Scenario Idea!

[Tzar007]

Following last week's discussion on creating scenarios, I continued to work on my idea of using Fallschirmjager in their primary role. Here is the idea for a scenario using them I have come up with:

At the end of August 1944, the Allies raced throughout northeastern France and Belgium, crushing the feeble, panicked and disorganized German troops of the Western Front. The OKW was shocked and stunned by the advance of the Allies and was feverishly thinking about how to stop it. After many discussions and consultations between OKW and the newly re-appointed Commander of OB West, von Rundstedt, an audacious plan was crafted. This plan involved a massive airborne drop of the newly created First Parachute Army (Fallschirmjaeger) behind the Allied lines in Belgium, between Diest and Hasselt. The objective of this airborne drop would be to wreck havoc among Allied rear areas, cut supply lines to the Allied troops at the front and act as an avil for the oncoming hammer, the reinforced II Panzer Corps, made of 9th SS Frundesberg, the 10th SS Hohenstaufen (both refitting in the Arnhem area), and supplemented by the 1st SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, hastily refitted after being removed from the Western front line in August.

The II Panzer Corps was scheduled to take up jump-off positions along the Meuse-Escaut canal, crush the British front and then drive straight to Diest to link up with the First Parachute Army only a few hours after the airborne drop has happened. This was undoubtedly an audacious plan, or maybe a crazy one, as many OKW staff officers believed. The Fuhrer himself grudgingdly gave his agreement. He had been forbidding any large airborne operations after the near disaster of the Crete invasion, and although this one entailed very large risks also, the Fuhrer was enticed to the plan because of its potentially very important rewards too: the collapse of the Allied drive into Belgium, and the possibility to deny Antwerp to the Allies.

Typical German thoroughness and preparation were done for this operation. The First Parachute Army received the utmost logistical priority and was rapidly equipped with the latest equipment and weapons. General Kurt Student, father of the German Fallschirmjaeger, would lead the new airborne army. A tremendous effort was made by Speer, minister of Armaments, and by Goering, the Reischmarschall, to insure the Luftwaffe would have the necessary transport planes and gliders for the airborne drops, as well as sufficient fighter planes to escort the airborne armada. The Russian front was consequently deprived of a lot of planes. The necessary preparations started in the first days of September, and the airborne drop was to happened at dawn, on September 21st. The 9th SS and 10th SS Panzer divisions were to proceed at night, starting at midnight on September 19th, to their positions along the Meuse-Escaut canal, centering on Neerpelt. The 1st SS LAH was to come from the West, from the Dusseldorf area.

To hold the German line along the Meuse-Escault canal, the OKW could count on the 719th Division, Kampfgruppe Walther, and Kampfgruppe Chill. This was not much, but OKW was accelerating to the maximum the evacuation of von Zangen’s Fifteenth Army from the Channel coast across the Scheldt, so that at least divisions 245 and 59 would become available as well quite rapidly.

Surpringly for some German officers, the Meuse-Escault canal line managed to hold at the beginning of September. Although OKW did not know it at the time, the Allies were badly overstretched at this time and had to take pause to let the supply lines catch up and of course…to prepare for Operation Market-Garden!

As the Germans were frantically preparing the airborne drop and ground assault, destiny struck on September 17th, and the Allies launched Market-Garden: airborne units of the American 101st and 82nd airborne divisions and the British 1st Airborne Division were dropped all along the Eindhoven-Arnhem corridor while XXX Corps was attacking along the narrow highway.

At first the OKW thought about cancelling their own airborne-ground operation in front of such an onslaught. But after careful analysis, it was determined that the opportunity to accomplish the initial objectives was still very much there. XXX Corps was advancing as deeply as possible along the highway, leaving behind it not much in terms of forces to protect its rear. Also, as XXX Corps was approaching Arnhem, more and more of the Allied airborne forces manning the corridor were being brought up north to support the expected Allied assault on Arnhem to join the British Red Devils who had jumped there. It basically meant that an airborne drop right in the rear of the Allied forces would cut the supply lines of this large enemy force in the Nijmegen-Arnhem area, perhaps long enough to inflict lots of casualties upon XXX Corps and the airborne troops. There was a possibility that the whole Allied front in this sector would simply crumble if “stabbed in the back”.

Excited by this possibility of stopping the Allied offensive right in its tracks, the OKW modified the original plan along these lines: first, the airborne drop would not happen over Diest in Belgium, but rather between Eindhoven and Veghel, in an area in which XXX Corps had already passed, and was also now less covered by airborne troops. Second, 9th SS and 10th SS divisions were not available to participate in the ground assault since they were already pretty much busy with the Allied offensive around Arnhem. That left only 1st SS LAH to perform the ground assault, but there was the possibility to reinforce it at some point later on with some units of the Fifteenth Army. 1st SS LAH would however be better position to attack from southwest of Eindhoven, going straight through the weak Allied lines from their starting point west of Dusseldorf.

So on September 21st at dawn, while the Allies were still hopeful of possibly linking with the Red Devils in Arnhem, destiny struck again, and hundreds of Luftwaffe transport planes and escort fighters made their way over the Eindhoven-Veghel corridor while 1st SS LAH readied its armoured units…

[Tzar007]

So there you have it. Although it is obviously a product of my imagination, I have tried as much as possible to relate to actual historical events and possibilities. Of course, an airborne drop of Fallschirmjager late in the war is not very realistic considering the state of the Luftwaffe and the vast superiority of the Allied airforce. Still, it might have been possible up to some extent if Germany really pulled up all its resources into it (after all, that's how Bulge was possible in December 44).

In terms of OOB, I am not completed with research and of course everything will need to be balanced for gameplay (I want to give equal chances to both sides of winning this scenario) but here are the basics I envision for both sides:

Axis:
-2 to 3 Kampgruppe of Fallschirmajager as starting forces (each Kampgruppe roughly equal to a regiment)
-1st SS LAH (as reinforcements)
-possibly 1 to 2 Kampgruppe from Wehrmacht divisions 59 and 245 (as reinforcements)

Allies:
-a regiment of 101st Airborne as starting forces
-the rest of the 101st Airborne (as early reinforcements)
-A brigade or two of British infantry (as reinforcements)
-An armored group of the Guards armored division (as late reinforcements)

The main objectives for the Germans will be to hold on important key points on the highway as well as alternative routes to prevent re-supply of Allied forces in the Nijmegen area. Obviously the goal of the Allies will be to conquer these important points to restore supply lines for their troops up north. Length of occupation will be the prime victory factor. It's basically a reversed Market-Garden.

I plan to have multiple reinforcement schedules and destinations to vary gameplay from one game to the other.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome!

[Makoto]

I spend a few weeks every summer around Diest, where were you planning to drop these troops? I realize you changed the plan, but the original idea is interesting. Securing the highway throught Hasselt would give you routes to Antwerp and Brussels. Also, if the Germans would be able to put artillery on Scherpenheuvel would make any counterattack difficult for the allies.

[Tzar007]

ORIGINAL: Makoto

I spend a few weeks every summer around Diest, where were you planning to drop these troops? I realize you changed the plan, but the original idea is interesting. Securing the highway throught Hasselt would give you routes to Antwerp and Brussels. Also, if the Germans would be able to put artillery on Scherpenheuvel would make any counterattack difficult for the allies.

I did not have a specific location to drop them, I just looked at the Belgium/Holland map and thought the idea of dropping in the Diest/Hasselt area would be strategically wise considering the road network. As you mention, you then have access to Antwerp and Brussels, so it just made sense to me. Of course I then changed the plan since this was only the background for my scenario which really happens between Eindhoven and Veghel. If I would have been the Germans, I would have never dropped that far behind enemy lines once Market Garden started. Being that deep far in Diest for the Fallschirmjager basically means that reinforcements would have taken an eternity to reach them, if at all. Add to that that I did not want to create a map of the Diest/Hasselt area [:)]

[Makoto]

yep, I tried to find some maps of the area, seems no one bothered to survey the area during WW2. [:(]

[Arjuna]

All of Holland/Belgium was surveyed by the Brits and GSGS maps at 1:50,000 produced.

[Makoto]

mind giving a site?

[Tzar007]

ORIGINAL: Makoto

mind giving a site?

There is no site where you can find or buy the British GSGS maps or WWII. I have tried already and some others too. Unfortunately these excellent maps are only available at some National Librairies or Archives around the world (like the US Library of Congress in Washinton DC).

[JeF]

ORIGINAL: Tzar007
Any comments or suggestions are welcome!

To try to reorient the discussion from where it started, I'd say your idea is very good. Especially the airborne operation idea. Who cares about the fact that it is pure fiction ?
Go for it !

I had an idea along the same line, with a massive counter-attack on the XXXth right flank. Mind you my goal was to shoestring the Belgian brigade into the operation somehow. [;)]

Now, if I could buy some time...

JeF.

[Makoto]

There is no site where you can find or buy the British GSGS maps or WWII. I have tried already and some others too. Unfortunately these excellent maps are only available at some National Librairies or Archives around the world (like the US Library of Congress in Washinton DC).

Yeah, and those aren't exactly close to my neck of the woods. I wonder if they allow online ordering or some such.

[KNac007]

You can order microfilms from US National Library of Congress. BTW, Makoto, your forum doesn't work right to me, when I click any sub-forum nothing happens [&:]

On the topic, it's a good idea. The drop should happen on night (like D-Day allied drops), with much less risk from allied fighters.

[Makoto]

the link should work now

On the topic, it's a good idea. The drop should happen on night (like D-Day allied drops), with much less risk from allied fighters.

I had an idea along the same line, with a massive counter-attack on the XXXth right flank. Mind you my goal was to shoestring the Belgian brigade into the operation somehow.

Where in Belgium you from? Ik zijn van Antwerpen, aan de kant van't kiel. [:)]

To try to reorient the discussion from where it started, I'd say your idea is very good. Especially the airborne operation idea. Who cares about the fact that it is pure fiction ?
Go for it !

Seconded, I say you run with the original idea.

[Tzar007]

OK, I started to work in the Scenario Maker Tool yesterday night after reading and browsing the Reference Guide. This tool is really not difficult to use guys, I encourage anybody who's thinking about making a scenario to jump into it. And the more you are into it, the more it's getting excited as you see your creation starting to take form.

I am currently building the OOB. Using the estabs is a breeze, although I do have to make some compromises compared to the kind of OOB I have been able to find on the net and also the OOB that has been already built for scenarios that shipped with the game (in doubt, I tend to go the same way the OOB was built for in-game scenarios for similar units).

[Arjuna]

Re Maps.

I do not know of any sites providing digitised versions of the GSGS series for WW2 maps. We get ours from the Australian National Library and for a fee of A$28 they will scan an entire map sheet at 300 dpi and copy it to CD. You could try sourcing the nearest map library/archive to you and seeing if they will provide a similar service.

[Makoto]

thanks for the info, I'll keep it in mind