The battle of Bergstein-part 1 > Axis and Allies Scenarios and Campaigns > GROUP

Introduction:

On 5 December 1944 the American 5th Armored CCR launched an attack against the German village of Bergstein. After this village (and the critically important hill 400 just to the South-East of it, from which the Germans could detect virtually any enemy movement in the vicinity and therefore direct highly accurate mortar and artillery fire from this position) had been captured a fairly easy route would be opened towards the Roer river and a crossing could be made. It was essential for the German high command at this point that this did not happen, since beyond the Roer lay the Cologne plain in which Hitler was assembling his troops to launch the Ardennes offensive (Wacht am Rhein/ or Battle of the Bulge as it came to be known later) scheduled to begin on December 16. For this offensive to have any chance of success it was essential that the Americans did not find out about it. A crossing of the Roer to the East of Bergstein would give Hitler's plan away and would force him to commit his troops prematurely, thereby losing the strategic surprise element the whole offensive depended upon. This mini-campaign covers the initial American attack on the village and the main German counter-attack.

Historical aftermath:

The Americans took the village, but suffered such heavy losses in the combined battles that the remaining forces were unable to press on. The Germans suffered very heavy casualties as well, but the crossing of the Roer did not take place until several months later. Hitler could therefore continue preparations for his ill-fated Ardennes offensive.

Source: " Victory was beyond their grasp" with the 272nd Volksgrenadier division from the Hurtgen forest to the heart of the Reich, pages 82-99- Douglas E. Nash

Maps:

maps: 1 and 13. Both maps are placed horizontally; map 13 at the bottom and map 1 to the North of it. On map 1 the number designation should be in the South-East corner and on map 13 in the South-East corner (= hill in the South-East) as well. On map 1 the lake hex and the single hill hex should be treated as forest terrain (place overlay tiles either from the combat zone kits or from e.g. " memoir 44" or " Tide of Iron" if you own these games). Hex C37A is considered to be a town hex ( since the centre dot is in " clear" terrain, one might argue it's officially clear terrain)

Victory conditions:

Place objective markers in the following hexes:

* One on each of the hexes making up hill 400
* Final village hex in the South of Bergstein (along the road leading out of the town)
*Westernmost village hex
*Hex with the larger building in it
*second village hex from the Eastern map edge ( to the North of the shadowed hex north of the hill)
*First Northern hex of Bergstein that the road from Brandenberg leads into.

Victory is determined after 6 rounds of play. The degree of victory is determined by the objective hexes held by the Americans at the end of turn 6 An objective is considered controlled when there are no opposing units in the same hex.

all 8 objective hexes: decisive victory; there's no need to play part 2 of this battle. The Americans have swept aside the German defenses and the road to the Roer river lies wide open. Hitler's plans to launch the Ardennes offensive fall apart.

6 or 7 objective hexes: major victory; the Americans receive ten points

5 objective hexes: minor victory: The Americans receive 5 points

4 or fewer objective hexes: German victory. The Germans receive ten points.

Note that for part 2 of this battle, the Americans will not receive any reinforcements. This means that the surviving troops of this battle will have to fend off the German counter attack, just as it happened historically. So, attractive as it may be to rush in all your troops as the American player, do keep in mind that you might sorely need them in part 2 of this mini-campaign! Any damaged vehicles may be used again for that part of the battle, though they remain damaged. Any disruption markers are ignored and removed prior to the start of part 2 of the battle.

Set up:
The Americans set up in the last four rows of hexes on map 1. The Germans set up in any village hex of Bergstein and/or hill 400. The Germans set up first.

German forces:

1x heavy bunker (pillbox piece)
3x minefield
2x Wehrmacht expert sniper
1x wehrmacht oberleutnant
1x SS Haupsturmfuehrer
1x Sandbagged machine gun
1x MG 42
5x Volksgrenadier ( SS stormtrooper proxies, see special rules)
2x panzerfaust
1x panzerschreck
3x PAK 40
1x Hetzer
1x Jagdpanzer IV 70
2x Luftwaffe infantry
1x PAK 38
1x Lel
1x 80 mm mortar

American forces:

1x M12 GMC
1x heavy mortar
1x M8 75 mm
1x Resourceful hero
7x Sherman
1x Sherman Commander
1x Sherman 105
1x M10 tank destroyer
1x Hellcat
2x M36 tank destroyer
4x truck
2x MG team
1x BAR gunner
2x Untested recruit
2x Forward observer (use British one; but rather than " camouflaged use " concealed" ))
6x Garand riflemen
2x engineer
3x flamethrower
1x Thompson gunner
2x Red devil Captain
5x Half-track

Scenario special rules:

* Hand to hand combat: All soldier units (including artillery units) have the SA: hand to hand 8: when attacking a soldier unit in the same hex this unit has an attack value of 8. This attack ignores cover. Note that a unit does not have to use this hand to hand attack. It may use its regular attack values instead.

* Hill 400: Units on any of the 3 hexes making up hill 400 (Castle hill), do not have their line of sight blocked by the village hexes of Bergstein. Other terrain blocks LOS normally (including any other hill hexes of hill 400).

* When using the expanded rules; the Germans may place up to 4 units in Overwatch mode prior to game start. During later turns this number is limited to two units (for both sides).

* On turn one the Americans automatically gain the initiative

* Piggy-Back: Sherman and Sherman variants (Commander and 105) gain the exposed transport SA for this scenario. These tanks may transport one soldier non-artillery unit. It may board or dismount the vehicle instead of moving during the movement phase. It may be attacked separately.

* Prepared defenses: Units in Bergstein and on hill 400 gain +1 on cover rolls.( The bunker cannot roll for cover nor can units inside it)

* Heavy (westwall) bunker: During set up the German player places a pillbox piece on one of the hexes of hill 400. This heavy bunker is attacked as if it were a vehicle and has the following stats and SA's:

defense: 9/4
Move:-
attack values: -/-/-
heavy fortification: This unit can hold up to two soldier units. These may not be attacked directly while in the bunker. If this unit is destroyed, any units inside it are destroyed as well. Any such units are not affected when the bunker is lightly or heavily damaged (Lightly damaged = when a unit would normally receive a disrupted counter, the heavy bunker receives a damaged counter. This lowers the bunker's defense by 1/1 permanently. When a unit would normally become damaged, a heavy bunker receives two (i.e. an additional) damaged counters. In this case its defense is lowered by 2/2.Mortar units and or non anti-tank artillery units may not fire from a heavy bunker.
Limited arc of fire: Units in this unit may only attack units in front of it.

* Minefields: The 3 minefields the German player receives, must be placed before game start.

* Pre-battle artillery bombardment: The American player rolls a die for each German unit -except any such units in the heavy bunker- before the start of the first turn after all units have been set up. On a roll of 5-6 the unit rolled for receives a face-UP disrupted counter. On any other roll it is unaffected. Note that face-up disrupted units cannot make defensive fire/ overwatch attacks.Also note that there's no point in rolling for the SS Hauptsturmfuehrer (actually a Volksgrenadier officer here), as this unit ignores face-up disrupted counters.

* Open top: US tank destroyers (M10, M36 and hellcat) receive the open top SA: Soldier artillery units may use their anti-soldier attack values against these units (including shrapnel and inaccurate). When doing so the rear defense of the vehicle applies (= top armour)

* Volksgrenadiere: The SS stormtrooper minis represent Volksgrenadiers (not to be confused with Volksturm!). These are equipped with the MP44 (Sturmgewehr); the first modern assault rifle. They have the following stats:

Defense: 4/4
Move:1
AS attack: 10/6
AV attack: 2/-/-
Close assault: 6

Note: Even though this weapon had about half the effective range of a Mauser (400 metres as opposed to 800 metres; I still chose not to give the unit " Limited range" as the SS stormtrooper ,armed with the same weapon, has, because in the battle reports and literature I read that the open ground that had to be crossed by the Americans was about 400 to 500 metres, so it would actually have been within range of these weapons.

Further balancing the scenario:

Germans: German tank destroyers receive the strike and fade 1 SA: This unit may move at speed 1 after attacking.

Americans: Ignore the special rule regarding tank destroyer crews.

Optional Rules:

* Close quarters combat: Artillery units may not fire at hexes containing friendly units.

* When using the expanded rules, Any two units per side may be put on Overwatch at any given time either against vehicles or soldier units.(However, vehicles without the " Overlapping fire SA" still can't make DF/ Overwatch attacks against soldiers)

* Rather than only being allowed to put units into overwatch in a straight line, draw an imaginary line between the unit in overwatch and the furthest hex that can be targeted in a certain direction. A moving unit is eligible to be fired upon if it enters a hex this imaginary line touches. (unless LOS is blocked by terrain). Indicate in which direction overwatch applies!

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