First Airborne Sector - Allied Strategy

During the Airborne Landing Phase one battalion of the 1st Parachute Brigade landing in Renkurn should move to Oosterbeek to gain control of the Area. The Allies' first move during the September 17th Daylight Phase is just about a no-brainer. They need to get a unit into Arnhem, both to capture the city and to block German movement south.

German units are frozen during their first impulse of the Daylight Phase, so the first Allied impulse is the time to act. IftheBrits; fail to move into Arnhem while German units are frozen, the Germans will respond by activating the unit in Lichtenbeek and occupying the city with it.

Then the British have to Assault their way in, at low odds - not the preferred way to handle 1st Airborne since the division will be Isolated longer than the two American airborne divisions. The British would also like to capture the Arnhem bridge intact, so the best move on Impulse "0" is to activate Renkurn and march a parachute battalion through Oosterbeek (11 MP) and into Arnhem (2 MP). With the last movement point, make a bridge seizure attempt. The probability of success is 33% if the Elden FLAK Tower is Spent and 16% if it is Fresh.

An equally important goal on D-Day is the capture of the primary Supply Drop Area located in Wolfheze. That means assaulting the 16SS Battalion. Don't mess around here. If the Allies don't at least contest Wolfheze, they have to rely on the Allied Air Supply marker, and they don't want to do that since it is worth only five points and isn't available on Overcast days. Ideally the Supply Drop Area should be free of German units so the Air Supply Depot can refit units in other Areas.

To accomplish this, attack Wolfheze with all three battalions of the 1st Airlanding Brigade and a Glider Pilot battalion, supported by 1st Airborne's Artillery in Renkum. One Glider Pilot battalion should be left behind to guard the Drop Area at Ginkelse Heide. Be sure this unit is Fresh as otherwise a change in the Weather could see German units in Utrecht launching an assault and potentially overrunning the Drop Area, a minor disaster since this will delay the arrival of the 4th Parachute Brigade till at least September 20th. The assault on Wolfheze will be at 9:4 assuming the 16SS Battalion is Fresh. Wolfheze is another place where the Allies might consider using Air Bombardment on D-Day.

Secondary goals for 1st Airborne on D-Day are capturing the railroad bridge between Oosterbeek and Driel (and even capturing Driel itself, though this will probably strain their supply situation), and moving additional units to Arnhem, as this may be the one and only chance to get more units into the city before the Germans begin infiltrating into and around it. During the September 17th Regroup Phase relocate 1st Airborne's artillery to Oosterbeek to take advantage of its central position within the division's Operational Sectors. Attacking Deleen Airfield is a mistake, at least in the Basic Game. The Germans can effectively cut off any Allied units there by contesting or controlling both Wolfheze and Lichtenbeek. Deleen Airfield also has a weak +1 TEM making it vulnerable to artillery bombardment. After bombardment has Disrupted the units, German reinforcements appearing in Apeldoorn can assault the airfield, eliminate the defenders, and seize the Advantage if Allied-held.

Play Balance. Give the Allied player a +1 bonus when attempting to seize the Arnhem bridge on D-Day.

1st Airborne Sector - German Strategy

In contrast to fighting the American airborne divisions and XXX Corps south of Grave, where the German player should be content to infiltrate and otherwise delay and harass the Allied player, north of the Rhine he will have to make a concerted effort to recapture Arnhem, an Area the Allies will have almost certainly seized control of at the start of the September 17th Daylight Phase. Allied control of Arnhem and its 2 VPs can easily decide the outcome of the Basic Game.

Assaulting Arnhem becomes even more necessary if the Allies capture Nijmegen and Oosterhout and have the time and units to push even further north. If a unit of XXX Corps manages to enter Arnhem and achieve link-up, the Victory Point value of the city increases to 4 VPs and makes an Allied victory virtually automatic. Retaking Arnhem should be a concern of the German player throughout the game.

The plan for retaking Arnhem should have three steps. The first is to immobilize 1st Airborne. Blowing up the railroad bridge between Oosterbeek and Driel on D-Day is a good idea as it prevents Allied units from moving freely over the Rhine. Since German movement is greatly restricted during D-Day, and since the Allies have Air Bombardment markers to hammer units that do move, it's worth devoting several impulses to blow up this bridge. They can still use the Driel ferry, but not until the 18th as an Allied unit will have to be Fresh and adjacent to the ferry in order to use it.

One of the highest priorities for the German player on September 18th should be infiltrating into Arnhem and Oosterbeek. The chances of successful infiltration are 50/50 into both Areas. Don't worry about disruptions, just do it. Once Arnhem and Oosterbeek are German-contested, the British are stalemated unless they counterattack and drive the Germans back out, a risky proposition for the Allies who can ill-afford to suffer Disruptions. Infiltration should be aggressively attempted against the other Areas north of the Rhine. Wolfheze (if Allied controlled) has the highest priority because it is a Supply Drop Area, then Ginkelse Heide, and lastly Renkum.

The second step should be to strangle Allied supply and soften up the defenders. Most importantly the Germans want to get any defending units in Arnhem Spent and Disrupted as quickly as possible. This means either holding Wolfheze or infiltrating back into it should control of it be lost. A German unit in Wolfheze means 1st Airborne's supplies are limited to refitting units in Wolfheze itself.

The German player should also get mobile FLAK battalions adjacent to Wolfheze as quickly as possible to interdict Ist Airborne's supplies. Another good move on September 18th is to place the German Air Interdiction marker in Renkum as it interdicts both of 1 st Airborne's Supply Drop Areas and the September 17th Drop Area for 4th Parachute Brigade. German FLAK and Air Interdiction, combined with bad weather, can reduce Allied supply north of the Rhine to nothing or next to nothing. At the same time, begin to reduce the Arnhem defenders with artillery.

On the 18th and 19th the German player can use IISS Corps artillery to Barrage Arnhem at 8:8, or 9:8 if he chooses to support with the SS artillery regiment "Schwappacher." On the 20th the 191 st Artillery Regiment can begin bombarding Arnhem at 8:8 repeatedly, and should do so. Allied airborne units must begin to make Isolation rolls on the 19th. Fresh units are likely to be unaffected by attrition rolls, but Spent and Disrupted units are more vulnerable, and may even surrender.

The third and final step is to eliminate any remaining Arnhem defenders with Assault Impulses. If only Spent defenders remain in the city on the 19th the attack can begin. If not, wait until the 20th and bombard with the three battalions of the 191st Artillery Regiment until the Allies have been softened up sufficiently. The Germans should be able to launch two strong attacks, one consisting of SS units led by a unit of the 10SS Division, the other made up of German Army units led by kampfgruppe "Knaust."

Hold the 280th Assault Gun Brigade, or another powerful unit, in reserve to make a third attack or to reinforce Oosterhout or another Polder Area on "The Island" should Arnhem fall. This timetable assumes XXX Corps making "average" progress. If XXX Corps has taken Nijmegen ahead of schedule, the Germans have to take greater chances, and Assault Arnhem before they are fully ready to. Remember also that if the Germans fail to retake Arnhem during the September 20th Daylight Phase, but heavily damage the defenders, the game is not yet over.

If Arnhem is still Isolated the Allies must still make one roll for surrender during their Refit Phase before the winner of the game is determined. If every unit in Arnhem surrenders the Germans regain control of the city. Retaking Arnhem must be one of the German player's highest priorities. If the Allies lose control of Arnhem they will probably lose the game, unless they have had unusual success elsewhere.

Play Balance. Treat the weather north of the Rhine as "Overcast" for purposes of Allied Air Bombardment, German movement/infiltration, and German Depot placement for the entire game. Give the German player an additional +1 drm to attempts to blow up the railroad bridge between Oosterbeek and Driel on D- Day.

Strategy In Monty's Gamble: Market Garden

Overall Situation
Neerpelt (Zone F): Allied and Axis Strategies
101st Airborne Sector: Allied and Axis Strategies
82nd Airborne Sector: Allied and Axis Strategies
First Airborne Sector: Allied and Axis Strategies
Historical Campaign Scenario