Operation Nordwind WTO (id:#56985)
Critical Hit (Critical Hit # 4 ID: CH 44)   [next]   [previous]
See Also: Operation Nordwind by Critical Hit Operation Nordwind by Critical Hit Operation Nordwind by Critical Hit
Gross-Rederching, Germany 1945-01-01 ()
Designer: Brian Abela
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
German (SS)American
54.676258992806%

Overview:

Operation Nordwind, known as the second Battle of the Bulge, has been overshadowed over the years by the immense struggle taking place in the Ardennes. At 11:30 Pm, December 31st, eight German divisions poised along the French border of Alsace-Lorraine attacked without any preliminary artillery support. Near the town of Gross-Rederching, elements of the 114th Regiment attempted to hold off the advance elements of the 17th SS Panzergrenadiers, reinforced by SPs, including flame-throwing Hetzers of the 353rd Panzer Flamm-Kompanie. . .
Attacker: German (SS) (38th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division and the 353rd Panzer Flamm-Kompanie)
Defender: American (114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division)  
6.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:8.0 D:9.5
AFVs: A:3
StuH 42
JgdPz 38(t)(Fl) x 2

AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0 D:1
M1 57mm AT Gun
M2 60mm Mortar

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: GS, One Lane Bridges,. A: WC, FTV2 w D: Elite for Ammo Depletions Numbers (C8.2)
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
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Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2019-10-16(A) X von Marwitz vs Steve Anderson German (SS) winThis is a 1945 late-war scenario set in Ground Snow conditions and having the special attraction of two Flamm-Hetzers. Basically, the Germans (SS) need to be the last to occupy both bridge locations with MMC. The Americans have a 57L ATG, a .50Cal, 2x BAZ45 as their most potent weapons to prevent this. A 60mm MTR can also be of good use, since the US is considered Elite for Special Ammo and there is not a lot of places, where the Germans can rally during their approach avoiding it. The Germans have a tough SS force, a StuH42 with ample SMOKE, and of course the two Flamm-Hetzers.
Problems for the Germans are that they do have quite a way to move to get to those bridges and that there is potentially a lot of dangerous ground to cross. The German AFV, powerful as they are, are suspectible to side-shots. Especially, as one US squad-equivalent (likely two HS with the BAZ45s) may set up HIP along with the ATG. Finally, the US moves last.
Problems for the US are - before all - the Flamm-Hetzers which are very difficult to tackle from the front and of course are able to wreak absolute havoc with their 30FP attacks ignoring TEM. While there are plenty of opportunities for the US to attack the approaching Germans also at longer ranges, the US likely find it difficult to fall back successfully.
Altogether, much will hinge on the performance of the Flamm-Hetzers and the US success in taking (at least one of) them out.
My plan was to minimize the risk of the German AFV to be threatened in their flanks. To this effect, I used HS-"volunteers". And these, while they did their job discovering both US HS+BAZ, seemed to be haunted by bad luck: 4 of them were taken out by K/ results, another one by double-break. On the bright side, having located the Bazookas, I could make a good guess where the ATG would be hidden (It turned out that I guessed correctly) and so I could use the Flamm-Hetzers to their full potential. They did not run out of fuel and neutralized one HS+BAZ, the strongpoint with a leader, squad+.50Cal, the strongpoint with another leader, squad+MMG opening the path for infantry movement or forcing the US among other havoc. In US Turn 4, one of the Flamm-Hetzers was taken out by an APDS-CH of the ATG, which would have otherwise prevented a retreat of the US forces in the middle patch of orchards. With this threat gone, remarkably, the US managed to rout away and avoid capture, though in serious disarray. In general and to my surprise somehow the Americans seemed to always manage to rout away. But their difficulty was to get back to GO and I took pains to keep them under DM by firing at them or chasing them with a HS and a lone 7-0.
During the MPh of German Turn 6, the remaining Flamm-Hetzer eliminated the crew of the ATG and moved into a position that would cause FtR or surrender of 2.5 American squads and their 9-1 leader. The only remaining GO 666 was pinned and bound by target selection limits due to the StuH. With all other US forces broken and the German infantry at total liberty of movement to get both bridges, move ADJACENT to the sole remaining Pinned 666, the US surrendered.
An interesting scenario.
2019-08-06(D) Jeff B vs Magnus Rimvall American win2.5 hrsThings got off to a rough start for the Germans when Magnus made an uncharacteristic stack move that just so happened to be an OG shot for my HIP squad. One 2KIA later (and two HS failing LLMC) and there was a dead 9-1 and two squads. My mortar on the elevated road also did a nice job of suppressing his remaining infantry. He soon positioned his StuG to put an end to this threat, while his infantry advanced a bit more cautiously up the middle and in the west. Meanwhile his two FT Hetzers came onboard. His western probing drew my attention, as that was where my HIP AT gun was, but my infantry failed to do any damage. So the next turn he discovered my gun and moved up one of the Hetzers outside of my CA to blast it. Unfortunately for him I had another stroke of good luck when I nailed it with a CH. When it proceeded to rip up the rest of his infantry on that flank with a rate tear he threw in the towel. Without those two misfortunes I think the Germans would be very tough to stop.
2018-04-12(A) Paolo Cariolato vs Federico Corso American winThe scenario is quite static for the defending american, that said our game was full of twist and surprises that gave us a lot of fun.
2014-02-07(A) Vic Lauterbach vs MA German (SS) winDice were unkind to the GIs; was close for four turns until Germans closed in.
2010-05-30(D) Jeff Waldon vs Craig Houliston German (SS) winVASL
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ActionDate
Andruz61 Added a playing2025-07-26 18:18:32
hoxson1 Modified the Theatre2021-03-18 16:37:06
Hutch Modified the Defender's Guns2020-11-25 11:10:06
Hutch Modified the unit counts2020-11-25 11:10:06
Paul Legg Added a playing2020-06-19 18:31:54
DescriptionUploaded by
CASLO (Canadian ASL Open) XXI - May 2017Michael Dorosh
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End of GT6
Hetzer Flammpanzer
 
Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.15Votes: 13
Views: 7370
To-Play list count: 0
Estimated Play time: 3.5 hours
Recorded Games: 13
Archive recorded plays:
German (SS)8
American5
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Operation Nordwind
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[A] German 68
[D] American 58
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