From: "Mircea Pauca" Subject: [consim-l] Tigers in the Mist: 5th Army scenario replay (long) Greetings from Romania ! This is a detailed replay of the wonderful game on the 1944 Ardennes Offensive called Tigers in the Mist, by Ray Freeman. I had the original DTP scenario and downloaded the revised GMT rules from http://www.gmtgames.com/living_rules/titm.pdf The 5th Army scenario presents the central sector of the Offensive -actually a bit of 7th Army too- for the first 7 days (all that TitM wants to simulate). Many but 'diluted' Germans must break through this weakest US sector, through Bastogne and exit across the Meuse river between Huy and Givet. We didn't know where the 'Red Scenario Lines' are, but agreed on an educated historic guess (please verify with the new map): - N boundary: Zone B, Gerolstein, Prum, Auw, Bleialf, Schoenberg, St.Vith, Recht, Vielsalm, Trois-Ponts, Basse Bodeux, Werbomont, Ville, Ouffet, Tinlot, Huy, Zone G - these areas inclusive - S boundary: Zone C, Bitburg, Oberweis, Sinspelt, Vianden, Diekirch, Ettelbruck, Eschdorf, Rambrouch, Martelange, Fauvillers, Neufchateau, Libramont, Libin, Transinne, Wellin, Beauraing, Givet, Zone K. My original attack plan was to drive N and S of the crucial bridge at Marnach towards Bastogne and beyond, avoiding the suicidal 5:2 direct attack. Instead, envelop them from either Holzhum (S) or Lutzkampen-Burg Reuland (N). I seek crossroads to threaten multiple paths and spread out the defender, and generally like 'good' attack in the attritional sense. My opponent figured out that the best defense is the most concentrated one (>=6SP/area) on the shortest line, with only a few sacrificial delayers thrown on front, and largely using entrenchment. What followed was that early German bad luck, subtle mistakes and US skill and determination resulted in a crushing US victory. * Dec.16, 1944, Morning (that is, Impulse 16-1) - Bleialf: StuG, 62VG, flak - try to open the way to St.Vith & flank Auw 1 tank SP, 8 infantry against 3 inf, entrenched. Both sides lose 2SP. coded 1+8 : 2* => 2:2 - Lutzkampen 3+7 : 3* =>2:1 560VG+some 116Pz; blocked - Holzhum 8 : 1t+1* =>2:1 by 26VG inf, stalled but bridge repaired (Later calculations show this has 46% chance of success). - Vianden 9 : 1* =>2:1 OK. Americans have no reason to do anything without urgent threat. * 16-2 (Mid-Day) Panzer-Lehr is called to give a second strike towards St.Vith. The half-success at Holzhum invites a repeat to clear the crucial way. Also I chose to exploit the hole at Vianden in both directions, splitting my forces in two 6:1 attacks. - Habscheid 4+5 : 2* =>1:2 OK second way to St.Vith open - Holzhum 1+2 : 1t =>2:0 ouch - Hosheid 4+1 : 1* =>2:0 ouch! - Diekirch 3+3 : 1* =>2:0 ouch!! Seems that small attacks are worse than useless. US artillery hit in all these combats ! * 16-3 (Evening) Germans concentrate remaining forces at Gemund (behind the S-central bridgehead) and Winterspelt (before St.Vith). US are free to rearrange the defense: St.Vith receives 9/CCR besides the original engineer; 1 inf in Burg Reuland; 1i (besides the eng.) in Wiltz; 1 tank (70 Bn, reinforcement)+1i in Eschdorf; Ettelbruck is left empty, as it could be outflanked. A very weak regiment (1SP) from 4th Div. comes to Bastogne. === Dec.16 losses: 14:8 SP, 2:4 units (German:US) * 17-1 By now German units are well mixed, no more designations: - ST.Vith 4+5:4 => 2:2 a bloody step to victory - Lutzkampen 3+7:2* =>2:1 blocked again !! - Holzhum 8:1 => 1:1 finally we can turn the defense at 'Clervaux' - Hosheid 2+4:1* =>1:0 again ! US defenses consolidate: Inf.Bn's dig in in Burg Reuland, Eschdorf, now the main position is Wiltz(eng*,1i*;1tank from Eschdorf). 7th Armored comes from the N: 2i in Recht (to fortify if St.Vith falls), 3t in Weiswampach, 4+3t main reserve in Noville. They could not get behind the second river, at Lullange or Wiltz. * 17-2 - Marnach 5+5:2* =>1:2 road clear, bridge repaired - all so quickly! US Eng. hurriedly comes and digs in at Lullange behind the Clerf river. * 17-3 The main road is almost clear, German kommandos confuse the US engineers at Lullange and the bridge from Marnach is captured intact. - Lullange 3+3:1* =>1:1 Finally, a threatening hole. Germans bring 2 tank units (4SP) to Dasburg, also mass behind St.Vith. 10th Armored Div from Patton's reserve comes from the S: the tanks (5SP) block the main road at Longvilly, mech.inf. (2SP) enter Bastogne. The pocketed regiment of 106th surrenders at Auw. The US player leaves (I may say deliberately) a hole on poor roads: 3 Vierges-Buret-Gouvy. ===Dec.17 losses: 8:8 SP, 1:5 units *18-1 Existing combats continue; attackers can't do anything else. - St.Vith 2+7 : 2t => 3:2 expensive victory. - Lutzkampen 3+5 : 1* => 0:1 too little, too late - Weiswampach 4+6 : 3t => 2:1 to secure the penetration's flank - Buret (2+3), Trois Vierges - German march but cannot reach combat A burning clash of steel on the main axis of advance: - Longvilly 4+5 : 5t => 3:3 Only tanks lost. - Hosheid 2+6 : 1* => 2:1 southern flank slowly advances Fuh.Begleit Brigade (FBB) is available but cannot fight today. American bulldozers and shovels work at Recht (2*), BurgReuland (1*). Tanks form a new line at Noville (3+1, the S reinforcements), Gouvy (4t), Vielsalm (3t) - from 7th Arm. All 101Airborne (3u,8SP) trucks to Samree to patch the North sector. 82nd remains reserve. *18-2 - Burg Reuland (bridge didn't blow) 2+6 : 1* => 2:1 US 9Arm/CCR, surviving at Weiswampach, retreats to Beho. *18-3 FBB advances centrally: Holzhum (4t+2) and Weiswampach (2m). US 82nd Airborne trucks to La Roche. ===Dec.18 losses: 10:9 SP, 2:4 units *19-1 Elite reinforcements available:at last OKW has decided, F.Grenadier (4t+3m) and 9nd SS Pz Div (8t+6m) First some road-clearing: - Recht 2+6 : 2* => 2:1 - Beho 1+8 : 2t => 3:2 Vielsalm accessible - Longvilly 2+7 : 2t => 1:2 road clear to Bastogne ! - Eschdorf 2+6 : 1 => 2:1 Now the American player retreats all to form the originally planned, strongest defense: Martelange 6SP (2units), Bastogne 7SP(4u), Noville 7, Gouvy 7, Vielsalm 7. NO reserves in the rear. *19-2 Any historically-sensed German would have stopped attacking in this sector and moved the few good forces to the N, where they could help better, and so threaten the US and force them to move away some forces, and retake the offensive here. But it is against the spirit of _this_ scenario, where the Central Sector is everything. Also if the German is to attack, then NOW, before all that newly-brought US infantry can entrench. Also I figured out this kind of heavy punching requires several days and lots of good-quality reinforcements (read: 3 or 4 SP), to replace the burnt-out attackers. So damn all problems and the Last Try to Final Victory ! - Bastogne 8+2 : 7 => 4:2 horrible attrition, but I expected this; - Vielsalm 5+5 : 7 => 5:1 suicidal * 19-3 Das Reich's finest advance: Lullange 7+3, Weiswampach 3+4, Marnach 4+3 (FGB) I ruled out a southern attack because it could be blocked in one area after Martelange. ===Dec.19 losses: 17:9 SP, 1:4 units *20-1 The desperate punch continues and widens: - Bastogne 8+2 : 5 =>1:3 really good ! only 1 defending unit left No need for replacements here (or so I thought...) - Noville 3+7 : 7 => 3:3 not so bad - Vielsalm 4+6 : 6 => 5:1 continued suicide Allies prepare the rear of Bastogne since it will fall: Nives 1 British tank, Bertogne 1t, Sprimont 3 (retreated from Martelange). Engineer in Champion to blow the bridge towards Marche. === Dec.20 losses: 9:7 SP, 0:5 units *21-1 The situation could open up if Bastogne falls. - Martelange 5+5 : 3* =>2:2 - Bastogne 7+2 : 2* => 1:1 stopped again !! - Noville 3+7 : 4 => 4:3, 2 units killed - Vielsalm 4+6 : 5 => 1:5 Unexpected things can happen. US patches strongly Trois Ponts (4+eng) and Baraque de Fraiture (3+1), so the advance at Vielsalm can't be a breakthrough. *21-2 - Gouvy 3+2 : 3* => 2:2 === Dec.21 losses: 10:13 SP, 1:5 units *22-1 The last impulse. Symbolic attacks all along the front, for the sake of it (again, not historically) - Martelange 5+3 : 1* => 2:1 - Bastogne 6+2 : 1* => 2:1 AT LAasst. 2VP, the points of honor. - Baraque de Fraiture - bridge blows before tanks, attack stopped. - Noville 3+2 : 1 => 1:1 - Gouvy 3+2 :1 => 0:1 === Dec.22 losses: 5:4 SP, 1:4 units That seemingly inexpugnable line has been all crushed, but the once fearsome Wehrmacht is now mostly a mass of 1SP remnants. They could still offer solid resistance, since many small units in this game resist much longer than the same force concentrated. Good luck to them, they will need it. Total German score: 2 Victory Points (<=6 was Allied Decisive) The game definitely teaches you that: 1) No plan survives the first contact with the enemy - Moltke 2) Plan for (much) failure, prepare for (any) success - ? 3) Keep the options open - don't attempt too much at first. A good idea is the 2-place defense: wait in one solid place (defending it), then go elsewhere if needed (defending that too). The American defenders didn't make any counterattack, partly because the German didn't give the proper occasion (deep, 1-area wide advance) and then it does MUCH more harm to stay on defense, entrench and wait the German attack with artillery pre-pointed. The play was quite long (7 hours between careful novices, also writing logs). We were very satisfied and look again to the full campaign game (will require at last 2 days). Anyone wishing a PBEM game, please contact me (mpauca@fx.ro) Enjoy this game! but don't forget the real dead. Mircea-Valer Pauca (mpauca@fx.ro), Bucharest, Romania