Seize and hold

Seize and hold The map consists of a small village in the centre, a river in the north eastern corner, a hill in the north-west corner and a small forest in each of the southern corners. The German player placed his objective in the centre of the village, while the British player placed one objective each in the eastern and western house. The western one was later removed.

FORCES

Parachute company HQ Parachute platoon 3 rifle squads Parachute platoon 3 rifle squads Parachute mortar platoon 1 section

Festungskompanie HQ Festungs grenadier platoon 3 squads Festungs grenadier platoon 3 squads Festungs mortar platoon 2 sections Festungs anti-tank gun platoon 2 PaK 36 StuG platoon 2 StuG

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

UNITS IN RESERVE
Parachute company Parachute platoon Parachute mortar platoon	Festungskompanie StuG platoon Festungs anti-tank gun platoon Festungs mortar platoon

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Parachute company: A small company from the 6th airborne division is tasked with capturing the supply depot in the village, as well as the HQ building (the one to the east). The company commander can’t afford to wait until his whole company is gathered, so he sets of with just two platoons of paras and two mortars. Their pathfinder has located the village and is deployed in the south-eastern corner. Unfortunately the commander and his 2IC got lost on their way to the village and ended up in the north-western corner. One platoon arrived at the right spot, but the others are still making on their way towards the village. Festungskompanie: The village is defended by parts of a Grenadierkompanie from the 726 Infanteriedivision (CT). In the village are two grenadier platoons, deployed in the houses. The German reserves consists of 2 StuG, a GW34 mortar platoon and a PaK36 platoon with 2 guns. The commander is deployed in the north building while the 2IC is in the HQ. No attack is expected so their readiness is low (all teams start pinned down).

 

TURN 1

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Parachute company: No reserves arrive so the lone platoon advances thru the night and without any noise they fall upon the surprised HQ. After an intense assault they take control of the building without any casualties. Two of the defending teams manage to escape and rejoin their comrades in the southern building. The commander and 2IC starts to make their way towards the fight, staying well clear of the enemy in the buildings. Festungskompanie: The Germans obviously had a high readiness and act immediately, with both platoons unpinning and the two StuGs arriving from the north-eastern corner. The StuGs move up behind the paras, firing their MGs and prepare to cross the river next turn. The northern grenadier platoon opens up on the paras while the south one assaults to retake its lost position. The assault is brutal with heavy losses on both sides, but in the end the paras’s determination secures the position and the grenadiers are beaten back. The battered grenadier platoon subsequently withdraws from the battle.

TURN 2

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Parachute company: Another para platoon arrives; it has probably followed the tracks from the StuGs. The paras in the house fails to unpin but watches with joy how the two StuGs are assaulted from behind and turned into smoking wrecks. After the assault the second platoon starts to advance towards the northern house. The commander and 2IC continues to make their way towards their men. Festungskompanie: The German commander passes realizes that he has lost two platoons and only has one left, but he is confident that the reserves are on their way and decides to stay and fight. The mortar platoon arrives from the western side and immediately moves in to firing position. The remaining grenadier platoon redeploys to cover all the three houses, leaving just one team in the northern house. The idea is to meet the likely assault from the second para platoon with as much fire as possible, without risking the paras’s fearsome close combat skills.

TURN 3

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Parachute company: The two mortars arrive, unfortunately just behind the German mortar platoon. The platoon leader briefly considers assaulting them, but decides not to. In the village the second para platoon assaults the north building killing its defenders and capturing the building. The commander and 2IC finally arrives to their men. The first platoon is still pinned, and will continue to be so for the rest of the battle. Festungskompanie: At the start of the German turn 3 dawn breaks, and suddenly the defender has a clear view of the paras gathering around the northern building. The German AT-platoon arrives at the northwest corner and immediately engages the paras’s mortars. With support from the mortar platoon commander and his own guns he assaults the mortar platoon and kills one team. He is then promptly killed by the para mortar commander, leaving the AT-platoon leaderless. The para mortar platoon is pinned and decides to withdraw into the woods. In the meantime the German mortars have ranged in on the second para platoon and the para HQ, killing two teams and pinning the platoon.

TURN 4

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Parachute company: All the paras are pinned down, the HQ and the teams outside the northern building decides to move into cover. Sporadic firing at the German mortar platoon fails to produce any result. Festungskompanie: The German commander swiftly heads of towards the AT-platoon to appoint a new commander. The mortar platoon ranges in again on the paras behind the northern building, killing another two teams. Fire from the grenadiers is ineffective.

TURN 5

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Parachute company: The para commander realizes that there will be an assault the next turn since the Germans needs to retake the objectives. The para platoon in the north house unpins thanks to the commanders motivational speech and focuses all available firepower on the German mortars, hoping to force a company morale check. Two mortars are killed and the platoon is pinned, but the Germans stay in the fight. The commander and 2IC moves quickly to the HQ house, to steady the exhausted platoon defending it. Festungskompanie: The German commander knows that he needs to retake the objectives and prepares an all out assault on the HQ building. Moving up the last AT-gun on the hill and firing smoke on the northern building he orders the grenadier platoon to assault the pinned para platoon, even if he knows it is a gamble. The suppressive fire is intense but the remaining paras manage to beat back the assaulting Germans.

TURN 6

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Parachute company: Having secured the HQ and beaten back the last assault the para commander can finally report to his superior that the objective is secured. Victory 6-1

CLOSING THOUGHTS Even thou the result in the end became a stunning victory the battle could have gone either way, and the offensive capability of the para company is lost. Scattered reserves combined with night fighting makes for an unpredictable game with lots of opportunities. The German readiness was amazing with all platoons constantly unpinning and reserves arriving fast and at the correct places. On the other hand the paras also arrived timely, except the command group and the mortars. Even if the paras constantly failed to unpin they proved their worth in assaults, confirming their reputation as excellent close combat fighters. The award for best performance still has to go to the German commander. Having lost his deputy in the first assault and losing his armoured reserve to downright bad luck he still managed to keep his company together and always be at the right place at the right time. It’s almost that he should have deserved to make that final assault go all the way.

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