Hello. It is I, Mr. Never-Finishes-An-AAR back again.
This time, let's see how I can cock up the Nijmegen part of Operation Market-Garden!
Ok, who doesn't know what Operation Market-Garden was about? Right, you two in the back go read
this and come back. Thank you.
Right, to the game at hand. It has had many names, it used to be a single game "Highway to the Reich" aeons ago, not sure, but it is now a module to Command Ops 2! Yay! (Was is Airborne Assault at one point?)
Anyway, Command Ops 2 is a command-chain simulator. You can decide how much micro you want (company level being smallest), or you can give the overall HQ a command and the AI takes care of the routes/formations etc.
I tend to start with battalions and then micro companies as needed.
Anyway, I'll be playing the Nijmegen sector campaign of the 'Highway to the Reich' module (DLC) as the US 82nd AB. My task is to capture victory locations - at least that's how the game gauges if I am winning - ,but I am more interested to see if I can take the bridges needed and hold back the Germans enough for the British XXX Corps to get over the Waal river and onto Arnheim in time. (Spoiler: I doubt it)
My Initial Plan:
*Note that these are my day 1 major forces. Some AT and AA guns arrive on day 1 as well.
First off, here's a map of the scenario with my plan. Depending on imgur, you might have to click it a few times to open it fully. (Size of the image is 3537x2423)
Yellow names are victory locations:
Starting from Drop zone O:
2/504 takes the Grave bridge. One company landed on the western side of the Maas River (unmarked) so it is only logical I use 2 Bn.
The two remaining battalions head to the eastern bridges at Blankenberg and Heumen. Town of Grave I leave for now, XXX Corps can clear it. Should not be any problems here.
Drop zone N:
1/505 will head towards Mook immediately. I don't care about the bridge all that much, but the road is a highway and I want to block it as soon as possible.
The rest of 505 will remain at the southern end of the heights.
Drop Zone T:
This' the tricky one.
One battalion of 505 landed here, so I use it together with the 508 HQ to capture the town of Groesbeek and prepare defences there.
1/508 I send to cut off the highway at Wyler Meer. Forest and uphill* positions should give them a good advantage to prevent enemy troops from reaching Nijmegen.
*The browner the terrain color is, the higher the elevation.
I could use one more battalion to close the gap between the 1st Bn and Groesbeek, but I've decided to send two battalions (3&2/508) to Nijmegen to secure the two roundabouts. It is very risky, but I am hoping they can hold until the XXX Corps are scheduled to arrive on day 3. The Groesbeek heights forest will become a skirmish grounds no matter what.
Enemy Forces:
The briefing says enemy reinforcements are historically accurate, so I will assume that the 406th will be attacking from the Reichwald to the east of Groesbeek heights at some time on day 2 and that the 10th SS will arrive around midnight on day 1 at Nijmegen.
EDIT: Oh right, my overall aim.
Nijmegen is the key. I want to have it at least partly cleared when XXX Corps arrive. I won't be trying to cross the bridge with the AB troops, my aim is to hold the city.
Once XXX Corps arrives I can use the eastern bridges (Blankenberg/Heumen) to not only head to Nijmegen, but also to Groesbeek whatever the situation is there at the time. I just need to hold until day 3.
I'd like to see armor across the Nijmegen bridge by early day 4, the scenarios end day 5.
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I'll leave this here for a bit in case some of you have suggestions regarding the plan.