WG221"THE BREAKING WAVE" (BETA)
Scenario Design by Pete Pollard and Bill Thomson;
Derived from GIA scenario of the same name, World Wide Gamers, scenario 97;
Suchar et al; Updated 110902
Dom Butgenbach, Belgium,
December 19, 1944: The German efforts to press their
Wacht am Rhein offensive were falling behind schedule. After rapid deliberation,
German General Staff decided that the best ay to speed the assault was to increase
the maneuver area for the attacking elements. They hoped to do this by attacking
North from the the breakthrough area. Standing firmly on a ridge line forward
of Dom Butgenbach, the GIS of the 2nd battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, most
of them recent replacements, were squarely in the way of any German movement
onto the Elsenborne Ridge. Thus on December 19th, the full power of the 1st
SS Panzer Corps was turned on this veteran American unit.
VICTORY CONDITIONS: To win, the German
player must solely occupy five level threes hexes on board 2 at the games end.
The American player wins by avoiding the German victory conditions.
BOARD LAYOUT:
SCENARIO SEQUENCE:
| Simultaneous
Setup |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
END |
| Germans Move
First |
AMERICAN FORCES:
- AT START: Elements of 2nd Battalion, 26th
Regiment; Setup anywhere on board 2:
1x9-1, 2x8-1; 2x8-0; 7x667; 9x666; 2x236cr; 1x50cal HMG; 2xMMG; 1x60mm MTR;
4xBaz44a; 1xRadio; 1x57L ATG; 3xEntrenchments
- TURN 1: Elements of 741st Tank Battalion
and 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion; enter on any west edge hexes.
2xM4A3(75w); 2xM10
GERMAN FORCES:
- AT START: Elements of 15th SS Panzergrenadier
Regiment; set up on board 18 anywhere east of row 5 inclusive:
1x10-2ss, 2x9-1ss; 1x81ss; 1x8-0ss; 15x658; 1xHMG; 2xMMG; 9xLMG, 6xPF44a
- TURN 1: Elements of 12th SS Panzer Regiment; enter
on any east edge hexes having expended 7 MPs offboard:
2xPvKwVG; 1x PzKwVIB
SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES:
- WG221.1: The
COI ruleset applies; no GIA rules are in use. Use GIA American counters if
you have them else SQL counter substitution is made as with the valued shown
(847s to represent the 667s; Russian 50mm MTR for the US 60mm); Russian 57LL
for the US 57L; SQL vehicle counters).
- WG221.2: Treat all brush hexes (18N2)
as woods hexes; all hill hexes on board 18 are ground level woods (other terrain
in these hexes does not exist, i. eK3). Owing to soft ground conditions the
cost of all off-road vehicular movement is increased by 1 MP per hex. The
environmental weather conditions are moist with not wind.
- WG221 3:The German vehicles has SS
crew morale of 9; the American crew morale is 7.
- WG221 4:Both sides set up simultaneously.
This may be done by placing a screen between the two forces, using two sets
of boards,
- WG221 5: Each
squad may attempt to place smoke during the start of Prep fire phase by rolling
equal to or less than their smoke exponent (US 667s and 666s have a smoke
exponent of 3; 658ss of 2). Should a 6 be rolled, that squad is out of smoke
for the balance of the scenario. Attempting to place smoke does not limit
fire or movement capabilities.
- WG221 6: The Sherman M4A3(75w) has
a 75 main gun; 2/2/4 mgs; 14 MP; large target; 2 front armor (1 in turret);
1 side/rear armor; S8 ammo; CS7.. The M10 has a 76L fun; -/-/4 mg; 15 MPs;
normal size target; 1 frontal, -2 side/rear armor; S8 ammo, CS7, ROF of 2.
The US 60mm mortar attacks are resolved on the 8/60 CF column of the IFT.
The US 57L ATG uses the GIA TK numbers: 6/6/8/9;. 57L ATG has HE ammunition.
- WG221 7: The American placer has
one module of 105mm consisting of three fire missions.
- WG221.8: SIDE SELECTION PROCEDURE: Each
player takes one marker of each nationality and simultaneously reveals their
choice of side. If opposing sides are selected, those sides are assigned.
If the same side is chosen, the players bid for side with the lower rated
(seed) player bidding first. Bids may start at '0' and progress in whole numbers
only. The bid is the number of dominate AT START squads to be added to the
opposing side. The bid continues until one player accepts the opposing side
whose force is augmented with that bid. Please report the bid, winning side
and comments (i.e. uneven die rolls at key moments) as this data will be used
for balance modification the scenario prior to its published form.
AFTERMATH: The powerful German attackers
were able to drive the Americans off the heights. In response, the GIs called
on Corps artillery, which responded with repeated HE and WP strikes in such
force that the SS troops were unable to hold the ridge line. The muddy ground
conditions and the reinforcing U.S. tank destroyers kept the heavy German armor
at bay. In the end the badly battered U.S. troops had been force back but the
Germans had not secured the vital high ground. Time was running out for the
German bulge offensive.