Maori Bayonets Parachutes Over Crete #37 |
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(Attacker) Germany | vs |
Australia
(Defender)
Maori (Defender) New Zealand (Defender) |
Formations Involved |
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Overall Rating, 2 votes |
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4
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Scenario Rank: --- of 940 |
Parent Game | Parachutes Over Crete |
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Historicity | Historical |
Date | 1941-05-27 |
Start Time | 11:00 |
Turn Count | 18 |
Visibility | Day |
Counters | 92 |
Net Morale | 0 |
Net Initiative | 0 |
Maps | 2: 96, 98 |
Layout Dimensions | 56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in |
Play Bounty | 171 |
AAR Bounty | 227 |
Total Plays | 2 |
Total AARs | 0 |
Battle Types |
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Exit the Battle Area |
Inflict Enemy Casualties |
Urban Assault |
Conditions |
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Randomly-drawn Aircraft |
Terrain Mods |
Scenario Requirements & Playability | |
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Parachutes Over Crete | Base Game |
Introduction |
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On the 27th, Creforce commander Maj. Gen. Bernard Freyberg informed Middle East Command that Crete could not be held. Worn and tired New Zealand and Australian battalions took up a new defensive line south of Suda Bay, along a dirt road the dubbed “42nd Street.” Lt. Col. George Dittmer of the 28th “Maori” Battalion told his fellow commanders that he intended to allow the Germans to approach his positions, fire a short-range volley and then charge with the bayonet. |
Conclusion |
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The 141st Mountain Regiment, part of the 6th Mountain Division, had only just landed on Crete and entered action when it met the crazed ANZACs. Just which battalion first went berserk and charged the Germans is disputed - all three battalion commanders made the claim in their after-action report. The Maoris paused first to perform a brief haka before attacking and so were probably not the first to charge. What is clear is that the three battalions assaulted the advancing jägers within minutes of one another, inflicting about 400 casualties. The “Bayonet Charge at 42nd Street” became part of the military lore of both nations. |
Additional Notes |
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Gebirgsjäger leaders in Parachutes Over Crete use conventional named ranks. The library was setup using German rank references. The production print of map 98 is missing 3 town hexes, Avalanche press has created a Map 98 overlay to correct this oversight. Philippe Leonard has also created a very nice overlay for map 98 on Board Game Geek. |
1 Errata Item | |
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INF unit 1112 has full firepower printed on the front and back of the counter. Back should be 4-2. (garbare83686
on 2022 Feb 08)
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