Surrounded at Stoumont
21/12/44
On 16/12/44 German forces unleashed the Wach am Rhein offensive, starting what their American foes would call the battle of the Bulge. By the 19/12/44 the leading forces of the 1SS Panzer Division, Kampfgruppe Peiper, had reached the town of Stoumont. Their advance was checked my the 119th Infantry Regiment of the US 30th Infantry Division. Behind KG Peiper US forces had blocked the road at Stavelot, preventing the spearhead getting the fuel it desperately needed to continue the attack
On the 20th US forces launched a series of attacks on the German spearhead at Stoumont and La Gleize. They were badly co-ordinated and were easily repulsed by the Germans. However it was another day with little fuel supply, though II Btl 2SS did make it through to KG Pieper with a handful of fuel trucks. Artillery ammo started running short for the German guns and the SS had to resort to siphoning off petrol from the transport vehicles to keep the Tanks and SPW mobile (This is why in the scenario there are no tows for the towed guns and no trucks for II Btl 2SS and why the German artillery response rolls are so low).
On the 21st the US forces surrounding KG Peiper were to try again. They had sorted out their command structure and 30th Infantry Division was placed in direct command of CCB 3rd Armored Division. This time the attacks would be properly co-ordinated. The Germans had other ideas and launched an attack to the east which interrupted 119th Infantry Regiment's preparations for the assault. In the south the forces around Cheneaux made an abortive attack on the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This German activity delayed the onset of the US attack until midday.
Map and Order of Battle
German Deployment
All German forces start on table, their deployment areas are delineated by the pink dashed lines.
All German units, apart from vehicles, start dug in (-3 cover)
US Deployment
The only US unit that starts on table is the 1st Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It is deployed in the area delineated by the pink hashed line and is in foxholes
1st Battalion 119th Infantry Regiment enters the board turn 1. The infantry enters within 6" of road B. The AFV's bust enter along the road itself. Each vehicle after the first loses 3" off its movement (so the 3rd vehicle in the convoy loses 6")
3rd Battalion 119th Infantry Regiment enters the board turn 1 within 12" of road A
Task Force Jordan enters the table turn 2 or later along road A. Each vehicle after the first loses an additional 3" off its movement
2nd Battalion 119th Infantry Regiment APPEARS on table on turn 5 or later. It may appears anywhere within 12" of the road WX as long as its to the north of the road. Stands may not be placed in LOS of a non demoralised enemy stand
G Company 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment APPEARS on table turn 5 anywhere between points CDE. It it appears in the wood it appears 2" from the edge.
Task Force McGeorge arrives on table turn 6 at point F. The infantry may arrive within 6" of the road 6 F (but not south of the river), all the vehicles arrive in convoy along the road; Each vehicle after the first loses 3" off its movement (so the 3rd vehicle in the convoy loses 6")
Terrain
The map depicts a 8'x5' table if playing 1" = 50m. North is towards the top of the map
The open ground is fields. There are intermittent low hedges at the field boundaries and along the roads, no more than 3" length and no hedges within 6" of another. These do NOT break LOS on only provide -1 cover for personnel and Class I guns. Any stand on a road with a hedge adjacent is assumed to be adjacent to the hedges on both sides
The open areas south of the L’Ambleve river are crossed by a large number of two or tree strand barbed wire fences. Personnel and soft transport not following in the wake of an AFV, have their speed halved by the wire
The green dotted lines are tree lines. These break LOS and gives -1 cover to all stands
The blue line is the L’Ambleve river. For game purposes it is un-crossable.
Brown dotted lines are ridgelines. They break LOS and give AFV's the benefit of hull down (-2)
Red lines are roads.
The black dotted line is a railway. It has no game effect other than it is treated the same way as a trail through a wood.
The green dashed lines are trails through the woods. They count as open ground for movement purposes, however they are eligible for personnel stands to travel march down.
The green areas are forest, impenetrable to vehicles and man-handled guns, 1/2 speed for personnel stands. Light cover (-1). All roads, trails and railways through the woods: visibility along them is max 6" and all stands on them count as light cover (-1)
The large grey squares are 4x4 BUA's, the smaller 2x2 BUA's. The smaller BUA's can hold 1 personnel stand only they get +3 cover. The 4x4 BUA's represent scattered stone houses. Personnel stands gain +3 cover. AFV and guns are assumed to be between the houses and get NO cover
The brown area around the Sanatorium is impassable to vehicles and man handled guns
Special Rules
Game starts at midday and ends at 6pm - 12 turns. Unlike the previous days the weather was reasonably clear.
No German unit can be given orders to move north or west of the deployment zone around La Gleize until TF McGeorge is on the table
No German unit can remain halted on road WX until after 2nd Battalion 119th Infantry Regiment has been deployed. Even before that point the Germans should not deliberately patrol the road, they did not know the US forces were coming. (I can't think of a way of enforcing this as a rule, but the German played shouldn't use this as an excuse!)
On a single turn of the US players' choosing any stand (not just a command stand) can call the M12 on a target to the west of Stoumont (strictly west of point P) that's within 6" of any 4x4 BUA. No roll is required to call this fire, its automatically on target. If the US player uses this option the M12 may not fire next turn. [Historically an M12 was brought up to fire on Stoumont over open sights from across the valley]
The 105mm Sherman of TF Jordan can be brought forward. It must be declared at the start of any turn, after which it can not fire indirect, It will arrive 2 turns later at point A.
The heavy weapons of the 8Kp and 12Kp 1SS Regiment may NOT be attached to line companies. The companies must fight as a unit.
Victory Conditions
Victory locations are: Bridges Z & Y, Road WX, Point C, the Sanatorium, the Chateau and La Gleize. Each location is worth a point with the exception of road WX and the Sanatorium which are both worth two.
KG Peiper HQ and the King Tiger are each worth a point
The Germans automatically lose if they don't hold La Gleize at the end of the game or if there is a US Tank within 3" of La Gleize
Assuming that Germans do not forfeit La Gleize the side with the most points wins.
To hold the bridges one side has to have the only stands in good morale touching the bridge. The side uniquely touching the bridge gains the point. If both sides have stands in good morale touching neither side gets the point, if neither side has a stand touching neither gets the point.
To hold the road XY one side has to have the only stands in good morale touching the road. The side uniquely touching the road gains the points. If both sides have stands in good morale touching neither side gets the points. If neither side has a stand, in good morale touching the GERMANS get the points.
To hold point C one side has to have the only stands in good morale within 3" of the centre of the road where it exits the table. The side uniquely occupying the area gains the point. If both sides have stands in good morale within the area neither side gets the point If neither side has a stand within, in good morale, the AMERICANS get the point.
To hold the Sanatorium or Chateaux one side has to have a stand in good morale wholly within the BUA The side within gains the point. If the BUA is partially occupied or occupied by a stand not in good morale neither side gets the point. If its empty neither side gets the point
To hold the La Gleize one side has to have the only stands in good morale wholly within the BUA. The side within gains the point. If the BUA is partially occupied or occupied by a stand not in good morale neither side gets the point. If both sides have stands within in good morale neither side gets the point. If its empty of stands in good morale the GERMANS get the point
The the Tiger II and KG HQ are still OK and in good morale at the end of the game the Germans get the points. If they are in shaken neither side gets the points. If they are demoralised or killed the Americans get the points. (this scenario is not designed to be played with the regroup rule)
Points are totalled at the very end of the game, after morale checks on turn 12
Good morale means not shaken and not demoralised.
References
501 SS Panzer Abt - http://www.ss501panzer.com/the_battle_19-20_dec.htm
After Action report 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion: http://www.oldhickory30th.com/823rdTDDec44.pdf
Axis History Forum - http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=114669 - strength of 84 le Flak Abt
Brothers in Arms: The men of A Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment during WWII - http://www.freewebs.com/a504/battleofthebulge.htm - mentions the ID of the 57mm with 504th PIR
Duel in the Mist - The Leibstandarte During the Ardennes Offensive: Kampfgruppe Peiper, Stoumont, December 19th, 1944 - Stefan De Meyer,Timm Haasler,Roddy MacDougall, Simon Vosters & Hans Weber -although about the battle 2 days earlier its good for disposition of KG Peiper after the 19th
Feldgrau Discussion Forum - http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=5752&start=15 - scroll down for a discussion of 1SS infantry strength and organisation
History of the 391st Field Artillery Battalion - http://home.earthlink.net/~3adspearhead/391History25.html
History of the 991st Field Artillery Battalion - Richard W. Van Horne - http://www.3ad.com/history/wwll/feature.pages/991st.pages/991st.history.htm
Manfred Rottenberg - http://www.lerenfort.fsnet.co.uk/page8N.htm - hints at the ID of the FJ with 1SS
NARRATIVE OF ACTION OF THE FIRST BATTALIAN, 504TH PARCHUTE INFANTRY AT CHENEUX, BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 20-21, 1944 - http://home.comcast.net/~b504pir/narrative.html
Report of Action of Combat Command "B" 3rd Armd Div for the period 1 December to 31 December 1944.- http://home.earthlink.net/~crcorbin/Castille.html
Report from 84 le Flak Abt - http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8954/letterpg2mg0.jpg - mentions siphoning fuel.
Time for Trumpets - Charles B MacDonald - good overview of the battle
With the Artillerymen of the 82nd Airborne Division - http://www.criba.be/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=4
US Tank and Tank Destroyer Battalions in the ETO 1944-45 - Steven J. Zaloga - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sCdlGIbmHjoC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=%22tank+destroyer%22+stoumont&source=bl&ots=WBbKRy64DV&sig=TEv2_A5AF5_YvP4dtA0CVFu042s&hl=en&ei=Ipx2StiWFMefjAeL3-2nBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=%22tank%20destroyer%22%20stoumont&f=false - 743rd Tank Battalion composition
Just to prove I'm not making it all up :)
