Designer’s note – Panzer Campaigns 5: Bulge ’44

Greg “Sturmer” Smith

I can honestly say this was the most stressful game I’ve ever had to work on, mainly
because I perceive the expectations of such a design to be astronomical. It’s not as if it
hasn’t been done before….the question is, can it be done better? As I told some of the
playtest team, “it has to be a masterpiece, because nothing less will suffice.” Hopefully
we will have fulfilled most people’s expectations. It is somewhat ironic that when we
started this series, I was always the one asking that we do the “unknown” battles and
would often state, “who wants to see yet –another- game on the Bulge?” So naturally I
got the lead on Bulge.

With the maturation of the Panzer Campaigns engine, however, we saw the opportunity
to really do the Bulge with a level of detail that would be far beyond what had been done
previously, combined with a high level of playability. So, very excited, I began to work
on the order of battle.

The order of battle for Bulge ’44 includes a lot of design decisions that I made which
might require some explaining. First, I did a lot of consolidation in the US infantry
units, in that many weapon systems are “rolled up” into the values of the infantry
companies, so as to reduce the number of units on the map. I saw no need to depict the
regimental AT gun separately, for example, and just included them as parceled out to the
infantry companies. Additionally, this is how they would have normally been employed,
rather than as a separate unit. The key, I felt, was to account for all the weapons but to
keep the game playable. You’ll see the same thing on the German side, in that several
small, large caliber artillery units have been consolidated into larger “combined”
batteries. Such units depict the names of both firing batteries.

US Tank battalions posed another problem, as they are asymmetrical in design, with 3
medium tank companies and one light tank company. In the end I had to represent each
battalion with two units…..the tank battalion proper (made up of 3 medium companies,
which can be broken down if desired) and one light tank company. Curiously, some
German tank battalions faced the same issue and so I have two units for some of them,
usually one with Mark IVs and one with Mark Vs. Although the game does have many
units with “mixed” vehicles in them, I felt the differences in the capabilities of the Mark
IVs versus the Mark Vs was high enough to warrant this.

The infamous 150th Panzer Brigade, commanded by Skorzeny, posed another problem.
In most games this unit has special infiltration capabilities. However, the more you
read about it the more you realize it was pretty much just a combat unit, as they only had
two captured Shermans and some modified Panthers made to look like M10 tank
destroyers, and a mixture of US and British <!> uniforms. Skorzeny himself said it
would “deceive only young American troops seeing them at night from very far away.”
Accordingly I’ve not given the 150th Panzer Brigade any special capabilities in the game.
The Einheit Steilau units were, on the other hand, the part of the 150th Panzer Brigade
that were the focus of all the hysteria and the rumor of the plot to kill Eisenhower. The
very best English speaking men were sent out in 4 man jeep teams to act as US Military
Police, giving false instructions, preventing bridge demolition, and in general causing
confusion and delaying US reinforcements. For these units we created the new
“Deception” unit capabilities. Players may wish to have more control over these units
than we’ve given them, but we hope they will realize that once they deployed, they didn’t
really have a way to communicate back with headquarters, unless they were still close to
the front, as most of their missions took them beyond radio range.

The order of battle was also intentionally designed to follow the standard military
formation designations, as opposed to any ad hoc formation names that were used. Both
the Germans and US used ad hoc task force and Kampfgruppe designations during the
battle, however I determined I wanted to follow the standard names of those units.

The Historical game was designed to be played with the just the following optional rules
turned “on” : Artillery Set Up, Low Visibility Air Effects, Locking Zones-of-Control,
Night Fatigue, Programmed Weather. These rules, I felt, most closely give the players a
historical situation. Obviously optional rules are just that, and you are free to play the
scenarios as you see fit. Changing these rules, however, tends to give an advantage to
one side or the other. For example, turning “off” Artillery Set Up is a huge advantage to
the German player, as he is able to immediately use his artillery after redeployment. It
will be fairly obvious in most cases which player will gain an advantage from each
optional rule.

Some players may wonder why the US forces have the capability (in general) to break
down into companies, while the Germans (in general) do not. The answer is simply the
starting situation. Bulge ’44 is intended to be primarily a battalion level simulation.
However, the US forces are so spread out in the start of the game, they had to be depicted
at times in their company locations. There was no question of this. And so the US
forces, while primarily battalions, are given breakdown capability so as to allow us to
correctly depict the start of the game. The US player later can break down
reinforcements if he or she so desires, but there is little advantage to doing so, and these
forces normally enter as battalion sized units.

German players may feel some frustration when bridge building, however, they need to
realize that the historical situation was such that the bridge-building over the Our River
was haphazard at best. Unfortunately for the Germans many of the bridging units were
extremely inexperienced; one battalion was actually made up of previous naval personnel
with no experience or training! This led to the development of new rules covering bridge
building, in that the quality level actually affects the probability of successfully
completing the bridge.

The road stacking limits were decreased slightly due to the weather and terrain in the
Ardennes, which was intended to help recreate the congestion faced by the attackers in
the early parts of the battle. Interestingly enough, I had originally thought of bothering
John for a bunch of special rules to recreate the infamous “traffic jams” of the battle.
However, after several playtest sessions of the first day or so, it became clear that the
aforementioned traffic jams were occurring naturally! This was an extremely gratifying
result (although frustrating as a player) and it was fun to see something playing out with
reasonably historical results.

The morale ratings for all the units in the game are, of course, based on my own
subjective analysis, but I would mention that after reading Dupuy, MacDonald, Parker,
and others, it quickly became clear what appropriate morale ratings should be for all the
units. Despite what one might think, not all SS are created equal….and the same applies
to the US side. For some units, you might wonder why a particular rating has been
given, but I took into account recent casualties and “green” replacements and sometimes
a unit that might normally be a “A” would be a “B” for this reason. To wit, the US 1st
Infantry Division.

Weather of course plays a huge role in the game, and to reflect this we’ve added a special
weather .dat file that will roughly mirror the historical weather, with some variation.
Obviously if you have a game with clear weather starting on the first day, it’s not going
to be much of a game. So the weather.dat was born. The players should realize that
ahistorical weather can occur but the probabilities are such that it should roughly match
history.

Another interesting fact that came up during research was that the Germans actually had
quite a decent amount of aircraft supporting the Bulge effort, to include jet bombers and
reconnaissance. Unfortunately all one ever reads about is the US airpower situation.
During the game, this is represented in that the German has the historical amount of
airpower, but most of his strikes will probably be intercepted and therefore aborted. The
US player has a much smaller chance of being intercepted but of course, they have quite
a bit more airpower to use in any case. The players may wonder why the Me262
bombers are relatively ineffective with low bombing ratings, and the main reason is that
the plane flew so fast, it was extremely difficult to accurately bomb or strafe ground
targets with it. It has been rated accordingly.

The final note is, of course, I strongly encourage the Bulge historians out there to feel
free to edit the game to their heart’s content. I went with the best data I had, and I think
we’ve done a very good job.….but I’m sure there will be those who feel that XYZ
battalion should be one hex to the left or whatever. However, with full editing
capabilities for both the order of battle and scenario included, I hope those people will be
kept entertained for quite some time.

Finally, a special thanks to J.P. Dasseville of Belgium for some order of battle assistance.

Gregory “Sturmer” Smith

HPS Simulations
Order of Battle notes:

1. The 10th SS Divisional Artillery was on “loan” to the LXVI Infantry Corps for use
in the initial breakthrough. They are withdrawn near the end of the first day to
rejoin their division.
2. The 766th VolksArtillerieKorps and the 15th Werfer Brigade have zero movement
allowance as they gave up all their motor transport to Panzer Lehr.
3. Due to fuel shortages the 9th SS Panzer actually arrived on foot on the 19th, with
the Panzer Regiment showing up a few days later. This is why the SS
Panzergrenadiers have a “on foot” status.
4. Weapons ranges are without exception based on “combat effective” ranges and
not theoretical maximums. Very few armored vehicles have a two hex range
accordingly.
5. Some German Corps HQs arrive without any subordinate divisions (or one).
This historically occurred as they were brought on to control the action at various
parts of the battle. Players should transfer divisions into those corps HQs as
they see fit.
6. The US 2nd Infantry Division is not dug in at the start of the game, as they were
actually on the offensive themselves at the time the Battle of the Bulge started.
7. US Combat Command headquarters were used in the armored divisions, being
CCA, CCB, and CCR (Combat Commands A,B, and Reserve). These were
flexible organizations with divisional units being attached and detached as
needed. At the start of the game, only the US 9th Armored Division is on the
map, in 3 widely separated Combat Commands, and as such, the artillery
battalions have been directly attached to those commands. However, all the
other artillery battalions in the reinforcing armored divisions have NOT been
placed within the combat commands, as I felt this would unduly restrict the US
Player’s ability to use his divisional artillery.

Some references of interest:

Cole, Hugh M., The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge, 1965.

Dupuy, Trevor N, et al, Hitler's Last Gamble : The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-
January 1945, 1995.

Frankel, Nat and Smith, Larry, Patton’s Best, An Informal History of the 4th Armored
Division, 1978.

Gavin, James M., On to Berlin, 1978.

Green, William, Warplanes of the Third Reich, 1970.

Chamberlain, Peter, et al: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, 1993.
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry, Weapons of the Third Reich, 1979.

Charles B. MacDonald, A Time for Trumpets : The Untold Story of the Battle of the
Bulge,1997.

Hunnicutt, R. P., Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, 1978.

Hunnicutt, R. P., Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, 1992.

Jentz, Thomas L., Panzer Truppen 2, 1996.

Nafziger, George F., The German Order of Battle: Panzers and Artillery in World War
II, 1995.

Parker, Danny S. Hitler's Ardennes Offensive : The German View of the Battle of the
Bulge, 1997.

Parker, Danny S., The Battle of the Bulge : The German View : Perspectives from
Hitler's High Command, 1999.

Parker, Danny S., Battle of the Bulge : Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 2000.

Phillips, Robert F., To Save Bastogne, 1983.

Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive: US lll & Xlll Corps Southern Front, 2000.

Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive: Vll Armee Southern Front. 2000.

Quarrie, Bruce, Ardennes-Central Sector : V Panzer Army, 2000.

Quarrie, Bruce, Ardennes-Central Sector: VII US Corps & VIII US Corps, 2000.

Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive : U.S. V Corps & XVIII (Airborne) Corps
Northern Sector, 1999.

Quarrie, Bruce, The Ardennes Offensive : VI Panzer Armee Northern Sector, 1999.

Reynolds, Michael, The Devil’s Adjutant, Jochen Peiper – Panzer Leader, 1995.

Spielberger, Walter J., Panther and its Variants, 1993.

Toland, John, The Story of the Bulge, 1999.

Tolhurst, Mike, Battle of the Bulge : Saint Vith 1999.

Bulge ’44 Scenario List and Overviews

* Note, Scenario numbers are in a format with the first two digits representing the start date of the
scenario and the second two digits the scenario number. Also, scenarios with an lower case “s” at
the end of the number denote Explicit Supply Optional Rules are possible, but not required for
play. When these scenarios are started without the Explicit Supply Optional Rules, these supply
counters are removed.

1) #00: Getting Started - For the Fatherland

2) #16_01s: The Battle of the Bulge
3) #16_02s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum German Effort
4) #16_03s: The Battle of the Bulge - Increased Allied Forces
5) #16_04s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum Forces
6) #16_05: The 1st SS Pz Korps
7) #16_06: 47th Panzer Korps
8) #16_07s: The Peiper is Paid
9) #16_08: The South Flank
10) #16_09: Skyline Drive
11) #16_10: Bridgehead over the Our River
12) #16_11: The Northern Flank
13) #16_12s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short Historical Campaign
14) #16_13s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short, Maximum Forces Campaign
14) #17_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 1: Rocherath-Krinketh
15) #18_01: The Race for Bastogne
16) #18_02: The Stand at St. Vith
17) #19_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 2: Beyond the Twin Villages
18) #21_01:The Fortified Goose Egg
19) #23_01s: The Relief of Bastogne
20) #23_02: Parker's Crossroads
21) #24_01: Anybody Home?
22) #25_01: Something for Nothing
23) #25_02: Shoulder Charges

#00: Getting Started - For the Fatherland

Schönberg, 10km East of St. Vith, Dec 16th, 1944: When the LXVI Korps' attack was planned, it
was decided that the 18th Volksgrenadier Division, under the command Oberst von Hoffmann-
Schönborn, should make a right hook towards the bridge over the River Our at Schönberg. This
would give access to the important road junction at St Vith towards Vielsalm and Bovigny.
Hoffmann-Schönborn divided his division into two parts and performed an outflanking maneuver
around the flanks of the waiting 422nd and 423rd US Infantry regiments. When it was over, the
two regiments and several other elements of the 106th Infantry Division surrendered. Hoffmann-
Schönborn's outflanking pincer maneuver in the Schnee Eifel gave the German forces their
greatest victory in the Ardennes - and it was accomplished not with a powerful Panzer force, but
rather a simple Volksgrenadier division ... DESIGNER NOTE: This scenario was inspired by
Thomas Wulfes, a playtester on this project, whose grandfather served with the 294th Regiment,
18th Volksgrenadiers Division. Next recommended play is #16_10: Bridgehead over the Our
River.

#16_01s: The Battle of the Bulge

The Historical Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. On December 16th, 1944, Hitler
launched his last major offensive in the west. Having secretly assembled a large army in the
dense woods of the Ardennes, he hoped to punch through the lightly defended sector and race to
the Meuse River. This could drive a wedge between the Allied armies on the continent. The
offensive was doomed by a combination of unexpectedly stiff resistance, a strong Allied
response, a tenuous German supply situation, and mainly an overambitious plan. Still, had the
plan succeeded, it could have greatly altered the outcome of the war.

#16_02s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum German Effort

Maximum German Effort, Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the
Campaign game features early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the
release of the German operational reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions.

#16_03s: The Battle of the Bulge - Increased Allied Forces

Increased Allied Forces, Grand Campaign. This version of the standard Battle of the Bulge
Campaign game features additional British forces committed to stopping a Meuse River
penetration.

#16_04s: The Battle of the Bulge - Maximum Forces

Maximum Forces, Grand Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the Campaign
game features early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the release of
the German operational reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions. It also has
additional British forces from XXX Corps entering into the fight.

#16_05: The 1st SS Pz Korps

West Wall, 0800 Dec 16th, 1944: This is a "What If" scenario depicting the part played by the 1st
SS Panzer Korps for the first 6 days in the Battle of the Bulge. Where possible, the actual
historical events have been portrayed, but some changes, of necessity, have been made to make
the scenario more enjoyable. Suggested play as Axis human or PBEM. On the night of Dec 15th,
1944, German commanders gave their men the watchword from the Fuhrer himself "Forward to,
and over, the Meuse." The Battle of the Bulge began the next morning. In the north, the 6th SS
Panzer Army, selected by Hitler himself, as he felt he could depend on his beloved Waffen SS to
get the job done, would provide the main effort. The 1st SS Pz Korps was to be the armored fist
of the Army. It was comprised of the 1st SS "Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler" Pz Division, 12 th SS "Der
Jugend" Pz Division, and 3 Infantry divisions, the 3rd Para Division, the 12th and 277th
Volksgrenadier Divisions. The plan called for the infantry to punch a hole through the thinly held
US front line, allowing the 2 armored divisions to stream through to the west, all the way to the
Meuse, and then on to Antwerp. The difficulties faced were enormous, the terrain in the Ardennes
is treacherous, especially in the winter. The routes across are not suited to any type of warfare,
particularly using armor. The Pz divisions could not deploy in the accepted sense, instead they
divided into Kamfgruppen, intending to move along 2 primary routes. The 1st SSLAH intending to
use the southern, and 12th SSDJ the northern route. However, the release of the armor was
flexible to allow the infantry time to open the 'holes'. Of course, the order to advance came late
but, initially, it met with great success. Then a combination of heroic US small unit actions, lack of
fuel, ammo and the treacherous roads and tracks, led to it stalling. [Size large]

#16_06: 47th Panzer Korps

West Wall, 0600, Dec 16th, 1944:This is a "WHAT IF" scenario of the XLVII Panzer Korps' part in
the Battle of the Bulge, play as Axis or PBEM. The conditions are close to what really happened,
but some of the units involved have been adjusted, that is to say, some appear earlier, or later,
than the actual historical events. There are also a few units from other Korps/Corps included.
General der Panzertruppen Graf von Luttwitz' orders were to get across the Our and Clef Rivers
as quickly as possible, to create the conditions for a westward advance. This included capturing
Bastogne quickly, before advancing in a broad column, with 2nd Pz Division in the van with the
Panzer Lehr Division slightly behind to the south, in order to seize the Meuse crossings at Dinant,
Anseremme and Givet. If Bastogne proved difficult to take, it was to be bypassed and left to 62nd
Volksgrenadier Division to clean up. [Size, large]

#16_07s: The Peiper is Paid

West Wall, 1600hrs, Dec 16th, 1944: The 1st SSLAH Panzer Division was the strongest fighting
unit in the Sixth Panzer Army. Undiluted by any large influx of untrained replacements, it had an
available armored strength on Dec 16th of about a hundred tanks, equally divided between Mark
IVs and Panthers, plus forty-two Tiger tanks belonging to the 501st SS Panzer Detachment. The
road net in the Sixth Panzer Army would not permit the commitment of the 1st SS Panzer as a
division, even if two of the five roads allocated the army were employed. The division was
therefore divided into four columns or kampfgruppen: the first, commanded by Colonel Peiper,
contained the bulk of the 1st Panzer Regiment and thus represented the armored spearhead of
the division. The original route for Peiper's KG was Route D assigned by 6th SS Pz Korps. Peiper
could not follow the route exactly as given for a variety of reasons. The actual route he took was
Losheim, Lanzerath, Honsfeld, Bullingen, Moderscheid, Ligneuville, here the road divided. Peiper
had a precisely defined mission: his KG was to seize the Meuse River crossings at Huy, making
full use of the element of surprise and driving west without regard to any flank protection.
Therefore, his path lay straight ahead, through Stavelot, Trois Ponts, Werbomont, Ouffet, Seny,
Huy - a distance of some 50 miles. Only a few short miles to the north lay Malmedy and the road
to Spa and Liege. Malmedy and the Meuse crossing sites in the vicinity of Liege, however, were
in the zone assigned the 12th SS Panzer Division. Whatever timetable he was using, if indeed he
had any precise timetable in mind, his KG was making good progress and the element of
surprise, as shown by the lack of any formal resistance, was working to his advantage. This
explains why Peiper stuck to this route. This scenario was designed for you to follow in Peiper's
footsteps, although having much more information, and hindsight from 50 years ago, may give
you an edge. It can also be PBEM. [Size, medium to large]

#16_08: The South Flank

Near Wiltz, and along what would be the Southern Flank of the Bulge, Dec 16th, 1944: The
German 7th Army was the ‘poor cousin’ when compared to the other Panzer Armies, yet big
things were expected of it. As the Panzers raced to the Meuse, the 7th Army was to cover the
flank with three Volksgrenadier and one Parachute Division. The leading companies of the two
German assault regiments began crossing the Sauer before dawn. Although weaker than the
other armies, the forces that did manage to cross the river, dwarfed the string of US rifle
companies guarding this sector of the line. This scenario covers the opening phase of the action
on the South Flank and ends with dusk on the second day of the battle. [Size, medium]

#16_09: Skyline Drive

Clervaux, 25km east of Bastogne in the Ardennes: Dec 16th, 1944: In the opening phase of the
attack, XLVII Pz Korps was ordered to get cross the Our and Clef Rivers as quickly as possible,
to create the conditions for a westward advance. It was the German practice to put men over the
river at night, and taking advantage of this, the Germans slipped two regiments of the veteran 26th
Volksgrenadier over the river for the morning attack. Panzergrenadiers of the 2 nd Panzer Division
crossed in rubber rafts and advanced on foot, while the engineers struggled most of the first day
to bridge the river at a number sites, in order to unleash the powerful panzer formations that
waited anxiously to cross. This scenario covers the action on the first two days in front of
Bastogne along a major north-south roadway known to the Allies as ‘Skyline Drive’. [Size,
medium]

#16_10: Bridgehead over the Our River

Our River, 35km east of Bastogne, Dec 16th, 1944: The bridgehead over the Our River
represented more than a small corner of German soil under occupation. It represented a possible
jump-off point for a later US drive into Germany and, therefore, the positions occupied at this, the
boundary between the 106th and the 28th Division, reflected where the last offensive had stalled.
Also the ground was not that favorable for defense. The thinking was that, as nothing every
happened in the Ardennes, why give the ground up. Facing the Americans was 58th Corps made
up of the 116th (Greyhound) Panzer Division, a unit with a long and distinguished record on the
battlefield, and the 580th Volksgrenadiers, a unit fresh from occupation duties in Denmark, that
was in action for its first time, minus one of its regiments. Their task was to capture the bridges on
the Our River and push onward to St. Vith. [Size, small]

#16_11: The Northern Flank

The Losheim Gap, Dec 16th, 1944: The 6th Panzer Army was by far the most powerful of the
three forces attacking in the Ardennes. Roads were of course vital to the swift advance of the
Panzers, and while none in this vicinity were ideal, planners felt they were adequate. One major
route was out of the Losheim Gap, the other through an area referred to by the US forces as the
Elsenborn Ridge. The plan called for the Volksgrenadiers to open the road first, before the
panzers were turned loose, but the carefully laid plans for rapid advance soon went awry. What
developed was a confused battle, where units boundaries on both sides often overlapped as both
sides fought over key ground. In the end, the stubborn defense by the US forces limited the
advance of this, the most powerful German force, to a narrow avenue opened by Peiper’s
Battlegroup. [Size, medium]

#16_12s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short Historical Campaign

The Historical Short Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. On December 16th, 1944, Hitler
launched his last major offensive in the west. Having secretly assembled a large army in the
dense woods of the Ardennes, he hoped to punch through the lightly defended sector and race to
the Meuse River. This could drive a wedge between the Allied armies on the continent. The
offensive was doomed by a combination of unexpectedly stiff resistance, a strong Allied
response, a tenuous German supply situation, and mainly an overambitious plan. Still, had the
plan succeeded, it could have greatly altered the outcome of the war. This scenario differs from
the long campaign in that it only lasts until 23 December 1944, and victory levels have been
raised for the Germans as the Allied forces will have less time to gain ground back.

#16_13s: The Battle of the Bulge - Short, Maximum Forces Campaign

Maximum Forces, Short Scenario for the Battle of the Bulge. This version of the Campaign game
features early release of the Armored elements of I SS Panzer Corps and the release of the
German operational reserves, 10th SS Panzer and 11th Panzer Divisions. It also has additional
British forces from XXX Corps entering into the fight. This scenario differs from the long
campaign version in that it only lasts until the end of 23 December 1944, and victory levels have
been raised for the Germans as the Allied forces will have less time to gain ground back.

#17_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 1: Rocherath-Krinketh

Rocherath-Krinkelt, Northern Ardennes, Dec 17th, 1944: After penetrating the US front line, the
task of the infantry in the 6th Panzer Armee was to pivot to the north-west, to block three main
roads leading south from Verviers. The success, or failure, of this task would determine the extent
to which the tank routes of the 1st SS and 12th SS Pz Divisions, would be menaced by US
intervention from the north. Troops from the US 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions stubbornly held a
line of villages but, under intense pressure, they requested to withdraw and set up a defensive
position on the Elsenborn Ridge. This ridge is not even marked on any map, and is little more
than a line of low hills with lightly wooded slopes, yet it commanded the approach from the south.
The determined defense of this ridge, essential to protecting the road net and the artillery
positions behind it, was a crucial factor in the early stages of the Battle of the Bulge. [Size,
medium]

#18_01: The Race for Bastogne

Bastogne in the Ardennes, Dec 18th, 1944: After two days of fighting, the US line cracked,
Panzer Lehr and the 2nd Panzer Division surged forward toward the key crossroads at Bastogne,
supported on the south flank by the 5th Parachute Division. Only small pockets of resistance
stood in their way but, further west, the 101st Airborne Division was racing forward to stem the
tide. Meanwhile the road conditions, and weather in general, deteriorated. [Size medium]

#18_02: The Stand at St. Vith

St. Vith, 42km NE of Bastogne, Dec 18th, 1944: Initially, the defenders of St. Vith were a rag-tag
bunch of units that were thrown together by chance. The importance of the road network radiating
from the town was realized by both the US and German High Commands. As the Germans were
hastily preparing an attack to take the town, CCR of the 7th Armored was rushing to help its
defense. [Size small]

#19_01: Elsenborn Ridge Part 2: Beyond the Twin Villages

Rocherath-Krinkelt, Northern Ardennes, Dec 19th, 1944: After holding up the Axis advance for
several days, the situation in Rocherath-Krinkelt was now in doubt. The new drive by the SS was
to be a left hook from Bullingen through Butgenbach. Here troops of the 1st Division had time to
dig in, and provide top cover for their foxholes, in preparation for the inevitable assault. When the
3rd Panzer Grenadier joined the confused battle on Dec 18th, it was quite clear that the Germans
were resolved to take Rocherath-Krinkelt once and for all, and then driving onward to Elsenborn.
[Size, medium]

#21_01:The Fortified Goose Egg

St. Vith, 42km NE of Bastogne, Dec 21st, 1944: The defenders of St. Vith had done a magnificent
job holding back the flood of German forces from the east. The town stuck out like a peninsula
into the forming bulge, causing the order to be given to take the town without armor support, if the
Fuhrer Begleit Brigade did not get there in time. The US defenders, in the meantime, were almost
ready to pull back through an escape route held open by the 82nd Airborne Division at Vielsam
and Salmchateau. [Size medium]

#23_01s: The Relief of Bastogne

Bastogne, Dec 23rd, 1944: The advance by the 4th Armored Division began on December 22nd,
the Division moved out on the left flank of III Corps with virtually no contact with US forces to the
west. To the east, the 26th and 80th Infantry Divisions were set to advance in a broad front to the
north, passing through a picket of battle weary troops of the 28th Division. There were two main
routes to Bastogne from the south; the Arlon-Bastogne road on the east, and the Neufchateau-
Bastogne road on the west. Patton and III Corps preferred the Arlon route, at whose entrance the
4th Armored was already poised. On this route, a Sherman tank could make it from Martelange to
Bastogne in a half hour - if the road was passable and enemy opposition was light. But the actual
task was much harder and, in the end, relief to the encircled paratroops didn't come until Dec
26th, and only then, after the 4th Armored Division shifted CCR west to take advantage of the
route from Neufchateau. [Size medium]

#23_02: Parker's Crossroads

Baraque de Fraiture, 30km north of Bastogne, Dec 23rd, 1944: This scenario is based on actual
events that took place at a strategic crossroads on Highway N15 near Liege. Major Arthur C.
Parker was commanding 3x105mm howitzers from the 589th Artillery Battalion of the 106th
Infantry Division. On his own initiative he set up a defensive position and gathered stragglers and
remnants of retreating units. They held the position for almost 3 days before a concerted effort of
the elite 2nd SS Panzer Division defeated them! *Designers Note: The numbers of the US units
involved have been increased slightly, the scenario is best played as the Axis vs the AI with Night
Fatigue Rules in effect. [Size small]

#24_01: Anybody Home?

Rochefort, 24km from the Meuse River, Dec 24th, 1944: The little town of Rochefort had suddenly
assumed a strategic importance due to its bridges. In particular, the L'Homme bridge which gives
access to another bridge, over the broader Lesse River, towards Dinant on the Meuse. The
Panzer Lehr Division deployed on the afternoon Dec 23rd intending to assault the town later that
night. A patrol was sent out and reported the town empty. This was not the case. The US VII
Corps had also realized the importance of the little town and had reinforced it that day. The lead
battalion of the 902nd PzGren Regiment were expecting a walkover, but instead received a hot
reception from the defenders. The next attack was planned more carefully and started in the
small hours of Christmas Eve. [Size small]

#25_01: Something for Nothing

Celles, 8km east of Dinant, December 25th, 1944: Kampfgruppe "von Bohm', consisting of the 2nd
Pz Div's Recce Bn, what was left of a Panther company, and a few support vehicles, had run out
of steam. Low on fuel and ammo, there was little they could do but wait for the rest of the division
to catch up. KG 'von Cochenhausen", a much more powerful unit, built around the 2nd Pz Div's
304th Pz Grenadier Regiment, was a few miles away, and in the same predicament. Unknown to
them, the US 2nd Arm'd Division's Combat Command 'B' was about to deploy and attack. The
nail in the coffin, however, was that the bad weather that had held Allied air power grounded for
the past ten days had finally cleared. The British 29th Armored Brigade was also lurking in the
wings. When the smoke cleared, little was left of both units, and the 2nd Pz Div was almost
halved for little Allied loss. [Size small]

#25_02: Shoulder Charges

Ardennes, Dec 26th, 1944: This is a "What If" scenario to depict the possibility that the Allies had
adopted the "traditional" approach to disposing of the Bulge, to cut it off from the shoulders and
then reduce the pocket. The Allied leaders discussed this counter, and several favored this
approach, including Patton, as a student of military history this was to be expected. The plan for
this “What If” is to attack the shoulders, with forces carefully husbanded during the defensive
phase, using the River Our as the western boundary. The pincers should meet around the town of
Ouren, then there is a readily defendable line to the west: the River Our. The eastern side is not
seen as a major problem, as most of Germany's remaining strength still lies over to the west of
the river. [Size, large]