Re: Brothers In Arms Hell 39;s Highway Mission List
Rocki Stenger
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is the third main entry in the Brothers in Arms series of video games which follow a squad of men of the 101st Airborne Division, led by the player-character SSgt. Matthew Baker, through the larger Allied Operations in World War II. This game once again puts players in the role of Matt Baker during Operation Market Garden in the later stages of WWII in The Netherlands
The game was released on the PlayStation 3, Windows, and the Xbox 360 in August 2008. The game has many new features, including the ability to command a further squad from a selection of new specialized units ( including a Special Weapons fire team, an Assault team, and a Base of Fire team). When a command is issued, the player model uses hand signals to issue the command to his squad, just like the previous games in the series. The player also has the ability to take cover behind objects, in a manner similar to Rainbow Six Vegas, which is an integral part of the game's strategy. The game is built on the Unreal Engine 3 and the PC version can take advantage of the features in DirectX 10 which allows for an enhanced graphical experience.
One of the newer features of Brothers In Arms: Hells Highway, is the "action cam". Whenever the player gets a head shot, good grenade kill or orders a particularly explosive bazooka blast and even kills from Sherman Firefly, the camera will sometimes zoom in on the action and go into slow-motion showing the gory death.
Operation Market Garden was a plan devised by British general Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The plan was to send in three divisions of Parachute Infantry, two of the U.S. Army (101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division) and one of the British Army (1st Airborne Division). It is one of the largest parachute invasion in history. These divisions would land in The Netherlands, behind enemy lines, and secure three bridges at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem (the furthest bridge from the front line). The British XXX Corps would then make a rapid advance along connecting roads and link up with the 1st Airborne Division, this would then cut the German lines and leave them very vulnerable to attack. It would get the Allies over the Rhine and hopefully into Berlin by Christmas 1944. The operation was executed on 17 September 1944, four months after Operation Overlord of the previous games in the series.
Unfortunately, whilst initially successful (but with drawbacks and large delays) with secured bridges at both Eindhoven and Nijmegen, the well equipped Panzer Division stationed at Arnhem proved too much for the (comparatively) modestly equipped British 1st Airborne Division. Supply drops frequently missed target, which made it difficult for the British in Arnhem to survive as they could not re-arm and thus found it difficult to fend off the attacking Germans until XXX Corps arrived. Again, unfortunately, XXX Corps never arrived. The British armor reached Nijmegen and then decided it was too risky to continue the advance, essentially abandoning the besieged 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem. Rescue operations were staged to get the surrounded British soldiers back to safety. However, of the 10,600 British Paratroopers who dropped on 17 September, only 2398 were left. What made matters worse was that because the position of the Allied troops was along one stretch of linked roads, the inevitable (and expectedly swift) German counterattacks were fierce, locking the Allies onto a narrow stretch of Dutch land which extended beyond the previous Front Line. The narrow stretch leading up to Eindhoven (which the 101st Airborne Division had to defend from counter-attack whilst XXX Corps made its way up the road) is what became known as "Hell's Highway", and that is where this game gets it's name from.
Staff-Sergeant Matt Baker is a squad leader in the 101st Airborne Division. He, and surviving characters from the previous games, are reassigned to Fox Company's special recon unit before the drop into Holland. Hell's Highway follows the 101st's assault and securing of Eindhoven, and the subsequent defense of the surrounding area from German counterattacks.
It starts with a recap of previous two games, Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood of Baker and Red's campaign in Normandy. It soon flashes to Eindhoven where it suffered bombardment from the Luftwaffe. It shows Baker talking to the mysterious soldier before Red save Baker from a German. The soldier dies and Baker grief his death, Baker took his dog tag and Grease Gun before debris fall on the corpse. Baker and Red navigates through the asylum and fight off the Germans in here. As Baker reach the amphitheater, he was knocked out by bomber through the roof. He was caught by three Germans who is ready to kill Baker while Red saw the shots fired.
On September 16, 1944, 3 months after the Normandy campaign, the paratroopers are preparing for their new campaign, Operation Market Garden. Baker's platoon is reorganized with new replacements with Franky, the new kid, Jasper and Connor, the MG and Bazooka specialists, Dawson, the superstitious British, Holden, the new platoon radioman and Roselli, the fire team member. Mac stayed with Cole's command whereas their recon platoon is independent from any unit except the 101st Airborne Division. Dawson have been interested in the Death Pistol that happened in Normandy and Corrion have doubts on the new kid, Franky.
In the 17th, all the planes and gliders head to Holland and land to began Operation Market Garden with the 82nd and 1st landing near Nijmegen and Arnhem respectively. Baker's platoon meet up with each other and discuss their objectives. Their first objectives is to help secure the landing zones and meet up with a Dutch contact. Baker, Jasper and Connor goes to a nearby farmhouse to meet up the contact while the rest secure the nearby landing zone. The contact introduces himself as Nicolaas and gave intel involving German patrols in the area before leaving the area. Baker's team soon clear the Germans in the farm and defeat a small counterattack, they reach to the 502nd drop zone where they meet Mac and Cole. Cole ordered Baker to secure more landing zone with a jeep support from Baker's own platoon. Together with the fire team and the MG team, they headed to the landing zone and fight off the Germans that tries to attack the survivors of the gilder crash. After securing the area, Red inform Baker that they follow Sink to Son to capture the bridge at Wilhelmina Canal and together drive there with a jeep.
Soon, they are bombarded by artillery and mortars with the German garrison led by Captain Auckland. Baker have Jasper's team carrying the Bazooka and Corrion's assault team following Baker to assault the town head on while Red's team flank the town. Soon the 506th assault proceed and clear the Germans at the outskirts of town. As they reach town, they are welcomed by the residents of Son who is happy to see their liberators. However, the celebration is cut as they are ambushed by the 88 led by Auckland, Corrion and Franky had a small argument over orders before following Baker to seek an alternate route through town. Baker's squad fought the Germans through a manor with Baker enter alone to clear the MG nests that suppressing Baker's squad. Inside, he saw a glasses similar to Leggett's one and have a nightmare over it. Baker soon snapped out and destroy all the MG Posts. Baker and his squad push forward through the bridge where an intense fight happens. Baker and Red meet each again and prepare to assault through the bridge but was blown off by the Germans, Sink now order to 506th to cross the river and secure the remaining part of town and destroy the 88. The platoon managed to cross the river and complete their objectives. Despite a tactical victory by the Americans, the bridge destruction made a setback over the Operation.
The flashback is shown with a meeting between Dawson who was a pathfinder at the time and Leggett. It shows that Baker have Leggett hide a secret to protect his own life. Leggett told Dawson the secret he was holding. Flash forward to the present where the platoon rests with the 502nd who is attacking Best for an alternate crossing. Baker goes to meet Mac as Zano mentioned that Mac needs to talk to Baker. On the way, he heard Dawson asking soldiers about fate and the Death Pistol. He also saw Gideon sad over the corpse, Baker asked Mac about the corpse and revealed to be Robert Cole which shocked Baker. The 502nd with Robert Cole leading the attack on Best as the paratroopers are underwhelming fire, during the chaos, Cole was shot by an unknown sniper. Mac and his team tries to trace the sniper but only find his mark. Baker soon goes to Red and mentioned Cole's death which frustrate Red and criticize on Cole's recklessness. As Baker and Red are arguing, Mac interrupted them and mentioned that they follow Sink on the assault on Eindhoven. Before leaving, he gave an advise not to fight with each other and instead their enemies.
Baker's platoon and the 506th are ready to attack Eindhoven through the outskirts at the north. Sink first priority is to capture the church nearby to set up a CP. The platoon punch through the heavily defended Germans and reach to the church inside. Baker and Paddock alone traverse through the church from ground floor to upstairs and fought the Germans. As they reach on top, Baker was ambushed by a German but luckily Paddock saved Baker from the German and threw him off the roof, killing him. Baker spotted the mark and deduced the German Paddock killed was the sniper that killed Cole. Baker and Paddock leave the church and meet with his squad, the 506th and Dutch resistance groups with Nicolaas and his son, Pieter. The Dutch gave info on the vital German positions including the 88s. With the intel, Baker's squad and the 506th are ready to push through the streets of Eindhoven. They managed to destroy German trucks, fuel dump and communications before heading towards the 88 in Kloosterdreef and Woenselschenstraat streets. The 506th managed to destroy the 88 and the remaining Germans that defended the 88. Baker was met by Nicolaas who mentioned he is searching for his son as he went off on his own to kill Germans with the pistol he gave. Baker regroup with Red and asked whether he saw a kid, that question disturbed Red as he worried about his family back home.
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