The Road to Bastogne - The Matrix Games version of West Front

Mageret, 8km E of Bastogne, Belgium: [Best played as Allied] The German counterattack through the Ardennes on 16 December 1944, came as a total surprise to the Allies and shattered the American First Army's front lines. With the 28th Infantry Division overrun, the US VIII corps rushed its armored divisions forward to set up "road blocks" to delay the German juggernaut and buy time for the scattered defenders to regroup and for reinforcements to arrive. One such blocking force consisted of elements from Colonel Gilbreth's CCR/9th Armored Division, survivors of the 110th RGT/28 Infantry Division, and Team Cherry/10th Armored at Longvilly. Early on the 19th the scratch American force found itself cut off from Bastogne when elements of the German Panzer Lehr Division captured Mageret. With Germans in his rear and under increasing pressure from the 26th VG Division to his front, Colonel Gilbreth had no choice. They would fight their way back to Bastogne!