2) and I would have to run with at least -1FFNAM on a Wide Road. I just settle down again and relegate myself to pot-shots at the gun crew.
In his turn I am convinced that JP is really going to be content to just sit there and watch this one flow by! I find it hard to believe that he seriously thought I was going to risk losing men attacking him this turn! As it works out the dicebot is bored too; a 6FP+2 shot against the Gun crew breaks it and doubles my CVPs for the game to 4… I would choose to stop the game here but I want him to pay for leaving vehicles in this Block when it remains uncontrolled.
TURN 5
More stuffing around as I start to pull my non-sacrificial units to their Block N exit points and have a Jeep immobilised from HMG fire for my troubles – no major worry, I was not planning any scenic drives soon anyway. He also pulls out of N and it appears that any chance of confrontation is gone.
TURN 6
The big escape comes to an end for us both as we leave only 1 unit each in Block N. The monotony of the turn is broken up by some final foxholes being dug and wild FFE smashing up Dutch buildings but nothing else…
Aftermath
Nothing to speak of, I wake up my soldiers and set new pickets.
German Losses 8-1 and a crew
British Losses nil
Block Control at End of 18AM
German U, V, W, X, Y, Z
British A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q, R, S, T, Blockhouse, J5, L0, Ramp (Q7), Orchard, Strip (C11)
Uncontrolled N
Yellow – No Control Points
Blue – Water
Black – German Controlled
Red – British Controlled
Purple – Uncontrolled
Stat Table
Chits Attack Idle
German 13 8
British 5 13
Conclusion
Oh dear, I will be interested to see his AAR after this one, as I don’t know why he did not push me at all… he ended up using a module of 80mmOBA and losing a leader and crew for no gain whatsoever…and I was able to use it to dig a bunch of foxholes and place some of my units into half-useful positions…