Operation Mercury campaign - Game 2 - Tavrontis riverbed landings

 Game 2 of our Crete (Maleme Airfield) campaign, and we are still in the first campaign turn of the initial landings, so another airborne assault scenario, this time in the Tavrontis river bed, near where it meets the sea, so 1 hex from the last battle (and happening at the same time). A squad-level game at 300 points, with my elite glider troops of the Sturm regiment sliding into the reeds and gravel of the river (and few dangerous rocks), whilst the local defenders (New Zealanders again) rush to meet them.

BRs are low, so short games, but the elite Fallschirmjager’s BR make up for this somewhat, and this gives them a fighting chance against the dug-in defenders (no BR for those foxholes). No off-table artillery allowed yet, so just what you have on the tabletop in an infantry skirmish. Hopefully, with some air support this time.

Turn 1, and the gliders were the first wave, sliding along in rough landings, as the first squads and MG teams bailed out, pinned. The third glider rolled a 1, and was wiped out hitting a big rock, ooof! Not a good start, and 2 counters for the losses.

The New Zealanders, in surprise, mustered only a single order of some suppressing rifle fire, and it was turn 2 – these games don’t take long. My second turn saw the paratrooper drop in, forward HQ and platoon HQ, with a pioneer squad. They hit the ground, again pinned. So, another counter to get unpinned and get those MGs set-up and rockin’, as the few unpinned units scrambled for rocky cover. The counter was a Air Attack - yes. Luftwaffe on the the way!

The New Zealanders fired their rifles and their light mortar dropped the first 2” bombs into the river bed, pinning an MG team down. So far, so good… but for the crash landing, it was going well. No New Zealand reinforcements had arrived yet.

The Luftwaffe failed to stop as they overflew, heading to another target, drat! My MGs got some New Zealand heads down, and the FJ own light mortar was set-up and lobbing some shells back at the enemy mortar, it is hard to pin guys in foxholes though. The pioneers, fully weaponed up now, moved out to attack a NZ section on the river bank, but where spotted in the undergrowth and heavy rifle and Bren fire cut them down. 1 solo pioneer escaped to seek better cover and hunker down, and try not to die (or even be pinned) and give up the precious counter (he survived!).

Now, the first defender’s reinforces ran in, from the other (eastern) bank, a section and their Vickers MG team (eek!). The FJ MGs turned on it and blazed away, now starting to get their own pinning in, and the NZers would need to unpin. The firefight was building, but in the meantime, one FJ squad had scurried around and collected 3 drop canisters (objectives), so the counter count was close. One defender squad got out of their foxholes under an olive grove to fetch a rogue drop pod too… handy resupply of German weapons. They then ran back to their foxholes.

The firefight continued for the next few turns, mostly pinning, but I lost another MG team to rifle fire and the forward HQ was in a bad place and constantly pinned down by rifle fire. The light mortar duel continued. Then, I drew another Air Attack counter, only for it to fail again – the Luftwaffe have had a poor showing so far, we urgently need the help (a forward air controller next time!). To add insult to this injury, the NZers also drew an Air Attack and then rolled the required 6! - good grief!. A Hurricane, on patrol from Alexandria, had zero’d in and skimmed in from the sea to strafe the landed gliders and bushes. Under air attack was another counter. Return MG AA fire was accurate and the Hurricane banked away to sea again, a few holes in its wings. Biggles would be unpinned and back soon.

Both counter stacks looked dangerous, I had to stop unpinning, but I though one more counter for the defenders might break them. My remaining MGs spotted the pesky light mortar and in blaze of MG-34 fire wiped them out - and the counter was… a ‘Confusion’ event! Argh! The elite FJ laugh at such, but still, it allowed the Nzers another turn. In which, they launched a sudden close assault with a section down into the riverbed, to find my lurking light mortar team, and give them the full effect of Mills bombs and a taste of the bayonet!. The loss of the mortar support was enough, the best of the FJ best had had enough and those pinned units would be taken prisoners, whilst the others crawl away to cover. Another narrow defenders win, but within a counter each way. The NZers had some luck with counters. That means I have failed to secure this section of the Tavrontis riverbed and must vacate it on the campaign map. That’s a problem for getting to that airfield.

Next time, we’ll move south again by 1 hex and do the fight at the famous road bridge over the river. Hopefully, my Sturm-boys can secure it and use it as the jump-off for an new attack on the western airfield. If not, then even bigger trouble for the landings. But, I do have my second wave of paratroops due in at 11am (after the turn around time for the JU-52s to refuel and return from Greece). So, reinforcements inbound. No sign of the Brit’s 1 Matilda tank yet!

The action...

Glider landings, glider meets immovable rock!

The river bed, all counts as soft cover for the reeds and vegetation, except for the rocks (as hard).

One squad lost on the crash landing...

Infantry disembark and scurry for the nearest cover. Then move around to get the objectives.

NZers section form behind their cover and shoot down into the river bed.

MG team gets busy in reply, trying to keep the defenders heads down.

On the move, the FJ platoon HQ try to find a better place to hide.

Dug-in on the river bank, this section quickly repelled the pioneer squad. Then, the RAF showed up, need a 6, roll a 6...

Hurricane comes in low, strafing up the place, before MG fire forced it to retire pinned.