Hi All
For every each one of you who wants to give reports after the battle, please post your journal here
starting with me
Battle of the Bulge 20th of March
Player :
-Bro Dee as Field Marshall Model (Axis) --> must win 24 VPs before turn 8 to change the history
-Robin_Hood01 as Gen. Eisenhower , in the field under direct command of Gen. Montgomery (Allies), Allies Northern group (British and Americans) --> must hold untill end of turn 8 before Axis player capture 24 VPs
Turn 1 :
Opening salvo, surprise attack by the Germans in the German-Belgian border!!
-7th Army group in the south lead by 5th Fallschimjaeger and Volksgrenadier division fired towards Part of 4th infantry division by making huge artilerry attacks and bombardments, supported by infantry advances across the front lines, no reasons for Allied 4th Infantry to fallback,all supplies either destroyed or captured. Axis gained 2 points
-5th Panzer Army as army group central, lead by combined forces of Panzer Lehr, 2nd Panzer and 116th Panzer divisions crushed all Allied forces and made advance right in front of the gate of St Vith giving Axis nearly 4 points again
-In the North, 6th Panzer Army which had position a little bit behind the other two groups except for 326th & 272nd Volksgrenadier Div., succesfully pushed 99th infantry to pullback towards the city of Malmedy
Total Axis Points : 3
Turn 2 : Axis got the initiative
- Nothing happened in the 7th Army group south and halted in the city of Diekirch, although Allied forces got back up from 10th Armored div, but did not give significant impacts to Germans' advance.
-St Vith has fallen!!! This off course gave the Germans 4 more points. Being attacked from two directions , there were not much 106th infantry could hold on to, while the reinforcements from Allied 7th Armoured and 1st infantry arrived in Vielsalm in order to regroup with other retreating divisions
Total Axis points : 7
Turn 3 : Axis got the initiative
-City of Eupen in the north were captured by Germans' 9th infantry division, after being backed up by Fuehrer Begleit Panzer Brigade. Giving two points.
- 12th, 277th, 1st and Hitler's 2nd SS Panzer divisions gave clear massage that Malmedy should fall!! Not enough time for the famous 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne divisions to defend St Vith and Malmedy both at the same time! , they needed to pull back and regrouped especially without resting at all after securing Normandy as Paratroopers and facing bloody stubborn Germans' Panzer divisions in Falais, France.
Total Axis points : 9
Turn 4 : Axis got the initiative
Malmedy, Vielsam , Houffalize, they are all has fallen to Germans' hands. All allied forces retreat!! I repeat retreat!! after bloody battles in central area. the spear-head tactics for Germans seemed has to end here because Allies tried to regroup to prevent more cities captured especially the only roads to the west only through small gaps in Werbomont and La Roche, after which, the concentration forces for allies were in Verviers to hold advancing Germans in Army group North to the important city of Liege.
Guess what? All americans reinforcement has arrived and British 29th Armored brigade in BASTOGNE!
Bastogne is the key for German Panzers to Blitz through Allies front line.
However, all forces left for Bastogne gave Germans one advantage in this crucial turn, It gave big gap in the south and Germans took this advantage to advance to the city of Martelange facing only two units of Allies' 4th armored division and continue to advance to Neufchateau which becomes great achievements of Army group south to push the front line markers
Total Axis points : 17
Turn 5 : Allies got the initiative both Air and Ground attacks
In this turn, the wheather looked bright , make it possible for Allied Aircrafts (Fighters & Bombers) to support and reduce Germans advancing War machines. Allies tried to bomb Martelange, Clearvaux and St Vith which contains most of the Axis supply depots. Succesfully bombed Clervaux and St Vith giving no moves at all to all Germans divisions in ground combat!.
But failed to bomb Martelange after being fought bravely in dogfight by all Germans fighters. Anyway Germans bombers in Verviers was shot down by Allies anti air craft guns in surounding area.
Although no heavy casualties taken by the Germans, the combined British and Americans desperately tried to make their impossible offensive from Bastogne with no good result.
After Germans' depots survived Allies bombardment in Martelange, Germans' 7th army group south could advance again without hesitance to city of Liebramont, Wellin and Rochefort to end the game by giving Axis player 26 Victory points
Enough for Axis player to encircle Allies player at turn five
Total Axis points : 26