Having built this during the 2020 Covid Shutdown, it was time to put the fight on the table.
The first view of the battlefield, is from the south, with the Albert Canal on the right. GThe Belgians have a Platoon in each of the three trench systems along the river and about the middle ground. Another two Platoons are dug in on the hill to the sw (lower left). The German Gliders are place as they actually landed. One (2nd below bridge)flipped upside down but injuring only one man. A second (bottom)was badly shot up by anti-aircraft fire and only three Germans remained operational...
The key bunkers to the Belgian defenses, one alongside the highway; the other directly beneath the bridge. The demolition charges would be set off from these and were obviously, the prime targets of the German Fallschirmjager. Historically the orders never arrived to set off the charges (Belgians waiting for orders), as the HQ Bunker where the commander was preparing to phone in his orders, was completely destroyed by Stuka attacks for that purpose!
Two identical, large Casemates guarded the Canal, located south and north on the canal from the bridge. Neither would play much of a role historically or in the game...
Closeup of German Gliders, #1 whose nine men were to attack the bridge bunker to cut the demo charges as well as the two closest Belgian houses (thought to house soldiers)...
A view across the northern part of the field...
An example of how effective the German assault was. After only 30 minutes, the Fallschirmjager have rendered both bunkers inoperative; destroyed one of the two targeted houses, and have virtually cleared the southern and western trenches! Fighting was still going on in the northern trenches as German Me109 and Stukas begin their runs! Our rules had to reflect that Belgian rifles and MGs had a bad habit of malfunctioning! And thats not to mention none of their grenades had their detonator caps installed!
In the southern/western trenches the Germans are consolidating their defenses while expecting counterattacks...
As our game wound down after 90 minutes of fighting, we sped up the timeline (we had to break for dinner), so as to launch the major Belgian counterattack, supported by three T13 tanks. The Germans struck with Stukas, but they succeeded in disabling one...
The remaining T13s moved against the Germans who used a captured 47mm ATG to knock out both! A terrible day for the Belgians!
