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RE: So, how did you cross?
Hmm, as usual, the very practical & wise Grognard Gunny called this one!
This relatively minor, scenario design error was an easy fix considering that both players were experienced PG veterans and well aware of: 1) the poorly written & edited 4th edition rules, 2) the fact that the scenario rules specified that foot units may cross a major river on a die roll of 8 or less, and 3) the scenario description & outcome information specifies that Manteuffel's intrepid soldiers crossed at the "burned out" railroad trestle bridge by paddling across in inflatable rafts.
Yes, the dedicated purists among us have noticed that there was not a German Pioneer platoon included in the Axis counter mix, so according to the rulebook, it should literally have been impossible to cross the major river as per 5.72. However, given how sloppily a number of PG scenarios were designed, a pair of clever players simply "read between the lines," playing for fun - with realism in mind - making each advancing unit in the bridge hex throw the river crossing number assigned by the scenario designer. As we all know, enterprising players can make even the most confusing & badly designed/edited scenarios work, e.g., like many Desert Rats & Afrika Korps scenarios.
BTW, further research on this engagement also indicates that at least 2 of the 8 German infantry platoons should have been motorcycle scout platoons that in 1939, typically deployed with inflatable rafts and plenty of tools & rope. Dismounted, motorcycle infantry would not have been dismayed or put off by the challenge of crossing a burned out railroad trestle over a major river.
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