Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

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Staufenberg44
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by Staufenberg44 »

December 30th:

Let’s cut to the action—the Battle of Huy. Yes it sounds like ‘Nam doesn’t it? But the temperature is 20 degrees (-7 C) and there is some 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. It’s not Vietnam Martha, it‘s the frigid Ardennes in late December and five German panzer divisions are charging on Huy (45,17), worth 10 much-needed VPs and Bradley has clearly decided to fight for this town to the last British soldier. I'm sure Montgomery is not happy.

Of course Peiper is on the north bank of the river leading the charge with the FBB as back-up, but his nemesis Harmel and Frundsberg are below it and attempting to clear the north-western part of the city. Das Reich and Hohenstaufen are closing from the south but it is clear the dug-in defenders are far too strong to directly assault and so the plan, after an initial costly recon in force, is to surround and throttle the place. But the British 51st Highland Division has made Peiper’s approach, the northern prong of the encirclement, ahem difficult, attacking and cutting off his pioneer btn along the river (and incidentally the Highland Division was referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had passed through). In Huy city centre are four British battalion stalwarts dug in, including the 1st Black Watch Rifles. ‘This really does not look good’ thinks Peiper, cursing the fact that his Tigers are long gone due to combat losses and breakdowns:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145471

In the north Denkert’s 5.PzG Div crashes in and takes Imgenbroich for 2VPs and moves on to invest Simerath.

18.VGD has advanced into Verviers and makes an all-out assault on the city centre which fails. The 12.SS Jugends drive NE towards Liege, slowed by the British who take stiff tank losses.

Lehr grinds on towards Ciney (33,42) but the Brits are dug in and, while they take stiff losses, Bayerlein is still some 6 kms from this 5 VP town. British reinforcements just seem to keep appearing, and much to his frustration cut his main supply line to the rear causing him to divert units back to deal with this.

Further south the two green US divisions continue to cause major havoc launching numerous raids and attacks along Manteuffel’s main 5.Pz Armee army supply corridor, delaying elements of 9.PzD being diverted back to Bastogne. Hasso von Manteuffel, after a heated shouting match with his superior, the always haughty Generalfeldmarschall Model, also diverted 2.PzD back to protect Bastogne on his own initiative but it too has been delayed to deal with US 75th ID attacks which reached the outskirts of Marche and torched the major German supply dump there. By evening the supply dump is burning and visible from miles away. After learning of this latest development Model called Manteuffel and said “Verdammt Hasso, du hattest doch recht!“ (Damn it Hasso you were right!“).

The hard-marching and exhausted men of 9. and 167.Volksturm Divisions are now digging in between Patton and Bastogne as there is a pause in the American advance for now, likely as a result of a number of diehard 5.FSJ surrounded units hedgehogged behind the American lines and delaying their advance. And so for now Generaloberst Werner Kolb personally lays out defensive lines for his 9.VGD infantry, supported by the remaining five Tiger Is of the 301.Tiger abt, finally assigned to his command after 5 FSJD disintegrated under Patton’s attacks.

And the last VGD reinforcement is hard-marching through the night towards Ettelbruch (114,97: 5 VPs) in the deep south as the US 6th Arm D is pushing towards it and Schmidt‘s 352.VGD is very hard-pressed. They can take heart perhaps as Major Eberhard Lange’s 506.Tiger Abt is part of this VGD and is also en route. [And I am going to discuss this with Davide as my sources indicate this unit was in the battle much earlier than this, facing off with Patton’s drive on Bastogne on the 19th for instance. While Peiper and the SS had their own Tiger abt (the 501st), the 506th was the only Tiger abt from the Heer (main German army) but I’m sure Davide has his reasons].

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145332
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 insignia

And back in Huy an all-out assault on the NW of the city failed against an unexpectedly heroic defense by the 7th Black Watch Highlanders. The Germans were frustrated with this… and 10.SS Frundsberg's Heinz Harmel was very impressed, just as he was with the amazingly stubborn defense by the British 1st Airborne ‘Red Devils’ at Arnhem. And I am just going by memory here but I believe it was Harmel, when severely pressed as to why he had not rubbed out Lieutenant Colonel John Frost and his men at the north end of the Arnhem bridge (probably yelled at by Model who was in overall command here too), replied “Listen to me, these are real men we are fighting here ok?” And as an aside after my slap at Montgomery, the Germans learned the hard way that neither the Brits, the Canadians, or the Americans on the west front were in any way ‘soft’ as they had been lead to expect (my grandfather certainly wasn’t: he was wounded at Vimy Ridge in 1917 and invalided home with a 'Blighty wound'. He never had anything bad to say about the Germans--”they were just like us and had a job to do”). But the comment by the Germans about the Brits in WW I comes to mind: “Lions, lead by donkeys.” But not in this war I hasten to add, at least not in the case of Auchinleck, or Archibald Wavell for that matter. I digress.

Peiper‘s attempt to relieve his engineers was repulsed but von Wietersheim's 11.Pz managed to open a supply corridor for them from the south across the Meuse. Peiper is also marshalling assault boats and pontoon bridge elements to assist on the attack on Huy tomorrow. Overnight Peiper’s completely surrounded engineers withstand concentric attacks and barely survive, suffering severe losses as they had been set to "fight to the last man."

Tomorrow is another day as they say, and it will be the last in this Ardennes AAR. Total VPs: 197: VPs needed for a Major Victory: 200.

Night-time screenshot, morning of December 31st:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145333
Attachments
The Battle of Huy.jpg
The Battle of Huy.jpg (321.41 KiB) Viewed 549 times
December 31 am.jpg
December 31 am.jpg (3.48 MiB) Viewed 643 times
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506.jpg
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506.jpg (6.04 KiB) Viewed 643 times
Last edited by Staufenberg44 on Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:28 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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nikdav
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by nikdav »

[And I am going to discuss this with Davide as my sources indicate this unit was in the battle much earlier than this, facing off with Patton’s drive on Bastogne on the 19th for instance. While Peiper and the SS had their own Tiger abt (the 501st), the 506th was the only Tiger abt from the Heer (main German army) but I’m sure Davide has his reasons].
Hi Daniel,
another precious feedback:
the 506. is attached wrongly to 340.VGD (damned editor) so was available only on turn 57 like the 340.VGD.
As you remarked must be attached from the start to 6.Pz.Armee !
Fixed next patch (together with Hummel Tiger I cp and last British reserves, 1st Polish and 50th Div.)!

Davide
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Staufenberg44
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by Staufenberg44 »

Davide,

That's good to hear and glad to help in this.
Of course if I don't get a major victory finally it will be because I lacked those Tigers earlier. ;)

Daniel
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Staufenberg44
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by Staufenberg44 »

December 31st:

The Battle of Huy Phase II: after Peiper’s initial rebuff north of the city on the 30th he swings NW with his tanks at the crack of dawn, fortified with his own Attack card and another from the I SS.PzK commander Preiss for good measure, smashes two Brit btns out of the way, and then pushes SW to the river linking up with Wietersheim’s 11.Pz on the southern bank effectively isolating the British defenders in the Huy pocket. South of the river after their initial repulse by the redoubtable Highlanders the day before, Harmel unleashes a furious and sustained artillery barrage and storms north-western Huy with an all-out assault. There was no stopping him this time as Bradley inexplicably decided not to reinforce the defenders here (and the Highlanders had some choice epithets for the American General one can be sure).

In the afternoon and evening the isolated pockets are attacked concentrically one by one and the battle is pretty much over by evening giving the Germans 10 VPs. One has to feel sorry for the valiant Brits defending here in a hopeless situation... thanks to a PO that prefers to stand and fall rather than retreat and live to fight another day. ‘Lions led by a donkey’ indeed.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145558

Elsewhere:
In the north Simmerath falls to 3.PzGD for 2 VPs.
Verviers is stormed by 18.VGD supported by 25.PzGD for 5 VPs.
12.SS Hitler Jugend crashes its way into the city of Liege but is unable to capture it entirely.
South of Huy 116.PzD and the Führer Grenadier Bde take Havelange for 2 VPs.
South of here Panzer Lehr is finally stopped in it’s tracks by stout British resistance 4 kms from Ciney.
South of Bastogne 9.VGD attacks south with the four Tiger Is (plus a Tiger II that teleported into the TOE) and manages to rescue an infantry btn caught behind enemy lines.
Finally at Ettelbruch the Americans had advanced to south of the town across the river and were driven back by 352.VGD, helped by the 8 Tiger IIs of the 506.Tiger Abteilung, alas their only taste of combat in this game.

*********

End of the Campaign, end of the game: did the Germans get their Major Victory? Don’t ask Sepp, he fell asleep!

Oberst-Gruppenführer! Wir haben einen großen Sieg! Sepp! Der Führer hat Ihnen das Ritterkreuz mit Brillianten verliehen! Sepp! Sepp?? Wach auf Sepp!
(“General! We have attained a Major Victory! Sepp! The Führer has awarded you the Knights Cross with diamonds! Sepp! Sepp?? Wake up Sepp!”)

(And a mandatory note here about how I portrayed Dietrich is in order as I exaggerated his failings for the sake of injecting some humour into this AAR, but the man was not at all stupid, far from it, and there is a lot to be said for a commander who is well-respected and inspiring to his troops, which he was, and who is smart enough to understand his limitations on the level he was on and to surround himself with competent staff officers, which he did:

Dietrich's formal military education was sparse and many critics have said command of an army was beyond his competence. Many of the German army generals looked down upon him in this regard, especially members of the General Staff. However, Dietrich was an acknowledged expert small-unit tactician and no one questioned his personal bravery since he was a lead-from-the-front type of commander. The troops that he led appreciated his rough humor and identification with the soldiers on the front lines. Dietrich was also smart enough to appoint highly capable officers to his staff to handle the technical aspects of higher command, leaving him free to exercise overall command.

https://military-history.fandom.com/wik ... rld_War_II
)

I squeaked through and got a Major Victory which feels just fine, even up against a PO like Bradley. A much higher setting would make for a very different game I am sure. But here’s the proof anyhow and it's time for a Beck's beer:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145463

And the final screenshot, the night of January 1st 1945:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/down ... id=1145467

Final Comments:

It’s obvious that against a competent opponent I would not have done anywhere near as well as I did. Bradley as PO made many egregious errors and I shamelessly capitalized upon them. I’ve noted these through the AAR and do not need to recount most of them, but here we go anyway: Allied divisions were not sent in as coherent formations and I remain mystified at the lack of appearance of the British en masse in the north as well as the delayed appearance of Patton’s formations to the south. Bradley as PO seemed to like to parcel out small units and reassign them to larger formations willy-nilly and this cost him. But above all he had a penchant for standing and defending in place to the last man rather than withdrawing when encirclement was imminent. He had atrocious casualty levels throughout; even I, hardened grognard that I am, was appalled at the ruthlessness of the 'man' in this regard. Ironically, Hitler would have greatly admired this "American PO General", as he did Model for example:

His [Model] defensive tactics were a much better fit to Hitler's instincts never to give ground, than talk of "elastic defense"—even if Model stood fast out of sheer necessity, and not due to fanaticism. His stubbornness, energy and ruthlessness were more qualities that Hitler found admirable, and Model's blunt and direct manner of speaking also made an impression.
--Newton, Steven H. (2006). Hitler's Commander: Field Marshal Walther Model – Hitler's Favorite General. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, p. 361.


Even so, I was impressed at how much I was slowed down and delayed: very rarely was a road left unguarded, and most of the VPs towns when I arrived were loaded up and ready for a siege. And the defence of 101st Airborne to the west of captured Bastogne is instructive as a ‘what-if’ as it greatly slowed and redirected Manteuffel in the south, and the biggest Allied VPs are directly behind here. This almost cost me the major victory I scraped by and attained in the end.

It’s also obvious I made some critical mistakes. Let me be kind to Montgomery for a change as a preamble and relay a wonderful quote by him:

Rule 1, on page 1 of the book of war, is: ‘Do not march on Moscow’…[Rule 2] is: ‘Do not go fighting with your land armies in China.’
Speech, House of Lords, 30 May 1962


I would add this: be sure you are clear on your objectives before you attack—in this case Victory Point cities. I didn’t bother much, and the game does not make it easy to immediately reference VP locations. The last Bulge game I played out exhaustively was my own equally large ‘Plan Martin’ study for TOAW, and it seems I unconsciously adhered to this sort of attack, veering more north than NE and I paid for it at the end when I finally focused on where all the low-hanging VP fruit was on the map. Live and learn.

Game comments:

Playing this out was a blast and it is surely the most detailed and engrossing ‘Bulge game’ I have played, right up there with my own "Plan Martin" TOAW scenario I worked so very hard on (yes of course that was a plug--check it out). As I said at the outset, I was leery of another study on this battle having played them out since 1965 (!). But this battle (and it really is much more than that, it is a major campaign), is an almost perfect study in all-out offence, and then all-out defence as the pendulum swings and the attackers are driven back. One last football analogy, the Germans drove hard for the allied endzone, were stopped by a powerful second yard line defence and finally driven back to their own goal lines along the Rhine river.

But nevermind the strategic level: we are delving here into the cusp of operational war verging into the tactical. Line of sight, terrain elevations, ambush fire, artillery interdiction fire, traffic jams and confusion, and above all the weather and intangibles like surprise and commander impetus... are all given full rein here. Playing this out gives you a deeper feel for what small units went through in this campaign--close-in fighting to be sure, but mostly days and days of marching and being shelled and ambushed in miserably cold wet conditions in a claustrophobic heavily forested valleyscape sealed in by snow and close grey skies. These men, both sides, went through a frozen hell.

And as an historical comment it is interesting to consider that by January the Allies were pretty much facing what the Germans were dealing with in Russia in 1943 with the Kursk salient which of course caught the compulsive Hitler’s eye as a tempting target to pinch off and annihilate. 'Der GROFAZ' failed at this, as was his wont, and while the Russians had had months to prepare line after line of anti-tank defences, the Germans in the Ardennes did not. They had the terrain and the weather on their side, and a cautious commander like Montgomery commanding the northern half of the Bulge to be sure; but consider that the distance across was half that of the Kursk salient, and that the Allies had overwhelming air superiority when the weather cleared. I have to agree with Patton here in noting that the German advance gave the Allies the chance to cut off and annihilate German power in the West, not just badly damage it. It was a missed opportunity.

Great game! And btw if anyone wants a saved game to play out, PM me with the day and time desired.

Finally, thanks for following a rather long-winded AAR, and special thanks to Davide for responding to various points I brought up.

Peace on earth, bitte.

D.
Attachments
Battle of Huy Triptych.jpg
Battle of Huy Triptych.jpg (506.63 KiB) Viewed 487 times
January 1 1945 night.jpg
January 1 1945 night.jpg (3.48 MiB) Viewed 552 times
Victory.jpg
Victory.jpg (143.78 KiB) Viewed 552 times
Last edited by Staufenberg44 on Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:44 pm, edited 23 times in total.
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nikdav
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by nikdav »

Great Victory, Great AAR, but also Great Reading !
Can you send me last savegame, the scenario can be played till turn 90 and i must check what happened to some Allied division (1st Polish, BR 50th Inf. from north and US 12th and 14th Armored from south).

Thanks !
Davide

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Staufenberg44
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by Staufenberg44 »

Thanks for that Davide, and on the way...
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budd
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by budd »

Great read, well done sir. Thanks for taking the time for an AAR.
Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Be Yourself; Everyone else is already taken" ~Oscar Wilde

*I'm in the Wargamer middle ground*
I don't buy all the wargames I want, I just buy more than I need.
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Staufenberg44
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Re: Stauffenberg's Ardennes Campaign AAR

Post by Staufenberg44 »

You're more than welcome Budd, thanks. (Great Wilde quote!)
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