Hell's Highway
Veghel, Holland
September 23, 1944
On 22nd September 1944, Kampfgruppe Walther launched an attack on Hell's Highway to the north of Veghel. Initially, the plan went well as the Germans cut the road north of the town, starving British XXX Corps of supplies as they struggled north to relive the British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem. The second part of the German plan failed, as Kampfgruppe Huber (which attacked from the south) was stopped cold far short of fulfilling its goals. Both KGs were supposed to take Veghel and blow the bridges; permanently severing the link to the British in the north. A stubborn defence by the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment in Veghel repulsed the initial German advances, and timely Allied reinforcements throughout the day, supported by British artillery and air support, held the Germans at bay. As night fell, the Germans still had the road cut, but Veghel was securely in American hands.
Overnight, the Germans were reinforced with units that were supposed to have been part of the attack on the 22nd. The 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment reinforced KG Huber, while the 1/21st Fallschirmjager arrived in the north to reinforce KG Walther. The Germans renewed their attack on the morning of the 23rd, desperate to take Veghel and destroy the bridges before overwhelming Allied reinforcements could arrive.
We have made this scenario available for all in the files folder of the PANZERKORPHQ Yahoo! Group. Log in and download this and other scenarios for divisional-level gaming in WWII.