You have setup the TCS game Screaming Eagles in Holland (SEIH) and now you are staring down at those two maps, wondering how to achieve victory. In order to formulate a battle plan, you have to analyze the mission you have been given, the terrain over which you will be fighting, the forces facing you, and the forces at your disposal.

The Mission

The mission consists of interdicting the highway between Eindhoven and Arnhem. The town of Veghel must be captured and the four bridges located nearby destroyed. If Veghel is lost, it can be re-captured, but once a bridge is blown-up, it cannot be repaired and the victory points (VPs) are irretrievably assigned to the German commander. Moreover, the Germans get more VPs for destroying than controlling bridges. Once both canal or Aa river bridges are destroyed, the task of retaining Veghel will be made that much easier since no Allied vehicles can cross either water obstacle.

The Terrain

From an analysis of the terrain in conjunction with the VP schedule, one point becomes readily apparent: The Eindhoven- Mariaheide Highway is the dominant feature that must be controlled to achieve victory. Along this highway are 15 out of 21 VPs available: Kempkens [11, canal bridge [5], Aa river bridge at Veghel [3], Veghel itself [5], and Mariaheide [1]. The secondary axis consisting of the RR dyke crossing the canal at A28.13 and the Aa River at A35.04-A35.03 is worth a meager 6 VP, just enough to yield a draw to the Germans.

Running roughly north to south, the Wilhelm Canal and the Aa River conspire to divide the battlefield into three separate sectors: western - central - eastern. The RR dyke that runs west to northeast further subdivides these three sectors into north-south areas.

The Opposition

The Allied starting forces are not overly impressive, especially in the western sector, and are entirely lacking in tank support. Eastern Sector Allied forces are weak and widely dispersed: one under-strength airborne battalion supported by a dozen armored cars of varying AT capabilities and 9 x 20mm AA guns. Even the artillery batteries are not yet numerous. However, this state of affairs is purely temporary and the reinforcement schedule is nothing if not aggressive. The reinforcements amount to no less than: 8 x Fireflies tanks, 24 x Sherman tanks, 2 x AT battalions, and 5 x infantry battalions. The dominant factor here is that all Allied reinforcements show up in the Western Sector and must fight their way through KG Huber to cross the Zuid-Willems Canal over the RR or highway bridge.

Tactically British armor, save perhaps for the Firefly tanks, and American AT guns, are noticeably inferior to German models in lethality, armor protection, and range. The inescapable conclusion is that German armor wants to fight at what is considered normal range for itself and long range for the opposition. Only in built-up areas are close-range firefights likely to erupt, where the qualitative edge diminishes and first fire becomes the dominant factor.

Eventually American artillery will increase in weight of delivery and lethality. This forces German soft targets to disperse to minimize casualties. Airborne infantry is second to none and can be expected to die defending Veghel or trying to re-capture it. It cannot be expected to run away. It must be destroyed the old fashion way: by application of firepower. Assaulting elite infantry is not the way to go.

German Forces

The German forces start the game divided in two kampfgruppes (KGs): Huber in the West and Walther in the East. KG Huber, comprised of two reinforced average quality battalions, possesses but 4 tanks, albeit the most powerful AFVs available. KG Walther, comprised of 2 average quality battalions and one SS KG, is blessed with no less than 36 tanks: 24 x Panther, 3 x StuG III, and 9 x Pz Mark IV Of the two, KG Walther is much the stronger, possesses the only Pioneers available for blowing up bridges, and operates farthest from Allied entry areas. One would expect this seemingly unstoppable force to roll into Veghel with little opposition.

On Day 2, 4 German battalions and 12 tanks show up as reinforcements to replace the massive losses that are sure to befall the German camp. The quality of those forces is mostly suspect, but by then Allied forces should be much depleted, enabling lower quality infantry to make an impact on the game.

The German Battle Plan - KG Huber

What should KG Huber's tasks be, given its composition and location vis-A-vis Allied reinforcements? First of all, because KG Huber does not contain pioneers, capturing the RR canal bridge at A28.13 is unlikely to contribute much to German victory: they cannot blow up the bridge and will hard pressed to hold it in the face of overwhelming Allied forces. Sending KG Huber to capture the RR canal bridge distracts it from what is far more important: interdicting the highway and the Schopenriek Bridge for as long as possible, thereby preventing Allied reinforcements from rapidly reaching Veghel.

There is another consideration in favor of making the main effort at Schopenriek. KG Huber sorely needs a secure "rear area" to retreat to and recover in. The nearby Zijtaart Iron Triangle fits the bill admirably, providing numerous partly protected hexes and an impenetrable flank guard in the form of the Wilhelm Canal while being attractively close to the Schopenriek Bridge.

The Player's Notes on the other hand recommends using Kempkens as a German safe heaven. I disagree with this assessment. Kempkens is far too close to the Allied reinforcements entry areas to be simply ignored or bypassed. Kempkens is likely to be stampeded through by whateverAllied reinforcements arrive nearby, while initially its capture will be far from easy given its importance to the Allied cause.

Whatever option is selected, it is essential that the attack go in on a wide front to spread the defense thin before attempting to overwhelm it locally. Massed allied artillery can stop any one assault through sheer firepower but can't be everywhere.

KG Huber must focus its main attack, but must launch subsidiary attacks as well. For example, while the main assault goes for Schopenriek Bridge, a reinforced company makes a move towards the Wilhelm Canal Bridge, while another reinforced company puts pressure on Kempkens.

KG Huber must also concerns itself with rear area security as massive Allied reinforcements arrive on the Western map edge. A portion of the forces available should be given orders to fight a delaying action against oncoming Allied troops. This should include AT guns to deal with British armor and possibly infantry guns to outrange airborne infantry.

Yet a third group of forces must be earmarked to defend whatever hard earned gains KG Huber manages to make. Even though a prudent German player will have prepared a Hasty Defense Ops Sheet at start, there may not be sufficient time to activate it before Allied forces launch their assault. Earmarked troops might have to buy more time for defensive Ops Sheets to kick in.

The inescapable conclusion is that KG Huber will die in an attempt to carry out its mission. This fact is not in dispute and it should not discourage German players. What really matter are which tasks KG Huber can accomplish before its inevitable demise. Can it capture or at least deny the use of Schopenriek Bridge to the Allies? How long can it maintain these efforts?

The German Battle Plan - KG Walther

With KG Walther rest the German hopes for a victory of any sorts. They possess the only Pioneers troops available: three platoons to be precise. Pioneers are the only units capable of blowing up any of the four bridges. Their loss is catastrophic to the German cause. Therefore, they must be shielded from harm as much as possible. The four turns (minimum) that it takes to blow up a bridge expose Pioneers to untold dangers. An experienced German Player will avoid committing Pioneers until Allied forces have been forced away from the bridges' vicinity. This may not always be possible however. A wily German Player will save precious smoke to shield Pioneers from view while laying demolition charges under observation.

The trick of course consists of clearing away Allied defenders away from the bridges. Which bridges are the most likely targets and how best they can be captured must now be addressed. Following this, we will address build-up areas and their effect(s) on the game's outcome.

The Player's Notes recommend that KG Walther send some troops to the north where a bridge might be captured, if the Allied overlook the effort. I am going to go on the record that I am in disagreement with this advice. My playbook includes a strong effort to the North, towards Dorshout. In fact, I deem Dorshout to be the (hidden) cornerstone of the whole German effort. Why is it so?

To understand the importance of Dorshout we must first step away from it and concentrate on Veghel itself. Veghel consists of two major parts: outlying Eastern light buildings and Western heavy buildings. Each part must be tackled separately, using different tactics. Eastern Veghel requires the German to set-up firing positions in the open, both Northeast and Southeast of Veghel. The approach march to these firing positions should be performed behind a smoke screen to minimize casualties.

At the same time, Beukelaar should be "liberated" of any defenders and transformed into yet another German firing position. Tanks and heavy support weapons exclusively should man all firing positions due to the small number and limited range of AT weapons opposing them. German armor is likely to win any early engagement relying on their combined firepower to see them through. German soft targets would not fare so well in the open due to Allied artillery. In addition, due to the special rule forbidding German infantry from riding along with armor and from being transported in halftracks, waiting for infantry to catch up would result in unacceptable delays. Time is of the essence for the German Player.

Once Veghel defenders are driven from their perimeter positions, German combined arms teams can move in for the inevitable assault. By this time, all outlying buildings East of the xx.30 row should be clear of Allied troops. Shift armor as required to bring individual hexes under punishing fire. Any Allied point target foolish enough to stand its ground will be destroyed. Infantry units will require more time, but armor, mortars, and artillery can engage them repeatedly at very little risk to themselves.

The time consumed by this phase depends entirely upon the Allies' willingness to undergo punishment in the defense of Veghel's perimeter. Take your time. Be meticulous. Every infantry step killed here will be unavailable for the next phase of the assault. In the meantime, your Northern Pincer should be making progress. We will return to their effort shortly.

Then comes the next phase: the assault on western Veghel. These fighting positions are tougher to crack for several reasons. Firstly, these are Protective Terrain positions (not Partly Protective Terrain). Secondly, the number of hexes from which effective fire can be brought upon them is markedly reduced when compared to Phase 1.

The recently liberated light building hexes block many possible LOS, especially to/from Beukelaar. Both the Northern and Southern flanks are protected by marsh terrain while the Aa River effectively seals western approaches. These observations notwithstanding, all remaining perimeter hexes should fall prey to superior German firepower in a manner similar to that observed in Phase 1.

There are four Veghel hexes that extremely hard to capture and these happen to be the hexes controlling Veghel Bridge: A28.31, A27.31, A28.32, and A27.32. The latter two hexes are critical because they are practically immune to direct fire from units East of the Aa River. Expect the Allies to defend these hexes very heavily, hoping to maintain a bridgehead over the Aa and preventing German Pioneers from blowing up that vital bridge. A very effective Allied tactic consists of dropping an artillery smoke fire mission on hex A28.30 every second turn. This effectively shields the Big Four (hexes) from direct German fire from the east.

I believe that the best way to handle these very difficult hexes is to attack them from the west. In order to achieve this, however, the Aa River must be crossed over in force at some point. Leest dominates the Aa River South of Veghel. Attacking German vehicles cannot cross due to the absence of bridges there: this is going to be an infantry-only assault over open ground against an entrenched defender.

In all games played so far, the Germans were able to cross opposite Leest but have never been able to maintain themselves there in strength or for very long. It would appear that a limited crossing aimed at achieving a presence into the woods at or near A27.28 is a cost effective objective. This allows infantry spotters to call in artillery fire missions onto A27/28.32.

This brings us directly to the Dorshout Bridge issue that I promised we would come back to. If KG Walther is going to get vehicles across the Aa River prior to assist in the capture of Veghel, it is going to occur at the Dorshout Bridge. Suddenly, what the Battle Manual refers to as a mere possibility becomes an imperative objective. Capturing, and eventually blowing up, that bridge yields 2 VP, even if nothing else comes out of the venture. Crossing over that bridge brings German forces against Dorshout. Once this built-up area is secured, advancing North of the RR dyke brings the Germans in contact with the Zuid-Willems Canal Bridge at 1328.13/132714.

Alternatively turning south from the Dorshout Bridge brings German combined arms forces East of Veghel from where they can engage the 'Big Four' Veghel hexes. In any event, a strong strike aimed at Dorshout and its bridge is sure to attract a lot of attention, stretching the Allies to the breaking point. Herein lies the key to German success: the Allies must be stretched thin by multiple axis of attack.

If the German concentrates forces on a narrow front, this allows the Allies to concentrate in like manner and to concentrate their artillery fire missions over a smaller area, creating a veritable killing ground through which no Herman soft target can emerge unscathed.

Early on Allied artillery can stop any one attack dead in its track. Don't let that stalled attack be your only hope of success. Any unit diverted to Dorshout, every shell fired in that sector is that much less to oppose you elsewhere, and at Veghel in particular.

2-Day Battle

Even assuming that everything goes well on Day 1 on the offensive, the German Player must anticipate losing nearly all soft targets engaged with the Allies due to the massive artillery and support weapon firepower encountered. Many German tanks will also fall prey to AT fire and AT rolls while assaulting Veghel. Several more will no doubt meet their demise under artillery shells as well. A wise German Player will endeavor to minimize tank losses, as they will be needed on Day 2.

Even if Day 1 does not go the German's way, there is still hope to do better on Day 2, provided the Allies have suffered moderate to heavy losses. Numerous German reinforcements allow the German Player to do it all over again on Day 2, while the Allies must fight on without the hope of reinforcements showing up to save the day, on happened on Day 1. While the overall troop quality may have slightly decreased, their numbers are still large. Numerous German tanks also show up to stiffen up German infantry where needed.

German forces West of the Zuid-Willems Canal must be employed to put pressure upon Allied forces, tying down as many troops as possible. The true measure of their success lies not with the capture of the canal bridges, although this certainly would be advantageous, but rather the number of troops they pin down. They have all day to capture Kempkens for 1 VP and this is surely within their grasp. At the end of the day, every VP will be precious.

On the East side of the canal, KG Walther must retain Mariaheide for yet another VP. Unless German armor has been gutted, the Allies will find extremely hard to operate over open ground towards Mariaheide. With these two villages in hand, counting the 2 VP for the Dorshout Bridge, the German can count on a Draw with 4 VP.

To win, all the Germans have to do is blow up one more bridge or retain control of Veghel.

Preserve your Pioneers at all costs. There is no need to blow the bridges on Day 1. Blowing them up on Day 2 is just as good, if not in fact better. Control of bridges affords you the flexibility to transfer armor on either side of water obstacles as the developing situation dictates.

Tips

Let me conclude with a few operational tips. You have to exploit your preponderance in armor to the fullest. Fight at long range whenever possible. Concentrate and overwhelm firing positions one by one. Do not rush in (only fools do so). If you do not destroy them this turn, try again 20 minutes from now. Once 'dead zones' develop in Allied fire coverage, exploit them ruthlessly by advancing armor in firing position there (in dead zones). Launch infantry assaults protected by armor and supported by artillery and long-range support weapons, mortars in particular that can shoot from outside the 1 0-hex spotting range.

Do not assault or overrun US elite airborne forces, unless they are paralyzed and ready to surrender. It will take some time to destroy them with firepower but this is precisely what you must do. Move in infantry spotters as close as possible to optimize range drm's and call in mortar fire. Engage survivors with repeated tank fire. When defenders are packed closely together, such as in Veghel, call in battalion fire missions to hit multiple hexes at a time. Repeat the process over several turns and watch Allies defenders crumble.

Initially, where British armored cars are roaming freely in Holland, lead with your armor as those pesky armored cars are no match for your panzers save perhaps at close range (which you will stay out of, of course). Later on, when you encounter British armor and US AT guns in protected hexes, lead with your infantry (if any can be had) and keep the armor back. At all times, have artillery and mortars tubes ready to fire at a moment's notice.