Mission Critical (FOW); Bizory - The Last Push

Ardennes 4th January 1945

Design note; Adapted for FOW from Richard Marsh’s Battle of the Bugle RAPID FIRE supplement.

Overview;

With time running out and in order to keep momentum of the Ardennes offensive Model ordered the 12th SS Panzer division to attack along the Bizory to Mageret road to seal of the defenders at Bastogne. At the same time the US 6th Division is ordered to capture the road and open a route to the Bastogne.

25th SS panzer grenadiers attack Bizory

Terrain;

The battlefield is set-up as shown on the map

The road movement is as normal.

Off road movement is difficult terrain for vehicles

The forests are impassable to vehicles

The rail tracks are difficult terrain for vehicles.

At this time of year the area is coated in a dense fog, night fighting rules apply.

Deployment;

The Americans deploy frist.
Americans;

The 101st must deployed north of the Railway tracks.

Task force Duval must be deployed south of the railway tracks

Task force Wall must be deployed south of Task force Duval

Task force Kennedy must be deployed south of Task force Wall

Task force O'Hara arrive randomly on the Northern road in the American deployment zone. Roll a D6 1-2=arrive turn 9, 3-4 arrive turn 10, 5-6 arrives turn 11

Germans;

The volksgrenadiers may deploy anywhere East of the red Dashed line.

The SS units move on from the Eastern table edge.

Objectives;

Germans;

• Capture three or more of the following objectives Mageret, Bizory, hill 510 and the Railway halt to win.
• Capture two of the above for a draw

Americans;

• hold three or more of the following objectives Mageret, Bizory, hill 510 and the Railway halt to win.
• Hold two of the above for a draw.

Game length;
The above for a draw.

JagdpanzerIV sights task force Duval

American forces;

Airborne units count as fearless veterans. Other units count as confident trained. Each group counts as a separate company for morale. Once more than half the groups have broken the whole force test for morale.

501st PIR/101st airborne

• HQ (company HQ)
• 2nd battalion (2 rifle squads)
• 3rd battalion (2 rifle squads)
• 3^rd AT Company (2 gun sections)

Task Force Duval

• HQ platoon (company command Sherman tank, with attached Sherman ARV)
• A company (1 Sherman tank section, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• B company (1 Sherman tank section, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• D company (1 Stuart tank section)
• B company/50th armoured infantry battalion (1 armoured rifle section)
• 1st platoon/603rd TD Battalion (1 M18 tank destroyer section)

Task Force Wall

• HQ platoon (company HQ)
• 50th armoured infantry battalion (2 armoured rifle sections)
• B company/68th tank battalion (2 Sherman tank sections, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• 2nd platoon/603rd TD Battalion (1 M18 tank destroyer section)
• 3rd/50th combat engineer company (1 operating squad)

Task Force Kennedy

• HQ platoon (company command Sherman tank, with attached Sherman ARV)
• A company (1 Sherman tank section, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• B company (1 Sherman tank section, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• D company (1 Stuart tank section)
• B company/50th armoured infantry battalion (1 armoured rifle section)
• 1st platoon/603rd TD Battalion (1 M18 tank destroyer section)

Artillery support (all of table except for observation teams)

• 128th armoured field artillery battalion (1 gun section of M7 priests)
• Field artillery battalion (1 gun section of M2A1 105mm guns)
• Field artillery battalion (1 gun section of M2A1 105mm guns)

Task Force O'Hara (reinforcements

• C company (1 Sherman tank section, one tank has a 76mm gun)
• C company/50th armoured infantry battalion (1 armoured rifle section).
  

25th Panzer grenadiers prepared to fire on Mageret

German forces

SS count as fearless veterans. Other units count as confident trained. Other units count as confident trained. Each group counts as a separate company for morale. Once more than half the groups have broken the whole force test for morale.

26th SS Panzer Grenadier regiment

• HQ platoon (Company HQ in halftracks with 2 panzershreiks)
• 1st battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in halftracks with 1 attached MMG team)
• 2nd battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in halftracks with 1 attached MMG team)
• 3rd battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in halftracks)
• 13th company (2 Grille SP guns)
• 14th company (2 120mm mortar sections with trucks)
• 1st company/12th SS regiment (2 pioneer squads in halftracks, 1 team has a flamethrower)

25th SS Panzer Grenadier regiment

• HQ platoon(Company HQ in trucks with 2 panzershreiks)
• 1st battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in trucks with 1 attached MMG team)
• 2nd battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in trucks with 1 attached MMG team)
• 3rd battalion (panzerfaust, 2 panzergrenadiers squads in trucks)
• 13th company (2 150mm infantry guns with trucks)
• 14th company (2 75mm PaK40 anti tank gun sections with trucks)
• 3rd company/12th SS regiment (2 pioneer squads in halftracks, 1 team has a flamethrower)

12th SS Panzerjaeger Battalion

• 1st company (4 Jagdpanzer IV)
• 2nd company (2 Jagdpanzer IV)

1st SS panzer battalion

• HQ ( 2 panthers , berg panther)
• 1st company (2 Panthers)
• 2nd company (4 PiVs)
• 3rd company 503 heavy tank battalion (1 tiger II)

560th SS heavy Panzerjaeger Battalion

• 1st company (2 Jagpanther)
• 2nd company (4 Jagdpanzer IV)
• flak platoon (1 mobelwagon)

Artillery support off table except for observe teams

• 12th SS werfer battalion (2 Rocket launcher sections)
• 12th SS artillery regiment (2 105mm gun sections)

304th Volksgrenadier division

• HQ (grenadier HQ with 2 panzer shrieks)
• 694th regiment (Grenadier platoon with panzerfaust and 3 Grenadier squads)
• 695th regiment (Grenadier platoon with panzerfaust and 3 Grenadier squads)
• 15th gun company (mortar platoon with 3 60mm mortar sections)
• Panzerjager company (3 Hetzers)