#05 - Pegasus Bridge (6 June) - PzC 02 Normandy '44

Orne River Valley, north of Caen: In the early morning hours of the 6th of June, the paratroopers and glidermen of the 6th British Airborne Division were landed on the far left end of the Normandy Beachhead. Their mission was to protect the flank of the British 3rd Infantry Division scheduled to land just west of the Orne Estuary. The attack began with the glider drop of the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry whose task was to secure the bridges across the Orne River and Canal. The two British Divisions made rapid progress against the poor quality troops of the German 716th Infantry Division but stationed nearby were elements of Hans von Luck's crack 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The Grenadiers were prohibited from moving against a seaborne invasion without Hitler's personnel authorization but unbeknownst to von Luck, there was a standing order allowing for the immediate attack of all airborne landings. While waiting for orders, time (and opportunity) slipped away. This one-day scenario covers the D-Day action to protect the left flank of the invasion area. For a 1 day scenario covering the entire British Sector, see #09 "Private Nigle". [Size: small; Length: 10 turns]