"1st Fight of KG Peiper's Charge Mini-Campaign" Topic

All,

Breakthrough
0745
17 December 1944

Kampfgruppe Peiper, a German SS Panzer formation, moved out as part of 'Wacht Am Rhein," AKA, "The Battle of the Bulge," in the evening of 16 December, reaching Losheim at approximately 2200. Fighting through traffic as they pushed west on the 'rollbahns,' Peiper grabbed a battalion of German Fallschirmjaeger sitting idly by the road (setting the stage for the iconic photo of the German paratroopers riding atop King Tigers), and, continuing their push west, the kampfgruppe overran a column of retreating American troops at approximately 0600 on 17 December. It is now 0745 on 17 December; the kampfgruppe has finally defeated a token platoon of Americans in Lanzerath, and is preparing to jump off to take Bullingen to the northwest, and then follow the road southwest to Ligneuville. The Americans facing KG Peiper are a motley mix of troops, weapons, and vehicles from 2nd, 28th, and 99th Infantry Divisions, various Cavalry Squadrons, and several Engineer groups.

So, what's going on here, you ask? Well, this is a mini-campaign, and an unplanned one, at that! This is to keep up my end of a bargain I made online; my buddy Thuseld, over on The Wargames Website, has been working on getting 6mm WWII forces together for awhile, just like me. He'd posted pics of his lovely troops and vehicles, lamenting that he wasn't sure when he'd ever get them on the table. I replied that I, too, had been working on getting 6mm WWII forces ready, and I, too, was unsure when they'd actually see the table. Then I made an off-hand comment that sealed my fate: I jokingly suggested he and I enter a pact, to ensure we got our 6mm WWII forces on the table ASAP. Well, he not only accepted, he played some games and posted them that very next weekend! So I'm already late, but late is better than never, so here I am, keeping up my end of the deal! My plan is to play a three-game mini-campaign, and it's not just serving to get my 6mm WWII stuff on the table. I'm also going to test out the Blitzkrieg Commander IV rules, and I'm also, for the first time ever, going to play some winter games. So here we go!

Wanting to play some winter games and having late war German and US/UK kit, I began searching the internet for scenarios. Twasn't long before I came across a free PDF from Battlefront, called "Peiper's Charge, Running the Gauntlet in the Ardennes, 16-25 December 1944." It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn useful, and it was perfect for what I was trying to do: three fights in the snow between late-war US and German kit. Sure it's built for Flames of War, revolving around platoon-sized units, but I just bumped each of those up to a company-sized unit, no problem. In any case, the PDF outlines a mini-campaign with the Germans attacking across the three maps, ending with the Americans counterattacking on the third map. Worked like a charm.

Overview, north is up. The Germans will attack from the southeast corner using mobile deployment rules (except one unit already on the table). There are serviceable roads running across the table, everything else is snow, which causes a movement penalty (I played the penalty in game 1, it was too much, so I knocked it off), and there is a river at bottom center/bottom left, which is not fordable. There are three villages: in the southeast (bottom right) is Lanzerath; in the north (top center left) is Bullingen; and in the southwest (bottom left) is Ligneuville. The hills, from top right, are: Hill 208, Hill 150 (far right), Hill 34 (bottom center), Hill 76 (far left), Hill 200 (top left), and Hill 102 (center). Please note that the village names are real (and in their correct, approximate locations), while the Hills are made up (the maps in the PDF don't show any elevation at all, but I know that can't be correct in the Ardennes).

All German units start off table except the FJ Company, which is in Lanzerath (bottom right). Meanwhile, the Americans have A Company in Bullingen (top center left) and B Company in Ligneuville (bottom left), with both tracked companies in reserve at top left. The US plan is to try and have the infantry stay towns, plinking away at halftracks and panzers with their ATGs (and even with their mortars vs the halftracks), and bleed the Germans by making them come dig my infantry out. I'll keep the tanks and tank destroyers back until I can see where the boy commits his whopping three companies of tanks, then rush in, no fear!

The opposing forces, Americans up top and Germans on the bottom. This is done in 6mm, with all vehicles from Heroics and Ros, while the infantry and US anti-tank guns (ATGs) are from GHQ.

The US force: their CO is at far right (in a halftrack), all the M8 armored cars are HQs. The Americans have two rifle companies (A Company and B Company), each with an HQ, four rifles, an MG, a mortar, and 76mm ATG with prime mover (should have probably been a 57mm ATG, but I need all the help I can get). Then they have a tank company consisting of two M4 76s and four M4 75s, and a tank destroyer company consisting of six M-10 Wolverines. No arty or air support.

The German commander is also at far right (in a Sdkfz 231 armored car), the Sdkfz 222 armored cars are their HQs. The Germans have a company of Fallschirmjaegers (top left) and a company of Panzer Grenadiers, each with four rifles, an MG, and a mortar, the only difference being the PzGren have Skdfz 251/D halftracks and the FJ are foot mobile. The Germans then have two companies of Panzer Mk V "Panthers" (1st Company and 2nd Company), a company of Pz Mk IV King Tigers, and a battery of four self-propelled 150mm howitzers. I'm a bit different in that, when I play BKC, I prefer to have my arty on the table, rolling for them to act just like any other unit. This helps keep things simple, which makes life easier for me 1) when I'm playing solo, and 2) when I'm playing with my boy (he's 10).

In this game I am playing the Americans and the boy is playing the Germans.

US mortars and anti-tank guns in Bullingen (bottom left, also joined by mortars from Ligneuville) engage the German panzergrenadiers (top right)…

And pound them mercilessly.

German self-propelled artillery was the MVP of the game.

Partly because, just like real life, the Germans are having problems with traffic jams. The bogged down panzer grenadiers blocking the road force the King Tigers to move cross country.

The real showdown was in the south, where the US M-10 tank destroyers (bottom left) slugged it out with the Panthers of 1st Pz Co (top right).

To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
link

In terms of the mini-campaign, Kampgruppe Peiper continues to march, moving west to take Stavelot, La Gleize, and Trois Ponts, in order. Coming right up!

V/R,
Jack

Thuseld well done for pushing Jack into this.

Another great report. My eyesight is turning to crap in recent months so I don't think I could ever play with 6mm but it looks good in the photos.

Honestly just an observation. I'm not sure what age your son (or sons it turns out) is but is it possible that perhaps it would be nice to provide the poor chat with a name. It might come in handy later on in life. 😊 Reminds me of the old John Wayne movie wear the dog's name is ‘dog.'looks like you gave him Dad's ‘special' dice. Five and a ten year olds take on their war hardened Dad (giggle) and they get the dice of doom. Nice one Jack.

Has anyone clarified the Blitzkrieg Commander IV rules on urban hard dug in infantry? Two rounds? Hit on 5+'s seems fair I suppose but only to save on 5+ Hmmmm

Sounds like you guys enjoyed the game. Great to see a Dad playing with his little critters. Glad they got their hard earned victory. Roll on game two.
Apart from the length of time it took to game (10 yrs is 30 in gamer years so you did well) did you like the rules?

Looking forward to more.

All the best Jack

Panda,

Yeah, Thuseld bullied me into it. Glad he did, my 6mm WWII stuff has been sitting there, growing but unused, for far too long. Glad you liked the report, but are you serious about your eyesight? You know, they make pree-scripshun eye-glasses, just for that.

Regarding the boy's name, it's Nunya Bidness. I'm a private person; of course, my wife defeats that with her silliness on Facebook… Besides, it's better if you just call them 'boy,' that way they don't get too uppity with me.

"Five and a ten year olds take on their war hardened Dad (giggle) and they get the dice of doom. Nice one Jack."
Being Canadian, you clearly don't understand what must be sacrificed for victory.

No one has come on to tell me I screwed anything up in terms of digging infantry out of urban areas, but I'm with you, save on 5+ felt a little light, it was a bit too easy to move the two US rifle companies out of the towns. I also think that maybe the German artillery (once used properly) was a bit too overpowered.

The game was long and little ones' focus was suffering, but we made it through and it was a blast. I am truly blessed.

I liked the rules plenty, just gotta figure out some ways to streamline things so the moves faster, check on the arty power issue. I didn't like how the armor looked bunched up, even on a 4' x 4' table with 6mm stuff. I felt like I might should shrink movement rates a bit more (I already converted from inches to centimeters to play on the 4' x 4') to provide more room for maneuver, though I'm not sure.

We've played game number two already, but I haven't even started the batrep, and the table is set for game number three, which I hope to knock out this weekend.

V/R,
Jack

Canadian? You're mistaking me for some imperialist! I joke I love Canada and Canadians meanly because they're not Americans.
And I know it's none of my business but Nunya Bidness is a class name. It sounds just like the kind of name you'd name a kid. It's a North American First Nations native name right?
Reading your report playing with your boys has made me so want to play some wargaming with my boys (my girls have no interest unfortunately). I have so little free time recently that when I do I want to spend time with as many of the kids as possible (I have 6, well 5 if you don't count baby, 7 if you count me) . All the 5 kids (12-3) absolutely love (and I mean loooooooove) fantasy role playing. My 3 year old boy is just hilarious playing his half orc Barbarian.
I enjoy creating puzzles, riddles and challenges that they'll all get a kick out of. The combat is coll with a deal of tactical strategy and between negotiating and magic the kids really get imaginative and creative.
I'm going to read your next report to the boys and see would they like to play.
I should post a report of our recent dungeon crawl. I'm not sure what rules I'd use but I thought Crossfire on a heavily terrained table. If I do something like that I'll post some kind of report.
I know that you're blessed to have those little guys but you know they are sure blessed to have a Dad who plays toy soldiers with them.
Let us know if you tinker with the rules
Looking forward to part 2

Imperialist??? You should be so lucky! ;)
And now you're making fun of Native Americans? Heathen…

I'm with you; my daughter is not interested in any of it either. I wish I could figure out something that would draw her in; the closest we came was looking at some Copplestone Miniatures Pulp Figures together online.

I am preparing to tinker with the rules, we'll see how it goes and, as always, I shall document it on my blog.

V/R,
Jack