Market Garden Campaign: Turn One

NorCal recently began a Market Garden Campaign using the old Firestorm Campaign from Battlefront, and ten of us gathered to play a pair of games that would affect the over-all map.  We would have 1200 point forces, but could be given additional units from a commander's pool.  I was tasked with defending the Weert Road with my Fallschirmjäger against Hal's 11th Armoured Shermans.  I was assigned a FJ platoon in support, while Hal was bolstered by a battery of 5.5 inch artillery, and a battery of Sextons.

I would be defending in Hold the Line.

I mined the approaches into town, but Hal's Shermans were able to sneak around through the outskirts.  The Sexton Battery moved forward on the other flank to put fire onto the objective's defending FJ platoon.

A dozer-bladed Sherman cleated a path through the mines, but my PaK40 platoon ambushed the tanks once they got close, knocking out several and slowing Hal's advance.  Some FJs with Panzerschreks added to the fire.

Hal swung his tanks through town and away from the anti-tank guns, but my FJs, supported by StuGs from reserve, were able to keep the tanks far enough away from my objectives that I would win on turn seven.

An 8-1 win, but had Hal closed the gap earlier the score would have been different.  Luckily his artillery never made much of a difference, even though he had three batteries!

In game two I would be tasked to defend Eindhoven from Chris' Guards Armoured Cromwells.  Chris was assigned a battery of Sextons in support, while I would have a Bridge Defense AA unit.

Again, I would be defending in Hold the Line.

My Bridge Defense unit of AA guns would vanish before the guns of Chris' advancing tanks, never able to fire a shot.  I had mined the bridge, forcing his tanks to cross several streams, negating his speed advantage.  A PaK40 ambush would keep one unit of tanks busy, but wouldn't do much damage.

StuGs and FJs would come in from reserve to defend the rear objective while several assaults by tanks into my forward FJ unit would prove unsuccessful.  2cm AA guns assisted in keeping the Universal Carriers at bay until the StuGs chased them off.  I would again hold long enough to seize victory by turn seven, losing the PaK40s and Bridge unit, for a 7-2 win.

Both of my games were victories by forcing the attacking forces back from the center line.  Large units of infantry were able to keep smaller units of tanks at bay, and artillery wasn't very effective in either match.  So far, the Allied Airborne troops have been quite successful in the north, while the German forces have been holding off the Armoured advance from the south.  We will be continuing the campaign later this month.

Campaign Status: