Screaming Eagles in Holland – The Alamo

battle-alamo

Tactical Combat Series – Screaming Eagles in Holland. hopefully over the course of the next few months we can share some nifty game play opposed via Vassal.
I met a bloke with the twitter handle Tacticalsimulations. One round of cocking off and next thing you know we are in a throw down! SWEET. I’m the allies, he is the evil SS empire. This is our battle field for 13 turns scaled at 75m a hex and 20 minutes a turn.
 
Company F must hold until the British finish dicking around drinking tea and get the Fireflies and Shermans into support.
 
Wait until you see what I’m up against!!

First my forces:

Some scout cars! From the Dragoons, Royal no less!
The partial squadrons are loaded out with Daimler Armoured cars and Daimler Scout cars. 27th LAA Royal Arty, have broken up their battery of Bofors and allowed 2 Bofor units accompany the men of F company in Veghel.
Which I hear is rather nice in September.

alamo_sheet1

The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment has a company from 2nd Battalion on the ground with some dedicated 75 mm Arty support. They are in prepared defenses and have a two stage defense. I ended up going with a deeper defense and leaving the scouts out to spot for arty. The SS infantry have to dismount sometime.

At around 1040 – like clock work, Echo company arrives and brings a few AT guns with it. However it is not until noon that the first British tanks appear. The 44th Royal Tank Regiment, got caught up. Something to do with the mess kitchen not having hot water for tea in the morning as they left for Eindhoven? Who can blame them. No one should drive a tank before a hot cuppa!

The 4 Fireflies add some much need umph. Assuming that Veghel is still under US control, after lunch [11 turns in].Alamo_reinforce-Allies

Which brings us to the plans. Below is plan 2. The reinforcements are simply to arrive via move orders and plonk down into a HD. [Which I still need to write up.] Alamo_reinforce-Allies_02

However the final Noon onwards reinforcements are under counter attack or attack orders [sheet 3]. They are assuming the worst and expect to see heavy fighting. They will attack into Veghel.

Alamo_reinforce-Allies_03

The Germans are the 10th SS.

KG Richter with a Flak battalion heavy battery and some 20mm AA guns for shits and giggles.

They are augmented by elements of the 107th Panzer Battalion – Panthers.

2016-08-20 11.59.23 Compared to my little team !

2016-08-20 12.04.32

Seems like a fair fight.

I think the German player is pretty wily he dropped the OODA loop concept on me during a chat.  So while this scenario is only 13 turns AND he has only one goal – control of the bridge I will be expecting…. the unexpected.

recommended reads:

Hells Highway – Tim Saunders

Deliver us from Darkness Ian Gardner

Bando, Mark A  Avenging Eagles: Forbidden tales of the 101st Airborne in World War 2.

This site: http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/501/501.html