1st Chronicles Of V Panzer Army DAR

[Cole]

Col. Remar's luck ran out this turn. He retreated south from American infantry fire but unfortunately into the LOS of the Americans waiting in the open ground for Germans to approach the tree line. He almost made it but was killed by one of the last units to fire.

Watching the replay I noticed some nasty looking American mobile artillery perched on the hill next to Wallerode. They knocked around my approaching infantry a little and then left.


Making progress in the battles at both fords though I pay a heavy price.
Almost eliminated one AA gun position (one furthest east). All that remains in there is one quad 50. Cal AA truck. The AA position just west that contains at least three platoons of full strength infantry along with the AA guns. I decided not to risk the op fire this turn and end the turn with that hex out of LOS.

[Cole]

Watching the replay confirmed to me that I was facing an abundance of American tanks. The ford by Burg Rueland is about to pass into German hands with most American infantry retreating up the opposite hill side.

I continue to advance with infantry towards St. Vith in the face of heavy American artillery fire and the 293rd VG Regiment rushes down from the north.

Kampfgruppe Telkamp's main role now is to tie up as many American units as possible.

[Cole]

I'll post this turn in parts because I might not get to finish playing my turn today.

I'll confirm this with Steve after the game but my feeling is that the contest is now between U.S. armor and German infantry. I still have panzers available but they are outnumbered. It seems like Steve is running out of infantry and that might be a reason he is leaving his artillery batteries in the front line. Bad news for me is that a small force of Kampfgruppe Telkamp I have sent into the woods to the west in order to confuse Steve on my intentions has spotted during the last two turns a steady convoy of loaded trucks rushing from the NW. He knows I won't be attempting to capture the 500 vp hex in the NW. On my part I've ordered the Kampfgruppe east to Born and then to support the assault on St. Vith.

The 293rd finally met resistance in the form of U.S tanks that were waiting on a hill top. They destroyed two light tanks in exchange for the loss of one of their own. The screen shot belows shows infantry trying to surround them and my remaining four Tigers causing two platoons to retreat.

[Cole]

The screen shot below of the fighting north of Steinebruck seems to confirm my thoughts that the Americans are short on infantry but not on tanks. This turn I have just overran the last AA gun and Quad .50 cal position.

North of the 3 American tank platoons I have cleared the ridge and tree line of infantry and spotters. Just below the engineering unit at the bottom of the screen is the 500 vp hex (all bridges blown and no fords to the south but the ones way down by Burg Rueland).

Last turn I cleared out all American infantry that was left on my side of the river and were hiding out of LOS at the base of the hill. During Steve's turn he moved his armor up and subsequently pushed my infantry back up the hill. All I have between me and the VP hex are those tanks and disrupted infantry.



Down by Burg Rueland I am now across the Our River in some force. The American infantry has been hard pressed the last few turns and are mostly disrupted. Every counterattack back down the hill has been easily repulsed by German MG and a mobile AA unit firing from across the river. I have also been fortunate that Steve has not been allocating many artillery missions for the past few turns.

At least two companies of infantry have come up from the south in a bid to distract me from my advance across the river. In the screen shot my infantry has caused an American platoon to disrupt and to retreat back into a bend in the river. I moved my single PZ-IV and a halftrack to close assault with my Panther blocking the only means of escape. With their back to the river the Americans fought desperately and a lone bazooka team destroyed the PZ-IV before being mowed down by the machine guns mounted in the halftrack.

A company of infantry has decided not to risk a frontal assault and has moved up the hill. I should have a decent reception for them. Either that or I'm happy to trade banks of the river. I have everything, including the kitchen sink, up close to the front lines so any roving bands of raiders can do little damage.

[Cole]

Seems that both Steve and I know what each other are up to concerning Kampfgruppe Telkamp. I've been setting indirect fire missions along the NW road from St. Vith in hopes of catching some loaded transport. Watching the replay this turn he's returning the favor at the Village of Born.

I think his three platoons of armor that were facing the 293rd have withdrawn or they are holding op fire in the hamlet.

Screen shot below shows advance elements of Kampfgruppe Telkamp linking up with the 293rd and the battle heating up for the ridge by Wallerode.



Here's the situation to the south


And the latest at the Burg Rueland fords. I'm able to keep the American infantry advancing from the south at bay and have trapped and destroyed another platoon against the river banks. My Volkgrenadiers are moving up the hill but: Where do I go next? That's a long and exposed road north to the 500VP hex.

[Cole]

I was happy to see during the replay that the Americans are still allocating artillery fire to the abandoned positions of Kampfgruppe Telkamp to the west.
The Kampfgruppe has now fully joined with the 293rd VG Regiment. Panthers engaged engaged two platoons of M10's and were able to destroy one platoon with the cost of one destroyed Panther and a disrupted platoon.

This turn the American tanks hit the Panthers and destroyed another and also a loaded halftrack with AT guns before retiring southwards. A lone Tiger tank accompanying the 293rd then engaged a M10 platoon destroying 2 tanks and a long Stug III destroyed 2 more in another platoon making them retreat.

I also engaged two American platoons of infantry that were moving south of Born. Steve should know by now that my I have a strong force racing to the north of St. Vith.

The screen shot is a great display of Telkamp's saga. To the west one can see many wreck icons. For the past few turns I have had only a few units stationed there hoping to tie up American units. To the SE of Born one can see the majority of the Kampfgruppe has finally joined the 293rd.



Elements of the 293rd have now joined the fight for Wallenrode. Heavy American artillery fire supports the defense here. Last turn I ordered a halt in my advance and most artillery fire fell forward of my lines. This turn my recon elements discovered a M10 platoon and half tracks waiting in the village. Panzerfausts engages the enemy and killed one tank and caused the remaining cowardly American tankers to retreat.



Here's the status at the end of my turn:



I'm on my last legs in this game. Except for the 293rd and the Kampfgruppe I am almost depleted in infantry and have few panzers left. If the 293rd is to have a chance of taking St. Vith then I must keep the advance going in all sectors. At the Steinebruck fords I have lost a lot of infantry last turn with direct fire from a howitzer battery right in the front line and afterwards being engaged by at least 5 platoons of American tanks. The past two turns I have moved panzers to this sector and tried to pay the Americans back. Only two American tank platoons were still visible during my turn. My panzers killed at least two and make those platoons retreat. Hopefully my op fire can deal with the other four platoons if they want to continue the battle. Screenshot shows the status at the beginning of my turn.

[Cole]

The majority of Kampfgruppe Telkamp's striking power has now joined up with the 293rd. A brave Panther crested a ridge and braved op fire in order to locate the retreating American M-10s. The Panther had to retreat back down the hill but not before radioing information on the American positions. Using this information a few Panther and PZ-IV platoons crossed the last exposed ground, crossing a small bridge and then up a wooded hill unopposed.

I'm hoping that Steve is now having to make hard decisions on his defense. It seems I don't have much in the way of the Kampfgruppe except two M-19 platoons and I suspect that Steve has withdrawn some of the armor involved in defending Wallenrode to meet this threat.

At the Steinebruck Fords I could only spot two of the armor units that were engaged and disrupted by my panzers last turn. Hopefully a couple of those platoons are also being rushed back towards St. Vith.

I also have troops deep in the forest just to the east of St. Vith and think I have caught the Americans weak spot. There's not much left in the way of infantry in this advance and they won't have much hope of beating any determined resistance but it should add more pressure to a defense I think is starting to get worn down.

The bad news for me is that I expect all the loaded trucks spotted a couple of turns earlier by the western most elements of Telkamp should be arriving soon in St. Vith. I've been allocating indirect fire missions along the lone paved road to the west.

Down by the Burg Rueland Fords my joke is now reality. I will swap banks of the Our River with the Americans. I have pretty much cleared the hill on the west bank but I've been facing at least a battalion of American infantry moving north on the east bank. This turn I moved advanced two depleted platoons into some woods overlooking the American positions and had those two platoons almost wiped out by op fire from HMG and LMG platoons.

[Cole]

Screen shot was taken while watching the replay. You can notice the large amount of unwelcome American tanks that appeared after the file loaded up. The tanks got some shots in and retreated out of LOS to repeat again next turn.

Good view of the destruction to the west at the limit of Kampfgruppe Telkamp's advance.

Red dot is St. Vith and just north of the 2000 VP hex I need to at least score a draw or minor loss. I don't think I can pull it off though as the loaded transport I spotted a few turns back on the west side of this screen shot should be arriving in St. Vith any turn now.

[Cole]

Overview screen shot during replay of American turn:


Kampfgruppe Telkamp and the 293rd VG come up against American resistance. It will be a tough fight here. American tanks destroyed at least three Panthers with op fire and at first the nervous German gunners could only cause opposing tank platoons to retreat. Eventually new Panthers joined the battle and at least two platoons of Shermans lost 4 tanks. Roughly 12 American tanks lost in exchange for 3 Panthers and 4 PZ-IV's.



Good view of the American armor waiting down by the fords and the 500 VP hex.

[Cole]

I can catch some of the American tanks I'll have to withdraw my severely depleted forces. Screen shot shows the general outline of the American positions. A few stacks of tanks and some infantry.

Unfortunately the American side won't get CNN for about forty more years so there's no way I can get interviewed and explain how badly the Americans were defeated in the Battle Of Schoenburg.