THE DEVILS' DROP

The Primosole Bridge south of Catania, Sicily, 13-14 July 1943: The bridge over the Simeto River was necessary for a quick resolution to the 8th Army's campaign across the island of Sicily. It fell to the British 1st Airborne Brigade to take the Primosole bridge, with the 3rd Commando to take the smaller bridge at the Ponte dei Malati a few miles south. As the brigade's planes neared the Sicilian coast they ran into serious trouble. Allied warships of the invasion fleet, which had been bombed t hat very night, opened up on the hapless air fleet. The ensuing confusion wreaked havoc on the planned paradrops and only a small force under Colonel Pearson managed to land and assemble in the assigned drop zone. The Germans had been alerted to a poten tial Allied paradrop and had airlifted and paradropped elements of the 3rd Regiment, 1st Fallschirmjaeger Division to the Catania aerodrome the day before the Allied offensive began. The Germans, under Captain Schmidt of the 1st MG Battalion, quickly dep loyed south of the bridge in preparation for an attack.

AFTERMATH: Captain Schmidt had set his defenses directly along the path of the Allied air attack. During the course of the paradrop, several gliders were shot down by a well-sited machingun fire from the Johnny positions. Nonetheless, a small gr oup of 250 Red Devils easily captured the bridge from its Italian defenders. In the morning, the Fallschirmjaegers counterattacked. The fighting was intense with bitter hand-to-hand melees in the farmhouses and vineyards of the surrounding countryside. As the pressure mounted, the British were forced to withdraw to positions southwest of the bridge. The battered British paras would have to wait for reinforcements.

MAPBOARDS

 
       N 
       /\ 
|------------| 
|          17| 
|            | 
|------------| 
|           7| 
|            | 
|------------| 
|            | 
|13          | 
|------------| 

TURN RECORD CHART
German sets up first.
British move first.
The game is up to 8 turns long (use Platoon Leader).

10x6-4-8, 6x3-4-8, 10-2, 9-1, 2x8-0, 3xLMG, 2xMMG, 2xDC, SFCP

Reinforcements enter turn 3 or 4 via glider:

6x2-2-8, 2x57L ATG, 2x20L AA, 2x76 MRT, 6xJeep

9x3-3-6, 8-0, 7-0, 6+1, 2xLMG, HMG, 3xtrucks, 4x1-5-7, 5x1S Foxholes

Elements of the MG Battalion, 1st Fallschirmjaeger Division, set up south of the bridge [ELR 5]

5x5-4-8, 2x2-2-8, 9-2, 9-1, 8-0, 2xHMG, 75 RCL, 81 MRT, 6xWire, 7x1S Foxholes, 4xSangars

1. EC are moderate with a mild breeze from the north. The scenario takes place at night during a half moon. NVR is 4.
   
2. Prior to the German setup, the British player may pick the location of a two hex-wide ford across the Simeto within 10 hexes of the bridge.
   
3. The British player must record the drop hexes and glider landing hexes prior to the Axis player's set up.
   
4. The British player can designate 2 squad equivalents as combat engineers/sappers.
   
5. The river is deep with a slow current. Islands do not exist. Orchard hexes represent olive groves, wheatfields are vineyards. A one lane vehicular stone bridge is located in hexes 7O4-7O9.
   

THE CAMPAIGN GAME - DEVIL'S DROP AND THE PRIMOSOLE BRIDGE

AFTERMATH: The fighting was intense with both sides taking heavy casualties. At one point the British were surprised when a captured Sherman tank drove up and fired a quick succession of shots then drove off. British tank thrusts were stopped co ld by hidden 88s and reinforcing elements of the Panzer Regiment Herman Goering. Intense artillery barrages stopped the German counterattacks from progressing and renewed attacks by the 6th and 9th DLI put new vigor in the British attack. Close range ta nk blasts were finally too much for the resolute Germans and they started to withdraw on the evening of 17 July. The British plan for a quick drive on Messina had failed. The price was high, over 800 soldiers lay dead in the vineyards and farmhouses sur rounding the bridge.

1. Captured equipment was well used by both sides. Any captured equipment will be available in following CG turns on a dr >2 unless malfunctioned.
   
2. In Scenario 2 the British suffer ammo shortage.
   
3. In Scenario 6 the German player can purchase a Truck Bomb that is equivalent to a normal-size Goliath-like ordance.

Historical OB:

• 1st Parachute Brigade [ELR 5]
  
  • 1st Battalion - Lt. Colonel Pearson
    
  • 2nd Battalion - Lt. Colonel Frost
    
  • 3rd Battalion - Lt. Colonel Yeldham
    
  • 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery
    
  • 1st Airlanding Light AA Battery
    
  • 1st Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers
    
  • Naval Bombardment Detachments (x2) (NOBA Newfoundland)
    
  • Detachments 21st Independent Parachute Company (Pathfinders)

• Italian Security Battalion [ELR 0], with trucks
  
• 1st Fallschirmjaeger Division [ELR 5]
  
  • 1st Fallschirmjaeger MG Battalion - Schmidt (south of bridge or as reinforcements from southern mapboard) w 2xRCL
    
  • (2-4 pillboxes at bridge, and other prepared positions)

• 1st Fallschirmjaeger Signals Company - Fassl am
  
• Ad hoc elements various German HQ personnel am [ELR 3]
  
• Mixed elements Fortress Battalion and Flak Catania (88 + 75) pm
  
• Recon elements of the Panzer Regiment HG attached to Kampfgruppe Schmalz (3xAC+Nashorn?) pm
  
• 2-3 Focke Wulfes strafed the bridge in am
  
• 80 mm OBA

• [Withdrawal of 1st Parachute Brigade, night 14 July]
  
• 50th Infantry Division [ELR 3]
  
  • 8th Durham Light Infantry 15 July am
    
  • 6th Durham Light Infantry 16 July am
    
  • 9th Durham Light Infantry 16 July am
    
  • 6 Regiments Royal Artillery (25#, 105, 5.5")
    

• 4th Armored Brigade
  
  • 44th Royal Tank Regiment 15 July am, 16 July am
    
  • 3rd County of London Yeomanry 17 July am
    

• [Withdraw Signal Company; it returns pm. Allow redeployment of German forces]
  
• 1st Fallschirmjaeger Division
  
  • 1st Fallschirmjaeger Pioneer Battalion - Adolf (less 2 companies)
    
  • 1st Fallschirmjaeger MG Battalion (+RCL)
    
  • 1st Fallschirmjaeger Signals Company (withdraws 15 am, returns 15 pm.)
    
  • Mixed elements Fortress Battalion and Flak Catania (88s)
    
  • Captured Sherman
    
  • Elements Panzer Regiment Herman Goering, or Brigade HQ, HG Division(?) 16 July
    
  • Improvisation with Explosive-laden trucks to destroy bridge 17 July am
    

Scenario design: Jeffrey Shields