Despite requesting they travel by a covered route they nevertheless run into what appears to be an SS Panzer Co. at the crossroads of the wooded area about 3km west of Blankenberg.
Typical Gary, he loves to leave individual units blocking roads just to delay you. It is murder with painful delays! [:D]
God don't I know it!! That said I've dealt it back out to him in this game too! I've got the screenshots on my system, I've just got to fiddle with them a bit before I post them. They may wait until I produce I slightly revised version for 'The Drop Zone' but we'll see.
Well, dawn brought no relief, just more artillery shells raining down on my positions. Welcome to Mook, aka 'Hell'[:D]
Day 5 0200 to 0700
Defending the Mook Bridge has become an absolute priority. The Germans may hold the village but at the worst they must not be allowed to proceed any further. To this end at 0220 I order 2nd Bn 504th Regt to bolster the defences around the eastern end. The attempt to retake Mook itself leads to very heavy fighting from about 0315 onwards with both sides taking a battering from the others artillery. As usual in these sorts of battles it’s the attackers who suffer the worst and by 0530 it’s pretty obvious that the assault has failed. In response I order the attackers to resume a defensive stance and dig in where they are as there’s no point in suffering needlessly heavy casualties. Mook can wait.
In the north, my assault on the southern end of Nijmegen has run into serious opposition. At 0320 G Trp 59th AT Regt surrenders! Quite why it was leading the assault is a mystery to me! If the brigade commander survives the battle I shall haul him back to HQ for a damned good dressing down!! As the 214th Bde presses forward it runs into a strong defensive line with regular Wehrmacht units stiffened by more seasoned SS troops. I fear that my losses will be very heavy if I am to push on but if the 130th Bde can make it up to the front then hopefully the pressure on ‘Jerry’ will prove too much and Nijmegen CBD will be mine. With the 4th Wiltshires bogged down I decide to order the 7th Somerset Light Infantry to make a dash for the Honinghutje bridges. At the very least it will give my opponent something else to think about and if it succeeds it will expose his right flank and may lead to the collapse of his front line. Ah well, time will tell.
In other developments the battered 1st Welsh Guards finally run into the enemy Heavy Flak Battery and Nebelwerfer unit they’ve been straining to reach most of the night. Tired and worn down by much heavy fighting they are not the fighting force they were. Driven back, they are threatened both in the flank and rear by powereful enemy units. Too involved with the developing battles all over the fighting area all I can do is order the HQ unit to move up and take up a defensive position close by, gathering what survivors it can.
And so battle rages on and on .... and on ...... aaaaaaand ooonnnn[:)]
Day 5 0700 to 1600
The battle seems to be entering its final phase. The fighting around Mook is getting very desperate indeed although I no longer fear a breakthrough in this area. Nevertheless, with the majority of my troops committed elsewhere I cannot spare the force needed to dislodge my enemy from this important location. From this position his troops have a good field of fire especially on the Mook Bridge where my reserves have been taking fire as they cross. By early afternoon (1330) I can safely say that that the battle there is stalemated. Artillery fire has become sporadic, the Princess Irene Bde is heavily dug in and with the tired but determined US Paras and the tanks of the 1st Coldstream Guards also holding a strong defensive cordon my enemy would be foolish or desperate to attempt another assault in this area.
It is the southern approaches to Nijmegen where the heaviest and bloodiest fighting has been going on. Despite heavy casualties the Guards and 214th Bde continue to pressure the enemy defences and slowly they appear to be giving ground. With 130th Bde slowly making its way northwards to make (hopefully) the decisive thrust I alter the objective for 214th Bde a couple of kilometres westwards so as to allow 130th a ‘clean run’ at the objective. If the Guards can maintain they’re pressure then they should be able to tie down enough German troops to allow my infantry to make a breakthrough. Having been observing my subordinates actions I’ve noticed they’ve been launching their attacks with their ‘organic’ AA and AT units. I can only presume that this late in the war the officer corps is not what it was in 1939! I bet not one of those clots ever even saw Sandhurst let alone fagged at Eton. I therefore have stripped some of the battalions of their support troops so as to avoid unnecessary casualties as a result of this incompetence.
Not all of the battle in the north has been going well though. Come mid-morning the 5th Wiltshires are taking a heavy pounding around St Anna and are nearly surrounded. To my horror I realised that despite informing me that he’d taken the objective I gave him, Brigadier Mole, the commander of the 129th Bde (parent unit of the 5th Wilts) was still skulking in the Dekkeswald. If he survives I’ll have his stripes! I order the 2nd Welsh Guards to strike northwards to relieve the pressure but despite this 5th Wilts suffer devastating casualties and are finished as a fighting force. I have to admit some culpability in this matter as I noticed that four of my medium and heavy artillery batts were not firing. It seems to ‘rest’ order I gave them had not been properly rescinded and they were just ‘waiting around’ for new orders. It’s mid-day before I can rectify this although at least it means I’ve got some artillery firepower left for the late-afternoon/early-evening battles to come.
Across the Maas-Waal Canal 4th Wiltshires and 7th Somerset Light Infantry Bns are slowly battling their way towards the Honinghutje bridges. As expected my opponent has placed a number of blocking units in my path but they are gradually being pushed aside. Incidentally I have attached engineer units to both battalions in order to facilitate the defusing of any explosives the Germans may have placed on the bridge.
With 31 hours left, the battle situation is less clear than I expected it would be. My opponent has dug in well around Nijmegen and is hindering my progress northwards more effectively than I had bargained for. In the south, Mook remains in enemy hands for the present but I will remedy that prior to the end of the battle. In the west I still have not made the progress I had hoped for and it is vital that my two battalions make swift work of their blockers and capture at least one of the bridges over the canal intact.
As we enter the home stretch, a few more details for you:-
Day 5 1600 to Midnight
With so much going on it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of everything, especially with fighting going on across much of the map!
West of the canal 4th Wilts and 7th SLI are making slow progress. The 10th SS Panzer Heavy Flak Battery surrenders at 1615 but my opponent (as ever!) continues to place more blocking units to prevent me from reaching my objectives. Nevertheless, they are achieving at least part of the task I set them by forcing the enemy to further split his forces. If my assumptions are correct, the weakening of the SS units facing my main offensive will prove decisive. Indeed as the day draws to a close the 4th Wilts run into 2nd Heavy Flak Battery Korps Feldt and drives them backwards. ‘Taking out’ enemy artillery is a bonus I wouldn’t object to.
The attack into Nijmegen is progressing but agonisingly slowly. 214th Brigade seems incapable of pressing home its assault and 130th Bde is only just making is presence felt as night draws in. Guards Armoured continues to press forward but is suffering heavy casualties. I very much doubt whether they’ll be able to reach their objective but if their heroism leaves open the avenues for the infantry brigades then they can take satisfaction in at least one job well done.
In the south the enemy is making another bid to take the Mook bridge and disrupt the flow of reinforcements heading north. Despite their determination the paras defending the southern approaches are being driven back and the support units I committed there earlier on in the engagement are getting worn down. I have to admit that their fighting capability has been severely impaired. Faced with a possible collapse of my southern defences the only option I have is to commit the last of my reserves. At 1815 I issue the Grenadier Guards with the order to take Mook village! Since I had intended to issue such an order at some time anyway it’s no loss! Just that it’s a touch premature.
It's day 6 at last and I think we're heading for a draw[8D]
Day 6
So we enter the final stretch, 23 hours of fighting to go.
The majority of the fighting is in the northern and southern sectors. In the north, the Guards Armoured Division and 130th Brigade continue to plough forward as the German front line slowly crumbles under the incessant pressure. Both forces are suffering heavy casualties but the troops and their commanders should be complimented on their tenacity. Less satisfactory is the performance of 214th Bde! Brigadier Essame seems intent on doing an impersonation of the ‘Grand Old Duke of York’ repeatedly withdrawing his men from the front to re-organise and re-plan without actually getting directly involved in the conflict. As a result the men are exhausted and confused by their imbelicic commanders’ performance. If I have my way he’ll be demoted to private and posted to guard the prison camp latrines!
Also in the north 4th Wilts and 7th SLI appear to have drawn in strong enemy units as they struggle towards the Honinghutje Bridges. Once dawn breaks the extent of the opposition is clear and I am gratified to see various SS units defending the approaches rather than blocking my assault on Nijmegen. If only Essame had not vacillated after I had issued my orders.
In the south the Grenadier Guards have failed to coordinate their attack on Mook. 1st Bn succeeded in penetrating to just east of the village by 2.30 but the 2nd Bn was still over a kilometre to the north. The upshot of this was horrendous casualties as both battalions were attacked in turn, especially once the enemy artillery opened up just after 3.00. Come 5.30 I had to call off the attack for fear of losing the whole force. I shall be expecting a full explanation from their commander once the battle is over.
Strangely, the more units there are on the battlefield, the less there seems to actually write about! Three major sectors of combat have dominated over the last two days and the closing hours of this epic battle are no exception.
Confident that my opponent stands no chance of breaking through my positions around Mook Bridge I opt to make one final attempt to clear Mook itself from German occupation. Accordingly at 0930 I order the Princess Irene Bde and 1st Coldstream Guards into the fray. The Guards will attack from the North-East whilst the Princess Irene will make a frontal assault. In support I order A bty 73rd AT Regt. to take up a position just West of the river where their 17 pdrs have a good field of fire into the German defensive cordon around the village. Regrettably neither of the units involved in the assault seem capable of securing the village. The Guards run into enemy formations in the woods East of the Mook bridge and never actually get close to the village. In the meantime the Princess Irene are simply too worn down by their previous efforts to be that effective. With little to lose at 1540 I opt to order 43rd Division HQ with its attached recce units to join the attack detaching D bty 59th AT Regt. in the process. Even with these reinforcements the attack fails although the recce units do reach the outskirts of the village. Despite the failure to re-take Mook, I am pleased with my troops performance in the Southern sector (apart from the discoordinated efforts of the Grenadier Guards). The enemy has been forced to defend Mook itself rather than focussing his efforts on assaulting the bridge.
In the North, my hopes of a breakthrough to Nijmegen have been dashed. Guards Armoured have performed above and beyond etc. but without adequate infantry support have been unable to capitalise on their successes. The Irish Guards manage to reach the South-Western suburbs but that really is the high water mark for the brave 'tankers'. 130th Bde also does sterling work as it tries to fulfil its task of capturing Nijmegen CBD but it simply lacks the firepower to breach enemy lines especially in the network of villages that mark the southern approaches into Nijmegen. At 1620 I realise that Essames 214th Bde is never going to actually press home its attack as ordered some two days previously. In disgust I take personal control of his three battalions and order them to make supporting attacks mainly to secure the front lines. POW latrine duty for Essame I fear.
The attempt to secure the Honinghutje bridges also fails! 4th Wilts and 7th SLI fight bravely but my opponent has placed strong units in their way. At least they achieved the objective of pulling several powerful units away from Nijmegen. It's a shame that the Assault on the town itself failed but..........
So, with the battle over what is my analysis of the battle?
I feel my overall battle plan was a good one. One cannot afford to lose the Mook Bridge as not only are the VPs essential but if the Germans secure the bridge it then becomes very difficult to get 30 Corps into the battle proper. I therefore believe I was correct in deploying several powerful formations defensively in this area. Strategically, building bridges over the Maas River and launching a couple of battalions at the Honinghutje bridges was a good move since it forced my opponent to split his defences, it was unfortunate that I was unable to exploit this. In the assault on Nijmegen the plan of launching two infantry brigades plus about half of Guards Armoured Division in a series of 'cascading' attacks stood a reasonable chance of success. Regrettably, 214th Bde failed to attack due to an AI glitch, since it was intended to open the way for 130th bde it meant their assault never even reached the FUP I'd specified. It also lessened the pressure on my opponent allowing him to focus his attention more in the South than I would have liked. Obviously I would tweak some of my more detailed dispositions etc. but in the same scenario I would use the same basic plan.
I have to say I was a touch bemused by my opponents strategy. Having played through the scenario against the AI from both sides I was aware of the initial dispositions and the reinforcement schedule he had. I was therefore surprised when, apart from some probing attacks and some heavy artillery bombardments, no major assault was forthcoming on the first day. With the paras rested and firmly entrenched around Mook itself and the main bridge any attacks in this area were bound to be bloody. Although my paras were eventually forced back from their positions, by the time they were my reinforcements had arrived and I was close to achieving artillery parity. From about half-way through Day Three I was pretty confident that my opponent could not win unless I did something very stupid[:)]
In conclusion I'm disappointed that I didn't achieve at least a marginal victory. Casualties were heavy and more or less equal on both sides although I lost more AFVs (but then I had many more to start with so it's about right!). Had I not been deprived of 214th Bde at a crucial time in the battle I feel I would have won! Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable and challenging experience (as battling Yakstock always is[:)]) and I hope you readers have enjoyed my reports.
I am finally able to peruse the opponents post! Another great part of the match - I have been looking forward to this. Having looked it over I am basically in agreement with the summary. Having not played the scenario before (even against AI) I failed to realize the importance of pushing an earlier attack - especially near Nijmegen. I decided early on the rest up my units as I felt pushing them early would both exhaust them and give little in return against a human opponent. Although I am still not positive, I do believe it is a valid approach – especially since the allies have little artillery in the first days of the battle. What is great about this game is it has such “replay-ability” due to the many variations each side can choose – especially in such a battle as this. Perhaps I can persuade my opponent to switch sides and replay this one![:D]
