9. A BRIDGE TOO FAR CAMPAIGN GAMES

9.51 ABTF CAMPAIGN GAME I: BLOCK BY BLOODY BLOCK

The main force of the British 1^st Airborne began landing amid confusion west of Arnhem after midday on the 17^st of September. Major delays were experienced organizing and taking inventory of the men and equipment which had landed safely. Communication was limited to a few nearly useless, low power wireless sets. Nonetheless, the advance elements, including the majority of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, set off in three pincers for the bridge.

CG LENGTH: This CG covers all CG Dates from 17N-19AM (6 CG Scenarios)

CG VICTORY CONDITIONS: Provided they Control 4 of the following 5 Blocks, the British win at the end of the CG if they have amassed CVP ≥ 3 times the CVP they have lost.

VICTORY BLOCKS: H, I, J, K, L (see the reduced-size map on the reverse of the Chapter R Divider).

CHIT LIMITS:	British	5 Attack, 5 Idle
	German	4 Attack, 5 Idle

INITIAL SCENARIO BATTLE RULES

1. EC are Moderate, with no wind at start. See ABtF SSR. Night Rules are in effect. Base NVR is 3 hexes with No Moon and Scattered Clouds.

2. For RePh purposes, the initial German ELR is 4. It is reduced for the initial scenario per E1.22. The British are the Scenario Attacker and the Germans are the Scenario Defender. Majority Squad Type for the British is Stealthy, that of the the Germans is Lax. Neither side may purchase a SAN Increase RG. The "1" counters in the initial German OB are in addition to those normally granted by E1.2.

3. Wire and/or mines may not be placed on Arnhem Bridge hexes or Ramp hexes (R5-R23). Wire may not be placed on the S1-T2-S4-P2-P13-M15-L15-G18-D19-A21 road.

4. Contrary to ABTF CG SSR 24 (CG Night Scenarios), all initial forces (including RGs purchased) must enter on the indicated turn (no dr is required). See 9.6151 for units/weapons not entering as indicated. All Purchased German RGs must enter on/east of hexrow V. RGs from KG Harder may be purchased but may not enter play during 17N (contrary to ABTF CG SSR 9, they will be Retained off-map for use on 18AM).

5. The German Turn 1 reinforcements must move as a Convoy (E11.) following the S1-T2-S4-P2-P13-M15-L15-G18-D19-A21 road and attempt to exit along the west edge from hex A21. All personnel units/weapons must enter (and remain) as Passengers. Cloaking is NA. The Convoy may only cross road hexsides and must move as far as possible each turn. Once the requirements of E11.251 are met, the German player is freed of this requirement and the PRC may (un)load normally. Any unit(s) exiting via hex A21 (whether still in Convoy or not) are Retained into either German west edge Entry Area (German player's choice). See also ABTF CG SSR 11.

6. All Strategic Locations on/east of hexrow N are under German Control at the start of the CG. All other Strategic Locations are Uncontrolled.

Aftermath: The British ran into stiff resistance almost immediately. The northern and center pincers were stopped near Oosterbeek. The southern pincer made steady but slow progress to the river and began to work its way eastward. There was a railway bridge just over a mile west of the main road bridge that was a key secondary objective. This railway bridge was demolished as the British approached. Turning their attention to the main road bridge, just visible in fading twilight, the men of the 2nd Para crept through the narrow streets toward the bridge. In the gathering darkness, an armored column sped south across the bridge (this was Captain Graebner's 9th SS Recon unit heading toward Nijmegen). After the column had passed, the Paras used a wide staircase as cover and assaulted the blockhouse several times before finally destroying it with a combination of PlAT, FT, and small arms fire. Ambushing a convoy of trucks heading west, they quickly set up a HQ position on the far side of the ramp, not realizing that they had chosen a building within 50 meters of the SS Police HQ. A bitter fight over these buildings ensued, with the British withdrawing to more secure positions adjacent to both sides of the bridge as daylight approached. At about 9am, Capt. Graebner's force returned and boldly attempted to force its way into Arnhem. From their positions on the upper floors and on the rooftops of the buildings, the British laid down murderous fire from their PIATs, a pair of 6-pounder anti-tank guns, mortars, small arms, grenades and gammon bombs. Expecting only a small holding force of less than 100 men, Graebner's unit was caught completely unawares by the response of the nearly 300 well armed and determined paratroopers. By the end of the day, September 18th, there were some 700 British Paratroopers hiding in the buildings near the Arnhem Road Bridge. But it became increasingly clear to Col. Frost that the situation was extremely grave. Commenting to his aide on the plans for defense of the bridge, Col. Frost stated, "We'll make them dig us out block by bloody block."

9.52 ABTF CAMPAIGN GAME II: A DARK AND FATEFUL DAY

Colonel Frost's Parachute Battalion had solidified its perimeter near the Arnhem Road Bridge. The 700 men that had managed to reach the bridge were concentrated in a tight knot near the ramp. Some units had moved east in an effort to scout the German strength. These units were returning with alarming reports of heavy German troop concentrations as well as the presence of large numbers of tanks and self-propelled guns. The intelligence reports of only a minor German presence in and around the city of Arnhem seemed, to Col. Frost, to be "painfully reminiscent of a child's fairy tale."

CG LENGTH: This CG covers all CG Dates from 19AM-21AM (9 CG Scenarios)

CG VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Germans win at the end of any CG Scenario if they Control Block H (see the reduced-size map on the reverse of the Chapter R Divider), or at CG end if they Control the British Headquarters (see SSR CG 23) there are no Good Order British MMC in any Strategic Location on/east of hexrow J.

CHIT LIMITS:	British	2 Attack, 8 Idle
	German	8 Attack, 3 Idle

INITIAL SCENARIO BATTLE RULES

1. EC are Moderate, with no wind at start. See ABtF SSR.

2. The British begin the CG at Ammunition Shortage Level One (SSR CG 17).

3. The British Control the following Blocks at CG Start; C, D, F, G, H, I, J. K, L, P, R, S, and T. For the purposes of 9.620, the British have previously selected four Attack Chits since the last Idle CG Date.

4. The Germans Control the following Blocks at CG Start; A, B, E, M, N, Q, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Block 0 and the Blockhouse (hex R21) are uncontrolled. The OB Designated Reinforcements listed in 9.615 have already been included in the At Start German OB. For the purposes of 9.620, the Germans have previously selected two Attack Chits since the last Idle CG Date.

5. The British player must select any 3 SMC from his at start OB (after Leader Determination; 9.6183). These SMC begin the CG Wounded.

6. The British receive one module of 80+mm OBA with Scarce Ammunition (C1.211). Place its radio with any British SMC. The Germans receive one module of 120+mm OBA (HE only) with Plentiful Ammunition (C1.211) directed by an Offboard Observer (C1.63) at Level 2 in any hex along the east edge (secretly recorded prior to British setup) and one Pre-Registered Hex (C1.73) (secretly recorded prior to British setup).

7. Make the following terrain changes prior to setup: place stone rubble at ground level in hexes T8, T9, T11, and V16; place shellholes in hexes K21, M15, M21, O15, P12, Q12, Q15, and Q21; place 2 Burnt-out Wrecks at Level 1 in hexes R16, R17, R18, R19, and R20; place a single Burnt-out Wreck in hexes N14, O14, P13, Q16, S12, and U12.

8. The Blockhouse has been destroyed (5.2). Place stone rubble on the bridge (i.e., at Level 1) in hex R21 as per 5.2. Place a 2 factor Known A-T Minefield at Level 1 in hex R21.

9. The British player secretly records his Headquarters prior to setup (see SSR CG 23).

Aftermath: First to feel the full brunt of the German response was Platoon Number 8 which had spread out through the industrial park to the east of the bridge. Under heavy assault from tanks and infantry, Platoon No. 8 was completely overrun and decimated. Captain Mackay and his Royal Engineers were likewise engaged in a grim struggle for the School House. The Germans assaulted this mini-fortress a number of times before the beleaguered engineers were finally forced to split up into pairs to attempt an escape to the main British perimeter. But the Germans still did not control the approaches to the bridge and thus no armor could be sent south to reinforce Nijmegen. Determined to drive the British out of their defenses, the Germans used concentrated artillery fire to turn the buildings to rubble and white phosphorous ammunition to set them alight. Captain Knaust kept up the pressure and gradually reduced the British pocket. The coup de grace came on the afternoon and evening of September 20th as a relentless German assault finally overcame the British defenses. Colonel Frost was wounded and captured. The remainder of the British withdrew to the burnt-out remains of the city near the river and later straggled back to the British defensive perimeter near Oosterbeek. Maj. Gen. Urquhart would later comment that when he realized, about midday on the 19th, that Col. Frost's men were cut off and could not be reinforced, "It was a dark and fateful day indeed."

9.53 ABTF CAMPAIGN GAME III: A BRIDGE TOO FAR

CG LENGTH: This CG covers all CG Dates from 17N-21EVE (16 CG Scenarios)

CG VICTORY CONDITIONS:: The Germans win at the end of any CG Date by Controlling all stone-building/stone-rubble Locations on the map. See also 9.6212.

CHIT LIMITS:	British	6 Attack, 13 Idle
	German	13 Attack, 9 Idle

All initial scenario OBs and SSR are as in CG1, Block by Bloody Block.