20mm WWII: STOUMONT 19 DECEMBER 1944

Before our friend Mr Ray departs again for the USA I set up a WWII Battle of the Bulge Rapid Fire game at the SESWC.  I supplied the troops, scenario, buildings and the SESWC the scenery.  Mr Ray Neal and Tim Wilson commanded the Germans, Bart Zynda and Campbell Hardie the Germans whilst I umpired.

German armor start on Stoumont road

 The game was a slight variant on the Stoumont scenario in the excellent Rapid Fire Battle of the Bulge scenario book.  I changed the terrain increasing the table to 6ft by 4ft and revised the OB to agree with the models I have available.  In the original scenario the US have a 90mm AA gun and a company of 76mm AT guns – I replaced the 90mm with an immobile M36 TD and the 76mms with 57mm AT guns with a few APDS rounds.  I also made the mist lifting on turn 4 slightly variable.  I allowed the German vehicles to move at full speed on the road in the mist.

Last stand of the GIs at burning Roua

The Germans made an impressive start moving quickly splitting their forces with the tank coy and an infantry unit going straight for Stoumont whilst the rest of their initial force moved cross country towards Roua.  At the edge of Stoumont the leading Panther was heavily damaged by the string on mines and then knocked out by opportunity fire from a 57mm ATG. 

This held up the attack on Stoumont.  The German reserves appeared on turn 3. The infantry unit moved to reinforce the advance on Stoumont and the other units moved to join the attack on Roua.  The attack on Roua went well for the Germans and the engineer’s flamethrower set fire to both the buildings and the defenders were wiped out as they emerged from the blazing buildings.   The Panther trying to maneauvre on the road from Roua was heavily damaged by the concealed M36 which was heavily damaged in return but managed to expend all its ammunition.

The German armour supporting the attack on Stoumont suffered an ignominious fate – the Sd251/9 and the Wirbelwind were both destroyed by direct hits by mortar bombs and the Panzer IV was destroyed by Joe from da Bronx who made a heroic action and hit the tank with his bazooka.  However the German infantry managed to storm 2 of the buildings in the town.

Joe from da Bronx gets the Panzer IV!

Wirbelwind hit by mortar fire

At that point we had to end the game.  It was a draw with the Germans holding 4 of the buildings.  The US still had both their Shermans in action with the Germans reliant on their remaining seriously damaged Panther.

More photos and descriptions on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633656417420/

 

Here is the OBs and briefings for the players.

The game is based on Kampfgruppe Peiper’s attack on the village of Stoumont on 19^th December.  The game lasts 15 turns.

German objectives

To win:  capture Stoumont and drive all US forces from the buildings.
To draw: occupy and hold a minimum of of 4 buildings in Stoumont and/or Roua.

US Objectives

To win:  prevent the German force from achieving its objectives above.
To draw: prevent the German force from holding more than 4 buildings at the end of the game.

Small Arms Fire
German infantry firing groups add +1 to their fire effect rolls.

Observation

The first 3 turns are played in mist which reduces visibility to 12 inches.  Roll from turn 4 for the mist to lift on a D6 score of 3-6.

Movement

The ground is muddy.  Reduce all of road vehicle movement by 1/3^rd. 

US Order of Battle 

All troops REGULAR

3rd Btn, 1119^th RCT, 30^th Inf Div  - test @ 20 casualties

HQ:      CO + 5 figs inc  60mm mortar, lt truck
Coy A:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Coy B:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Coy C:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Wpns Coy: 11 figs with HMG, MMG, 81mm mortar, 57mm ATG, 3 jeeps, truck

Support

Coy B 743^rd Tank Btn:  2 M4 75mm
Coy A 823^rd Tank Destroyer Btn:  2 57mm ATG, 6 crew, 2 M3 ½ TR 
(ea 57mm has 3 rounds of APDS - AT 2 at short and medium range)
C Coy 110^th Tank Destroyer Btn:  M36 TD (Note - immobile with only 4 shots!)

Deployment

US troops must deploy west of the line US-US except for 1 coy of infantry which must be deployed within 8” of Roua for the first 8 moves.   

Note

Support coys are independent units.

Daisy chain of mines

The US battalion has a single daisy chain of mines to use only on roads.  One figure must reach the roadside to deploy the mines.  Test only for the first vehicle to cross.

German panzergrenadiers and paras move on Roua

German order of battle

All troops ELITE

Initial Force

Btn HQ:  CO + 5 figs, Sd251/3 Cmd

9^th Coy:  8 figs, panzerfaust, Sd251, Sd251/9 75mm*
9^th Eng Coy:  8 figs, panzerfaust, flamethrower, demo, Sd251/7 Eng
Para Coy: 11 figs, mmg, panzerfaust
Tank Coy:  Panther, Panzer IV

Reinforcements

Tank Coy:  Panther, Wirbelwind SP AA

11^th Coy:    10 figs, panzerfaust, 2 Sd251
12^th Coy:    120mm Mtr, 3 crew, Sd251, Sd250/9 75mm *

* count as 3 figs for morale

Note

Tank coys are independent units.  All others test as a single unit on 20 casualties

Deployment

All German troops enter on the south road to Stoumont.  No German AFVs can operate south of the Stoumont road.
Reinforcements can be diced for from turn 1 – needing a D6 score of 3-6 to succeed – and appear 2 turns later.