 The game is a turn @-@ based strategy and revolves around the British 6th Airborne Division 's attempts to secure Bénouville Bridge ( later renamed Pegasus Bridge , in honour of the battle ) over the Caen Canal during the Normandy landings on 5 June 1944 . The player is able to command either the British or German side in the game . Regardless of the side chosen , British units will not appear on the map at the beginning of the game as the British 6th Airborne Division have not yet made their parachute drops . German forces are distributed around the four far corners of the map , with a few units positioned near Bénouville Bridge . If playing as the British , the objective is to defeat all German forces and secure all bridges in the area , with the capture or destruction of the Merville Battery being the ultimate goal . If playing as the Germans , the only objective is to hold off all British attacks for 18 hours , which is the equivalent to 36 in @-@ game turns . 
