Good plan

[dmagnusson]

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/dm ... t=hmm3.jpg
I have low skills so i wonder if that is a good plan? i will send the 12 SS north towards that bridge crossing there and send Liebstanrte south.. try to make pincent movement and break through the american lines...

It's the Bulge 44 scenario

[Boonierat]

Basically that's the historical plan, unfortunately for the germans the 12.SS was stoped cold at Rocherath-Krinkelt by the 99th Infantry Division. They lost a few days trying to break through before they were redirected to the 1.SS rollbahn to the south. Hope you will have better luck

[sPzAbt653]

With low skills you picked a tough one. I've played this one a bunch of times and it will definately make you want to throw the computer out the window. The Allies are slow to react and get no replacements until turn 17, so as the Germans you can get lulled into a sense that you are doing well. Around turn 20 the front will stablise, and if you are playing with 'variable initiative', from turns 25 to 60 it will swing back and forth, continually giving both sides two turns in a row. The Allied units all have 99% recon ability, so if you are playing against Elmer, any one hex hole in your line will allow him to squirt units thru to make a mess in your rear areas. Conversely, the Germans have extreme difficulty conducting any kind of withdrawal. Any attempt to move out of an Allied zone of control will result in a disengagement attack that will leave your units disorganised and useless. Allied airpower is horrific once the weather clears, so any German movement will get hammered.

Hitler says you will be at the Meuse in two days! What's he on?

[Sker]

Hit as hard as you can in the first few turns and then entrench everything and try to hold on! The Allied offensive power is huge, but you can at least try to delay them.
Your starting plan seems to be good, the key is to be fast, or you will find yoursef stuck to much behind when allied reinforcements come

[dmagnusson]

Hello

Thx for the replies have been haveing a lot to do so havent played much
will try the tips you gave me

/Dan M

[sPzAbt653]

We've been waiting for an update on your progress.

[dmagnusson]

hello

i'm on turn 2 and this is the progress so far
http://danmagnusson.se/filer/Bulge%2044.jpg

/Dan M

[sPzAbt653]

Thats a great screen shot, please keep posting ones like that. Where are your Grief Teams ? I don't see them anywhere.

[sPzAbt653]

I'm trying a version of Rundstedts Plan Martin. I decided to shift the 6th SS Pz Korps a little to the south. There they could strike at the seem between the 106th and 28th infantry divisions, rather than trying the defense around Elsenborn. Hopefully I can get up to Leige quickly. I've got six divisions in reserve around Koln that I will use to strike from the north part of the map towards Leige, hopefully to link up with 6thh SS and 'trap' the Americans gathered around Aachen.

[dmagnusson]

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/dm ... aselit.jpg
here they are

Cool Aachen, wasnt it Patton that took Aachen?
If so kick his ass
My plan is to reach that i showed and then set up a defeans line there.

/DaN M

[sPzAbt653]

All went well until I reached southeast of Leige, where elements of the 2nd, 3rd and 7th Armored and 83rd Infantry divisions blocked me. I still think my weight of numbers will allow me to get over the Vesdre River, the last obstacle before I can shoot up the east bank of the Meuse to link up with the northern force. Notice that crafty Elmer has blown all the bridges I get close to. But that keeps his units south of the Vesdre in little or no supply, and I've got one of 6th Panzer Armies 60 ton Tiger bridges nearby, along with GD Pz Korps just a few miles away. My proximty to the Meuse forced Monty to order 30 Corps into action. I hope they don't get in my way.

[sPzAbt653]

After forcing my way to the Vesdre river and getting a bridge across, GD Pz Korps shot straight north to Maastrict, blocked the last bridge leading across the Meuse to the pocket, but also encountered some British 30 Corps units (the ones with the red and black center). My extra divisions in the north made very slow progress and have yet to reach GD. But this has all taken too long, and the weather has cleared so that the Allies are able to fly supplies into the Aachen area.

[dmagnusson]

heh you are on the way to catch them in a huge pocket

[sPzAbt653]

Meanwhile, Patton is brutalizing me northeast of Bastogne. This is the one area where the terrain (rivers) doesn't provide me much protection. So I thought it would be a good area to employ the HG Pz Korps. With the 3rd, 5th and 7th FJ Divisions and the HG Pz Div, it seemed this formation could put up a good defense. I've got no other reserves, so I'll have to get two infantry divisions from around Aachen down here quickly, or Elmer will make a Meyer of me.

Dan, how is your plan progressing ??

[dmagnusson]

Hello

havent made more then 1-2 turns since last post, but have broken through and several panzer battalions is advacncing against Bastonge

[dmagnusson]

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/dm ... attack.jpg
I habe broken through in one section but haveing major problem smashing the dugged down US forces else ware

[sPzAbt653]

A word on Todt brigades and Hq units. This scenario has some hefty 'heavy traffic' penalties. I noticed in the screen shot several Hq's and Todt brigades well back from the front. These units reduce movement penalties caused by stacking. Historically, Todt brigades advanced close to the front, clearing obstacles and improving roads, similar to US combat engineer units. And in the Bulge, German higher Hq's were often right up front, directing assaults and helping to clear up traffic messes. When I do this scenario, I keep a Todt brigade right up front with the schwerpunct (usually they are the first unit into a hex). Next in line I have divisional Hq's, usually stacked with divisional artillery (to increase supply and reduce movement penalties). Next will be corps and army Hq's, stacked with any artillery they have attached. This usually gives a three to four hex zone of 'good travel' and good artillery support.

*Warning* ... Once the US starts counter attacking, you have to rearrange this set up a little, as your retreated units will often break down and cause big stacks of 'nine' right up at the front (and we don't like that).

Cheers !

[sPzAbt653]

It's 'Dunkerque on the Meuse' as for the last three turns Elmer has scrambled to move units from the eastern part of the pocket westward to the last connection with freedom. I was surprised by this as I expected the AI to not recognize the true magnitude of the situation. Silly me. I should have been more forceful in closing the western exit earlier. There is still a large force in the southern part of the pocket that made some determined attempts to escape thru my lines toward Leige, and I had to make some efforts to ring them back in. The collapse of the eastern part of the encirclement has allowed me to move some infantry divisions south to help stave off Patton, and southwest to shore up the Ourthe River line.

[dmagnusson]

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/dm ... kagain.jpg
My attacks on turn 5 (in one sector)

[dmagnusson]

I'm abonddening that scenario.... to tuff for me...
is on turn 6 and havent made a breaktrough yet