Yorkshire Bridge - 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 M�hlenfleuth 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 B�ssenhof and Kampshof, that were defended by elements of the the 2nd company of the 22nd Fallschirmj�ger 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 largest German counterattack. The first counterattack of the Germans by I/FJR 22 failed in the heavy fire of C. Company. The Germans regrouped at the Rahmenhof farm and tried again around midnight, this time with 9th company, the heavy company reinforced with engineers and a few Sturmgesch�tze. The Germans managed to reach the bridge, but heavy grenade and MG fire drove the engineers back time after time. C. company again radioed for artillery support but this time the British batteries suffered from ammo shortage and couldn't intervene effectively. As the situation grew desparate for C. company as ammo ran out and fighting had reached the Schaddenhof farm grounds. B. Company was sent to relief C. Company but they were fended off by Fallschirmj�ger who were north of the M�hlenfleuth, after having waded the stream. Apart from a single Sherman tank that had positioned itself on the Schaddenhof farm yard, other tanks were reluctant to enter the battle in fear of the German Fallschirmj�ger armed with Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks positioned on the northbank of the M�hlenfleuth. As Major King of B. Company boldly raced a carrier loaded with new ammo over the bridge, C. Company was able to hold out a little longer, but by now the Sturmgesch�tze were roaming on the farm perimeter and rolling over the foxholes of C. Company. Around 3:00 the bridge was completely surrounded by the Germans, but they were not able to hold their gains, as more and more British artillery (Corps and Divisional) started to intervene. At 9:00 three companies of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers got across the bridge and by midday the bridgehead was secure. For his action Major King was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Service Order and the bridge was baptized "Yorkshire Bridge". [Note: to achieve historical accuracy, the players should agree that the M�hlenfleuth can only be forded by infantry and not by any vehicles]