Hold Until Relieved - The Matrix Games version of West Front

Orne River Bridges, Benouville, France, 8km NE of Caen: [Best Played as Allied] In order to secure the exposed flank of the British beaches, General Montgomery ordered the British Sixth Airborne Division to land northeast of Caen to defend the territory between the Dives and Orne Rivers. But in order to do this, the division would land with the Orne River at its back. A reinforced company of the 2nd "Ox and Bucks" Light Infantry under Major John Howard was tasked with executing a coup de main assault on the only bridges across the Orne River. They would be the first Allied troops to land in France and the only lifeline for the troops north of the river. They were to be supported by the 7th Para Battalion, 5th Para Brigade due to drop soon afterwards. Their orders were deceptively simple: capture both bridges intact, keep them intact and then hold until relieved. Defending the bridges were the poor quality troops of the German 719th Infantry Division. Once the bridges were captured and any reaction force was defeated, Howard's troops could expect some quiet moments to regroup. However stationed just a few kilometers away were elements of Hans von Luck's crack 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 21st Panzer Division. In just an hour or two they could be ready to respond, but they were under orders to take no action until authorized. If Hitler released the panzers, the quiet would be shattered and dawn would surely be a long time coming for the lightly armed Britishers!