No one ever writes reports of their battles on here. It is a bit disappointing as I enjoy reading them, when I can't play the game.

I wrote one a while ago about a scenario I had written called Nijmegen Bridge, some of you older members may remember it. I really enjoyed doing that, so I thought I'd have another go, and hopefully inspire some of you guys to do the same.

Anyway, the scenario is called Pegasus Bridge, and recreates the daring capture of the Benouville bridge over the Caen canal, and the Ranville bridge over the Orne river, on D-Day by a glider unit of the British 6th Airbourne Division.

Unfortunately, I don't possess the Normandy expansion at the moment so half the British force is represented by American figures.

I'm affraid this report will probably come in dribs and drabs, as I only get to play for an hour or so each day or two days. But, I thought I'd start now because I'm on nights and boared shitless, so here goes....

This is a photo taken just after the British have landed. The Caen canal, with the Benouville bridge (Pegasus bridge) is in the center, to the right is the Ranville bridge; to the left is the village of Benouville.

Major John Howard has been tasked with capturing the two bridges and then holding them, until relieved. He has been training his men for this operation for the last two years, and they are arguably the best trained unit going into action on D-Day. The unit has been tasked with one of the most important operations of the day. These two bridges must be captured to prevent the Germans from moving the 21st Panzer Division towards the beaches, and rolling up the eastern flank of the invasion. Secondly, capturing the bridges, gives the British easy access to move onto Caen.

The German troops guarding the bridge are poor qualitiy, mostly Eastern Europeans pressed into service by the Nazis. Around the town of Benouville though are Panzer units which will most certainly counter attack once they know what is happening.

As Major John Howards watch ticks its way into the first minutes of the 6th of June 1944, the six gliders containing the unit of British 6th Airbourne Division enter the skies over France. They have been given the privallage of being the first allied forces to go into action on D-Day.

Within quater of an hour the glider pilots begin preparing their Horsa gliders for landing, as they come out of the clouds they can see below them there targets.

Three gliders head for the Benouville bridge. The first glider contains Major Howards platoon, he has requested that his pilot land on top of the barbed wire by the bridge, to make access easier for the men.

The other three gliders head for the Ranville bridge.

Unfortunately I have to stop there, as the morning staff will be coming in soon. I shall continue tonight. I hope this is of interest to some of you!

The first glider, containing Major Howard and 1st platoon, is the first to land. A violent cross wind catches the glider and throws it off course; the glider slams into the raised roadway, breaking its back and throwing men through the air, like rag dolls. It's an immediate set back for the British as 3 men are killed. The second glider is more successful and lands on the barbed wire by the pillbox, destroying the wire.

All the other gliders are able to land on target, near to their allocated bridges.

The German defenders are taken completely by suprise. The airbourne troops leap from their gliders, and move into position.

Second platoon rush forward towards the pillbox, their faces blackend, screaming like banshees, shooting their sten guns from the hip and throwing grenades. The terrified Germans lay down a hail of gun fire into the on-rushing unit, two men hit the deck, but the others keep on going, their grenades find the slits in the pillbox and explode inside, the gunfire from the pillbox stops and the unit rushes in, to find nothing but a blackend shell and dead Germans. The detonator for the bridge explosives is detroyed.

First platoon recover from the glider crash and open up combined fire on the machine gun entrenchment to the right of the bridge. The defenders are ripped to pieces by the overwhelming fire power. Third platoon opens up on the machine gun entrenchment on the other side of the river, but only succeeds in klling two infantry men.

This shows the situaton at the end of the first British action phase.

The German troops on Ranville bridge alerted by the action at the other bridge lay down a mass of suppressive fire against the on comming Brits. Three squads are pinned and one disrupted (if it wasn't for the "Inspiring Leadership" card three units would have routed).

The Germans around Benouville bridge now reacted and layed down some impressive suppressing fire, pinning the whole of 3rd platoon.

That's the end of another instalment. If I get any response, to let me know people are interested in this I will continue.

Very nice! I am curious to see more.

This is a great post! I'd love to see more like this!

KlausFritsch said:

Hi Cymrusaint

Am enjoying this - want to see how it finishes. Is this solo play; problem I always have is finding someone to join in

Cheers

Thanks PirateJock. It's actually a bit of both. I started playing with my son, but he drops in and out. If his mates call, he leaves his sado father to play on his own . He is playing the Germans (sometimes), I wanted him to write some stuff from the German point of view, but he told me to get lost. He's just started his "A" levels and says he does enough writting for them without doing more for no reason.

I've put this up on the BGG site as well, because originally there didn't seem to be any interest, but now I know people are interested I'll continue with it on here as well. I've got to the end of turn 3 to put up, I finish work at 10pm, if I'm not to tired I'll try and put it up then.

Found it on BGG - here - see the battle's progressing well(ish) from a British point of view. I'm also working on the 'captive' audience approach of family but unfortunately think ToI may be bit too advanced for my 4 year old.

Over at the Ranville bridge the British troops training takes over and they hit back hard. All 3 platoons let rip with combined fire (each platoons officer spurring on the pinned squads so they can join in with half firepower). The German squad on the road disappear under a hail of bullets, their torn up bodies littering the ground. The troops on the bridge are hit hard, but the remaining soldiers bravely stand their ground.

By the end of the first round the British were unable to capture any usable command point objectives. They did however capture the pillbox which was worth 3 to the Germans. The Germans finished the turn with 3 command points, so gained the initiative for the next turn.

Turn 2
The defenders of Benouville bridge fire on the 2 squads of 2nd platoon around the glider. 3 men in the engineer squad are killed.
Again the defenders of Ranville bridge try to suppress the on coming British, but only manage to pin 2 squads this time.

The British now need desperately to take the bridges, and get their engineers on them to start diffusing the charges. Although the detonator in the pillbox has been destroyed the British were concerned that there may be other means of detonating the charges. To represent this, until the engineers spend a full turn on the bridges. The German player rolls three dice for each bridge, as an action, if all come up 6 the bridge blows up.3rd platoon fire at the defending squad on the bridge, but can only kill 3 men, the squad is still holding on.

The AT gun squad of 2nd platoon assaults the remaining squad on the bridge supported by the squad in the pillbox. The poor Russian on the bridge is no match for these well trained killers. The engineer follows up.

The charges have not yet been removed by the engineers so the German player rolls 3 dice for each bridge. Holy Crap that was close, Dave got 2 6’s for the Benouville bridge!!!
The troops attacking Renville bridge attempt to whittle down the Germans on the bridge, but the stubborn defenders hold on.

The Germans play 2 suppressive support cards and pin the 2 engineer squads attacking the bridge.

The remaining squad on Ranville bridge is finally removed and 2 squads from 4 platoon charge onto the bridge, and fire at the last remaining squad by the bridge, killing 1.

Major Howard brings his 1st platoon up the road and attacks the machine guns across the river The one to the left is taken out, but the other remains untouched.

At the end of the turn the British now gain 2 command points to the Germans 1, and use them to regain the initiative.

Turn 3
This is an important turn for the British, the special rules allow the British to set up their platoons attacking Benouville bridge, into defensive positions and receive new operations cards if they kill all the defenders around the bridge, by the end of turn 3.
In the real battle the attack went so well that it only lasted minutes and the British where able to prepare their defences before the Germans counter attacked. They also were able to make use of the Germans anti-tank gun by the bridge, though it took them some time to figure out how to use it.
****, I’ve just realized, I followed up the attack on the bridge with an anti-tank gun squad, not an engineer. Should have gone to spec savers!
Major Howards squad along with all 2nd platoon open up a devastating attack on the remaining machine gun, and the gun falls silent.
The final defenders are also removed from the Renville bridge.

As the engineers have not yet removed the charges the Germans roll again to se if either of the bridges blows up. No!

The engineers finally make it to the bridges and start removing the charges. It will not be completed until the end of next turn.

A squad from 3rd platoon moves into the entrenchment containing the anti-tank gun, and begins to try to find out how it works. Roll a 5 or 6 0n a D6. They fail they will have to try again next turn.

Where are you from PirateJock? I'm assuming Scotland, if so it's a bit far for me to pop round for a game.

Nice battle. You and I must think alike. I started a scenario of this battle a while back but never finished it. To drift of topic a little the reason I never finnished it was that the more I play TOI I'm starting to find some sweet spots in terms of map size, troop numbers and scale. I'm getting away from the larger battles and working on more true tactical scale stuff on a more man for man level like ASL. My gaming partner wants to incoperate some ASL features into the game as house rules. One thing we're trying to work out is how to create hero units. Sorry to hijack. Again nice write up.

Turn 4
Major Howard now prepares to defend the bridges from the anticipated German counter attack.

The 2 AT squads move into the woods by the road. Both are concealed and go on overwatch.Other squads move into postion to be able to take the command point objectives.

Concealed squads.
Major Howard orders 2 platoons from Renville bridge to move to reinforce the defenders of Benouville bridge.

4th platoon moves forward.

Troops from the 1st Panzer Engineering Company, much better troops than those defending the bridge.

The counter attack starts. A truck containing 2 squads moves along the road towards the village.

As the truck moves towards the crossroads the AT squads in the woods are in a quandry. Their job is to stop armour, but this is a tempting target. One of the squads fires its Piat and gets a direct hit on the truck, which erupts in flames.

The next truck is more cautious, it pulls off the road, and an infantry squad jumps out and takes the road junction.

Nice post Cymrusaint,

I have just had a mate staying the weekend and we managed six games of TOI and two of A House Divided. Now back to solo playing, so any tips you can give on that will be welcome.

Keep posting, interesting to see battle reports.

PS anyone played ''So near yet so far''? How the hell do the Germans win?????

Major Howard moves into the Gondrees café, and makes it his HQ. The engineer squad moves out of the building and moves to the road between the farm house and the hill, they will place barbed wire there next turn. The medic squad moves into the farm house.

The infantry squad in the truck leaps out and moves up onto the crossroads on the hill. It fires at the AT squad in the wood, but misses. A half-track moves along the road, but turns off and heads east, the machine gun squad jump out and move into the woods. The British engineer squad is revealed by the half-track.

6th platoon join 4th platoon and move towards Benouville bridge.

The Germans avoid the road and go across country. The mortar squad is taken to the foot of the hills, and sets up its firing position. A Panzer rumbles towards the farm house.

The British have been wrong footed by this German move. The squad by the wood moves into the command objective. The hidden squad 4 starts to move back to the bridge. The squad in the entrenchment finally get the gun working.

Another Opel truck brings up more German troops, it stops out of range of the woods, suspecting another AT gun to be hidden there. The 2 squads jump out, the first charges forward to reinforce the squad at the crossroads. The AT squad in the woods opens fire, killing 1 soldier. The squad fires back, but misses. The medic squad moves into the rough ground to the NW of the road and fires into the woods killing a soldier from the AT squad.

The engineer squads on the bridges finish removing the charges.

Another Panzer moves up the road then veers off to the NW and blasts at the squad in the woods with little effect.
At the end of the of the turn the British gained 6 command and the Germans 3.
Turn 5
The 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment have dropped in the area, with the plan to move towards the captured bridges and reinforce Major Howards men. Unfortunately the parachute drops did not go as planned and the sticks have been spread far and wide. The ragtag paras are represented by the reinforcement deck, and the first of them are now reaching Renville bridge.

As the Germans role forward, the men on the front line need to decide whether to retreat back to the bridge or hold their ground, and give the reinforcements time to arrive. This is D-day, it is not the time to be timid, the men stay and fight.
One of the AT squads puts some sustained fire onto the crossroads, causing one squad to be pinned and the other to become disrupted. The other fires at the squad in the rough ground and kills 1. The 2 squads over by the farm combine fire into the woods where the machinegun is, but only succeeds in killing 1 infantry man.

The infantry squads around the crossroads open up with combined fire on the AT squad in the woods, killing 1. The Panzer then strafes the wood with its machinegun and kills the squad. The Panzer to the east fire at the squad in the farm house but only kills 1 man.

Cymrusaint said:

Pinning two men with one shot? That is not in the rules is it?

very nice job. I'm big of AARs and i'm glad you did this

bjaffe01

Bugger! I used suppressive fire, but as if it were an area effect weapon.

Well, there you go Dutchy, one of the problems of playing solo, is if you do something wrong, there's no one there to correct you.

The best way I find of playing solo, is to set up as if there is 2 players, and play each army from the correct side of the board. I find if you play from the side, it is easier to fall into the trap of favouring one army over the other.

Do you have a scenario set-up page like the ones we see in the booklets? I'd like to give this one a try one day! (# of troops, reinforecements, scenario introduction, decks etc.)

The scenario is still in the testing stage. When I'm happy with it I'll put it in the scenarios section. This is actually the first time I've played the scenario all the way through. I am having to change things as I go along, it became glaringly obvious pretty quickley that some of the additional rules, I had put in, swung the scenario to far in the British favour. My concern at the moment is that the British may still be a little to strong, or the Germans not strong enough.

This looks like an outstanding, historically accurate, and exciting scenario with challenges for each side. I would very much like to see the finished product. Please post it when you can, even if it isn't "perfected" yet. It's clear that you have made the most of this game system. I especially like the way the platoons are set up and operate together.

I've been re-reading Ambrose's excellent book on this battle and look forward to trying out this scenario. Thanks.

Best post on this particular forum in quite a while. Encore!

I too look forward to the finished scenario after you finish working out the balance issues. Nice job.

It's a while since I've been on here, I was suprised to see more comments about this game. I haven't played the game since I posted the last update on here, that was probably over a month ago. I have been just to busy and down right tired to bother. Also the kids are always on the laptop, and I like to use that to make notes as I go along, it's easier then to paste stuff, rather than writing it all out again.

Anyway, after reading the nice comments, I've decided that I will finish the game, it is still set up as I left it, so it will be no problem to carry on.

Thanks for your comments mosbymedic, I have tried to make it as accurate as possible, but some of the rules I initially tried just tipped the balance to much and had to be removed. The main one was that during the German counter-attack, they were unsure of what they were facing and were worried about sending in their armoured units. Because of this, when the British destroyed a tank the Germans pulled back their armoured units. This was in the initial rules, but as you can probably work out it more or less kills off the German counter-attack, so I scrubbed it.

Another rule I have left in is attempting to blow up the bridges, but up until now I hadn't a clue what to do if either of the bridges was blown up. But, after deciding to start playing again I have given it some thought and now think I know what to do.

Thanks for the interest guys, I am on nights starting on Thursday, so as long as the missus doesn't have anything planned for me, I'll try to make a start while I'm off and start writing it up on the night shift/s.

Very nice, AAR. Used to see some on the Forumini boards. It makes for a nice short movie. Well Done!

Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed reading it.