Produktbeschreibung
The German book is loaded with new content. When we originally did the Germans, we had pretty limited space, so I chose the iconic forces to include. I always had the intention of expanding the Germans a lot, and with the invaluable help of Joe Abrisz, we were able to really go nuts with the weird and wonderful German Kampfgruppen in Holland.
Design Notes with Mike Haught -
I was rather excited to go back to Market Garden with these compilations. The campaign is one of my favourites, and I’ve always wanted to do more than I originally was able to fit into A Bridge Too Far and Hell’s Highway. When asked if I could fill two books, or should we just stick to one, I quickly replied that I could easily fill a second book with new forces! The original printed material was 160 pages in length across the two books, A Bridge Too Far and Hell’s Highway. However the Market Garden compilations total reaches 340 pages. When all was said and done, the Allied book featured 12 new forces and 11 old favourites, and the Axis book added 14 new armies as well as including the five original German lists.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that I had the help of some excellent contributors. Heading the charge was Joe Abrisz, whose passion and depth of knowledge for Market Garden knows no equal. Thanks must also go out to Bede Bailey, whose prose was a pleasure to work with, technically astute Dr. Michael McSwiney, and the enthusiastic Thomas Weller. Finally, my thanks need to be renewed for helping with the original PDF forces: Jason Davis, Stuart Elle, James Huff, David Hyttenrauch, Thomas McBride, and Charles Tricker.
~ Mike.
Hell’s Highway Forces:
The Fallschirmjäger -
The Fallschirmjäger have been updated and a few new options added, such as a Fallschirmjäger Scout Platoon, and a few other changes to the support platoons. The biggest change is that I separated the 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment from the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division, and renamed them Veteran Fallschirmjägerkompanie and Ersatz Fallschirmjägerkompanie, respectively. This was done to broaden their use to cover all of the various FJ units running around Holland. I’ve also made Von der Heydte and his Panzerfaust Trap teams available to the Trained FJ to better represent Kerutt’s training battalion, which actually used them (though they are still available to the 6FJR based on their actions in the Scheldt).
559. Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung -
The 559th Heavy Tank-hunter Battalion was in action along the Dutch-Belgian border and provided the bulk of the German tanks available along Hell’s Highway in the early days of Operation Market Garden.
The company expands the single Jagdpanther support platoon available in Hell’s Highway. The battalion used StuGs to supplement the low numbers of Jagdpanthers, so players now have the option to take the smaller assault guns as well.
KG Chill and the 59 Infanteriedivision -
Kampfgruppe Chill and the 59th Infantry helped secure the western side of Hell’s Highway. Both were instrumental in the counterattacks along the corridor. This adds a Grenadier and a Pionier company to the book.
The Pionierkompanie has been designed to also allow players to field the Pionier-Lehr ‘Glosgau’ unit that was especially flown in to deal with the British paras in Oosterbeek. So that is why it will have some slightly different support options than the Grenadiers.
Panzer Brigade 107 -
The brigade is one of the most anticipated forces in the book. We wanted to include it originally in the old books, but we also expected to release the Lorraine book to bridge the gap between Market Garden and the Bulge. Obviously, plans changed and Blood Guts and Glory was more sensibly linked to the latter campaign than Holland. So while working on this compilation, Panzerbrigade 107 was the first on the list to be included.
After reading a bit more on the 107th, it was clear that these guys were actually quite a bit more gung-ho than their southern sector comrades. Their attacks along the corridor were fast, furious, and tenacious, leading me to rate them Confident Trained, rather than Reluctant. So players will now be able to rush Son Bridge or cause unnecessary damage to private property in Neuen with Panthers, Panzer IV(70)s and assault rifle-armed panzergrenadiers.
Nijmegen Forces:
§§-Kampfgruppe Euling -
Euling’s defense of Nijmegen is legendary. His small battalion, reinforced by §§-Pioneers, Fallschirmjager, and other Luftwaffe troops, managed to hold off the US 82nd Airborne as well as the British Guards Armoured Division for several critical days. This force is a fortified company, organised around §§-Panzergrenadiers or §§-Panzerpioniers. You’ll be able to dig in your assault guns, set up some street barricades, and lay some mines to prepare for the inevitable Allied assault.
Kampfgruppe von Furstenberg -
This force was purely added for flavour. Each of its platoons were already support platoons for something else, so it seemed to make sense to turn it into its own unit on the battlefield. Based on an Aufklarungs training and replacement battalion, the force features Confident Trained panzergrendiers, a few armoured half-tracks, and a solid artillery park. It’ll be a fun force to field for those who are completists like myself!
Sperrverband Harzer -
Joe put this one in front of me and at first I wasn’t convinced that it would make for an interesting force—that is until he suggested we look at it from a battalion organisation viewpoint instead. The force in the book is essentially a different way of fielding Kampfgruppe von Tettau, for those familiar with that list. However, Harzer introduces a fortress machine-gun battalion into the mix, making it a tough force to dislodge! That combined with:
Kampfgruppe von Swoboda -
This was one of the more popular forces with the playtest groups. Who wouldn’t want to field 12 8.8cm FlaK36 heavy anti-aircraft guns? Wait, you also can support that with a platoon of eight 2cm FlaK38 light anti-aircraft guns? And backed by Harzer’s denizens? And an §§ artillery park? Sign me up please!
Arnhem Forces:
§§-Kamfgruppe Brinkmann -
Brinkmann’s §§-Aufklarungs battalion was actually the first to test the Arnhem bridge, and the first to report Frost’s British paratroopers firmly held the crossing. This force is comprised of infantry mounted in II §§-Panzerkorps’ precious few Sd. Kfz 250 armoured half-tracks. They’ll help you get in close and see if you can force your way across the Arnhem bridge!
§§-Kampfgruppe Graebner -
Graebner’s dash across the bridge is one of those iconic moments in the battle for Arnhem, made famous in the book and movie A Bridge Too Far. I’ve cleaned up the force’s rules as well as the warrior, Viktor Graebner, to give him a better shot at pulling off a daring coup-de-main assault.
Kampfgruppe Knaust -
After the two §§-Aufklarungs battalions failed to budge Frost’s paras, Knaust’s battlegroup took command of the area. His unit, a training and replacement Panzergrenadier formation, also failed to push the British off the bridge, but quickly sealed them into a tight perimeter, gradually grinding them down until they ran out of ammo and supplies and forcing them to surrender.
Knaust’s force is made up of Confident Trained Panzergrenadiers, backed by some older Panzer III and IV training tanks. Knaust himself can take command of your force. Despite his wooden leg (having lost his own in Russia), he’ll offer encouragement to your troops as they force a battle of attrition on the enemy.
Kampfgruppe Hummel -
One of the more colourful units in Arnhem was Kampfgruppe Hummel. This was a “Frankenstein” unit of old Tiger IE heavy tanks, many of which were older training and replacement examples. They were highly unreliable, and it took several days for the company to make the 50-mile (80km) journey from the train station to Arnhem.
Despite all of these disadvantages, we’re able to deliver Tiger IEs to players at the rock-bottom price of 145 points each! Back them up with Knaust’s or Brinkmann’s troops and you’ll have a formidable assault force (provided you don’t push the tanks too hard!)
§§-Kampfgruppe Arnheim -
Historically, there was no such force called §§-Kampfgruppe Arnheim. What is represented here is a hypothetical organisation that allows you to assemble what the Germans called an Alarmheitenkompanie (Alarm Company). These companies were quickly raised by an officer with whatever troops were on hand. Their mission was to investigate suspected enemy activity, assess and report the enemy’s strength, and then immediately attack. There were many such forces in Arnhem in those early hours and several proved to be very decisive in denying the British 1st Airborne Division’s initial objectives.
Oosterbeek Forces:
§§-Kampfgruppe Spindler -
Spindler’s battlegroup incorporates all sorts of various formations that were in the Arnhem area. He took them under command and wedged his troops solidly between Frost’s men in Arnhem and the rest of the division in Oosterbeek. His decisive action meant that the enemy had no chance to reach the bridge.
The force has changed little from its original format. Players still have the chance to field §§-Panzergrenadiers, SS-Pioneers, and §§-Tank Crews, as well as a mix of any of those types. I have allowed players to field full companies of tank crews fighting as infantry. There were a lot of these types of formations, from Spindler’s own command of dismounted self-propelled artillery crews to Reinhold’s dismounted tankers north of Nijmegen.
280 StuG Batterie -
The 280th performed exceptionally well during the campaign and talking with Joe, we decided to promote them from their previous rating of Trained to Veteran as well as expand them into a full company. The battery’s guns supported the §§ in Oosterbeek, so many of the forces will be able to take advantage of their added firepower.
506. Schwere Panzer Abteilung -
The 506th supplied several King Tigers to the battle in Oosterbeek. They were unique in that they still had a mix of the old Porsche turrets along with some of the Henschel ones. They also worked closely with the SS and the 280th to launch one of the most successful attacks on the Oosterbeek perimeter. The only reason they were pushed back was because of the intervention of 30 Corps’ long range artillery.
Kampfgruppe von Tettau -
Nothing major has changed with von Tettau’s group. It’s still the same old German horde of average to low quality troops or hardened veteran §§-NCOs. However, they have gained a few support options, such as a battery of four 88s and an expanded §§-artillery park. |
