Battle Of The Outposts - The Matrix Games version of West Front

[Version 1.0, 31-07-2005] Already in 17th century the Dutch considered the possibilty erecting a defensive line in front of the Grebbeberg hill. A century later the idea was put to practice and the defense line was built in combination with all that was needed; dams, locks and pumps to inundate the land. A fortress called "Hoornwerk"was built to protect the lock in the Grebbe river. In 1939 with the treat of war on the doorstep, the Dutch hastily tried to improve and modernise the old line. Pillboxes and bunkers were added and a motor powered pumping station near the Rhine was being build to complete inundations. When war broke out on 10 May 1940, this station was not yet finished. Already on the second day of the war the German 207th ID reached the town of Wageningen directly in front of the Grebbeline. They found the town completely empty as the civilian population already had been evacuated by the Dutch. Commander Tiedemann of the 207th ID decided that after artillery preparation SS Rgt "Der Führer" that was attached to the division, was to attack the Dutch outposts and after these had been defeated to take the Grebberg. Lined up for the attack was I Batallion of SS Rgt "DF" north of the Rhenen-Wageningen road and III Batallion south of the road. II Batallion was held in reserve in Renkum. The Dutch defended the outpost area with III Batallion of the 8th Rgt of the 4th Division, while the former fortress Hoornwerk was defended by a company of the I Batallion. Commander of the III Batallion was Majoor Voigt. In the hours to come his Batallion put up a terrific fight but eventually succumbed against overwhelming German firepower. Most men of the III Batallion died or were taken prisoner.