Market Garden: Action at Arnhem Railway Bridge

I played a quick action today of a German attack across the railway bridge at Arnhem.
The rules were my adapted version of Richard Borg’s Memoir ’44.
The only adaptation in use today was that the number of command cards held was a factor of the number of platoon-sized bases on the table. As casualties are suffered or re-inforcements arrive the number of cards held will fluctuate.

The picture shows the view from the south (German) side of the bridge.
3rd PanzerGrenadier Battalion was attacking across the bridge against 7th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSBs). They were supported by 2nd PanzerGrenadier Battalion attacking from the east, on the north side of the Rhine.
7th KOSBs had the potential support of 10th Battalion Parachute Regiment from the north, but at the start of the action, at 18:00 on 18th September, the British were outnumbered 2:1.

At this point I must apologise to my PBEM generals for a basic error. The actual forces on each side were company sized, but I forgot and placed them at battalion size. However, it made for a more interesting battle and the result is perfectly acceptable for the campaign.

The Germans commenced with a mortar attack in support of an infantry assault across the bridge. At the same time 2nd Battalion advanced from the east. The British responded by a double counter-charge supported by mortars. The counter-attack across the bridge was partially successful but on the east flank the enemy was driven back with heavy casualties.

2nd PanzerGrenadier Battalion recovered and attacked again, surrounding the British company and eliminating it. 3rd PanzerGrenadier Battalion, with the help of their mortar platoon, gradually wore down the British on the railway bridge, then after around 45 minutes fighting both battalions surged forwards, surrounding the last elements of the KOSBs, who had been unable to withdraw to the comparative safety of Oosterbeek.

10th Battalion Parachute Regiment never appeared.

Casualties (dead,wounded and missing): British 100%, Germans 26%