Bulge 16.01s alt

Plain Ian · 04-15-2015, 07:04 AM,

Ok lets try imgur. I think I've over done it anyway with next one. This will fry peoples brains......so if you can follow the map here is the situation at Stavelot. 20th Dec 1944 2am. Weather is snow.

Enemy has chased me up to Franchochamps but doesn't appear keen about moving further north?
He is driving west from Stavelot. Lots of artillery this turn and one assault on 3-119th (462/125/D) pushing it back onto 531st AA. (I lost 44 men he lost 9+ 1 tank and we each toook 1 Dis)
Elsewhere he was keen to just blast away. 1-120th still reasonable (507/94/A) but will fall back. Thats a lot of firepower in them two hexes. Rest of 120th is rested and good. VFusillers (282/186/D) and 23rd Arm (650/146/E) are mince and will fall apart.

Patrols from 120th can see his Engineer units stacked up across the river.

745th Tanks and 814th TD are well rested and ok. (27 M4 and 36 M36's)

Trois Ponts is well garrisoned but he is approaching it from SW. 33rd Arm Eng (4th Armd Div) is large and rested but a D unit.....740th Tanks has 46 M4's and is a C. I've 2 good Battalions of 117th in way and the 99th. (698/99/C)

No idea what I'll do with 3rd Armd Div which has an Arm Inf Batt and 2 Tank Batts available.

http://i.imgur.com/26lano7.png

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 02:56 AM,

Corps assignments for the 20th December.
V Corps loses 30th Div and keeps 2nd/99th/1st/9th.

VII Corps had no units all of the 19th. Because the HQ came on after its units had already arrived, I had assigned its units to V Corps. When the HQ arrived it had no units to command. It now has 30th/7th Armd/3rd Armd and the 84th which is due 06:00 20th.

VIII Corps is left with 28th and 9th Armd and is moving south to rest. CCA 9th Armd will be pulled out from XII Corps to join it. 80th Div which is due 06:00 was assigned to III Corps but is now going to VIII Corps. (III Corps HQ does not appear until 21st)

XVIII Corps adds 101st and 106th to 82nd and takes over from VIII Corps. VIII Corps artillery and engineer units also assigned to XVIII.

XII Corps will get 4th Armd when it arrives (06:00) to support 4th and 10th.

Ideally I would have liked to move VIII Corps HQ to replace V Corps HQ as it has a better range (25 versus 15) and would have allowed me more flexibility in keeping it within 1st Army HQ’s radius at the same time as possibly VII Corps HQ.
This was feasible if I let XVIII take over 28th/7th Armd so I could just move the VIII Corps unit up north. Road north is still open. However I’ll keep things simple just now. III Corps HQ is due 21st so I may juggle things then. (XII Corps HQ also only 15 hex radius)

Maps on next two pages.

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 02:58 AM,

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 03:01 AM,

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 05:42 AM,

Turn 36 Results

US lost 518 and 22 tanks/vehicles and Germans lost 329 men 13 guns and 7 vehicles. At least 3 German vehicle losses were tanks and 8 guns were 75mm A/T guns.

Maps to follow.

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 05:46 AM,

No movement just artillery. Losses and target plotted on map. I expect that he'll assault my tank Bn in north after usual WW1 artillery prep fire and A/T fire.

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 05:51 AM,

Bastogne: After artillery fire (inflicted 25 losses) I assaulted his Pioneers to free my tank units. 28th and most of 9th Armd now withdrawn. An A Morale unit Disrupted during night moves.

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 05:55 AM,

Trois Ponts-Franchorchamps: Not much happened here, again mostly artillery. Advanced a unit to hinder 116th Pz and withdrew a unit from Stavelot area. Concentrated some artillery on Peiper armour. Ignored Panthers and targeted Pz IV's.
3rd Armour moved up.

Plain Ian · 04-20-2015, 06:04 AM,

Elsenborn: made some adjustments to defense. Left 2 strong-ish stacks which I hope can't be cut off and assaulted.
Put heavy artillery on a few of his stacks. 12th VGD because it was in Clear and the 277th/326th units in the east.
Dawn will bring heavy attacks here. 3-39th and 741st Tanks will be replaced by 2-39th and possibly 613th TD Bn next turn which get another turn of night rest.

Plain Ian · 04-29-2015, 06:26 AM,

Turn 37 not a great turn for US.

German player inflicted heavy casualties during his turn. 530 men plus 49 vehicles of which 18 were M7 Priests and the rest were all mainly M4's. Not much ground gained but his aim is obviously to attrite rather than take ground. He lost 157 men and 9 vehicles and 1 gun. (88mm) Most of his vehicles were AA or light armoured, very few tanks.

In US turn I inflicted much the same infantry losses and more usefully 14 guns most of which I'm hoping are Neblwerfers.

I'll run through his moves.