Ruth! Ruth! Ruth! We March! - Feld Marshal Arnhem vs. General dannybou

[dannybou]

Allies turn 13

North sector

Reinforcements are arriving. A very well placed FJ unit will have to be pushed out and destroyed as they are impeding my movement. And we all know hoe Airborne units fight don't we? If I can get my Regiments in place in time I should be in a better position to plug the holes, set up a line and defend adequately. IF.......

Central sector

It seems the ennemy has slowed down. Why? One can only guess but I have a few theories. One he is exhausted. His units have been fighting since the opening of the campaign and through the last night. He is busy chasing my remnants of the 106th ID. Some units are still cohesive and although surrounded and isolated, still fighting and being a torn in his side. As for St-Vith, intelligence reports the ennemy is perplexed at our strategy. Let him be perplexed then

Southern sector

More reinforcements are arriving. As i previously stated the 4th ID is holding it's own. Tough veterans of the Normandy campaign, they'll go toe to toe with whatever VGD units are in front of them. I still have a few aces up my sleeve that I haven't played yet.

We're gonna win this fight Boys!!

 

[Arnhem]

December 17, 1800hrs

Nightfall on the second day of Wacht Am Rhein sees PzAOK.5 making impressive inroads into enemy territory, Wiltz has fallen and Bastogne lies tantalizingly near. To the north, elements of I SS PzK are about to meet in Elsenborn village closing the pincers on 2 American Divisions. In the AOK.7 AO, units are making the most of the hours of darkness to move infantry and artillery forward under the blanket of night.

PzAOK.6
Mere kilometres separate the HJ and LSAH from linking up with each other. There is little or no effective resistance in the Elsenborn area and VGD units are moving to take over the positions of the SS units and complete the destruction of units trapped in the encirclement and allowing the I SS PzK to continue it's drive to the west.

PzAOK.5
Enemy resistance has completely collapsed in this sector. The defenders of the Schnee Eifel are being marched eastwards towards POW camps while other units of the Armee have reached as far as Vielsalm. Clervaux is being stubbornly contested but Pz Lehr have managed to get on good roads and are racing for Bastogne. The American 9th AD HQ was ambushed halfway between Clervaux and Bastogne and badly shot up by a Panther company of Pz Lehr. Captured documents indicate substantial American reinforcements are on the way including the 101st Airborne slated for the defence of Bastogne. Speed is all the more essential to the advance! Wiltz has fallen and VGD units are moving eastwards in a race to see who gets to Bastogne first.

AOK.7
Reports are coming in from the VGDs of their forward units reporting hearing the unmistakable sound of tank tracks and engines. Like the Kreigsmarine or Luftwaffe would know what a tank engine sounds like. Infantry and artillery are moving into position to consolidate the left flank, wouldn't hurt to have some AT assets and some armour to back them up, just in case.

 

[dannybou]

Finally a night turn.

Northern sector

More reinforcements are arriving by the hour. And not too soon, I can hear the panzers rolling and I need to block them. I will try to rest the men as much as possible. The FJ unit which was blocking my way has been assaulted and dislodged with numerous casualties. I will finish the job tonight. Elsenborn ridge is still intact and some of the companies report assaulting disrupted German infantry inflicting good casualties that he can ill afford.

Central sector

I need this night turn just to rest. Alot of my forward broken elements have surrendered and that isn't good as the Germans will have more men to push foreward now. Bastogne has seen it's first panzer, believed to be from the Lehr division??

Southern sector

The 4th ID reports receiving some reinforcements in tanks and plenty of artillery. Sir, the southern sector will be stabilized and retaken. That's a promise. OK Gentlemen, tell your men to hunker down for the night. We have more heavy fighting coming up.

 

[Arnhem]

June 18, Dawn (turn 19)

It started snowing again during the night, line units made some moves to consolidate gains and prepare for attacks at first light. Men and machines are starting to show the strain of 2 days of continous combat. Few major formations are left that have fresh reserves, almost everything is being pushed forward in order to maintain the initiative.
Some changes were made to unit assignments, PzAOK.6 has handed off some units to PzAOK.5 in order for me to push hard in the sector where danny is the weakest, PzAOK.6 will concentrate on reducing the Elsenborn Pocket and then turning about to take on the reinforcements in that sector.


PzAOK.6
Elsenborn continues to be a thorn in my side, the 2 infantry divisions are giving ground and suffering atrocious casualties but have not broken. What's worse is that the 1st and 9th ID and 7th AD have arrived and are making their presence felt. I've destroyed a couple of artillery battalions but danny has a surfeit of these things in this sector. I expect resistance to be much stiffer in the coming turns.

PzAOK.5
The problem with this sector is that although there is virtually no resistance it is either I have no available units to exploit the situation or like my VGDs, too slow. Still, the outlook is bright, Bastogne is defended by a brigade's worth of engineers and nothing much else, Clervaux has fallen and the road should be secured for safe use in a turn or two. The units which were left behind to reduce the enemy concentrations bypassed in the first 2 days are moving up after having done so and some much needed reinforcements have started to arrive, the battle will probably hinge on the degree of success I have in this sector, I haven't seen the 2 airborne divs yet and I am concerned about how he will deploy them.

AOK.7
To say the going is hard here is an understatement, danny has some good quality troops in 4th ID and he's just got 10th AD arrive on scene as well, I'll have my hands full just trying to hold him back.

 

[Arnhem]

June 18, 0800hrs, (turn 20)

PzAOK.6
The veteran 1st and 9th ID's GIs are resisting with much vigour, I have had to fall back after a lone PzG battalion from HJD was flanked by 9th ID units, not that it's going to stop the encirclement of their brethren. Bridges over the Warche were blown preventing lateral movement by the LSAH but that's just a minor annoyance.

PzAOK.5
The crossing at Trois Ponts has been secured, the Malmedy bridge has been reported destroyed while an enemy engineer battalion is at Stavelot presumably trying to do the same there. Panzers from the 10th SS have been sent foward to discourage them from doing so. The scattered defenders of Clervaux are being rounded up and the PzLehr is fully in the fight for Bastogne. 26th VGD is moving up to provide much needed infantry support.

AOK.7
Outposts at Bettendorf and Bastendorf are being reduced as a prelude to the assault on Diekirch, 85th Korps has the responsibility for taking it. Further south, vicious attacks on 212th VGD by what I presume to be elements of 10th AD were repulsed I'm sure danny's got more armoud up his sleeve, 352nd VGD has fallen back to more defensible positions after encountering enemy armour in the plains around Waldbilling.

 

[dannybou]

Northern sector

The front is still volatile but better. Our engineers have managed to blow some bridges which should stall the Krauts in their advances. The Ridge is still holding but I'm afraid that if we don't get some relief in there soon, morale will drop. All in all, the soldiers are fighting like devils and are not yielding an inch without a fight.

Central sector

Bastogne is under attack from armored units. Reinforcements are on the way. Hold on Boys!!!! The rest of the sector is quiet at the moment, surely the Germans are licking their wounds and resting just like mine. If only descent weather could return, I could start playing with his tank columns!!!!

Southern sector

Sir, I report that this sector is under control. We've stopped the Germans in their tracks. Now given enough resources and we will push them back into Germany and be able to flank their entire offensive. When is George due to arrive again????

 

[Arnhem]

Dec 18, 1000hrs (turn 21)

PzAOK.6
The reduction of the forces in the Elsenborn area continues, danny's reinforcements are coming in piecemeal, I'm guessing the terrain is slowing him down and he's forced to feed in units as they come in due to the desperate nature of his situation, then again, it could just be wishful thinking and he's just waiting to smack me when I give him a chance.

PzAOK.5
Too much ground to cover, not enough motorized units to do it, I've got a huge hole stretching from Trois Ponts north to Bastogne in the south where I could drive the whole of Army Group B through, problem is, the snow is making a shambles of my efforts in getting units to the front to exploit the situation. Bastogne is about to be invested, still no sign of the pair of AB Divs, there's a possibility he'll use them to guard critical bridges across Ourthe River to prevent me for making a try for the Meuse, bothersome paratroopers.

AOK.7
Apart from continuing attacks against the 212th VGD this sector is relatively quiet, Diekirch has been surrounded and artillery has started reducing the defences, elsewhere there have been probing attacks but that's about it, makes me wonder what he's up to. This can't possibly be all that he's got to throw at me.

 

[dannybou]

Snow on the ground means no air assets. The situation isn't as volatile as before. I am strating to wonder if my opposing General is getting cautious, or his troops are dead tired and he needs to rest them. There might be an opportunity here. I know he is worried about where our Airborne Boys will be showing up!!!!

 

[Arnhem]

Dec 18, 1800hrs

The close of 3 days of continous combat sees the situation at the front little changed from the previous day's close, units are struggling to reach the front in order to consolidate my gains, the rear is relatively secure save for a few scattered stragglers, most significant of which are the defenders of Diekirch.

PzAOK.6
The HJ and LSAH are beginning to suffer from the effects of 2 days of continous combat, I've had to push the other units of this Armee forward to take up the slack in order for some of the SS units to take a turn or two of rest. The weather and stubborn defenders are making the going extremely slow and punishing, the initiative must be regained somehow, the counterstroke is sure to come and I need to construct a defensible line before that happens.

PzAOK.5
Forward units have reached the Ourthe river at several places, however, the same formations are strung out in traffic jams from the Ourthe to the Our as the they share the few servicable roads to the front. Bastogne has been surrounded efforts are being made to eject the defenders. Pz Lehr units have encountered elements of the 101st AB at Flamierge while the 82nd AB has crossed the Ourthe at Hotton and engaged elements of the 116th PzD, the situation that develops should be interesting.

AOK.7
The situation in this sector is reminiscent of trench warfare, my relatively lower quality units are well dug in and have local numerical superiority, danny has more armour and generally better quality units, we continue to mindlessly chip away at each other.

 

[Arnhem]

Dec 19, 0600hrs

PzAOK.6
Dawn brings renewed pressure by the American's veteran 1st and 9th ID against the HJ, the sheer force of numbers is beginning to take it's toll and other units of the Division are coming to the aid of the beleagured regiment covering the approach from Hohes Venn.

Elsewhere, the reduction of the Elsenborn pocket continues while I SS.PzK realigns itself for the next push westwards.

PzAOK.5
Advance units of the 30th ID have been spotted on the outskirts of Stavelot, the appearance of this veteran division in the area does not bode well for the Infantrie division that is tasked to repairing the bridges and securing the north bank of the Warche river in anticipation of pushing onwards to Spa.

The 82nd and 101st Airborne have been decisively engaged, the lack of organic armour in their TOEs should count against them if I can get some of my own to face them in time.

AOK.7
Not much change in this sector, the killing continues unabated.



II SS.PzK are expected in the next day or two, they will come in handy to exploit the hole that PzAOK.5 has made, more worringly, my supply levels have dropped and I am now experiencing increased low ammo and fuel levels for the front line units, all the gains of the first phase of this operation will be for naught if I don't have the bullets or gas to defend my gains.

 

[Reiryc]

Any chance of some screens?

I always enjoy a good screen shot with aar's..

 

[Paulinski]

I love reading AAR. Regarding screenies they would compliment the ars just fine

 

[Arnhem]

Hi fellas,

I've always been partial towards having pictures to go with words, I'll see what I can do.

 

[dannybou]

Hi fellas,

I've always been partial towards having pictures to go with words, I'll see what I can do.

Yes, please do, post your screenshots so I can see your forces.... :devil:

 

[dannybou]

The Ridge is still hotly contested although I must admit that my troops are holding on by their finger nails. In the north, the SS Division has been stopped cold and even pushed back by some concentration of massed artillery and assault by fresh troops. Obviously, for now, my tanks are no match for the German ones.

More reinforcements are pourring into the Ardennes. One Division which has been spotted by my ennemy is descending on his flank and has made contact. (Names of towns and locations not mentionned in case this document is intercepted by German agents :whist: )

The 82nd Airborne managed to surround and completely annihilate a Panther battalion. Finally, a break!! :devious:

The battle for Bastogne is raging. The 101st has made contact with the defenders of the belieguered town and are holding their own. When Patton arrives, it will be a different battle for sure.

The south is stagnant. The Germans are stopped and reinforcements are arriving to plug the holes. A counter-attack is in the plans.

I believe the Germans have moved ahead too fast and too long and that will be their weakness and Achilles heel.

 

[dannybou]

30 ID is marching and engaging German forces. In the north, through massed artillery and sheer courage of assaulting infantry batallions, the SS division is slowly being pushed back. The Ridge needs to be relieved and is a priority.

The 82nd has managed to trap more German units who had been too far in their forward advances. These batallions are the same who just finished destroying an entire batallion of Panthers and are eager for more. These isolated troops will also suffer the same faith as the Panthers.

The 101st has linked up with the troops who had been defending Bastogne, but the Town has been lost to the Germans. Still, heavy fighting is ongoing, German batallions are disrupted, another Panther batallion is isolated and subjected to the Screaming Eagles assaults. Now if I can only get some GD armor, I will be able to push the Germans back and retake Bastogne.

The south is reminiscent of a WW1 trench warfare. No movement.

All in all, the Allies are doing much better now that the initial shock and awe has leveled off.

 

[Arnhem]

Dec 19, 1400hrs (turn 32)

PzAOK.6

The HJD has managed to get itself organized into some semblance of a defensive stance and is holding off the GIs of the 1st and 9th IDs from turning the flank of the Armee...for the time being. The LSAH has crossed the Warche at Malmedy and has engaged the 30th ID.

PzAOK.5
In the Trois-Pont/Stavelot area, VGDs are holding their own against other elements of the 30th ID, is the 30th ID biting off more than it can chew by trying to hold me on the east side of the Warche anywhere it can? The 82nd Airborne is being attended to by elements of the 10th SS PzD. The well armed and motivated paratroopers are a nuisance but not insurmountable. It is around Bastogne where the other Allied Airborne Division is really making life difficult, the 101st is singlehandedly pushing back the Panzer Lehr in addition to the 26th VGD. I am still holding on to the town proper but by the skin of my teeth.

AOK.7
The presence of the 11th PzD has seen this Armee making headway against the Allied troops in this sector, small gains have been made all across this sector and the Allied troops are being pushed back, albeit at a slower pace than in the north.

 

[Leftie]

Any new word on this AAR? I have enjoyed it immensely thus far.

 

[dannybou]

Unfortunetely this game has come to an end.

 

[Arnhem]

Oh no it hasn't, my apologies, I've been terribly busy this past fortnight, give up Danny?