Background
The Eleventh Armoured was tasked with securing the right flank of the operation. Attached to VIII Corps, it began moving on 18 September. Advancing in two columns, it managed to reach the US 101st Airborne Division at Nuenen, while on the 22nd, its engineers established a bridge over the Willemsvaart canal. The Division could then make an encircling move around Helmond, forcing the Germans to withdraw on 25 September.
At the beginning of October, the Division was employed in clearing pockets of German resistance remaining west of the Maas. The operation developed promisingly with 159th Infantry Brigade, battling its way across the Deurne canal. Unfortunately, the attack was quickly stopped by obstinate German resistance. Further delay was imposed by the growing supply shortage and the launching of an enemy counter-attack in the south. There was also a skillful German defence which postponed clearing of the Maas for several weeks.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom))
The Game
Situation:
The scenario is the third day of the battle for the town of Elst, on 25 September 1944. Infantry of the 1 Worcester Regiment and 7 Somerset Light Infantry Regiment (both of the 43rd Wessex Infantry Division), supported by tanks of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards have made progress fighting their way into the town, and are ordered to clear remaining German resistance around the church tower and the main crossroads.
Victory Conditions:
- Allied Objective: Penetrate the thin German line and seize two key road junctions before reinforcements arrive.
- German Objective: Prevent the Allies from achieving their objectives.
Terrain:
The terrain consisted of typical Dutch landscape: Several paved roads intersect through a small town with a number of fields (Polders) spread around the edges. Rain and flooding have transformed all the fields into muddy bogs making all off road movement nearly impossible.
Scenario Special Rules:
- Play was side to side on the table.
- Each of the British players received 1250 points and the Germans 1400. All units were built from the Market Garden books (11th Armoured for the British and Kampfgruppe Knaust and Sperrverband Harzer lists for the Germans)
- The German units started the game dug in around the city.
- The British infantry started along the main road on their edge of the table.
- All off road movement was difficult.
- All roads had deep ditches on both sides that in some cases were covered with metal or wood, making infantry in concealed and bullet proof cover, but very difficult terrain for vehicles (also requiring double rolls!)
- Due to historically bad weather, neither side was allowed Air Power.
- The Allies received the first move.
Forces:
The Germans consisted of and Infantry Company from Speerverband Harzer (2 Panzer Grenadier Platoons, 1 Security plattoon, 88mm AA section, 37mm AAA, 2 Stug IIIs, off board 150 battery and offboard Nebelwerfer batter. Kamfgroup Knaust infantry company with two Panzer Grenadier platoons, MMG platoon, 80mm mortar section, Pak40 platoon, 2 Panthers and an off board 150mm Artillery battery. Most the German units were rated Confident Trained, with a few as Reluctant Trained and the offboard artillery all rated Fearless Veteran.
The British consisted of three forces. Each force had three lorried infantry platoons, a Sherman Troop, HMGs, medium mortars and Carrier Patrols. By a special game rule: after about turn 5, the British players could attempt to call in a number of heavy bombardments (4 5.5 inch howitzer and 2 4.2 inch mortar batteries). The British troops were rated Confident Veteran.
Narrative:
During the Deployment Phase, the Germans elected to shorten their lines by refusing both flanks so to build an integrated layered defense. The British plan was to attack along the front and pin all German forces so that the pincer units could clear the objectives.
On Turn One, all three British units stormed across their starting lines to get into better terrain. The right flank swung towards the refused German left flank, the center company charged into the row of houses across the street (finding them empty) and the left force crossed the road to get into the polders. The Germans took advantage of the fleeting exposure of the units to inflict a number of casualties on the British flanking forces.
As the British PBIs (Poor Bloody Infantry) navigated their way through field and structure, German fire pinned most of the units, initially. However, as the British closed, their casualties started to mount. The British armor fared much worse, with most of it being destroyed over the next few turns. Knaust’s forward deployed SS unit in houses along the main line, resisted heavy fire over five turns before having to fall back onto the next unit in the next line of houses. KG Hauser continued to take looses slowly, but managed to repell all attempted assaults by the British with heavy losses. This with the supporting German artillery making every failed assaulting unit pay, basically gutted most of the platoons.
By Turn Six, the steady attrition on the German units was starting to have effect on the German fire. The Germans were forced to send in their limited armor to stiffen the line. This caused the British attack to falter and forced the Brits to call in for the Heavy Bombardment. On the second try, contact with the artillery commander was successful, resulting in 6 templates of 5.5” guns and 2 templates of 4.2” mortars crashing down on the German positions. This resulted in a large number of casualties, pinning almost the entire German line. Unfortunately, none of the British units were in position to take advantage and assault the Germans! The German survivors pulled themselves out of the mud and continued to resist.
On Turn Seven, another lucky set of die roles summoned another Heavy Bombardment that devastated some of the German survivors, this time allowing for the British Infantry on the left flank to go into the assault and make headway against KG Knaust. However, the other two companies were thrown back again with crippling losses.
On Turns Eight and Nine, the German artillery came crashing down on the remaining units, routing many of them from the battle.
By Turn Ten, the Game Master called the game as a Minor German Victory. The German right was hanging on by a thread, but the German center and left flank were standing firm and could divert forces to bolster the right flank. The British were reeling from the drubbing and no longer had the units left to continue attacking. The German line stood.
– Manteuffel