How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

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miya
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:10 am

How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

Hallo,

it could be a good idea to start an AAR, thats what I thought today. But there are some other reasons to start writing. When taking screenshots and writing notes, I'm dealing more intensivly with the game - that contributes to the overall impression and fun of the game.
Please do not expect any brilliant moves, I'm always happy when at least a minimum of my objectives are achieved.
Last but not least, I always wanted to draw some lines and arrows on a map.

Now, lets start:

Peiper's race for the Meuse

Axis reinforcements: Favour Axis
Allied reinforcements: Favour Axis
Supply: More for the Axis side, less for the Allied.

The briefing warns me that four german Kampfgruppen, with KG Peiper in the lead, are heading to this sector. Things do not look too good, a german battlegroup is southeast of Stavelot and ready to overrun my starting positions. I decide to withdraw the larger companys and only leave an engineer platoon behind.
The first major reinforcements will arrive after 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Until then there is not much I can do.

As for my english language skills, if some things are hard to understand - I'm sorry.
I learned the english language in school, which was decades ago, so it is a bit rusty.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

D1 13:46

The defence of Stavelot has collapsed. Several platoons are routing. The good thing is, the bridges at Trois Ponts are blown up. KG Peiper has to find another way to the west. A bit earlier the 118th Fd Arty Bn arrived. I order them to ambush in Francochamps. Those 105 mm guns have AP ammunition. Maybe they can stop and destroy the first german tanks.

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Phoenix100
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by Phoenix100 »

Yes. But where did those 13 Panthers come from, to get all the way up there so quickly? I have seen german units appear even further north and wondered about it, and others have mentioned this 'feature' of this scenario. Given your presence in Stavelot and the blown bridges, could they really sneak through? Watch out for other German units up even as far as Spa. Did you actually see those Panthers make a progress up from Stavelot, or did they just appear? Just curious.
miya
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:10 am

RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


D1 16:11

Reinforcements have arrived. Immediatly I check with the quickest path tool the most likely german routes of approach. I decide to send one regiment south of Francochamps and one in the area between Stoumont and La Gleize. Everything south of the Ambleve will be task of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Earlier the 118th Fd Arty Bn has distinguished itself. The unit routed a Panther company and forced it to surrender. Now they are out of AP and Bazooka ammunition, it would be better if there comes no second enemy armour. The tank platoon next to it was routed by the Panthers right before.


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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

phoenix: I did see a black unit counter moving up the road north. I don't think german units will make their entrance on the map north of Stavelot.
tukker
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by tukker »

phoenix: I did see a black unit counter moving up the road north. I don't think german units will make their entrance on the map north of Stavelot.

True. As the scenario's designer I can state that all German units arrive south of the river Ambleve.
A quick look at the scenario in the ScenMaker will confirm this bold statement [;)]

Pieter
Phoenix100
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by Phoenix100 »

Well, maybe I just felt cheated that they were so quick to get around my defences....I recall odd units appearing up north near Spa etc, when I didn't remember them getting through the choke points. I think others have wondered about this too. The suspicion was that there must be a bug, of course...
miya
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:10 am

RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

D1 17:59

motorized troops have arrived. Tanks of CCB 3rd Armoured Division, these will be comitted against enemy AFVs. But this will not happen until Day 2 because of the current weather. It is heavy fog and night is approaching. They will not see anything in these conditions.
Suddenly, I discover german tanks on the road. The 1st battalion of 217th Inf Regt has stopped and started firing. Two detached tank platoons are send to the scene to support the 1.217. It looks like the enemy did not take the main road through Francorchamps and instead bypassed the town.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

The night is rather quiet. American troops were not able to clear the road northwest of Francorchamps. At about midnight I decide to retreat 1 km in order to get some rest. Meanwhile the 2.217, which arrived a bit later, is blocking the track which was used for bypassing. They report several enemy companies moving into that area. The task for day 2 will be to clear that road. The tanks of CCB.3 will be in charge.

D2 4:35

Marching all night the 119th Infantry Regt. nearly reached its defence positions. At Werbomont the first parts of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived. First they will have to clarify the situation to the east. It looks like the germans were able to build a small bridgehead.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


D2 9:00
all major american forces have arrived. Shortly after dawn it became clear that at least one battalion of the opponent is encircled, northwest of Francorchamps. TF Lovelady will attack from north, TF McGeorge from southwest. The battalions of the 217th will block the routes of the germans.
Once this is accomplished the 217th Inf Regt will move south and prepares for an attack on Stavelot.
The 119th Inf Regt is nearly ready for the opponent. Last of the three battalions which is still marching is the 1.119.
I have many different tasks 82nd Airborne. First clear the german bridghead, second form bridgeheads over that little river, third march to the east and prepare for an attack on Stavelot.


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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


Suddenly chaos erupts. Several fast moving enemy units emerge from the woods and move northwest. Artillery is the only thing available to stop them.


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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »

It is afternoon and things begin to stabilize. But the day is lost. Crippling the german lead units north of Francorchamps is a failure, instead one of my battalions is crippled. I needed to withdraw McGeorge, detach several companies and divert the 1.119. Or in short, here, north of the Ambleve, is a big mess.
Maybe I was too optimistic. Anyway that day costs me many men and equipment.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


As night descends McGeorge and 2.117 prepare to fight cutt off from their supply depot and their mates of the 30th Infantry Division.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


D3 5:30
Fighting all night the 504th Parachute Regiment did not make any progress. The other regiment, the 505th, reached the Halleux bridges after marching all the night.
Worrying is the situation of TF McGeorge. They were not able to rest and what is worse they are under attack. Further to the northeast I'm forced into defence.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


With sunlight it becomes clear McGeorge will have to withdraw. The good thing is 1.119 is making good progress. The routes between Spa and the frontline will soon be clear. TF Lovelady will move south to support the withdraw of McGeorge.
Further in the south I plan to probe with the 505th to the northeast. Stavelot is still the main objective for me.

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AKCLIMBER
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by AKCLIMBER »

Great AAR! Thanks!
Phoenix100
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by Phoenix100 »

Very much enjoying it. Thanks for posting. Very curious to see whether you get back to Stavelot. My guess is you can. The Axis must surely be running out of steam now?

By the way, I too have been surprised by how slow the paras are in moving West-East at the bottom of the map. Not sure why this is. Is stragglers on or off, I wonder?
miya
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:10 am

RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


As the question turned up why the 505th's progress is slow. The allied commander is the one to blame, me. I have given some extra orders which might caused an additional orders delay. First I stopped the regiment HQ, so that the added artillery battalion is able to give on call support. Second I detached the three battalions to continue their march.
I never touched the stragglers option.
Anyway, on afternoon of the third day new german units appear. They move towards La Gleize. i don't think the axis is running out of steam. An artillery battalion is ordered to lay down a barrage on the bridge for the next hour.
The problem which is affecting the axis moves is exhaustion. Several units are spotted with a rest task.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


Evening of day three. Most of my troops did not make any progress. An exception is the 505th Parachute Regiment, which is now forming a bridgehead east of the Salm and the 1.119, which successfully cleared the roads leading south from Spa. After looking at least three times at the next screenshot an idea comes to my mind. Two battalions of the 119th will sneak at night through the german lines into the woods northwest of Stavelot.

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miya
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RE: How hard can it be ? - Peiper's Race for the Meuse - Allied

Post by miya »


D4 4:00
For the last couple of hours the position of TF Lovelady is attacked. With the help of artillery everything is under control.
The recon company and 1.119 reached a good spot in the woods. Unfortunatly I made a mistake, I didn't set the rest option for the second battalion to "no rest". Now they have to make the same journey during daytime.

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