The Eindhoven scenario is one of three historical campaigns (Arnhem, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen) that form the backbone of the Operation Market Garden representation in the Airborne Assault engine at that time (preceded by Red Devils Over Arnhem and succeeded by the HTTR expansion pack for Command Operations). The missions feature various elements of the Allies 30 Corps fighting against the Axis 1st Fallschirmjäger Army and 2nd SS Panzer Corps.
Please refer to the previous entry covering Day One action for detailed information about how the battle progressed to this point. Note: all links used in this post are to actual articles containing additional information about the subject matter and are not any form of automated link advertising.
Day One Analysis
I am currently in control of nine out of the 16 total location objectives. Significant exceptions are Eindhoven (17 VP) and Hulstheuvel Highway Bridge (10 VP), not because they are being contested but rather I have not yet dispatched any forces there. The total force strength is 7,484 personnel, 64 guns, a 1,698 anti-personnel firepower rating, a 3,568 anti-armor firepower rating, and a 273 bombardment rating.
From this point forward combat power values will be abbreviated (armored fighting vehicles=AFV, etc.)
If the scenario were to end right now, I would have killed 526 Axis personnel and 61 gun units (five destroyed by fire and two by surrender). Allied losses would be 150 personnel and two gun units. The kill to death disparity is promising so far.
Combat Action
During the night I used A Company 326th Airborne Engineering Battalion to unprimed the Veghel Canal Rail Bridge and Leest Minor Road Bridge crossing points before sending them to secure the Veghel River Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP). The Veghel Canal Highway Bridge Objective (14 VP) and the Veghel Canal Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP) have been lost during this timeframe.
1st Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry
Regiment have achieved the Woensel Junction Objective (7 VP) and 2/506th
Bn have achieved the Phillips Factory Objective (7 VP).
A/326th fails to take the Veghel River Rail Bridge as they are interfered with and the Germans detonate the charges, taking the 7 VP for that objective out of the mix (for now). They are left in place without orders pending the arrival of British units with bridging capacity to assist in rebuilding the crossing point.
1st Battalion 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment has retaken the Veghel Canal Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP) and will continue to be deployed there to protect the left flank of the main Veghel crossing point to the east.
At 08:23 the 6th Durham Light Infantry Battalion (688P/24AFV/24G/134AP/216AA/32A/38B) arrives and is ordered to attack into the eastern side of Eindhoven.
- Formation – Line
- Aggro – Max
- Losses – Max
- Frontage – 1,000m
- Depth – 600m
Once they have completed the assault, they will be redeployed into a defensive blocking position which will help protect the eastern flank of the objective by covering the multiple roads running into Eindhoven from Tongelre.
The 1st Bridge Platoon 30th Corps (70P/8AP/4AA) arrives and is ordered to move to the Veghel River Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP) that was blown earlier in the scenario.
- Formation – Road Column
- Route – Avoidance
- Aggro – Min
- Losses – Min
The only part of the route that I micro manage is towards the very end where I place waypoints at the beginning and end of the highway bridge. Once they are in position, I intended to use their Bridge Building Capacity (3) to reconstruct the crossing point at the rail bridge to reactive the currently dormant objective and its 7 VP.
This apparently was too much latitude to leave to a single
unit AI commander as they go west and immediately encounter German units along
their displayed route. Had they instead gone right through the attack of the 6th DLI Bn they would avoided having been immediately
engaged.
At 09:17 the 11th Field Engineer Company 30th Corps (321P/9AFV/1G/47AP/48AA/13A) arrives and is ordered to the same destination as the 1st Bridge Platoon (which is trapped to the west), however the 11th Coy is given a different route specification.
- Formation – Road Column
- Route – Avoidance
- Aggro – Min
- Losses – Min
This should allow them to clear the Eindhoven sector with little enemy engagement.
D Battery 73rd SP Anti-tank Regiment (60P/12AFV/80AP/111AA/55A) arrives and is ordered to take up a defensive observation position in Line formation north of Eindhoven with direct line of sight to the road network coming from the east.
C Battery 27th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment (162P/18G/90P/393AA) is likewise ordered to a defensive observation position directly in front of some woods to the west of Tongelre. Their 18 Bofors 40mm AA weapons and six PIAT should cause some disruption to any Axis forces attempting to approach Eindhoven from the southwest.
Note how the 11th Coy has already cleared the city and is all the way over by Tongelre due to their specific routing. At this point I give up waiting for the 1st Bridge Platoon to change their path (they were given Avoidance instructions) and issue new movement orders to take them to the east along the same roads that the engineers have taken successfully.
The 15/19 Hussars (535P/71AFV/9G/419AP/578AA/592A/56B) arrive and is ordered to attack into the western side of Eindhoven.
- Formation – Line
- Aggro – Max
- Losses – Max
- Frontage – 600m
- Depth – 300m
Once they have completed the assault, they will be redeployed into a defensive blocking position which will help protect the western flank of the objective by covering the multiple roads running into Eindhoven from Welshap and Best.
6th DLI Bn have completed their assault into the eastern part of Eindhoven and are repositioned.
- Formation – Line
- Aggro – Max
- Losses – Max
- Frontage – 1,000m
- Depth – 300m
These two groups (the Durham’s and the Hussars) will form the backbone of the defense of Eindhoven.
The 15/19 Hussars are realigned into a defensive blocking
position just ahead of their present location. This should help knock the two
identified German units out of the objective perimeter and achieve the
Eindhoven Objective (17 VP) again.
The 1st Bridge Platoon arrives at the blown
crossing point that used to be the Veghel River Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP)
which the Germans destroyed back around 7 AM when the A/326th Coy
failed to unprimed it. 1st Platoon is grouped with A/326th
Coy and the 11th Coy that arrived earlier and ordered to begin
constructing the light rail bridge which will reactivate the dormant objective.
B Battery 81st Airborne AA Battalion (120P/23AP/42AA) arrives and is ordered to move northwest. Their 12 M2 50cal HMG and six bazookas are positioned in a clearing off of the main road leading from Boxtel to Best, allowing them a clear line of sight to the corridor with which to provide early warning as well as spotting for artillery employment.
3rd Battalion 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (465P/152AP/249AA/25B) arrives in the landing zone above Son and is ordered to attack the Veghel Canal Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP) currently being contested by the 1/501st Bn.
- Formation – Line
- Aggro – Max
- Losses – Max
- Frontage – 600m
- Depth – 300m
Their bounding box is slanted to the right in an attempt to marginalize the possibility of friendly fire (which I am not sure is modeled in the engine or not).
The 327th Glider Infantry Regiment HQ (310P/35AP/18AA) has also arrived and is ordered to defend in-situ at the landing zone (this is not captured in the image above). Normally I prefer to work back to the higher ranked unit; however they landed before 1st and 2nd Bn.
A Battery 81st Airborne AA Battalion
(160P/29AP/67AA) arrives and is ordered to move to a clearing to the north of
the road running through Liemde. Much like B Battery earlier, this should allow
for early warning, artillery spotting and harassing fire with the HMG. The
light blue line is the line-of-sight tool indicating that there is clear visibility
to the road and beyond (with no dead zones).
F Battery 81st Airborne AT Battalion (40P/4G/7AP/65AA) arrives and is ordered to move to a clearing to the northeast of Son facing a track running from the east that could be a possible avenue of approach by the Germans, given that there is an intelligence sighting of a unit near the woods there. The light blue LOS line indicates great observation of the track which will be afforded to the four 6pdr AT guns once they are in position.
The 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (371P/12G/110AP/175AA/112B) arrives and is ordered to Defend at a clearing near Goosen Bunder to advance the blue range ring 5km northwest which should bring the Boxtel area into the fire zone of the 12 M3 105mm Howitzers.
2nd Battalion 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (465P/152AP/249AA/25B) arrives and is ordered to move to a staging area at the village of Mariaheide just north of Veghel.
- Formation – Road Column
- Route – Quickest
- Aggro – Min
- Losses – Min
Once they arrive they will be issued an attack order to take the Hulstheuvel Highway Bridge Objective (10 VP).
E Battery 81st Airborne AT Battalion
(40P/4G/7AP/65AA) arrives and is ordered to move to a clearing to the east of
Son facing the road running from that direction which will probably be the
primary approach of German reinforcements coming from the east. The light blue
LOS line indicates great observation of the road which will be afforded to the
four 6pdr AT guns once they are in position.
1st Battalion 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (465P/152AP/249AA/25B) arrives and is ordered to move to a staging area at the village of Mariaheide just north of Veghel.
- Formation – Road Column
- Route – Quickest
- Aggro – Min
- Losses – Min
Once they arrive they will be issued an attack order to take the Uden Objective (7 VP).
The 321st Parachute Light Artillery Battalion (371P/95AP/175AA/60B) arrives and is ordered to setup up a firebase for their 12 M1A1 75mm Pack Howitzers just off of the main highway running north to south. This should move the outer blue range ring just enough to provide coverage for the units defending Eindhoven.
D Battery 81st Airborne AT Battalion (40P/4G/7AP/65AA) and B Battery 81st Airborne AA Battalion (120P/23AP/42AA) arrives and are ordered to move to a defensive observation position in Line formation in a clearing just above a road leading to St. Oedenrode from the east. This position will give them excellent line of sight to the road and the orchard in front of them will help shield them from view for a short time.
This completes the Day Two reinforcement schedule for the Allies.
At 18:00 a number of adjustments are made to better position my troops for the long haul as the reinforcements over the next couple of days will be sparse at best.
C Company 326th Airborne Engineering Battalion (142P/56AP/102AA) is detached from the 502nd and 3/502nd Bn defending at Son and is ordered to the west to take up a defensive observation post observing a track running from the Best area. The line of sight tool indicates they should have sufficient visibility to provide early warning of any significant enemy activity in that area.
3rd Battalion 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (585P/143AP/138AA/25B) is also detached from their organic superior and is ordered to assume a defensive blocking position just slightly to the east to guard against any attack on Son.
The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment HQ and remaining base unit (310P/36AP/18AA) are ordered to defend in-situ at their present location.
After all of the artillery batteries have arrived at their destinations I finally uncheck the “Rest After Bombard” setting that has been active all game (to conserve ammunition) which places the units into an “On Call” status to be used automatically by the various AI commanders on the battlefield. As all three artillery units are still under my direct Fire Control, I can still issue my own orders when opportunities present themselves as reported by the various observation positions setup earlier in the day.
As the lead elements of the 327th Glider Infantry Battalions make their way into Veghel the status of the construction at the dormant river rail bridge objective is checked. The 1st Bridge Platoon and the two attached engineer units are doing a great job rebuilding a light bridge that once complete will reactivate the Veghel River Rail Bridge Objective and its 7 VP.
"We shall seize the victory points - it's all a question of victory points - with thunderclap surprise, and hold them until they can be counted at the end of the scenario".
At 22:53 3/327th Bn has successfully assaulted the Veghel Canal Rail Bridge Objective (7 VP) and along with the 1/501st Bn already defending there amass enough Combat Power within the objective perimeter to once again achieve the objective.
To be continued…
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