The Megablitz Archive - A Bridge Too Small part 5

I hope you've been enjoying the photos of this game - there are more still to come.  I have now found the plans and 'war diary' I kept during the game.

The Allied Plan
US 101st to capture bridges at Son (N of Eindhoven) and Veghel.
US 82nd to capture bridges at Nijmegen (2 of) and Grave.
Brit 1st Abn (to be reinforced by 1 Pol Bde) to capture Arnhem bridge and secure Deelen Airfield for the subsequent landing of 15 (Scottish) Div.

Brit XXX Corps, headed by Guards Armoured to push up the single road, over the 'carpet' of paras, reaching Arnhem within 3 days.

Day 1 - 17/09/44
XXX Corps advances beyond Valkenswaard, opposed by German infantry and sporadic artillery fire.

2 rgts of 101 land east of Eindhoven, suffering significant (c20%) losses in the drop.  Soon engaged by elements of 361 ID

2 rgts of 82 land - one N of Nijmegen, the other between there and Grave.  All 3 bridges secured by nightfall.

1st Abn lands 2 bdes - gliders S of Arnhem and Paras E of town.  Both reach Arnhem and secure both ends of the bridge, just prior to the arrival of lead elements (the Recce Btl of course!) of II SS PzK.  A single para btl is detached to Deelen Aerodrome.  Most of the division's radios don't work.

Day 2 - 18/09/44
XXX Corps reaches Eindhoven by late afternoon, but not before German engineers blow the bridge at Son.  A nasty attack by KG Walther near Valkenswaard seriously weakens the RE detachment of Guards Armoured and the bridging column of XXX Corps.

Poor weather delays drops until the afternoon.

101 consolidates it's 2 rgts.  Having failed to secure Son bridge, it crosses the canal and by the end of the day is in possession of the bridge at Veghel having fought off an attack by 2 battalions of SS Panzergrenadiers (part of II SS PzK, detached to LXXXVI Korps).
The third rgt lands E of St.Oesterrode, suffering serious losses.

82 lands a third rgt N of the Maas.  The division's staff land in the river!  One of the btls at Grave counterattacks a probe by an SS KG (the same one mentioned above) resulting in heavy losses on both sides.  The CO becomes increasingly worried about the possibility of a German attack from the Grossbeek Heights.

1st Abn manages (at considerable cost) to drive off the attack by II SS PzK, helped by RAF Typhoons which appear in response to the division's many requests for air cover.
1st's final bde is dropped on Deelen Aerodrome - just as a bde-sized KG arrives from II SS PzK arrives.  A bitter and costly battle for the airfield ensues.

Days 3 & 4  and the remaining photos still to come.

The Megablitz Archive - A Bridge Too Small - part 4

Truckloads of angry Germans trying to repossess Grave Bridge.

Elements of 82 Abn in apparently secure possession of Nijmegen.

The 82's Div HQ, complete with field kitchen!

The blood was still flowing freely at Deelen.

Model, now accompanied by elements of II SS PzK was still unflustered.

Things were not going well for the Germans at Deelen...

...and the Brits were secure in Arnhem.

XXX Corps on the move again.

German reinforcements heading for Nijmegen.

The B Team

Newly completed in South Yorkshire's famous inland shipyard, these four Imperial German Navy destroyers are all of the catchily-named 'B' Class.  To be precise B.97. 98, 109 and 110.  All are Mick Yarrow metal castings with masts added from florists wire.

Wertingen, 1805

The Command & Colours supplement for the Austrian Army has recently been released, so last Wednesday seemed an opportune moment to unleash my previously underemployed 15mm Austrians.

This, the first scenario, saw a chunky but rather strung out Austrian force facing a French cavalry corps.  The Austrian line infantry units - as can be seen in the photo - are 5 stands (or blocks) strong.  So things looked a bit sticky for the French.

The field of battle - seen at the start of the game from the French left/Austrian right.  The clump of troops nearest the camera are Austrians!

French light cavalry.

The Austrians - mostly acquired already painted at a show some years ago - made for an impressive sight.

When faced with enemy cavalry (the French had 2 light and 4 heavy cavalry units) the Austrian line infantry can form 'battalion mass'.  Basically a solid square.  This saw off the first French attack.

By now the main Austrian line looked very neat.

The French LC were soon in action...

...and the (rather colourful) Austrian LC moved to head them off.

The dice you don't want in a cavalry battle.  Four infantry.  This rather blunted the Austrian attack!

On the French right, grenadiers were in action, supported by cavalry.

Some messy fighting ensued.  Here we have a weakened French Grenadier unit forming square as it is attached by Austrian Cuirassiers!

The decadent Austrians.  Emperor Mark and Empress Kayte.

The Frenchies were full of revolutionary zeal.  John and Martin.

As the Austrian right prepared for another sortie from the French LC....

...Lannes took some of his chaps on a mad dash against the enemy guns.  And failed to score any hits!

The surviving Austrian LC were soon run to ground and the French clinched a hard fought victory.  While the Austrians may have lost the battle, they are clearly an army to be respected.  Their thinner command structure is balanced out by large (if slightly brittle) infantry units and good quality specialist units - the grenadiers and Cuirassiers.