H2H-Buessenhof - Combat Mission: Afrika Korps

Background: After Operation Veritable, the drive through the Reichswald towards the Wesel bridges over the Rhine had run out of speed, Montgomery launched operation Blockbuster after having regrouped his Armies in an attempt to force a final breakthrough. An operation within Blockbuster was operation "Heather". It's purpose was to attack the town of Weeze from the east, after the attack on the town from the north by 53rd Division had stalled. By taking Weeze the German front on the Maas would become untenable. To achieve succes, the bridge over the Mühlenfleuth in the wooded area east of Weeze had to be captured intact. At dawn February 27, C coy, East Yorkshire Regiment supported by tanks of the 6th Guard Tank Brigade moved forward from the wooded area astride the Weeze-Uedem road. Their first objectives were the clustered farm buildings of Büssenhof and Kampshof, that were defended by elements of the the 2nd company of the 22nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment. After a brutal fight in which the Germans had to be subdued with flamethrowers, the East Yorkshires managed to capture the bridge before the Germans could detonate it. They then formed a bridgehead at the nearby farm of Schaddenhof. The scene was set and the Germans well aware of the strategical importance of the newly formed bridgehead started to launch couterattacks. This scenario depicts the capturing of the bridgehead, another scenario will cover the subsequent German counterattacks. [Note: to achieve historical accuracy, the players should agree that the Mühlenfleuth can only be forded by infantry and not by any vehicles]