Part 4: Turn 2: 0900 20th May
Game Turn 2: 0900, 20th MayWith the hours passing, General Freyberg finally springs into action, having realised that the situation is critical and that his 'wait and see' approach to the battle is not going to cut it. Although CREFORCE itself is held back in case of other landings closer to Canea, the 2nd NZ Division is finally allowed to move from their pre-fixed position. First, however, Brigadier Hargest gets in contact with the two artillery parks near the positions of the 5th NZ Brigade, and manages to make good radio contact.
In contact markers!
Similarly, Brigadier Inglis of the 4th NZ Bde attempts to contact both of his artillery assets, but connection can only be gained with one of them.
There is some re-organisation on the German side as well, as the Pioneer that have landed west of the 3rd FSJ Reg are organised as a Kampfgruppe, to give them more flexibility of objectives.
Having waited long enough, it is time for the 3rd FSJ Reg to spring into action. The parachutists that suffered missing soldiers south of the Prison, and the gun crews that had been dispersed by the drop manage to gather their equipment, but move no further. The stranded gun crews and parachute infantry still in the middle of the Allied formations also attempt to gather their equipment, while still under fire. The mortar unit that landed east of the prison fire on the 5th NZ Field Regiment up on the hill: the soldiers hunker down for cover as the mortar rounds sail overhead.
Having succeeded in their fire mission, the rest of the 3FJR advance directly North, while the company furthest east makes contact with the Greek units. The Greek 8th Infantry to the South, already out of position, is ignored completely, with only a single company to keep an eye on them: enough, by the German's estimation.
7th Company, seeing that the Allied troops are under heavy bombardment and their heads are down, opts for a daring attack up the hill, attempting to take the 5th NZ Field Regiment by storm. However, even for the trained German troops, the prospect of scaling the hill is a bit too much, and the attack falters before it even gets going.
The Pioneers, meanwhile, move up and the 3rd Company makes contact with the Cavalry Detachment, while the rest of the pioneers advance up the road, also ignoring the Greeks in order to reach their objective.
Rapt with indecision, the Germans take advantage, even with some command confusion as the situation on the ground is especially difficult due to the multitude of leaders lost on the drop. The FFSR moves up, with the 10th Company making contact with the lone Mortar company near Pirgos, and other units moving out of column formation, ready to engage soon. The 13th Company mortar unit targets the New Zealanders left on the airstrip, but not wishing the dent the runway, the mortars are off target and have little effect.
If you are wondering why I'm putting the IP on top, it is because otherwise the calculator doesn't take it into account.
FJR3 and the pioneer keep moving, with the guns mounting on their transports as the enemies are nowhere close. The two stranded companies do not move, as they are pinned by the Allied troops.
Another attempt is made to make contact with the 5th NZ Field Regiment, and this time the officers of the 7th Company managed to make the parachutists go forward. A brief firefight ensues as the Germans approach, but fire from the New Zealanders is small and sporadic and has little effect, while German fire manages to pick off a few of Commonwealth troops. The Germans finally charge and the New Zealanders, with no chance to run away, are forced to surrender, and quickly brought south under armed guard. The Fallschirmjager have taken the hill with little to no casualties.
This was expensive for the Germans (not in casulties, but other resources. Time will tell if the expense was worth it.
Lt Col Kippenberger, seeing the Germans storm the heights, attempts to rally his men, and his inspired speech does enough to convince his ragtag group of men, all Divisional supply troops hastily armed, to stand up to the Germans and attempt to retake the heights, but unsure about German being to his North still prevents the Allies from doing much but hunker in their positions, for now.
I'd have preferred to actually be able to move my units
Fortunately, orders finally arrive from Freyberg, and just in the nick of time. The 2nd NZ Division finally will leave their protected positions and bring the fight to the Germans.
Light mortars start to fill the sky with lead, aimed at the German 10th Company and the gun crews further south: the gun crews end up suppressed, and the Allies take this opportunity, leaving their positions and rushing down to take the guns. With their losses, the Germans can't really respond, and even when the Allies get close, the German fire, for what it is, is ineffective. The returning fire, however, devastates the Germans, and the brief firefight continues. With mounting losses, the remaining Germans finally surrender, and A Company clears any remaining resistance.
The Light Tank Mk VI from the Hussars sally forth and cut the road, preventing any escape by the stranded 10th Company. The Greeks move up, along with the bulk of the 4th NZ Brigade.
The Greek 8th Infantry, meanwhile, starts a pursuits of the retreating Pioneers and 3FJR troops, driving a wedge between them.
A lone artillery strike attempts to disorganise the Germans that took the hill, but the fire is ineffective to say the least: the prospect of facing the Germans does not appeal to the Divisional Supply company, no matter what the Colonel says. The RMT company to the north, however, does move up to help the 4th NZ Field Regiment.
Nearer to Maleme, the 5th NZ Brigade starts moving out of their emplaced positions: it is clear by now what the objective of the Germans is, and the parachutists near Pirgos need to be dealt with now that they are threatening the nearby mortars. The engineers further east attempt to start to create entrenchments, which could potentially be useful later if it comes to it.
Nearer to the airfield, two Matildas make their way to the eastern end of Maleme Airfield, their target: clearing the 9th LLSR Company before it can attack and take the entirety of the objective. Too far away to fire effectively, the 9th Company does take some incoming from the Light Mortars of C company on the airfield, taking some losses. D Company, still out of positions, drops some Light Mortar fire on the German 7th Company, but this time it is ineffective.
The LLSR seems to threaten an attack: is the fate of the 22nd Battalion now sealed?