scen349 THE ISLAND

[A Steve Too Many]

This is the REGULAR version of a scenario I posted over on the Enhanced forum. The scenario was designed using the ENHANCED mod, so some weapon substitutions have been made for use in REGULAR Steel Panthers. Also, base unit experience and morale values were set inside ENHANCED, and were not reset for REGULAR. This is my first attempt at making a scenario (though this is the second version of it) and it no doubt needs some play-testing.

Link is to a download through Rapidshare. You should be able to click on "Free user" for a free download. (I couldn't upload the file to the forum/please feel free to rehost.) If you would like the map, it's available over on the Enhanced forum.

http://rapidshare.com/files/169142008/Scen349.zip

Here's the scenario write-up:

Attribution-Inspiration: Cornelius Ryan, A BRIDGE TOO FAR
Chapter 12, THE SIEGE

September 21, 1944. Operation Market-Garden had not gone as planned.

In the "Garden" portion of the plan, launched the afternoon of September 17, British XXX Corps had been expected to break-out of a bridgehead on the Meuse-Escaut Canal and drive the sixty-four miles north to Arnhem -- through the towns (and over the bridges) of Eindhoven, Son, Veghel, Grave, Nijmegen, and Arnhem -- in just forty-eight hours.

The morning of September 21, XXX Corps had reached only as far as Nijmegen. Communications were erratic, but the 1st British Airborne Division, parachuted into Arnhem on September 17 as part of "Market", was believed to be still holding in a pocket around the northern end of Arnhem bridge, but surrounded and perilously low on ammunition and supplies.

The veteran Irish Guards had been the lead armored unit in "Garden". Now, at 10:40 the morning of September 21, Captain Roland Langton of the Irish Guards was told his Number 1 squadron was being thrown up the road from Nijmegen in an attempt to relieve 1st Airborne. Langton's squadron of Shermans would head a relief column out of the Nijmegen bridgehead, and drive for Arnhem. Infantry would ride on two of the lead vehicles. More infantry and a second armored squadron would follow behind. They could expect little artillery-support, and air-support flying out of Belgium was grounded by weather. H-hour was 11; Langton had just twenty minutes to brief his unit. Brigadier Gwatkin, the Guards Armored chief of staff: "Simply get through."

Driving up the embanked, dike highway -- a one-lane, elevated road also known as "The Island" -- the relief column advanced without incident. It began to make good progress towards Arnhem.

The column passed Oosterhout.

The column passed the hamlet of Ressen.

The column passed through Elst. They were half-way to Arnhem.

Weather that had initially grounded the ground-support "cab rank" flying out of bases in Belgium, cleared. Overhead the relief column, a squadron of rocket-armed Typhoons now took station.

The column passed the secondary turnoff to Bemmel.

As the column rounded a bend in the road, Captain Langton heard an explosion up ahead, and saw a "Sherman sprocket wheel lift lazily into the air over some trees up ahead." One of the lead tanks had been hit. There was the sound of small-arms fire up the column. Both Langton and Lieutenant Colonel Giles Vandeleur moved forward.

All four lead tanks of the squadron had been knocked out. Langton took command of a Sherman at the front of the column and began to exchange fire with an SP-gun located in a copse of woods off to the left.