Part 8: Turn 5: 1500 20th May (Part 1)

Game Turn 5: 1500, 20th May (Part 1)

Fourth Brigade rushes to contain the 3 Fallschirmjager Regiment by closing the gap that leads to the Prison valley and the coast. Artillery and mortars fire on the surrounded Fallschirmjager, as well as on 11th Company 3FJR to the south. B Company, 18th Battalion comes up from the south and finally charges the surrounded Germans, hoping to clear them away.



The parachutists, hoping to make the New Zealanders pay dearly for their lives, fire at the approaching Kiwis: although some of them duck, the officers and non-coms urge them on. The returning fire from the Kiwis is much more effective, forcing the Germans to dive for cover. With the Germans suppressed, B Company has an easy time forcing the Germans to surrender.



The road now being clear, 4th Bde is free to march up the coast road, essentially blocking the 3rd Fallschirmjager Regiment, and just in time.



5th Bde continues taking potshots at the Germans in Pirgos, but the fire has little effect, as the Fallschirmjager are well entrenched within the town.



Partisans in Kamissiana send the LLSR artillery crews running for cover, but as the fire peters out, the crews return to their station, as small squads attempt to clear the village of any other franc-tireurs. (Random Event: Partisan Attack)

The 3rd Fallschirmjager Regiment, seeing opportunity fall out of its grasp, attempts a renewed attack on the Kiwis that are blocking their path to the sea. Wanting to clear the high ground, the mortar teams fire with a concentrated effort, doing light casualties on the mixed 10th and 4th Brigade troops. This fire is joined by the Dual-purpose Light AT guns of 14th Company, and now the losses are more notable. Small arms fire also erupts along the entire line of German infantry, and the losses sustained by the 4th Brigade are quite notable, with A Company, 19th Battalion taking the brunt of it. The losses for the Divisional Cavalry attached to 10th Brigade are also mounting, after exchanges of fire from the Pioneers.[/i]



The Ju-52s were finally back, heading towards the Rethymnon Sector, the Luftwaffe providing a preliminary air attack in order to clear the Dropping Zones.


_{I have pre-placed the Parachutists from 2FJR in order to see what I need to strike.}

The strikes are relatively effective, causing some light casualties on the targets chosen. The drops themselves are relatively clean, and only a company-worth of men are lost during the drops in total. The Germans, however, are very outnumbered within this particular sector. The most notable losses are in 11th Company and the gun crews of 14th Company, who lose some equipment in the densely wooded area.



In the Maleme/Canea sector, the mortars alight against the defenders of Hill 107. the mortar barrage is heavy enough that even without scoring direct hits, the Kiwis are forced into cover. The mortar barrage is followed by a charge from 7th Company, who muster enough courage to charge up the hill. The Kiwis hold fast, and send fire raining down on the attacking Germans. Some light casualties are scored on both sides, but nothing decisive.



To be continued...