I’ve posted a number
of times about the Battle of the Bulge game we’ve been planning for some time.
I’ve covered the
infantry,
vehicles,
trees, the
table set up and the
scenario.
It may be worth having a look at those before reading this AAR.
The
game was played over several nights by 4 players with two on each side. I led
the US forces with Dave the Designer leading the Germans. Once initial set up
was complete I outlined the table terrain and it’s effects. There is a
substantial amount of terrain on the table with a number of effects. This had a
major impact on the battle, with the difficulties in crossing the main section
of river west of Wurzfeld in particular constraining the German battleplan.
Height advantage played its part, with the Germans generally disadvantaged all
through the battle. The snow was considered light and had minimal influence on
the game.
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| Krinkelt-Rocherath is at the bottom right, Wurtzfeld in the middle and Murringen on the left middle. German forces entered from the left. |
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| Looking down the river valley from the northwest. This section of river to Wurtzfeld was very difficult to cross and impacted the German strategy. |
For both sides this
was a do or die battle. The Germans had to capture the highest point on the
table, effectively requiring them to eliminate the US forces on the table. The
US objective was simply to hold on until nightfall. If the Germans failed the US
players would win. 14 turns of battle would follow.
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| The key heights above and to the northwest of the twin villages Krinkelt-Rocerath |
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| The key heights viewed from the German entry points to the southwest looking over Wurtzfeld |
After a brief
planning session the game began.
The German
battleplan comprised three main thrusts. The first to the east sought to
capture the Twin Villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath. The central thrust sought to
capture Murringen and Wurtzfeld. The western attack through the woods sought to
outflank the US defence but faced a tricky crossing of the river.
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| The US players view south from Krinkelt-Rocherath |
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| Wurtzfeld in the foreground and the heights above it |
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| The German players view of Murringen with Krinkelt-Rocherath in the top right. |
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| The woods to the west of the table looking from the American side south. |
The US defence was
based on strongpoints. US infantry occupied Krinkelt-Rocherath, another
battalion held Wurtzfeld deploying a company sized garrison force in Murringen.
US armour was held back below the heights near Krinkelt-Rocherath ready to
intervene where needed, whilst the last infantry battalion was placed close to
the centre in semi reserve able to counter any flanking attack from the west.
Considerable artillery resources were held off table with command prioritising
support in this battle.
The game began with
German forces starting to enter at the southern table edge. Fog, and clogged
roads slowed down deployment and it was an hour before all German formations
were on table. In addition aggressive defence by the forward US elements forced
some German formations to prematurely deploy near to Murringen and on the road
to Wurtzfeld. Elsewhere the US defenders waited nervously.
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| German artillery quickly deploys, but an infantry battalion catches incoming fire from US guns. |
In
the early stages of the battle it was the central thrust that saw the lion's
share of the action. A company of US tanks supporting the defence at Wurtzfeld
were uncovered by the suddenly rising fog and quickly discomforted by German
tanks and artillery. US artillery spotters seized the chance to disrupt the
German advance and the 155’s stonked a deploying infantry battalion disordering
a number of platoons and forcing it to seek shelter in the woods.
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| US tanks attract German artillery fire |
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| German infantry scuttle into cover to escape 155mm guns |
Meanwhile the
Germans advanced on Murringen where US infantry in M3 half tracks hoped to
fight a stubborn delaying action.
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| US infantry bravely stand to battle |
The Germans relying on weight of numbers
attacked quickly. The US infantry was hit by supporting fire before being
assaulted by infantry supported by 251s. The US troops fought bravely and
although suffering heavy losses gave as good as they got. Pushed back they
counterattacked, before being eliminated by the next German assault. Although
scattered the US force had hurt the enemy and, more importantly, a single
company held up two German battalions for almost 3 hours.
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| Initial German attacks reduce the defenders |
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| Everything gets thrown in and the US forces are defeated. |
Elsewhere the
Germans advanced on both Krinkelt-Rocherath and Wurtzfeld moving into position
to begin their attacks.
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| The Germans thunder towards Krinkelt-Rocherath |
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| German forces mass on Wurtzfeld |
German gunners fired on the defenders of the Twin
Villages, one notable consequence was that the engineers charged with mining
the bridges were so badly shelled they were ineffective for the rest of the
game.
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| US engineers suffered from German shelling. |
US artillery fire, particularly near Wurtzfeld hindered German
manoeuvring, as a Volks infantry battalion was caught in the open by the
combined fire of 155 and 105mm guns.
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| Infantry exposed to artillery in effectively open ground being chewed to pieces |
In the west the
Germans slowly advanced, keeping to the woods.
The next phase of
the battle was the desperate defence by US infantry in the centre and in the
Twin Villages.
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| US infantry awaiting the German assault in Wurtzfeld |
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| US infantry in the twin villages already under enemy shell fire |
German panzer
grenadiers and Panzers opened up on Krinkelt-Rocherath, supported by artillery.
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| They're coming! |
The US troops replied firing back with everything they had, but as the Panzers
were outside bazooka range impact was limited. So much fire rained down on the
US infantry that their battle line was significantly weakened.
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| Ineffective fire from the US infantry has minimal impact on the German forces. Where's the artillery fire support? |
The Germans despite
receiving heavy artillery fire pushed onwards, the panzer grenadiers assaulting
supported by their half tracks.
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| German panzer-grenadiers throw back the US infantry in the twin villages |
The attack was a success, pushing the surviving
Americans back across the river, although at the cost of breaking the German
formation.
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| The half tracks may still be there but much of the assaulting infantry didn't survive. |
This attack was followed by a panzer assault into the town. The
Germans desperately short of infantry and with the clock passing midday were
forced to sacrifice tanks for territory.
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| Everybody is feeling the pain! |
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| One more push and the twin villages will fall. |
They took the ground, broke the
American infantry, and then followed up with a charge into the routing GIs
wiping another company off the table.
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| US infantry break |
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| The Germans push on and on hitting the routed infantry |
The only forces left
to support this attack was another Panzer battalion. It deployed trying to move
forward. However the concentration of German forces in the salient left it
exposed and US Sherman’s and Wolverines firing from higher ground across the valley
supported by heavy artillery fire caused significant losses.
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| Caught by artillery and tanks out in the open |
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| Ouch! |
In the centre across
a broad front the Germans advanced, particularly towards Wurtzfeld.
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| Artillery fire is hurting the Germans but the US ground defence is weak |
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| The Germans mount a broad thrust fowards |
US command
and control was poor and the defence unco-ordinated. Whilst the Germans
suffered badly from artillery pounding them the US ground forces inflicted
minimal casualties. Just as the Germans took the Twin Villages the US forces in
Wurtzfeld pulled back and soon after collapsed.
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| The Germans begin a determined push into Wurtzfeld |
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| That was over quickly! Now on to the heights! |
The German advance
in the west continued, forcing the Americans to commit their last reserve, an
unbloodied infantry battalion. No sooner was this done though it became clear
this was an elaborate feint. The full weight of the German assault had been thrown
across a narrow front.
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| Where did they go? That was just a feint! |
The US position was
now critical. All the villages had been lost, half their ground forces routed
and only 1 tank battalion and a raw infantry battalion stood against the
Germans. However the US commanders consoled themselves with the fact that the
German’s were suffering heavily. Every enemy formation had suffered losses and
several were combat ineffective. The battle was not over yet.
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| The German advance passes the river at all points. Just one more mile to go! |
The next blows came
on the slopes above Wurtzfeld. Infantry supported by tanks and artillery fired
upon the dug in American defenders, grinding them down.
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| Only this infantry stands between the Germands and the western side of the heights |
The inexperienced
troops suffered steady losses and gave ground. The Germans sensing victory
threw infantry and tanks into an assault. The Americans, overwhelmed, gave way
routing up the hill. The route to the Heights was open!
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| German tanks, infantry and artillery combine to hammer the US defenders pushing them back. |
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| The Americans can't hold! The heights are open. |
At the Twin Villages
the few US infantry remaining under command staged a desperate attack against
the Panzers. It shattered the infantry but bought time for the US armour to
reposition. The Panzers advanced under cover of smoke but couldn’t grapple with
the US tanks who pulled back further up slope, with a company providing
covering fire.
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| A last throw of the dice for the remaining US infantry |
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| As the panzers push on and on ... |
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| … the Americans fall back |
As the Americans
tried to consolidate and establish a new battleline, they had only an intact
armoured battalion and the shattered remnants of one US infantry battalion,
their morale less than shaky, on table. Opposing them were 4 or 5 German
battalions, although almost all had been badly shot up. The tank vs tank ratio
was about equal, but the Germans were about 50% Tigers and Panthers vs mostly
75mm Shermans. The Germans had much more and better infantry. The US still had
significant artillery support although loss of F.O.s meant 155mm support was
halved. The Germans were optimistic the Americans phlegmatic. The next turn
would determine the result.
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| The route to the heights is open - just one US tank battalion stands in the way |
US artillery fire
caught the Tigers in the centre out in the open and all 3 suffered concussion
effects from incoming fire.
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| Accurate US artillery pounds the Tiger company leading the attack above Wurtzfeld |
The last German infantry formation still undaunted
copped fire from 105mm Shermans and artillery. It caused a bloody mess in the troops
that had struggled across the river and were being pushed ever forwards without
a chance to reorganise and recover. It was too much and they scuttled back
across the river.
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| That has got to hurt! |
Next
the German Panzers were ordered forward to engage. The prospect of fighting up
the slope against hidden Shermans and tank destroyers whilst dodging artillery
shells was just too much. The first Panzer battalion routed back, the other
retreated.
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| Retreating and routing the panzers baulk at charging up the hill |
The
German attack had stalled all across the field of battle! With night less than
two hours away the Germans conceded defeat
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| The state of the table when we called it. German troops retreating, US troops holding the last few metres of ground. |
It was just
unrealistic in the time left available for them to rally and reorder their
forces and push them up the hill against a determined force of US armour. The
game had been in the balance for 12 of 14 turns before attrition tipped the
scales in the Americans’ favour.
At the end of the
game we had a good chat. Everybody had really enjoyed the scenario and game.
The result was pretty much in question all the way through. The difference
between the sides had been the weight of US artillery. The Germans were slowly
whittled down before finding themselves exhausted with ground still to capture.
As the scenario was
intended to test artillery and the impact of height I was very pleased with the
resulting game. Artillery carried great power but needed ground forces to be
able to follow it up and take advantage. US artillery effectiveness had determined
the result - in line with my reading of the actual battle. That the result was
in doubt for so long was very cheering too!
Hope you enjoyed
checking that out.
Roll dice
responsibly!
Charles the Modeller
