D Day Campaign - Turn 0, the airborne assaults

 D Day began with a series of airborne assaults in the early morning and to model this Turn 0 featured attacks on the Orne River, Merville Battery and St Martin-De-Verreville. All would impact the later phases of the campaign in different ways.  

 Orne River

Things started poorly for the Brits as both gliders were wrecked on landing, depleting the occupants. They none the less assaulted bravely, but were rebuffed. The flamethrowers also performed poorly and so the attack on the canal bridge quickly stalled. 

The Para's performed better, quickly eliminating the river bridge guards and advancing to support the  glider troops. The Germans reinforcements also arrived very quickly were able to bolster the troops holding the canal bridge.  

Canal bridge in German hands

The actioned ended with dawn and the river bridge secured by the Para's but the canal bridge firmly in German hands. The Para's would have to attack in day light to prevent 16th Panzer being able to push towards the beaches. 

Para's hold the river bridge

Merville Battery

The planned glider assault failed to arrive and so it was up to the Para's to attack from the in-land side and prevent the 150mm guns firing into the beaches.

Merville Battery

The Para's moved rapidly through the dark and looked to mass against the east side of the battery while a blocking force with most of the heavy weapons headed for the road where German reinforcements would  appear. Any resemblance to the Zulu at Rorke's Drift was purely accidental. 

Para's sir, 1000s of um

After some hard fighting the Para's pushed into the battery while the blocking force managed to slow-down the reinforcements. There was a series of attacks and counters but in the end the Para's were able to hang on long enough to destroy both bunkers. This would mean less artillery on Sword Beach.

Battery attacked

St Martin-De-Verreville

The 101st airborne were badly scattered by German Flak but still a sizable force made it to the town with its associated battery. The airborne launched their main attack in the west while a blocking force looked to put pressure on the east and intercept any reinforcements.  

 

St Martin battery

The Screaming Eagles moved quickly and began to attack the battery before any German reinforcements were in sight. The defenders fought stoutly but were badly out-numbered and were forced out of the bunkers.    

This left the 101st to destroy the bunkers before the Germans could bring more troops into the field. 

 

101st attack

So turn 0 ends with the Orne River contested but the batteries at St Marin and Merville destroyed.