Lone Canuck ASL: Wacht am Rhein Volume 3 - Hitler´s Last Gamble in the West

From Lone Canuck:

On 16 December 1944, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, initial called Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhein) and later changed to Unternehmen Herbstnebel(Operation Autumn Mist), it was an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. The Ardennes Offensive or more commonly known as the "Battle of the Bulge", so-called because the Germans created a “bulge” around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Western front.

This pack is the 3rd Volume and final volume of the Wacht am Rhein saga, picking up from where Volume 2 left off in January 1945.

WaR 17 - CHENOGNE, BELGIUM, 1 January 1945:  As the New Year dawned, the Americans faced a formidable challenge on Bastogne's western flank. Major-General Troy Middleton's VIII Corps launched a vigorous offensive, aiming to secure Chenogne village and the Bois de Fragotte woods. The 21st Armored Infantry Battalion, backed by the 22nd Tank Battalion were tasked to take Chenogne. But their real test waited for them in the village's outskirts, where a fierce battle would unfold.

Game Length: 7½ Turns; Boards: 4, 56; Estimated time to play: 8 hours 39 minutes

German Forces: 10x Squads, 3x Leaders, 6x MG, 2x 5cm Pak 38 A-T Gun, 1x 8.8cm FlaK 18o36 AA Gun, & 2x 8cm Medium Mortar; mines, wire, and foxholes.

American Forces: 12½ x Squads, 3x Leaders, 15x M3 Halftracks, 10x M4 Sherman tanks.

WaR 18 - MAGERET, BELGIUM, 2 January 1945: The clash near Bastogne in early January 1945 emerges as a pivotal moment. The Germans, their hopes of a swift Ardennes victory dwindling, devised a new plan, threatening Bastogne from an unexpected direction. Meanwhile, on the American side, Major-General Robert W. Grow's 6th Armored Division received orders seemingly out of sync with the evolving situation. When the German counterattack struck on January 2nd, the outcome hung in the balance. Would the Americans, despite initial setbacks, regain their footing, or would the resurgent German forces pose an even graver threat? The fate of Bastogne, and perhaps the broader Ardennes campaign, teetered on a precipice.

Game Length: 8 Turns; Boards: u, 4; Estimated time to play: 6 hours 24 minutes.

American Forces: 8x Squads, 2x Leaders, 4x MG, 2x 60mm Mortars, 9x M4 Sherman tanks, & 105mm OBA.

German Forces: 16x Squads, 4x Leaders, 6x MG, & 4x StuG IIIG(L).

WaR 19 - BURE, BELGIUM, 3 January 1945: A critical juncture in the Ardennes campaign. Field Marshal Montgomery's grand offensive, poised to alter the course of the battle, encountered a formidable obstacle in the battle-scarred 2nd Panzer Division. The clash at Bure on that fateful January 3rd revealed the harsh realities of war – tanks, paratroopers, and panzergrenadiers locked in a brutal struggle amidst the village's narrow streets. Yet, the outcome remains uncertain. Will Montgomery's forces regroup and persevere, or will the battle-worn 2nd Panzer Division prove insurmountable?

Game Length: 7 Turns; Boards: 42, 10a, 39; Estimated time to play: 5 hours 37 minutes.

German Forces: 10x Squads, 3x Leaders, 4x MG, 2x Psk, 2x 8cm Medium Mortar, 2x Panther tanks, mines, and wire.

British Forces: 13x Squads, 4x Leaders, 5x MG, 2x 2” Mortars, 2x PIAT, 6x Sherman tanks, and 2x Sherman Fireflies.

WaR 20 - GORONNE, BELGIUM, 7 January 1945: In the frozen crucible of the Ardennes, a gripping showdown between two battle-hardened commanders unfurled. The unyielding American paratroopers, led by the intrepid Lieutenant-Colonel “Vandy” Vandervoort, launched an audacious assault against the formidable defenses commanded by Oberst Jüttner - a seasoned Eastern Front veteran. Would the 82nd Airborne Division's indomitable spirit endure, or would the resurgent Germans rally to defend Vielsalm? The outcome of this pivotal Ardennes confrontation hung precariously in the balance

Game Length: 7½ Turns; Boards: 10a, 39, 42; Estimated time to play: 5 hours 58 minutes.

German Forces: 12x Squads, 3x Leaders, 5x MG, 2x 8cm Mortars, Pz VIB King Tiger, mines, wire, and foxholes.

American Forces: 16½ x Squads, 5x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x 60mm Mortars, 5x Bazookas, 5x M36 GMC.

WaR 21 - HILL 510, West of MAGERET, BELGIUM, 8 January 1945: In the midst of the bitter Ardennes winter, the tide of battle swayed unpredictably. The resurgent German counterattacks had already reclaimed territory from the Allies. Now, the stage was set for a pivotal showdown on Hill 510. As the 12th SS-Pionier Battalion, supported by panzers and artillery, clashed fiercely with American defenders, the outcome hung in the balance. Would the Germans secure this vital strategic height, or could the American forces muster the resilience to hold their ground?

Game Length: 7½ Turns; Boards: 17z, 84; Estimated time to play: 5 hours 42 minutes.

American Forces: 12x Squads, 3x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x Light Mortars, 4x Bazookas, 2x 81mm Mortars, 3x M4 Sherman tanks, mines, wire, and foxholes.

German Forces: 10x Squads, 4x Leaders, 2x MG, 3x FT, 5x DC, 2x BT, 2x 8cm Mortars, and 5x Panzer IVJ.

WaR 22 - TILLET, BELGIUM, 9 January 1945: Amidst the unforgiving Ardennes landscape, a clash of wills and valour unfolded. The resilient US 87th Infantry Division, backed by the indomitable 761st Tank Battalion nicknamed the “Black Panthers”, faced off against the elite Führerbegleitbrigade – formed from Hitler’s personal bodyguard. In the midst of the snow-covered landscape, Captain Charles A. Gates and his Company C, 761st Tank Battalion led a relentless assault. Among the chaos and carnage, the question remained: Could the Americans secure Tillet, or would the relentless Germans stage a counteroffensive to defend their territory?

Game Length: 9 Turns; Boards: 56, 57, 84; Estimated time to play: 9 hours 42 minutes.

German Forces: 16x Squads, 5x Leaders, 9x MG, Panzerschreck, 3x 7.5cm PaK, 2x 8cm Mortars, 2x Panzer IVJ, mines, wire, and foxholes.

American Forces: 24x Squads, 5x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x 60mm Mortars, 6x Bazookas, 5x BT, 10x M4 Shermans tanks, and 105mm OBA.

WaR 23 - TAILLES, BELGIUM, 12 January 1945:  As January deepened, the northern flank of the Ardennes Bulge remained engulfed in the fires of battle. Major-General "Lightning Joe" Collins led the US VII Corps, determined to break through the staunch German defenses. Tailles, a critical crossroads south of the Baraque de Fraiture, became a deadly focal point. The 2nd SS-Panzer Division's steadfast defense and the stubborn resistance of the 12th Volksgrenadier Division presented formidable challenges. Lightning Joe concentrated his forces for a decisive assault on Tailles. With the battle's outcome teetering on a knife's edge, the clash continued into the night.

Game Length: 8 Turns; Boards: 49, 57; Estimated time to play: 7 hours 42 minutes.

German Forces: 15x Squads, 4x Leaders, 6x MG, Panzerschreck, 3x 5cm PaK, 2x 8cm Mortars, 2x Panther tanks, mines, wire, and fortified buildings.

American Forces: 20x Squads, 5x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x 60mm Mortars, 5x Bazookas, 2x BT, 7x M4 Shermans tanks, and 105mm OBA.

WaR 24 - THIRIMONT, BELGIUM, 13 January 1945: As the battle for the northern flank of the Ardennes raged on, Major-General Matthew Ridgway's XVIII Corps faced a pivotal moment. Despite their initial success in dislodging the Germans from the Salm River's northern side, the American offensive had stalled. With the newly arrived 75th Infantry Division yet to enter the fray, the 30th Infantry Division, veterans of Normandy and defenders against Kampfgruppe Peiper, launched their attack from Malmedy. However, standing in their way was the battle-hardened 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division, led by Generalleutnant Richard Schimpf, determined to hold a formidable defensive line.

Game Length: 7 Turns; Boards: 3, 17z; Overlays: O3, and OW1; Estimated time to play: 9 hours 42 minutes.

German Forces: 14x Squads, 4x Leaders, 6x MG, 2x 8cm Mortars, 2x StuG IIIG(L), and foxholes.

American Forces: 18x Squads, 5x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x 60mm Mortars, and 4x Bazookas.

WaR 25 - OBERWAMPACH, BELGIUM, 17 January 1945: As the battle in the central sector of the Ardennes Front began to ebb, the southern region witnessed a gripping struggle for control. With the Americans inching closer to severing the German supply lines, General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel ordered the 1st SS-Panzer Division to recapture Oberwampach. Despite their fierce efforts, they couldn't dislodge the determined US 90th Infantry Division. With the situation hanging by a thread, the 2nd Panzer Division was tasked with forming a battle group to stop any further American advances.

Game Length: 8 Turns; Boards: 4, 53, 57; Estimated time to play: 8 hours 59 minutes.

American Forces: 12x Squads, 4x Leaders, 4x MG, 3x Light Mortars, 4x Bazookas, 3x 57mm A-T Guns, 2x M10 GMC, 3x M4 Sherman tanks, mines, wire, foxholes, and 105mm OBA

German Forces: 19½x Squads, 6x Leaders, 7x MG, Panzerschreck, 3x SPW 251/1 halftrack, 2x StuG IIIG(L), 3x Panzer IVJ, 2x Panther tanks, 2x Panzer VIE(L) Tigers, and a Pre-Game Bombardment.