Ardennes ' 44 - Learning Game

[judgedredd]

That's as close to being "cut off" as you'd want to be!

[bob48]

The Ardennes is not somewhere that you want to be cut off in :-)

[thecommandtent]

December 18th ends after seeing pockets of heavy fighting and the struggle of both sides to move men and machines where they are needed most.  Battle lines have solidified on the northern and southern shoulders of the 'bulge' but the Germans have punched a hole in the Allied center.

The race to Bastogne was 'won' by the Allies but a hard push by the Germans saw their Panzers in the outskirts of town as darkness fell.  Elements of the 2d Panzer Division also manage to capture the lightly defended town of Houffalize, seriously jeopardizing the  north/south movement of Allied reserves.  The 101st and 82nd  airborne divisions are enroute via trucks but the whether they will be committed to hold Bastogne or take up a defensive line further west is still to be determined.

St. Vith is still in Allied hands but the Germans have cut if off and if no breakthrough occurs to relieve the beleaguered defenders then they will almost certainly surrender.  The Germans are coordinating a major attack on Malmedy in order to occupy troops that would otherwise try to breakthrough to St. Vith.

[Martok]

Oof, things are definitely looking a bit hairy there.    Is that Allied pocket near the middle St. Vith, then? 

[judgedredd]

See - what happened there is everyone bugged out and forgot to tell the troops in St Vith.

Happens all the time. 

[thecommandtent]

Oof, things are definitely looking a bit hairy there.    Is that Allied pocket near the middle St. Vith, then?

Yes it is, with what is left of the 9th Armored Division's Combat Command B holding the town.   

[bob48]

Such a good game 

[thecommandtent]

Dec. 19 comes to close and sees several Allied held towns fall into German hands as they Allies are running out of units to plug holes and contain the attacking German panzers.  Allied high command faces a no win situations as they debate where to commit what few reserves and reinforcements they have available, while the German generals curse the traffic and horrible road networks that won't let them bring their forces to bear on Allied weak points.

In the South the Germans take Ettelbruck and continue to occupy Allied forces needed elsewhere on the battlefield. 

Bastogne is still contested as both sides dig in for the night and try to maneuver their forces to bear on one another. 

St. Vith falls to the Germans and several pockets of Allied defenders are cut off as the Allies are pushed back and begin contemplating falling back and forming a defensive line along the Ourthe river.

In the north Malmedy falls to a vicious German attack but a last ditch stand at Stavelot by the Allies and timely reinforcements from the North blunt the German breakthrough.

The Allied line from Bastogne to Stavelot is thin and the Germans are slowly clearing traffic and bringing forward fresh troops. As Dec. 20 begins things still hang in the balance.

[judgedredd]

That is quite a bulge....ooo-er missus. 

[bob48]

Steady, lad!

[Martok]

 

[Sir Slash]

If I'd said that, I would be in trouble. But since it's not me... I approve. 

[thecommandtent]

December 20th ends after seeing pockets of vicious fighting throughout the bulge and the Germans oh so very close to achieving an uncontainable breakout. German quartermasters have scrounged supplies from who knows where in order to keep the attack from stalling while Allied casualties mount and several Combat Commands are encircled or lost entirely.

The southern shoulder of the German attack expands and threatens to block any reinforcements or relief attack towards Bastogne.

The fighting in and around Bastogne is fierce and the Germans are close to encircling the exhausted troops within the town.

The Germans renew their attack west with forces freed from the St. Vith pocket and are within reach of a lightly defended Hotten and crossings over the Ourthe river.

Stavelot falls to a massive German attack but the Allies are somehow able to withdraw in decent order and form a new defensive line around Spa and the village of Stoumont. Allied leaders now fear that the city of Liege is the German objective in the north and are scrambling to delay the German attacks with whatever units are the in the area.

[bob48]

Great AAR so far. I've played this a bit on Vassal and enjoyed it.

[Martok]

I realize just looking at counters can be very misleading, but man do the Allies appear to be badly outnumbered .