"Pegasus Bridge: German OOB?" Topic

I got so much help with my question on German "gunboats" (15+ replies in less than one day) that I thought I'd try my luck again on the rest of the German Order Of Battle. This time it is not too little info out there but rather too much and some of it conflicting.
What I've gleaned:
Garrison: Ost Battalion troops

1. kompanie Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 716
(Equiped with Marder I not Pz IV)

Misc. units: Gren. Regt. 716 and Pioneer-Abteilung 716
(On foot, not motorized or mechanized)

8. kompanie Pz Gren Regt 192 (21 Pz Div)
(Converted French Halftracks with PaK 40, 20mm & multi-barrel 80mm Mortar)

Above is what I have found in more than one source. However, I have also found reference to more infantry and engineers, both in halftracks. What throws me is that if everything I read was actually there, the ground would have sunk a few feet by the sheer weight of men and vehicles(LOL). And…how did the Glider & Para troops withstand all these units and firepower? Can somebody point me to an actual OOB listing?

TMP link

Also I recommend the Pen and Sword military book on Pegasus bridge. It explains the events hour by hour. The german attacks were not at the same time and discoordinated.

link

I designed a FoW scenario calle Arnhem D+2. It has a 1750pt Co of Paras defending the end of the Arnhem Br vs 2000+ points of SS, Garrison Whermacht, Char B flame tanks etc… Played the game 9 times so far at our club and at HMGS Cons. Germans have won 5 times the Paras 4 times.

The Germans basicaly have to assualt each and every para unit. In FoW blasting away at "dug-in" FV troops will not work. You have to give them the bayonet to force them out of a bldg.

good luck with you sceanrio…

Bing

Thanks for the info on the Pen & Sword book. I found that lised in one of my Google searches. I did not know how good it was. I am ordering it next.

Cheers Palafox! That's saved me repeating myself! :o)

My feeling is that 8./192 must have brought some infantry with it, though the unit is not identified. For a scenario, I'd give them at least a platoon of panzer-grenadiers from II./192, in softskin French halftracks, although transport is really irrelevant in this scenario.

I think the references to panzer-pioneers are a complete red-herring, resulting from Ambrose's mis-identification of Pioneer-Abteilung 716. Panzer-Pionier-Abteilung 220 was nowhere near the battlefield – the nearest company as at Creully, which, being just behind Gold Beach, had its own problems.

Regards combat power – the German attacks were very disjointed, but managed to co-ordinate a little better once daylight came. Consequently, the Airborne managed to beat off the piecemeal attacks, but started to have real problems with the arrival of daylight – 7 Para in particular suffered very heavy casualties in Benouville and Le Port. I'd say that the 'mix' of troops is a good balance for the Airborne forces involved at Pegasus Bridge.

R Mark Davies-
Thanks, I got a lot of my info off of the Fire And Fury: Battlefront WWII site in the OOB downloads section when I started this project. Ever hear of it? LOL

I wouldn't listen to anything those idiots say!

;o)

Now I come to think of it… regarding the Panzer-Pioneers… Of course I was forgetting that the airborne landings took place HOURS before the seaborne landings. This does mean that the pioneers theoretically had plenty of time to move from Creully to Pegasus Bridge before the seaborne landings were detected.

So it's not inconceivable that 3. Kompanie/Panzer-Pionier-Abteilung 220, as one of the few motorised units within 716. Infanterie-Division's area of responsibility, was moved from Creully, first to HQ Grenadier-Regiment 736 at 'Hillman' (roughly a 20-minute drive on a good, direct east-west road), where it joined the attack from Hillman by the HQ elements of GR 736. It might even be included in the quoted figure of 200 men from Hillman…?

I can't find any reference as to what 3. Kompanie/PzPiAbt 220 was doing on D-Day. However, they were indeed on temporary attachment to Grenadier-Regiment 736 (716. ID), having been assisting with the construction of coastal defences (some other units of 21. Panzer-Division were also directly attached to 716. ID before D-Day to bolster their defences). They would therefore have been within the chain of command of the major unit that was primarily concerned with co-ordinating the counter-attack.

We already know that GR 736 ordered the reconnaissance by the only other mobile unit at its disposal – namely the Marders of 1. Kompanie/ Panzer-Jaeger-Abteilung 716. So perhaps 3.Kp/PzPiAbt 220 received the same order?

Note however, that 3. Kompanie was motorised – it didn't have armoured SPWs like the other two companies in the battalion.

Actually, the *other* Battlefront has a scenario that's not too shabby:

link

Allen

Hope you have a bridge. If not…

toshachminiatures.com