St. Vith

[Cole]

I have started a series of posts on the Battle of the Bulge, especially in the St. Vith area and the advance of the Volksgrenadiers against the ill fated 106th ID. 

I'm using a large Campaign Series scenario, created by a terrific scenario designer as the vehicle to explore various facets of the battle. 

Soliciting comments and suggestions, both here or on the various blog posts as I try and define the best means of presentation. The goal is that each post will contain some or a combination of the following:

• an historical event or action (small battle)
  
• personalities
  
• weapons and weapons systems
  
• terrain features
  
• the battlefield today
  
• interesting facts and figures, especially topics not well known
  

Links: 

Intro

Intro supplement with screen shots of massive map

Part I

Supplement to Part I

[Der Landser]

Hi Cole, what is the name of this scenario and is it available here at the Blitz?

[Cole]

Hi Cole, what is the name of this scenario and is it available here at the Blitz?

The scenario is V Panzer Army Campaign by our own Von Earlmann.  Please note that we are currently test playing a modified version based on our last test team game.   Lot's of changes, especially taking out the night portion of the scenario and adjusting visibility.  

Advise contacting Earlmann for the latest version. 

I always recommend any Earlmann scenario.

[Der Landser]

Thanks for the info Cole. Looking forward to the final version.

[Cole]

Thanks for the info Cole.  Looking forward to the final version.

I think it will be good.  We are on day 2 and maybe still behind the historical advance in my sector for the 18th VG Division but the Americans are having their "oh crap" moment and the two regiments in front of St. Vith are crumbling. 

Think Earl's latest revisions will "balance" this scenario out, keeping in mind that the historical battle was "unbalanced" in favor of the Allies. 

Anyway, this is truly Earl's magnum opus.

There are smaller versions (i.e. separate scenario for each of the three sectors) under his Chronicles series.  All are good but believe they all favor the Allied player.

[Der Landser]

Good luck with the play test! I read the blog at Castalia House regarding the difficulty in balancing the scenario within the constraints of the CS game engine. Definitely a monumental effort!

[Cole]

I found a great book for anyone interested in the Volks-Grenadiers. Douglas Nash's Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp follows the 272nd VG Division from the Hurtgen Forest to the final dissolution in Germany.

Chapter 2 of the book can be taken as a stand alone essay on the VG's and has a ton of information on them, relevant to the 272nd but also VG formations everywhere.

A brief review of the book along with some interesting factoids is posted here:

https://wargamewednesday.blogspot.com/20...diers.html