An old work/wargaming friend was back over from the States visiting family and friends and I said I would put on a game. As he hails from Staffordshire he liked the choice of scenario. I'd wanted to game the initial assault on the Ponte Grande for some time and was collecting and painting the necessary kit...very slowly. I took short cuts. The eagle-eyed will spot that in the absence of British airborne figures the scenario got the U571 treatment! Otherwise orbat and stats represented 15 Platoon, 2 South Staffs.
Great fun...a glider crashing into a tree...a dynamic commander and British sections running back and forth across the bridge... and assaults on the pillbox by both sides. All with the lights off for night-time atmosphere with light from an angle-poise being bounced off the wall!
Martin981463
![Table from the SE](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937493644-R78KMH2SA46HVDSESHR6/WG_PonteGrande_01.jpg)
![On the "Glider Landing" card the Horsa fails to stop and hits the tree by the bridge. The plan to land between the waterways is almost a disaster. Using the Stonk table, 15 Pl loses one dead and amasses 12 shock within the platoon. It gets out unspo](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937493623-YEQIRA1AS790SWLG7SAM/WG_PonteGrande_02.jpg)
![15 Pl voluntarily deploys for the Big Men to remove shock. The Breda MMG in the pillbox jams. LCpl Pratt takes the initiative and leads the unaffected section across the bridge into an assault.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937494835-W65IBDVJ5M0I1WI4CD8A/WG_PonteGrande_03.jpg)
![Whilst Lt Withers continues to remove shock from the platoon, LCpl Pratt's attack on the pillbox goes in. The MMG crew are killed but so are LCpl Pratt and two other attackers.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937494984-8LLLJCF7FKC89H5NCF9Q/WG_PonteGrande_04.jpg)
![The farmhouse is now seen as the biggest threat. Lt Withers keeps the 2" ready to provide smoke if needed and positions a section on the river bank for additional fire support. He then takes a section across the bridge.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937495596-110Y23KK6R5BYHZYUE03/WG_PonteGrande_05.jpg)
![A little night-time atmosphere!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937495526-M5A3TLA6NN5CJBLEUC24/WG_PonteGrande_06.jpg)
![Things seem to be going well. Supported by the reduced section in the pillbox, another section heads off to check the farmhouse. Staying on the bridge Lt Withers takes a gamble and directs the fire support section to protect the bridge from the sout](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937496232-2NF9E4UVKIJDH0CKRWN1/WG_PonteGrande_07.jpg)
![This section reaches the southern end of the bridge to line the canal bank, whilst another cautiously approaches the farmhouse. The section in the pillbox and the 2" remain ready to give support.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937496359-FH3OIUC6VSC9KKZ7O4OR/WG_PonteGrande_08.jpg)
![Things were going too well. After waiting 8 turns of the Italian Reinforcements Card, Sergente Capello and his small platoon from 121st Coastal Regt arrive by truck from the north. They debus immediately leaving the LMG team as fire support.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937496866-X7G6ZNVZX0RD7Q20I2LN/WG_PonteGrande_09.jpg)
![Sgt Capello leads his men straight for the pillbox which despite losing 2 men, they recapture after 3 rounds of close combat. Having rifles only they now can't fire effectively from the pillbox. Lt Withers is unable to influence its defence.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937497292-H5WKC789KTETULVGJS76/WG_PonteGrande_10.jpg)
![With the truck-borne LMG moving up to support the Italians in the pillbox, Lt Withers runs back across the bridge to redirect his platoon. The section sent to check the farmhouse found it clear on both floors and now exit to return to the bri](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937497756-JA4ORPKABWJHPTBFRKW8/WG_PonteGrande_11.jpg)
![Lt Withers knows he must now retake the pillbox and orders the section at the southern end of the bridge to retrace its steps.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937498245-RDLYO4WU9BIY54XW3XT4/WG_PonteGrande_12.jpg)
![Lt Withers also directs the 2" to use its limited smoke rounds to protect his other section returning from the farmhouse.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937498960-BJBG2UGCO1P5OAVS5BMZ/WG_PonteGrande_13.jpg)
![As the smoke screen builds, Lt Withers leads his bridge section in an attack on the truck LMG.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937499193-FZ3MRULTRIBD3QD6BMB7/WG_PonteGrande_14.jpg)
![The driver and loader are killed but surprisingly the LMG gunner beats of this attack. Lt Withers is frustrated that he can't get his other section to start its attack despite the smoke.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937500595-ZTT79IOPPRPQNQ7U7A6V/WG_PonteGrande_15.jpg)
![The farmhouse section eventually puts in its attack on the truck and surrounds the pillbox. Sgt Capello has a decision to make.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937500624-FOY65ZWV34XGZECRKR7I/WG_PonteGrande_16.jpg)
![And decides to surrender to save his surviving men.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937501788-S4XPD2NFJGRFMHK6TJJS/WG_PonteGrande_17.jpg)
![The game ends with 15 Pl securing the northern end of the bridge and the LMG gunner running for Syracuse having lost his bottle.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5406c773e4b087d8052ef58b/1425937501738-6VHVM2SP9ORW8H1V96UA/WG_PonteGrande_18.jpg)