Weiler
Ardennes, December 17, 1944
My 12 th game of 2022
As December 17th wore on 26th Volksgrenadier Division poured
troops across the Our River into the 110th Infantry Regiment`s 3rd battalion
sector forcing the defending companies back into their village strong-points.
As 39th Fusilier Regiment quickly overran the platoon from I
Company which was out-posting Walhausen, but as it attempted to work its way
around Weiler and bi-pass the town it ran into problems. The Americans had
deployed FOO teams along the high ground of the Walhausen/Weiler Road; from
there they called down accurate, adjusted fire onto 39th Fusilier`s troops
moving through the woods north of them!
In an attempt to stem the fire the 39th`s
commander ordered his 2nd battalion still without its heavy weapon
companies which were still struggling across the Our, to probe towards the town
and clear the ridgeline.
What started as a simple operation got more and more
involved as the inexperienced Volksgrenadiers committed more and more men to
the “attack” on Weiler instead of dispersing the forward observers and then
bi-passing the town as per their original orders. By evening on the 17th
Weiler had been overrun, but 2/39th Fusiliers had wasted a valuable
day fighting there and as a result were not available to assist operations north
or west!
American Defenders
“I” Company, 3rd Battalion, 110th
Infantry with:
Company HQ
CO, 2IC, NCO, RTO (can act as FOO for battalion mortars) #1,
2 runners, FOO team (687th Field Artillery) #1
2 infantry platoons (1st platoon was at Walhausen)
10 men (inc BAR)
Support weapons platoon
.30cal team, 60mm mortar team, Bazooka team (3 rockets), 4
ammo bearers, NCO
“M” Company, III/110
.30cal MMG team
3rd Battalion anti-tank platoon
2 x 57mm AT guns plus crews + tows #2
Ad-hoc infantry platoon (cooks, clerks, drivers, etc)
NCO + 9 men (small arms only)
All troops start prepared, they can be in buildings or dug-in
The US commander has mined both plowed fields - these low density fields with only anti-personnel mines (any figure entering has to dice and becomes a casualty on 1-2 on 1D6)
Reinforcements
Turn 8 – NCO + 4 men (stragglers)
Turn 25 – M4 Sherman (707th Tank battalion) from
the west
German Attackers
2nd Battalion, 39th Fusilier Regiment,
26th Volksgrenadier Division #3
Composite Battalion HQ
CO, 2IC, 2 RTO (can act as FOO for battalion 120mm mortars).
Infantry platoon (10 men inc Panzerfaust, LMG)
Panzershreck team
Sniper
Pioneer platoon (10 men inc flamethrower)
3 infantry companies with:
Coy HQ (OC, NCO, RTO, 2 runners)
3 platoons with: 10 men (LMG, Panzerfaust)
The German player gets 3 rounds of 105mm artillery (2 tubes)
randomly dropped onto Weiler before the game starts
Reinforcements
Turn 15 – No8 Company of 2/39 finally arrives across the
river with:
2 x MMG teams, 2 x 80mm mortar teams, CO, RTO, NCO + 10 ammo
bearers, pack horses, etc
Turn 25 – Stug IIIG company along the road
Special rules
#1 There is a high demand for US artillery/mortar support up
and down the line, the US player can only get 3rds of fire support once called
(5-6 on D6). He must then call again!
#2 The US 57mm guns have limited supplies for HE ammunition
– 4 rds per gun, once used its gone!
#3 The German commander can only commit one company at a
time to the attack! He can only send in additional units once the last is
stopped! After the initial company he can reinforce further companies with his pioneers
and/or Panzershreck team. If he has to commit his 3rd company he may elect
to lead this company along with the battalion reserve platoon (one last throw
of the dice)
Victory Conditions
If the Americans can still bring targeted artillery/mortars
down onto the road or ground north by turn 25 they have done very well can
consider this a strategic victory!
If the Germans manage to drive the Yanks out of the town and
away from the road without committing all the companies of 2/39 Fusiliers this
would be impressive and considered a strategic victory.
If the Germans clear the town using all their infantry (plus
No8 company), this would be the historic outcome and the game is drawn.
My table
Note the stream is easily fordable by men on foot (half
movement) but impassable to vehicles
The German 3 turns of random artillery was (as expected)
pretty hit-miss, the first shell wipes out the US companies 60mm mortar and the
last lands smack dead centre onto the aid station killing a few wounded and
medics and wrecking the ambulance! But otherwise the shelling did little other
than wake up the Americans to the incoming German attack.
The
German battalion was planning to use the depression and stream bed north of the
village to assist it bi-pass the defenders, this becomes their jump-off point.
Game
turn 1, both sides dice to contact their off table support, the German FOO
makes contact straight away, neither US attempts succeed. The German battalion
begins its advance out of the stream bed.
Turn
2 The US artillery FOO contacts his battery and calls down a salvo centred on
the ruined farm, one gun is immediately on target causing casualties among the
advancing Volksgrenadiers!
Turn
3 the US artillery drops shells all over the farm causing more grenadier loses
The
grenadiers spread out, but keeping moving forward. The German FOO calls his
mortars down onto the church where he can see a medium machine gun which has
opened up on the advancing grenadiers.
Turn
4 the US artillery FOO tries to correct fire onto the advancing Germans fails
and so the US artillery drops its shells around the ruined farm where there arn`t
any Germans now! The Med. Machine gun exchanges fire with the nearest Germans takes
a couple but loses its No2; the German mortars drop around the church to no
effect.
The
lead German platoon is engaged by a .30cal but it fails to hit anyone, the
response by the German MG42 is impressive!
The
US company commander finally gets through to battalion mortars and calls them
down on the road, the first bombs land wide.
Turn
5 sees the German lead platoon moving towards the village, the second platoon exchanges
fire with the med. machine gun by the church again losing men but they do kill
an infantrymen trying to replace the No2, so the MG can`t fire next turn. German
mortars once again drop around the church to little effect. US mortars bracket
the road causing casualties among the German 3rd platoon who are also
engaged by a BAR.
Turn
6 German mortars bracket the church scoring a direct hit on both the tower
(killing both the FOO and his RTO) and the med. machine gun wiping it out!
The
remaining US troops near the church abandon it and withdraw back towards the
village.
The
lead German platoon continues to move towards the village, second platoon now
free of fire from the church move to support 3rd platoon who are duelling
with the BAR team whilst ducking incoming mortar rounds which cause a few more
casualties this round.
Turn
7 the lead German platoon stumbles upon one the US 57mm guns and quickly wipes
out its entire crew.
In
doing so they expose themselves to nearby US infantry who inflict several
casualties including the platoon NCO, so they are forced to retreat back the
way they came.
The
other two German platoons combine to wipe out the BAR, they take no further
casualties this turn.
The
US 2IC starts to get the company reserves moving forward
Turn
8 the German company commander moves to re-organise his 1st platoon,
2nd and 3rd are now advancing towards the village.
A
group of US stragglers arrive in the village and are urged to move and assist
the defence by their NCO
Turn
9 Under the company commander`s watchful eye whats left of 1st
platoon and the company HQ move into the nearest building.
Back
in the stream bed the second German company backed up by a pioneer platoon
enters the table.
Turn
10 the German company commander and what`s left of his first platoon move into
the building, just as the US company commander and his RTO flee out of the
front door.
The
combined remnants of 2nd & 3rd platoon move along the
road towards the village.
The
2nd German company move along the stream bed.
Turn
11 The US company commander re-organizes what men he can find to resist the
potential advance of the 2nd German company.
The
remains of the German 2nd & 3rd platoon come under
fire from village, they respond with LMGs and continue their advance. The German
company commander realises he can`t move out from the house he occupies with
what was left of 1st platoon, so they dig in.
Turn
12 Good turn for the Yanks, their 57mm fires HE over open sights killing
several members of the advancing German 2nd/3rd platoons,
these added to small arms casualties cause a morale check!
The
US company commander calls down mortars on the German 2nd company
causing casualties
Turn
13 The German 2nd/3rd platoon fail their morale check and
retreat to cover and having no platoon leaders left they are out of the fight.
The
German 2nd company exchange fire with the American defenders, US
mortar causing more casualties forcing one platoon to go to ground.
Turn
14 Combined fire from a fresh German infantry platoon, the company HQ and part
of the pioneer platoon virtually wipe out most of the entrenched Yanks, leaving
just those in the buildings blocking their advance. The German company
commander rallies the platoon who failed their morale last turn.
Turn
15 the German 3rd platoon in attempting a flanking move climbs into
an unmarked mine field losing nearly half its men as casualties!
The
rest of the German 2nd company is hotly engaged with the Yanks in
the buildings and even though the Germans take casualties, they kill the
American company commander and this causes a morale check!
Turn
16 the US troops in the houses fail their morale check and abandon their positions.
The Germans advance unopposed except for the US mortars who continue to drop.
Turn
17 the US troops exit the buildings exposing themselves to fire from the HQ of
the German 1st company, this fire kills the NCO and RTO.
The
2nd German company has now reached the buildings which overlooked
the stream bed.
Turn
18 the Americans rally and prepare to defend the village square. The Germans
move through and around the buildings.
Turn
19 the US troops engage the Germans, but are confronted with a flame-thrower
which causes casualties and a morale check!
Turn
20 half the US troops in the square withdraw from the flames, the rest are
hotly engages by German infantry and pioneers, another burst from the flame-thrower
ends their resistance!
Turn
21 seeing their comrades enveloped in flame and knowing their flank was turned
the remaining US troops are forced to make a morale check which they fail -
badly! I rule they abandon the village heading south away from the Germans and
will try and filter back to US lines.
As
per our scenario victory conditions this was a strategic victory for the
Germans. Historically only a few of the defenders managed to get back to allied
lines after their solid defence of the village.
