Battle of the Arnhem Bases - by Tzar007

[Tzar007]

Hello all,

I have decided to write my first AAR [8D]

I am currently playing the Battle of the Arnhem Bases scenario as the Allies. For now, I am about half way done, and I have taken notes and screenshots as I was going along. So here's the first 24 hours of operations. Please feel free to criticize, comment or ask questions. This is my first AAR and I guess I will get better with time and with your comments. The style I am using in writing this AAR is pretty much like a daily journal of the highest commanding officer on the field.

So let's get started ! [:D]

[Tzar007]

Personal Journal of Major General G.L. Verney, CO of the British 7th Armoured Division, September 1944

I have been assigned new orders from Monty yesterday night. We need to secure 5 important key locations north west of Arnhem, as shown in the picture below.

Since my division is to best positioned to achieve this task, Montgomery has asked me to start operations at 12h00 today.

[Tzar007]

I have currently under my orders the 22nd Armoured Bde and the 131st Queens Inf Bde, both of the 7th Armoured Division. In the morning of day 2, I will get as reinforcement the 4th Armoured Bde, and in the afternoon, the 8th Hussards Regiment as well as the 1/7 Queens Btn. Intel has nothing to tell me about the kind of enemy I will be fighting. I have exactly 3 days to complete the mission.

Considering the entry point of the reinforcements, I decide to immediately go with the 22nd Arm Bde and the 131st Queens to secure Heartbreak Ridge, a high-elevation that provides commanding view of the region. The 22nd Arm Bde will attack the ridge from the south, while the 131st Queens will first go through Otterlo and then go straigh towards the ridge across the woods. Meanwhile, the support units of the 7th Arm Div will march towards Reemst Veld. The timetable for the first day is as follows:

12h00 – 16h00: Prepare Attack on Heartbreak Ridge
16h00 – 00h00: Attack and Secure Heartbreak Ridge
00h00 – 12h00: Rest and await 4th Armoured Bde

Here is the plan:

[Tzar007]

Day One - 13h45

The operations started at 12h00, and now, 1h45 after, the 131st Queens spot 3 enemy units about 1 km west of Otterlo. I order 1/5 Queens Btn to stop at Otterlo and defend there. I don’t want the Germans taking that road east up to Otterlo Woods and stand in our backs. The rest of the 131st will continue moving on Heartbreak Ridge. The Reemst Veld objective has already been secured by the HQ and support units of the 7th Armoured Division.

[Arjuna]

Great stuff. Keep it coming! [:)]

[Tzar007]

Day One - 14h30


Enemy units are spotted near Heartbreak Ridge and Reemst Veld:

[Tzar007]

Day One - 16h00

The attack on Heartbreak Ridge is in full swing. The 22nd Armd Bde is battling 5 or 6 enemy infantry and armoured coys just a kilometer or so south of the objective. The 1/6 Queens Btn is proceeding towards the ridge unopposed for now.

[Tzar007]

Day One - 19h00

I radio all brigade commanders for the evening’s briefing and report status. Brigadier General Pepper, CO of 131st Queens, report that 1/5 Btn is under intense pressure at Otterlo and has suffered 20% casualties. It appears that about 1500 enemy soldiers are assembling west of Otterlo. For now, these enemy formations have been kept at a distance with the help of the 25 pdr guns of the brigade, but nobody knows for how long will this be possible. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done at this point to support Otterlo’s defense. I don’t want to break up the attack of 1/6 Queens Btn towards Heartbreak Ridge to shore up 1/5, so I ask that 1/5 Queens hold their ground steadfastly. If necessary, I will make available the guns of the 22nd Arm Bde in support for the battalion.

Brigadier General Cracroft of 22nd Arm Bde indicates that it is still forming up for the attack on the ridge. The reorg should be completed in about 2 hours. Operations will be carried through the night and hopefully by tomorrow morning the ridge will be in Allied hands.

[Tzar007]

Day One - 21h00

The situation is getting grim for 1/5 Queens at Otterlo. The battalion HQ was destroyed shortly before 21h00 and 3 of its original coys are more than 50% depleted. Surprinsingly enough, morale is still relatively high. But it does not appear they will be able to make it through the night. At 21h00, Pepper asks me for permission to withdraw 1/5 Queens about 1500m east, in the woods of Otterloosche Zand. I authorize the withdrawal (I am counting on the fact that tomorrow morning the 4th Arm Bde will enter the fray near this area and relieve 1/5 Queens). Meanwhile, 1/6 Queens and the 1st and 5th Royal Tank of the 22nd Arm Bde are slowly squeezing between them the German units on the ridge.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 1h10

1/5 Queens have withdrawn to the road carrefour in Otterloosche Zand and everything is pretty quiet now. At Heartbreak Ridge, the Germans are getting crushed: all 6 gun batteries of both brigades under my command are pounding them with rapid fire orders. And we are not crushing ordinary Germans: prisoners captured during the evening confirmed that this is the mighty 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler ! Actually, the 1st SS PZ HQ is caught in this hell of fire between the 22nd and 131st ! If we can annihilate the 1st SS PZ Div, the morale impact on the Germans and on ourselves will be huge !

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 3h00

At 3h00 exactly, Pepper radioed to indicate that Heartbreak Ridge is now in Allied hands (see picture)! At 3h03, the unthinkable happens: the 1st SS Panzer Division HQ surrenders (see picture). His commander, SS-Brigadefuhrer Mohnke, died during the fighting. Still, some 200-400 German soldiers remain scattered around. It is possible that mop up activities could last until 9h00 this morning. At Reemst Veld, the 7th Arm Div positions had to sustain vigorous enemy attacks from 2 or 3 infantry coys as well as assault guns. With the help of the 25 pdr, these were repulsed.

[Tzar007]

Day Two -3h00

Meanwhile, near Otterlo, the 1/5 Queens seems to be chased by enemy units. The rest of the night might be rough for them. The only hope now is that the 4th Arm Bde join the fight as soon as possible.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 4h06

Now that Heartbreak Ridge has been secured and cleaned up, I order the 22nd Arm Bde to rest in-situ, except for the 1st Royal Tank Regt which is still busy mopping up the last German remnants of the 1st SS Panzer in the area. I want to use the 22nd Arm Bde tomorrow for offensive operations further west, either towards Ede or Northwest Hills, so they will need some rest.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 5h30

I am informed that Pepper is moving his 3 field batteries to Heartbreak Ridge. I overturn this order, this is not careful since the batteries might be exposed to direct enemy attack in this area. I order the 3 baterries to set up a firebase in the Otterloosche Bosch, into the woods where they will be more secure:

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 7h26

Enemy units are spotted between Reemst Veld and the firebase of the 22nd Arm Bde (see picture below). The gun batteries could be threatened now. I order them to move into the Otterlosche Bosch, and I will detach from the 22nd Arm Bde an AA Troop, as well as an AT and Recce Trp from the 5th Iniskillen Dragoon Guards Regt to insure security for these gun batteries.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 7h30

The sun has risen on a bright day.

I radio in all brigade commanders to instruct them on today’s operations:

A) The 131st Queens Bde will defend Heartbreak Ridge. For that purpose, 1/5 Queens Btn is being ordered to regroup with the brigade at the ridge. With 4th Arm Bde coming soon in the Otterlo Woods area, there is no point in continuing to protect the approach to Otterlo Woods.

B) 22th Arm Bde will start moving towards Ede at 10h00 this morning. Depending on the level of resistance encountered, they will stop and take positions in the woods southeast of Ede, or go straight into the city is it is undefended.

C) As soon as 4th Arm Bde arrives, it will move towards Otterlo to eliminate the enemy concentration in this area. The ultimate objective of the 4th Arm Bde are the Northwest Hills.

D) As soon as the 8th Hussards Rgt and the 1/7 Queens Btn arrive, they will move to Heartbreak Ridge to take the positions of 131st Queens, which will then join either the drive towards Ede if enemy resistance is strong, or towards Northwest Hills.

E) I expect that I will be able to hold my own position at Reemst Veld.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 8h30

22nd Arm Bde is preparing orders for the great move towards Ede. 2 recon units, the 5th Royal Tank Recce Trp and the 65th AT Trp (see picture) were sent to find the best way and for now the most promising route is to first go south and then go west to Ede along the highway.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 9h35

Strong enemy units (armoured and infantry) attack the 5th Royal Tank Rgt Recce Trp en masse. The Recce Trp is routed and forced to retreat. So it seems Ede is defended after all…

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 10h00

As planned, the 22nd Arn Bde starts moving towards Ede. Tanks are rumbling and troop carriers are rolling away from Heartbreak Ridge.

[Tzar007]

Day Two - 10h40

An important column of about 1000 SS soldiers is venturing out in the open on the highway, heading east. They will definitely come into clashing with the 22nd Arm Bde, given its current course. I decide to take advantage of the current position of the 5th Iniskillen Dragoon Guards Rgt, which is lagging somewhat behind the rest of the 22nd, and to sent it west, through the open landscape, and then south towards Ede since this route seems to be wide open: