I can't begin to tell everyone everything that happened in this scenario. It would take a book. It ended as a Allied major victory but it did not feel like it. The Axis contested two airfield hexes at game's end and had sole possession of one. (Hex 1205 on bd 5).

The losses incurred buy the Axis during and immediately after the drop retarded Axis attacks during the whole rest of the scenario. Even with a random hidden solitaire method both Allied AA batteries were perfectly placed to oppose an airborne drop. On the first two turns the Axis lost a total of 7 steps to landing difficulties and Allied fire. In addition there were a number of disruptions & demoralizations and a leader loss. (9-1-0 Lt.)

The fight for 1105-1106 on bd 9 with the glider troops was especially bitter. Both sides would loose steps as they fed troops into the ongoing Axis assault in hex 1106. The same goes for 0506 and 0507 on bd 10. Here the Axis managed to contest the runway hex.

Hex 0507 fell early to the Axis & was held until game's end.

At the end the Axis managed to contest two different airfield hexes. Giving the Axis points for the "control" of these hexes, even though contested, would still yield a point differential the Axis could not overcome due to their step losses during the scenario. Rating 4.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: I suppose that this scenario would be the very closest Panzergrenadier will come to recreating an action that my Dad was involved in. He was a Medic in the 6th Ranger Battalion. According to a type written newspaper or wire service story that was among my Dad's discharge papers the writer describes the following Ranger operation: (The author's name escapes me but I'll look it up if anyone cares enough.)

The story starts right after the Japanese retreat from their raid. They scattered to all points of the compass. The 6th Rangers were at the time acting as "Palace Guard" for the 6th Army HQ. They were infantry and they were at hand so they were chosen to organize a number of "pursuit elements" (author's term). These elements usually made up to platoon to Company size were set out after the Japanese groups of unknown size. Once organized some local guerrillas were attached to each element to act as scouts and guides.

Evidently Dad was with one of these groups. They chased the Japanese into the mountains for 17 days. (That IS correct 17.) They finally cornered the Japanese in a cave. It was not known how many soldiers the Japanese had in the cave but some were assumed to be wounded during the air drop operation or on this pursuit. After the Japanese had refused surrender, the Allies assaulted. They wiped out the remaining soldiers in the cave and then looked for other openings. Dad summed up the whole operation with: "Made flank attack and patrolled area." which is exactly how you attack a cave, from the flank. Once the cave is overcome you patrol for other openings. Gee six words for, in the end, what was more than three weeks "behind the lines." as he puts it. That was not the only time. There were 3 other times besides the Prisoner rescue where he spent varying times "behind the lines" ranging from 3 to 15 days. To answer to anyone who wants to know, yes he was on the Cabanatuan raid. He helped to rescue 510 (or 511 or 512 depending on the source) prisoners from the Japanese on Luzon in January of 1945 and was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor. But that is another story.

I also had a cousin in the 11th Airborne Div. but I am not sure of his record except that he was wounded on Luzon. Also in the Battle of the Bulge game there is a scenario which features the actual company my late step brother served in. Unfortunately he had been killed earlier in the Mortain counter offensive in August of 1944. He was in the 12th Regt, 3rd Bn. I Co.