Holland '44

[judgedredd]

Allied Movement Phase
You probably won't see much different here to many opening moves...the objectives are the same.

2/1P/1 moves from 6217 to 6221 via Renkum past rail bridge. They can move 5 hexes if they don't enter an Enemy Zone of Control (EZOC). As they pass the rail bridge, the Germans try to destroy it and a 1 is rolled - the bridge is intact.

1/1P/1 moves from 6418 to 6419 so they can pick a fight with the Kraft Battalion

3/1P/1 moves from 6217 to 6219 to help beat up the Kraft Battalion

7 KOSB/1A/1 moves from 6217 to 6115 to protect the road through Renkum to the bridge

2SS/1A/1 moves from 6418 to 6520 to box the Kraft Battalion in place and protect the northern flank. It can only move 2 hexes because it's scattered and if it was to engage in combat, it's attack value would be halved.

1B/1A/1 moves from 6317 to 6315 and with the other 1B/1A/1 moving from 6317 to 6514 this seals the western flank with strong Zone of Control Bonds

7 KOSB/1A/1 moves from 6317 to 6616 and with 2SS/1A/1 moving from 6418 to 6618 the northern flank is sealed



Hopefully the landing zones are protected with the northern and western flanks being sealed off.

NB - I did forget to put a Bridge Intact icon on the railway bridge - which I have now remedied

[judgedredd]

Allied Movement Phase (cont)
This is the overall situation for the 82nd Airborne Division.

They have to grab the bridges at Grave and Nijmegen as well as try and secure a few crossings across the Maas Waal Canal

82nd Airborne Division
3rd Bn 505th moves from 4824 to Mook (4721). The Unknown enemy unit tries to blow the bridge and a roll of 3 means they failed
(on subsequent rounds there's no beneficial -1 modifier to bridge demolition so a 3-6 would've destroyed the bridge)
The Unknown unit turns out to be a Garrison unit and flees the scene...the rail bridge at Mook is captured.



2nd Bn 505th moves from 4924 to attack the Unknown unit in 4922. It's a Flak unit and the attack odds are 3-1 to the 2nd Bns favour

(4 attack divided by 2 defence = 2-1 +1 column shift because the 2nd Bn is Elite)
A roll of 5 on the Combat Results Table (CRT) under the column 3-1 is A1/D1 - so both units lose a step and the defender retreats two hexes or performs a Determined Defence. However, the defender is a one step unit and so is eliminated leaving the way for the 2nd Bn 505th to advance into the hex. They are now marked as Spent


1st Bn 505th moves from 4824 to 4625 to protect the southern flank. As it's scattered, it can only use Tactical Movement (move 2 hexes)


3rd Bn 508th moves from 4924 to 4623 to help 1st Bn protect the southern flank


1st Bn 508th and 2nd Bn 508th move to start the attack Nijmegen. They move from 5024 to the southern edge of town and attack the Unknown unit in hex 5222. It's an infantry unit. The attack odds are 3-1
(8 attack divided by 4 defence (2 doubled because it's in a town hex) = 2-1 +1 column shift because the 1st and 2nd Battalions are Elite)
A roll of 3 on the 3-1 column is a DR -  Defender Retreats...the German unit must retreat two hexes or perform a Determined Defence. They choose the former and move to hex 5320 on the west side of the town. The paras occupy the burbs of south east Nijmegen.

As they have attacked, they are now marked as Spent so they cannot attack during the Combat Phase.


Over to the south west of Nijmegen, the 504th has to try and grab the Grave bridge as well as trying to secure some of the others. If they can secure the Grave bridge it would be great because the Germans can't attempt to blow it until the second turn.

3rd Bn 504th moves from 4818 to 4816 and attacks the Unknown Unit protecting the Grave bridge from the east. The unit is a Garrison unit and is eliminated. The bridge at Grave is secured!!


2nd Bn 504th decides to head north east and try for a bridge or two. They move out from 4818 to 5019 and as they pass the bridge over the Mass Waal Canal they hear a huge explosion (a roll of 5 secures the destruction of the bridge). They then head north and try and secure the second bridge...a roll of 1 means the explosion didn't really happen...it's there for the taking though not secured yet.


1st Bn 504th moves from 4819 to 4820 and tries to grab the two bridges across the Maas Waal Canal to their east. A roll of 5 means the bridge south of Malden is kaput. They then head north to Malden and try to grab the bridge there...a roll of 4 sees the bridge destroyed. Only 1 bridge is secured over the Maas Waal Canal. Disappointing. They continue north to assist the 2nd Bn 504th


This is the situation round the 82nd Airborne Divisions sector


NB A couple of things...

• I don't really have to use a SPENT marker when there are no enemy around because there's nothing to attack...that explains the lack of SPENT counters
• Regarding 1st Bn 504th - they used Extended Movement to move north and help out the 2nd Bn - but I don't think they can because they ended movement next to a German unit...I thought they might be able to because the German unit is an Unknown unit - but Unknown units are treated as normal units until they are revealed - so when I get back to the board, I'll move 1st Bn 504th down so it only moved 3 hexes instead of the 5 I did move it

Also - sorry for North South, East and West being "off"...you'll have to imagine the map rotated 90 degrees to the left.

[thecommandtent]

Always a sigh of relief when you capture the bridge at Grave on turn 1. Hopefully you can secure another crossing over the canal.

[judgedredd]

Yeah - it was a nice easy catch. On Turn 1 the Germans only have Tactical Movement (2 MPs) so they couldn't reinforce teh bridge across the Maas Waal even if they wanted to. So hopefully 1st and 2nd Bns of the 504th can take it - now it hasn't been blown.

I'll try and get the 101st movement done today and post later tonight.

[judgedredd]

Sorry this is taking so long - busy with work and family. I promise this weekend I will at least get Turn 1 complete with the 101st and 30 Corps movement/combat etc and then the German turn.

[bob48]

We're all sitting on the edge of our chairs waiting :-)

[Sir Slash]

But.... I thought WE were the family.    No problems JD. Priorities man, priorities. 

[judgedredd]

Allied Movement Phase (cont)
This is the overall situation for the 101st Airborne Division.


1st Bn 501st moves from 4008 to 3909. On getting to the railway bridge, the German unit tries to blow it. A roll 3 and the rail bridge is safe. They then try and blow the Veghel road bridge over the Zuid-Willems Canal. A roll of 2 means it's safe. Excellent news thus far. Although they are scattered, they can help negate the defenders double modifier as one unit isn't attacking across a bridge. That's why the 3rd Bn 501st won't be attacking the unknown unit just now - they'll wait until the combat phase.


3rd Bn 501st moves to make contact with the unit in Veghel and hold off until they've got their shit together.


2nd Bn 501st moves south to help elements of the 502nd take the town of St Oedenrode and becaue the German unit is facing an attack from both sides of the river, they will not get the double defence modifier.


2nd Bn 506th and 3rd Bn 502nd move to attack the unit at Best


2nd Bn 502nd moves north to attack St Oedenrode from the south.


3rd Bn 506th and 1st Bn 506th head east to secure the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal. A roll of 4 means they hear a huge explosion and the bridge is blown.


They attack the unknown unit which turns out to be a Security unit. I don't think the defender is doubled because of the river in the hex...but they are doubled anyway due to being in a town.

The odds are 5-1 (8 for the allied units and 1 doubled for the defender is 2 and one shift for Elite American troops). A roll of 2 is awful...and is a DRX - both sides lose a step and the defender has to retreat 2 hexes and become disrupted or perform a determined defence. However the German unit is a single step unit and is eliminated. The Americans occupy the town with no bridge and the 1st Bn 506th has lost some troops.


1st Bn 502nd moves next to the canal to cross it next turn.


This is the situation for the 101st

[judgedredd]

So far it's not gone too bad for the Allies. Very few losses in the Air Landing Phase, very few losses in any combat and some bridges captured.

True to the film, the bridge at Son has gone. 

[judgedredd]

I'm on holiday at the moment at Roachside Cottage in the Penines...so there will be no gaming for the next week

[bob48]

Lovely part of the country it is too. Hope you enjoy it, JD 

[Sir Slash]

Enjoy JD. We'll keep your seat saved for. 

[judgedredd]

I have a problem with the odds.

I get 12 v 3 is 4-1. I understand the rounding down of 12 v 5 being 2-1. But an example in the book states 11v12 is 1-2. I don't understand that.

It's hard to believe I would attack with lower odds...but i might have to and I don't get 11v12 equating to 1-2. I would've thought that was 1-1 and something like 4-8 would equate to 1-2.

Any help for a guy who always hated fractions?

[trailrunner]

I have a problem with the odds.

I get 12 v 3 is 4-1. I understand the rounding down of 12 v 5 being 2-1. But an example in the book states 11v12 is 1-2. I don't understand that.

It's hard to believe I would attack with lower odds...but i might have to and I don't get 11v12 equating to 1-2. I would've thought that was 1-1 and something like 4-8 would equate to 1-2.

Any help for a guy who always hated fractions?

The key thing is that you round down, and that it always favors the defender.  Those are the key things.  Everything else after that is math.

In terms of fractions, 11/12 is less than 1.  To get 1-1, you need to have at least the same strength attacking as defending, and in this case you don't - you have less.  So you round down to the next odds column, which is 1-2.  It would be the same for 10v12, 9v12, and so on until 6v12.  When you get to 5v12,  then it would round down to the next column, which is probably 1-3.

[judgedredd]

Sorry but I'm going to have to pack this up. Not only does the wife think it's funny to through her bag on the table and knock everything around (she doesn't find it funny - but does seem to do it) and not only does she want the table back - but the sun coming through the conservatory - and it gets bloody hot in there - is discolouring my board



I'm really sorry - that's twice I've had to pack this one up - but I have to put it in a room that doesn't get direct sunlight next time...I'm afraid the map will get really bad if it sits in the conservatory anymore.