Bulge 16.01s alt

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm (Snow vis 2 hexes) - Sibret - Sainlez


Well scratch one Battalion. The 3-318th went down quite easily. Just shows you how quality and a lot of units can kill off 711 men in one turn using multiple assaults..


Just to rub salt in the wounds the change in visibility lit up the 1-328th like a searchlight and 3-4 artillery blasts later it was a 100 men down and out of the war.



So the Germans continue to get benefits? They get to see the change in weather before the US player every game turn? How about changing the game engine so that weather is by player phase rather than game turn?



The mini Death Star (FBB/2nd SS armour) switched targets this turn and hit the 735th.  Only 3 tanks lost?



The 1-104th also came under fire from the adjacent 2nd SS unit.   



As you can see the whole area is crawling with 2nd SS infantry. Looks like 4 out of 6 Battalions visible. 750 men per Battalion. Admittedly the fire from the unit against the 1-104th didn’t feel like 750 elite men firing? (27 men lost? 11/10/6)



So is it destination Neufchateau or just an exercise to chew up the green 26th Division? Maybe he’ll do both? The further he pushes me away from Bastogne the less likely I’ll have time to take it back I guess.


Nah  I guess he’s picked his defensive line here but will not just sit reactively on the defense but hit out at all times. Well this ain’t the way to Amarillo now.....I mean Bastogne.

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm (Snow vis 2 hexes) Amarillo


I'd just started moving some of the refreshed 28th Division east from Neufchateau. They have no artillery and only about 4 Battalions of infantry and a Tank Bn, but they are good B Morale troops. 

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm (Snow vis 2 hexes) Death of a Battalion

Going


Going


Going


Going


Going


Going


Still there...


And good night....Gone!

[ComradeP]

Rolling for the visibility of the previous turn when determining spotted units at the start of a turn would be nice. The first side getting the spotting advantage isn't necessarily a problem by itself, just one of the first player advantages, but there are certainly situations where it hurts.

On the other hand, the second player always has the advantages of "disappearing" before a dusk or night turn as they can deploy their units to benefit from the decrease in visibility.

Also: after checking it, the combined organizations penalty only applies to the attacker in an assault, which seems somewhat odd, but that's how it works. Playing with FOW on, you never get to see the formula's used for an assault during PBEM so you only discover these things again after rereading the manual or when playing against the AI.

[Nitram Draw]

Are there organizational penalties on defense?

[ComradeP]

Not as far as I can tell.

Until now, I thought there were, but when I tried assaulting units from two divisions, the defenders didn't receive a negative modifier in the assault value pop-up.

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm (Snow vis 2 hexes) the south


Last map. Not the best to look at but I went for a higher view.

Panzer Lehr is still deploying it seems plus I can see 5th FJD units south of Pratz supported by VGD units.

The Divisional Engineers of the 80th Division (305th Engineers) lose 14 men to Pioneer fire. Looking at the units here I think he has divided again to dig in.

 The 1-319th which is already disrupted receives some fire then is assaulted. The assault result was 12/25. This cleared the road and allowed him to move a few units through. The 2-319th was untouched and the hex to the south is clear terrain so it can withdraw ok. The 1-319th is also hit with artillery.

The 2-22nd which was also disrupted came under heavy werfer fire and then was assaulted. Result was 17/30 for the assault. It fell back on the the B/811th TD which was hit by artillery and lost an M18 and disrupted. It has 5 left.

Heavy counter battery fire was directed at 42nd/423rd FA Bns. 2 M7 Priests were lost and 2 105mm guns.

I’m not sure what he has south of the Attert R. in the Brouch area but most of it seems to be north of the river now. Guess its time to move my best unit 4th armoured north and leave 10th Armoured to defend. The only problem is that its not easy to do this as the only way north is by the minor river NW of Redange.

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm Allied Turn 59 (Snow vis 2 hexes) the north 




A - 9th Div HQ still arriving. 60th Rgt just behind.

B - 1-334th plus Rgt cannons finally pulled out and sent south to join rest of Division. Never saw any action.....

C - threat of 62nd VGD unit meant I had to extend my line. 3-26th (1st Div) moves into contact and D/745TNK falls back. I think the 3-26th lost about 12 men to opp fire from the VGD unit! 

D - I evacuated the clear terrain hexes with 1st Div falling back sw and 2nd/9th falling back nw.

E - artillery (1st Div plus some Corps)  pulled out and sent to safety. Some heavy units sent to Verviers. I am becoming more and more frustrated with counterbattery. Nothing is safe and with the enemy having more and heavier artillery plus hundreds of werfers then I guess they need to be in woods/villages/towns in TRENCHES. Plus I'm shocked to find out that EVEN IF YOU DO NOT FIRE in your turn the enemy in your gets a SPOTTED artillery report????? I can only assume that this must be because of my artillery opportunity fire during his turn? 

F - Last of 3rd Armour pulled out from Stoumont....except 3-32nd Armour was disrupted by commando's. (another overblown rule in my view, loss of MP's is enough Disruption is over the top) The 3-36th Arm Inf makes it to Spa.

G - the only real action. I fired at his 12th VGD and took down 35 men with 2-18th and 3-18th. Unfortunately it was Werfer time and I lost 13 men and the 2-18th was disrupted. I did however disrupt the 12th VGD unit as its Digging In sign disappeared. Cesar has commented that he has about 160 werfers in the area. Mmmmh. 


I did do counterbattery against one of his spotted units and managed 4 guns.

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm Allied Turn 59 (Snow vis 2 hexes) Baraque


A - I finally managed to destroy the enemy 9th SS Recon unit ne of Odeigne. 638th TD Bn took 3 of his a/c's out. The 814th TD took 1 out. An assult by 1-335th took out another. Then a final assault by Spt/2HCR finally took the hex. I was then able to withdraw my 'trapped' units. There is clear terrain next to his armour so I expect to get pounded by them next tur.

B - the enemy A/A unit was also killed. Artillery failed but the D/771TNK managed to eliminate the unit (1 Flak gun)  with one shot even though its disrupted and red fatigued. 

C - 2nd FFY fired and was heavily hit by werfers and disrupted. I pulled them away rather than risk being assaulted. He has confirmed that he has 300+ werfers in this area......

D - I gave up contesting this rea and pulled back 3rd RTR/23rd Hussars/8th Rifles and the US 31st Tnk Bn. 

E - minor moves at Dochamps

F - I followed up his Pioneers and hit them with artillery. 10+ losses.

[Plain Ian]

Dec 22nd 2pm Allied Turn 59 (Snow vis 2 hexes) Magerotte - Pratz 


A - well I see that wall of 2nd SS infantry and i blink first. I pull back looking for good terrain or to just get some distance. I bring up an old favourite of the early days of the 16th, 707th Tnk Bn of the 28th Div, as a back stop. 

B - the two remaining Bn's of 318th/80th Div pull back as well. I'm aware that there is a major river behind them and they must fall back south rather than sw if they are to stay with the rest of their Division.

C - I bash his trapped 5th FJD unit. I inflict 35 losses for 2 of mine. Not a great deal really. I bring up another unit of the 28th Div, the 3-110th. However I cannot block the road to sure and it looks like he will be rescued. 

D - My 305th Engineers inflict some damage on his Pioneers. (I lose 6 he losses 8) But the D/702TNK is disrupted by opp fire when the 3-319th moves zoc/zoc. 

E - 2-319th and 1-319th fall back. 

F - I fall back from this area as well. The 2-22nd is disrupted so I move the D/37TNK and 25th Cav (both A morale) to support in case he tries an assault. I move units up to block at Noerdange and begin digging.

G/H - artillery hits both FJD units. 9 men at G and 26 at H.