The Tigers of Winter

Beta version, no playtest. Copyright 1997, Jeff Shields

Near Moinet, E of Bastogne, 13 January: In mid January the Americans had opted for the "small solution" of pinching off the Bulge salient at Houffalize instead of attacking the shoulders farther east. Once the salient had been reduced the battles of attrition soon followed. While the Germans had lost the initiative, they still retained excellent forces for defensive fighting. Indeed, several American armored attacks had been mauled by the King Tigers of the notorious 506th Heavy Panzer Battalion. In one such engagement Company C of the 68th Tank Battalion lost all but one of its 17 tanks! But the Americans had plenty of fight, and plenty of tanks. As the 15th Tank Battalion renewed its push outward from Bastogne it ran headlong into the tigers of winter.

Aftermath: As Americans probed his defenses Oblt. Paul, commander of the 1st Kompanie, called for reinforcements. Then Shermans flooded the snow-swept fields. Just as the Tigers were getting flanked, Lt. Tegethoff arrived with two more King Tigers. The Americans fired furiously hitting Tegethoff's Tiger 9 times before a Sherman snuck around for the coup d'grace. As Tegethoff's Tiger started to burn, he and his crew bailed out. The 6th Armored Division's progress was rightfully slow that day, but the Americans had inflicted heavy casualties to a former nemesis.

BOARD CONFIGURATION: 

+-----+-----+-----+
|17   |13   |43   |  N>
|     |     |     |
|     |     |     |
|     |     |     |
|     |     |     |
+-----+-----+-----+

BALANCE:
German: Shorten the Game to 6.5 Turns.
American: Lengthen the Game to 8.5 Turns.

VICTORY CONDITIONS:
Americans win at game end by exiting 60 VP of the east edge of the playing area, or by inflicting more CVP than they receive. Any other result is a German victory.

TURN RECORD CHART:
German sets up first.
American moves first.
7.5 TURNS.

GERMAN OB:
The 1st Kompanie, 506 schwere Panzer Battalion [ELR: 5] set up east of hexrow T inclusive [SAN: 0]:

5xPzVIB, 9-2 AL

Reinforcing elements of 2d Kompanie enter Turn 4 along the east edge of the playing area:

2xPzVIB, 9-1 AL

AMERICAN OB:
Elements of 15th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division enter on Turn 1 along the west edge of the playing area [ELR: 3] [SAN: 0]:

2xM4 TankDozer, 2xM4A3E2(L), 4xM4A1(76)W, 9-1 AL

Reinforcing elements arrive Turn 2 along the west edge of the playing area.

4xM4A3E2, 4xM4A3(76)W, 2xM36 TD, 9-1 AL, 8-1 AL

SSR

  1. EC are Overcast, with Deep Snow. As per snow conditions, the stream, and water obstacles are frozen, and marsh and brush are treated as OG. Elevated roads are considered level 0. All roads are plowed.
  2. Gyrostabilizers are available in accordance with H1.42. The American player may designate one Sherman as an OP tank with one module of 105 mm OBA (HE and Smoke).
  3. Contrary to D8.23, smoke can be placed but the Hindrance DRM for each smoke counter (Non-Dispersed, Dispersed & Infantry) is reduced to +1 (EXC: burning wrecks are treated normally).
Sources: [NB: The 506 schwere Panzer Battalion gained notoriety for stopping the 2nd Armored Division dead in its tracks on November 17, 1944 at Puffendorf, Belgium. The Americans lost 57 tanks during the engagement!]

Scenario Design: Jeffrey Shields, jeff@vims.edu Sidebar: Carl Fago provided helpful criticisms.
"5 Tigers and the guy calls for reinforcements? What a sissy!" Tim Hundsdorfer

Designers notes:

The schwere Panzer Battalions were attached as shock troops to various units. During the Ardennes Offensive the 506th s. Pz Btln was attached to the Panzer Lehr Division. Only 8 of its tanks were available by 20 December as the baggage train had been held up. I would appreciate additional information on this unit.

Parker (op. cit) gives few details of this particular encounter. While there was no doubt some infantry involved in both sides of the battle, I have chosen not to include them. Panzer Lehr had seen a lot of fighting by 13 January hence the ELR would be lower than that of a fresh elite unit. Similarly, the 6th Armored had seen some heavy fighting, but their morale was high. Infantry forces might be represented by the following: GERMAN - 6x548, 228, 3xLMG, MMG, 2xPsk, 9-1, 8-1, 81 MTR, 5 trenches [ELR: 3]{SAN: 4}; AMERICAN - 5x667, 5x666, 3xMMG, 2x60mm MTR, 3xBAZ, HMG, 9-1, 8-1, 8-0, 7-0, 4xM3 HT, M3A1 HT [ELR: 3]{SAN: 2}. CVP would change such that the American would have to get 60 CVP of TANKS (excluding HT), and 15 CVP of INFANTRY off the east edge.