Monday 23 December 2013

The Megablitz Archive - A Bridge Too Small part 6

I will conclude the report of this game with the 'war diary for days 3 and 4 and the remaining photos.
Day 3 - 19/09/1944
XXX Corps clears Eindhoven and advances to the Wilhelmina Canal.  As the north bank is defended (by among others the recently arrived 245 ID) , road priority is given to artillery and engineer units.

101 Abn comes under pressure from the south.

82 Abn sends a regt onto the Groesbeek Heights.  This is soon in action against lead elements of the grandly-titled Korps Feldt (actually a weak infantry division) arriving from the east.
A German armoured column (Pz Bde 107 and Stug-Brigade 280 ) appears SE of Nijmegen and probes the US defences.

The battle for Deelen hangs in the balance for several hours and only huge huge air support tips things in favour of the Paras.  A short-lived intervention by the Luftwaffe is soon driven off by Spitfires which were flying top cover for the Typhoons.

Day 4 - 20/09/1944
We wound up the game at midday on the 20th.  Final conclusions were as follows:
XXX Corps.  By the end of the day troops of 50 Div were expected to effect a crossing, shot in by div and corps artillery.

101 - clinging to it's position at Veghel Bridge but still under pressure from the south.

82 - Nijmegen could go either way - the Stug and Panzer bdes are chunky units.

1 Abn - in firm control of Arnhem and Deelen.  Elements of Korps Von Tettau are trickling from the west but the lead units of 15 Scottish Div are soon to be flown in to Deelen.

Part the last of this series of posts now.  Above:  the flood of German reinforcements heading for Nijmegen was such that traffic police were needed!
US AA gunners wondering if the Luftwaffe will ever show up.
Ah yes - here is is now!
A lovely 1/144 Eduard Bf-109G built and painted by Wg Cdr Luddite.  
Predictably it was soon seen off by...
...The brave boys of the RAF, in the shape of a horrible
Spitfire flung together and daubed by me.
USAAF aircraft were present in some quantity too....
...while the Luftwaffe were throwing in everything they had!
An RAF recce P-51 keeping an eye on things.
More Germans heading for Nijmegen....
...with heavy support.

By now the Brits had secured the airfield at Deelen.  
Just as well, as the plan was for 15 (Scottish) Division to be flown in here.  
Just as soon as the holes in the runway are filled in...
Meanwhile back in the south, the mighty Churchill bridgelayer was in action!
The XXX Corps traffic jam.  This  was as far as it got!

6 comments:

Paul Foster said...

A really Hang in the balance game Tim.

I would have given it to the Allies for holding on.

Great series.

Tim Gow said...

Paul Foster
Agreed - on balance a narrow Allied victory, but lots of dead Paras!

Archduke Piccolo said...

If this were a chess game, the final position would be assessed as 'unclear'. I infer from the narrative and pics that the 1st AB Div is firmly established, but still isolated; the 101 and 82nd, if anything, worse placed, and XXX Corps still trying to break through.

I'd be inclined to give the Germans the nod, here, but I guess only by playing the game would one really get a 'feel' for how the situation really stands.

All round, a fun scenario, with plenty going on.

Tim Gow said...

Archduke Piccolo
Well done for following my rather vague narrative! It has to be said that in this game nobody had an easy time. I ran the scenario again a few years later (I'll post the report of that in 2014) and it must be nearly due for another outing. Perhaps next time you chaps in the colonies can be the allied planners?

Mad Padre said...

Impressively mega. Liked the aircraft.
A very merry Christmas to you and yours.
Michael

Tim Gow said...

Michael Peterson
Glad you enjoyed it!