"Thet's noo ordnary Rabbit, it's the mos foul, crul, bad timpred Rodent!" R4 Sitreps

[Digger]

5km East of St Vith, Somewhere in the Ardennes

Axis Turn 2

The German attack had unfolded as can be expected in the mud and drizzle..slowly. In the north Colonel Lemnitz's Regiment exchanged fire with the Americans directly in front of them. Casualties were suffered immediately as the American defenders placed some well placed rounds into into Lemnitz's scouts. They then had the audacity to jump into their halftracks and bug out..leaving the objective undefended. As his already sodden men stuggled into the village, a machine-gun opened up from the ridge 1km to the south. Ordering more men forward Colonel Lemnitz personally directed accurate fire into the position, wiping out the recalcitrant machine-gun section and the leader directing its fire.

Further to the south a company of infantry tangled with the defenders of a small village, well dug in and hiding behind a minefield. Fire from the German machineguns mortars and rifles drove the defenders back allowing the infantry to advance within 750 metres of the village.

On the sealed road to St Vith in the east, advance scouts riding on bicycles behind several Hetzers moved up the road. The advance tank was immediately fired upon by an ambitious .30 cal section, who were dispatched with the aid of the 75mm stummel of a Panzerspahwagen. As the cyclists dismounted and advanced in a skirmish line behind the Hetzers another machine-gun opened up and had their enthusiasm dented with its return fire. Reinforcements began to arrive. This was the quickest route to St Vith and would no doubt be well defended..

In the south infanty cotinued to probe forward, finding the first village undefended. An armoured car section broke fire disciple and took a pot shot against a machine-gun platoon, only to have two of their vehicles brewed up by accurate 75mm fire. The Americans seemed to be pulling back in this area as troops were seen charging down the road to St Vith in jeeps and trucks, occupying the heights overlooking the river valley, German spotters targeted machine-gun and 75mm fire into the American defenders on the ridge accross the valley forcing some to retreat with loss.

Overall General Grabung was satisfied with events so far, reports has only indicated light resistance and light casualties. Though the American artillery had no yet awoken and the first few 105mm rounds that he ordered fired into St Vith were sure to wake them up. He liked the thought of indolent pay and mess clerks being woken up by the south of exploding trucks and materiel. They had done the same thing to him at Rennes six months earlier.

He dismounted from his schwimwagen and began to pace, several burning questions were raised in his mind, would the Americans stand and fight, or trade space for time..

"Enemy artillery incoming, Sir" his adjutant yelled....

"Here we go"...he muttered as he fastened his chinstap..