WARGAMESOSD

Bitter Woods

 

THE BATTLE FOR BASTOGNE
Liberated by the Allies in late 1944, Bastogne was attacked by German forces shortly after. Hitler was, again, looking for control of the Ardennes. The goal was to advance to Antwerp, to cut off supply and separate British from American troops. On December 16, taking advantage of the cold and the fog, the German artillery started the so-called Battle of the Bulge by attacking the sparsely deployed American troops around Bastogne. A few days later, Brigadier General McAuliffe and the 101st Airborne Division along with elements of the 10th Armored Division (United States) arrived to counter-attack but, after heavy fighting, became encircled within the city. On December 22, German emissaries asked for the American surrender, to which the General answered quite briefly, “Nuts!” The next day, the weather cleared up, allowing air retaliation and the parachuting of much needed food, medicine, and weaponry. On December 26, the troops of General Patton broke the deadlock. The official end of the Battle of Bastogne only occurred three weeks later, when all fighting finally stopped. No one out of the 101st Airborne Division agreed that they needed to be rescued.



Bastogne is surrounded by Axis forces and supplies are cut, now being supplied by air, in this game this took place
on the 19 December AM turn



A close up of the Battle for Bastogne showing German SS Panzer armies (black tiles) supporting infantry and artillary,
the Americans are in disarray and out of supply with one division heavily engaged near the town of Noville


The battle near Noville

Americans are supplied by air
Clerveux is over-run
The notorious Panzer Lehr division along with Airbourne and
infantry divisions facing the US 99th Infantry


Liege, an important supply town for both Allies and Axis
on the 18 December occupied by the famous US
101st Airbourne division and other troops recieved as
reinforcements


The British join in on the 20 December AM, received as
reinforcements, General Montgomery to the west of
Bastogne, British reinforcements are late arrivals
in this game
  
  
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