Whether it is the "American" SS or the German, the SS rule the day. In my play the German SS took the the scenario. The Germans advanced up the east-west road to engage the Americans in the towns on board 24. The Americans setup to defend the board 24 towns as it is quite hard to defend the board 22 towns. Initially the Germans were hit by long range AT fire forcing the infantry to dismount sooner than they wanted to, due to the vulerablity of the halftracks and they count toward step losses and VPs. German tanks have the edge with King Tigers and Panthers that can drive up and they are nearly indestructable to American AT fire. American OBA is the key to keeping the SS infantry at bay. Disrupting, demoralizing and occasional step loss, have the German commander struggling to keep the command together. In my play the German Stbnfr was only an 8/0-0 and very vulerable to morale checks. This slowed the attack, but American dice rolls were poor and had to accumulate kills cheaply with firing are halftracks. They did get lucky and managed a kill on a PzIVh but that was it. The German infantry was able to flank both sides and clear the small town on the ridge and push into the town. German recovery was quite good and even without the field commander the Osters were able to push the attack into the major town. Slowly, the Germans gained the town and destroyed the American AT guns and tanks as well as several infantry units. Germans armor joins the infantry attacks to create assualt groups that get step kills on the first round. American leaders were also killed leaving gaps in the American command. By 11:00 it was clear that the Americans could not take back the town hexes or inflict damage to get the VPs. Germans win 29 VPs to the American 21 VPs.

This scenario was quite good even though the Germans have a significant armor advantage. The Americans need to use their advantage of setup and ambush as many halftracks as possible either before or after they dismount there troops. The Germans must flank the Americans and push for the town hexes with powerful assualt groups. In my case, the later worked but it is definitly worth a second play to see if a better American strategy can be implemented.

Short report as I played this some time back but was a first to play with King Tigers! Slow but brutal. I set up 3" guns in the hamlet of 1105 and in the town for crossfire. Shermans dotted around and helping support the infantry dug into the wooded hill to the south.

FJ and a company of SS with Tigers took ages to clear that hamlet, while the rest of the KG cleared out the wooded hill. As both of those tasks were done it was time to collectively assualt the town but not without some pretty nasty casaulties. As soon as the AT threat was locally removed, the German halftracks could support the infantry with their extra firepower. The Panthers and Tigers and move around at will but PzIV's and halftracks need to be more careful. One Panther platoon was demoralized early on by a 3" gun and fled. This unit didn't return to the fight for about 2 hours!

Good scenario and interesting to do some research on it online and in books. Unlike the real account, few of my Shermans escaped.

Here is how my setup looks for Bulge II, scenario 14. As you can see, I will try to defend the town/city hexes more to the West and the Eastern one will survive to slow the Germans down, maybe just speed bumps but now the American will have a real force to fight with at least, instead of just little pockets. Also some Dug-In units just east of the major town, while the German will enter in three groups, not to bunch up so much and to maybe swing around and hit the American units from more than one direction. It should be an interesting battle but the Germans have much more armor and Tiger & Panther tanks to boot. I am not sure how long two Platoons of Sherman Tanks and three Batteries of 3"mm Guns will hold up?

Really the Battle is about time and who will score the most points for control of town hexes and points for eliminated units. It could be interest with only 20 turns, as in the long run, the German would take it all but with only 20 turns, it will be interesting.

Posting #2

First off, all the scenarios look excellent but I wanted to play one where I could see how difficult it was for the Americans to hold on in the beginning of the Germans offensive push. This one seemed to fit the bill pretty well.

In the beginning the Artillery was dominating and I thought the Germans Offensive might fail, as I was rolling some devastating 2’s & 12’s on the Bombardment tables but then the German also roll some with their artillery into the first group of American holding the towns and the hot artillery rolls slow down on both sides for a while, or the Germans could have been toasted. One of German loaded Halftracks was taken out, with a high ranking leader and a full step of SS Infantry.

As the Germans pushed West, they eventually took out all the American Sherman tanks, thought the Sherman were able to take a few steps of Pz IVH’s, the American 3-inch AT guns had the most luck or opportunity and did some damage. I kept trying to get a Crossfire +2 modifier against a Tiger II platoon but never rolled high enough but to my surprise, I rolled a straight 12, with no Crossfire in effect, with my 3-inch AT Gun and killed a half step of Tiger II’s. This is my first kill of a Tiger II in a Battle of the Bulge PG game and made the battle worth it. The 3-inch AT Guns also claimed three more steps of Pz IVH’s. The Germans Panthers really got hung-up in the Forest Hills South and never really free themselves.

The Americans scored some points taking out German Halftracks in assault combat with that Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons, (bazooka).

When the Americans got hot again with that combine 54 points of Artillery, the Luftwaffe troops paid this time and never really recovered.

In the North there was a small town the Germans took and left but some disrupted American Infantry that recovered latter, sneaked in the back door and reclaimed it. The American also controlled the Hilly Forest to the South with a small force but it really wasn’t strong enough to do anything more. The German ground the Americans down in the end but at a high cost.

The main prize of Stoumont was completely in German hands by the end of the game and by some weird chance, the American LT COL survived and was running for his life, going West.

The totals were like this, Step losses, American 30, Germans 28, Town hex points controlled by American 3, Germans 22. Total Victory Points: Germans 52, Americans 31, a Major German Victory.

Great Game overall. Did I play well, I am not sure but it was fun.

Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	United States
Participants	bugmaster@aol.com
Play Date	2023-01-28
Language	English
Scenario	ElsR014

This was an extended, holiday season, 6-session play-through with the formidable and hard-fighting, bugmaster, as the attacking German Commander of heavy elements of the 1st SS Panzer Division. I played the defending US Commander of forward elements belonging to the 30th Infantry Division, seeking to hold out in the vicinity of the 7-hex town of Stoumont. We used the FOW and the smoke, consolidation, extended assault, excess initiative and tank riders optional rules. In addition, we experimentally used the following rule: Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units, All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units.

The initial session (game turns 1-4) featured some surprisingly accurate long-range American AT fire and OBA strikes, resulting in 8 step losses and two leaders eliminated for the Germans in the first 2 turns as they moved-to-contact with a strong left flank lead. This dropped their initiative level by one step. By the end of the 4th turn, there had already been 2 FOW-shortened turns, as the Germans got into extended assault range on the wooded, 20-meter hill, south of Stoumont in the southern portion of Map 24. Only a single combat 7-die roll was thrown in this session.

Highlights from our second session (game turns 5-8) included the destruction of all 4 steps of American armor to German AT fire, and a single 3in AT gun platoon in the SE margin of Stoumont by OBA. Surprisingly, 2 steps of German armor were eliminated by either close assault, or accurate US AT fire from Stoumont. The Boche left flank attack broadened to embrace both the wooded, southernmost 20-meter hill mass on Map 24, by SS infantry units; and now, a set-piece combined arms attack on the SE portion of Stoumont. SS infantry, SPWs and paratroopers from the two villages that they had occupied by the end of the previous session, veered diagonally southwest across Map 22 to support the German heavy tank companies that were engaged in suppressing Stoumont’s defenders. Step losses at the end of game turn eight were: 16 for the Germans, and 10 for the US. At this point, the victory point totals were 16 for the Germans, and 37 for the Americans. A combined 5 combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this session.

Our delayed 3rd session (game turns 9-11) was highlighted by the loss of 5 additional steps by the Germans as SS troopers moved to decisive contact on the southern hill mass south of Stoumont. Accurate American suppressive fire slowed this approach, causing significant morale problems, and led to the wise redeployment of a company of Pz-IVH tanks to close assault the American mortar company in the wooded hilltop position atop the hill. Two companies of German armor continued to shell the US positions in the SE margin of Stoumont. Step losses at the end of game turn eleven were: 21 for the Germans, and 11 for the US. At this point, the victory point totals were 17 for the Germans, and 45 for the Americans. Surprisingly – only a single combat 7-die roil was thrown in this session!

Our fourth session (game turns 12-14 ) featured intense short-range and close assault combat both immediately south of Stoumont, as well as on the adjoining, 20-meter hill mass, that was covered by mixed woods. Among the highlights, was some very accurate American OBA strikes, an armored-overrun of the last remaining US mortar platoon, and a large number of successful German morale recoveries allowing the SS troops and their supporting armor to begin decisively engaging the remaining US forces on the southern hill. Some very lucky American direct fire managed to unhinge the initial, armor-heavy attack on Stoumont, forcing the heavy tanks to back off into standoff positions in the light woods, where they continued to pelt the garrison of Stoumont with tank rounds. Step losses at the end of game turn 14 were: 23 for the Germans, and 13 for the US. The updated victory point totals were now 21 for the attacking Germans, and 47 for the Americans. Surprisingly – only a single combat 7-die roil was thrown by the Americans this session!

Our 5th session (game turns 15-16) was a costly one for the remaining American troops atop the southern hilltop, with 3 steps lost to high-powered SS close assaults. A section of Pz-IV tanks chased a lone American Lieutenant over 600 meters through the woods on the same hill in an unsuccessful attempt to capture him. A left flank move by a company of German tanks circled Stoumont, and approached the lone US AT gun platoon on the northernmost ridge on Map 24. Step losses at the end of game turn 16 were: 23 for the Germans, and 16 for the US. The updated victory point totals were now 24 for the attacking Germans, and still 47 for the Americans.

Our sixth & final session (game turns 17-18) was another bloody episode for both sides, with the defending Americans bearing the brunt of the step losses, as a German armored column attacked the southeast margin of Stoumont, while their powerful assault stacks inflicted 3 more step loses on the few remaining US infantry in the woods of the southern hill. A German heavy armor company crushed the US AT gun platoon on the northern hill and then launched a close assault on the 1-hex village on the same hill. This move had the merit of contesting this town hex, thereby reducing the victory points for the US side by 3.

By mutual agreement, the Germans conceded defeat during game turn 18 and we ended this slug-fest of a scenario early. Step losses by the end were: 25 for the Germans, and 20 for the US. The final victory point totals were 28 for the attacking Germans, and 46 for the Americans.

There were 8 FOW-Shortened turns, of the 18 that we played.

I give this fun-to-play scenario a 4, and recommend it for shared play.