The Best Bridge

I've driven across the Best (the Dutch town) bridge lots of times  on my way to friends, unaware of the fighting that took place there in 1944. After watching Sidney's battlefield challenge on Youtube and discovering the scenario in Lard magazine 2019, I was keen to try it out.

Exacty 76 years after the actual events took place, Lieutenant Wierzbowski of the 101st airborne again tried to capture the Best bridge. (I only found out that it was the exact same date just before the game when I was reading the Lard magazine article again).

The paratroopers start at the left side of the table and have to destroy the 88 in the upper right corner (the actual bridge and canal  are just off table). The Germans  start in the middle.

After the patrol phase the paratroopers quickly moved towards the road and crossed it with minimal casualties.

A lucky German command dice roll (1,2,2,3,4) led to a screen of Germans being deployed to block their advance.

One German squad moved tactically towards the American deployment area.

Meanwhile the paratrooper squad that crossed the road, entered the woods and ran into a German squad.

Both sides took casualties. The German junior leader was wounded.

A double 6 on the command dice for the Germans! The German senior leader rushes towards the leaderless squad and starts removing shock in order to be ready for action in the next phase.

But, the Amercans use a full chain of command dice to interrupt and open fire on the German squad!

Bad luck for the paratroopers, as the dice roll only causes minimal damage.

Now the Germans get their turn and enjoy a much better dice roll result (10 hits out of 12), shredding the paratroopers and wounding the junior leader.

A bazooka team is also wiped out. The American force morale drops at an alarming rate.

Wierzbowski arrives on the scene.

Our flank is exposed sir!

And is almost immediately wounded.

At this moment we called it a day. The remaining American squad was pretty much closed in by 3 German squads.

Historically the Germans destroyed the Best bridge on this day. The Americans were unable to prevent this outcome in the refight.