Hello Ray, I announce my Allied side has been defeated in Round #10 of the Tigers in the Mist Ladder. It has been the wildest game I've played so far ! Thanks to Jeff for being a really worthy opponent. I trust he'll write an even better Winner's History ;-) Jeff O'Handley (German) - Mircea Pauca (Allies) Campaign game, 2.1 arty bid against US (US arty chance reduced 1st day by 20%, next by 10%) This 'history' started rather usually, good German progress (2 breaches in the morning/16-1, unexpectedly 5 in the afternoon/16-2 including Echternach, and by the evening/16-3, with repeated efforts, Germans clear Marnach with its crucial bridge and Monschau too ! Best German reserves advance behind Marnach: Peiper 5pz+4mech and Bullingen, none behind Monschau. US scramble defensive positions of 2-4 SP, with Engineers ready to blow bridges on the Clerf river line. * Dec.16 losses: German:US 29:28 SP, 3:12 units On 17-1 Germans attack selectively 10 areas, clear Wiltz (using special forces to surprise US engineers and seize bridge) and, shockingly, Bullingen ! (at 9:4) Hertogenwald being also cleared (but the other 'fork' Roetgen not pressed), I decide to counterattack directly Monschau (10:4) to cut the supply of German spearheads. This key position is solidly blocked with light 1:1 losses. In a grave oversight (from 'local greed') my US fail to seal completely the front, a hole remains at Rambrouch allowing German supply to the whole US rear. One Panzer unit in Monschau is free to run anywhere !! US also defend strongly Waimes, Ligneuville, Beho. In the centre I rely on positions already 'bogged' with the maximum 4 attacker units: St.Vith, Weiswampach; and cover Longvilly & Doncols with 3 SP armor each. (and not retreat everything on the Bastogne-Noville line like in other successful defensive games I played). On 17-2 Germans surprise the engineers at Lullange (20%), clearing Lullange (6:1*, 82%) and Longvilly (9:3, 61%) too ! Overall probability for these ~10%. A frontal attack on Waimes (10:5) gets the SS massacred (6:1) Panzers in Monschau disengage and occupy for free Malmedy in the rear of the US line, releasing 9SS Pz.Div at earliest time possible ! (18-1). I was glad they haven't raced to Zone D behind Aachen to put US reinforcements off schedule - would have been even more decisive. The US is in deep trouble now, can cover Bastogne and Noville only with 1SP each. In the night Germans attack only Bastogne, at 9:1 to forestall any US counterattack (possible 7:9 that stupidly, I refuse to order to 'cover' the earlier mistake). US cover a few critical points (Martelange, Nives, Champion) but cannot seal the front, at night breaches remain at Bertogne and Moircy. US reinforcements in the evening counterattack the 'raiders' in Malmedy at 9:3 but fail to clear the area. * Dec.17: losses 27:26 SP, 2:14 units; 3 VP (for Luxemburg and Bastogne) In the morning (18-1) German spearheads race through the holes, and seize without combat Marche and Aywaille (1+2VP) ! The game is now already decided "on points" in Jeff's favour as the Allies could not get these VP cities back. We still continue the game to see whether the Allies can prevent a breakthrough. Germans also enjoy that the US rear is now German supplied through those 'holes', and disengage most of the force locked on the North front to form a Napoleonic 1805-Ulm-like reverse front between the assumed US 'front' and their reinforcements: Aachen, Eupen, Jalhay, Spa, Aywaille etc. continuing to Werbomont, 3-Ponts (+2SS bonus), Vielsalm - cutting supply to 15 US units !! Prudently Jeff doesn't occupy Zone D behind Aachen too, that would have 'thinned' the new defensive arc. My US have to counterattack just to bring supply back to the pocket ! Could try a 7:3 on Aachen right now (risky, <40% success), instead I wait for 18-2. To maintain a link between the N and S parts of the pocket and deter attack I move 4SP from Monschau to Elsenborn (now 7). A pathetic US tank counterattack to block Bastogne (3:4) is crushed, US survivors will surrender in the evening. On 18-2 Germans use the brief opportunity to attack the unsupplied north front easier - combats are inconclusive. Also they pulverize the weak south front (Arlon, Martelange) so my US take 3-4SP strong blocking positions at Tintigny and Neufchateau (German reserves too exhausted to try). US northern reinforcements succeed to break the German 'sickle cut' at Spa (5:1, 84%). German encirclers become encircled, and the US pocket is now supplied. No further combat in the evening, strong fresh Germans march ahead including the 'conditional' 9SS and 2SS. US Airborne Corps deploys thinly to defend the NW corner of the map, from Moircy to Liege. * Dec.18 losses: 25:21 SP, 10:10 units (Including 6 German and 4 US unsupplied units) 11 VP (+8: +Arlon, Marche, Aywaille, Aachen) Dec.19: Germans attack 11 areas all along the fragile front but it resists unexpectedly well ! Only breaches at Spa (resupplies the now exhausted German spearhead) and Rochefort - that forces a long pivoting US retreat in the south: to Gedinne- Wellin-Forzee-(Haid-Mean still holding!)-Tinlot-Esneaux -Liege. The new positions are strong enough (3-4 SP) and entrenched where possible, not to be attacked by the far back and depleted Germans yet unengaged. On the NE edge, small US groups defeat the depleted German spearheads at Aachen and Eupen, saving the remnants of Hoffrai and Monschau. Germans try to storm Beaufays over the bridge from Aywaille, but when it blows they divert to Esneaux (6:3) and are stopped. I'm proud of the Pass-ivity of US forces that afternoon ;-) as the line is stable now. In the evening Germans bring their elite 'new punch' (2SS,9SS,FG) but 4 groups in the centre-north, only one in Rochefort for the promising area around Marche. US units in Hoffrai were not German-pinned so far. Aided by fresh tanks they counterattack Monschau (again! at 8:5) to freedom and a solid position. * Dec.19 losses: 22:23 SP, 4:9 units, 18 VP (+7: same areas, less Aachen taken back) On Dec.20, Germans rip open the thin US cover of the N flank (Eupen, Verviers, Spa) and press NW (Haid falls) but again Esneaux and Mean hold ! The tiny US strongpoint at Beho finally fell after 3 days' isolation and repeated infantry attacks. They succeeded to block south-north German maneuvers. Americans are now 'up against the wall' and use the 3rd Armored Div. reinforcements and regrouped forces for a desperately strong defense (7 SP each) of final objectives: Aachen, Herve, Liege to protect Zones D,E,F; tanks also block Ciney in force (6SP). Germans pursue strong attacks on Herve (SS massacred ! 7:0 losses) and Liege (quite well, 4:4). US positions in Forzee and Gedinne are weakened. In the evening, the last German reserves (that waited for a breach somewhere) finally break Esneaux. Not having enough mobile forces to cover both Fraineux and Flemalle, US cover only Amay to protect 84th Div arriving tomorrow at Huy. So 2 more VP will be ceded (Flemalle, Amay). * Dec.20 losses: 24:18 SP, 5:9 units, 25 VP (+7) On Dec.21 Germans make a direct try at strategic breakthough at Liege (10:3 attack, barely blocked !). Also clear weak Amay and Tinlot, forcing another US reorganization on a shorter stronger NW perimeter: Huy-Havelange-Ciney-Celles-Beauraing (5-6 SP each). But all units are tired 'spent' except the armor in Ciney. Germans push frontally 3 of these, surprisingly the 9:6 Schwerpunkt attack of Ciney results in 4:5 losses ! Germans had used only 3 units in the attack, and lost one completely to lucky (!?!) US fire, so they can repeat the attack 'in the holes left by fallen comrades' with 4:1 and break through for good ! Two mobile Allied units are needed to cover Spontin and Ohey behind the hole, but only one is available: the brand new British 29th Armored Brigade - so disaster is imminent !. In the good tradition of the Charge of the Light Brigade, their only option is to counterattack Ciney directly (4:9) to their undying glory - and are all mowed down - 7 hits taken :-( * Dec.21 losses: 15:21 SP, 2:6 units ; 35 VP (+10: Ciney, Amay, Flemalle) 22 December: We continue fighting only symbolically as even the 'backup' US objective to keep a semblance of front has been denied. Germans race off the map to Zones H, I, J (from Andenne, Namur, Dinant - towards Bruxelles and Anvers in the Allied strategic rear). British Armoured Guards could have appeared at Namur but are now hopelessly outmaneuvered, cannot enter useful action today. Nevertheless, 43rd 'Wessex' division counter-attacks Liege which had just fallen. Patton also counterattacks with 2 divisions from the south (and 1 in reserve). All 3 actions generate more losses: 5:1, 4:4, 3:3 and are stopped by prepared German defences. * Dec.22 losses: 22:20 SP, 4:3 units Score: 34 VP for exited units (2SP x2 +9x3+3x1) 51 territorial VP total (gain 16 today: Luxemburg 1, Arlon 1, Bastogne 2, Marche 1, Ciney 1, Dinant 1, Namur 3, Flemalle 1, Liege 3, Aywaille 2) Total = 85 VP, much more than the 25 needed for a German Victory in this Tournament. In conclusion: No defense is ever *safe* ! Even 6SP can fall in a day, or 3 bad 'events' can happen in a precise sequence 'needed'. Beware of ignored small risks that "can't happen" - they may add up to around... 50% ;-) Flexibility is ultimately decisive (The last *movable* battalion wins the war !), and force concentration only a tool to help it build gradually.. Keeping a fine balance between the two is very hard but what really matters in this great game ! Happy gaming ! but remember the real dead... Mircea Pauca (mpauca at pcnet dot ro) Bucuresti, Romania