Scenario 6 from “In The Cluches Of Eagles” scenario book
Green Devils, Red Devils
1st Fallschirmjaeger division defend Primosole bridge
SITUATION
In July 1943, Montgomerys 8th army was advancing through Sicily toward Messina along the coast road. One of the major obstacles to their advance was the bridge over the Simeto river south of Catania. To attempt to secure this waterway, Operation Fustian was conceived and launched. The plan called for 1st parachute brigade to land on both sides of Primosole bridge and secure it long enough for the ground forces to link up with them. The british were prepared italian coastal defence units, who were expected to offer little resistance. Unfortunately for the british, elemenents of 1st Fallschirmiaeger Division had been dropped the day before…
The Table
At 01:00 of the 14th of July the airborne troops of the 1st British Airborne Division touch ground near Primosole Bridge. The launches went smooth and without any accident. The troops begin the move under the cover of darkness.
At the Beginning of the 3rd turn the first troops take contact with the bunker defending the southern side of Primosole Bridge. Taking advantage of the night the paratroopers close up with the bunker avoiding his frontal field of fire. Once in contact they detect one platoon of italian coastal defence force defending it. They move closer and closer, beginning shooting at the right time, throwing grenades and eliminating the defender. The southern bunker is secured !
At this point all the italian troops in the area knows something is happening. From the 3 Johnnys at south the entrenched italians look powerless at the muzzles flashes and explosions.
In the northern side of the Simeto River the other paratroopers realize that their comrades have already engaged the enemy. They move in the fields to place themselves in a good position from where launch their attack on the northern bunker.
In the 4th and 5th turn the troops proceed south crossing the two bridges, going toward the Johnny 2, the hill in the middle, spotting the first line of trenches on the hills. While approaching they ran up against a line of barbed wire that significantly slew their movement.
The dawn was coming and the sun was rising at the horizon, they had to accelerate the pace and take the first Johnny as soon as possible. While approaching the first italian troops opened fire, causing a platoon to fall back and failing the morale test, becoming shaken.
While the troops were advancing, their headquarters took place at the edge of the fields, taking advantage of the visual protection offered by them.
As soon as germans reinforcements arrived on the table, british troops had already taken defensive position in the northern bunker and on the near builded area.
Unfortunately for them their attempt to retake the bridge faded soon after they approached it, hitted hard by intensive small arms fire, HE fire and well coordinated indirect fire.
On turn 9 the british reinforcements came on the table from the south. They went straight forward on the road. But they didn’t take into account that a german machine gun battalion were waiting for them in the woods.
The british were taken into a deadly crossfire and almost annihilated. Were not for the tanks delivering intensive fire on the ambushing troops, the british troops would have been completely destroyed.
In the end of the game the german counter attack in the north was stopped by the well trained british paratroopers, in the south german forces were too far away to try to move north to help their comrades in need. The british seized their objectives and won the battle !
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