On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht started "Fall Gelb", the attack on France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The 18th Army formed the northern wing of the attacking forces, tasked with breaking through Dutch defenses. The focal point of the 18th Army was its XXVI Army Corps. It consisted of two infantry divisions (the 254. Infanterie Division and the 256. Infanterie-Division) and a Panzer division (the 9. Panzer Division) in its first echelon, and three more i nits second echelon.
The Dutch defenses consisted of two lines: a forward line on the River Maas, only a few kilometers from the German border, and a main line in the marshy area of the Peel, the so-called Pell-Raamstelling.
The Germans had landed airborne troops in the Rotterdam-Dordrecht area [ed. We'll be headed there in the third scenario], so it was imperative that the Dutch resistance be broekn quickly. In order to achieve this, the Germans concocted an original and daring plan. A special force called the Bau-Lehrbattalion 800 (later known as the Brandenburg Battalion) was to attack the bridges across the Maas dressed in Dutch uniforms and assisted by Dutch Nazis. As soon as the bridges were secure, armored trains carrying regular infantry were to cross the driver and drive through the Peel-Raamstelling, unloading the troops beyond the Dutch lines.
Most of the attacks failed, but at Gennep the Germans secured the bridge, the train rode across it, and a battalion of German infantry was unloaded west of the German positions. This was achieved before 5:00 a.m., which is when the scenario starts.
Map and ObjectivesThis is the field of battle. It's ten kilometers tall, and twenty-two kilometers from east to west. The terrain is mainly flat and clear, with some patches of woodland and a good deal of
polder—land enclosed by dikes. Good roads run in between the Maas River and the Defensiekanaal, the two watercourses which cut the map into rough thirds north and south. There are three quick paths between the river and the canal: the Gennep-Mill road and rail line, which run through the town of Haps (the road cuts through the Peel-Raam line further to the south, past St. Hubert), the northern roads, which run from Cuijk through Beers to Mill, and the southern roads, from Beugen on the Maas's west bank through Rijkevoort and Ham to St. Hubert.
The grid squares visible on this map are 1 kilometer by 1 kilometer. (Black lines signify 10km squares.) At standard march pace, infantry move at about three kilometers per hour on good roads. (Motorized troops, of which we have very few, move at about 12 kilometers per hour.)
All of the objectives which involve holding territory are scored based on time held; there are no extra points granted for occupying territory at the end of the scenario. We have from right now (Day 1, 5:00 a.m.) to noon tomorrow (Day 2, 12:00pm).
0.
Destroy the Enemy (21 pts): needs no explanation.
1-2.
Mill Rail Bridge,
Mill (11 pts): this town and its rail bridge sit in the middle of the Peel-Raam line. Control of Mill yields control of the major roads from the northern part of the map to the southern around the Defensiekanaal, which will be important, as you'll see in a bit.
3-4.
Gennep Rail Bridge,
Gennep crossing point (5 pts, 4 pts): as you can tell from the green outline on the objective marker at Gennep Rail Bridge, we've already captured it. Our forces, on the east bank of the Maas, will need to hold crossing points, ferries, and bridges for resupply and reinforcement.
5.
St. Agatha crossing point (4 pts): the crossing point at St. Agatha, between Cuijk and Gennep, is a secondary objective. The map says 'Ferry', which represents assault crossings as the German infantry historically made.
6-7.
Peel-Raam 1 and 2 (4 pts): these two objectives sit on road bridges north and south of Mill. Peel-Raam 2 is important, as you'll see in a bit.
8.
Cuijk Bridge (11 pts): the Cuijk bridge is a primary objective. It will carry supplies and forces across the river, and after this scenario ends, it plays an important role in pushing from Mill toward Rotterdam. Late activation.
9-10. Exit troops toward
Schaijk and
Volkel (21 pts): get troops to these exit points, on the west edge of the map, at the middle and toward the southwestern corner, then clear the exit points and exit troops off the map to continue the operation further west. Late activation.
Forces and ReinforcementsAt present, we have elements of two divisions on the map. Neither division has all its elements present; another seven infantry battalions will be joining us, along with some miscellaneous support units. The last arrive at 2 p.m. on Day 1. The first arrive starting at 7:00 a.m., with the bulk arriving between 11:00 and 12:00.
The 256. Infanterie Division occupies positions east of Gennep. Two battalions of infantry from the 481st Infanterie Regiment are lined up facing the Gennep crossings, while the 481st's third battalion is past the Peel-Raam line near Mill, having taken the armored train over.
The 254. Infanterie Division is well below full strength. Its headquarters, and the headquarters of its subordinate the 454th Infanterie Regiment, occupy positions opposite Cuijk. Only one battalion from the 454th is currently on-map and ready to rumble.
That brings you up to speed. Time to vote. You have until Saturday or Sunday, whenever I decide to play the first few hours.
At the MaasPaulus - Make probing attacks at Gennep and St. Agatha, but move the bulk of the force south to the crossing between Beugen and Heyen and cross there.
Guderian - Make strong attacks at St. Agatha, Gennep, and Heyen, attempting to force a crossing as quickly as possible.
von Rundstedt - Make an attack at Gennep, moving the bulk of the force north to push a flanking maneuver through St. Agatha and down from the north.
Beyond the Peel-Raam linePaulus and
von Rundstedt - Attack south toward the Peel-Raam 2 objective.
Guderian - Attack toward Mill.
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Topic: Let's Play Command Ops: Breaking Fortress Holland (Read 19200 times)