BASTOGNE 1944 MIRORED AS JLBETIN GERMAN vs MADCOW US

jlbetin

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PRELIMINARY
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This was my first official PBEM. There are plenty of mistakes, so be indulgent with me. Do the same for my English as my mother tongue is French. It is why I prefer to use maps.

So let's go.
Ich bin ein Deutsch General Oberst und ich muss.....
As a german officier I must took Bastogne at all cost to permit mein Führer to win the War. So I prepare a plan to seize the town
I drive an attack on 3 main axis and one minor.
North attack with the aim to bypass Bastogne by the North, one Central to Join the town itself on south to cut the town from south supply.
In the same time I send 2 recon Abteilung to seize the westward Supply to get the permanent victory points. Between south and central push I send a group of FalshirmJäger btn to test the field and not to let spare troops in my back
 
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jlbetin

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turn 2

this is turn 2 in north and central area

As you can see the recon abteilung is moving fast to the north. In the same time I want part of 2nd Panzer to move north too. In a way they will cover the north of the town and move southward latter.

in Central front I try to encircle US troops to empeach them to join Bastogne and reinforce the garrison
 
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jlbetin

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turn 3

Turn3 central zone

The central battle area gives me good result some Us troops have evaporated. A gap is open in the US front I will try to exploit it
 
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jlbetin

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turn3 south

Turn 3 south

South Branch of the claw is moving north. In the same time the south recon Abteilung is going to seize the southern supply points
 
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jlbetin

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turn 4

turn 4/5 Central

Breakthrough is made I want to exploit it quickly by encircling remnant US troops. Once again less US troops join Bastogne easier the final fight will be. I use as much as possible of Lufwaffe before it retires on turn 8.

Don't forget that time is counted before 1st US reinforcement are coming. So I must act on two direction laminate eastward US troops and push hard toward Bastogne. Here I know I made a mistake. It have better let FalshirmJager crunched encircled troops rather than let them manoeuver in south !!
 
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jlbetin

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turn 6

Turn 5 south
1st encounter with US Airbone btn.

I just want to pinpoint here the great impotance of Arty units in this scenario. Here I always put them along with the 2 main claws branches.
For the US player this is even more than important.
 
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jlbetin

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Turn 8

Turn 6 to 8 central

There is now a continous line of fight around Bastogne. I give a big push, to make US retreating. In the same time I took the northern VP locations
 
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jlbetin

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turn 8 south

Turn 6-8 south.

German Sturmgeshutz and FalshirmJäger break through south US lines to move north right in the Back of defending US troops
 
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jlbetin

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turn 9

Turn 9

As you can see I prepare a second round of encirclement, time is running against me now as Patton will arrive soon and US Air Corp will begin to made attrition rounds. And now the snow has fallen. Auf wiedersehen Lufwaffe !!
 
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jlbetin

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turn 10-12

Turn 10-12

Please note that green arrows symbolize US moves , Yellow one concerns german moves

That begining of Hell as USAC will slowly begin to harras any movement I'll try to make.
Now I do the maximum push not taking care of losses.
I must took Bastogne at all cost.

Second problem 1st Patton troops are coming from south. I need to continue to push on Bastogne and keep my south front safe !.

But here my oponent din't fully concentrate on Bastogne itself and prefer to divert some troops to my supply points.

- on turn 11 South units retreats. But I continue to attack on north to gain place and remove the threat to see my northern VP to be seized.

- on turn 12 I receive the 15th Mechanised to help me to stabilize the south front . I use some Lehr Panzer Grenadier units too to stabilize on south. A US btn is trapped in North
In the same time I took 1/2 of the town of Bastogne. The USAC danse begin.
 
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jlbetin

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turn 13-14

Turn 13-14.

to do any move is a nightmare as US interdiction level is high -> 75%

Green arrows are showing US moves.
Turn 13
you can see MadCow push to my northern supply point. I will use The 15 Mech to reestablish the line and recover the Supply point, along with spare units coming from North. doing so I isolate some US units.

Turn 14
Some Armored units break again due to air interdiction and supply problem some units are fixed and I lost my supply point.
Situation became critical. But I still hold half of Bastogne.
hopefully my oponent has no troops to push directly on south of the town
 
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jlbetin

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Last turns

This is the end

I lost again 1/2 Bastogne. Air attrition is terrific . But I was abble to recover my supply point. Better against all odds I did some counter attacks which blocks US units and partially pocket them. My northern VP are saved.
I was abble too to move unit on non protected US VP's to gain them again -> Neffe, Wardin.

At last I try a final attack on Bastogne, all US troops retreats but none of mine are abble to move and seize again the Eastern 1/2 of Bastogne.
 
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jlbetin

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Final Result

Enemy held value :11
Enemy loss penalty : 3
Friendly held Value 12
Friendly loss penalty : 6

Significant Victory +12

I'm a green rookie, it is my 1st PBEM and my 1st victory, it was a great fun.Especially as in the mirrored counterpart, I win too.
5 The AAR of this turn will come soon.

To conclude this a very nice scenario to play. I hope you had enjoyed this AAR

Der Wanderer
 
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Mad Cow

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Nice AAR. I will try to explain my actions in this one.

My plan to defend Bastogne was to first slow the Germans from their starting points for as long as possible to allow the airborne units to drive east and deploy on what would be my MLR (the line would run from the 3 VP hexes in the woods north east to the south all the way to the south of the city, to be extended or shortened as needed).

The first defense was to hold as long as possible, but to hopefully save as many units from being pocketed as I possibly could. This was rather hard to do.

My first line of defense was over-run and eventually the Germans reached my line made up of scratch Army units with the crack airborne units.

The Germans eventually punched holes in this line and I was forced to fall back on Bastogne. Savage fighting continued and the city changed hands on a couple of occasions.

When the 4th Arm. Division arrived, I decided to send them into the German rear instead of into Bastogne. I think this was a mistake, seperating my forces was not a good idea, even though I did cause him to divert troops from the Bastogne battle area proper, it was not enough to justify what I lost. Patton's units went into the Bastogne battle and helped me out some there, but I think I should have forced the issue with my fresh units where they were needed most instead of making that daring attack into his rear.

If given more time, this tactic MAY have worked to a better degree, but, alas, time was not on my side and I lost the battle.

But it was well fought by my opponent and I tip my hat to him. He out played me and deserved the win.

I can't wait for the rematch.

:hurt:
 
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