TM BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

BATTLEGROUP WACHT AM RHEIN

TABLETOP WARGAMES SUPPLEMENT FOR 15mm & 20mm MINIATURES by WARWICK KINRADE BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

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CONTENTS Introduction ...... 5 DRIvE FAST AND HOLD THE REINS LOOSE ...49 THE ...... 6 Peiper ...... 50 Breakthrough at Lanzerath ...... 52 DUELS IN THE MIST Ambush at Ligneuville...... 56 Special Rules for Battlegroup Wacht am Rhein ....25 Crossing Bridge ...... 59 US Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop...... 26 Assault on ...... 61 Armoured Reconnaissance Infantry Platoon ...... 29 Stoumont Halt ...... 66 THE ARMY LISTS...... 30 St Edouard Sanatorium ...... 68 Unit Availability Table ...... 31 , the Battle of So L’Hesse ...... 70 vOLKSGRENADIER ARMY LIST ...... 33 BATTLES IN THE BULGE...... 41 Terrain ...... 41 Roadblock...... 43 Roadblock at Antoniushof Farm...... 45 Battle of Wallerode ...... 47

CREDITS Written by ...... Warwick Kinrade Terrain Models shown from the following manufacturers: Lancer Miniatures, Last Valley, Hovels, Woodland Scenics, Battleield Models Archive Photography from ...... US National Archive and a large tub of baking soda. With special thanks to all those that Miniature Photography by...... Warwick Kinrade helped out, in large or small ways, including Piers Brand and Will Art and Sketches by...... Dave Pentland Townshend at Plastic Soldier Company. Production by ...... Artorus Games Ltd Proof Reading ...... Andrew Hubback Produced by Iron Fist Publishing Ltd. First published in Great Britain, in 2016. The contents are © Iron Fist Publishing Ltd and may not be Playtesting by: Warwick Kinrade, Ken Kinrade, Russ Mason, reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher. Andy Fox, Andy Edwards, Sean Allen.

The book contains models from a number of companies, including All archive photographs are used under licence and with permission, AB Figures, Elhiem Figures, Battleield/Blitz Miniatures, Wartime except where they are recognised as being in the public domain. The Miniatures, CP Models, Lancer Miniatures, Wargames Foundry, The copyright of all images is recognised and no claim is intended. Images Plastic Soldier Company, SHQ Miniatures, Grubby Tanks, MMS may not be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright Models, Armourfast, Dragon, Airix, Zvezda and Hasagawa. holder.

Miniatures and models from the collections of Warwick Kinrade and Printed in Lithuania, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-9573132-7-9 Ken Kinrade. Battlegroup TM Iron Fist Publishing Ltd

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BATTLEGROUP WACHT AM RHEIN elcome to Battlegroup Wacht defence. Also, the winter weather No apologies are made, here, because Wam Rhein, the irst of a new has a big role to play (especially in the Overlord book is really the basis format of supplements to the lying conditions for the important for gaming all the ighting in north- Battlegroup rules; a shorter format to American air support), as does the west Europe in 1944 and into early deal with other (secondary) theatres close nature of the terrain amidst 1945, until we reach the end of the or periods of . This isn’t the the hills and woods. This book war and Germany’s last desperate full Battlegroup treatment, mainly incorporates these factors into the stands (covered by the Battlegroup: because the forces involved are main rules to create a WWII game Fall of the Reich book). On the positive so closely related to ones we have with a very different feel, even side, those with the miniatures to already covered in earlier books. compared to those closely-related play Normandy games already have In Wacht am Rhein’s case, that book battles in the ields of Normandy the right collection to play Wacht would be Battlegroup Overlord. ive or six months earlier. In the am Rhein games without changing meantime, the Germans had anything. They can jump right in. Between summer 1944 and December introduced a new formation to their 1944, very little had changed with the order of battle, the Volksgrenadier If this book proves a success, then Allied armies in north-west Europe. division. Although in some ways we’d eventually like to look at other American and British divisions still little more than an updating of ‘secondary’ theatres or operations used the same orders of battle and the the infantry divisions, a new army that offer a different character same equipment, with the addition of list is included here because the and feel, including such battles one or two new vehicles and pieces Ardennes offensive was the new as or of kit. Also, the tactics remained the Volksgrenadier divisions’ baptism of breaking through the West Wall at same. So, rather than simply repeat ire and their different organisation , in the Hürtgen Forest or for a lot of information that has already tables offer some nice alternatives to a General George Patton’s battles in been published (mainly the army standard 1944 infantry division force the Lorraine. This doesn’t have to lists), this books builds on them. (although, of course, the same models be restricted to NW Europe, either, Most importantly for Battlegroup, can be used perfectly well with both as smaller formats could cover the however, the character of the ighting lists). ighting in Sicily and mainland Italy; had changed. Unlike in Normandy, Burma and the Philippines, the Siege in the Ardennes we have the In order to play Wacht am Rhein of Leningrad or the late war battles in German Army in full attack mode games, players are going to need Budapest and the rest of Hungary. and the Americans mostly on the Overlord’s army lists and vehicle data. These smaller books won’t replace the larger format hard-back ones. It is still intended that Battlegroup will eventually cover all the major theatres/periods of the war with these, so North Africa, the Paciic, the Eastern Front in 1942 (Stalingrad) and 1944 (Bagration) are all still on the main ‘to-do’ list. But, until then, enjoy reighting the US Army’s greatest battle of WWII.

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THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE

n autumn 1944, the German High Western Front. In the east, Germany American offensive itself was running ICommand (OKW) knew it was just did not have the forces to inlict a out of impetus, as their over-stretched facing defeat. The Battle for Normandy crippling defeat on the Russians. Even supply lines snaked back across . had been lost and the western Allies a successful offensive that destroyed The new offensive would be a huge were rapidly advancing east, closing 20 or 30 Russian divisions would make gamble, but it was one Hitler was up to the German border. Losses had little impact on the overall situation. prepared to take to try and conjure an been very heavy and it seemed the On the Western Front, however, such unlikely victory from what was soon to German Army was on the point of heavy losses could be catastrophic for be an assured defeat. capitulation. On the Eastern Front, the Americans and British. the situation was, if anything, even In October 1944, Hitler ordered that worse. The massive Russian summer Like Frederick the Great, Hitler hoped an offensive plan be created, with offensive in Belorussia had all but that inlicting such a heavy blow on the aim of encircling enemy units destroyed Army Group Centre and his enemies would see their alliance and destroying them. At least seven torn a large hole through the German against him fall apart. Winning the war locations were considered, but the frontlines. Russian forces were now in would then free up best prospect was an attack to capture rapidly pressing west, into Poland the German armies currently facing , the major port supplying as far as the river Vistula. Soon, the west to turn about and meet the far the British and American forces in German Fatherland itself would face larger Russian threat, where they could the region; cut off Allied units in the prospect of invasion from two then hope to at least ight the Red , and Holland directions. Army to a stalemate and save Germany and drive them back to the North Sea, itself. creating what Hitler described as a Wherever OKW and Hitler looked, ‘new Dunkirk’. At irst, it was known the war’s strategic situation looked Many high-ranking oficers in OKW as the ‘Luxembourg’ option. It would bleak for Germany. Their considerable saw little hope in a new attack; their be a left hook, starting in the weakest- remaining forces could still ight forces were too badly worn down and, held American sector of the front, in a defensive war and hold on for post-Normandy, tank strength was the Belgian Ardennes. as long as they could, but a purely at an all time low, with the panzers defensive strategy gave them no hope outnumbered almost 10:1 by British An initial attack would smash through of ultimate victory. In order to win, and American armour. But, by careful the thin enemy lines, drive west and the Germans had to seek to attack husbanding of forces and by directing south of Liège to the river again and reclaim the initiative. Hitler, almost all the new tank production (the major natural obstacle in the perhaps inspired by his personal hero, to the panzer divisions ear-marked offensive’s path), capture its bridges Frederick the Great (who had faced for the offensive, a force that could intact and then push on north and a similar situation, surrounded and conceivably inlict a serious defeat north-west to Antwerp and the sea. outnumbered by a formidable enemy on the British and Americans could To neutralise Allied air superiority, alliance during the Seven Years War), quickly be rebuilt. Such a plan would the attack would have to take place in demanded that OKW must launch a mean denuding the rest of the front poor lying weather. Late November new offensive. The only place with any of armour, and that was a major risk, was the irst date set for the attack, reasonable (if slim) chance of changing but new divisions were already being but later this would be moved back to the course of the war was on the raised and equipped and the Anglo- early, then mid-, December to allow extra time for more forces to be moved into place and larger stockpiles of fuel and ammunition to be gathered.

The entire plan was top secret. All the planners signed personal oaths not to the reveal anything and no telephones or radios could be used to discuss plans or preparations - couriers were employed instead. Troops would be mustered behind the attack sector in complete secrecy, under the guise of training, and in forested areas to avoid the prying eyes of Allied

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aerial reconnaissance. Supplies would a broad offensive to pressure the Force (SHAEF) suspected that the be built up using trains only running enemy everywhere and slowly press German Army still had the strength at night. Surprise, to prevent the east to the along the entire front to launch a major counter-offensive Allies using their superior numbers would be too much for the thinly- and, even if they had, the hills, rivers to smother the offensive, would be spread German armies to stop. There and forests of the Ardennes seemed an key. The new offensive must come would be no more bold, narrow-front unlikely battleield through which to as a complete shock and make rapid offensives to make quick gains; just a drive a major armoured counter-attack. gains if it was to achieve its ambitious relentless, steady, attritional advance objectives. As part of the deception to begin in the spring when the winter Also, if the Germans were planning an plan to disguise German intentions, the weather cleared and the ground and offensive, then the Allies had ‘’ new offensive was given a ‘defensive’ lying conditions improved. intelligence to warn them. The broken codename: Wacht am Rhein (Watch on German codes and signals intercepts the Rhine). For the Americans, the Belgian would mean that SHAEF would soon Ardennes was regarded as a ‘quiet’ hear of any plan and be able to react to On the Allied side, after the Germans’ sector. Neither side was seeking to meet it. But, for once, German secrecy defeat in Normandy, it was thought attack here and, as winter set in, the held and no word of the plan leaked that all the enemy could manage was Americans used it as an area to re- through Ultra decryptions. Wacht a desperate defence to try and prolong it divisions battle worn from hard am Rhein, to be re-titled Operation the war. When, in September 1944, the ighting in the Hürtgen Forest and to Herbstnebel (Autumn Mist) for the British plan to get over the Rhine and ‘blood’ green divisions, new to the actual attack, would have the element into Germany using airborne troops European theatre. No-one at Supreme of surprise. failed at , it was decided that Headquarters Allied Expeditionary

German Forces infantry (and various equivalents) November. The 106th Infantry “We gamble everything!” would advance to mop up any Division was in the centre; another Field Marshal remaining centres of resistance that unbloodied, rookie division seeing on Operation Wacht am Rhein had been bypassed by the panzers in its irst deployment in the ETO. The their race for the Meuse. They would veteran 28th Infantry Division was also secure the occupied territory in the south, holding a ‘quiet’ sector, or the start of Wacht am Rhein, and provide protection from enemy recovering from its heavy losses Fthe Germans gathered 19 reinforcements threatening the sustained during the Hürtgen Forest divisions, divided between three northern and southern lanks of the ighting and absorbing its many new armies, with 6th Panzer Army in the offensive’s gains. recruits. These three divisions were north, 5th Panzer Army in the centre not alone, attached were the 14th and 7th Army in the south. Each had To aid the breakthrough, sow Cavalry Group, for reconnaissance its own objectives and roles. Behind confusion amongst American rear operations into Germany, and them, further divisions were gathered echelon troops and secure important various extra engineer battalions as a potent reserve, to be committed road junctions and bridges on the for rear area logistical work. These once the Meuse was crossed. routes west, the entire offensive engineers would play a vital role in would be aided by ’s blocking roads during the early days To achieve ultimate success, the irst Operation Greif (Grifin). It would of the German breakthrough. phase of the offensive would rest be a commando operation, utilising upon its strike force of ive panzer disguised tanks and specially- On hand, just north of the attack divisions. These would provide the selected English-speaking troops sector, was the 2nd Infantry Division, combat power that would, irst, race in US uniforms to iniltrate the a veteran unit, at full strength and to and capture the Meuse bridges and American lines, cut communications, currently engaged in a renewed then the fresh divisions would move misdirect trafic and generally upset attack towards the Roer dams. As up and take over the lead to press on the rapid deployment of more US the nature of the German offensive for Antwerp. troops into the Ardennes. became plain, this attack into Germany would be hastily cancelled Supporting the ive panzer divisions American Forces and the division would redeploy were 12 Volksgrenadier infantry In mid-, the sector south to assist the 99th Division. divisions and two Fallschirmjäger carefully chosen by the Germans for airborne divisions. Their initial their attack was weakly held by just Immediately behind the Ardennes task was to force a breech in the three American infantry divisions - front was the 9th Armoured Division, American front, into which the the 99th, 106th and 28th. Each was another green unit with very little panzer divisions would then strike, holding a front far longer that would combat experience, acting as VIII allowing the tanks to immediately normally be expected and, as such, Corps’ reserve. Its units were spread break free of the frontline defensive they were stretched thin. The 99th out, scattered behind the entire front, zone without losing valuable men Infantry Division was in the north; while its Command A was already and vehicles and then drive deep a new division yet to see combat, it committed to supporting the Roer into enemy territory to exploit the had only arrived in the European dams offensive. It would not ight as breakthrough. Behind them, the Theatre of Operations (ETO) in a single cohesive division. Just south

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German Order of Battle for the initial phase of Operation Wacht Am Rhein 6th Panzer Army 5th Panzer Army 7th Army (Obergruppenführer Joseph ‘Sepp’ (General ) (General Erich Brandenberger) Dietrich) 47th Panzer Corps 80th Corps 1st SS Panzer Corps (General Heinrich von Lüttwitz) (General Franz Beyer) (Obergruppenführer Herman Priess) 2nd Panzer Division 212th Volksgrenadier Division 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte 276th Volksgrenadier Division SS 26th Volksgrenadier Division 340th Volksgrenadier Division 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend 57th Panzer Corps 85th Corps 277th Volksgrenadier Division (General Walter Krüger) (General Baptist Kneiss) 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division 116th Panzer Division 5th Fallschirmjäger Division 12th Volksgrenadier Division 560th Volksgrendier Division 352nd Volksgrenadier Division 150th 66th Panzer Corps 67th Corps (General Walter Lucht) (Generalleutnant Otto Hitzfeld) 18th Volksgrenadier Division 326th Volksgrenadier Division 62nd Volksgrenadier Division

of the Germans’ main attack sector, pressed frontline units had bought, 21st, ive days into the offensive. in Luxembourg, was the veteran 4th to establish a new front against the Behind the opening barrage the Infantry Division - another division panzers with fresh, well-equipped infantry would use the cover of the recuperating after heavy losses in the troops that would then be facing shelling and darkness to move up Hürtgen Forest. battle-weary and damaged enemy and iniltrate through the American units. Finally, moving up from the front lines. After dawn, they Beyond the Ardennes front, the south, across Luxembourg, could would then attack the surrounded large US Army in the ETO was come more units of Patton’s Third enemy positions and seize the road already stretched to capacity. In Army, led by his favoured 4th networks, vital for the panzer units December, only two divisions were Armoured Division. still waiting to follow them. The irst held in strategic reserve for the entire day or two would see the German Western Front: the 101st and 82nd The Attack Plan Volksgrenadiers take advantage of Airborne Divisions. Every other At approximately 5.30am on the the surprise to seize more villages, US division was already deployed night of December 16th, the German road junctions and bridges and clear to its own duties and sector. One guns, mortars and rocket artillery the way for the waiting second wave. unit that would have a big role to opened ire with a heavy preliminary Their irst task was to push open the play was V Corps’ reserve, the 30th bombardment of the forward US door. Infantry Division, situated in the positions, in preparation for the Spa area. They would be readily at infantry attacks to follow. The eastern The second wave would be the hand to deploy southwards to meet skyline lit up with thousands of panzers and their supporting mobile 6th Panzer Army’s advance. Two muzzle lashes as a prelude to the infantry and artillery. With the door inal reserve forces that could also surprise offensive along its 160km pushed open, the panzers would then be rapidly deployed to the Ardennes front. As the artillery thundered crash through it and, following their were the 7th Armoured Division’s in the pre-dawn darkness, the pre-described routes west, rapidly Combat Commands A, B and R and irst German infantry began their cleave through the weak American 10th Armoured Division’s Combat advance. It was dark, damp and rear echelons to break through and Command B. 7th Armoured was misty. In some places, there had been strike for the Meuse bridges. They held as a local reserve in the Heerlen a light snowfall but, as yet, the full had to move fast, getting across that area on the German/Dutch border. winter snows hadn’t arrived. Heavier major river was the irst priority As a fully mechanised unit, it could snow would not begin to fall over before the next phase of the offensive be quickly directed south to meet most of the Ardennes until December could begin, when the reserve any enemy breakthrough and be in place to ight in just a few days. CCB, 10th Armoured, was to the south, in American Order of Battle for the opening phase of Luxembourg, and would shift north Operation Wacht Am Rhein just in time to help hold . First US Army vIII Corps Beyond this irst response, the (Lt General Courtney Hodges) (Major General Troy Middleton) strength of the US Army in Europe v Corps 106th Infantry Division would soon begin to tell. More (Major General Leonard Gerow) 28th Infantry Division divisions, including 3rd Armoured, 2nd Infantry Division 4th Infantry Division 2nd Armoured and 1st, 75th and 99th Infantry Division 9th Armoured Division 84th Infantry would all quickly be 30th Infantry Division redeployed to Belgium, capitalising on the important time the hard-

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armoured forces would take over and Allied air forces in northern Europe, Above: 12th SS Panzer’s grenadiers loot superior push on north for Antwerp and the the would gather over American boots from casualties, after the surprise coast. 900 aircraft to simultaneously attack attack overran unsuspecting US forward positions. airields in France, Holland and These reserve armoured forces, Belgium and catch enemy aircraft on including 2nd SS Panzer, 9th SS the ground. The mission had only Panzer, 3rd and 15th Panzergrenadier very limited success. Allied losses the enemy operation was and many divisions and the Führer Begleit of some 200-300 aircraft were made units reported their situations to be (Escort) Brigade, were not be used for good in about two or three weeks. ‘holding’ and ‘under control’. the initial exploitation; their combat German losses of some 300 aircraft strength had to be husbanded for the could not be replaced. Bodenplatte Back at SHAEF, near Paris, General battles still to come. In the event, with would almost break the Luftwaffe Dwight Eisenhower, the overall no clean breakthrough, most of these and German forces on the ground felt Allied commander, did suspect from units were committed earlier than almost no respite for the sacriice. the irst reports reaching him that anticipated to assist the drive for the the German effort was something bridges. larger than a local counter-attack. The First American Response He immediately took steps to reinforce the Ardennes front, A inal element of the attack plan was After the irst day’s attacks it was releasing elements of 7th Armoured the Luftwaffe. Powerful air support still unclear to the US commanders Division to the north and 10th was promised (as it always was) how large or serious the German Armoured Division to the south but (as usual) almost completely offensive was. General Omar (much to Patton’s disapproval) to failed to materialise. The weather Bradley, commander of the Twelfth conditions, chosen to ground US Army Group, which comprised the quickly move to counter the irst German penetrations. This swift air support, would do likewise to majority of US troops in north-west precautionary action would go a long the Luftwaffe but, even as the skies Europe, had expected a local, spoiling way towards slowing and eventually cleared, German ground attack counter-attack in response to his halting the enemy offensive. aircraft would be a rare sight over the on-going Roer dams offensive and Ardennes. Their main contribution it seemed like this attack might well The Americans had not faced a major would be for be it. Even to the three US infantry panzer attack on the offensive’s (Baseplate), on January 1st 1945. In divisions engaged in the ighting, an ambitious attempt to cripple the it was still unclear how extensive irst day so the threat seemed less

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than it actually was. Therefore, after clerks and MPs), reinforced by a the northern shoulder of the offensive the initial 24 hours’ ighting, there few tanks, had already slowed the had the shortest distance to cover to was little sense of urgency or of an German advance and many had paid reach the Meuse west of Liège, over impending crisis. It was not until the ultimate price for their bravery. the forested Elsenborn Ridge. The the following days that the enemy Some artillery units, caught unawares initial attack would be conducted by plans began to come into focus and by iniltrating enemy infantry, had the 12th and 277th Volksgrenadier the scale of the attack started to be been forced to lower their guns to Divisions, with the 12th SS Panzer recognised. Only then would steps be minimum range and ire over open Division behind, ready to advance to taken to move up reserve troops and sights at the encroaching enemy. exploit the infantry’s breakthrough free other divisions to deploy into the Many of these smaller ‘road-block’ and, once over the ridge, utilise the Germans’ path west. positions had become isolated as improved road network (aided by German troops moved around them a link-up with Operation Stosser At the front, caught by surprise, some and pushed on west, leaving them – see below) to quickly reach the small American units had quickly cut-off and ighting alone for the next Meuse bridges and establish the folded or retreated in panic, but few days, before either escaping or irst bridgeheads towards Antwerp. many more had stood and fought and surrendering. For ten days, the Germans would had offered sterner resistance than repeatedly attack the American the Germans had expected from the 6TH PANZER ARMY defences on and around the ridge, ‘weakest’ of their Allied enemies. In IN THE NORTH and for ten days they would be small villages and at road junctions, Failure at Elsenborn Ridge rebuffed by a steadfast defence by, US infantry companies and platoons Held by the US 99th Infantry irst, the 99th Infantry Division and (often ad hoc units of armed cooks, Division’s three infantry regiments, then the 2nd , 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions.

1. Elsenborn Ridge 9. 2nd Panzer attacks 10. Panzer Lehr 2. Operation Stösser 11. 5th Fallschirmjåger 3. Kampfgruppe 12. 7th Army attacks Peiper 13. 4. Kampfgruppe 14. 116th Panzer Hansen second advance 5. Schnee 15. 2nd SS Panzer encirclement 16. 2nd Panzer and 6. Battle of St Vith Panzer Lehr 7. Vielsalm pocket advance to Celles 8. 116th Panzer

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vOLKSGRENADIER automatic weapons (many of them creating the irst breakthroughs for the DIvISIONS captured) and issuing the new following panzer units to exploit, they Sturmgewehr 44 assault riles in large would be reinforced by supporting The heavy defeat in Normandy and numbers. The new divisions each assault guns. the almost complete destruction of had three Volksgrenadier regiments, Army Group Centre in Belorussia each with two battalions, whilst the Despite their new name, new order and the Ukraine in summer 1944 saw supporting artillery regiment would of battle and new equipment, the both the German Western and Eastern have four battalions. Many of their Volksgrenadiers were really nothing fronts in crisis and rapidly retreating. weapons would also be captured ones, more than a renaming of the infantry To help replace the lost divisions especially Russian ield guns and divisions and fulilled exactly the and their manpower, OKW quickly howitzers, of which the Germans had same roles. So poor were many of conceived and recruited a new type very large stockpiles. One artillery the recruits that the Allies came to of division. They were to be named battery was to be equipped with regard Volksgrenadiers as second-rate Volksgrenadier (People’s Grenadier), lighter weapons: 75mm leFK 18s or formations, even though the Germans to better appeal to the population’s FK40s, or captured Russian 76.2mm regarded them as regular units. By sense of national unity and tradition. ield guns. Each division would also the end of the war, 89 Volksgrenadier have its own anti-tank battalion divisions had been rapidly recruited. The new divisions would have a new (again, captured Russian guns would order of battle, cutting a division’s be ielded alongside German ones), manpower requirement from almost Using the volksgrenadier an engineering battalion and a 17,000 in the old pattern infantry Army List in 1945 reconnaissance battalion, with much divisions, to just 10,000 for the This book contains an army list for of its infantry on bicycles. There was Volksgrenadiers. The manpower the Volksgrenadiers, designed for use a chronic shortage of trucks for the would be drawn from the survivors in games set in the Ardennes battles Volksgrenadiers but, given their of shattered infantry units, as well as against the Americans in late 1944 and primarily defensive role, this was not by combing-out support units from early 1945. Volksgrenadier divisions seen as major problem. the Luftwaffe and ; remained in combat on the Eastern renaming second line ‘fortress’ and Western fronts until the end of the Conscription of the Volksgrenadiers battalions (designated to occupy war and, as such, the list can also be began at the start of September 1944 the West Wall defences) and by used for battles in Germany in 1945 as and recruits were given just six week conscripting Volksdeutsche, foreigners an alternative to the Defenders of the basic training before being shipped with ethnic German heritage that Reich army list (see the Fall of the Reich to their units – and much of this had previously not been eligible for supplement). As noted in that book, ‘training’ involved clearing rubble in conscription for military service, when using Panzer, Infantry and Germany’s bombed cities. When the notably Poles and Czechs. Fallschirmjäger lists in 1944, this army plan for an offensive in the Ardennes list must then use the Fall of the Reich was conceived, Hitler ordered that The Volksgrenadier division’s Battle Rating counters and also use the newly-forming Volksgrenadier primary role would be defensive, to the Defenders of the Reich Defences divisions be ear-marked for the attack help protect the borders of Germany. and Additional Fire Support sections and not deployed to hold the front The cut in manpower would be instead of its own. In addition, in lines (ironic, given they had been compensated for by an increase in 1945, a ‘Greif’ iniltration team cannot created for a defensive role). For their overall irepower, with additional be used, as they are speciic to the new role leading the offensive and Ardennes offensive.

After a preliminary bombardment, The Shermans fought the On December 18th, the furious Volksgrenadier infantry initially IVs of 12th SS Anti-Tank Battalion assault was renewed, including advanced and seized routes through at point-blank ranges in the streets attacks by the of the forests east of Elsenborn and, of Rocherath. Disguised in the thick 560th Heavy Anti-Tank Battalion. supported by tanks of 12th SS Panzer mist around the twin villages, US Again, massed artillery was the Division’s Kampfgruppe Müller, infantry armed with bazookas also Americans’ saviour, with the guns forced the 99th Division’s frontlines exacted serious losses on the panzers. now positioned behind the ridge to withdraw to twin villages in and providing withering barrages front of the ridge itself. Krinkelt and By midday on the 17th, the Elsenborn on demand. The American tanks Rocherath would become the key Ridge positions were being continue to suffer heavy losses but positions in the ensuing days’ battles, constantly attacked by elements of their sacriices were buying valuable with the Americans holding them three German divisions. It was clear time for more US reinforcements to against repeated direct attacks and that holding the twin villages was reach the Elsenborn area, including attempts to encircle their positions vital to the defenders and massed US the veteran 1st Infantry Division, now to the north and south. Shermans artillery ire was directed to screen digging in on the ridge itself to add of 741st Tank Battalion (attached them from German assaults. Troops depth to the American frontline. to 99th Infantry Division) became of the 2nd Infantry Division were also heavily engaged with the panzers recalled from their own offensive and The lost time was critical for the and suffered severe losses in the irst quickly sent south as reinforcements. Germans, as ever more frantic orders three days. were coming down the chain of

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command to capture the villages villages, to pull back behind a new dominated by US ighter-bombers. and ridge. Obersturmbannführer main line of resistance, with the 9th In ten days of ighting on the Hugo Kraas, commander of 12th SS Infantry Division now arriving to northern shoulder of the ‘Bulge’, the Panzer Division, was given overall support the dug-in 1st Division. Germans had failed to break through command of the Elsenborn operation, The Germans, now desperate to and suffered a heavy defeat. In all, but his forces had already suffered get their failing attack moving, ive German divisions had been badly heavy losses in the irst days and, committed the 3rd Panzergrenadier mauled in the battle for Elsenborn, increasingly, the Americans were Division from the reserve, but even including the 12th SS Panzer and 3rd reinforcing their positions, digging their assistance was not enough to Panzergrenadier divisions. Elsenborn in with more men and guns. Any break through the US 1st Infantry Ridge, just 18km from the German chance of capturing the ridge was Division’s defences on the Elsenborn start lines, never fell. fading by the day. Ridge, which commanded excellent ields of observation and ire. Each Kampfgruppe Peiper 12th SS Panzer shifted their attack German attack was met with a deluge 1st SS Panzer Division’s race south, to open up the main road of artillery and anti-tank ire. The to the Meuse would be led by from Bullingen and , via artillery concentrations were now Kampfgruppe Peiper, built around the village of Butgenbach. There so great as to make the Elsenborn 1st SS Panzer Regiment. A potent was very heavy ighting around position all but unassailable. force, including King Tiger tanks, the Butgenbach as the panzers launched elite SS battlegroup would strike via repeated attacks, only to be repelled Still, Kraas tried again, with two the Losheim Gap, along the Ambleve each time. Meanwhile, ighting more big attacks. The inal attack, led river valley, moving fast to secure continued in Krinkelt and Rocherath by 277th Volksgrenadier Division important bridges and capitalise on as well. on December 26th, was smashed the Americans’ initial confusion. by artillery ire before it had even Only on December 19th did the US got started. To add to the German Their target was any of the Meuse defenders inally abandon the twin woes, the clearing skies were now bridges that remained intact between OPERATION GREIF German vehicles converted to mimic few days before the mission began Hitler’s favoured trouble-shooter US versions. Panther turrets were were the unit commanders inally and special operations expert, altered with mild steel plates to look briefed on the exact plan to support SS Obersturmbannführer Otto like(ish) M10 tank destroyers whilst Wacht am Rhein. Skorzeny, was given command StuG assault guns and German- of a covert mission designated made Ford trucks were painted In the event, Operation Greif was Operation Greif. Skorzeny was green and given large Allied white only a limited success. A few Greif ordered to recruit a unit, under the stars. teams may have reached the Meuse cover name Panzer Brigade 150, for bridges but in such small numbers operations behind enemy lines. The All this equipment was to support they could do little once there. men would have to speak English, 6th Panzer Army’s attack, with Given the nature of the mission, it preferably with a US accent, and the commando units joining the is still unclear if some attempted would be quickly trained in the American retreat in disguise and acts of sabotage on bridges were use of American equipment and in then spreading confusion by conducted by Greif teams or US orders of battle. Disguised in redirecting trafic, marking false actually by US engineers with US uniforms and issued with US mineields, turning road signs orders to block roads and destroy equipment, their role would be to around, destroying supply dumps bridges anyway. The disguised iniltrate into the American rear and gathering intelligence on armour was a complete failure, and sow confusion, sabotage road the arrival of US reinforcements. all being discovered and knocked routes used by US reinforcements Some teams would be equipped out en route. However, while the and seize vital objectives before with demolition equipment to commandos achieved few practical the panzers could arrive, including destroy bridges that the Americans results, they did have a far wider some of the Meuse bridges. would be using. Other teams were psychological effect. Rumours of to prevent bridges from being iniltrators spread like wildire In the weeks before the attack, destroyed by removing any enemy through US ranks. Suspicion Panzer Brigade 150 gathered demolition charges. became rife and sentries quizzed together captured American all they stopped about baseball uniforms (most taken from Each man knew that, if caught teams or US state capitals. Even prisoners of war), weapons and ighting in enemy uniform, he could their own generals were stopped vehicles, including jeeps, trucks and be shot as a spy but the exact nature and interrogated - one was arrested. armoured vehicles. There were not of the mission was kept secret. Some There were also a couple of friendly enough vehicles for the proposed of the volunteers believed they were ire incidents when paranoid US scale of the operation - only a to iniltrate across France to relieve troops opened ire on their own single working Sherman tank could the besieged garrison at Dunkirk; men. One Greif team was captured be found - so, as an emergency others that their mission was to and three of them were executed by measure, Skorzeny had a few reach Paris and attack the Allied iring squad as spies. supreme headquarters itself. Only a

12 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Liège and . After a rapid and and they instituted a campaign of Above: A Jagdpanzer IV of 1st SS Panzer bold penetration, the Kampfgruppe terror against the ‘weak’ American Division’s anti-tank battalion, photographed by a became stalled, and then surrounded, defenders and Belgian civilians. propaganda unit during Kampfgruppe Hansen’s in heavy ighting in the vicinity There were repeated executions of advance towards Poteaux. of the villages of Stoumont and prisoners of war (notably, but not La Gleize. Out of fuel and with only, at the ) and no hope of a relief force or fresh deliberate attacks on civilians in themselves to be little more than supplies reaching them, the unit’s which Belgian women and children vicious fascist thugs, allowed to give commander, Obersturmbannführer were executed in cold blood. They full rein to their worst instincts by Joachim Peiper, was eventually were the terror tactics the SS had their Nazi oficers. forced to escape the pocket he was become used to on the Eastern Front, trapped in on foot, abandoning all his where they had habitually burned Peiper’s offensive is covered in full vehicles, equipment and wounded villages and massacred civilians. detail in the campaign section, ‘Drive men. Moving by night, the SS men Designed to intimate the enemy, Fast and Hold the Reins Loose’. eventually found their way back to it probably had the opposite effect German lines but, despite achieving and only increased their resolve Kampfgruppe Hansen the deepest penetration of US lines and a desire for revenge. There was Just south of Peiper’s planned route by any unit of 6th Panzer Army, they no doubt that Pieper and his senior to the Meuse, a second Kampfgruppe only ever got about halfway to their oficers knew full well what their of 1st SS Panzer Division was also objectives. men were doing and gave tacit moving west. Built around 1st SS approval to it. After the war, Peiper Panzergrenadier Regiment, with Whilst Peiper was surrounded and many of his oficers and men supporting anti-tank and anti- at La Gleize, two other 1st SS would be charged with war crimes aircraft guns and artillery including units, Kampfgruppe Sandig and and put on trial for their illegal and Nebelwerfer rocket launchers, Schnellgruppe Knittel, were ighting immoral conduct during the Battle of the unit’s initial attack irst saw it to keep his vital line of supply open, the Bulge. With damning evidence advance rapidly through the villages around Stavelot and Trois Ponts. against them, most were found of Hallschlag, Ormont and Kehr. The Americans cut the supply route guilty. By mid-afternoon on December forwards when they recaptured 17th it had occupied and its Stavelot and demolished the bridge. Far from being the glorious, elite, vanguard had reached Born. On En route west, the military discipline iercely loyal and battle-hardened December 18th, it surprised a column of much-vaunted men of the soldiers that their later reputation of vehicles belonging to the US Leibstandarte had failed them, would suggest, many SS men proved 14th Cavalry Group on the road to

13 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

OPERATION STÖSSER opinion, a mere 10% chance of The Fallschirmjäger had no radio A second special operation success - but it was the only chance equipment to communicate their to support the offensive was they had as every other option situation and only enough weapons designated Operation Stösser would mean eventual defeat for and ammunition for a single (Auk). It would be an airborne Germany. engagement with the enemy. Von drop, using paratroopers to capture der Heydte planned that this would important roads and road junctions As predicted, the inexperience of the be the battle to seize and hold the just ahead of 6th Panzer Army’s Ju-52 pilots proved critical. After a Haut-Beaumal road junction, when northern advance. It would be 24 hour delay because the aircraft he heard the 12th SS approaching. led by the veteran Fallschirmjäger weren’t ready, the drop still went But the advancing armour of 12th SS commander Oberst Friedrich von ahead (at the front, the SS armour Panzer never got past Elsenborn to der Heydte. He was ordered to still hadn’t advanced as far as had reach him and the Fallschirmjäger enlist a special battalion of 900 been planned, so the Stösser plan stragglers, cut off with no more experienced men, recruited from was still viable). En route, two supplies, withdrew north and set up across all Fallschirmjäger units, aircraft were shot down by US air an all-round defence in the woods who had combat jump experience defences. The route from the airield north of the village of Drossarf. or at least parachute training (the was lit by searchlights and tracer Their rations then ran out (each Fallschirmjäger had not been used ire on the ground, for the pilots to man had carried just 24 hours worth as airborne troops since 1941). follow, but, after the irst wave of and stretched it to 48 hours) and aircraft passed, the ground lights now they had nothing left to eat. A The mission would be a night were mistakenly turned off. The supply drop that found them landed drop into the Hohes Venn area, second wave of aircraft got lost and only water (something they had ahead of 12th SS Panzer Division’s the pilots panicked (200 men were plenty of all around them, as it was planned route of advance through dropped near Bonn!). snowing). Elsenborn. 27 Ju-52s transports were found to carry the men and The irst wave of aircraft attempted After being located by a US patrol their equipment drop pods. The to ind the actual drop zone but acting on rumours that paratroops mission went badly awry from the the rookie navigators had got to had landed, von der Heydte order start. Von der Heydte had warned the front by dead reckoning, not his men to move eastward, back that, without pilots experienced in taking into account the wind speed towards German lines. After airborne operations (the Germans (miscalculated by the Luftwaffe’s another ire ight in the woods, had none), the plan was highly meteorologists anyway) they had with the ammunition now almost unlikely to succeed as, without tight lown into. As a result, most of gone, he ordered his hungry, weary formation lying, his men would be the paratroops missed the target survivors to split into small teams scattered. In reply, Field Marshal area. Von der Heydte himself, of two or three men and make their , Wacht am Rhein’s in the irst aircraft, hit the mark, own way back to German lines. overall ield commander, asked if but then collected just 25 men. By About 100 made it, including the von der Heydte felt his mission had dawn, he had gathered around commander himself. The others a 10% chance of success, to which 100 men, still not enough for the were captured or surrendered en he agreed. That was good enough mission, although the number route. Operation Stösser had been a as the entire Wacht am Rhein would rise to about 200 over the iasco and achieved nothing. operation also had, in Model’s next few days as stragglers arrived.

Poteau and destroyed all the enemy Moving west again, over dificult equipment had to be left on the light armour in detail. However, secondary roads and forest tracks, south bank. Over the next two days, they then ran into units of the Kampfgruppe Hansen then made an attempt by the Kampfgruppe’s rapidly-deploying US 7th Armoured its way through Wanne and on to pioneers to build a pontoon bridge Division’s Combat Command R the Trois-Pont/Petit-Spa area. After at Petit-Spa was thwarted by US (Reserve) near the village of Recht, skirmishing in the woods with artillery ire. where Kampfgruppe Hansen was 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment’s halted for the next two days by heavy forward lines and being repulsed Regardless, Hansen’s infantrymen ighting. The Kampfgruppe’s men when trying to cross the Salm river, then attacked into the hills north of did succeed in pushing CCR back Sturmbannführer Hansen was the Ambleve river valley, advancing and capturing Poteau itself but they ordered to attempt to relieve the north-west. They briely captured were then ordered to disengage and surrounded Kampfgruppe Peiper the village of Biester and fought a ind another route west, via Wanne. at La Gleize. Whilst crossing the battle for the village of Ster. They They were replaced at Poteau by small bridge over the Ambleve river also overran the village of Aret de fresh elements of 9th SS Panzer at Petit-Spa, the weight of one of Coo and captured a forward aid post, Division, moved up from reserve, the Jagdpanzer IVs caused the light destroying at least two of the M5 who continued the ight for the town bridge to collapse into the river, light tanks left to guard the hamlet. against a counter-attack by CCA of taking the with it. But, lacking heavy armour (it could 7th Armoured Division. The rest of the men crossed on the not get across the river), the SS men remains of the bridge but heavier could not drive ‘Taskforce Lovelady’

14 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

further back. Unable to break through way towards the vital road hub town urgency. The German advance from the Americans’ thickening ring of of St Vith. Within the pocket would the south continued rapidly until the forces around Peiper, the battle in the be large a proportion of the 106th two pincers met at Schonberg and woods raged all day on December Division, including the 422nd and sealed the pocket. 23rd, including Nebelwerfer strikes 423rd Infantry Regiments and much and heavy mortaring, but it all gained of the division’s artillery support. Trapped within it were almost 9,000 Hansen’s men little ground. When US troops, who, after a couple of days Kampfgruppe Peiper abandoned The initial German attack in the of being surrounded, were running La Gleize and escaped, Hansen’s north went well, capturing the short of supplies and ammunition. under-equipped relief attempt was village of Auw, and, to the south, Artillery and mortar shells, in also aborted and his men fell back to Bleialt was captured but then quickly particular, had completely run out. the south, back across the Ambleve lost to an American counter-attack, Several weak attempts were made river (which was wadeable in places). stalling the encirclement. The 293rd to escape west, but each was thrown They had failed to reach the Meuse Volksgrenadier Regiment was given back by the reinforced Germans and then failed to break through to very urgent instructions to retake the holding the ring. On December 19th, Peiper’s stricken Kampfgruppe. village, and did so on the morning of cut-off, out of supplies and with no December 17th. The US commanders relief effort forthcoming to save them, 5TH PANZER ARMY within the developing pocket did the American units began to destroy IN THE CENTRE not see their imminent danger and their weapons and surrender. Surrender on the Schnee Eifel held their positions. Divisional HQ The upland area east of the river Our had given its regiments east of the It was the largest military defeat known as the Schnee Eifel was part of Our orders to withdraw but, in suffered by the American military in the long, weakly-held front manned the confusion, these hadn’t been Europe, and the second largest of the by the US 106th Infantry Division. followed. It was only when the entire war, after the surrender to the When the offensive began, the 18th German advance reached the town Japanese at Bataan in the Philippines and 62nd Volksgrenadiers’ plan of of Schonberg and captured the in 1942. The mass surrender also left assault included an attack from the bridge over the Our there that the north and south to surround the area impending threat become obvious. Still, the US reaction was slow. The and capture the Our river bridges Below: US anti-tank gunners manhandle their 57mm beyond, thus sealing the American Americans did start to pull out of gun. Winter conditions and heavy armoured vehicles forces into a pocket and opening the the Schnee Eifel, but not with much would quickly turn the narrow roads into quagmires.

15 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

a large hole through the centre of the in a battle north of Dochamp, whilst December 17th saw the US positions US frontline in the Ardennes, into the 116th Panzer’s Kampfgruppe at Holzthum, Weiler, Munhausen and which they would scramble to throw Bayer became embroiled in heavy Marnach all attacked and overrun. any available forces to hold back the ighting for Hotton and Dochamp A brief counter-attack by Sherman German tide. against the 51st Combat Engineers tanks of the 707th Tank Battalion Battalion and tanks of 3rd (attached to the 28th Infantry) was Cometh the Our Armoured’s Taskforce Hogan and launched towards Marnach, but South of the Schnee Eifel, the Taskforce Orr. Here, the 116th’s drive it was repulsed by the 2nd Panzer Germans directly faced the River west was stalled, until the division Division’s tanks. Soon after, there Our, along which ran the long front received orders to move south again was heavy ighting in , line of the 28th Infantry Division, and begin a new drive from the on the Clerf river, with tanks of stretching down into northern Ourthe river bridge at La Roche. 2nd Panzer shelling the town and Luxembourg. In the north of their the US troops of the 110th Infantry sector, the line was held by 112th The centre of the 28th Infantry Regiment’s HQ being pushed back Infantry Regiment. At Ouren, the Division’s front line was actually on until they only held the town’s German, Belgian and Luxembourg high ground between the Our and castle, whilst the bridge fell into borders meet and here 116th Clerf river valleys (just to the west), German hands and was soon open Panzer Division (Windhund) would with only outposts on the Our itself. to westward trafic. Colonel Fuller, spearhead the offensive, supported These outposts were withdrawn to commanding the 110th Infantry by the 560th Volksgrenadier Division. safety each night. This procedure Regiment, escaped Clervaux but Their combined initial infantry had been noted by the German was captured two days later trying attacks seized bridges over the Our at commanders - their troops could get to get back to American lines. Now, Reuland, Oberhausen and Ouren but across the Our unseen and, under 28th Infantry Division’s commander, the latter was found to be unable to cover of darkness and the morning Major-General Norman Cota, saw support 116th Panzer’s heavy tanks mists, begin iniltrating through the the full scale of the offensive he and they had to move south to ind a 28th’s frontlines, in order to get to the was facing and realised his single new route across the river. Over the bridges over the Clerf beyond. division was ighting alone against coming days, and despite light US at least ive advancing German ones resistance, the Windhund division’s Behind the German infantry, (including three well-equipped advance would be dogged by engineers spent the irst day building Panzer divisions). The 28th Infantry’s further such delays and frustrations: two heavy pontoon bridges at regiments began to swiftly fall back repeated small roadblocks, clogged Dasburg and Gemünd to allow the before the tide, whilst, behind them, roads, blown bridges and orders tanks and vehicles of 2nd Panzer and units of CCR, 9th Armoured Division, from corps commanders to retrace the Panzer Lehr divisions to cross the scrambled to establish roadblocks on their steps as the division’s three Our. By the time they were across, the main routes west, with Taskforces Kampfgruppen struggled slowly and after having negotiated the Rose, Harper and Hayze. west on a winding route. Quickly narrow tracks out of the Our valley, realising they were facing a far larger the Clerf bridges should already be The race for Bastogne now began force, the US 112th Infantry Regiment in German hands, so the panzers in earnest. With the 28th Infantry offered a limited defence and then could then speed to their irst main in some disarray, US commanders fell back. Soon cut-off from their own objective on the way to the Meuse, searched for any available unit to hold 28th Infantry Division to the south, the road hub town of Bastogne. the vital town. The 101st Airborne they withdrew north-west until they Division, then resting as SHAEF’s eventually joined the defenders of St Cutting short the preliminary theatre reserve back in Mourmelon Vith. bombardment, 26th Volksgrenadier in France, was urgently ordered to Division’s infantry and some move via road to Bastogne. There On the irst days of the attack, 116th dismounted Panzergrenadiers of was no time for anything beyond Panzer Division should have had an 2nd Panzer crossed the Our in boats basic preparations, its men were easier route and could have broken in darkness and moved cautiously short of supplies, ammunition and through altogether but they suffered west, around the US garrisons winter clothing, but needs must, chronic fuel shortages. Only the holding the villages of Heinerscheid, and the Screaming Eagles’ truck fortuitous capture of a 30,000 gallon Marnach, Hosingen, Consthum and convoys were soon racing through American fuel dump at Samree, on Holzthum. In the morning mists, the night for southern Belgium. Also December 20th, allowed them to there was skirmishing and a few en route for Bastogne was CCB, continue their drive at all, and then small engagements, but the Germans 10th Armoured Division, just now they ran headlong into the deploying were content to leave the isolated US reluctantly released from Patton’s taskforces of the US 3rd Armoured positions to following troops. They command in Luxembourg. They sped Division’s Combat Command R. By surrounded Marnach and Hosingen. north and reported to VIII Corps then, the Windhund had already headquarters in Bastogne. A plan was captured the crossroads towns of In the early hours of December 17th, hatched to deploy the arriving tanks Houffalize and La Roche with its with the two pontoon bridges now and armoured infantry in three more bridges over the river Ourthe. The complete, the two waiting panzer taskforce roadblocks, north, north-east Americans tried to counter-attack to divisions were unleashed to drive and east of Bastogne. Respectively, retake Samree but were thrown back for Bastogne and the Meuse beyond. these were Taskforces Desobry, Cherry and O’Hara.

16 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Coming the other way were the and still moving west, the Americans was an important early objective for 2nd Panzer Division and the Panzer would soon be trapped. The cold 5th Panzer Army’s advance. After Lehr, who had crossed the Clerf paratroopers dug-in for a siege. the US 106th Infantry Division’s at the village of Drauffelt after surrender, there was not a lot in it was attacked and captured by 7TH ARMY IN THE SOUTH the American reserve to ill the gap 26th Volksgrenadier’s advance. Holding the Southern Shoulder left by their defeat. The irst unit Both panzer spearheads were on The role of General Erich dispatched to St Vith was CCB, a collision course with the US Brandenburger’s 7th Army in the 7th Armoured Division. Moving armoured roadblocks. On December Wacht am Rhein offensive was to south from Heerlen, via two routes 18th, Taskforce Rose, CCR, 9th secure and screen the southern lank which cut directly across the path Armoured, was destroyed in detail of the main attack sector and hold of 6th Panzer Army’s advance, by 2nd Panzer Division’s vanguard it against the arrival of American the American tanks, armoured east of Allerborn. Likewise, near reinforcements from the south, thus infantry, self-propelled artillery and Fetsch, Taskforce Harper lost 24 freeing 5th Panzer Army’s divisions supporting units had the speed and Shermans and its commander that to drive west at speed and not to be mobility to reach their objectives evening as it, too, was surrounded too concerned with their exposed with only a few run-ins with the and overrun. Longvilly, just held by lank security. Apart from one advancing Germans that crossed their Taskforce Cherry, looked set to be the Fallschirmjäger division, 7th Army path along the way. The unit’s move scene of the next encounter, but 2nd consisted entirely of Volksgrenadier was mostly delayed by retreating Panzer Division turned north-west to divisions and its limited attacks US units blocking the roads, but move around Bastogne to the north, would drive south-west into the tanks forced their way south following their prescribed route to Luxembourg, gaining no more than throughout December 17th. the Meuse. If Longvilly had fallen, 10-15km, and pin US units down Bastogne, just 10km behind, was all and, hopefully, draw in local enemy By December 18th, CCB, 7th but undefended. reinforcements. Armoured had arrived in strength and was rapidly deploying east Further south, Taskforce Hayze held 7th Army’s irst task was to get across of St Vith, supporting the sole the village of Derenbach, but it was the Our and Sûre rivers, along which surviving regiment of the 106th (the also bottled up and then annihilated their frontline ran. Then, once across, 424th Infantry Regiment had been by the Panzer Lehr Division’s their engineers would build bridges left to hold the town alone against vanguard. The Lehr division’s swift to bring the artillery and the army’s two advancing German divisions). advance then bogged down when its few armoured vehicles into the battle. Fortunately, the German advance had lead tanks took a wrong turn up a Under cover of darkness and thick been slowed by its own huge trafic farm track and had to move cross- mist, Volksgrenadiers crossed the jams on the roads west, the need to country in quagmire conditions. On rivers in rubber boats and moved bring up horse-drawn artillery and in December 19th they took the village south-west amid heavy ighting for dealing with the Schnee Eifel pocket. of Neffe from Taskforce Cherry the villages of Diekirch, Bedufort, The 18th and 62nd Volksgrenadiers and they were ighting just east of Echternach and Diekweiler. only probed west towards St Vith as Mageret, just 6km from Bastogne. their forces regrouped for the main Attacks on Marvie and then on Only 5th Fallschirmjäger Division assault. Meanwhile, the defenders Wardin were repulsed by Taskforce would make signiicant gains into reinforced their positions when the O’Hara, but the Lehr division moved Belgium, advancing on, and then 112th Infantry Regiment of the 28th south-west around the town – its capturing, the town of , before Infantry Division, retreating from the reconnaissance battalion reached St moving west towards Bastogne Our river valley, was added to the Hubert unhindered. The noose was and helping surround the town defender’s ring around St Vith. The tightening around Bastogne. to the south. But even this success defence was anchored along a ridge was a failure for a screening force; of hills known as the Prumerberg. It Even as it did so, on December being a foot-bound division they was not until December 21st that the 19th, the irst of 101st Airborne’s had little hope of being able to keep Germans were ready for a maximum troops had arrived and were quickly pace with the motorised panzer effort assault to capture the town. marching through Bastogne. The troops advancing to their north. 5th 501st Parachute Infantry and 327th Fallschirmjäger did achieve their To assist this effort the two Glider Infantry Regiments established objectives but, when the American Volksgrenadier divisions had been new blocking positions in a ring Third Army’s relief drive began from bolstered by the release of the Führer east and south of the town, from the south, it could not be stopped by Begleit Brigade from reserve. This Bizory to Senonchamp. The 506th the weak forces positioned to stop was another ‘elite’ unit (usually and 502nd Parachute Infantry would them. used to guard Hitler’s headquarters) soon follow them to hold the line and it had speciic orders to take St to the north and north-west, at Foy, Vith and Vielsalm (15km west of St Noville and Longchamp. Bastogne 5th PANZER ARMY IN THE CENTRE Vith). The Führer Begleit Brigade had been held just long enough was commanded by Oberst Otto The Battle for St Vith to get a solid defence in place, but Remer and it had special priority Beyond the Schnee Eifel and the now, with German forces already for equipment and manpower. It upper Our, the town of St Vith lay at north, east and south of the town was well-equipped with Panzer IV the centre of the road network and

17 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Above: Sherman crews of 4th Armoured Division Division pushing up from the south. The Siege of Bastogne watch on as formations of C-47 transports approach Throughout the day, there was heavy The last road into Bastogne was cut Bastogne to parachute their supplies to the troops ighting for the Prumerberg just east by the German advance at Sibret inside the surrounded town. and south-east of St Vith. The 294th on December 21st. The defenders Grenadier Regiment, supported by were surrounded but most of the StuGs, broke through the defences panzer units had already moved tanks, StuGs, armoured infantry, along the main Schonberg road. CCB, on west, still making for the engineers, self-propelled artillery and 7th Armoured retreated into the Meuse at Dinant, leaving the 26th 88mm anti-aircraft guns. However, town but, with the Germans so close Volksgrenadiers, Kampfgruppe Remer was more concerned that behind, they panicked and withdrew 901 of the Panzer Lehr Division his prized unit should now play a further west again to attempt to and some of 5th Fallschirmjäger more prominent and glorious role in establish a new defence line on the to reduce the Bastogne pocket and reaching the Meuse than becoming high ground. That night, German force its surrender. The defenders caught-up in attritional ighting for St troops captured the town and began would endure ive days cut-off Vith. His irst attacks, on December looting the large stockpiles of US behind enemy lines, with only 19th and 20th, were half-hearted stores left behind. To the south-east, limited resupply by airdrops (when attempts and he was soon repulsed. to avoid being cut-off, the 112th and the winter weather permitted). On Remer then ordered most of his men 424th Infantry Regiments also both December 21st snow fell and the to move on west and left St Vith had to pull back west to re-establish ill-equipped paratroops began to to the following Volksgrenadier a new line. Alarmingly for the freeze in their new foxholes. German divisions. American commanders, St Vith had artillery repeatedly shelled the fallen, but the local German forces, frontlines and Bastogne itself, whilst The main attack inally struck exhausted by their previous battles, Luftwaffe bombers also hit the town on December 21st, behind a very had little impetus to quickly exploit in repeated night raids. The besiegers heavy artillery barrage from every their success. Later, St Vith was made probing attacks against the gun and Nebelwerfer the Germans targeted by RAF heavy bombers and 101st Airborne’s men and captured could bring to bear. All three of 18th obliterated, to prevent its roads being Flamierge but, at Senonchamp and Volksgrenadier’s regiments were easily used by the Germans. By the Marvie, the paratroopers, with their committed to the assault, supported time the town was recaptured by the tanker support, just held the line. by StuGs and six Tiger tanks and Americans in , barely a the last of the Begleit Brigade, house remained standing. On December 22nd, German oficers along with 62nd Volksgrenadier approached the American positions

18 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

on the road from Remoifosse under A inal attempted to break into he had to save whatever forces he a white lag of truce. They came Bastogne would be launched could, whilst he could. The 82nd to ask for Bastogne’s surrender. on December 26th, by 26th Airborne Division’s 508th Parachute Escorted to 101st Airborne’s HQ in Volksgrenadier Division, again near Infantry Regiment had arrived and Bastogne, they received short-shrift Hemroulle. Supported by Jagdpanzer was establishing a new front, some from General Anthony McAuliffe, the IVs, the attack was repulsed by heavy 10km to the west. They represented a stand-in commander of the besieged defensive artillery ire. It was now degree of safety for the hard-pressed forces: ‘Nuts!’ The Americans too late - news reached the Germans former defenders of St Vith. The would ight on, even if they were that the vanguard of 4th Armoured Führer Begleit Brigade and elements surrounded. Division had broken through the of 9th SS Panzer were attacking siege at Assenois, south of the town - from the north, whilst 18th and 62nd Christmas Eve was a quieter day, Bastogne was no longer surrounded. Volksgrenadiers still pressed the as both sides reformed as best they pocket to the east and 2nd SS Panzer could and the USAAF dropped Following Maucke’s defeat, on was on the move to the south. The supplies in to the defenders. The December 27th it was declared that pocket’s evacuation would have to be defence of Bastogne remained a ‘the Führer has ordered that Bastogne quick. thorn in the German side and the be taken at all costs.’ To execute 15th Panzergrenadier Division had Hitler’s orders, the Führer Begleit Ordered to disengage and make been activated from reserve to move Brigade and units of 1st SS Panzer, their way via the Vielsalm bridge west, with its Kampfgruppe Maucke 9th SS Panzer, 12th SS Panzer and to regroup near Malempre, the irst deployed to join the ring around the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division were American units began pulling out on town and help eliminate the pocket. all transferred south, from 6th Panzer December 23rd – CCB, 9th Armoured Maucke’s tanks would conduct an Army to 5th Panzer Army, and were being irst, abandoning Beho. CCB, assault from the west, via Champs either arriving or en route to the 7th Armoured would act as the and Hemroulle, on Christmas Day. Bastogne area. By New Year’s Day, rearguard whilst the surviving 112th elements of nine German divisions and 424th infantrymen then pulled That attack began at 02.45 on were involved in the battle for the back, leaving 7th Armoured as the December 25th, with mortar and surrounded town. Most were now last to escape possible encirclement. artillery ire. 77th Volksgrenadier very weak, 12th SS Panzer could Regiment assaulted Champs in hard, list only 25 working tanks and its They would ight running battles house-to-house ighting and 18 grenadier battalions were down to throughout December 23rd, Panzer IVs and StuGs broke through just 125 men. Meanwhile, General trying to force a passage through the 327th Glider Regiment’s lines Patton was busy reinforcing the relief Kampfgruppe Krag at Salmchateau towards the village of Hemroulle corridor his men had created to the and pursued by the Führer Begleit and then divided into two: one south. Brigade’s tanks. Taskforce Jones, the group attacking Champs, the other rearmost retreating unit, was run Hemroulle, just 2km from Bastogne. Escape from the Vielsalm Pocket down and surrounded near Bovigny By irst light, the Americans were The deteriorating situation at St and destroyed. Soon after, engineers scrambling any forces they could Vith had left CCB, 7th and 9th from to meet the penetration which Armoured and 28th and 106th demolished the Viersalm bridge to threatened to undo the entire Divisions’ remaining infantry now prevent the Germans using it. Bastogne perimeter. ighting on three sides as a salient developed just west of the town of Despite the lost taskforce, 20,000 men The 502nd Parachute Infantry Vielsalm and its vital bridge over had escaped the pocket after stalling Regiment’s headquarters at Rolle the Salm river. Kampfgruppe Krag the German advance through St Vith Chateau was evacuated as the attack had been committed to the south, for four more days. It was valuable threatened to overrun them, but the irst unit of 2nd SS Panzer time which the Germans could not some tank destroyers had engaged Division to be released from the recover and now, because of the the enemy tanks and heavy machine offensive’s armoured reserve. It was delay, more American units were in gun ire had the accompanying built around 2nd SS Reconnaissance place to block the westward routes Panzergrenadiers pinned down. At Battalion with artillery and pioneers to the Meuse. The Germans had won Champs, three panzers were knocked in support. They had raced up the bitter battle at St Vith, but their out by two M18 tank destroyers; then towards Salmchateau unhindered victory had been too slow and there two more panzers were disabled and captured bridges in the area, was no clean breakthrough or swift by bazooka ire. One tank broke threatening to seal off the Vielsalm drive to the Meuse. into the village itself but it, too, pocket entirely. The battered was hit by bazookas and knocked US units inside the pocket had out. The dangerous attack was a narrow timeframe in which to Halted in the Centre repulsed and by the evening 327th escape encirclement, only whilst the 116th Panzer Division’s renewed Glider Regiment’s men were back bridge at Vielsalm was still in US effort to the reach the Meuse began holding the line. The attack had cost hands. General Robert Hasbrouck, from La Roche on December 24th. 15th Panzergrenadier Division 200 the commander of 7th Armoured, The divisional commander, General casualties and all 18 Panzer IVs and decided on December 22nd that Siegfried von Waldenburg, had been StuGs. the situation was untenable and promised that the Führer Begleit

19 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Brigade would cover his northern longer any routes west that were not position at the Baraque de Fraiture lank but no sooner had they arrived held in strength by the enemy. Von crossroads, held by a scratch force than they quickly moved out again, Waldenburg ordered his division of artillery, cavalry light tanks, some having been sent further south to to go over to the defensive; they glider infantry from 82nd Airborne the ‘priority’ Bastogne area. Lack of would not be attacking again during and anti-aircraft half-tracks. Fighting lank protection would be a major Operation Wacht am Rhein. throughout the morning halted problem for the Windhund division the Germans’ progress, with the as its leading element, Kampfgruppe Although elements of the 2nd SS Americans calling in heavy artillery Bayer, ran into the thickening and 9th SS Panzer Divisions had support to hold their positions. defences of the rest of the US 3rd already entered the battle for St Armoured Division near Marche Vith, the main bodies of these two However, despite this, the SS had and the newly-deploying, fresh, 84th reserve armoured divisions formed the defenders of Baraque de Fraiture Infantry Division. Fuel was again II SS Panzer Corps, and they began surrounded by the afternoon. That becoming a problem for the Germans. their main move west on December evening, they launched a fresh Bayer’s tanks and half tracks did 22nd, south of St Vith, in the centre attack which overran the Americans, not get far, only reaching Verdenne of the offensive’s front, advancing who lost 17 tanks in the battle. In and Marche, 15km away, before in the wake of 116th Panzer’s earlier darkness, the Germans reformed US counter-attacks cut off some of attacks. Their route turned north- to continue the advance towards his force in the Verdenne woods. west, seeking to utilise the main Manhay. Surrounded, Bayer held on and N15 road, linking Bastogne to Liège. awaited relief for two days, but this Their offensive would be seriously That night, they ran into another never arrived and the Kampfgruppe hampered by poor roads, lack of fuel scratch force of paratroopers, eventually had to breakout and (again) and Allied air strikes. 9th SS armoured infantry and Sherman withdraw with whatever it could Panzer attempted to cross the Salm tanks, Task Force Brewster, who salvage. For the battle-weary river but ran headlong into 82nd stopped them again. On December Windhund troops, there were no Airborne’s front lines, reinforced by 24th, 2nd SS could not continue survivors from the Vielsalm pocket in their drive. Instead, the day was the Bra area, and, while they made a spent regrouping, resupplying few small gains, they failed to break (although fuel remained critical) through. and supporting an attack by 560th Below: Sturmgeschütz assault guns would reinforce Volksgrenadier which took the the Volksgrenadier Divisions for the initial attack. On December 23rd, 2nd SS’s advance village of Odiegne as a preliminary Note the captured M3 half track in use behind. ran into an American roadblock to a major attack to capture the

20 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

crossroads town of Manhay and open Ardennes sector, especially 82nd Above: The US commanders’ response to the offensive the N15 to the north and south. Airborne’s positions to the north, was swift and, although slowed by the snow The battle for Manhay began in which were being outlanked. falls, it paid a large part in halting the German advance. earnest on the night of December 24th. In a night march, Panther tanks On December 25th, the Americans and SS grenadiers quickly overran responded in force. Manhay two roadblock positions of CCA, 7th was shelled into ruins as CCB, at Manhay. However, their attack Armoured, south of the important 3rd Armoured Division, moved was repulsed after heavy losses to town. Fleeing US survivors spread rapidly to counter-attack 2nd SS’s accurate German tank ire. Further word of the approaching Germans breakthrough. US infantry and north, US glider infantry were and there was a panic in Manhay, tank destroyers halted the German starting to envelope the town in hard with American troops abandoning advance through Grandmenil ighting with 4th SS Panzergrenadier the town in disorder. towards Erezée when a bazooka Regiment. shell knocked out the lead Panther In the confusion, German Panthers on a narrow lane and blocked it. Surrounded on three sides, in danger were soon rolling through the streets Very heavy shelling forced the SS of becoming cut-off in Manhay and of Manhay unmolested. Here, their grenadiers to withdraw from the under the repeated air attacks which route divided with some SS forces village the next day. Taskforce were hourly straing and bombing heading towards Grandmenil and McGeorge, despite having been the town, the SS troops pulled back others along the road to Werbomont. bombed by its own air support, then that night. On December 27th, US Cut-off by the Germans in Manhay, led an attack on Grandmenil on troops retook the ruined town and the remains of Taskforce Brewster December 26th, but lost all but two 2nd SS’s drive for the Meuse was quickly abandoned all their vehicles of its Sherman tanks in the attempt. halted. and escaped on foot (for this act, A second attack in the afternoon did its commander would later face a recapture the village. Meanwhile, 7th Advance on Dinant court martial). The new penetration Armoured Division had regrouped 2nd Panzer Division and the at Manhay was a serious danger to its routed forces and they now joined vanguard of the Panzer Lehr Division the US frontlines in the centre of the the counter-attack by striking directly had bypassed Bastogne to the north

21 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

and south and driven on west. Very river at Rocher Bayard only to be Division’s CCA and CCB south, little serious opposition remained in destroyed by a mine. Now facing and these fresh troops (completely their path to stop them reaching the 2nd Panzer was the British 29th unknown to the Germans) were now Meuse bridges around Dinant. It was Armoured Brigade’s 3rd Royal Tank massing east of the Meuse and just the same route the Germans had used Regiment, which had rushed into north of Celles. With the enemy’s in 1940 during the invasion of France, place from Holland with instructions strength unknown, they held their and it had succeeded then, but now to hold the Meuse and prevent any own attack until all their units were it would be the closest they would German crossing. The German light in place. come to securing any of the Meuse reconnaissance troops now paused bridges. whilst 2nd Panzer Division’s potent South of 2nd Panzer’s bold dash for armour, under Kampfgruppe von the river, the Lehr Division, having 2nd Panzer was led by its Cochenhausen, moved up behind left a lot of troops to aid the siege of reinforced reconnaissance battalion, them with plans to assault the Bastogne, was also moving west and Kampfgruppe von Böhm, and by Dinant bridges on December 24th. had fought a ierce battle to capture December 23rd they had reached Von Cochenhausen’s Panthers and the town of Rochefort, with its bridge the village of Foy Notre Dame, just supporting grenadiers were dogged over the Lomme river. A single 4km short of the Meuse. Its leading by air attacks but laagered in the battalion of the US 84th Infantry scouts had already investigated the Celles area. Short on fuel, both Division’s 335th Infantry Regiment bridges, which remained intact, and Kampfgruppen awaited urgent put up a stern ight for Rochefort a ‘Greif’ jeep team had scouted the resupply. and delayed the Lehr Division for two days. Only on Christmas Day Whilst the British tankers prepared did the remaining US infantry inally to block the dangerous German withdraw from Rochefort and allow breakthrough, the Americans had Panzer Lehr to continue west. Below: The bitter woods. Heavy snow would not been idle. In complete secrecy, dominate the later fighting in the Ardennes. Here, they had rushed their 2nd Armoured US infantry endure their frozen foxholes.

22 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Delayed by lack of fuel, and with to Celles and restart the advance. All and west, cut the relief corridor and supply units failing to reach von 9th Panzer’s attempts to ind a way inally take Bastogne. The attack Böhm and von Cochenhausen, the through were repelled, thwarted by from the west failed when it ran threatened attack on the Dinant US and British air superiority, now into troops of CCB, 11th Armoured bridges never materialised. On lying round the clock missions, and Division moving up from the south, Christmas Day, American and British by potent artillery directed by aerial although the Führer Begleit Brigade forces launched their own joint observers (at one time, ive spotter did capture Sibret in heavy ighting. counter-attack against Foy Notre aircraft were noted circling in the Dame and Celles from the west skies over Celles). However, 3rd Panzergrenadier and north. CCB, 2nd Armoured, Division sustained heavy losses to divided into two task forces, moved The Panzer Lehr Division also American artillery and made little to surround Celles whilst the launched a relief attempt towards headway. To the east, there were British and 2nd Armoured’s 82nd Celles from Rochefort. It was halted four days of ighting in the Lutrebois Reconnaissance Battalion smashed by 2nd Armoured Division’s 67th area as the defenders held off the von Böhm’s troops at Foy Notre Armoured Regiment, supported last rag-tag armoured forces of 1st Dame. by very heavy artillery ire near SS Panzer and the remains of Panzer the village of Custinne and the Lehr’s Kampfgruppe 901. Patton’s Meanwhile, 2nd Armoured’s CCA, relief column, called Kampfgruppe Third Army was now moving north further east, quickly moved south Holtmayer, was destroyed in detail. towards Bastogne in increasing to cut off the extended German In Foy Notre Dame, von Böhm’s strength and imposing itself on the spearhead from any reinforcements reconnaissance Kampfgruppe had battleield south of the town. 35th from the west. Here, CCA would also been wiped out as the Americans Infantry and 4th and 11th Armoured encounter the irst units of 9th Panzer retook the village. were all holding the southern Division (released from reserve to corridor while 6th Armoured and reinforce the ‘successful’ Dinant Outmatched, on December 26th, 87th Infantry would soon follow. thrust), as they fought to get through von Cockenhausen’s Kampfgruppe was forced to withdraw, escaping Fighting continued around the south-east to Panzer Lehr’s lines near Bastogne perimeter and relief Rochefort with just 800 survivors and corridor until January 6th 1945, with having lost all the Panther tanks of its the last gasp being that of 12th SS 3rd Panzer Regiment’s 1st Battalion, Panzer as they fought, and failed, to along with many of its half-tracks, capture Bizory. On January 7th the anti-tank guns and artillery units. As Hitler Jugend were inally ordered they escaped, 9th Panzer Division to withdraw. The Germans around also suffered a further reverse, losing Bastogne now lacked the combat the village of Humain after ten hours strength to defeat the reinforcements of heavy ighting with 2nd Armoured arriving from the south and so, against Division. Their westward advance the odds, Bastogne had been held. had also been completely halted by the new American armour. 2nd General Hasso von Manteuffel, Panzer and the Panzer Lehr had paid commanding 5th Panzer Army, a very heavy price for their success in later commented that ‘the defence of getting so close to the Meuse bridges. Bastogne, undertaken in apparently hopeless circumstances, was decisive The Relief of Bastogne in foiling our offensive plans.’ On December 26th, Colonel led a small task A Gamble Lost force of 4th Armoured Division tanks The crushing defeat at Foy Notre and half-tracks through the snow in Dame, Celles and then Humain a risky direct attack against Assenois, would effectively see the end of the south of Bastogne. His bold attack German offensive and any hope of swept the surprised Germans aside crossing the Meuse, if not the end of and achieved the irst link up with the ighting in the Ardennes. Only troops of 101st Airborne inside the 5th Panzer Army had come within siege’s perimeter. As yet, the relief sight of the Meuse bridges, but they effort hung by a narrow thread had failed to capture any. Wacht am but, over the next few days, more Rhein had been a huge gamble - and it of Patton’s forces would arrive to had been lost. defend and widen the new corridor. The cost to the Nazi war effort was In response, the Germans planned severe. The offensive had incurred and mustered the forces for a approximately 70,000 German major attack on December 30th, casualties - over 10,000 dead, 34,000 to simultaneously strike from east wounded and 23,000 missing. For

23 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

the Americans (and the few British panzers; only pockets of resistance Panzer Army: 2nd Panzer, the Lehr troops involved), the casualty lists and local counter-attacks once Division and 116th Panzer, had come would read over 8,000 dead, 47,000 Germany itself was invaded. anywhere close to achieving their wounded and 29,000 missing. missions - but lack of fuel had inally The ‘last ’ had failed, crippled them. Between December 16th and 31st, the ultimately lacking the numbers to German Army recorded the loss of sustain the attack and, vitally, retain The failure in the Ardennes would 324 panzers, although the US claimed the initiative over the Americans. perhaps have its greatest implications 413 knocked out. Meanwhile, the on the Eastern Front where German Germans claimed to have destroyed Insuficient troops had meant units were denuded of fresh supplies 1,742 US tanks; a ludicrously high the armoured spearheads had of tanks, men, fuel and ammunition total, with the US igure of 733 lost been weakened to maintain lank and denied the support of the being far more likely. Although protection, and even then it wasn’t divisions which had been husbanded severe, the US losses would be enough to prevent momentum- for Wacht am Rhein. The Russian replaced – the German ones could sapping US counter-attacks. The US army would soon launch a massive not be. response had been too quick. Even offensive from its Vistula river the much-vaunted Waffen SS panzer bridgeheads that would sweep aside Despite the casualties being relatively divisions had, in truth, performed the German Army in western Poland even, the German strategic situation poorly. With the shortest distance to and result in the Soviets reaching the had, despite the sacriice, only cover, 12th SS Panzer had failed to Oder river in just two weeks. deteriorated. After Wacht am Rhein, break through at Elsenborn Ridge. their last major armoured forces 1st SS, even with Peiper’s dash, had The German defenders simply lacked on the Western Front were now only reached halfway before his suficient forces to hold them and spent. Many of the best German forces were out of fuel, stranded, an increasingly desperate defence panzer divisions were gutted in the surrounded and destroyed. 2nd SS was all that was left to them. After ighting and, with a mere trickle joined the ighting late and then gambling on Wacht am Rhein and of replacements to rebuild them, failed to break through at Manhay. losing, the fall of the Reich was now they could not launch any further Those divisions redeployed to inevitable. threatening offensives. Never again Bastogne had failed there too. Only would the Western allies face massed the regular army divisions of 5th

RETAKING THE ARDENNES started to pull their units out - irst days to mop-up the last Germans The German offensive had been the armour, then the infantry - as west of the Our. stopped, the panzers had failed they collapsed the bulge back to the and the surviving tanks were soon Our river while being careful not to To the south, the American 4th withdrawn from the front, leaving weaken the perimeter too much. The and 5th Infantry Divisions had the infantry to hold the ‘bulge’ that American forces meanwhile pushed counter-attacked over the Our and had been captured across southern north, south and east again, retaking Sûre rivers, recaptured Diekirch Belgium. The Americans, with ground they had already captured and the pressure on 7th Army some British aid, set about the task once. The US First Army, advancing was mounting. The survivors of recapturing the lost ground. It from the north, and Third Army of 2nd Panzer and the Panzer would take most of January 1945, from the south made contact at Lehr Divisions were both moved ighting in deep snow, to retake it Houffalize on January 16th – exactly south to shore up the lagging but now the Americans’ massive one month after the German Volksgrenadier divisions and avoid advantage in manpower and war offensive had begun. By then, an American breakthrough that matériel could be fully brought however, the only panzer division could still result in them being to bear. For the Germans, on the still in Belgium was 116th Panzer, surrounded and then a disaster defensive again, it would be a and they were already pulling back, further to the north. retreat back to their original starting pursued by enemy artillery ire and positions and beyond. air attacks. The enemy units the The withdrawal was rapid and Americans had hoped to surround (as ever) well-organised while The salient the German offensive had escaped back to the east. deepening snow slowed American had thrust west was now in progress and poor weather a dangerous position and the By January 21st, all that remained protected the retreat against roving Americans planned counter- of Operation Wacht am Rhein was a Allied air power. By the start of offensives from the north and small German perimeter guarding February, the Americans were back south to cut-off and encircle 10-12 the Our bridges at Dasburg and on the front lines they had occupied German divisions within it. To the Vianden. The last defenders made a in mid-December and the Germans Germans, the ground they now brief stand on the Clerf river but the had saved the remains of their held was of little value but the US 26th Infantry retook Clervaux, divisions engaged in Belgium. troops and equipment were. Aware which had fallen on December 18th, of their precarious situation, they on January 26th. It took ive more

24 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

DUELS IN THE MIST Special Rules for re-fighting the Battle of the Bulge

Above: A SdKfz 251/3 radio half track of 116th 4-6 Determined NEW US SPECIAL RULES Panzer Division (Windhund) advances through the Wild Rumours ...... 10 pts The troops have heard the mist. Behind, an M10 tank destroyer lies wrecked. rumours and are now more This is a new HQ choice for any determined not to give in and American battlegroup (Armoured surrender and to take some Division, Infantry Division or measure of revenge on the enemy. Fuel counter, play the counter on a Airborne Division). The US Battlegroup’s starting BR single German vehicle anywhere on total is increased by a D6. the table and roll a D6. American troops have heard rumours of disguised iniltrators and that SS Germans Low on Fuel . . . 15 pts 1.The vehicle has just enough fuel to units have been executing prisoners keep going for the rest of the game. of war in cold blood. This may This is a second new HQ choice for any American battlegroup 2-4. The vehicle can make one more well make Americans troops more move, then its fuel tanks are empty reluctant to surrender, for fear of (Armoured Division, Infantry Division or Airborne Division). and it is immobilised. being shot, or it might spook them. 5-6. The vehicle is completely out Before the irst turn, roll on the table of fuel and the crew abandon it. It below. Fuel supply (or lack of it) was a constant problem for German counts as destroyed. Take a Battle Rating counter for the loss. 1 Spooked armoured formations throughout the The rumours have spooked the offensive. This special rule means men and they are fearful of facing that the enemy you will face today is NEW US UNITS For the Ardennes in 1944, the a vicious and callous enemy. already suffering from fuel shortages. following new vehicles can be added Reduce the Americans starting BR to the US Armoured Division, Infantry total by a D6. If the US player draws an Air Attack 2-3 OK counter, he can chose to use it either Division and Airborne Division lists (see Battlegroup Overlord for the Your units have heard the as an Air Attack as normal (see Low full lists). Add these to the relevant rumours but are OK, they ight as Cloud Cover for further rules) or as sections of the army lists. normal. an Out of Fuel counter. As an Out of

25 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

TANK UNITS Jeep Reconnaissance Team reconnaissance troops, a light Self-Propelled Tank Destroyer Option: tank company and an ...... 38 pts 2-r BR Upgrade Jeep to: company. These last two units were (Restricted) Armoured Jeep ...... +4 pts generally divided to support the M36 Jackson ...... 46 pts 2-r BR reconnaissance sections and were not (Restricted) US CAVALRY intended to ight as coherent units Additional American units for themselves. Each Armoured Division Self-Propelled Tank Destroyer Armoured Divisions, 1944-45 also had two cavalry squadrons (each Battery of two troops) attached. Option: Forming part of the initial US Upgrade all M10 Wolverines to: defenders on the Ardennes front was The heart of the cavalry squadron M18 Hellcats ...... +4 pts each the 14th Cavalry Group. Attached was the three reconnaissance troops. (Restricted) to V Corps for reconnaissance Each consisted of six jeep teams - half operations over the border into MG-armed, half 60mm mortar-armed RECONNAISSANCE Germany, the 14th Cavalry Group - and a three-vehicle armoured car was composed of two cavalry section of M8 Greyhounds. Again, SUPPORT UNITS the troops did not generally operate Light Tank squadrons. Each squadron was together as one unit but would M24 Chaffee ...... 48 pts 2-r BR formed with a HQ and service usually form into smaller sections, (Restricted) troop, a medical detachment, three

Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop...... 170 pts 9-r BR For each Troop you may choose 4 Support units

Platoon Composition: 1 Troop HQ Jeep, 2 Scout Jeep Bazooka team ...... 18 pts 1-r BR MG Teams, 3 Scout Jeep mortar teams, 1 Armoured Car Unit Composition: 2 men with a Bazooka Section and up to 5 Troop Support Options. Transport: Jeep

Special Rules: Unique, Scout2 Stretcher Bearer team ...... 14 pts 1i BR Troop HQ Jeep Unit Composition: 2 men Unit Composition: 3 men Transport: Jeep Transport: Jeep with pintle-mounted MG Special Rules: Medic Special Rules: Oficer, Artillery Spotter

Scout Jeep MG Teams Light Tank Platoon ...... 90 pts 6-r BR Unit Composition: 3 men Unit Composition: 3 M5 Stuarts Transport: Jeep with pintle-mounted MG 1 M5 (Oficer, Artillery Spotter) 2 M5s Scout Jeep Mortar Teams Add up to 2 additonal M5s Unit Composition: 3 men with 60mm mortar ...... +30 pts each +2-r BR each Transport: Jeep

Armoured Car Section Anti-tank Gun...... 32 pts 2-r BR Unit Composition: 3 M8 Armoured Cars Unit Composition: 57mm anti-tank gun with 3 crew 1 M8 (Oficer, Artillery Spotter) Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts 2 M8s Beep Tow ...... +4 pts M3 half track tow ...... +10 pts Troop Support Options The Troop may take up to 5 Troop Support Options. Each option cannot be taken more than once. The Light Supply Half Track ...... 12 pts 1-i BR Tank platoon counts as a single choice. Unit Composition: 1 M3 half track Special Rules: Resupply M8 HMC ...... 24 pts 2-r BR

26 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

VEHICLE MOVEMENT ARMOUR ARMAMENT Off-Road Road Special Front Side Rear Weapon Mount Ammo

M36 Jackson 9" 14" - M N O 90mmL53 Turret 5 Open-Topped MG Hull -

VEHICLE MOVEMENT ARMOUR ARMAMENT Off-Road Road Special Front Side Rear Weapon Mount Ammo

M18 Hellcat 14" 24" - M N O 76mmL53 Turret 5 Open-Topped MG Pintle -

VEHICLE MOVEMENT ARMOUR ARMAMENT Off-Road Road Special Front Side Rear Weapon Mount Ammo

M24 Chaffee 12" 18" - L N N 75mmL40 Turret 5 MG Co-axial - MG Bow -

VEHICLE MOVEMENT ARMOUR ARMAMENT Off-Road Road Special Front Side Rear Weapon Mount Ammo

Armoured Jeep 6" 24" - O O O MG Pintle - Open-Topped of jeeps and armoured cars, for NEW GERMAN The requirement to roll a 6 is lost their roving scouting role (these are SPECIAL RULES if the Disguised unit opens ire at already represented in the American an American unit, after which it is army lists as the Recce Support Infiltration treated as an enemy unit as normal. Assets). These small units would also This is a new HQ choice for any German battlegroup (Panzer be reinforced by light tanks, anti-tank NEW GERMAN UNITS Division, Infantry Division or guns (when defending a position, The following new units can be Fallschirmjäger Division). these would be on detached service added to the German Panzer Along the front, German units from other local units) and self- Division, Infantry Division and have been iniltrating into US propelled assault guns. Again, the Fallschirmjäger Division lists (see lines, and rumours of already troop was not supposed to ight as a Battlegroup Overlord for the full lists). being outlanked or surrounded whole but, during the early Ardennes Add these to the relevant sections of are spreading confusion and panic ighting, the 14th Cavalry had little the army lists. amongst the troops. At the start of choice as it was caught up in the irst the game, the US side must take a German attacks and required to hold TANK UNITS the line as best it could. Battle Rating counter because his men are now ‘windy’. Also, a single Captured US Vehicle Reconnaissance support Foot Patrol This has been recently captured A Reconnaissance Troop can be from the Americans and turned added to the American Armoured may start the game with the ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ special rule. against them (whilst the ammo Division Battlegroup list for 1944 and lasts). A captured vehicle cannot be the American Battlegroup list for Fall resupplied during a game. of the Reich in 1945. It counts as an New Unit Special Rule Disguise Infantry Asset (because it is not being Unit Composition: 1 US Vehicle The Germans are using some used in its standard scouting role, but M8 Greyhound ...... 21 pts 1-r BR disguised vehicles and troops to try for frontline combat duties). M5 Stuart ...... 30 pts 2-r BR to get through the lines and sow M3 Sherman...... 50 pts 3-r BR confusion in the rear. A German As only a single Troop was included M3 Sherman (76mm) .54 pts 3-r BR unit with the Disguise special rule in each Infantry Division, it cannot M10 Wolverine ...... 34 pts 2-r BR cannot be ired at by any American be included in this list, as it would be M18 Hellcat ...... 38 pts 2-r BR used for its main role, reconnaissance, unit (they think it’s their own side, after all) unless they irst roll a 6. and not as a main combat unit and so Special Rules: Unique is already represented by the army This check is made before rolling any list’s Recce Support Assets. other dice for shooting (i.e. rolling to spot, etc). If a 6 is rolled, any iring is then resolved as normal. If a 6 is not rolled, then the Open Fire order is wasted.

27 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

RECONNAISSANCE reconnaissance battalion For the purposes of this list, it is SUPPORT UNITS (Aufklärungbattalion), constituted of assumed that the reconnaissance platoon is ighting in a standard Greif Team ...... 31 pts 2-v BR a HQ, a heavy and a light armour infantry role, rather than in their Unit Composition: 3 men with 1 car company and two light infantry more advanced scouting role, so demolition charge, in a Jeep. companies as their infantry support. they are selected as an Infantry Asset Special Rules: Scout2, Behind Enemy (not Reconnaissance Support, where Lines, Disguise, Unique From 1942, the light infantry companies began to replace their reconnaissance patrols are already standard issue motorcycles and listed). Disguised Panther (Restricted) light car transports with the new Unit Composition: 1 Panther, SdKfz 250 series of light half tracks, Each MG team counts as its machine disguised as M10(-ish) to improve their off-road speed and gun for Rate of Fire (RoF) - the extra Panther ...... 100 pts 3-r BR mobility (seen as vital when leading man doesn’t provide additional Special Rules: Scout, Disguise, tracked vehicles which could/ RoF, but is a spare crewman and Unique would move cross-country). The ammunition bearer. replacement vehicles came into service PANZER gradually but, by 1943, all the Panzer This new unit is available to German AUFKLÄRUNG ANGRIFF! divisions were to have equipped their Panzer Division battlegroups in 1944. Additional Unit for German reconnaissance battalion’s infantry Panzer Divisions, 1944-1945 with the new transports. At irst, SCENARIO SPECIAL RULE Throughout the irst days of most divisions could only re-equip Any of the Battlegroup scenarios Operation Wacht am Rhein, as the one of their two reconnaissance can be adapted to be played in panzer divisions searched for the infantry companies, with the planned an Ardennes setting, for their fastest routes west, they were re-equipping continuing into 1944. deployment zones, objectives, etc. invariably led by their reconnaissance But, even by 1945, (and despite the But, if they are, the following scenario units, often operating as independent introduction of a new, easier to special rules must be included. Kampfgruppen, roving ahead of the manufacture version of the 250 half main bodies, deep into the US rear. track) many of the companies were Low Cloud Cover As well as inding routes west, these still ielding some wheeled transports The German offensive was timed light reconnaissance units also had to and motorcycles. On paper, in late to utilise the weather conditions, assist in clearing the way for the main 1944, each of the light infantry to minimise the US advantage in body against American roadblock companies consisted of three platoons airpower. Low cloud, mist and then positions thrown in the advance’s of armoured infantry. Each platoon snow all greatly hindered American path and in capturing any important was organised as follows. air support. In any scenario set in the bridges. Each leading Kampfgruppe Bulge in the winter of 1944-45, before was not simply the reconnaissance A platoon command squad of the start of the game, the German battalion alone but an effective, four men, including the platoon player should roll for cloud cover. combined-arms unit built around the commander (an oficer or senior 1-2 Clear Skies reconnaissance battalion, including NCO); a two man stretcher bearer The skies are currently clear. Air attached support from the panzer team and the oficer’s aide (radioman, Support operates as normal in this battalions, anti-tank and anti-aircraft messenger, dog’s body). They battle. battalions and a range of divisional were transported in two vehicles, a 3-4 Overcast and corps artillery ire support (when standard SdKfz 250/1 and a 37mm- The low clouds are impeding air still in range). armed SdKfz 250/10 (or 28mm support. If an Air Attack counter is Panzerbuchse 250/11). Both vehicles drawn, roll for an aircraft’s arrival Of course, such leading units make also had drivers. Each of a platoon’s as normal. If the roll is successful, excellent forces for a wargame, two rile squads had 12 men in total. then re-roll the result and the to ight (historically accurate) These were again split over two second result must be used. A unit engagements against the American SdKfz 250/1 half tracks, with teams with the Air Spotter special rule is roadblocks, but the Panzer Division of six men to each vehicle. Each team also affected by these conditions army list is designed to recreate included a light machine gun, in and must re-roll. Timed air strikes a division’s main combat forces addition to the machine gun mounted are not affected by the overcast and their support, not these lighter on the transport itself. Each squad conditions and arrive as normal. reconnaissance units. In order to also had to provide two drivers and 5-6 Fogged in recreate units like Kampfgruppe Krag two gunners for its vehicles (these The low cloud and mist is too (2nd SS), Kampfgruppe von Böhm men have been removed from the thick - no aircraft can operate. Any (2nd Panzer), Kampfgruppe Fallois teams listed; it is assumed they Air Attack counter drawn counts (Panzer Lehr) and Schnellgruppe remain with the vehicle to provide as a 1 instead - do not roll for the Knittel (1st SS) the following ire support). Each platoon would arrival of an aircraft. All timed additional Armoured Reconnaissance then be supported by machine guns, air strikes are cancelled and do Infantry Platoon can be added to the mortars and anti-tank guns deployed not take place. Any aerial artillery Panzer Division army list. from the company’s heavy weapon’s observers are grounded and platoon. removed from the Battlegroup. Each German Panzer Division Also reduce the Battlegroup’s total included is own ‘organic’ BR by the aerial observer’s value. 28 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Armoured Reconnaissance Infantry Platoon ...... 181 pts 16-r BR For each Platoon you may choose 4 Support units

Platoon Composition: 1 Reconnaissance Platoon Panzerschreck team ...... 22 pts 1-r BR Command Squad, 1 Stretcher Bearer Team, 1 Unit Composition: 2 men with a Panzerschreck SdKfz250/10, 4 MG Teams and up to 5 Platoon Support Transport: May squeeze into Platoon Command Options. Squad’s SdKfz 250/1 or 250/10

Special Rules: Unique, Scout2 Medium Mortar team ...... 23 pts 1-r BR Unit Composition: 1 SdKfz 250/7 Reconnaissance Platoon Command Squad Unit Composition: 2 men Anti-tank Gun...... 27 pts 2-r BR Transport: SdKfz 250/1 half track Unit Composition: 50mm PaK38 gun with 3 crew Special Rules: Oficer, Mortar Spotter Upgrade anti-tank gun to 75mm PaK40 .... +20 pts Options: Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Upgrade Mortar Spotter to Artillery Spotter Opel Tow ...... +8 pts ...... +10 pts SdKfz 250/1 tow ...... +12 pts

SdKfz 250/10 Light Armoured Car ...... 20 pts 1-r BR Unit Composition: 1 SdKfz 250/10 Unit Composition: 1 SdKfz 222 Options: Special Rules: Scout Upgrade to SdKfz 250/11 ...... free Replace with SdKfz 250/9 ...... free

Stretcher Bearer Team Heavy Armoured Car ...... 22 pts 1-r BR Unit Composition: 2 men Unit Composition: 1 SdKfz 234/1 Transport: In platoon commander’s SdKfz 250/1 Special Rules: Scout Special Rules: Medic Replace with SdKfz 234/2 Puma ...... +6 pts Replace with SdKfz 234/3 ...... +12 pts 4 MG Teams Unit Composition: 4 men with bipod MG34 SdKfz 250/8 ...... 27 pts 1-r BR Transport: SdKfz 250/1 half track Options: Team may take a Panzerfaust ...... +5 pts Armoured Reconnaissance Squad Upgrade any MG34 for a bipod MG42 . . . . . +4 pts ...... 32 pts 3-r BR Squad Composition: 1 MG Team in SdKfz 250/1 Platoon Support Options The entire platoon may be upgraded to Veteran for MG Team ...... +20 pts +5-v BR Unit Composition: 4 men with a bipod MG34 Transport: SdKfz 250/1 half track The platoon may include up to ive of the following Options: additional units. No unit may be taken more than once. Team may take a Panzerfaust ...... +5 pts Upgrade any MG34 for a bipod MG42 . . . . .+4 pts Heavy Machine Gun team ..... 18 pts 1-r BR Upgrade squad to Veterans...... +4 pts +1-v BR Unit Composition: 3 men with a tripod MG34 Replace MG34 with tripod MG42...... +4 pts Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts SdKfz 250/11 Mount in SdKfz 251/1 ...... +12 pts

29 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

THE ARMY LISTS his section contains a single Army Each Army List is organised into ten FRONT LINE ASSETS TList, for battlegroups constructed different types of units, divided into Forward Headquarters from the new Volksgrenadier two halves. The irst half is called This is the battlegroup commander divisions, a new organisation for Front Line Assets. This consists of (that’s you) and any specialist units German infantry, which would the principal combat units of the that are attached to him, such as replace the standard infantry battlegroup, its infantry, tanks and Communications units. The Forward divisions, but lacked manpower and artillery, along with its battleield Headquarters can sometimes be a included many captured weapons, command and any prepared ighting unit, right up to operating in especially artillery. defences. the tank, whilst attached to it might be radio vehicles, messengers or other The other army lists that can be The second half is called Support sub-commanders. used for playing battles during the Assets, second line and specialist Ardennes offensive can all be found units which lend aid to the front For each Forward Headquarters in Battlegroup Overlord. US Armoured, line. These include such specialists unit in your battlegroup, you can Infantry and Airborne forces can all as Reconnaissance units, Engineers, include a single unit chosen from be used, with very few changes to Logistics, Additional Fire Support either Logistics, Specialist Units or those formation which had fought and Specialist Units. Additional Fire Support. the Normandy campaign. The few additions to these army lists have Support Assets can only be taken Infantry been included in the Special Rules by irst including Front Line assets. These are the ground-pounders, sections of this book. For each Front Line asset included the squads and platoons of ighting in your battlegroup, you are allowed infantry, which might be directly Likewise, for the German forces, from to purchase a unit from a Support supported by infantry-borne heavy the Battlegroup Overlord book, the section. The Support section you weapons like machine guns or lighter following army lists should be used: can take is dictated by which Front mortars. Panzer Division, Infantry Division Line Asset was chosen. The details and Fallschirmjäger Division. The are covered below, and again in the For each infantry unit in your few additions to these army lists have Army Lists themselves. battlegroup, you can also include been included in the Special Rules a single unit chosen from either sections of this book. Engineers, Reconnaissance or Specialist Units.

Tanks The front line armour, squadrons of the main ighting vehicles, including self-propelled guns as well as the tanks.

For each Tank unit in your battlegroup, you can also include a single unit from either Engineers, Logistics, Reconnaissance or Specialist Units.

Artillery These are the guns dedicated to supporting your own battlegroup. Above right: A Sherman tank column on the move to the front. 30 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

UNIT AVAILABILITY INFANTRY REQUIREMENT TABLE The Army Lists also place some Game Level Max Restricted German Infantry US Infantry restrictions on how many units your Points Units Min Max Min Max battlegroup can include. Squad 350 2 1 squad 1 platoon 1 squad 1 platoon Platoon 750 3 1 platoon 2 platoons 1 platoon 2 platoons Infantry Platoons Company 1500 4 2 platoons 3 platoons 2 platoons 4 platoons A battlegroup must include some Battalion 3000 5 3 platoons 6 platoons 3 platoons 9 platoons infantry. It cannot function without infantry to support the tanks and hold the ground it captures. The Restricted Units Restricted unit, but each one still Allied player and German player The army lists note some units as counts as a Restricted choice. have different maximum limits, being ‘Restricted’. These are rare because of the different character units to which an army just would Unique Units of their ighting forces and the not have easy access. Restricted units Some units have the ‘Unique’ quantities of infantry each side are limited by the size of game. In a special rule. This means you can could historically ield. The size of Squad-level game, you may take two only include one of them, regardless the game also dictates the minimum restricted units. In a Platoon-level of the size of the game. Some and maximum amount of infantry game you may take three Restricted very rare units are rated as both your force can include, shown on units. In a Company-level game, ‘Restricted’ and ‘Unique’; this means the Infantry Requirement Table you may take four Restricted units. you only have one, and it counts as above. As noted in the army lists In a Battalion-level game, you may one of your restricted choices. themselves, some may vary from take ive Restricted units. You can this. take more than a single unit of a

31 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

They might be deployed in close enemy’s positions and movements. support. Demand upon these units support, as actual models on the Reconnaissance units vary from is always great, and no battlegroup table, or a bit further to the rear infantry patrols on foot, to fast commander can have all the aid he as off-table support. These are the moving units on motorcycles (or would like, but corps, front and army battalion’s, regiment’s or division’s even horses), to armoured cars and command can lend the support of own ‘organic’ guns. Larger guns from light tanks and can also include aerial heavier guns, as well as providing the supporting corps, army and front reconnaissance units. a few useful tactics, like counter- level artillery units must be taken battery ire missions to attack off- from Additional Fire Support. Logistics table enemy artillery or pre-timed For each Artillery unit in your Second line logistical support units barrages and air strikes. battlegroup, you can also include include supply vehicles, that bring a single unit from Additional Fire extra ammunition and fuel to the This section also includes the army’s Support. front lines, and the medical support Table, which is of aid posts and combat medics. They used should an aircraft arrive to aid Defences aren’t ighting units, but still fulil an the battlegroup. This part of the army list can only be important role. used if the battlegroup is the defender Specialist Units in an Attack-Defence scenario, in Engineers These are the oddities and rare units. which case they may be dug in to Negotiating a battleield requires These are units or vehicles that don’t prepared positions, behind mineields many engineering tasks, from easily it into the other categories, and anti-tank ditches, inside pillboxes building bridges and clearing as well as rare units which, whilst and strongpoints, etc. mineields, to attacking enemy present in the 1944-45 ighting, would strongpoints with special weapons not have formed the backbone of Defences do not allow a battlegroup like lamethrowers. Engineer a battlegroup – often this includes to include any extra support units. support includes all this, in the form uncommon heavy anti-tank or anti- of pioneer (or sapper) units and aircraft guns or some unique, ‘Elite’ SUPPORTING ASSETS specialised engineering vehicles, like rated units. Reconnaissance bridge-laying vehicles, demolition Any battlegroup can be supported units and recovery vehicles. USING THE BATTLEGROUP by its parent division’s (or corps’) ARMY LISTS reconnaissance units, seeking out Additional Fire Support The Army Lists included allow you the enemy for them and aiding the Beyond your battlegroup’s parent to select a (hopefully) balanced force battlegroup commander by providing division, there is a whole army of to play a game. The easiest way of him with good intelligence on the extra artillery units that can lend doing this is to use a Battlegroup Organisation Chart (see Appendix). This chart contains all the different types of unit and places to note down points values, Battle Ratings, how many Oficer units it includes and how many Scout units.

When creating a battlegroup, units are ‘bought’, using points. Before a game, the players should have set a points limit, for example 1,000 points, and these points are spent on units. As you select a unit, note it down on the Organisation Chart along with its Battle Rating, until you have no points left. You should only expend the points available to you; do not exceed the total.

32 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

– ARDENNES 1944 to 1945 – VOLKSGRENADIER DIVISION BATTLEGROUP FORWARD HEADQUARTERS UNITS Each unit taken from Forward Headquarters allows a support choice from either: Logistics or Additional Fire Support

Forward Headquarters ...... 21 pts 3-r BR Forward Signals Unit ...... 17 pts 1-i BR Unit Composition: 3 men Unit Composition: 3 men Transport: Kübelwagen Transport: Radio medium truck or radio van Special Rules: Senior Oficer, Artillery Spotter, Unique Special Rules: Communications, Unique

Options: Replace Kübelwagen with: Heavy Car...... +2 pts Comms Relay Team ...... 13 pts 0-i BR Schwimmwagen ...... +2 pts Unit Composition: 2 men Transport: None Special Rule: Communications Iniltration...... 15 pts 0 BR Along the front, German units have been iniltrating Motorcycle Dispatch Rider .... 11 pts 0-i BR into US lines and rumours of already being outlanked Unit Composition: 1 man or surrounded are spreading confusion and panic amongst their troops. At the start of the game, the US Transport: Motorcycle side must take a Battle Rating counter because his men Special Rule: Dispatches are now ‘windy’. Also, a single Reconnaissance Support Volksgrenadier Foot Patrol may start the game with the ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ special rule. Wire Team...... 6 pts 0-i BR Unit Composition: 2 men Transport: None Special Rule: Wire Communications

33 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

INFANTRY UNITS Each unit taken from Infantry allows a support choice from: Reconnaissance, Engineers or Specialist units.

Volksgrenadier Platoon ...... 85 pts 7-i BR For each Platoon you may choose 4 Support units

Panzerschreck team ...... 22 pts 1-i BR Platoon Composition: 1 Volksgrenadier Platoon Unit Composition: 2 men with a Panzerschreck Command Squad, 3 Volksgrenadier Squads and 3 MG Teams and up to 3 Platoon Support Options.

Medium Mortar team ...... 24 pts 1-i BR Volksgrenadier Platoon Command Squad Unit Composition: 3 men with 80mm mortar Unit Composition: 6 men Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Special Rules: Oficer, Mortar Spotter Options: May take up to 2 Panzerfausts ...... +5 pts each Anti-tank Gun...... 27 pts 2-i BR Unit Composition: 50mm PaK38 gun with 3 crew 3 Volksgrenadier Squads Upgrade anti-tank gun to 75mm PaK97/38 . +13 pts Unit Composition: 5 men Upgrade anti-tank gun to 76.2mm PaK36(r). +17 pts Options: Upgrade anti-tank gun to 75mm PaK40 .... +20 pts ...... +5 pts each May take up to 2 Panzerfausts Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Squad may replace all riles with SMGs ...... free Horse and Limber tow ...... +2 pts Squad may replace all riles with assault riles Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts ...... +10 pts Opel Maultier Tow ...... +8 pts SdKfz 6 half track tow ...... +8 pts 3 MG Teams Unit Composition: 3 men with a bipod MG34

Options: Infantry Gun ...... 19 pts 1-i BR Upgrade any MG34 for a bipod MG42 .....+4 pts Unit Composition: 75mm infantry gun with 3 crew Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Platoon Support Options Horse and limber tow...... +2 pts The platoon may include up to three of the following Heavy Car tow...... +2 pts additional units. No unit may be taken more than once.

Combat Medic...... 8 pts 0-i BR Unit Composition: 1 man Volksgrenadier Squad ...... 20 pts 1-i BR Special Rule: Medic Squad Composition: 1 Volksgrenadier squad and 1 MG Team Volksgrenadier Squad Light Mortar team ...... 12 pts 1-i BR Unit Composition: 2 men with 50mm mortar Unit Composition: 5 men Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Options: May take up to 2 Panzerfausts ...... +5 pts each Squad may replace all riles with SMGs ...... free Heavy Machine Gun team ..... 18 pts 1-i BR Squad may replace all riles with assault riles Unit Composition: 3 men with a tripod MG34 ...... +10 pts Replace MG34 with tripod MG42...... +4 pts MG Team Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Unit Composition: 3 men with a bipod MG34 Options: Upgrade any MG34 for a bipod MG42 ...... +4 pts

34 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

TANK UNITS Each unit taken from Tanks allows a support choice from: Reconnaissance, Engineers, Logistics or Specialist units.

StuG III Battery ...... 120 pts 9-r BR Panzer IV Unit Composition: 3 StuG III Gs Unit Composition: 1 Panzer IV 1 StuG III G (Oficer, Mortar Spotter) Panzer IV G ...... 50 pts 3-r BR 2 StuG III Gs Panzer IV H ...... 56 pts 3-r BR Special Rules: Unique

For a StuG Battery you may take 3 Support units. Panther Unit Composition: 1 Panther Panther A or G...... 90 pts 3-r BR (Restricted) Battery ...... 140 pts 9-r BR Unit Composition: 3 Hetzers 1 Hetzer (Oficer, Mortar Spotter) Captured US Tank 2 Hetzers Unit Composition: 1 Tank Special Rules: Unique M5 Stuart ...... 30 pts 2-i BR (75mm) ...... 50 pts 3-i BR For a Hetzer Battery you may take 3 Support units. M4 Sherman (76mm) ...... 54 pts 3-i BR M10 Wolverine ...... 34 pts 2-i BR You may include a StuG battery or a Hetzer battery, not both. Special Rule: Unique Assault Gun Unit Composition: 1 Assault Gun StuG III G ...... 43 pts 3-r BR StuG IV ...... 50 pts 3-r BR Hetzer ...... 52 pts 3-r BR

35 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

ARTILLERY UNITS Each unit taken from Artillery allows a support choice from: Additional Fire Support.

Forward Observer Team ...... 16 pts 1-r BR Forward Observer Team Unit Composition: 2 men Transport: Kübelwagen Special Rules: Artillery Spotter+

Towed Artillery Gun Of-Table Mortar Fire Unit Composition: 1 gun and crew Unit Composition: 1 Battery 75mmL26 Light Howitzer with 4 crew . 26 pt 2-i BR 2 80mm mortars...... 54 pts 0 BR Options: 2 120mm mortars...... 72 pts 0 BR Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts Captured Russian Towed Artillery Gun Unit Composition: 1 gun and crew 105mmL28 Howitzer with 4 crew .....34 pt 2-i BR 76.2mmL54 Field Gun with 4 crew ....26 pt 2-i BR Options: Options: Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts

150mmL30 Howitzer with 4 crew .....52 pt 2-i BR 122mmL23 Howitzer with 4 crew .....43 pt 2-i BR Options: Options: Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts Heavy Truck tow...... +6 pts Heavy Truck tow...... +6 pts

152mmL24 Howitzer with 4 crew .....48 pt 2-i BR Of-Table Artillery Fire Options: Unit Composition: 1 Battery Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts 2 75mm (L26) ield guns...... 70 pts 0 BR Horse drawn limber ...... +2 pts 2 76.2mm (L54) ield guns ...... 70 pts 0 BR Heavy Truck tow...... +6 pts 2 105mm (L28) howitzers ...... 90 pts 0 BR 2 122mm (L23) howitzers ...... 116 pts 0 BR 2 150mm (L30) howitzers ...... 135 pts 0 BR Heavy Mortar Team ...... 26 pts 1-i BR 2 152mm (L24) howitzers ...... 125 pts 0 BR Unit Composition: 120mm mortar and 3 crew 2 150mm Nebelwerfer...... 135 pts 0 BR Options: 2 210mm Nebelwerfer...... 208 pts 0 BR Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Mount in Medium Truck or Heavy car ..... +4 pts

36 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

DEFENCES Each unit taken from Defences allows no support choices. May only be taken if your battlegroup is the Defender in an Attack-Defence scenario.

Improvised Barricades ...... 5 pts 0 BR Command Bunker .....30 pts 3 BR (Restricted) 10" of improvised barricades made of earth-illed Special Rules: Senior Oficer, Mortar Spotter, Unique boxes, rubble, furniture, destroyed vehicles etc. Counts A command post in a wood and earth bunker. 4 men as hard cover for infantry behind it. in hardened cover. The cover is lost if the command unit moves. Machine Gun Dug-Out...... 32 pts 1 BR 3 men and a tripod MG34 in reinforced cover. The Artillery Observation Post ...... 26 pts 1 BR cover is lost if the MG team moves. Special Rules: Artillery Spotter+, Unique A Forward observer team in reinforced cover. The Machine Gun Pillbox ..54 pts 1BR (Restricted) cover is lost if the FAO team moves. Includes an 3 men and a tripod MG42 in hardened cover. The Forward Observer Team. cover is lost if the MG team moves. Booby-Trapped Building ...... 25 pts 0 BR Mortar Pit ...... 32 pts 1 BR A chosen building anywhere on the table has been 3 men and an 80mm mortar in reinforced cover. The wired with booby-traps. The irst time an enemy unit cover is lost if the mortar team moves. enters the building roll a D6. On a 2+, it detonates and the unit take a 3/3+ HE hit. On a 1, there is a fault and Fortified Building ...... 30 pts 0 BR the booby-trap fails to go off! A single, chosen building, anywhere on the table, it counts as reinforced cover rather than hard cover. Barbed Wire ...... 10 pts 0 BR Up to 10" of barbed wire. It is an obstacle for vehicles Foxholes ...... 10 pts 0 BR and infantry. Deploy up to 10 infantry in foxholes; they count as in reinforced cover until they move. Improvised Road Block ...... 5 pts 0 BR Something large and heavy across a road. Place on any Trenches ...... 10 pts 0 BR road or track, anywhere on the table. It counts as an Up to 10" of trenches which count as reinforced cover obstacle. for infantry in them. Anti-Tank Ditch/Embankment ...20 pts 0 BR Sniper Hideout ...... 15 pts 0BR (Restricted) A single sniper in reinforced cover. It can be placed 10" of ditch or embankment, impassable to vehicles anywhere outside of the opponent’s deployment zone. without a bridge. The cover is lost if the sniper moves. Off-table 88 Anti-Tank Shot ...... 5 pts 0 BR AT Gun Dug-out ...... 20 pts+gun 0 BR+gun The positions are covered by 88s well-camoulaged Reinforced cover for a single anti-tank gun and crew behind the lines. You may take a single 88mmL56 until the gun moves. The gun must be purchased from Aimed Fire – Armour-Piercing shot at an enemy the army list. vehicle within 30" of your table edge. The shot will hit on a dice roll of 6, with a penetration value of 6. This Minefield ...... 20 pts 0 BR requires no orders to use. A single mixed anti-tank and anti-personnel mineield.

37 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

RECONNAISSANCE SUPPORT UNITS

Sniper...... 10 pts 1-r BR Volksgrenadier Foot Patrol ..... 26 pts 1-i BR Unit Composition: 1 man Squad Composition: 1 Volksgrenadier squad Special Rules: Sniper Scout and 1 MG Team Special Rules: Scout, Mortar Spotter, Behind Enemy Options: Lines* ...... +5 pts Add a spotter Volksgrenadier Squad Unit Composition: 5 men Spotter: A sniper with a spotter increases its maximum range from 30" to 40", hitting on a 6. Options: May take up to 2 Panzerfausts ...... +5 pts each May replace all riles with assault riles . . +10 pts Motorised Reconnaissance Patrol ...... 25 pts 1-i BR MG Team Unit Composition: 3 men with a Panzerfaust Unit Composition: 3 men with a bipod MG34 Transport: Kübelwagen Options: Special Rules: Scout, Mortar Spotter Upgrade any MG34 for bipod MG42 ...... +4 pts

Options: Armoured Car Mount entire patrol on bicycles ...... +4 pts Unit Composition: 1 Armoured Car Special Rules: Scout, Mortar Spotter SdKfz 222 ...... 20 pts 1-i BR ‘Greif’ Iniltration Team ...... 31 pts 1-v BR Unit Composition: 3 men with a demolition charge Captured M8 Greyhound (unique) . .26 pts 1-i BR Transport: Captured Jeep Special Rules: Scout2, Engineers, Mortar Spotters, Recon Platoon Command .... 35 pts 2-r BR Behind Enemy Lines, Disguised, Unique Unit Composition: SdKfz 222 Special Rules: Oficer, Scout, Artillery Spotter, Unique

ENGINEER SUPPORT UNITS Assault Pioneer Squad . 40 pts 3-r BR (Restricted) Squad Composition: 1 Assault Pioneer Squad Flammpanzer 38t Hetzer and 1 MG Team Unit Composition: 1 Flammpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Flammpanzer 38(t) Hetzer ...... 48 pts 3-r BR Assault Pioneer Squad Special Rules: Unique Unit Composition: 5 men with a Panzerfaust and 2 demolition charges Transport: Mount in a Medium truck ...... +4 pts Light Bridging Unit...... 18 pts 2-r BR OR mount on bicycles ...... +4 pts Unit Composition: 6 men Options: Transport: Heavy Truck with a Bridge May replace all riles with assault riles . . . . +14 pts Special Rules: Bridging Squad may take a lamethrower ...... +10 pts Squad may take a mine sweeper...... +5 pts

Recovery Vehicle MG Team Unit Composition: Unit Composition: 1 Recovery Vehicle 3 men with a bipod MG34 Transport: Transported in Squad’s vehicle. Special Rules: Vehicle Recovery, Vehicle Repair SdKfz 9 ‘Famo’...... 18 pts 1-r BR Options: Bergehetzer...... 24 pts 2-r BR (Unique, Restricted) Upgrade any MG34 for bipod MG42 ...... +4 pts

38 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

LOGISTICS SUPPORT UNITS

Supply Column...... 6 pts 1-i BR Ambulance ...... 14 pts 2-i BR (Restricted) Unit Composition: 1 Horse drawn wagon Unit Composition: 1 Kübelwagen Ambulance Special Rules: Resupply, Unique Special Rules: Medic

Options: Options: Upgrade Kübelwagen Ambulance to Add up to 2 Horse drawn wagons ..... +3 pts each Ambulance Medium Truck ...... +2 pts

Transport Column...... 4 pts 1-i BR Stretcher Party ...... 10 pts 1-i BR Unit Composition: 1 Medium Truck Unit Composition: 2 men Special Rules: Unique Special Rules: Medic

Options: Forward Aid Post .... 20 pts 5-i BR (Restricted) Add up to 5 medium trucks ...... +4 pts each Unit Composition: 4 men with a tent Special Rules: Medic, Unique

SPECIALIST SUPPORT UNITS

Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Towed Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 46 pts 3-i BR (Restricted) Unit Composition: 1 anti-aircraft gun with crew Unit Composition: 88mm FlaK36 AA/AT gun, 4 crew 20mm FlaK with 3 crew...... 27 pts 1-i BR Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Options: Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts Add 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts SdKfz 10 halftrack tow ...... +8 pts SdKfz 7 tow ...... +8 pts 37mm FlaK with 3 crew...... 35 pts 1-i BR Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Anti-Tank Gun Battery ...... 94 pts 4-i BR Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts Unit Composition: 2 75mm PaK40 anti-tank guns each SdKfz 11 halftrack tow ...... +8 pts with 3 crew 20mm FlaK Vierling with 3 crew...... 41 pts 1-i BR Options: Include a 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts Add 3 man loader team ...... +10 pts each Medium Truck tow ...... +4 pts Horse and limber tow...... +2 pts each SdKfz 10 halftrack tow ...... +8 pts Medium truck tow ...... +4 pts each

Special Rules: Unique Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun Unit Composition: 1 vehicle Panzerjäger Team...... 21 pts 1-i BR Marder II ...... 30 pts 1-r BR (Restricted) Unit Composition: 2 men with a Panzerschreck Marder III H ...... 34 pts 1-r BR (Restricted) Marder III M ...... 28 pts 1-r BR (Restricted) Marder 38t (36r) ...... 34 pts 1-r BR (Restricted) Assault Howitzer Jagdpanzer IV (L48) ...... 52 pts 3-r BR (Restricted) Unit Composition: 1 vehicle Jagdpanzer IV (L70) ...... 64 pts 3-r BR (Restricted) StuH 42 G...... 45 pts 3-r BR (Restricted) Sturmmörser Tiger ...... 90 pts 4-r BR (Unique)

39 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

ADDITIONAL FIRE SUPPORT

Of-Table Artillery Support Request Pre-Registered Target Point . . . . 15 pts 0 BR 3rd Target Priority (5+)...... 5 pts 0 BR 2nd Target Priority (4+) ...... 10 pts 0 BR 1st Target Priority (3+) ...... 20 pts 0 BR Counter-Battery Fire Mission . . 10 pts 0 BR The counter-battery ire mission is effective on a 5+

Volksgrenadier Fire Mission Requests Timed 80mm Mortar Barrage. . 5 pts 0 BR Regimental Battery (3+ comms test) Fired by a battery of four 80mm mortars. Before the 1-4 2 80mm mortars game, write down which turn the guns will ire on. 5-6 2 120mm heavy mortars The points cost includes a pre-registered target as the target point of the barrage. Divisional Battery (4+ comms test) 1-2 2 75mm (L26) ield guns 2-4 2 105mm (L28) howitzers Timed 75mm Barrage ...... 5 pts 0 BR 5 2 122mm (L23) howitzers Fired by a battery of four 75mmL26 light ield guns. 6 2 150mm (l30) howitzers Before the game, write down which turn the guns will ire on. The points cost includes a pre-registered target Corps Battery (5+ comms test) as the target point of the barrage. 1-2 2 150mm (L30) howitzers 3-4 2 152mm (L24) howitzers 5-6 2 150mm Nebelwerfers Timed 105mm Barrage ...... 10 pts 0 BR Fired by a battery of four 105mmL28 howitzers. Before Army Battery (6+ comms test) the game, write down which turn the guns will ire on. 1-3 2 150mm Nebelwerfers The points cost includes a pre-registered target as the 4-5 2 210mm Nebelwerfers target point of the barrage. 6 2 280mm Nebelwerfers

Timed 122mm Barrage...... 20 pts 0 BR German Close Air Support Table 1944 Fired by a battery of four 122mmL23 howitzers. Before the game, write down which turn the guns will ire on. D6 Aircraft The points cost includes a pre-registered target as the 1-3 Bf109 G target point of the barrage. 1-4 No bombs 5-6 2 small bombs Timed 150mm Nebelwerfer Barrage 4-5 Fw-190 G ...... 30 pts 0 BR 1-4 8 small bombs Fired by a battery of two 150mm Nebelwerfers. Before 5-6 1 large bomb and 4 small bombs the game, write down which turn the rockets will ire on. The points cost includes a pre-registered target as 6 Choose the target point of the barrage. Select any of the above aircraft

You may always choose an aircraft from lower down the table over a higher roll. You must still roll for armament.

40 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

BATTLES IN THE BULGE ecember 1944 and January 1945 list in Overlord will work just ine be adapted to use in the Battle of the Dsaw some very heavy ighting with no modiication. Bulge. This book also contains a new in the Ardennes; irst as the Germans generic scenario for the Ardennes, broke through the frontlines and as US Forces called Roadblock. they pushed westwards and then To play with US forces, use the when they were inally brought following three lists from Battlegroup For players who would like to to a halt. The second phase saw Overlord: US Armoured Division, randomly generate a scenario, rather the Americans, with some British US Infantry Division or US Airborne than just chose one, here is table to aid, launch a counter-offensive to Division. To save space, cost and roll for. Roll a D6. retake the lost ground and drive the repetition, these three lists will not be Germans back to their start lines and repeated here. Added to these three 1-2 Meeting Engagement. Roll again. beyond. By the end of January 1945, lists are the new units and Special 1 Flank Attack (see rulebook) the Germans had retreated back to Rules described in this book’s ‘Duels 2-4 Attack/Counter-Attack where they started and were on the in Mist’ section. (see rulebook) defensive again. 5 Recce Screen (see Battlegroup German Forces Overlord) Playing games set during this period To play with German forces, use the 6 Bridgehead Breakout of the war on the Western Front three lists from Battlegroup Overlord: (see rulebook) have their own character and unique Panzer Division, Infantry Division factors which this supplement brings or Fallschirmjäger Division. To save 3-6 Attack/Defence. Roll again. to the fore. In general, though, the space, cost and repetition, these three 1-3 Roadblock (US forces are forces engaged were very much like lists are not repeated here. Added defending) those that had previously fought to these three lists is the entirely new 4 Defence Line (see rulebook, the Battle of Normandy. These list for Volksgrenadier Divisions US forces are defending) forces were covered in detail in the included in this book. Also added 5 Delaying Action Battlegroup Overlord supplement, and, to the three lists from Battlegroup (see Battlegroup Fall of the Reich. as such, will not be repeated here. Overlord are the new units and US forces are defending) Special Rules described in this book’s 6 Die Hexenkessel The Battle of the Bulge was largely ‘Duels in Mist’ section. (see Battlegroup Fall of the Reich. fought between US and German US forces are defending) forces. The small part the British Scenarios played in the counter-offensive phase Any of the previously published ARDENNES TERRAIN is not covered but, should you wish generic scenarios from other The Belgian Ardennes is a rural area to play using British forces, then the Battlegroup supplements can easily of hills, valleys, fast-lowing rivers and streams and large forests, scattered with small farming hamlets and villages with occasional larger towns at the centre of the area’s network of winding roads. These towns became important objectives, as did the many bridges over the region’s small water courses. An important part of playing battles set during Wacht am Rhein is recreating this tight terrain. This can be done in any mutually acceptable way but, for ease, a terrain generator is included here.

Using and Positioning Terrain Before playing a battle, you will need to lay out a battleield. There are various methods of doing this, but one common method is to use a terrain generator. A terrain generator is included here to cover

41 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

the broad type of terrain fought over in the Ardennes. This is not the only ARDENNES TERRAIN GENERATOR method of creating a battleield. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Players should feel free to use any 1 Small Hill Small Hill Small Hill Small Hill Large Hill Large Hill method they ind works for them. 2 Hedges Hedge Hedge Copse Wood Large Wood Using the Terrain Generator 3 Copse Copse Wood Wood Large Wood Large Wood To use the terrain generator, irst 4 Stream Stream Stream Marsh Marsh Pond/Lake divide your table roughly 24" by 24". 5 Small Building Farm Farm Farm Village Large Building Then roll a D3+1 for each square, this is the number of terrain pieces in that 6 Track Track Track Wreck Wreck Railway area. Next, roll two different coloured D6s and cross reference the terrain table. Stream Railway Line When generating a table, it is less A fordable stream. It is dificult In a cutting or on an embankment important that you follow the rules ground for vehicles and should be running from one table edge to strictly than that you create an edged by bushes and trees. another. Often railway lines followed interesting battleield. Terrain can the course of streams and river spill over the edges of its designated Marsh valleys. 24" x 24" area, by up to about half An area up to 10" x 10" of boggy its size. Roads, tracks and streams ground. Dificult ground for vehicles Lake/Pond should lead from one table edge to but provides soft cover for infantry A pond or lake up to 20" square. It another table edge or to some suitable willing to get wet. is impassable to vehicles or infantry feature. For tracks, this is likely to be (unless the vehicle is amphibious). a building or farm complex. If a road Small Building crosses a stream, then there will be a A single cottage, animal shelter or SPECIAL TERRAIN FEATURE bridge (or the remains of a bridge) or small barn. A cottage may have a HEAVY SNOW small walled garden attached. a ford. As it is winter, fords are not It had already snowed lightly in likely to be easily crossable. various areas of the Ardennes when Large Building the Germans attacked, but it was not In the end, try and use common sense A larger house, barn, grain silo, a until December 21st that heavy snow when generating your terrain and small rural church, hotel or perhaps a fell and turned the battleield into a warehouse or timber mill. make the miniature world ‘work’. winter-wonderland. So, games set earlier in the campaign need not be Farm Terrain Types under snow, they were simply cold, Small Hill Two or three small buildings, such as damp and misty days, but a snow- A low hill (hillock) up to 10" square. a cottage, stable, barn, chicken coop covered board can look very effective Small hills may be placed on large etc, clustered together. A track must and will make your Ardennes games lead to it from another road or a table hills to create higher hills. feel very different from other battles edge. in the European theatre. Large Hill Village A hill up to 20" square. Recreating light snow on the tabletop Four to six stone buildings with a requires no extra rules, it doesn’t track leading to it. Buildings are Hedge or Fence hinder men and vehicles very greatly Up to 20" of hedgerow or fencing, usually closely-packed together. but just looks nice. Heavy snow, Buildings might have outbuildings following a track or road or marking however, does affect movement. and walled gardens. ield boundaries. If a game is to take place in heavy snow conditions, the following extra Track/Road Copse rules apply. A small area of trees up to 10" square. Track, one vehicle wide, or a wider Units may ire up to 5" through road, two vehicles wide. All are earth 1. All vehicle movement counts woods. Any copse or wood can be roads; there were very few metalled as cross-country. There is no road placed on a hill. Trees were often surfaces in 1944. Roads and tracks movement. pines. are often narrow and twisting as they round, climb or descend the 2. Wheeled soft-skin vehicles (not half-tracks) count all off road Wood hillsides. A track or road must lead movement as Dangerous Ground. An area up to 20" square. Units may from one table edge to another, or to They can only move a D6". ire up to 5" through woods. a building. 3. All water features (streams, Large Wood Wrecks lakes, marshes) are frozen An area up to 30" square. Units may A few destroyed or abandoned and count as open ground for ire up to 5" through woods. vehicles, most likely US soft-skins. movement. They can be arranged along a track.

42 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN ROADBLOCK

Scenario Type: Attack/Defence. Any delays will prove costly as the Above: A US M1 76mm anti-tank gun and crew In this scenario, the US forces are Americans move reinforcements deployed to cover the approaches always defending and the Germans into place so any opposition must be to the Vielsalm bridge. are always the Attackers. quickly eradicated. In order to do this, he has sent part of his force on Situation Report an outlanking move, to get behind German forces have broken through the defenders and cut off their retreat. Special Rules the front and confusion and panic are Low Cloud Cover: Use the scenario starting to spread amidst US forces Terrain special rule, with the German player in the area. Some units are moving to There must be at least one road rolling for lying conditions at the counter the breakthrough; others are or track running from one side start of the game. pulling back in good order, while still of the table to the opposite side. others are simply running for their Approximately half way across the Time is Pressing: The German player lives. In the close terrain, the German table, is a junction where a side road does not have long to remove this advance will be restricted to the roads leads off. This is the position the US obstacle to his advance. If, at the and, thus, crossroads and other road roadblock is trying to hold. start of turn 5, the US forces are still junctions become vital objectives. ighting, then the German player As this is the Ardennes, hills and must take a Battle Rating counter at In order to slow the enemy advance, a forests dominate. Use the random the start of each of his turns. If, at local American commander has been terrain generator or any other the start of turn 10, the US forces are ordered to gather an ad hoc force mutually acceptable method to create still ighting, then the German player of any troops he can ind (even the the battleield. must take two Battle Rating counters cooks, mechanics and drivers will do) at the start of each of his turns. and form a roadblock at one of these Victory junctions. Their mission is to hold up The side that exceeds its Battle Rating Deployment the German advance for as long as must withdraw and loses the battle. 1. Determine table edges they can. The US player cannot claim an All Both players should roll a dice and Objectives Secured victory, but the add the number of scout units he has Meanwhile, the German commander German player can. in his Battlegroup. The player that has orders to push west as fast as scores the highest total may chose he can as time is of the essence. which table edge he will deploy from.

43 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

5. Ambush Fire German Table Edge A D6 US units may start the game on Ambush Fire.

6. Deploy Attacker’s Initial Forces The German player then places all the units chosen from the Reconnaissance section of his army list and 2D6+6 additional units, freely chosen from his Battlegroup, anywhere in his deployment zone, up to 10" from his table edge. Any units not deployed are the attacker’s lanking force.

7. First Turn The Germans are attacking and automatically get the irst turn.

8. Attacker’s Flanking Force US Table Edge Any of the German player’s units not initially deployed for the attack are his lanking force, attempting to work His opponent automatically gets the a D6+6 units. These units can be around the roadblock on the left or opposite table edge. freely chosen from the US player’s right. battlegroup. Any units which are 2. Place Objectives placed in Defences, such as infantry Before the game, the German player Place D3+1 objectives on the table. in foxholes or guns in dug-outs, do should write down whether his The irst objective must be the road not count towards the D6+6 total. lankers are moving to his left or junction. After that, starting with the right. From the start of turn 4, start attacker, place objectives anywhere 4. Defender Deploys rolling for the arrival of the German on the table, but not within 10" of Place all the Initial Forces and lanking force. On a 4+, they arrive any table edge and not within 10" of defences anywhere in the US and a D6 units are placed on the left another objective. deployment zone, which is 2/3 of the or right table edge (as pre-chosen), way across the table from his table within 10" of the centre point. Units 3. Determine Defender’s Initial edge. Any units not deployed are US placed on the table edge can then be Forces reinforcements. given orders from there as normal. At the beginning of the game, place all the US player’s Defences and A D6 units will continue to arrive in each subsequent turn until the entire lanking force is on the table.

9. Defender’s Reinforcements Any US forces not initially deployed are reinforcements, en route to help hold the junction, and will arrive throughout the game.

From the start of turn 2, roll a D6. On a 4+, US reinforcements have arrived. A D3* units may be placed on the US player’s table edge and can be given orders from there. Roll for reinforcements at the beginning of each US turn.

* In Company games roll a D6. In Battalion games roll 2D6.

44 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN ROADBLOCK AT THE ANTONIUSHOF FARM Game Size: Platoon his own units. Von Böhm then Situation Report raced for his irst 2nd Panzer Division’s run for the objective, a bridge Meuse began on December 17th over the Ourthe with a brief ight for the bridge river at Ortheuville. over the River Clerf at Clervaux. US Edge Table Once the American defenders Fighting a TableGerman Edge had been defeated and bridge third successful was open, the division’s leading engagement edge, a kampfgruppe of reinforced against deploying reconnaissance troops under troops of 327th Hauptman von Böhm, was released Glider Regiment to ind the route west. at Herbiamont, von Böhm’s men Early on December 18th, von Böhm’s then moved on and light armour set off, skirting north seized the bridge of the villages of Donnange and intact to allow the Lullange, but ran into their irst rest of the following enemy resistance at the Antoniushof division to continue farm, a roadblock position quickly west. thrown into place by Task Force Rose of CCR, 9th Armoured Division. This scenario recreates the Having quickly scouted the US the road are all dense and tangled. Kampfgruppe’s irst encounter at positions, von Böhm requested a They are impassable to vehicles Antoniushof Farm on December smoke screen be ired to cover his and even count as dificult ground 18th, under the dense pall of a smoke attack, which he then launched for dismounted infantry. Two US screen. in the early afternoon. With his roadblocks, of felled trees, can be reconnaissance troops supported by placed anywhere on the table, but an attached platoon of Panzer IVs, Deployment must be on the roads. his attack quickly knocked out seven The Germans are attacking and the Sherman tanks and strong mortar and Americans defending. The Americans Special Rules deploy irst, placing all their initial artillery ire forced the accompanying Heavy Smoke Screen: Before forces within 30" of their table dismounted US armoured infantry to attacking, the Germans have ired a edge. The German smoke screen withdraw. thick smoke screen which covers the has warned them that the enemy is entire table. Before the battle, roll a coming and 3D6 units may start the With the road open, 2nd Panzer’s D3+1. This is the number of turns the game on Ambush Fire. reconnaissance troops moved on and smoke screen lasts. fought another stiff ight at Baroque The Germans then deploy, placing d’Allerborn that evening where, in Whilst the smoke screen is in place, their entire force within 20" of their a 15 minute battle, they knocked out all iring on the table may only be table edge. As the attackers, the more Shermans of Taskforce Harper Area Fire, no Aimed Fire is allowed. Germans take the irst turn. The (Lt-Col Ralph Harper, commanding, On the turn number rolled (the last Americans have been out-scouted was also killed in the ighting). turn), the smoke screen is thinning. and must take a Battle Rating counter All iring returns to normal but with at the start of the game. Von Böhm’s men then pressed an additional -1 to all spotting tests rapidly on through the night and for that turn only. After this, the reached Noville, north of Bastogne, Objectives smoke screen has cleared and iring by irst light on December 19th. There are three objectives on the continues as normal for the rest of the Finding it held in strength by table: two roads junctions and the game. Taskforce Desobry of 10th Armoured largest farm building. Division, von Böhm bypassed Noville Low Cloud Cover: There is low cloud by turning north at Bourcy, leaving The Terrain cover. Air Attack counters can only it to the following 2nd Panzer tanks Play the game on a (roughly) 6' x 6' be used on a roll of 6, instead of the of Kampfgruppe Cochenhausen, table. Set up the terrain as shown usual 5-6. advancing about an hour behind on the map. The woods north of

45 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Above: A photograph taken during the recapture tank platoon arrives. Place them on Panzer Division army lists. The of the Ardennes. US infantry and observers the northern table edge, within 10" American player can take 650 points prepare to attack uphill. of the road, and then give the tanks of forces, including Defences, chosen orders from that position. from the US Armoured Division army lists. Wild Rumours: (for US player, see Alternative Forces ‘Duels in the Mist’ Special Rules). Historical forces are given but players can replay this scenario using forces US Reinforcements they have selected themselves. From turn 2, roll for US reinforcements at the start of each The German player can take 750 US turn. On a 5-6, the extra Sherman points of forces, chosen from the

US FORCES GERMAN FORCES (all US forces in this battle are Inexperienced) (all German forces in this battle are Regulars) Dismounted Armoured Infantry Platoon (no half- Forward HQ, 3 men in SdKfz 250/3 tracks present) Forward Signals Unit in SdKfz 223 .50 cal HMG team in a foxhole Armoured Reconnaissance Infantry Platoon - each Combat Medic MG team has an MG42 and a Panzerfaust. Oficer Sherman Tank Platoon - 4 M4 Shermans (1 ) upgraded to Artillery Spotter Battery of 2 82mm mortars (off-table) 2 improvised roadblocks (felled trees) – place Heavy MG42 team in SdKfz 250/1 anywhere on the roads Pak40 AT gun with loader team and Maultier tow Foxholes for 10 men 2 SdKfz 234/1 armoured cars 2 3rd Priority artillery requests 1 SdKfz 234/2 Puma 1 Fortiied Building (the farm house) Panzer IV Platoon - 5 Panzer IV Hs (1 officer) Battery of 2 80mm mortars (off-table) Reinforcements 3 1st Priority Artillery Requests Sherman Tank Platoon - 4 M4 Shermans (1 officer) Officers: 3 (including senior oficer) Officers: 3 BR: 38 BR: 34 (+ Wild Rumours result)

46 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

BATTLE OF WALLERODE A MULTI-PLAYER SCENARIO FOR THE DEFENCE OF ST VITH

Situation Report evening. By midnight, German tanks The irst side to lose two of its three December 21st, 1944. and troops were in the streets of St battlegroups due to withdrawing When the Ardennes offensive began Vith, looting US stores. The road hub loses the game. on December 16th, a vital early town had fallen. objective for 5th Panzer Army’s Special Rules attack was the road hub town of Terrain Snowfall: Today is the irst day of St Vith. By December 18th, the US This game recreates the early evening heavy snowfall. The ground is now 7th Armoured Division had rushed battle south of Wallerode, just outside covered by light snow (this has its Combat Command B into place St Vith, where the forests end and no effect on movement) but heavy to plug the gap around the town the German attack continued over snow is still falling. No aircraft are created by the defeat of the 106th the open farmland around St Vith, as available in this battle. All air attack Infantry Division on the Schnee Eifel marked on the map below. counters count as 0s instead, do not in the previous days. The US tankers roll for the arrival of aircraft. Any had a few days to get into position Objectives timed air strikes are aborted and lost. and hold off the initial enemy There are six objectives on the table, probing attacks whilst the Germans two in each 4' section. From north to Reserves: Before deployment, each regrouped their main forces, brought south, these are: a house, a hilltop, a player should roll 2D6. This is the up extra artillery and moved the road junction, a farm, another house number of units from his battlegroup Führer Begleit Brigade from reserve and a small wood. All are marked on that he must leave in reserve. These for the assault on St Vith. the map. can be any of his units, freely chosen from his battlegroup. The vanguard of the Führer Deployment Begleit Brigade would support the The game is played across a 12' x Reserves begin to arrive from the main attack by the 18th and 62nd 6' table. Each of the three forces start of turn 3, at a rate of D6 units Volksgrenadier divisions. After gets a 4' section of the front line per turn. Reserves must be placed a heavy artillery bombardment, to deploy in. Players should agree on a player’s table edge in his own the Volksgrenadiers advanced, which forces will take which sector. 4' sector of the table. They are then supported by their own StuGs and All the available German forces given orders from there. Hetzers and some of the Begleit start within 15" of their table edge. Brigade’s Panzer IVs. There was All the available American forces Picking Forces ighting all along the frontline north- start with 20" of their table edge. US Each player should select their own east, east and south-east of the town, Defences can be placed up to halfway 750 pt force from the relevant army but the Germans soon made gains across the table, including any units lists. They may not include any of with the 295th Grenadier Regiment occupying these defences. the following: Forward HQ, Forward and the attached Sturmgeschütz Signals Unit or Forward Aid Post. Brigade 244 attacking along the A D6 US units from each battlegroup main St Vith-Schönberg road from may start the game on Ambush Fire. One of each of these units will be the west. Here, lanked by the dense The Germans are attacking and so given to each side for free. Only woods of the Bois de Wallerode, take the irst turn. the Americans may take Defences; the Germans made progress all no Defences may be taken by the afternoon, until the woods gave out Command and Control Germans. to rolling farm pastures just south of At the start of each turn, a side will the village of Wallerode, only 3km roll 5D6 for orders and divide the GERMAN FORCES from St Vith itself. rolled total between their three forces There are three German forces, each in any way they wish. Each player of 750 pts. These are two companies At Wallerode, the 7th Armoured may then add his own oficer total of the 295th Grenadier Regiment, Division met the threatening advance to that score to get his orders total both chosen from the Volksgrenadier with the Shermans of 31st Tank for that turn. There should be a time Division army lists, and a Führer Battalion and men of 38th Armoured limit on each side’s turns, so the game Begleit Brigade battlegroup, chosen Infantry, supported by M10s and moves along fast, 20 minutes per side from the Battlegroup Overlord Panzer M36s of 814th Tank Destroyer is enough to get everything done. Division army lists, with some Battalion. But, throughout the early restrictions. evening, the Volksgrenadiers’ strong attack still made ground towards Battle Rating Each force ights with its own Führer Begleit Brigade St Vith, forcing the US tankers to Battlegroup Restrictions withdraw back to the town. Closely separate BR rating, keeping their own An ‘elite’ unit for the defence of pursued by the enemy, the US troops BR counters. Once a force has lost all Hitler’s own HQs, the Führer Begleit panicked and abandon St Vith that its BR, the battlegroup withdraws.

47 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Brigade was re-equipped, upgraded 18th Cavalry Squadron and sent as part of the armoured Restrictions reserve for the Ardennes offensive. A light armoured unit The brigade consisted of a Panzer deployed in the Ardennes for IV battalion, a StuG battalion, two reconnaissance operations before fully-armoured Panzergrenadier the offensive struck, in previous battalions, a pioneer company, an days it have been retreating anti-aircraft battalion (mostly with before the German attack until towed 88mm guns) and a self- it was forced to stand at St Vith propelled artillery battalion equipped and was then reinforced by 7th with and SP guns. Armoured Division’s tanks. Use the Battlegroup Overlord Panzer Division army lists, 750 pts, with the Use the American Armoured following restrictions: Division battlegroup army lists, • No Panther tanks allowed with the following restrictions: • No Tiger tanks allowed • No towed artillery allowed (must • Must include a be SP guns) Reconnaissance Troop • No Brummbär allowed • No M4 Sherman tanks (any variants) allowed US FORCES • No self-propelled artillery The Wallerode area is held by units allowed from CCB, 7th Armoured Division • No Engineer Support units (31st Tank Battalion and 38th allowed Armoured Infantry) and 18th Cavalry Squadron of 14th Cavalry Group.

There are three US forces, each 750 pts: two 7th Armoured Division battlegroups and an 18th Cavalry Squadron battlegroup. All are chosen from the Battlegroup Overlord US Armoured Division army lists. 18th Cavalry Squadron has some restrictions.

48 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

DRIVE FAST AND HOLD THE REINS LOOSE A narrative campaign for Kampfgruppe Peiper’s drive for the Meuse December 17th-22nd, 1944 his campaign is a series of seven The Battles Picking your own forces or using Tlinked historical battles, to be 1. Breakthrough at Lanzerath historical refight ones played in chronological order, as Size: Squad The campaign allows for two the 1st SS Panzer Division’s column Victory Advantages: Time for extra approaches. Players can either advances along the Ambleve river US reinforcements at Ligneuville, play the seven battles as a series of valley to Stoumont and La Gleize. scenario 2. historical reights using the forces listed for both sides in the scenarios. The battles have been chosen (from 2. Ambush at Ligneuville many potential options) to provide Size: Squad Or, the players can use the scenarios interesting and closely-fought Victory Advantages: Time for extra as the basis of their own ‘what-if’ tabletop games of various sizes. As US reinforcements at Stavelot, battles. In this case, both players can historical reights, they are not all scenario 3. pick their forces from the army lists ‘even ights’ – often, one side does given, up to the points value given, have an advantage in forces, but such 3. Crossing Stavelot Bridge including any additional new units it was at the time. Size: Platoon from this book. There are some extra Victory Advantages: US Artillery restrictions on the German player, to A battle may provide the winner with observer team arrives sooner at better represent the forces deployed a small advantage in a future game. Stoumont, scenario 4. for the offensive, so that each game Where this is so, it is noted in the will still feel like a battle involving scenario’s victory gains and in the 4. Assault on Stoumont Kampfgruppe Peiper, even if the affected scenario’s force lists. Once Size: Company forces aren’t exactly as they were on played, the winner of each battle is Victory Advantages: US the day. awarded campaign points. The player reinforcements arrive on 2+ instead with the most campaign points at the of 4+. Players should also feel free to mix end of Game 7 is the overall winner. and match these two approaches, 5. Stoumont Halt playing some battles as straight As well as playing these battles in Size: Squad historical reights and picking their order, player may wish to use them Victory Advantages: Extra US M10 own forces in others. as stand-alone scenarios, to provide reinforcement for scenario 6. an evening’s gaming entertainment. Using the American Army Lists 6. St Edouard Sanatorium The US army lists in Battlegroup Size: Platoon Overlord can be used without further Victory Advantage: None restriction. Most of the campaign’s battles will be fought using the 7. La Gleize, the Battle of So L’Hesse Infantry Division lists. Size: Platoon If the US player so wishes (and he has the correct model collection), then he can substitute US infantry division battlegroups with US airborne troops in his own ‘what-if’ scenario – assuming that the attack is actually launched in a sector that was being held by one of the airborne divisions rather than regular infantry. This option is only included so that players with an airborne force can use the campaign and it should be either used throughout the campaign or not at all; do not switch army lists between battles.

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Campaigns Points Campaign Points Table Victory in the campaign is achieved by winning campaign points. The US Victory German Victory Decisive Victory winner of each battle is awarded Bonus campaign points and both sides keep 1. Breakthrough at Lanzerath 1 2 +0 a running total through the seven 2. Ambush at Ligneuville 1 1 +1 (Special) battles. The side with the most at the 3. Crossing Stavelot Bridge 3 1 +1 end of the campaign is the winner, with the margin of victory rated by 4. Assault on Stoumont 3 3 +2 the difference between the point 5. Stoumont Halt 2 3 +0 totals. 6. St Edouard Sanatorium 2 1 +1 7. Battle of So L’Hesse 2 3 +2 Using the Battlegroup Overlord Panzer Division army lists as Decisive Victory: If one side wins a battle by reducing his opponent’s BR to Kampfgruppe Peiper zero, and his own battlegroup still has over half its BR total remaining, then In order to better replicate the actual he has won a decisive victory and gains the bonus campaign points listed forces deployed by Kampfgruppe for it. Peiper, there are few extra restrictions on the lists as they appear in (Special): There is also an additional campaign point bonus for this Battlegroup Overlord. scenario, see the scenario for details.

During this campaign, the German lists are modiied as follows:

Infantry Units • May include a single KAMPFGRUPPE PEIPER he mission of 1st SS Panzer Division (Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler) in Fallschirmjäger Platoon or squad Operation Wacht am Rhein was to rapidly get over the Meuse between from the Fallschirmjäger army list as T Liège and , in the Huy area, utilising the intact bridges that had a unique choice. already been identiied by aerial reconnaissance lights over the river. After an initial infantry-led breakthrough, the division’s vanguard would rapidly Tank Units advance through the US rear towards Huy. Then, after establishing a solid • No StuGs bridgehead over the Meuse, three fresh SS panzer divisions would take over the lead and strike north-west to capture Antwerp itself. Artillery Units • No Wespe For its prominent role in the offensive, 1st SS Panzer Division was divided • No Hummels into four combined arms Kampfgruppen, each named after its commander. • No half-track rocket The largest and most potent, to lead the race to the Meuse, would be launchers Kampfgruppe Peiper - formed around the tanks of 1st SS Panzer Regiment • Off-table artillery may only be and its commander Obersturmbannführer Joachim Peiper. 105mm

Reconnaissance Support Units This would be supported by three other units from the division: Kampfgruppe Hansen, formed around 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment; • No Armoured Cars (except an Kampfgruppe Sandig, formed around 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment SdKfz 234/1 (unique)) and Schnellgruppe Knittel, formed around 1st SS Reconnaissance Battalion. • No Recce Platoon Commander These three groups would play a supporting role to the main tank strike • No mounted Panzergrenadier force led by Peiper. Each Kampfgruppe would also be allotted its share of patrol divisional assets such as artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank units, but only Peiper would have the panzers. Engineer Support Units • No Flamethrowers For their critical role in capturing the Meuse bridges intact, Peiper’s • No Bergepanzer III armoured Kampfgruppe was a combined arms unit drawing forces from many of the recovery vehicle division’s sub-units, as follows. Specialist Support Units • No Heavy anti-tank guns 1st SS Panzer Regiment • No self-propelled anti-tank guns Commanded by Sturmbannführer Werner Poetschke (but with the unit’s • No assault howitzers actual commander, Joachim Peiper, now in overall command). The division’s • No Tiger Is panzer regiment should have been formed of two tank battalions, one of Panzer IVs and the other of Panther tanks, but crippling losses in Normandy Additional Fire Support could not quickly be replaced and the regiment was still below half strength. • No Timed 150mm Nebelwerfer Instead, it had been reformed as a single composite battalion of four barrage companies. The irst two companies, 1 and 2, were equipped with Panthers. • Maximum of Divisional-level The second two companies, 6 and 7, were equipped with Panzer IVs. Artillery Fire Requests allowed

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501st SS Heavy Tank Battalion Elements of 84th Luftwaffe Flak Battalion Commanded by Obersturmbannführer Heinz von Recognising the threat from the USAAF’s ighter- Westernhagen. To make up for the division’s shortfall bombers, this non-divisional unit was attached to in panzers, the King Tiger tanks of the 501st SS heavy provide additional air defence during the operation. tank battalion were attached to it. This unit was also well Major von Sacken’s weak battalion (not all of the unit under strength, as its organisation should have included was present) was equipped with 37mm and 20mm guns, 45 Tiger IIs in four companies, but for the operation both towed and self-propelled variants. this was reduced to just 14 in three companies. The hills and forest of the Ardennes region made a poor hunting SS Panzer Repair Company ground for these very heavy tanks. Requiring a lot of Obersturmführer Ratschko’s unit provide limited fuel and maintenance, Peiper regarded them as too slow recovery and repair facilities for the panzers. and cumbersome for the needs of his rapid advance and so initially relegated the Tigers to the rear of his column. SS Panzer Supply Company Sturmbannführer Unger’s supply trucks had their work 3rd Battalion, 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment cut out keeping the Kampfgruppe supplied throughout Commanded by Hauptsturmführer Jupp Diefenthal, the mission on the Ardennes narrow, winding roads. 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment formed the basis Fuel was critical - there would not be enough - so Peiper of Kampfgruppe Sandig, but one of its battalions was under instructions to capture and use American was detached and placed under Peiper’s command stockpiles wherever he could. to provide the bulk of his infantry support. Only the battalion’s irst company was equipped with half-track carriers, and thus operated towards the forefront of the march column, while the rest of the battalion’s espite the tank regiment being well below strength, companies were carried in trucks and followed on DKampfgruppe Peiper was the best the Germans further behind. could muster in November-December 1944 and was still powerfully equipped. 3rd SS Panzer Pioneer Company Attached to Peiper from the division’s pioneer battalion, Even after its heavy losses in France, the division had under the command of Obersturmführer Franz Sievers, been reitted in Holland and was again a very good the company’s four platoons were split. Two were ighting force. It would begin its mission with 4,800 men carried in half-tracks and two in trucks and on bicycles. and 800 vehicles. These included 117 tanks (Panzer IVs, Only the half-tracked pioneers operated in close support Panthers and Tigers IIs); 149 SdKfz 251 half-tracks of of the lead tanks. various marks; 30 anti-aircraft weapons; 18 105mm ield howitzers and six 150mm self-propelled infantry 1st SS Panzer Artillery Battalion guns (part of 3rd Panzergrenadier battalion’s heavy The division’s artillery should have been equipped with weapon’s company). self-propelled Wespe 105mm and Hummel 150mm guns but a shortage of these vehicles meant none Its manpower was very good with a core of battle- were available. Instead, the Kampfgruppe’s artillery hardened veterans of Russia and Normandy, many support, commanded by Hauptsturmführer Ludwig of whom were also fanatical Nazis. Added to these Kalischko, would be provided by regular 105mm light were good, if young, new recruits who had arrived ield guns, each towed by a truck. The artillery battalion as replacements since Normandy, many of them had three batteries, each of six guns. Ammunition, and indoctrinated Nazi ‘believers’ from the Hitler Youth its resupply, would be the artillery’s major problem organisation. There were also a few foreigners including throughout the advance. some Rumanians and even a few Belgians.

9th SS Panzer Pioneer Company The commanders were all very experienced soldiers, Hauptsturmführer Erich Rumpf’s combat engineering again mostly hardened (and some ruthless) Nazis that company operated as an integral part of the panzer had all already seen the toughest of ighting on the regiment, with two platoons being entirely equipped Eastern Front and in Normandy. with half-tracks whilst the third platoon rode on the panzers themselves to providing close engineer support to the tank crews.

10th SS Panzer Flak Company Part of the division’s anti-aircraft battalion, Obersturmführer Karl-Heinz Vogler’s three platoons were equipped with various self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons. One platoon had four self-propelled 37mm guns on half-tracks; a second had four quad 20mm lak guns and the third had three quad 20mm armoured self-propelled guns.

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SCENARIO 1 BREAKTHROUGH AT LANZERATH Game Size: Squad because they were luent German they had their orders and arrived speakers. Under its commander, above Lanzerath in seven jeeps on Situation Report Lieutenant Lyle Bouck, the platoon December 10th to help ill the gap December 16th, 1944 operated under the direct control in the lines on the 99th Division’s The Intelligence and Reconnaissance of the 394th Infantry Regiment’s right lank. The platoon was outside (I&R) platoon of the 394th Infantry HQ intelligence staff and was not the division’s oficial boundary and Regiment, 99th Infantry Division supposed to be deployed as a regular isolated. To reinforce the positions, consisted of some 26 chosen men. infantry platoon. they built dug outs on the slope All had trained together for a above Lanzerath, with grenades specialist scout role before shipping That was the plan but, as is so often slung on trip wires close to them. out to England and eventually the way, it would not be so in the Also, the platoon commander, moving on to France. They inally ield. Pressed for men to cover the Lt Bouck, took a trip back to the reached the frontlines in Belgium 99th Division’s large sector on the divisional ordnance depot and in November 1944. Their role, for quiet Ardennes front, the I&R platoon cut a deal. Circumventing normal which they had extra training, was was given positions to occupy and channels, he traded the platoon’s in patrolling, observation, map hold on a slope overlooking the booty of German ID tags, medals, making and intelligence gathering, village of Lanzerath. They were now watches, prized Lugar pistols and often sneaking into German lines in a ive mile gap between the 99th the like for an armoured jeep. The at night. Sometimes their mission Division and its southern neighbours. vehicle was not prescribed for his was to capture and return with a Here, they dug-in to endure the hard platoon’s stealthy scouting role, but German sentry for interrogation and winter nights on the line, just a mile the Lieutenant igured its pintle- the platoon had men handpicked from the Germans’ own front lines. mounted .50 cal MG would be a useful addition because his light Below: The infantry soldier’s lot, a cold foxhole. The Lanzerath Positions platoon lacked irepower - and it A M1919A1 .30 cal machine gun team keeps Holding the line was not part of would also provide the platoon with a watch on the line. Note the tarpaulin cover the platoon’s regular duties, but some mobility and transport to save behind, to keep the snow out and some heat in.

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their feet and assist in keeping it in tree line, along with their own radio reaching a 4' high barbed wire cattle contact with the units to his left and jeep. Two of these four men would fence across the ield, where the irst right. serve as ammo carriers and extra wave were cut down by MG and riles whilst the others remained as rile ire. It was a ‘fairground duck Haggling complete, Bouck quickly spotters. shoot’, one GI later explained. In just drove the illicit jeep back to a few minutes, the much-vaunted Lanzerath and had it dug-in to a Lanzerath was now empty, so paratroops had fallen back to cover in scrape covering the farm track up the Bouck decided to maintain his own the village and surrounding ditches, slope out of the village, with only the observation post on the edge of the leaving their dead scattered across .50 cal showing. village and sent three men forward the ield between the woods and to occupy the old position, with Lanzerath. The village itself was occupied by a its good views of the approaching tank destroyer unit of Task Force X, roads. It wasn’t long before German Fire was exchanged intermittently for from the 14th Cavalry Group, with infantry appeared, marching in the next two hours as the Germans four 3" towed guns, covering the road column, weapons slung, obviously regrouped and then launched a into the village and back towards not expecting to meet any resistance. second direct assault. At 1100, they Buchholz and Hünningen. The guns Up to 500 men, a full battalion, were emerged again and raced up the were, in turn, protected by a small counted and the distinctive shape of open slope, again the barbed wire reconnaissance unit equipped with a their Fallschirmjäger helmets noted. slowed them and again the GIs’ half-track and two more jeeps. Lt Bouck again radioed his HQ and rile ire (now joined by the .50 cal advised them of what he could see machine gun from their left lank) Lanzerath was also the position of a through his ield glasses, only to cut them down. Under withering forward observer team from Battery be told he was ‘seeing things’. He ire, the paratroops tried to return C, 371st Artillery, under Lt Warren replied that his vision was 20/20 ire, often seeking cover amongst Springer, watching the German front and German paratroops were in the shell craters in the ield, but the lines from an observation post in a Lanzerath in force. He dispatched a strong foxholes kept the GIs within house on the edge of the village. two-man rescue party to recover his safe, even as rile grenades landed trapped observers, but they couldn’t amongst them (one GI, Private Kalil, The Battle get into the village without being was hit in the face by a rile grenade The platoon’s position, along with spotted. One observer crept out and which failed to go off). the entire front facing the German made it back to the lines, whilst the attack, came under sustained artillery other two tried to hide in an attic, but Lt Springer, the artillery oficer, got and mortar ire at about 0530 hours of were discovered and captured. through to his battery and called in December 16th. The incoming shells ire. A single bombardment hit the air-bursted in the trees and shredded Having paused in the village, the edge of the village, but soon ceased, the woods and the ield in front of the Germans now started to move out causing no observable losses. The men’s foxholes was torn up by the again into the surrounding ields, observer’s jeep was then hit and the shelling, leaving some deep craters. still unaware of the US troops in radio destroyed, meaning no more However, the reinforced foxholes had foxholes watching them, weapons artillery support would come to the strong top cover and only a direct trained. The platoon held its ire and platoon’s aid. By now, several of the hit was likely to cause any losses. As prepared to hit the Germans with a platoon’s men had been wounded, the men hunkered down in their dug devastating ambush when they were but all kept ighting regardless. outs, the shells crashed about them in the open and at short range. Then, for an hour and a half, but there were a German oficer was warned by a Skirmishing and exchanges of ire no casualties. local girl who was seen gesturing up continued into the afternoon, but the the hill in the platoon’s direction. The US troops were running dangerously At irst light, the sound of vehicle previously casual Germans suddenly low on ammunition. Without engines could be heard coming scattered and vanished into cover. support, Lt Bouck decided he had no from Lanzerarth. It was the anti- Aware the game was up, Bouck choice but to pull back. He crawled tank gunners hitching up their guns ordered his men to open ire and pin from foxhole to foxhole and told his and withdrawing, along with their those Germans down before they men to be ready to pull out on his infantry support. The gunners had could organise an attack. M1 riles whistle. Ahead of his withdrawal, new orders to reinforce the defences and BARs rattled rounds down into he sent two men back as runners at Losheimergraben. Lt Bouck found Lanzerath - the ight was on. to try and ind Regimental HQ at his pre-laid telephone lines had been Hünningen and report the situation cut by the shelling but his jeep’s radio It took some time, but the Germans at Lanzerath. These two men were (hidden back in the woods) reached attacked up the slope from the village later captured in the woods. Regimental HQ, who ordered him to at about 0800. Bouck requested stay put and hold his sector, despite artillery ire, but his small unit was At 1500, the Germans attacked again, being on his own. Reinforcements out of the divisional area and no guns this time pinning the US troops to would be sent, so they said. Lt could respond. The Fallshirmjägers, the front with heavy ire and forcing Springer’s artillery observer team however, were inexperienced and the armoured jeep’s crew to abandon in Lanzerath also withdrew, but launched a frontal assault, straight it and seek better cover. Meanwhile, joined the platoon’s positions on the up the open slope from the village, more Fallschirmjäger worked their

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was decorated for his part in the US Table Edge ight. Eight DSCs, ive Silver Stars and nine Bronze Stars for heroism were awarded, along with a special unit citation for the platoon for holding the line for so long against such odds.

Terrain The battle takes place on a hillside, but rather than represent the hill with small ‘hillocks’, the entire board could be sloped up slightly. Failing that, leave it lat and use your imagination. For terrain, there is a large pine wood in the south- west corner, a few of Lanzerath’s agricultural outbuildings in the German Table Edge north-west corner, from where a farm track leads up the hill. There are a way around the US right lank and Only then did he realise his men had few low hedges with occasional trees crept up through the woods. The delayed a major armoured thrust (bare in December) and two barbed Germans thought they were facing at the head of a surprise German wire cattle fences across the slope. a full strength company and were offensive. A few stragglers from The open slope has three or four surprised to ind only a platoon Bouck’s platoon made an attempt impact craters scattered about it from holding the woods, with no support to escape into the woods, trying to the earlier shelling. and no units left or right of them. avoid the Germans now advancing from Lanzerath. After a few quick Light Snow: It had snowed in the Several Germans were wounded by skirmishes, these men also ran out area and the ground was covered in the tripwire grenades as they closed of ammunition and surrendered, or thin snow, which will make the board in. Before Lt Bouck could blow his their hiding places were discovered look pretty. As they are attacking whistle, the barrel of an MP40 came and they, too, were rounded up. uphill, German infantry movement is pointing through his dug-out’s German losses at Lanzerath were reduced to 4" instead of the usual 5". entrance. He pushed it aside, but the recorded as 16 killed, 63 wounded burst of ire hit Private James in the and 26 missing. Barbed Wire Fence: The 4' tall barbed face, seriously wounding him. The wire cattle fences across the slope Lieutenant came out, hands up and Over the next weeks, the US between Lanzerath and the tree line an MP40 was pressed into his back. prisoners would be shipped to were a signiicant impediment to the The enraged German pulled the two POW camps, whilst the badly Germans. It counts as an obstacle for trigger, but the magazine was empty, wounded went to German hospitals, all movement, including infantry. and he then pushed the fortunate which saved their lives. The long trip Lieutenant away. Other dug-outs to the prison camps was arduous, Reinforced Foxholes: Each foxhole had already been found and the men with little food and their transport had been improved into a mini- forced out. The position had been trains were twice strafed by Allied bunker, with good top cover cut from overrun and Bouck, wounded in the aircraft. pine logs, extra logs for cover to the leg, felt he had failed, losing his entire front and all well disguised with platoon in the process. Lt Bouck and a few others would cut foliage. The US positions were eventually be rescued from hard to spot and resistant to German Aftermath Hammelburg camp in Patton’s small arms ire. To represent this, One by one, the US troops infamous March 1945 tank raid, the American foxholes are treated as surrendered and were led down although Bouck himself was by hardened cover, giving those inside into Lanzerath. One man was then close to death from hepatitis. a 2+ Cover save. This will make each dead, Private Queen of the 371st Rushed to hospital, he survived, as, foxhole a very tough nut to crack for Artillery. 14 out of 18 I&R men had miraculously, did all the other I&R infantrymen lacking heavy weapons. been wounded and they helped men. Only much later would their the two seriously wounded as best role in stalling the German panzer Deployment thrust for the Meuse be recognised. they could, before being rounded Recreating this historical action is Lt Bouck himself was awarded up into the Cafe Scholzen, where pretty straightforward. The game has the Distinguished Service Cross the Fallschirmjäger had set up their three ‘phases’, all mini-battles which (having been turned down for the battalion command post and aid combined to make the day’s action. Congressional ), but station. At about midnight, Lt Bouck, You’ll need I&R Platoon’s 20 men, then worked to get his men’s valour sitting in a corner, would witness an armoured jeep and a radio jeep. recognised. It took years, but in the Peiper’s arrival at the command post You’ll also need a couple of German end every member of the I&R platoon and overhear his conversation with Fallschirmjäger platoons, which can the Fallschirmjäger commanders.

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be re-used for all three phases of the battle. GERMAN FORCES 3rd Fallschirmjäger had gained a reputation as a top-rated combat unit Phase One: The Germans’ irst attack in Normandy, mostly for its long defence of St Lo, but the division was with one platoon. Deploy the German decimated in the ighting and, by December 1944, had been rebuilt with forces within 5" of the eastern table new recruits. These were mostly under-employed Luftwaffe personnel who edge. The Germans get the irst turn, had been drafted in and they had received very little combat training. Their but all the US units start the game uniforms may have been those of the Fallschimjäger, but, apart from a few on Ambush Fire, because they are veteran NCOs, the unit’s ighting spirit was not. Their inexperience showed well aware the enemy is in Lanzerath in this battle and cost them dear as two frontal assaults were repulsed with and are expecting the attack. Once heavy losses. the German player gets to within 5 points of his total battle rating, he 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Fallschimjäger Regiment – 84 men may, if he so wishes, cancel the attack (All Fallschirmjäger units are rated as Inexperienced) and redeploy for Phase 2. Or he may Phase One Forces continue until broken as normal. First Platoon Platoon HQ - 3 men (officer, mortar spotter) (1 BR) Phase Two: The German player 3 Rile Squads – each 5 men (1 BR each) now re-deploys, adding a new, fresh 3 Medium MG teams – each 3 men with a MG42 (1 BR each) platoon to any survivors from the Company HQ Phase 1 attack. Again, these units are HQ – 3 men (senior officer, artillery spotter) (2 BR) all placed within 5" of the eastern BR 9, 2 Oficers table edge. The Germans get the irst turn but, again, the US troops Phase Two Forces are alert and waiting for them and Second Platoon all American units start the game Platoon HQ - 3 men (officer, mortar spotter) (1 BR) on Ambush Fire. Once the German 3 Rile Squads – each 5 men (1 BR each) player gets to within 5 points of 3 Medium MG teams – each 3 men with a MG42 (1 BR each) his total battle rating, he may, if he 2 off-table 80mm mortars (0 BR) so wishes, cancel this attack and Also add any surviving units from Phase One. redeploy for Phase 3. Or he may BR +7 added to remaining from Phase One - +1 Oficer continue until broken as normal. Phase Three Forces Phase Three: The German player Third Platoon now re-deploys, adding a new, fresh Platoon HQ - 3 men (officer, mortar spotter) (1 BR) platoon to any survivors from the 3 Rile Squads – each 5 men (1 BR each) Phase 1 and Phase 2 attacks. All 3 Medium MG teams – each 3 men with a MG42 (1 BR each) these units are placed within 5" of Also add any surviving units from Phases One and Two. the eastern table edge. The Germans BR +7 added to remaining from Phases One and Two - +1 Oficer get the irst turn again but the US troops are waiting for them and all Special Rules Fire Superiority: Equipped with American units start the game on Extraordinary Valour: ‘Hold to the semi-automatic M1 riles, the US Ambush Fire. This time, play the last bullet’; those are the orders and infantryman has a serious advantage game to its conclusion as normal. The the American platoon will follow in irepower over his German winner of this phase of the battle is them. Roll at the start of each phase counterparts. The weight of ire an the overall winner. of the battle, and add 2D6 to the US American rileman could put down BR total. has its effect. US troops with M1 riles count any Area Fire as one level better than their rate of ire. So, a unit US FORCES with a RoF of 3, uses the 5-8 band The I&R platoon is rated as Veteran instead of the 1-4 band for Area Fire. PHQ – 2 men with M1 carbines (officer) (1 BR) 2 BAR Teams - each 2 men with an M1 rile and a BAR (ire superiority) Grenade Booby-traps: To protect (1 BR each) their foxholes, the I&R platoon has 4 Rile Teams – each 3 men with M1 riles (ire superiority) (1 BR each) strung up grenades on tripwires 1 armoured jeep with pintle-mounted .50 calibre machine gun, dug-in to a close by. If a German unit attempts scrape (2 BR) a close assault against a foxhole, the FAO Team, 2 men with radio jeep (officer) (1 BR) defenders may add a D3 to their rate 3 x 3rd Priority Artillery Requests. If successful, only Regiment or Division of ire for their booby-trap defences. guns can be requested. The US player only gets this bonus Reinforced Foxholes for 20 men (these provide hardened cover, a 2+ Cover save) once per foxhole.

Officers: 2 BR Total: 10 (+2D6)

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Victory Gains Alternative Forces The US player can select a 250 point If the US player wins this battle, then Should the players wish to re-ight battlegroup using the US Infantry he has bought more time for the this scenario with their own forces, Division army lists. He may take defenders behind him to prepare. the German player can select a 360 Defences and can include an extra The US player gains the additional pt force using the Fallschirmjäger, Defence for this scenario, the reinforcements listed in his force lists Infantry or Volksgrenadier Division reinforced foxholes. These use the for Scenario 2. If the German player army lists. Before the battle, he must rules given above and each dug- wins, then the US player does not get divide his battlegroup into three out is large enough to hold a squad the additional reinforcements. sub-forces of 120 pts, one for each for the cost of 20 pts and 0 BR. The phase of the attack. He starts with US battlegroup does not get the If the US player wins, he gains 2 only his Phase 1 forces, then can add Extraordinary Valour special rule if campaign points. If the German his Phase 2 forces (with their extra BR the player selects his own force. player wins, he gains 2 campaign and oficers) and then add his Phase points. There are no extra campaign 3 forces (with their extra BR and This scenario was first published in points for winning a decisive victory. oficers). Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy magazine. SCENARIO 2 AMBUSH AT LIGNEUVILLE Game Size: Squad reached Honsfeld to discover the coming in the opposite direction. Situation Report Americans still asleep and the village The surprised American soldiers December 17th, 1944 undefended. The irst vehicles raced quickly surrendered after coming Once through Lanzerath, Peiper’s through, leaving the parked light under tank and machine gun ire. armoured column was inally tanks and armoured cars of the US These men would later be rounded underway, making its way along cavalry group to be captured by the up and murdered in a nearby ield by the main road (in German, Rollbahn) following main body, whilst the following SS troops in an infamous towards its irst vital objective: the column leaders pushed on. 15 US that became known as the crossing over the River Ambleve prisoners were later massacred in the Malmedy Massacre. at Stavelot. 800 vehicles now had village. to pass this way and the vanguard Around midday, as the massacre would reach Stavelot only as the rear The vanguard, under Obersturmführer was taking place, Peiper’s vanguard was still passing through Lanzerath. Werner Sternebeck, but with Peiper pressed on - no time could be lost. also very close behind, raced on, up It was not until the column leaders Before irst light, the armoured the Ambleve river valley through reached the hamlet of Ligneuville, vanguard rolled into the hamlet Bullingen, Moderscheid, Schoppen, with its own small bridge over the of Bucholtz Station, brushing past Ondenvaal, Thirmont and Baugnez, Ambleve, that they encountered the few Americans and their aid where they encountered a column any serious American resistance. station. Next, at about 0500, they of 140 US artillerymen in trucks Sternebecke’s leading spitzen (sharp edge) consisted of just two Panzer IVs and two half-tracks carrying their supporting pioneers but, just a minute or so behind, followed the irst Panther. Sternebecke had orders to halt at the Ligneuville bridge, secure it and await the arrival of the following tanks.

Ligneuville was home to the HQ of 49th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade, at the Hotel du Moulin. Here, Brigadier-General Edward US Edge Table Timberlake, the brigade commander, had a narrow escape. On hearing the Germans approaching, he abandoned his lunch, jumped in his waiting jeep and sped away west. Minutes later, Sternebecke halted his Panzer IV in front of the hotel, where the

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manager was awaiting for him. He Fischer was wounded. The Sherman The Kampfgruppe’s advance paused told the panzer commander that the lined up its gun on Peiper’s half- in Ligneuville for two hours to American general had just left. Inside, track, but the driver reversed out of regroup and resupply before moving Sternbecke found the general’s sight just in time. The Kampfgruppe’s out for Stavelot. lunch and coffee still warm, his commander dismounted, took a cigarette still burning in the ashtray. Panzerfaust and headed off to engage Terrain Sternbecke remounted his tank and the Sherman. (The US tank had been The battleield is the hamlet of pressed on round the bend, towards lurking, covering the bridge, and Ligneuville and its stone bridge. the bridge. why it didn’t ire on Sternebecke is The Ambleve river runs east to west a mystery – maybe the crew weren’t across the board with the bridge in At the bridge, the SS pioneers present!). Meanwhile, Sternebecke’s the centre. The river is lined with dismounted to check the bridge for lead tanks were engaged by two more dense bushes, scrub and trees. The demolition charges and suddenly Sherman tanks that had been moving village itself consists of 10 buildings, came under machine gun ire. up the N32 (probably heading to join ive south of the river and ive north Several men were wounded and 9th Armoured Division at St Vith). of it, including a church (with spire) the medics came forward to recover and the large Hotel du Moulin. The them. The US troops stopped Back at the bridge, the ighting other buildings are cottages and shooting as the medics worked. continued. A second SdKfz 251 had barns. arrived behind Peiper’s and been As Sternebecke gunned his tank over hit and set ablaze by tank ire. The A narrow farm track leads west from the bridge, Peiper and some of his elusive Sherman was then hit itself, the main road, north of the river. A staff were entering the village behind probably by a 75mm shell from a secondary road leads east along the Untersturmführer Fischer’s Panther. 251/9 that had arrived and moved Ambleve just south of the bridge. In As his Panther made for the bridge, into position to engage it. With the the surrounding ields there are a it was hit from behind by a Sherman troublesome dozer tank knocked few hedges and copses. In the river dozer tank and started to burn. As out, the advance over the bridge valley, the ground is lat (it actually they evacuated the stricken tank, the could continue. Sternbecke had also gradually slopes down from north crew came under rile and machine won his engagement south of the and south towards the river, but gun ire from the surrounding river: both the other Shermans had not enough to be represented on the houses. Peiper’s own SdKfz 251/3 been knocked out. The rest of the tabletop). command half-track laid down US troops in the village surrendered covering ire into the buildings to as ever more SS men arrived in the give the tank crew a chance to escape. following convoy.

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US FORCES GERMAN FORCES All US infantry are Inexperienced, being rear echelon troops, All German infantry are Veterans like the 49th AAA’s clerks and staff. Initial Forces (deployed on the road into Ligneuville) Initial Forces Panzer IV (officer) Forward HQ – 3 men with a jeep. Must start the game in Panzer IV the Hotel du Moulin. Jeep is parked outside. SS Pioneer squad, 6 men with a Panzerfaust, demo- 3 Rile Teams – each of 3 men charge and mine sweeper in SdKfz 251/1 2 BAR Teams – each of 3 men with a BAR SS Pioneer squad, 5 men with a Panzerfaust, demo- Bazooka Team – 2 men with a bazooka charge and mine sweeper in SdKfz 251/7 Medium MG team – 3 men with .30 cal MMG and a 3 Combat Medic (in 251/7) man loader team M4 Sherman Dozer Reinforcements (all arrive up the road from Baugnez) On turn 2 Reinforcements (arriving via the N32 from the south-west Panther G on turn 3) On turn 3 2 M4 Shermans Forward HQ – 4 men with a Panzerfaust in SdKfz 251/3 (senior oficer) Bonus Reinforcements (only include if the US player won On turn 4 Scenario 1; arrives with the Shermans) Panzergrenadier squad, 5 men with 2 Panzerfausts, 3 1 M10 Wolverine men with MG42, in SdKfz 251/1 On turn 5 Officers: 1 (including senior oficer) SdKfz 251/9 BR Total: 19 (21 if using the bonus reinforcements) Officers: 2 (including senior oficer) BR Total: 23 Deployment All US troops are deployed anywhere south of the river or up to 10" from Victory Gains The US player can take 250 points the river to the north. The only If the US player wins, he has gained from the Infantry Division army lists. exception to this is the Forward HQ, time for the defenders of Stavelot He may not include any Defences which must be positioned in the to be reinforced. He gains the extra (there has been no time or warning Hotel du Moulin, with its jeep parked reinforcements listed in Scenario 3’s to prepare any). Infantry may not outside. All US reinforcements enter force lists. If the Germans win, then be upgraded to Regulars (these are via the N32 main road from the west. the US player does not get the extra rear echelon troops). No Additional The initial German attackers are reinforcements listed. Fire Support can be taken, as this placed in column on the N32, up to is a surprise attack and an ad hoc 15" from their table edge. All German If the US player wins, he gains 1 defence. reinforcements enter via this road. campaign point. If the German player wins, he gains 1 campaign point. If If the US player won Scenario 1, Special Rules either side win a decisive victory, he still gets the bonus M10 tank Ambush: 1D6 US units may start the then they gain a bonus 1 campaign destroyer for free and +2 BR. game on Ambush Fire. point.

‘Get the Hell Outta Dodge!’: The In addition, if the German Forward Brigadier-General has no intention HQ is wiped out (including Peiper of becoming a . If he and Diefenthal), somebody else will escapes via any table edge, then the have to take over command from German player must take a battle the dead or wounded oficers. Then, rating counter but the US player the US player gets an additional +2 also loses his only oficer (and all the campaign points. advantages of a senior oficer) for the rest of the game. Alternative Forces If using alternative forces, the Time is Pressing: The Germans are German player can take 350 points in a big hurry and cannot afford to using the Panzer Division army be delayed long by these scratch US lists, including all of Kampfgruppe units. From turn 5 onwards, if the Peiper’s additional restrictions. These US forces have not been broken, then forces should be split into a D6 units the German player must take a battle deployed in the initial force, then one rating counter at the start of each of unit arriving per turn from turn 2 his turns. This continues for the rest onwards. This can be any order the of the game. commander chooses.

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SCENARIO 3 CROSSING STAVELOT BRIDGE Game Size: Platoon south, to form a new roadblock on more of 526th’s Armoured Infantry the road down the hill towards the (Lt Jack Doherty’s 1st Platoon) had Situation Report bridge. It consisted of Lieutenant dismounted (their half-tracks were December 18th, 1944 Harry Willyard’s 2nd Armoured parked in the town square) and As darkness fell on December 17th, Infantry Platoon, two 3" guns and an occupied the buildings of Stavelot the lead tanks of the German column extra 57mm gun. These troops would around the bridge and positioned encountered a small American be the irst to face Pieper’s dawn another 3" anti-tank gun to cover the roadblock (no more than a handful advance. bridge and its immediate approach of engineers with a bazooka) on along the main road. the hilltop above Stavelot, at Vaux At 0630, after the Kampfgruppe’s Ricard. The US troops briely opened 105mm artillery opened ire on the Under ire, the survivors of ire then quickly withdrew but, not town, men of 10th Company, 2nd Willyard’s roadblock fell back knowing what enemy positions lay SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, led over the bridge whilst the valley ahead, Peiper called a halt for the the way down the hill, followed reverberated with cannon and MG night. The advance would resume in by Panthers of 1st Company, ire. Shells were landing in Stavelot the morning. 1st SS Panzer Regiment, led by itself and, by 0800, the panzers and Obersturmführer Kremser’s own tank. grenadiers were approaching the still- Part of the Kampfgruppe (its Panzer As the panzers advanced, they came intact bridge. First, they rushed it, IVs and some supporting infantry) under ire from a 3" gun positioned but were driven back by US machine would be split off and advance via across the valley on the opposite gun ire and the grenadier company the village of Wanne to ind a back hillside and Kremser’s tank was commander, Heinz Tomhardt, was route to the important bridges at knocked out. badly wounded leading the attempt. Trois Ponts without having to cross the Ambleve at Stavelot. The rest of However, the US supporting ire was Behind the infantry, the irst Panthers the main column would quickly take not enough to halt the SS advance, ground down the road making for the Stavelot bridge, race through the which overran Willyard’s initial the bridge. MG, mortar and artillery town and turn west again, continuing roadblock positions and they, in ire kept the heads of the US troops up the main road to Trois Ponts, turn, hitched up their surviving down as German pioneers rushed where the two groups would be guns and quickly fell back down forwards and cleared the mines from reunited to press on westwards. the hill towards the bridge, ighting the bridge. Then, Rottenführer Eugen a desperate rearguard action as Zimmerman’s lead Panther swung Throughout the night, the Americans they went. Most of the half-tracks onto the bridge, coming face to face in Stavelot were not idle. Much were lost in the retreat and many with the waiting US anti-tank gun. activity was noted by the Germans of the men scattered. Meanwhile, It ired, hit, but failed to penetrate from their high vantage point, as lights could be seen moving into and out of the town. These lights were the arriving troops of A Company, 526th Armoured Infantry, supported by towed guns of A Battery, 825th Tank Destroyer Battalion, being positioned to hold Stavelot’s bridge over the Ambleve, or demolish it.

The plan to blow the bridge failed: the charges placed earlier had been removed, most likely by one of Skorzeny’s Greif teams posing as US engineers amidst various stragglers moving through the town. Instead, some mines were scattered over the bridge. On the northern bank, Major Paul Solis, commanding the newly- arrived US forces, sent a detachment

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the Panther’s frontal armour, whilst streets and his many vehicles began large warehouse next to the southern Zimmerman’s gunner also missed to rapidly roll across the bridge and end of the bridge and two buildings with his return shot. However, his through Stavelot, still under sporadic north of the bridge. The US player driver gunned the Panther and enemy ire. It was a very tenuous cannot win an All Objectives Secured drove directly into the gun, its crew hold that the SS had on the vital victory. now already running for their lives. bridge, a hold that the Americans The following SS panzergrenadiers would prise from the Germans in a Deployment were quickly across behind the irst few days’ time, cutting off Peiper’s There are a few US troops south tanks and began clearing the local only supply route, but, for now, the of the river, survivors from the buildings, whilst the Americans fell Kampfgruppe’s route west, towards roadblock, and escaping anti-tank back before the assault. the Meuse bridges, was open. guns. These retreating survivors must start deployed south of the Major Solis, believing the German Terrain river, but within 15" of the bridge objective was a 2.2 million gallon fuel The battleield is the outskirts of itself. The rest of the US troops are dump hidden just a few kilometres Stavelot and its stone bridge over the deployed anywhere north of the north of Stavelot on the road to Ambleve. The river Ambleve splits river. Francorchamp, ordered his men back the table in half. South of the river are that way. Fearing the SS men were six or seven buildings, including a German forces arrive on the turn right behind him, he then ordered large warehouse almost on the bridge given via the road down the hillside a small garrison of Belgian troops, itself, and the approach roads to the from the south-east corner of the detailed to guard the fuel dump, bridge. North of the river, are 14 or table. The Germans are attacking and to set it alight. Major Solis was 15 houses and industrial buildings automatically take the irst turn. mistaken. Peiper did not know about along with their yards and trees/ the fuel dump (it wasn’t marked on bushes along the river itself. The Special Rules his map, although other smaller ones town is being shelled, so many of the Ambush: 1D6 American units may were) and he continued to drive west buildings are already damaged. start the game on Ambush Fire. at top speed, for the bridges at Trois These must be selected from troops Ponts. His following men secured a There are four objectives on the deployed north of the river. Troops narrow corridor through the town’s table. The bridge (obviously), the south of the river are too busy falling back (running!). GERMAN FORCES All German infantry are Veterans Turn 1 Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon (dismounted) US FORCES PHQ – 6 men with a Panzerfaust (oficer) All US forces are Regulars 3 Squads – each 5 men with a Panzerfaust and bipod South of the River MG42 Armoured Infantry Platoon HQ – 10 men with BAR 3 MG teams – each with 3 men with MG42 and Bazooka (officer) in M3 half-track Combat Medic (attach to one squad) Medium MG team, 3 men with .30 cal MG 3" anti-tank gun with 3 crew and M3 tow Turn 2 57mm anti-tank gun with 3 crew and M3 tow 1 Mineield (must be positioned in the centre of the bridge)

Turn 3 North of the River Panther tank Armoured Infantry Platoon (dismounted) PHQ – 10 men with BAR and Bazooka (oficer) Turn 4 1st Squad – 10 men with BAR and Bazooka Panther tank 2 Medium MG teams, each 3 men with .30 cal MMG Armoured Assault Pioneer Squad in SdKfz 251/1 Light Mortar Team, 3 men with 60mm mortar 5 men with a Panzerfaust, 2 demo charges and 3" anti-tank gun and 3 crew minesweeper 8 off-table 76mm anti-tank shots MG team - 3 men with MG42 Reinforcements (arriving via eastern table edge, north of Turn 5 the river, on turn 3) Panther tank 2nd Squad – 10 men with BAR and Bazooka Bonus Reinforcements (only include if the US player won Turn 6 Scenario 2, arriving from eastern table edge, north of the SdKfz 6 with 37mm AA gun river, on turn 5). Battery of 2 80mm mortars, off-table 2 M10 Wolverines 3 Timed 105mm artillery barrages Officers: 2 Officers: 1 BR: 20 (24 if using the bonus reinforcements) + Wild BR: 28 Rumours bonus

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Off-table gun: The US have placed a Victory Gains lists, including all of Kampfgruppe 3" anti-tank gun high to the north on If the US player wins, he has gained Peiper’s additional restrictions. These the hillside overlooking the bridge. time for the defenders of Stoumont forces should be split into a D6 units It can target any German unit south to be reinforced. He gains the extra deployed in each turn, starting from of the river, but not on the bridge, reinforcements listed in Scenario 4’s turn 1. hitting on a 6. It may only ire once force lists. If the Germans win, then per turn, but has 8 shots for the battle. the US player does not get the extra The US player can take 450 points reinforcements listed. from the Armoured Division army Time is Pressing: The Germans lists. He may include any Defences are still in a big hurry and cannot If the US player wins, he gains 3 (there has been a night to prepare afford to be delayed long at the river campaign points. If the German them). crossing. From turn 7 onwards, if player wins, he gains 1 campaign the US forces have not been broken, point. If either side wins a decisive If the US player won Scenario 2, then the German player must take a victory, then they gain a bonus 1 he still gets the bonus M10 tank battle rating counter at the start of his campaign point. destroyers for free and +4 BR. turn. This continues for the rest of the game. Alternative Forces If using alternative forces, the Wild Rumours: For US player, see German player can take 600 points ‘Duels in the Mist’ special rules. using the Panzer Division army SCENARIO 4 ASSAULT ON STOUMONT Game Size: Platoon (see special support the weight of tanks, so only Since the German breakthrough, rules below) the half-tracks crossed. Meanwhile, the Americans had been racing any Peiper ordered the tanks to turn available units into blocking positions Situation Report around and return to Cheneux and to slow the enemy advance. December 19th, 1944 head for La Gleize and Stoumont, on On reaching Trois Ponts, the German a new route to the Meuse. At Stoumont, the 3rd Battalion vanguard of Panther tanks came of 30th Division’s 119th Infantry under ire from American engineers That night, the half-tracks east of Regiment, under the command of Lt and an anti-tank gun. What was the Lienne got lost and were later Colonel Fitzgerald Jr, had arrived in worse, the bridges over the Salm ambushed at Neufmoulin. Four trucks on the evening of December and gateway to the fastest route to were rapidly destroyed by an M10 18th to set up the defence, assisted Werbomont had already been blown. tank destroyer and infantry with by anti-tank guns of A Battery, 843rd Thwarted, the tanks turned north, bazookas. The others withdrew Tank Destroyer Battalion and C having knocked out the anti-tank back the way they had come via Les Battery, 143rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery. gun, to ind a second route via a Forges. The route to Werbomont was The battalion’s three rile companies bridge over the Ambleve at Cheneux. abandoned. I, K and L, each reinforced by support weapons from the battalion It was a slower, more winding route Having laagered in the vicinity weapons company, were divided. that would cost Peiper time. Having of La Gleize for the night, on the I Company held Stoumont facing reached Cheneux, the tank column morning of December 19th Peiper’s east, L Company the nearby village was spotted by US ighter-bombers Kampfgruppe looked to resume its of Rouat, just to the north, with K and subjected to long bombing and rapid advance west. Unable to reach company behind, facing south and straing attacks, with the anti-aircraft the Meuse via Werbomont after the west and providing the battalion’s defences called into full use. bridges had been blown the evening reserve. The roads were covered by before, the route to the objective now the 76mm anti-tank guns, whilst in Peiper now sent half-tracks forwards lay on roads further north. the village itself two 90mm M1 heavy on a reconnaissance to ind the way anti-aircraft guns had been drafted back to the main road and secure On this route, the irst obstacle in to fulil a stand-in anti-tank role as bridges over a small stream called to be overcome was the nearby well. the Lienne to the west. Here, too, hilltop village of Stoumont, now the leaders would encounter more occupied by US troops in roughly One of these guns was lost before the defending engineers. The bridge at battalion strength. Peiper instructed battle when it and its M3 tractor slid the village of Neufmoulin was blown his panzer regiment commander, into a ditch and, in trying to recover as the irst Germans approached but Obersturmbannführer Poetschke, to the gun with the tractor’s winch, the a second bridge at Les Forges was lead the capture of the village in an heavy gun became jammed into the found and used. It was not able to early morning assault to clear the tractor’s cab and could not be freed. road west. Later in the ighting, tracer rounds

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Above: A still from a staged propaganda film of 1st As part of their defences, the US had gunners and their infantry protection SS Division’s grenadiers of Kampfgruppe Hansen quickly reinforced some buildings streamed back into Stoumont to after their successful ambush of a 14th Cavalry as strong-points and laid two escape. The pioneers then cleared the Group column on the Poteaux road. Abandoned mineields, one across the main N33 mines from the N33, preparing the American equipment blocks the road. road from La Gleize and the other way for the following panzers. across a farm track also leading into would ignite the stranded tractor’s the village from the east. The US Still in heavy fog and darkness, fuel tank, which, in turn, set off the infantry had no artillery observers the attack paused for the Germans’ 90mm ammunition stored on board attached and so had, for a long supporting artillery to begin its and the whole thing detonated, while, no artillery support. Later, an work. The Kampfgruppe’s only destroying both tractor and gun (this artillery liaison team did arrive, and available ield artillery was its battery accidentally lost gun has not been a brief barrage from 420th Armoured of four 105mm light howitzers as included in the US forces for the Artillery’s Priests did hit the village, the rest of the guns had not made battle). but it was then too late to halt the it through Stavelot. And even this Germans’ progress. battery was already running short of Behind the American infantry, the ammunition. The guns now began 743rd Tank Battalion’s C Company The assault began at 0100 in darkness to shell the village, along with the was also on the move towards and thick fog, with a reconnaissance infantry’s mortars, sending the Stoumont to provide armoured probe along the farm track. As the defenders running for cover and into support for their blocking position. lead SdKfz 251 approached the the basements of the houses. The Peiper’s panzers attacked as the village it ran over the mineield barrage was kept up for as long as vanguard Shermans of 1st and 2nd and was knocked out. Using the the ammunition lasted, keeping the platoons were just arriving. These very poor visibility, dismounted SS enemy pinned as the panzers moved 10 US tanks split, with four heading assault pioneers began their attack, up for the inal assault. into Stoumont itself; four heading iniltrating carefully forwards into Rouat to aid its defence and two towards Stoumont and overrunning Leading the assault, approaching initially held back in reserve (they did the irst two outlying anti-tank gun along the N33 road from La Gleize, join the battle later). positions in sharp ire-ights. The were Panthers of 1st SS Panzer

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most of them were wounded in the house on the right of the road, which process by small arms ire from the burned down). They moved up the surrounding houses. The driver lost N33, unmolested by the last 90mm a leg and Prahm would later die of AA gun. This dangerous weapon, his injuries. The other crewmen hid located just west of the church, in the roadside ditch before escaping had been abandoned after a mortar back along the road. More incoming bomb hit an M3 half-track full of rounds hit the stricken tank until it ammunition and it exploded just 5m started to burn. away. The surviving crew ran.

The following panzers, seeing the The SS pioneers and grenadiers irst hit and burning, halted as were now pressing further into the the pioneers and Fallschirmjägers village, and their supporting half- worked their way forward. They later track carriers arrived along the N33, stormed Doctor Robinson’s house, accompanied by a Panzer IV from capturing a US squad in the process, the panzer regiment’s 6th Company. and secured their irst foothold in the The Panthers methodically ired a village. shell into each house. Three tanks turned left off the main road and Meanwhile, Poetschke demanded swept around the church, grenadiers his tanks get moving, allegedly clearing the buildings as they steadily threatening the company advanced into the centre of the commander, Oberscharführer Christ’s village. own tank with a Panzerfaust if he didn’t press the attack. Instead of The Americans had been pushed facing whatever was waiting at the back north, beyond the church, and curve in the road, Christ pulled off held on there for a while, aided by the road to the right, climbing the heavy tank ire and, inally, some slight embankment, and led seven limited artillery and mortar ire tanks in an attack across the ields, support. It was too late. Their tanks aiming to break into town further began to run low on ammunition along the road, beyond the church. and fuel. By 1000, the order had been given to withdraw from Stoumont. Here, his tanks began to exchange ire Even the last survivors of L Company with the Shermans, both in Stoumont and the tanks in Rouat fell back and Rouat. With three tanks moving north to avoid becoming cut-off and and four covering, the seven Panthers surrounded. The Germans mopped Regiment’s 2nd Company, in a scored no kills, but for no losses in up the last resistance. They had taken single column. SS pioneers and Stoumont. some Fallschirmjägers (still with return, and the lead tanks (Ropeter’s, the Kampfgruppe since Lanzerath) Brauschke’s and Knappich’s) used the farm track to get into the village The material losses for Kampfgruppe advanced alongside and hugged the near the church. Their cannon and Peiper had been slight: a Panther and cover and ditches at the roadside. MG ire knocked out the 76mm anti- three or four half-tracks (infantry The irst Panther, commanded by tank gun by the church and started losses are unknown). The 116th Rottenführer Prahm, approached to rake the buildings. In the lead, Infantry had lost 241 men from its 3rd the irst house on the road (Doctor Ropeter narrowly missed a Sherman Battalion (almost half). Eight were Robinson’s house) as it curved with two shells, which then reversed conirmed dead, 30 were wounded right towards the village church. As away out of sight. The American and 203 missing in action (most Prahm’s Panther cautiously edged position was unravelling. Behind had surrendered after hiding in round the corner, it came under ire. them, the other four Panthers were basements). I Company had borne the weight of the losses, with only 24 A 76mm anti-tank gun positioned still shelling Rouat to suppress ire coming from the village and were men to answer roll call on December by the church scored four quick later joined by two 75mm howitzer- 20th. All three of the battalion’s own hits, all ricocheting off the Panther’s armed SdKfz 251/9s to support the 57mm anti-tank guns had been lost front armour. Reacting, it tried to infantry. During the later infantry in Rouat. Remarkably, no Sherman reverse but was then hit from the attack against Rouat, both of these tanks had been lost (the fog being a left by 90mm shells ired by the vehicles were knocked out by US major contributing factor to the poor heavy anti-aircraft gun on the other tank ire. gunnery by both sides). All the tank side of the church. The irst shot destroyer battery’s 76mm guns had jammed the tank’s turret. The second also been lost, along with the two sheared through the tank’s 75mm Once Rouat was silenced, the 90mm AA guns. barrel close to the mantlet, leaving Panthers in the ield turned about and headed into the village via the it disabled. Unable to return ire, N33, pushing past Prahm’s burning the crew abandoned the tank (via tank (by then, it had ignited the the turret’s rear escape hatch) but

63 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Terrain The N33 road swings through the vehicles on the road ired at from the Play the battle on a 6' x 8' table, or village. It is wide enough (just) for north count as obscured. South of thereabouts. The battleield is the two tanks, but any wreck in the road the road, the battleield slopes way, eastern edge of Stoumont village and will count as an obstacle. Along the getting steeper down to the Ambleve the southern edge of Rouat and the road’s northern length to the village, river. It is wooded and too steep for pasture ields to the west, crossed by there is a shallow cutting into the any vehicles. No vehicles can move two farm tracks. hillside and a ditch. This does not on the tabletop south of N33 road as have to be represented, or can be far as the doctor’s house. Stoumont is a village of 11 buildings, shown with scattered bushes etc. This mostly grey stone and half-timbered low embankment houses, with a single church with a counts as an US FORCES spire. Around these buildings, are obstacle to (must start deployed in various small gardens with hedges vehicles; is hard Forward HQ – 3 men with jeep Stoumont) and walls. These occupy most of the cover for infantry Infantry Platoon (Inexperienced, must start deployed in western edge of the table. The edge behind it (or in Stoumont) of Rouat is represented by three the ditch) and any .30 cal MMG team buildings on the northern table edge. Bazooka team Combat medic GERMAN FORCES Infantry Platoon (Inexperienced, must start deployed in SS Assault Pioneer Platoon (dismounted, Veterans). Rouat) One squad starts mounted in an SdKfz 251/1 .30 cal MMG team PHQ: 6 men with 1 Panzerfaust (oficer, engineers, Bazooka team mortar spotter) 2 57mm anti-tank guns 3 Squads - each 5 men with 1 demolition charge and 1 2 76mm anti-tank guns with loader teams and M3 half- Panzerfaust (engineers) track tows 3 MG teams - each 3 men with an MG42 1 90mm anti-aircraft gun with loader team and M3 2 Panther tanks (must start deployed on the N33) high speed tow 2 Fallschirmjäger Squads. Each squad has 1 3 Fortiied Buildings (3+ Cover save, freely chosen by Panzerfaust. Both MG teams have MG42s (Regulars) player) Battery of 2 80mm mortars (off-table) 2 Mineields (1 on N33 road, 1 on the farm track as marked Pre-Registered Target Point (must be in either Stoumont M on the map) or Rouat village) US Reinforcements German Reinforcements Turn 7 Turn 3 2 Shermans (75mm) (1 officer) (arrive via N33 on Battery of 2 105mm guns (off-table) with only enough northern table edge) ammunition for 3 ire missions in the game. Keep a Turn 8 record of how many times the battery ires. 2 Shermans (75mm) (arrive via N33 on northern table Battery of 2 105mm guns (off-table) with only enough edge) ammunition for 3 ire missions in the game. Keep a Turn 9 record of how many times the battery ires. 2 Shermans (75mm) (arrive via Rouat) Turn 4 Turn 10 2 Panther tanks (arrive via the N33 road) (1 officer) 2 Shermans (75mm) (1 officer) (arrive via Rouat) Turn 5 Turn 11 SS Assault Pioneer Platoon (dismounted, Veterans. Infantry Platoon (Inexperienced, arrives road from All MG teams have MG42 upgrades, all squads have western table edge) a Panzerfaust). (Arrive anywhere along the western table Bazooka team edge) Battery of 2 82mm mortars (off table), only available Turn 6 from turn 11. 2 Panther tanks (arrive via N33 road) Turn 12 Turn 7 2 Shermans (75mm) (arrive via N33 on northern table 1 Panther tank (senior officer) (arrives via N33 road) edge) Turn 8 Turn 13 2 Panther tanks (arrive via N33 road) Artillery Observer Team in a Jeep Turn 11 2 2nd Target Priority Artillery Requests (on success, 2 SdKfz 251/9s (arrive anywhere along the western table each request automatically gets a battery of 4 105mm edge, north of the N33 road). guns; do not roll communications tests for other Turn 14 results). 3 SdKfz 251/1s (arrive via N33 road) all are currently empty If the Americans won scenario 3, then this observer team 1 Panzer IV J (arrives via N33 road) arrives on turn 4, instead of turn 13. Officers: Officers: 4 (including senior oficer) 6 (including senior oficer) BR: BR: 63 68

64 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

Rouat German TableGerman Edge US Edge Table

The pastures between the road and village), the church, a house in Rouat No Air Support: Due to the thick fog, villages are lat, gradually going and the junction of the two farm tracks. there is no air support for either side. uphill slightly (again, no need to All air attack counters drawn count represent this) but divided by several The US player cannot win an All as 1s instead. wire cattle fences. These do not count Objectives Secured victory, but the as obstacles or cover (and thus can Germans can. The Fog of War: In the dark and be ignored as terrain), but the wire fog, the ight was confusing and fences will add to the look of the Special Rules command and control was dificult. battleield. Duel in the Fog: The battle starts in Although these are larger forces, only darkness and thick fog, but it gets 2D6 are rolled for command and The main farm track from the north, gradually lighter and the fog lifts control each turn. Oficers are added around Rouat into Stoumont, is in a throughout the game. to the total as normal, but this will shallow dip in the ground, lined by a help recreate the slower, cautious few trees and bushes as well as more In turns 1-5, the maximum range for pace of the German assault that lasted wire cattle fencing. Any infantry on spotting and iring for any unit is 10" over three hours. this track count as in soft cover. It is In turns 6-10, the maximum range for too shallow to count as obscured for spotting and iring for any unit is 20" Victory Gains any vehicles or guns on the track. In turns 11-15, the maximum range for The irst side to lose all its BR is spotting and iring for any unit is 30". broken and must withdraw. The side Deployment with BR remaining is the winner. The initial German forces are In turns 16-20, the maximum range If the Americans win, they gain +2 deployed up to 20" from the western for spotting and iring for any unit is Campaign points. If the Germans table edge, unless otherwise stated 40". win, they gain +3 Campaign points. (see German Forces). There are no bonus campaign points After turn 20 (if the game lasts that for winning a decisive victory in this The initial US forces deploy up to 45" long), all spotting and iring ranges scenario. from the western table edge, unless revert to normal. otherwise stated (see US Forces). In addition to this, if the Americans Because of the fog, all spotting tests win, then they will improve the Objectives for aimed ire have an additional -1 chance of reinforcements arriving in There are four objectives on the modiier until turn 20 of the battle. Scenario 5, Stoumont Halt. Details are tabletop. The doctor’s house (irst After that, the mist has lifted enough given in that scenario. on the left as the N33 road enters the for normal spotting rules to apply.

65 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

SCENARIO 5 STOUMONT HALT

This historical re-fight compresses two railway went through a tunnel under irst tank and returned ire. Several engagements near Stoumont Station into the hillside and then emerged to run rounds glanced off the Panthers in one game. The first is Lt Kent’s defence of close to the river’s bank. After 1km, an exchange of shells but the anti- the station while the second is Lt Powers’ the railway passed the tiny goods halt aircraft gun was knocked out. bold attack along the road when the two of Stoumont Station. North and south, tank columns encountered each other. were steep hills covered in forests. At the same time, Panzergrenadiers in a half-track advancing through Game Size: Squad As the Germans organised for their the railway tunnel, moved along the next push, the Americans were railway line and soon came under Situation Report reacting as best they could. To block ire from small arms and the US .50 December 19th, 1944 the valley road west of Targnon, Lt calibre, the M4 tractor having been Kampfgruppe Peiper had captured Leon Kent of C Battery, 143rd Anti- driven down the slope onto the tracks. Stoumont, having ejected the Aircraft Artillery Regiment quickly The SS grenadiers disembarked and American defenders from the towed his 90mm M2 anti-aircraft gun returned ire, but were pinned down village in the morning assault. The into place by the station buildings in the ire-ight. Their half-track was vanguard of 1st SS Panzer Division’s with orders to hold the road. With hit and knocked out trying to reach battlegroup now has instructions to him, he had 15 gunners and an M4 the road. But, with the AA gun gone push on westwards, along the river tractor, equipped with a pintle- and big tanks advancing up the road, valley road, through the next small mounted .50cal machine gun. It was the US troops soon abandoned their village of Targnon and beyond, to all that was available. tractor and withdrew. seize a potentially useful bridge over the Ambleve river. The battlegroup Behind him, at Remouchamps, was Krüger now led the other Panthers was now very short of fuel and it an ad hoc armoured unit of 740th passed the station, whilst, at the rear, was racing against time to reach Tank Battalion with old Shermans Hauptscharführer Knappich halted the distant Meuse bridges before (two were DD tanks – without their his tank, gathered the wounded the Americans could organise their skirts), an M10 and an M36 tank Ropeter from the roadside, laid him defences and block Peiper’s new destroyer rounded up from repaired on his engine deck and returned route. The leading Panthers pushed vehicles held at an ordnance depot. up the hill to deliver his severely on west, down the road which This motley collection of tanks was wounded comrade to the aid station descended the hill steeply from commanded by Lieutenant Powers in Stoumont. Stoumount, through switchbacks and, once fuelled-up and armed, towards the valley loor. they quickly headed east. The Coming along the other way were two opposing tank forces ran into Powers’ tanks with the M10 in the At Targnon, the road joined the single each other on the road just west of lead. In the misty afternoon, it saw railway line, following the line of the Stoumont Station. the lead Panther irst, stopped and river through the valley. Here, the opened ire. Krüger returned ire Meanwhile, as Powers was heading before his tank was knocked out west, Oberscharführer by a shell that glanced off the road US FORCES Ropeter’s Panther rounded and into the underside of the tank. (All US forces are Inexperienced) the bend in the road at It started to burn, but the M10 had Initial Deployment Stoumont Station and came been disabled too. Powers’ own M2 90mm anti-aircraft gun with 4 crew and a 3 man directly into the waiting Sherman passed the M10 and raced loader team sights of the M2 gun. It was on, meeting Kauffman’s Panther just M4 HS tractor with pintle-mounted .50 cal MG immediately hit, its muzzle west of the station buildings. Infantry squad (Lt Kent and spare gunners): 3 men brake torn off and its main with riles. (Officer) gun disabled. The US gun Powers hit Kauffman’s tank with Infantry squad (spare gunners): 3 men with riles crew reloaded and ired his irst shot at less than 200 yards, again and again, repeatedly the 75mm shell glancing off the Reinforcements hammering the Panther until gun mantlet and ricocheting down M10 Tank Destroyer it started to burn. Ropeter through the thinner top armour. M4 Sherman (Lt Powers) (Officer) and two other crew tumbled Ammunition cooked off inside and M36 Tank Destroyer (Looney) out, badly burnt, while two the tank started to burn. Kauffman M4 Sherman of his crew died inside. died inside it. M4 Sherman Behind Ropeter, came Powers then opened ire on Officers: 2 the Panthers of Krüger, Brauschke’s Panther on the left BR: 20 Kauffman and Brauschke side of the road but a shell jammed and they slewed around the in his main gun. He waved the

66 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

next tank, actually the M36 under Victory Sergeant Looney, passed to take the The irst side to lose all its BR breaks lead. Looney’s ire hit the Panther’s and must withdraw, the other side is cupola, penetrated and killed the the winner. tank commander outright. The driver reversed away, but hit the roadside Special Rules ditch and got stuck. The surviving US Reinforcements: The tanks are crew bailed out and led. Four on the way, and Lt Kent and his men Panthers had been lost and the road need to hang on. From turn 3, start from Stoumont was blocked. Here rolling for the arrival of the irst US Powers halted, holding the road and armour. It arrives on the road on a waiting for infantry support to catch dice roll of 4+. From then on, one up. By nightfall, men of C Company, vehicle arrives via the road in each 1st Battalion, 119th Infantry Regiment subsequent turn, in the order given. were digging in at Stoumont Station. If the American player won the Krüger’s burnt out Panther marked previous battle, Assault on Stoumont, the most westerly point of Peiper’s then they have bought extra times for race to Meuse, an advance which Powers’ tanks to reach Lt Kent; they was now stalled and would never get arrive on a roll of 2+ instead of 4+. started again. The following morning, the US troops would advance on German Reinforcements: The Targnon and begin the battle to German reinforcements arrive from retake Stoumont. the beginning of turn 2, on the turn given in the lists. The Panther tanks Terrain all arrive along the road. The infantry This game is played on a thin table, all arrive along the railway line. following the course of the road and railway line. As the steep forested hill Mine Strike Counter: There have they gain +2 Campaign points. is to the north and the River Ambleve been no mines placed, so the Mine If the Germans win, they gain +3 to the south, these act as useful Strike counter is not used - remove Campaign points. If either side wins natural boundaries. A 6' x 2' table is both the counters from the pot before a decisive victory, they gain no bonus recommended. the start of the game. Campaign points.

The Ambleve valley is heavily Air Attack: It is an overcast, misty In addition, if the Americans win, wooded. The station has two small day - no air support is available for they gain an additional M10 tank brick buildings and a small goods either side. Any aircraft counter destroyer for scenario 6, St Edouard yard between them (where the AA drawn counts as 1 instead of being an Sanatorium, Stoumont. See that gun was in place). The road is slightly aircraft. scenario for full details. higher than the railway line, but the scrub- and tree-lined slope is gentle Railway Line as Cover: GERMAN FORCES so doesn’t need to be represented. The railway line is in a (All German forces are Veteran) slight dip and lined by Initial Deployment The wooded hill to the north of bushes and scrub. Any Panther G (Ropeter) the road is steep and therefore infantry squad on the impassable to all vehicles and railway line is in soft Reinforcements dificult ground for infantry. South cover, except for ire Turn 2: of the railway line, are more woods, from another unit also Panther G (Krüger) beyond which lies the Ambleve. on the line, in which case SS Panzergrenadier squad: 5 men with a Panzerfaust The road is wide enough for two they are in the open. SS Medium MG team: 3 men with MG42 tanks abreast, but becomes blocked Mounted in SdKfz 251/1 if two vehicles are destroyed next to Restricted 90mm AP each other. Otherwise, any wrecks Ammo: Not much Turn 3: on the road count as obstacles for armour piercing Panther G (Kauffman) (Officer) moving past and around them. ammunition was issued to anti-aircraft units. Roll Turn 4: Deployment a D3. This is the number Panther G (Brauschke) The AA gun, tractor and spare of AP shots Kent’s 90mm SS Panzergrenadier squad: 5 men with a Panzerfaust gunners should all be placed within gun has in the game and, SS Medium MG team: 3 men with MG42 10" of Stoumont station. The anti- after that, it must use HE Mounted in SdKfz 251/1 aircraft gun starts the game on shells. Ambush Fire. Ropeter’s Panther Officer: 1 should be placed on the German Victory Gains BR: 20 board edge on the road. The Germans If the Americans win, take the irst turn. 67 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

SCENARIO 6 ST EDOUARD SANATORIUM

Game Size: Platoon next objective, some 2km east up the to move up to the Sanatorium via wooded hillside, was the imposing the road but hit another mine, was Situation Report Sanatorium building, standing in its immobilised, and was then hit by December 21st – 22nd, 1944 own grounds and towering over the anti-tank ire from the direction of With the panzers halted and defeated western approach to Stoumont. It Stoumont (most likely a PaK-40 later at Stoumont Station, the Americans had to be taken. In the afternoon, the found in a position overlooking the reinforced the area and dug-in for renewed US advance soon ran into road). For the third time that day, a the night, with 1st Battalion, 119th dificulty. disabled Sherman blocked the road. Infantry Regiment sending its C Company furthest east to establish an Only the twisting N33 road was Peiper was unhappy to hear that the outpost line between the station and passable to the Sherman tanks, Sanatorium had fallen into American the hamlet of Targnon. It would be and the lead tank was disabled by hands. Dominating the hill, it was the supported by the tanks of 740th Tank a Teller mine strike, which then key to Stoumont. Whilst the SS men Battalion when they arrived. blocked the way for all the other held it, they would hold Stoumont. If tanks behind. The infantry waited the Americans held it, then Stoumont In the morning, the entire battalion for engineers to come forward and would eventually fall. He ordered had orders to clear Targnon and clear the mines and grenade booby- that an evening counter-attack be then press the attack home to traps and, for a while, all progress organised to retake the buildings retake Stoumont. In the night, the was halted. By mid-afternoon, they and establish a fortress position in Germans established their own were cautiously moving again, with it. The man tasked with leading the screen of infantry and MG positions A Company coming up into line assault would be Obersturmführer in the woods around Targnon, with C Company to the south and B Franz Sievers, commander of 3rd SS whilst engineers of 3rd SS Pioneer Company taking the left lank, north Pioneers. Company illed a half-track with of C Company in the centre. They Teller mines and grenades and set encountered repeated small arms Over the next hours, Sievers gathered about mining and booby-trapping ire from hidden German machine a force of about 75 men from his own the main N33 road in ive locations guns, and called forwards tanks for company, 9th Pioneer Company between Targnon and Stoumont. supporting ire. The lead tank also hit and some Fallschirmjäger, along They also established positions a mine and lost both its tracks, again with a supporting heavy machine on the western edge of Stoumont blocking the way whilst engineers gun detachment and tanks from and their headquarters in the large with minesweepers cleared the road Stoumont. Sanatorium building (variously under 20mm cannon ire. Ahead referred to in reports as: the Chateau, of them, Stoumont itself was being They mustered on the northern the Monastery, the School and the intermittently shelled, targeting road out of Stoumont, the Route de Castle but actual a large home for suspected German mortar positions Spa, before launching a direct and handicapped children run by the near the church and half-tracks ferocious 15 minute assault. Tank Catholic church). The 260 civilians, spotted in Rouat. ire pummelled the Sanatorium, priests, nuns and children still in the smashing holes through the walls, Sanatorium took cover in its large At 1600, a direct attack on the then infantry, heavily-equipped with cellars. Sanatorium building was launched extra Panzerfausts and under the by 119th Infantry’s B Company, cover of raking machine gun ire, At dawn, the American advance to swinging up from the south. The dashed in, using the Panzerfausts retake Stoumont began, and soon building and grounds were held by to clear rooms as they burst back encountered sporadic German 2nd platoon, 3rd SS Pioneers, who into the building. They captured resistance in the woods as the lost their commander, Oberscharführer the lower loor, with the Americans leading C Company platoons Buetner, in the initial ire-ight and still holding the upper loors above, approached Targnon. The hamlet then quickly withdrew. US infantry then used more Panzerfausts to blast was soon brought under artillery stormed the Sanatoruim, destroyed a holes through the interior ceilings. ire, two houses began to burn and Wirbelwind in the grounds and were In intense room to room ighting, the the Germans fell back rather than soon inside the buildings, clearing Americans within were either killed ight for the hamlet. By about 1000, the rooms. The Germans had already or taken prisoner (often wounded). US infantry were in the village and pulled back to Stoumont, but not B Company, 119th Infantry, had faced minimal resistance. So far, before several SS prisoners were lost all its platoon commanders in the advance had gone well but the taken. Another Sherman attempted the sudden counter-attack and the

68 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

German Reinforcements 2 survivors were forced out of the Sanatorium by 20.30 and regrouped behind a hedge, just 30m away.

But the Germans hadn’t inished for the night. At 0200, a second attack, supported by tank and mortar ire, struck C Company to the south. Then, two hours later, a third attack led by two Panthers swept in north of the Sanatorium. Using lares for illumination, the Germans hit the US lines and broke through.

The Panthers caught a stationary German Reinforcements 1 platoon of 740th tanks on the main road, behind the roadblock tank, and quickly knocked out three more US Table Edge Shermans. The others withdrew. The Sanatorium buildings had caught ire in places and tracer rounds were The Game Deployment lying thick and fast through the This scenario conlates the see-saw The initial German defenders are night. Everywhere, the positions battle for the Sanatorium into one placed in the Sanatorium or within of 119th’s 1st Battalion were under game, although the ighting lasted for 5" of it, in the centre of the table. intense pressure. In order to help over 12 hours through the evening The initial US attackers are placed relieve some of that pressure, heavy and night of December 21st-22nd. within 25" of the south-west corner, artillery was directed into Stoumont, It begins with B Company’s attack, up to 5" onto the table. German with 155mm shells from 15 batteries followed by Siever’s counter-attack Reinforcements 1 are placed on called in to smother the village. and then the second German attack. the eastern table edge. German reinforcements 2 are placed on the The attacking Germans pulled back Special Rules western half of the northern table at dawn, but still held the now Night Fight: Only the initial attack edge. All US reinforcements arrive reinforced Sanatorium buildings. takes place in daylight, after turn 7 from their table corner, as for the The Germans would continue to hold use the night ighting special rules. initial attackers. the buildings, constantly under ire, until the afternoon of December 22nd, No Air Cover: There was no air cover Victory Gains when they were ordered to pull back, for either side during the battle. Any If the Americans win, they gain +2 as Peiper’s Kampfgruppe moved out air attack counters drawn count as 1s. campaign points. If the Germans win, of Stoumont and regrouped for its they gain +1 campaign point. If either inal stand in La Gleize. US Reinforcements: If the Americans side wins a decisive victory, then won Scenario 5, then add to their they gain a bonus +1 campaign point. Reinforcements 2, 1 M10 tank There are no other victory gains. destroyer and +2 BR.

US FORCES GERMAN FORCES Initial Attack (B Company, 119th Infantry Regiment) Initial Defenders Forward HQ - 3 men SS Assault Pioneer Platoon (Veteran) 2 Infantry Platoons (Inexperienced) Wirbelwind 2 Bazooka Teams Off-table battery of 2 x 80mm mortars Sherman Tank Platoon (4 tanks, all 75mm. 1 Officer) Off-table 75mmL46 shot - may ire once per turn for 3 Counter Battery ire missions no orders at any US unit within 36" of German table edge. Reinforcements 1 (on turn 4) Reinforcements 1 (on turn 7) Infantry Platoon (Inexperienced) SS Assault Pioneer Platoon (Veteran) Bazooka Team Fallschirmjäger Platoon (Regulars) .30 cal MMG Team Forward HQ - 3 men (Veteran) Off-table battery of 2 x 81mm mortars 2 HMG-42 Teams Panzer IV Reinforcements 2 (on turn 11) 2 Sherman tanks (75mm) Reinforcements 2 (on turn 12) 1 M10 Tank Destroyer (optional) SS Grenadier Squad (Veteran) 2 Panther Gs BR: 46 (+2 BR with M10) Officers: 5 (including senior officer) BR: 49 Officers: 4 (incluidng senior officer)

69 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

SCENARIO 7 LA GLEIZE THE BATTLE OF SO L’HESSE Game Size: Platoon then he was still determined his 155mm artillery ire and the Germans survivors would ight to the last man. (and remaining civilians) crowded Situation Report into the cellars or dug foxholes and covered them with felled trees and December 22nd, 1944 The SS men dug in all around the even vehicles. Troops only ventured By mid-afternoon on December village, with the almost immobilised out in the brief lulls in the shelling. 22nd, the SS had pulled back from panzers covering the main The aid post in the church began to Stoumont, leaving no rearguard, and approaches. The defenders were ill up with the wounded. regrouped in La Gleize, establishing still formidably equipped with 23 an all-round defence of the village combat effective tanks and six Grille with all the remaining troops and 150mm self-propelled guns, as well Pummelled by heavy artillery ire, the defenders received warning equipment they could muster. the infantry’s 80mm and 120mm mortars. The kampfgruppe was now from their outposts of an imminent American attack at midday on Fuel had almost completely run surrounded. American troops had December 23rd. The SS men out, the last of it had been drained moved up and retaken Stoumont scurried from their cellar hiding from twenty half-tracks abandoned unopposed and were now patrolling places to their ighting positions. in a local orchard, and gathered for east to ind the new German Taskforce McGeorge’s armour led a small mobile reserve force in the positions. A new attack could be the assault, along the road from centre of the village. The Luftwaffe expected from Stoumont at any time. Roanne to the east. The Sherman had air-dropped some fuel but most tanks advanced, iring smoke shells had landed on the Americans and, To the north and east, Taskforce of those meagre amounts that had McGeorge and Taskforce Lovelady of into the village, which mixed with the day’s hazy mist. The Americans reached Peiper, some were later set CCB, 3rd Armoured Division, were in quickly captured a mill at Moulin on ire by the constant American place. Their irst probing attacks had Maréchal and the few Germans in artillery bombardments that now been repelled by tank ire and now their outposts either fell back or were battered the village into rubble. Fuel the two armoured forces faced each captured or killed. The US tankers was not the only concern. Small arms other across the hills, sniping at long ammunition was also low and tank range. To the south, the paratroops then pressed the attack further, crews were requested to surrender 504th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne behind another heavy 30 minute whatever supplies their vehicles had. Division held Cheneux and their artillery barrage, while some US artillery and spotters had a good infantry remained behind at the mill to mop-up. Led by the men of King Low on fuel, ammo and rations, view of La Gleize, up the hill across Peiper was still sure a relief attempt the river. Part of Peiper’s perimeter Company, 117th Infantry (attached to Taskforce McGeorge from 30th would reach him. He could hear the included La Venne, covering the sounds of battle to the north and approaches across the Ambleve Infantry Division), the tanks of Item Company, 33rd Armoured Regiment, east and thought these were friendly valley from the south. The entire area were road-bound as they moved up forces closing on La Gleize. If not, was now under repeated 105mm and towards La Gleize, approaching the ields east of the village, known as So l’Hesse.

Visibility badly obscured, the 1 Americans encountered heavy resistance here, with both sides’ tanks 2 US Table Edge US iring blindly into the thick mist and smoke. The US infantry pressed their 3 attack along a side track, the Chemin de Miniéves, which ran parallel to the main road, after it completed an S-bend around the forest. For an hour, the two sides traded ire, German Table EdgeGerman Table 4 until a Panther tank (number 201, commanded by Obersturmführer Friedrich Christ) arrived and took up 6 5 a iring position in the So L’Hesse. It immediately received incoming ire

70 BATTLE GROUP • WACHT AM RHEIN

from a Sherman, which narrowly Terrain The road from Roanne snakes in missed. The return ire destroyed the The battle takes place across the So from the east, around a wood. The Sherman and seconds later a second L’Hesse ields, east of the village. The narrow Chemin de Minieve track Sherman was knocked out, blocking edge of the village is represented by also approaches from the east, lined the road entirely. With their infantry six buildings. From north to south, by hedges. The So L’Hesse ields have pinned down by MG and AA ire these are: a few trees and bushes dotted about and the road blocked to the following 1. Delvenne House and forge them. tanks, the Americans pulled back 300 2. Gregoire House yards, back up the lane screened by 3. Dumont House The Americans are approaching up the forest, and called in more artillery 4. Alphonse Boulanger (with a the hill, but the slope is not enough to ire to cover them. Their assault had command post in the cellar) be represented on the tabletop. failed to break into the village. 5. Hankart Cafe 6. Matthieu House

US FORCES GERMAN FORCES (from Taskforce McGeorge) Initial Defenders Initial Attackers, from K Company, 117th Infantry Forward HQ. 3 men. (These must start in the Alphonse Infantry Platoon Boulanger) .30cal Medium MG team 2 SS Squads (Veteran) - each with 2 MG42s and 2 Infantry Platoon Panzerfausts Bazooka team 2 Panther Gs 2 M4 Sherman Tanks (1 is an officer) 120mm mortar team Forward Observer Team 2 men 1 SdKfz 251/7 Off-table battery of 2 x 105mm guns 1 SdKfz 251/21 ‘Drilling’ AA 2 x Timed 105mm barrages, both must hit on turn 1, 1 SdKfz 251/9 the end of the preliminary bombardment. 2 SdKfz 251/1s Reinforcements 2 Fortiied Buildings (the Dumont house and the On Turn 2 Alphonse Boulanger) 1 M4 Sherman tank (must arrive via the road) ‘To the last Bullet’ +D6 BR On Turn 3 Reinforcements Forward HQ, in M4 Sherman (must arrive via the road) On Turn 5 On Turn 7 Panther G (officer) (must arrive on road from north) M4 Sherman Tank Platoon, 3 tanks (1 is an officer, must On Turn 6 arrive via the road) SdKfz 251/9 (must arrive on road from south)

Officers: 6 (including senior officer) Officers: 2 (including senior officer) BR: 38 BR: 28+D6

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House and forge (1). Only air attack counters drawn count as 1s the American can claim instead. an All Objectives Secured victory. Victory Gains This is the inal battle of the Special Rules campaign, so there are no additional Mist, Dust and Smoke: victory gains to be had. The village was shrouded in mist, dust If the US player wins, he gains 2 from the heavy artillery campaign points. If the German bombardments and the player wins, he gains 3 campaign Americans also ired a lot points. If either side wins a decisive of smoke rounds to cover victory, then they gain a bonus 2 Deployment their approach. Visibility campaign points. This game covers the attack from was very poor. Throughout the game, about 2.30pm to 3.30pm, as the all Aimed Fire spotting rolls have an American advance reached the So additional -1 modiier and all Aimed Alternative Forces L’Hesse ields on the edge of La Fire (of any sort) is at an additional If using alternative forces, the Gleize. -1 modiier to hit. It might be worth German player can take 600 points relying more on Area Fire. using the Panzer Division army The Germans are defending and lists, including all of Kampfgruppe deploy irst, anywhere in their half Running on Vapours: The German Peiper’s additional restrictions. It of the table. 2D6 units may start vehicles are almost out of fuel. Each may include Defences. A D6 of these the game on Ambush Fire. The time a German vehicle moves, roll a units, chosen by the German player, Americans then deploy, up to 10" dice. On a 1, it completes the move must start the game as reinforcements from their table edge. The Sherman but then runs out of fuel and is and arrive from the northern and tanks must start the game on the immobilised for the rest of the game. southern roads on turns 5 and 6 road. The US are attacking and take Note, on a ‘full speed’ order, a vehicle respectively. the irst turn. must roll twice. No BR counter is taken for this. The US player can take 650 points Objectives from the Armoured Division army There are 2 objectives on the table, the No Air Cover: There was no air cover lists. He may not include any Matthieu House (6) and the Delvenne for either side during the battle. Any Defences.

AFTERMATH The American had La Gleize surrounded, but breaking remaining vehicles blown up or disabled beyond use and in was proving a dificult and too costly task. With their the surviving men to gather for a stealthy night march to artillery zeroed-in, they contented themselves that the escape the encirclement and make their way back east, SS men were trapped, low on supplies and had no hope to German lines. In the early hours of December 24th, of any relief force reaching them. They could afford to the last Germans crept south through la Venne, careful wait out Peiper’s men in a siege, whilst intensifying the not to reveal to the Americans they were leaving. With bombardment. Peiper could wait no longer. Without them, they took ‘volunteered’ civilian guides and a fuel, his position was hopeless, so he contacted his single captured American oficer, Lieutenant McGown divisional commander to ask for permission to evacuate (he escaped under cover of a ire-ight). In single ile, La Gleize. At the irst it was refused, the divisional the battle-weary SS men made their way down to the commander, , assured him relief and Ambleve river, crossed it on a footbridge and headed supplies were on the way. It was wishful thinking. south, then east. Hiding by day under the forest canopy, Peiper would lead just 770 men, all that remained of his There was no route through to La Gleize; the bridge potent Kampfgruppe, back to the safety of the 1st SS back at Stavelot had been recaptured and demolished lines near Wanne. On December 26th, the Kampfgruppe by the Americans. On the evening of the 23rd, a second was oficially disbanded by the divisional commander request was made by Peiper and this was accepted, with and the survivors were returned to their parent units. instructions to ight their way out east. Again, the order was not a viable option. The remaining vehicles had On December 24th, the Americans inally moved into no fuel for an attack in any direction. Instead, it would La Gleize unopposed to ind the blasted detritus of the require an emergency plan simply to save the men. enemy scattered everywhere amidst the wreckage of the shattered village - Panthers, Tiger IIs, Panzer IVs, half- Peiper knew he would be unable to take his prisoners tracks, self-propelled guns, mortars, all badly damaged, and wounded with him, so he left these under the charge most by internal explosions. The SS wounded were taken of the chief medical oficer and American prisoners of prisoner (and not exchanged) and the former POWs war, with a request that his wounded men be exchanged liberated and either returned to their units or sent to for American POWs at a later date. He ordered all the hospitals to recover irst.

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DECEMBER 1944, THE • BACKGROUND • SPECIAL RULES A general overview of Operation New special rules to adapt the BELGIAN ARDENNES... Wacht Am Rhein, from the initial core Battlegroup game to the With the German army infantry offensive on day one, to winter battleields of 1944-45. The seemingly on the verge of defeat, clear the routes for the following rules recreate the character of the the Führer ordered it to stage panzer attacks on day two. It Ardennes ighting, with German a new surprise attack, aimed covers; 6th Panzer Army in the iniltration tactics, the morale effect at splitting the Allied army’s north in hard ighting for the of their powerful surprise attack Elsenborn ridge and the deep and the winter weather’s limiting of advancing on Germany. Timed penetration of Kampfgruppe Allied air support, along with the to utilise the winter weather, Peiper. 5th Panzer Army’s drive in snow falling to impede operations Operation Wacht Am Rhein the centre and the surroundings of on the ground. committed Germany’s last St Vith and Bastogne. 7th Army’s reserves in an ambitious gamble supporting attack in the south. All help to create games with the to turn the tide of the war. distinctive feel of the bitter ‘Battle of • ARMY LIST the Bulge’. On December 16th, the offensive Designed to be used with the army struck in the Ardennes forests. lists already published in Battlegroup • SCENARIOS AND CAMPAIGN Overlord, this book contains a single Nine new historical scenarios, The unexpected attack would new army list, for the freshly raised including a detailed narrative become the largest American Volksgrenadier Divisions, as well as campaign for Kampfgruppe Peiper’s battle of the war in Europe... many new additions to the Overlord ill-fated race to the Meuse river. army lists for reighting the battles of late 1944. It also includes units for the German disguised iniltration teams of Operation Greif.

PUBLISHING