'Ardennes Classic': The Bridge at Aalst: Ardennes '44 Action with Field of Battle WW2

 Another FoBww2 game, again with 20mm 'stuff' though this time in the desperate actions in Belgium during the Ardennes offensive in 1944/45.

 The scenario this time is based on the generic game, again from the old '94 'Clash of Armor' module - PanzerKampfe, by David Reynolds.

 Again, a very close game, with the Americans actually running out of morale first, but the Germans being so close that they were trading morale chips. It started off a one sided matter, but quickly devolved into very exciting action.

...a certain 75mm ATG would have too many directions to face in the end...in a Target Rich Environment

Out of shot on the top left, is the village of Aalst, and the key bridge just beyond that - the American objective, unless they can break the Germans first...

Early StuG positions are reconned and eliminated...despite these early losses on the German left, they reconstitute very quickly

The US right, which will become a challenge as troops throw themselves against German defensive works

The US left, and early capture of the village of St Marc - all quiet....

German recon units spot and pull back, awaiting their own panzers

A wide flanking movement for Combat Command B on the US right

Panzers are deceptively slow to arrive at the bridge

Remaining StuGs hope to see action in the centre, but the flanks would dominate for the morning hours

Germans stalled around the objective

Though American TD battalions are similarly stalled (through desperately poor movement card rolls in the morning turns)

German recon units move to reinforce Aalst and the bridge

The critical US drive on the left, with reinforcements in the centre, and a soon to be stymied probe at right

Action on the US right as their convoy is ambushed by PanzerGrenadiers

...then the column is hit with accurate artillery (pre-spotted on a command card, then brought down directly after on a very lucky indirect fire card)

The ambush is very effective

...and the rounds keep falling

On the US right, armour movement is slow, the Panzer force having not yet been spotted

Slow but steady movement in the centre, hoping to swing left to the objective

Carnage on the US lift on the high ground, with combat assaults supported by armour, and danger close German artillery

Combat Command A drive slowly past Virth, toward Aalst...finding that damned recon unit at last

Good progress on left (Combat Command A), slow progress in centre (CCC)...halted on the right (CCB)

Combat Combat C with the Anti Tank elements rolls astonishingly well on a drawn move card, and finally seizes the initiative, managing to outflank the Panzers, who are still stuck on the highway

Here is one of the true facets of genius with these rules...cards dictate what your units do, and initiative dictates how many cards you can act upon...but sometimes - a bad move on one side, is countered by a superb move on the other, and suddenly..."ACTUNG! PANZER!" as M10 tank destroyers are spotted on the German left.

It's horrific on the US right, as company close assaults are destroyed and pushed back again and again - it does however focus the German artillery spotting rounds and Fire for Effect, allowing the other US drives to move fast.

a little theatre...

"Can you see anything Hans?" ..."Just zeese rather large red Pom Poms Fritz!!!"

Hard to argue with a 75mm ATG at close range though...

CCC swings left toward Aalst

Dertmined US pressure forces the Panzers back - they have barely been able to move out of the town

The US assault goes in on the objective. It was touch and go for a long time in the final series of card draws, as both sides ran out of morale...

...ultimately , the Germans would fail their morale card roll...and it was all over

Another great game, and rules mechanisms which deserve to be hacked and re-modelled for many other modern periods and scales.