Son Bridge - The Matrix Games version of West Front

To be played as the Allied player or human vs human only. The AI will not handle the paratroopers properly. If you don't seize the bridge by the end of the game consider it "blown." Operation "Market-Garden" was Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery's bold scheme to seize a series of bridges across the rivers and canals of the Netherlands and "kick open" the door to the North German Plain and Ruhr. Operation "Market" called for three allied airborne divisions to seize and hold the bridges and highway while Operation "Garden" called for the United Kingdom's XXX Corps to swept up the corridor. Like the calvary of the old west, XXX Corps was to come to the rescue of the lightly armed paratroopers and like in the old westerns timing was of the essence. The Germans would not cooperate with the Allies timetable. The American 101st Airborne was the southern most of the airborne divisions and was tasked with seizing the bridges from Eindhoven to Veghel. The key highway bridge at Son was defended by a handful of trainees from the Luftwaffe's "Herman Goring" Division and this objective was assigned to Colonel Robert F. Sink's 506th Paratroop Regiment for capture. Col Sink chose to send one battalion through the Sonsche Forest to attack from the northwest and two battalions down the main highway to seize the village from the north. Immediately engaged by a single 88mm anti-aircraft gun the advance forces destroyed that piece within 10 minutes, killing its crew. After fighting through the streets for the next 30 minutes, the Americans made it to within 50 yards of the bridge when the Germans blew it. As debris dropped around the startled Americans, the main bridge had been closed and Monty's bold plan fell deeper into trouble. References: 1. "A Bridge too Far", Ryan, Cornelius; 2. Arnhem 1944, Operation "Market Garden", Badsey, Stephen, Osprey Military Campaign Series #24.