Christmas in Antwerp! Easter in Paris? Wacht am Rhein GC

[loutro]

12.17.44 0600 | Points: 80


The center is where the action will and must be. A direct punch into the center of the lines followed by aggressive, reckless speed to reach bridges to reach more bridges. If the enemy units are in forests and not blocking roads, we bypass them. Onward, ever onward!


24 hours after the start of the offensive and here is how the front looks

North




The northern/southern most units really can’t accomplish much. I am using them to simply engage what is in front of them and lock those units down.

89ID 272VG 326VG
There are far too many Ami units here for us to deal any decisive blows. We will see what occurs.

Using 89ID is to hold enemy units in place
Using 272VG to slide SW to take Imgenbroich and try to force US forces back

326VG has taken Monschau and Mutzenich, will take Hofen and support 277VG towards N of Elsenborn

Sneaky Ami's have moved a unit right outside of Schmidt which was the jump off point for the 89th. Only unit there now is the 89th HQ. Cheeky AI!



Center





12SS is stacked up on the road to Elsenborn, they need to break out soon, an AA Unit is blocking their path

12VG is attempting to take Bullingen, this will give elements of 1SS the chance to move to Butgenbach

Peiper is outside Faymonville and should be able to advance towards Waimes then Malmedy

1SS is on the road behind Peiper, spread out all over the place

A regiment of 3FJ is outside Schonberg, the rest of the division is lagging too far behind.


62VG appears to be facing no resistance, their objective is South of ST Vith, or the town itself, they may arrive before 3FJ.

116Pz is to drive to Gouvy, 560VG will assist



Lehr is outside Wiltz and will head to Bastogne



5FJ found a nice gap and is moving at will. Can’t decide if they head to Bastogne or head south to Ettelbruck for the points and cut off any other US units

352VG will take Diekirch

276VG and 212VG are basically a side show. Not strong enough or fast enough to do much more than take some land and try to head SW to Junglinster. They are 2 hexes from the Altlier fuel dump though

*************
NOTES:

Not sure if I should rest or move at midnight. Did a bit of both. Tring to take advantage of empty roads and bring up arty that was in the rear. I have decided to move troops with high morale at night, the VG divs are crappy so I tend not to move them unless necessary

Launched 4 Greif teams, 1 mission failed. Tried to launch Paratroops, weather was too poor.

[Stelteck]

Good luck, Antwerp is soo close !!!

[loutro]

12.18.44 0600 | Points: 107



North




89ID
Goal is to keep the enemy engaged so they can’t be used elsewhere.
Amis are being sneaky and sent 2 regiments to the outside of Schmidt. I used 2 EM cards from the LXXIV Korps to provide at least some emergency troops to occupy Schmidt. No attacks on the town yet, with morale of 19 and experience of 50, these units won’t hold for long.

272VG
Has achieved some success, the Amis have fallen back a bit. Need to decide if I push north behind them and try to isolate them or have the 980th Regiment move more West to Rotgen

326VG
Not sure what to do with this division. I have taken Monchau and Mutzenich. I have one regiment directly south of Rotgen. From Mutzenich the roads go either NW or SW, there is no road due west…once they clean up the units in front of Mutzenich, they could swing north and try for Rotgen.




Center





277VG
The northern flank of 1SS Korps and it's spread all over the place. They’re slow. I need them to support 1SS but they can’t keep up. Spa should be the objective, but again, the roads lead SW and not West.
1SS 12VG 12SS 150 Brigade
The battle for Bullingen has cost me a lot of time and units are spread out across the map. Peiper is close to Malmedy but the roads are occupied and the terrain is not really suitable for moving around and behind the Amis. 12VG will take at least 2 rounds to get into position to engage enemy units in Weywertz, which is slowing down 12ss. The whole thing is a mess and I feel it will screw my ability to move panzers in force and quickly. I need Stavelot, Trois Ponts and Stoumont. These seem so far out of reach at the moment.





62VG is just outside St Vith. Can they take it?




2pz, Lehr and 26VG are pushing to Bastogne, but face the same issues as 1SS Korps. Everyone is spread out on roads and the ability to maneuver is limited by the terrain. I need to either take it or surround Bastogne by the end of the day or this sector will grind to a halt.



3FJ
From the most forward element to the rear element, it’s 24km. This is what happens when you have to walk to battle. If they can approach St Vith from the North and behind from the West, it may fall today





South



5FJ 352VG 276VG
The 5FJ is the only quality unit here, if I could take Merzig, Shieren and go a bit further south, that might be a success. 276VG is in Altrier, but the Amis are dugin and hard to dislodge.


***************
Notes
Fuhrer Begleit was activated and is moving to the front, very slowly.
I built a medium depot in Wiltz to aid the panzers.

[OnWargaming]

In which state is your fuel reserve?

Nice AAR.

[loutro]

12.19.44 0600 | Stats


We have forwarded the following reports to the OKH

Fuel Arrived


Supply Arrived


Fuel Source


All Fuel Supply



Casualties


Green GI Deaths


Veteran GI Deaths


Fuel is cheap at the moment, this will change


***************
Notes

Almost equal casualties among US vets and green troops.

A few things I would like to see in the game:
1. Unit TOE status as a percentage. Unless I record the beginning strength of every unit, I don’t see how I can determine what % a unit strength is at. I know you can gauge it by looking at the current strength, but some kind of determination of how many casualties a unit has suffered compared to its 12.16.44 TOE would be nice
2. Still not quite grasping how the fuel gets dispersed to units. I get that the majority of the fuel comes from the Eastern edge of the map, but how do the supply depots on the map disperse supply?
3. I am depleting any supply depot I capture

[loutro]

12.19.44 0600 | Points: 133



North



89ID
The Ami's seem intent on doing something outside Schmidt…maybe a bar-b-que in the winter snow? Three units now sit outside the town. I filled the town with 2 Feldersatz units and an arty unit from the 89th behind the town. They have not done anything yet. It appears they also want to flank the 89th by running along the most northern road. This has completely screwed up 89IDs plan. Now they need to react to the threat. AI seems good at finding weakness in my line, but it is not DOING anything to capitalize on this.

272VG
Pushing past the flank of the Ami's into their rear, trying to engage an armor unit. Rotgen is close, but not close enough

326VG
Dealing with enemy units that have been bypassed as well as pushing deeper into the rear


Center

The map free of units


All units on the map




1SS is just outside of Malmedy and Lignueville. Taking these roads is vital. 12SS is in Waimes and trying to move to the North of Malmedy.


3FJ and 62VG are surrounding an empty St Vith after having expelled the enemy from the town. Someone needs to enter the town to actually occupy it! 18VG mopping up remnants of the pocket.




The approach to Bastogne. Too many enemy units north of the road from Clervaux to Bastogne, including one unidentified unit actually on the road!



2Pz has Bastogne surrounded on 3 sides while Lehr approaches the town from the south




116Pz has an open road to Vielsalm…for now




South




In the south, lots of enemy units, can’t seem to get the divisions to engage fully due to the bloody road blocks and terrain. 212VG has lots of arty and Neberlwerfers, that should wake up those Ami's. Not expecting a lot from this sector, the units are fairly weak.

***************
Notes
Advancing fairly well. The front is really fluid, the approach to Bastogne has left the main road vulnerable. So much space and so few units.

[loutro]

12.20.44 0600 | Points: 171


During the last 24 hours, Malmedy, Vielsalm and Houfalize were all taken
I brought on the 3PzGr division right at Schmidt, the idea being to push along the north, inflict damage on the US 1ID and move to Rotgen
Also brought on 11Pz down in the south as well as the 2SS and 9SS divisions.


North





89 and 272 are dealing with the Amis popping up all over. The Ami’s keep pushing units towards Schmidt, but have yet to do anything. I am trying to cut their supply route to prevent them from attacking. I have decided to 326VG push north to assist those 2 divisions, 326 has Korps NebelWefers and arty assets with them and they need the assistance

272VG is holding the line in front of enemy units. 12VG while with getting behind the units in front of 272VG but 12VG should be helping 12SS.

Center


Overview at 0600


1SS, 12SS and 150PZ Brigade are all tied up in Malmedy. We took the town, and the road to Stavelot is mostly open, but 12SS needs to move towards Spa. US 2ID is blocking the path. Again, the poor road situation here is slowing this Korps down.
Peiper is inching towards Stavelot




With St Vith free, 18VG can now assist 3FJ in the approach to Vielsalm. An odd situation is occurring, 3FJ and 116Pz have a lot of enemy trapped between them on the road to Vielsalm. Which is a problem, keeping 116Pz in Vielsalm is preventing it from advancing to Trois Ponts.



Reinforcements are on the road. 9SS and 2SS moving to the front, but at an extremely slow pace and spread out. Traffic jams are sure to occur

South


2Pz is in Houffalize, the roads leading out are completely filled with the enemy.560VG is coming up to assist.

Lehr has the same issue in Bastogne, which we now hold. The roads leading north are clear, but their left flank is facing at least a division. They will disengage as 5FJ will fill in those lines.





***************
Notes
Slower going than I expected, but I have Malmedy and Bastogne, which is huge. Not having the Americans in Bastogne and trying to dislodge them saves lives, panzers and time.

[Rosseau]

Great AAR, and I bet it will help stimulate sales, especially when wargamers see just how rich, realistic, and challenging this game is.

And as an old guy, I can digest this better than a two-hour youtube video, but they are certainly good, too.

Any tactical hints or observations would also be very welcome as you continue to fight it out. I need to study this more closely, but not sure if you mentioned the difficulty level you are playing at. And I assume no Uncertainty rule, either.

Thanks!

[loutro]

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

Great AAR, and I bet it will help stimulate sales, especially when wargamers see just how rich, realistic, and challenging this game is.

And as an old guy, I can digest this better than a two-hour youtube video, but they are certainly good, too.

Any tactical hints or observations would also be very welcome as you continue to fight it out. I need to study this more closely, but not sure if you mentioned the difficulty level you are playing at. And I assume no Uncertainty rule, either.

Thanks!

Thank you. Normal difficulty and no uncertainty rule.

I love this campaign. I owned the first (and second) editions of Avalon Hill's Bulge games, also had the John Tiller game. This is by far one of the more interesting challenges and games I have played.

It will be interesting to see how the tide turns and if I can hold off the Allies for any type of victory

[loutro]

12.21.44 0600 | Points: 197


Another drizzly morning in the Ardennes. The smell of fir trees mixed with panzer exhaust is a heady aroma.

The offensive is now a week old. We are far from our objectives. The Amis’ have held us up at key junctions. But we have given them a bloody nose. We know that we have pushed back the 1st infantry division in the North. The paratroopers outside Bastogne have been pushed back as well. 9th Armor has been engaged and battered. But in these forest roads, it does not take much to create a delay for our panzers. We are optimistic and we are ready!



North

We slowly push to Rotgen. Elements of the 272 are 4km from the town. With the aid of 3PzG we may be able to take the town soon. If 326VG can remove those units in front of them, they can push due north as well.
The problem is they have more, and better, troops than I. It takes the better part of a day to move any units back. And then more pop up.








Center

This map shows the problem with only being able to advance along roads. Unorganized is an understatement. I have 4 SS divisions trying to maneuver along one main road. Units are spread out along roads.
They have to stay on roads to get anywhere, there is not enough fuel and the panzers can’t use their speed to advance. This is some pretty poor planning on my part. I was going to have the 1SS and Peiper move NW, but I changed my mind and they are moving to Stavelot.
277VG is trying to flank the 9th ID units in front of 12VG, using the Fuhrer Grenadier Battalion, we should push them back and off the road.




12VG is in a bit of a mess. Lead elements are sandwiched between US forces. I have some 12SS troops coming to remove those US forces from the road and then both units can move forward.






IISS Korps
9th and 2SS can’t even make it to the front. Where is our FUEL?!





1SS has taken Stoumount and Trois Poins and is outside Spa
3FJ is outside Trois Ponts and will aid Peiper and 116Pz as they move towards Werbomont
18VG is moving towards Trois Pont, may keep it back and spread it out as a reserve







2Pz and Lehr have crossed the Ourthe river, but they have been slowed down so much and it is costing us time. There is no way to outflank the roadblocks when the road is in heavy forest. The panzers just sit and idle away fuel.5FJ and 26VG continue to push the airborne troops away from Bastogne. We only see 4 regiments of the 101st now. This area needs to be keep secure so the 2Pz and Lehr can advance and not worry about their flanks




Lehr is finding its way across the Ourthe River, south of 2Pz



Bit of a surprise here. A lone armor group is just outside Wiltz. That town is too important to lose. No troops nearby…so I played the Luftwaffe troop card and dropped him into Wiltz. Gamey? No! This is using your reserves at the proper strategic moment!





South

276Vg is free to help the 352VG eliminate the remnants of 9th Armor
And at the bottom of the map, 25PzG and 212VG are dealing with the other parts of 9th armor.

79VG division arrived, I put into action right behind the 25PzG to aid with the destruction of 9th Armor



I had 215PP so I bought more fuel at 80PP…if that makes a difference.


Reality Check

Thinking I’ve done pretty well


But the Meuse..SO.FAR.AWAY



***************
Notes
I have almost 200 points, but I am not where I would like to be. Fuel and roadblocks are the primary culprits. I haven’t planned the IISS Korps usage well. That will cost me I am afraid.

[Jagger2002]

Yes, nice AAR. What day did you take Stavelot? In the St Vith scenario, the earliest I have managed yet has been the 20th.

[loutro]

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002

Yes, nice AAR. What day did you take Stavelot? In the St Vith scenario, the earliest I have managed yet has been the 20th.

Thank you.

I took Stavelot at 0600 on the 20th

[Jagger2002]

Historically Stavelot fell on the 19th. Clearly I need to move faster next time.

[loutro]

12.22.44 0600 | Points: 215


Panzer Truppen! Do not lose heart! While resistance has been stiff, the moment of breakthrough is near. Push forward undeterred. The weather is cold, but our hearts burn with the fire of victory!




North



The slog continues. I have huge gaps in my line, but there are no roads there, so I am not too concerned.


We have pushed the US 1ID back with the help of the 3PzG. 89ID is assisting as is 272VG. I’m putting everything into this attack, even a few Felderstaz units. I need better recon, I know there are more units besides those showing


326VG is pressing northward, with plenty of artillery, they should connect with the other units in the area


Center


The road to North to Eupen is deadlocked. FGB, 12VG and 9ss have been pounding away and moving extremely slowly. This has to be cleared soon, I must push north.
12SS is moving westward to find other paths to the west


12SS has moved west and continues to advance. Peiper is to their west moving in the same direction.


1SS, 116Pz and 3FJ have cleared all resistance and are now free to move at will. Just a handful of the enemy are in front of them



The bulge continues to grow. But it is a very fluid, open front line.



Lehr is across the river, but will need support to move those infantry units.
It is also spread out a bit, trying to cross at two points.



Airborne and armor units continue to block the road out of Vielsalm. I don’t have a lot to spare here, but 62VG, Fuhrer Begleit and 18VG, with a lot of Nebelwerfers from the 5Pz Armee, should make progress against these units.




26VG and 5FJ continue to push 101 Airborne back and back. If 26VG can clear the main road in the area, it will provide supplies to reach Lehr who is just north at Ourtheville



South

352VG is in Schieren with 276VG moving below the town to try and flank it.


25PzG is advancing along the southern most road, there are enemy armor units blocking it; they will be dispatched.




Great battle results


Stats











***************
Notes
While I am advancing I have a few concerns:
1. Fuel. I am scraping grenadier units of all their trucks. Moving 1km per round is not helping.
2. Weather. As long as it is foggy I can advance at will. But this will not last. Once the sun shines, will I be able to bring up my reserves.
3. The VG divisions have taken losses that are beginning to make them ineffective. 89ID has probably lost at least 50% of its men, if not more.

[loutro]

12.23.44 0600 | Points: 231




BREAKTHROUGH!
The last 24 hours have shown the strength of our panzers!
Bulges?! We got lots of stinking bulges!




An overview of the progress. 100KM to Verviers



I can’t afford to buy any fuel, 320PP, so I brought in two new panzer divisions, 9Pz and 10SS.
10ss will assist in the drive to Eupen, with 9SS and 2SS almost breaking through, 10SS can aid the attack, but they will move through 352VG area along the road between Rotgen and Eupen.



North

Progress here has been too slow. The US 1ID is a tough unit to destroy. There are 2 paratrooper regiments blocking the way to Rotgen, we shall deal with them. 3PzG’s man power helps with the pressing, but the terrain, as always, slows down our troops.

89ID has taken severe casualties. Most of the regiments are under 100 troops. 212VG and 352VG have suffered the same. So the brunt of the attack falls on to 3PzG.





Center

At 1800 hours yesterday, 12SS found an open road and it lead straight to the outskirts of Verviers. Iron Crosses will be given!
12SS
The Hitler Youth have found the whole and exploited it! A breakthrough on an open road to the outskirts of Verviers! Unbelievable that no enemy were on this road.




A thing of beauty. The SS Korps are dominating the field!
One lone Ami unit is blocking IISS Korps. That will not last! Then, the panzers can throttle down the road…as long as the fuel lasts



9SS, 2SS, FGB and 12VG
The stubborn Ami’s have held us up too long here. A handful of their panzers and a few dozen troops will be pushed aside. The road North MUST be opened.





An overview of the Center
Lehr, 116Pz and 2Pz in their locations. Lehr wants to move to Werbomont, with the aid of the 3FJ.




2Pz’s actions have been more than disappointing. There are rumors the Commander of the division will be sacked so that a more determined, victory minded leader can use this powerful division as it should be used. It has been engaged and tangled up the elements of 82 Airborne and the 7th Armored division. 560VG will take over positions opposite these enemy units so the 2Pz can move now and move fast.



1SS has encountered the first British units in the battle. Do they remember the summer of 1940?




Lehr could be in a difficult situation. Having crossed the Ourthe river north/east of Ourtheville, it doesn’t have the firepower or fuel to manuvuer around enemy units on the road. Outside Ourtheville, the rest of the division isn’t able to cross the river due to the resistance of the 3rd Armor division.

[/img]


Bastogne
26VG and 5FJ
Iron Crosses are being considered for the Commanders of these divisions! They have pushed the 101 Airborne and 10th armored divisions back onto their heels! The US Airborne are no match for our Fallschirmjägers!




South

In the south, which I thought would be a sleepy front, our grenadiers have proven their worth. Another bulge!

A handful of units prevent 352VG and 276VG from taking Merzig and Mersch.




25PzG 212VG and 79VG (newly arrived)
With only a handful of tanks from 10th Armor blocking their path, these divisions should be able to proceed to Mersch with ease.


***************
Notes
Well over 230 points, outside Verviers and Ourtheville. Bulges across the map. 10SS, 9Pz and 11Pz moving to the front as reinforcements.
Optimism at high command is on every face. What could go wrong?

[Khanti]

Thanks for writing this. Very helpful.
About fuel: in fact, Germans had enough fuel in depots, but could not transport it to front units. Narrow roads and air supremacy denied it.

[ZygfrydDeLowe]

Nice read and good overview of the campaign.

What program/font are you using to label those screen grabs?

[loutro]

12.24.44 0600 | Points: 248


Panzers Forward!

Another fine morning in the Ardennes! We are progressing, but pressure from High Command is unrelenting.

While things look good, I have a deep sense of foreboding. Skies are clear. Panzer divisions grenadier regiments have been scraping vehicles en masse. I hate to do it. All those trucks! But movement on foot is now faster than by trucks with limited fuel.



North

The northern sector has not changed dramatically. 2SS is moving north to Rotgen
9SS is still battling small units on the forest road to Eupen.
12SS and Peiper are engaged at Verviers






The push to Rotgen has caught the attention of the enemy. More units keep pouring into the perimeter of the town. 326VG may be able to move to the West side of the town and surround the enemy inside and out of the town. But there may be more than 2 divisions there.






As a result…I have pivoted 2SS and 12VG from the road to Eupen, behind the 9SS backup, and am moving them to the Western side of Rotgen. These 2 divisions will help seal the fate of the enemy defending there. Rash decision? The fuel dump (and points) will be worth the effort.




Center


12SS and Peiper are outside Verviers. Peiper’s Tigers have actually crossed the river. For now, we wait for the artillery to arrive.

If 9SS, 277VG and FGB can actually clear the road and move to Eupen, it may force the enemy to pull units from Verviers. FGB is actually moving down the road to the west of 9SS in hopes to find another route north






1SS is trying to move north,parallel with Peiper. They can either move to the river or head west at the next road

116pz took Werbomont at 0600 12.23. At 0600, the Jadgpanzers of 116 were thrown out of Werbomont. The rest of the division is coming to change that situation.

3FJ is pushing to Manhay, while 18VG is trying to move NW to join with them, while pushing the 82 Airborne and 7th armor CCB back



2Pz is pushing towards Manhay from the South, FBB and 62VG is to their East
560VG has more than it can handle, it is just holding the enemy in place so they can’t be used elsewhere






Lehr is pretty much tied up in the Ourtheville area. Without the proper strength to dislodge any of the enemy, the thought has occurred to pull them back across the river and use them further west. In the meantime, 26VG is coming up the road and 11Pz is right behind. 11Pz head towards St Hubert.






5FJ apparently has no enemy in front of them, will need to recon the area but St Hubert is the next target.


South



The main focus here is the capture of Mersch. We will attack from 3 sides. 25Pz with help from 79 VG and 212VG from the north, will be able to pocket this town and the troops in it.





*********
Notes:

Fuel or troops? Fuel is too expensive


Used my first Jabo card with some success


Where to send the reinforcements???? Tough decisions…got troops, no gas. The enemy is fighting back, but there is no coordinated effort to push me back as of yet. The AI doesn’t seem to attack when it should. I have a few artillery units with a US unit next to them. You would think they would attack them. Allied air power is now in the air striking my units at will.

[loutro]

12.25.44 0600 | Points: 261


Panzers Forward!


And a Fine Christmas Morning it is!


The advance continues, but the allies are hitting back. Progress is slow, but our determination is high!



North

Rotgen is surrounded! We have the supply depot and depleted it.
Rotgen will be a fine Christmas present for the High Command. (The points aren’t bad either)

9SS is slowly making its way to Eupen, the forest road is narrow and 277VG is right behind.

12Vg attacked enemy units on a road to Eupen, and this morning they are missing. Are they in the woods?

We have taken some of Verviers. 12SS is pushing forward with help from KG Peiper, but the enemy is pushing towards Verviers from the West and trying to cross the main road Peiper is using to roll up to the town.



Taking Rotgen has been a long, tough battle, but the aid from 2SS will ensure the town is ours on Christmas!




The push to Eupen, out of reach? Or the key to victory point wise?




Lehr, 26VG and 560VG are in the same positions as before outside of Ourtheville. I may Lehr south and then west to help 11pz take ST Hubert. I am afraid though, the 26VG can’t hold all that ground across the river. I could pull them back and hold the bridges.


The road to St Hubert is of course through heavy forest. One dirt road seems to have a clear path to the town, but we know what lurks in the forest.




5FJ is spread across a front that they cannot hold. There is a huge gap on their right flank, fortunately that area is mostly heavy forest, so no armor can break through there. Still, they are engaged with some enemy units which they have encircled.


South

The picture here is about the same. Mersch was taken, then we lost it, then we got it back. However, 25Pz’s 5Pz Battation has 1 Stug and 1 PzIV. The battalion is destroyed. We can’t attack against any enemy panzers, but we don’t see any at the moment.



As a result, 15PzG has to come into assist and push the enemy away from the town



Stats
I have inflicted 3x as many casualties as I have incurred. Is that enough to win the battle? That seems like a pretty large loss when compared to total troops


I have more troops, but we know that my troops are inferior quality. Plus, I simply don’t have the armor


And then there is this….


*********
Notes
I have 261 points. If I lose 150, I can still pull off a minor victory, but with fewer tanks, no fuel and depleted divisions, this will be a hard task. I have 7 days left.
26VG has arrived, but that won’t tip the scales. Replacements are now 3x the cost that they were on 12.16. Supply and fuel are too expensive to play.

[nikdav]

Great AAR !

With open beta v1.00.05 "Wacht am Rhein" turn/fuel delivery changed from 30.000 to 40.000, and the Fuel Cards cost/delivery revised ( 50% / 40.000);

Davide