Designer’s note – Panzer Campaigns 5: Bulge ’44
Greg “Sturmer” Smith
I can honestly say this was the most stressful game I’ve ever had to work on, mainly because I perceive
the expectations of such a design to be astronomical. It’s not as if it hasn’t been done before….the
question is, can it be done better? As I told some of the playtest team, “it has to be a masterpiece,
because nothing less will suffice.” Hopefully we will have fulfilled most people’s expectations. It is
somewhat ironic that when we started this series, I was always the one asking that we do the “unknown”
battles and would often state, “who wants to see yet –another- game on the Bulge?” So naturally I got
the lead on Bulge.
With the maturation of the Panzer Campaigns engine, however, we saw the opportunity to really do the
Bulge with a level of detail that would be far beyond what had been done previously, combined with a
high level of playability. So, very excited, I began to work on the order of battle.
The order of battle for Bulge ’44 includes a lot of design decisions that I made which might require some
explaining. First, I did a lot of consolidation in the US infantry units, in that many weapon systems are
“rolled up” into the values of the infantry companies, so as to reduce the number of units on the map. I
saw no need to depict the regimental AT gun separately, for example, and just included them as parceled
out to the infantry companies. Additionally, this is how they would have normally been employed, rather
than as a separate unit. The key, I felt, was to account for all the weapons but to keep the game
playable. You’ll see the same thing on the German side, in that several small, large caliber artillery units
have been consolidated into larger “combined” batteries. Such units depict the names of both firing
batteries.
US Tank battalions posed another problem, as they are asymmetrical in design, with 3 medium tank
companies and one light tank company. In the end I had to represent each battalion with two
units…..the tank battalion proper (made up of 3 medium companies, which can be broken down if
desired) and one light tank company. Curiously, some German tank battalions faced the same issue and
so I have two units for some of them, usually one with Mark IVs and one with Mark Vs. Although the
game does have many units with “mixed” vehicles in them, I felt the differences in the capabilities of the
Mark IVs versus the Mark Vs was high enough to warrant this.
The infamous 150th Panzer Brigade, commanded by Skorzeny, posed another problem. In most games
this unit has special infiltration capabilities. However, the more you read about it the more you realize it
was pretty much just a combat unit, as they only had two captured Shermans and some modified
Panthers made to look like M10 tank destroyers, and a mixture of US and British <!> uniforms.
Skorzeny himself said it would “deceive only young American troops seeing them at night from very far
away.” Accordingly I’ve not given the 150th Panzer Brigade any special capabilities in the game.
The Einheit Steilau units were, on the other hand, the part of the 150th Panzer Brigade that were the
focus of all the hysteria and the rumor of the plot to kill Eisenhower. The very best English speaking men
were sent out in 4 man jeep teams to act as US Military Police, giving false instructions, preventing bridge
demolition, and in general causing confusion and delaying US reinforcements. For these units we
created the new “Deception” unit capabilities. Players may wish to have more control over these units
than we’ve given them, but we hope they will realize that once they deployed, they didn’t really have a
way to communicate back with headquarters, unless they were still close to the front, as most of their
missions took them beyond radio range.
The order of battle was also intentionally designed to follow the standard military formation designations,
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as opposed to any ad hoc formation names that were used. Both the Germans and US used ad hoc task
force and Kampfgruppe designations during the battle, however I determined I wanted to follow the
standard names of those units.
The Historical game was designed to be played with the just the following optional rules turned “on” :
Artillery Set Up, Low Visibility Air Effects, Locking Zones-of-Control, Night Fatigue, Programmed
Weather. These rules, I felt, most closely give the players a historical situation. Obviously optional
rules are just that, and you are free to play the scenarios as you see fit. Changing these rules, however,
tends to give an advantage to one side or the other. For example, turning “off” Artillery Set Up is a
huge advantage to the German player, as he is able to immediately use his artillery after redeployment. It
will be fairly obvious in most cases which player will gain an advantage from each optional rule.
Some players may wonder why the US forces have the capability (in general) to break down into
companies, while the Germans (in general) do not. The answer is simply the starting situation. Bulge ’44
is intended to be primarily a battalion level simulation. However, the US forces are so spread out in the
start of the game, they had to be depicted at times in their company locations. There was no question
of this. And so the US forces, while primarily battalions, are given breakdown capability so as to allow
us to correctly depict the start of the game. The US player later can break down reinforcements if he or
she so desires, but there is little advantage to doing so, and these forces normally enter as battalion sized
units.
German players may feel some frustration when bridge building, however, they need to realize that the
historical situation was such that the bridge-building over the Our River was haphazard at best.
Unfortunately for the Germans many of the bridging units were extremely inexperienced; one battalion
was actually made up of previous naval personnel with no experience or training! This led to the
development of new rules covering bridge building, in that the quality level actually affects the probability
of successfully completing the bridge.
The road stacking limits were decreased slightly due to the weather and terrain in the Ardennes, which
was intended to help recreate the congestion faced by the attackers in the early parts of the battle.
Interestingly enough, I had originally thought of bothering John for a bunch of special rules to recreate the
infamous “traffic jams” of the battle. However, after several playtest sessions of the first day or so, it
became clear that the aforementioned traffic jams were occurring naturally! This was an extremely
gratifying result (although frustrating as a player) and it was fun to see something playing out with
reasonably historical results.
The morale ratings for all the units in the game are, of course, based on my own subjective analysis, but I
would mention that after reading Dupuy, MacDonald, Parker, and others, it quickly became clear what
appropriate morale ratings should be for all the units. Despite what one might think, not all SS are
created equal….and the same applies to the US side. For some units, you might wonder why a
particular rating has been given, but I took into account recent casualties and “green” replacements and
sometimes a unit that might normally be a “A” would be a “B” for this reason. To wit, the US 1st
Infantry Division.
Weather of course plays a huge role in the game, and to reflect this we’ve added a special weather .dat
file that will roughly mirror the historical weather, with some variation. Obviously if you have a game
with clear weather starting on the first day, it’s not going to be much of a game. So the weather.dat
was born. The players should realize that ahistorical weather can occur but the probabilities are such that
it should roughly match history.
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Another interesting fact that came up during research was that the Germans actually had quite a decent
amount of aircraft supporting the Bulge effort, to include jet bombers and reconnaissance.
Unfortunately all one ever reads about is the US airpower situation. During the game, this is
represented in that the German has the historical amount of airpower, but most of his strikes will probably
be intercepted and therefore aborted. The US player has a much smaller chance of being intercepted
but of course, they have quite a bit more airpower to use in any case. The players may wonder why the
Me262 bombers are relatively ineffective with low bombing ratings, and the main reason is that the plane
flew so fast, it was extremely difficult to accurately bomb or strafe ground targets with it. It has been
rated accordingly.
The final note is, of course, I strongly encourage the Bulge historians out there to feel free to edit the
game to their heart’s content. I went with the best data I had, and I think we’ve done a very good
job.….but I’m sure there will be those who feel that XYZ battalion should be one hex to the left or
whatever. However, with full editing capabilities for both the order of battle and scenario included, I
hope those people will be kept entertained for quite some time.
Finally, a special thanks to J.P. Dasseville of Belgium for some order of battle assistance.
Gregory “Sturmer” Smith
HPS Simulations
Order of Battle notes:
1. The 10th SS Divisional Artillery was on “loan” to the LXVI Infantry Corps for use in the initial
breakthrough. They are withdrawn near the end of the first day to rejoin their division.
2. The 766th VolksArtillerieKorps and the 15th Werfer Brigade have zero movement allowance as
they gave up all their motor transport to Panzer Lehr.
3. Due to fuel shortages the 9th SS Panzer actually arrived on foot on the 19th, with the Panzer
Regiment showing up a few days later. This is why the SS Panzergrenadiers have a “on foot”
status.
4. Weapons ranges are without exception based on “combat effective” ranges and not theoretical
maximums. Very few armored vehicles have a two hex range accordingly.
5. Some German Corps HQs arrive without any subordinate divisions (or one). This historically
occurred as they were brought on to control the action at various parts of the battle. Players
should transfer divisions into those corps HQs as they see fit.
6. The US 2nd Infantry Division is not dug in at the start of the game, as they were actually on the
offensive themselves at the time the Battle of the Bulge started.
7. US Combat Command headquarters were used in the armored divisions, being CCA, CCB, and
CCR (Combat Commands A,B, and Reserve). These were flexible organizations with
divisional units being attached and detached as needed. At the start of the game, only the US
9th Armored Division is on the map, in 3 widely separated Combat Commands, and as such, the
artillery battalions have been directly attached to those commands. However, all the other
artillery battalions in the reinforcing armored divisions have NOT been placed within the combat
commands, as I felt this would unduly restrict the US Player’s ability to use his divisional artillery.
Some references of interest:
Cole, Hugh M., The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge, 1965.
Dupuy, Trevor N, et al, Hitler's Last Gamble : The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945,
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1995.
Frankel, Nat and Smith, Larry, Patton’s Best, An Informal History of the 4th Armored Division, 1978.
Gavin, James M., On to Berlin, 1978.
Green, William, Warplanes of the Third Reich, 1970.
Chamberlain, Peter, et al: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, 1993.
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry, Weapons of the Third Reich, 1979.
Charles B. MacDonald, A Time for Trumpets : The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge,1997.
Hunnicutt, R. P., Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, 1978.
Hunnicutt, R. P., Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, 1992.
Jentz, Thomas L., Panzer Truppen 2, 1996.
Nafziger, George F., The German Order of Battle: Panzers and Artillery in World War II, 1995.
Parker, Danny S. Hitler's Ardennes Offensive : The German View of the Battle of the Bulge, 1997.
Parker, Danny S., The Battle of the Bulge : The German View : Perspectives from Hitler's High
Command, 1999.
Parker, Danny S., Battle of the Bulge : Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 2000.
Phillips, Robert F., To Save Bastogne, 1983.
Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive: US lll & Xlll Corps Southern Front, 2000.
Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive: Vll Armee Southern Front. 2000.
Quarrie, Bruce, Ardennes-Central Sector : V Panzer Army, 2000.
Quarrie, Bruce, Ardennes-Central Sector: VII US Corps & VIII US Corps, 2000.
Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive : U.S. V Corps & XVIII (Airborne) Corps Northern Sector,
1999.
Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive : VI Panzer Armee Northern Sector, 1999.
Reynolds, Michael, The Devil’s Adjutant, Jochen Peiper – Panzer Leader, 1995.
Spielberger, Walter J., Panther and its Variants, 1993.
Toland, John, The Story of the Bulge, 1999.
Tolhurst, Mike, Battle of the Bulge : Saint Vith 1999.
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Bulge ’44 Scenario List and Overviews
* Note, Scenario numbers are in a format with the first two digits representing the start date of the scenario
and the second two digits the scenario number. Also, scenarios with an lower case “s” at the end of the
number denote Explicit Supply Optional Rules are possible, but not required for play. When these scenarios
are started without the Explicit Supply Optional Rules, these supply counters are removed.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
#00: Getting Started - For the Fatherland
#16_01s: The Battle of the Bulge
#16_02s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum German Effort
#16_03s: The Battle of the Bulge - Increased Allied Forces
#16_04s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum Forces
#16_05: The 1st SS Pz Korps
#16_06: 47th Panzer Korps
#16_07s: The Peiper is Paid
#16_08: The South Flank
#16_09: Skyline Drive
#16_10: Bridgehead over the Our River
#16_11: The Northern Flank
#16_12s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short Historical Campaign
#16_13s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short, Maximum Forces Campaign
#17_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 1: Rocherath-Krinketh
#18_01: The Race for Bastogne
#18_02: The Stand at St. Vith
#19_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 2: Beyond the Twin Villages
#21_01:The Fortified Goose Egg
#23_01s: The Relief of Bastogne
#23_02: Parker's Crossroads
#24_01: Anybody Home?
#25_01: Something for Nothing
#25_02: Shoulder Charges
#00: Getting Started - For the Fatherland
Schönberg, 10km East of St. Vith, Dec 16th, 1944: When the LXVI Korps' attack was planned, it was
decided that the 18th Volksgrenadier Division, under the command Oberst von Hoffmann-Schönborn, should
make a right hook towards the bridge over the River Our at Schönberg. This would give access to the
important road junction at St Vith towards Vielsalm and Bovigny. Hoffmann-Schönborn divided his division into
two parts and performed an outflanking maneuver around the flanks of the waiting 422nd and 423rd US
Infantry regiments. When it was over, the two regiments and several other elements of the 106th Infantry
Division surrendered. Hoffmann-Schönborn's outflanking pincer maneuver in the Schnee Eifel gave the
German forces their greatest victory in the Ardennes - and it was accomplished not with a powerful Panzer
force, but rather a simple Volksgrenadier division ... DESIGNER NOTE: This scenario was inspired by
Thomas Wulfes, a playtester on this project, whose grandfather served with the 294th Regiment, 18th
Volksgrenadiers Division. Next recommended play is #16_10: Bridgehead over the Our River.
#16_01s: The Battle of the Bulge
The Historical Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. On December 16th, 1944, Hitler launched his last
major offensive in the west. Having secretly assembled a large army in the dense woods of the Ardennes,
he hoped to punch through the lightly defended sector and race to the Meuse River. This could drive a wedge
between the Allied armies on the continent. The offensive was doomed by a combination of unexpectedly stiff
resistance, a strong Allied response, a tenuous German supply situation, and mainly an overambitious plan.
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Still, had the plan succeeded, it could have greatly altered the outcome of the war.
#16_02s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum German Effort
Maximum German Effort, Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the Campaign game
features early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the release of the German
operational reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions.
#16_03s: The Battle of the Bulge - Increased Allied Forces
Increased Allied Forces, Grand Campaign. This version of the standard Battle of the Bulge Campaign game
features additional British forces committed to stopping a Meuse River penetration.
#16_04s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum Forces
Maximum Forces, Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the Campaign game features
early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the release of the German operational
reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions. It also has additional British forces from XXX Corps
entering into the fight.
#16_05: The 1st SS Pz Korps
West Wall, 0800 Dec 16th, 1944: This is a "What If" scenario depicting the part played by the 1st SS Panzer
Korps for the first 6 days in the Battle of the Bulge. Where possible, the actual historical events have been
portrayed, but some changes, of necessity, have been made to make the scenario more enjoyable.
Suggested play as Axis human or PBEM. On the night of Dec 15th, 1944, German commanders gave their
men the watchword from the Fuhrer himself "Forward to, and over, the Meuse." The Battle of the Bulge began
the next morning. In the north, the 6th SS Panzer Army, selected by Hitler himself, as he felt he could
depend on his beloved Waffen SS to get the job done, would provide the main effort. The 1st SS Pz Korps
was to be the armored fist of the Army. It was comprised of the 1st SS "Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler" Pz
Division, 12th SS "Der Jugend" Pz Division, and 3 Infantry divisions, the 3rd Para Division, the 12th and 277th
Volksgrenadier Divisions. The plan called for the infantry to punch a hole through the thinly held US front line,
allowing the 2 armored divisions to stream through to the west, all the way to the Meuse, and then on to
Antwerp. The difficulties faced were enormous, the terrain in the Ardennes is treacherous, especially in the
winter. The routes across are not suited to any type of warfare, particularly using armor. The Pz divisions
could not deploy in the accepted sense, instead they divided into Kamfgruppen, intending to move along 2
primary routes. The 1st SSLAH intending to use the southern, and 12th SSDJ the northern route. However,
the release of the armor was flexible to allow the infantry time to open the 'holes'. Of course, the order to
advance came late but, initially, it met with great success. Then a combination of heroic US small unit
actions, lack of fuel, ammo and the treacherous roads and tracks, led to it stalling. [Size large]
#16_06: 47th Panzer Korps
West Wall, 0600, Dec 16th, 1944:This is a "WHAT IF" scenario of the XLVII Panzer Korps' part in the Battle
of the Bulge, play as Axis or PBEM. The conditions are close to what really happened, but some of the units
involved have been adjusted, that is to say, some appear earlier, or later, than the actual historical events.
There are also a few units from other Korps/Corps included. General der Panzertruppen Graf von Luttwitz'
orders were to get across the Our and Clef Rivers as quickly as possible, to create the conditions for a
westward advance. This included capturing Bastogne quickly, before advancing in a broad column, with 2nd
Pz Division in the van with the Panzer Lehr Division slightly behind to the south, in order to seize the Meuse
crossings at Dinant, Anseremme and Givet. If Bastogne proved difficult to take, it was to be bypassed and left
to 62nd Volksgrenadier Division to clean up. [Size, large]
#16_07s: The Peiper is Paid
West Wall, 1600hrs, Dec 16th, 1944: The 1st SSLAH Panzer Division was the strongest fighting unit in the
Page 6
Sixth Panzer Army. Undiluted by any large influx of untrained replacements, it had an available armored
strength on Dec 16th of about a hundred tanks, equally divided between Mark IVs and Panthers, plus
forty-two Tiger tanks belonging to the 501st SS Panzer Detachment. The road net in the Sixth Panzer Army
would not permit the commitment of the 1st SS Panzer as a division, even if two of the five roads allocated
the army were employed. The division was therefore divided into four columns or kampfgruppen: the first,
commanded by Colonel Peiper, contained the bulk of the 1st Panzer Regiment and thus represented the
armored spearhead of the division. The original route for Peiper's KG was Route D assigned by 6th SS Pz
Korps. Peiper could not follow the route exactly as given for a variety of reasons. The actual route he took
was Losheim, Lanzerath, Honsfeld, Bullingen, Moderscheid, Ligneuville, here the road divided. Peiper had a
precisely defined mission: his KG was to seize the Meuse River crossings at Huy, making full use of the
element of surprise and driving west without regard to any flank protection. Therefore, his path lay straight
ahead, through Stavelot, Trois Ponts, Werbomont, Ouffet, Seny, Huy - a distance of some 50 miles. Only a
few short miles to the north lay Malmedy and the road to Spa and Liege. Malmedy and the Meuse crossing
sites in the vicinity of Liege, however, were in the zone assigned the 12th SS Panzer Division. Whatever
timetable he was using, if indeed he had any precise timetable in mind, his KG was making good progress
and the element of surprise, as shown by the lack of any formal resistance, was working to his advantage.
This explains why Peiper stuck to this route. This scenario was designed for you to follow in Peiper's
footsteps, although having much more information, and hindsight from 50 years ago, may give you an edge. It
can also be PBEM. [Size, medium to large]
#16_08: The South Flank
Near Wiltz, and along what would be the Southern Flank of the Bulge, Dec 16th, 1944: The German 7th Army
was the ‘poor cousin’ when compared to the other Panzer Armies, yet big things were expected of it. As the
Panzers raced to the Meuse, the 7th Army was to cover the flank with three Volksgrenadier and one
Parachute Division. The leading companies of the two German assault regiments began crossing the Sauer
before dawn. Although weaker than the other armies, the forces that did manage to cross the river, dwarfed
the string of US rifle companies guarding this sector of the line. This scenario covers the opening phase of the
action on the South Flank and ends with dusk on the second day of the battle. [Size, medium]
#16_09: Skyline Drive
Clervaux, 25km east of Bastogne in the Ardennes: Dec 16th, 1944: In the opening phase of the attack, XLVII
Pz Korps was ordered to get cross the Our and Clef Rivers as quickly as possible, to create the conditions
for a westward advance. It was the German practice to put men over the river at night, and taking advantage of
this, the Germans slipped two regiments of the veteran 26th Volksgrenadier over the river for the morning
attack. Panzergrenadiers of the 2nd Panzer Division crossed in rubber rafts and advanced on foot, while the
engineers struggled most of the first day to bridge the river at a number sites, in order to unleash the powerful
panzer formations that waited anxiously to cross. This scenario covers the action on the first two days in front
of Bastogne along a major north-south roadway known to the Allies as ‘Skyline Drive’. [Size, medium]
#16_10: Bridgehead over the Our River
Our River, 35km east of Bastogne, Dec 16th, 1944: The bridgehead over the Our River represented more than
a small corner of German soil under occupation. It represented a possible jump-off point for a later US drive
into Germany and, therefore, the positions occupied at this, the boundary between the 106th and the 28th
Division, reflected where the last offensive had stalled. Also the ground was not that favorable for defense. The
thinking was that, as nothing every happened in the Ardennes, why give the ground up. Facing the Americans
was 58th Corps made up of the 116th (Greyhound) Panzer Division, a unit with a long and distinguished
record on the battlefield, and the 580th Volksgrenadiers, a unit fresh from occupation duties in Denmark, that
was in action for its first time, minus one of its regiments. Their task was to capture the bridges on the Our
River and push onward to St. Vith. [Size, small]
#16_11: The Northern Flank
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The Losheim Gap, Dec 16th, 1944: The 6th Panzer Army was by far the most powerful of the three forces
attacking in the Ardennes. Roads were of course vital to the swift advance of the Panzers, and while none in
this vicinity were ideal, planners felt they were adequate. One major route was out of the Losheim Gap, the
other through an area referred to by the US forces as the Elsenborn Ridge. The plan called for the
Volksgrenadiers to open the road first, before the panzers were turned loose, but the carefully laid plans for
rapid advance soon went awry. What developed was a confused battle, where units boundaries on both sides
often overlapped as both sides fought over key ground. In the end, the stubborn defense by the US forces
limited the advance of this, the most powerful German force, to a narrow avenue opened by Peiper’s
Battlegroup. [Size, medium]
#16_12s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short Historical Campaign
The Historical Short Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. On December 16th, 1944, Hitler launched his last
major offensive in the west. Having secretly assembled a large army in the dense woods of the Ardennes,
he hoped to punch through the lightly defended sector and race to the Meuse River. This could drive a wedge
between the Allied armies on the continent. The offensive was doomed by a combination of unexpectedly stiff
resistance, a strong Allied response, a tenuous German supply situation, and mainly an overambitious plan.
Still, had the plan succeeded, it could have greatly altered the outcome of the war. This scenario differs from
the long campaign in that it only lasts until 23 December 1944, and victory levels have been raised for the
Germans as the Allied forces will have less time to gain ground back.
#16_13s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short, Maximum Forces Campaign
Maximum Forces, Short Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the Campaign game features
early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the release of the German operational
reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions. It also has additional British forces from XXX Corps
entering into the fight. This scenario differs from the long campaign version in that it only lasts until the end of
23 December 1944, and victory levels have been raised for the Germans as the Allied forces will have less
time to gain ground back.
#17_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 1: Rocherath-Krinketh
Rocherath-Krinkelt, Northern Ardennes, Dec 17th, 1944: After penetrating the US front line, the task of the
infantry in the 6th Panzer Armee was to pivot to the north-west, to block three main roads leading south from
Verviers. The success, or failure, of this task would determine the extent to which the tank routes of the 1st
SS and 12th SS Pz Divisions, would be menaced by US intervention from the north. Troops from the US 2nd
and 99th Infantry Divisions stubbornly held a line of villages but, under intense pressure, they requested to
withdraw and set up a defensive position on the Elsenborn Ridge. This ridge is not even marked on any map,
and is little more than a line of low hills with lightly wooded slopes, yet it commanded the approach from the
south. The determined defense of this ridge, essential to protecting the road net and the artillery positions
behind it, was a crucial factor in the early stages of the Battle of the Bulge. [Size, medium]
#18_01: The Race for Bastogne
Bastogne in the Ardennes, Dec 18th, 1944: After two days of fighting, the US line cracked, Panzer Lehr and
the 2nd Panzer Division surged forward toward the key crossroads at Bastogne, supported on the south flank
by the 5th Parachute Division. Only small pockets of resistance stood in their way but, further west, the
101st Airborne Division was racing forward to stem the tide. Meanwhile the road conditions, and weather in
general, deteriorated. [Size medium]
#18_02: The Stand at St. Vith
St. Vith, 42km NE of Bastogne, Dec 18th, 1944: Initially, the defenders of St. Vith were a rag-tag bunch of
units that were thrown together by chance. The importance of the road network radiating from the town was
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realized by both the US and German High Commands. As the Germans were hastily preparing an attack to
take the town, CCR of the 7th Armored was rushing to help its defense. [Size small]
#19_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 2: Beyond the Twin Villages
Rocherath-Krinkelt, Northern Ardennes, Dec 19th, 1944: After holding up the Axis advance for several days,
the situation in Rocherath-Krinkelt was now in doubt. The new drive by the SS was to be a left hook from
Bullingen through Butgenbach. Here troops of the 1st Division had time to dig in, and provide top cover for
their foxholes, in preparation for the inevitable assault. When the 3rd Panzer Grenadier joined the confused
battle on Dec 18th, it was quite clear that the Germans were resolved to take Rocherath-Krinkelt once and for
all, and then driving onward to Elsenborn. [Size, medium]
#21_01:The Fortified Goose Egg
St. Vith, 42km NE of Bastogne, Dec 21st, 1944: The defenders of St. Vith had done a magnificent job holding
back the flood of German forces from the east. The town stuck out like a peninsula into the forming bulge,
causing the order to be given to take the town without armor support, if the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade did not get
there in time. The US defenders, in the meantime, were almost ready to pull back through an escape route
held open by the 82nd Airborne Division at Vielsam and Salmchateau. [Size medium]
#23_01s: The Relief of Bastogne
Bastogne, Dec 23rd, 1944: The advance by the 4th Armored Division began on December 22nd, the Division
moved out on the left flank of III Corps with virtually no contact with US forces to the west. To the east, the
26th and 80th Infantry Divisions were set to advance in a broad front to the north, passing through a picket of
battle weary troops of the 28th Division. There were two main routes to Bastogne from the south; the
Arlon-Bastogne road on the east, and the Neufchateau-Bastogne road on the west. Patton and III Corps
preferred the Arlon route, at whose entrance the 4th Armored was already poised. On this route, a Sherman
tank could make it from Martelange to Bastogne in a half hour - if the road was passable and enemy
opposition was light. But the actual task was much harder and, in the end, relief to the encircled paratroops
didn't come until Dec 26th, and only then, after the 4th Armored Division shifted CCR west to take advantage
of the route from Neufchateau. [Size medium]
#23_02: Parker's Crossroads
Baraque de Fraiture, 30km north of Bastogne, Dec 23rd, 1944: This scenario is based on actual events that
took place at a strategic crossroads on Highway N15 near Liege. Major Arthur C. Parker was commanding
3x105mm howitzers from the 589th Artillery Battalion of the 106th Infantry Division. On his own initiative he
set up a defensive position and gathered stragglers and remnants of retreating units. They held the position
for almost 3 days before a concerted effort of the elite 2nd SS Panzer Division defeated them! *Designers
Note: The numbers of the US units involved have been increased slightly, the scenario is best played as the
Axis vs the AI with Night Fatigue Rules in effect. [Size small]
#24_01: Anybody Home?
Rochefort, 24km from the Meuse River, Dec 24th, 1944: The little town of Rochefort had suddenly assumed a
strategic importance due to its bridges. In particular, the L'Homme bridge which gives access to another
bridge, over the broader Lesse River, towards Dinant on the Meuse. The Panzer Lehr Division deployed on the
afternoon Dec 23rd intending to assault the town later that night. A patrol was sent out and reported the town
empty. This was not the case. The US VII Corps had also realized the importance of the little town and had
reinforced it that day. The lead battalion of the 902nd PzGren Regiment were expecting a walkover, but
instead received a hot reception from the defenders. The next attack was planned more carefully and started
in the small hours of Christmas Eve. [Size small]
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#25_01: Something for Nothing
Celles, 8km east of Dinant, December 25th, 1944: Kampfgruppe "von Bohm', consisting of the 2nd Pz Div's
Recce Bn, what was left of a Panther company, and a few support vehicles, had run out of steam. Low on fuel
and ammo, there was little they could do but wait for the rest of the division to catch up. KG 'von
Cochenhausen", a much more powerful unit, built around the 2nd Pz Div's 304th Pz Grenadier Regiment, was
a few miles away, and in the same predicament. Unknown to them, the US 2nd Arm'd Division's Combat
Command 'B' was about to deploy and attack. The nail in the coffin, however, was that the bad weather that
had held Allied air power grounded for the past ten days had finally cleared. The British 29th Armored Brigade
was also lurking in the wings. When the smoke cleared, little was left of both units, and the 2nd Pz Div was
almost halved for little Allied loss. [Size small]
#25_02: Shoulder Charges
Ardennes, Dec 26th, 1944: This is a "What If" scenario to depict the possibility that the Allies had adopted
the "traditional" approach to disposing of the Bulge, to cut it off from the shoulders and then reduce the
pocket. The Allied leaders discussed this counter, and several favored this approach, including Patton, as a
student of military history this was to be expected. The plan for this “What If” is to attack the shoulders, with
forces carefully husbanded during the defensive phase, using the River Our as the western boundary. The
pincers should meet around the town of Ouren, then there is a readily defendable line to the west: the River
Our. The eastern side is not seen as a major problem, as most of Germany's remaining strength still lies over
to the west of the river. [Size, large]
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