The last scenario in Airborne that I need to play. Long holiday weekend make it a perfect chance. On initial look 96 turns seems like a multi-month project, but with this one the unit count is low so the turns move fast. As you have a variable start to the scenario, mine started at 3am.

The goal of the scenario is variable as well. I needed to have the Americans knockout an 105mm gun and hold two town hexes. Seems reasonable, but after the initial drop I fear this would be impossible, more on that later. For the Germans they must stop the Americans.

As for the setup the Germans have some specific hexes and some variable. Most setup in the towns and awaited the drop. Per the SSR, the Americans dropped in, rather all over the board. only two units made it to the drop zone. The others were all over the board, with 3 platoons off board to arrive later. Several were reduced and all disrupted or demoralized.

The Germans went on the offensive by capturing a 10-2-1 Captain that landed to close to the German towns, as well as German GREN's overrunning a reduce PARA platoon and chasing others into the swamps before the second group arrive. Most of the first was able to recover. The American Major gathered up troopers and start an attack on a pillbox in town 0412, eventually reducing it. Others gathered themselves up and waited for reinforcements.

The second "drop" were the gliders and this was a disaster too. Two PARA platoons destroyed as well as the supporting mortars. But they did land on the drop zone and as the Germans were chasing the survivors of the first drop had left the town next to it open. Dashing over to it the PARA's secured one objective as well as drawing back the Germans hunting the other units.

The Germans moved back to cover the open towns and set up a defense as they were now out numbered and dawn was fast approaching. This would mean that reinforcements would be on the way to try and crash the Americans. Shortly after 6:00 German motorcycle platoon and armor car appeared. They were dispatched to help defend the 105mm gun that American PARA units were inching toward. This stopped the American advance and they dugin to hold their positions and let other units recover troops as well as try to weed out some stubborn German troops.

About an hour later the other German reinforcements appeared and moved up to the gun position. This gave the Germans an edge at this point, so they went on the offensive to try to break the American hold on town 0604. The Americans had fortified it with a PARA HMG and PARA unit as well as good leader to give them a morale of 10. Tough to break. The Germans had the 105 plus HMG and armor car support. The first advance was stopped with disruption and demoralizations. The Germans continued the advances but were not able to make any gains.

To the south the Germans held town 0509 and the Americans were assaulting it. Two hours passed before the Germans disrupted, but a German leader managed to infiltrate the American assault and help recover the unit. By mid-day the scene was the same the Germans pushing in the west and holding in the center while the Americans were holding in the west and pushing in the center.

The last reinforcements arrived for the Americans. Linking the invasion forces with the airborne troops. This give the American tanks and OBA as well as some welcome infantry to push the assaults. These troops move to help the attack on 0510 and their presence is immediate. The M4's move into help the assault and they get a step loss on the GREN. The remnants demoralize and the German leader is killed. Soon they would be running and the Americans would take them prisoners.

Moving to the west the situation is a little more desperate for the Americans. During the time the PARA HMG was reduced on a double demoralization. This allowed for GREN's to move up but they could not assault as their leader demoralized. But heavy fire on the town was causing morale checks on very shot. An American infantry leader was moved up for OBA which stopped the German attack cold. INF platoons and the M4 followed.

The American PARA's had time to recover and the Germans time to setup a defense as now they were on the defensive. The Americans looked to destroy the German armor car so the M4 would have free reign but it back off and let the infantry hold the line. Regrouped PARA's move to the west to try to flank the town at 0803 but heavy fire from a 20mm AA gun stopped that. The the east the INF tried to work in through the hedgerows, but German fire stop that.

At this point night was falling on the scenario and the fight would be into the night. The Germans dugin to their positions around the 105mm gun. The Americans positioned for a fight to get the gun. Several American assault failed to break the German line and by midnight the Germans held the gun and the Americans lost two more platoons. In the end a German win.

Generally, I liked the scenario, but the one down side was all the SSR's required to play. In the beginning the game started slow as I needed to make sure I had understood the rules properly. It was also a bit disheartening when the Americans were almost wiped out when they dropped on the board. But once the game settled down into the PG rhythm, the scenario played out well. It is a good one to try once, possible solo, but as a FTF make sure both parties understand all the SSR's otherwise I can see a lot of time spent reviewing.