1st Chronicles Of V Panzer Army DAR

[Cole]

During Action Report (DAR) of Von Earlmann's series of linked campaign scenarios for the Battle of the Bulge.

I play the role of General Manteuffel, commander of the 5th Panzer Army assigned to the central sector of the offensive. Steve (Tiger 88) is the Allied commander.

A good description by author Hugh M. Cole of the 5th Army's role in the Bulge can be found on the Army's history site HERE.

The following paragraph from Cole's book depicts the main focus of this scenario:
"the Fifth Panzer Army had been given a small infantry corps of two divisions to flesh out its right shoulder. This was General der Artillerie Walther Lucht's LXVI Corps. In early planning there had been some question as to whether the Americans in the Schnee Eifel should be left to the Fifth or the Sixth. Unhappy about this thorn in his side, Manteuffel won the assignment of the Schnee Eifel heights to his army and personally developed a scheme to mop up resistance in this sector at the earliest possible moment. Despite the general dictum that defended towns would be bypassed, Manteuffel wanted St. Vith as a blocking position and so ordered Lucht to capture it."

The 66th Corps consists of the 18th and 62nd Volksgrenadier Divisions. The 18th is in the northern sector and the 62nd to the south.

Manteuffel's first day objective was St. Vith. In this scenario 7-9 turns equals one day. Conditions are snowy and the terrain is rough so my first day objectives are not as ambitious.

18th Division's first day objectives are below:
293rd VG REG (objectives in red) to guard the north flank by Rollbhan D and Lanzerath. Control of Hill 425 will dominate Manderfeld and the best east to west road in the North Sector.

294th VG REG (yellow) will control the road mentioned above but more importantly a paved East/West highway through Auw to Andler.

295th VG REG (purple) has another good road to control though it does veer to the south before. The regiment will continue to press west and take Schoenburg; a vital town because of the bridges over the Our River.




62nd Volksgrenadier Division
193rd VG REG (pink) will support the assault on Schoenburg by taking the heights to the south of the town.
164th VG REG (red) will take vital bridged across the Our River at Steinebruck and Elcherath.
190th VG REG (yellow) will secure the southern sector by holding the towns of Eigelscheid and Winterspelt.