8. KAMPFGRUPPE PEIPER CAMPAIGN GAMES
Rule sections #8.1-.5 Rule section #8.6 (RePh)
8.51 KGP Campaign Game I: CLASH AT STOUMONT
CG Dates: 19 AM - 21 PM [eight CG Dates]
One of the two armored spearheads of the German 6. Panzer Armee in the Ardennes offensive was Kampfgruppe Peiper of SS-Panzer Division 1 "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler". This Kampfgruppe comprised various elements of SS-Panzer Regiment, 1 SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 2, SS-Panzer Artillerie Regiment 1, and SS-Panzer Pionier Bataillon 1 with schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501 and FlaK-Sturm Abteilung 84 attached. After a slow start on 16 December due to poor road conditions, traffic jams, minefields, and the less than satisfactory progress of Volksgrenadiers trying to breach the initial American positions, the Kampfgruppe rolled through the U.S. lines with relative ease. A bridge across the Amblève river at Stavelot was seized on the morning of the 18th; but at Trois-Ponts, a village nested amidst high hills and named after its three bridges, American engineers blew the bridge that controlled the exit west from the Amblève valley, forcing Peiper to follow the right bank of the river to La Gleize through the most mountainous terrain in Belgium. After capturing another bridge over the Amblève at Cheneux that afternoon, Peiper's lead column was rebuffed farther on near Habiémont. Denied exit from the river valley once again, the armored tip of KG Peiper halted for the night in the woods between La Gleize and Stoumont. At about the same time, the U.S. 3/
MAP GROUP: "St"
CG I VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win if their CG-LVP Total is ≥ 130 at any CG-Scenario End - or if they Control all hexes occupied by buildings AA15, J19 and P56 (even if ≥ one of these buildings becomes partly/
ATTACK-CHIT LIMITS (8.6231): U.S. 5; German 3.
INITIAL-SCENARIO VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Germans win if at CG-Scenario End they have amassed ≥ 50 Casualty VP more than the Americans and/
INITIAL SCENARIO SETUP SEQUENCE: U.S. sets up first; German moves first.
INITIAL U.S. OB:
Elements of the 3rd Battalion, 119th Infantry Regiment, of Company C, 743rd Tank Battalion, of the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (SP), and of Battery C, 143rd AAA Gun Battalion (Mobile) [ELR: 3] set up within three hexes of any building hex(es) with a coordinate of ≥ 19 but ≤ 34 [EXC: see SSR I.2]; each Gun, and ≥ 15 non-crew MMC squad equivalents, must set up in non-building Locations: {SAN: 3}
| RG: Inf Pltn x6 | RG: AT Pltn I | 2-2-7 x5 |
| RG: Med Tank Pltn II | 76L AT x4 | 1S Foxhole x15 |
| M4A3 MT x3 | 90L AA (M2) | 25 CPP |
| M8 AC x2 | M4 Tractor | |
INITIAL GERMAN OB:
Elements of SS-Panzer Regiment 1 and SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 2 [ELR: 5] set up on/
| RG: SS PzGr Pltn x4 | RG: Pz V Sect x4 | 85 CPP |
| RG: SS PzGr HW Pltn | RG: Pz IV Sect x4 | |
INITIAL-SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES:
The following SSR apply only to the 19 AM Initial Scenario of CG I.
I.1 See KGP SSR. Weather is Extremely Heavy Mist (SSR KGP3).
I.2 All OB-given and purchased RG of both sides may be set up on-map at no extra CPP cost [EXC: Germans need not set up in Reserve; the U.S. OB-given Med Tank Pltn II RG must enter at HH0 following a reinforcement dr of two < the current Game Turn number, if still unentered at scenario end, it is Retained in the Holding Box of the Targnon Entry Area].
I.3 Each U.S. Gun must be set up unhooked and unlimbered, and its starting CA is determined by a dr when it is initially revealed. If this dr is ≤ 2 the Gun uses its pre-recorded CA; on a dr of 3-4 it must pivot one hexspine clockwise; on a dr of ≥ 5 it must pivot one hexspine counter-clockwise. [EXC: If an AT is attacked by non ordnance fire before its CA has been determined, its owner makes the dr secretly; this sets the CA (thus determining, as applicable, if the gunshield will modify the attack) even if the Gun is not revealed by the attack.] Q&A
I.4 U.S. cannot purchase trenches. One M4A3 MT in the initial U.S. OB may be recorded as automatically equipped with a FT as per U.S. Vehicle note F (Only one of the three initial M4A3's may be equipped with a FT).
AFTERMATH: At first light, through a dense early-morning mist, the Germans mounted a full-scale assault. The main push came from the east, with smaller groups attacking from the south and northeast. With visibility so poor, they were almost into the American defenses before the latter could open fire. The GIs resisted bravely for several hours, and for a time the German attack seemed to falter - but the eventual loss of all the U.S. AT guns shifted the balance in the German's favor. The Americans were finally forced to fall back, and, covered by the remaining Shermans, most withdrew along the N.33 through the lines of the l/
8.52 KGP Campaign Game II: THE BRIDGE AT CHENEUX
CG Dates: 20 PM - 21 PM [four CG Dates]
Although Peiper's attempt on the 18th to exit the Amblève valley via Cheneux had been stopped by the "damned engineers" near Habiémont, the German commander decided to hold Cheneux as a bridgehead across the river. To this end he ordered it garrisoned, mainly by elements of FlaK-Sturm Abteilung 84. Even as this was being done, the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division was moving east to plug the gap in the American defenses between the 30th Infantry and 7th Armored divisions. When scouts from the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment already warned by civilians that the Germans were in Cheneux, approached the western outskirts of the village on the morning of the 20th, they spotted a woman standing between two houses. Her warning gestures clearly indicated that her house was occupied by Germans; having also spotted two flakwagens and a machinegun position near Boutet's house, the scouts withdrew to report. Consequently, the paratroopers of B and C Companies were ordered to move up from Rahier. In the meantime the German bridgehead was reinforced by the last elements of KG Peiper to reach La Gleize before the Americans shut the door completely in the Trois-Ponts area: Bataillon II of SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 2, which arrived on foot with only the supplies and equipment its men could carry. As Company B neared Cheneux, it was met by a wall of fire from automatic weapons. Both paratroop companies then deployed in the dense mist and advanced, supported by a captured German halftrack mounting a 75mm howitzer.
MAP GROUP: "Ch"
CG II VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win if they Control the NN6 bridge Location at CG End, or immediately if the Germans cause (even accidentally) that bridge's destruction.
ATTACK-CHIT LIMITS (8.6231): U.S. 3; German 1.
INITIAL-SCENARIO VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win if their Current-LVP Total is ≥ 1 at CG-Scenario End.
INITIAL-SCENARIO SETUP SEQUENCE: German sets up first; U.S. moves first.
INITIAL GERMAN OB:
Elements of Bataillon II, SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 2, and of FlaK-Sturm Abteilung 84 [ELR: 5] set up on/
| RG: SS Inf Pltn x2 | RG: AAht Sect I x2 | Roadblock |
| RG: SS MG Pltn | RG: AAht Sect II | 35 CPP |
| RG: AAtr Sect | ||
INITIAL U.S. OB:
Companies B and C of the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment [ELR: 5] enter along the west edge as per SSR CG6a (8.4): {SAN: 2}
| RG: Para If Pltn x3 | SPW 251/ | 24 CPP |
INITIAL-SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES:
The following SSR [EXC II.5 and II.6] apply only to the 20 PM Initial Scenario of CG II.
II.1 See KGP SSR. Weather is Very Heavy Mist (SSR KGP3).
II.2 Each hex that is not an eligible German setup hex is considered a U.S. Setup-Area hex for the purposes of Reserve setup (SSR CG7; 8.4) only.
II.3 Place one Burnt-Out Wreck in hex K10 and one in GG8.
II.4 Purchased U.S. "I#" and "V#" RG units enter on/
II.5 The U.S. OB-given SPW 251/
II.6 No mines may be set up in, nor may any German vehicle voluntarily Stop, change VCA or attempt ESB in, bridge Location NN6.
AFTERMATH: As the paratroopers moved through the thick mist, the Germans again unleashed a hail of fire from machine guns and 20mm flak pieces. To make matters worse, the Americans also found their path of advance down the bare hill crossed by numerous barbed-wire fences which greatly impeded their movement. With losses mounting rapidly, they were forced to pull back and await further orders. The 504th's commander, Col. Reuben Tucker, insisted that they resume the attack, so after nightfall the two companies advanced again. This time, with the darkness aiding their concealment but facing no less intense fire from the defenders, they managed to close in on Boutet's house and engage several flakwagens in close combat. As this was occurring, two self-propelled tank destroyers sent forward by Col. Tucker made a fortuitous appearance, enabling the surviving paratroopers to take the house. They now had a toehold in the western outskirts of the village; despite heavy losses, the fighting continued all night. On the 21st, Company G of the 3/504th arrived to bolster the assault on the village. Furious house-to-house combat continued, with the Germans slowly yielding ground. In the meantime the other two companies of the 3rd Battalion, now south of Cheneux, pushed north through the hamlet of Monceau with the Amblève bridge as their objective. By late afternoon the German position was desperate, and that evening they retreated across the railroad viaduct to La Gleize, leaving behind all their heavy equipment. Peiper's bridgehead was eliminated, at a cost of some 225 "All-Americans" of the 504th. B Company had only 18 men left and no officers; C Company but 38 men and 3 officers. The Germans had suffered about 200 killed in the fighting, plus an unknown number of wounded and 31 taken prisoner.
8.53 KGP Campaign Game III: DECISION AT LA GLEIZE
CG Dates: 19 PM - 23 PM [thirteen CG Dates]
The picturesque village of La Gleize, situated on a small promontory some 700 yards north of the Amblève river, commanded the road north to Spa, those leading west to Stoumont and Cheneux, and those going south to Trois-Ponts and Stavelot where the main body of SS-Panzer Division 1 was laboring to catch up with Kampfgruppe Peiper. La Gleize was thus the linchpin of Peiper's defenses, and throughout the fighting he retained a significant portion of his forces in that area. When on the morning of the 19th the Americans first detected enemy activity around La Gleize, the commander of the 117th Infantry Regiment moved his Company K to Cour and Company L to Roanne, allotting each some Sherman tanks for support. In the afternoon, the first platoon of GIs to arrive at Roanne was ordered to push on toward La Gleize, some 2000 yards to the southeast, to reconnoiter the situation there.
MAP GROUP: "Lg"
CG III VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win if at any CG-Scenario End their CG-LVP Total is ≥ 160 and/
ATTACK-CHIT LIMITS (8.6231): U.S. 8; German 3.
INITIAL-SCENARIO VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win if at CG-Scenario End they have amassed ≥ 10 Casualty VP and/
INITIAL-SCENARIO SETUP SEQUENCE: German sets up first; U.S. moves first.
INITIAL GERMAN OB:
Elements of Kampfgruppe Peiper [ELR: 5] set up, using HIP if in Concealment Terrain and not in Reserve, on/
| RG: SS PzGr Pltn | PzKpfw VIB (see SSR III.4) |
| RG: SS Inf Pltn | 30 CPP |
INITIAL U.S. OB:
Elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 117th Infantry Regiment, and the 1st Platoon of Company A, 743rd Tank Battalion [ELR: 4] enter as per SSR III.5
{SAN: 2}
| RG: Inf Pltn | RG: Med Tank Pltn II | 8-0 | 14 CPP |
INITIAL-SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES:
The following SSR apply only to the 19 PM Initial Scenario of CG III.
III.1 See KGP SSR. Weather is Very Heavy Mist SSR KGP3).
III.2 Each hex that is not an eligible German setup hex is considered a U.S. Setup Area hex for the purposes of Reserve setup (SSR CG7; 8.4) only.
III.3 The German side may not spend additional CPP for Standard On-Map setup (8.6194a) of purchased RG, nor may he purchase any roadblock(s).
III.4 The OB-given PzKpfw VIB must be set up Immobilized (not Out of Gas) in hex R44 (VCA: R43-S44).
III.5 The U.S. OB-given Inf Pltn RG and 8-0 enter on Turn 1 within two hexes of V56. All other U.S. "I#"/"V#"/"G" RG enter as per SSR CG6a; (8.4) following a reinforcement dr of < the current Game Turn number (make a separate dr for each such RG).
III.6 Beginning on Turn 5, the German player may make a DR during each friendly RPh. If this Final DR is ≤ the current Game Turn number, any one Reserve Cloaking counter (German's choice) is immediately Released (SSR CG7b; 8.4). A +1 DRM applies for each Reserve Cloaking counter that has already been Released.
AFTERMATH: The small force of GIs duly moved out, and advanced uneventfully at first - but near a ford across the Roannay stream they were ambushed by hidden SS-Panzergrenadiers. Their supporting Shermans arrived shortly thereafter, and began firing through the mist at a King Tiger sitting on the N.33 where it had thrown a track the previous day. Suddenly one of the Shermans blew up violently, hit by a German gun firing from Hassoumont. These reverses stopped the Americans cold; they pulled back to Roanne and, after such an inauspicious start, made no further moves against La Gleize that day. In the meantime, however, U.S. troops and equipment continued to arrive. On the morning of the 20th, Company K and its supporting Shermans advanced to Borgoumont, where around noon they were joined by the tanks and armored infantry of Task Force McGeorge. Shortly afterward they advanced along the road toward La Gleize, catching the Germans offguard in Hassoumont. However, after heavy fighting that lasted into the night, the GIs were forced to withdraw behind the Nabonru stream. Also at about noon, U.S. forces advanced from the east toward Marechal's mill, but were rebuffed by the Germans holding the buildings. The 21st saw TF McGeorge, following another futile attempt to close in on La Gleize, abandon Borgoumont for a wide flanking move to the east and south in order to attack northward along the N.33. Fighting continued around Marechal's mill as well and all the while, American artillery pounded the defenses in and around La Gleize. That night the Germans abandoned the mill, and the exhausted survivors of the fighting at Stoumont and Cheneux made their way into the perimeter, only to be sent immediately into the line. Before dawn on the 22nd, a force of SS-Panzergrenadiers infiltrated into Les Tchéous. After daylight they, along with several tanks coming up the Spa road, attacked toward Borgoumont in a last desperate attempt to break the encirclement. Heavy and accurate artillery fire, along with that of a 90mm AA gun newly set up on the Roanne heights, forced them to withdraw, leaving behind a King Tiger and two Pz IVs. While this was happening, TF McGeorge made another push on La Gleize, but this attack also gained little and the task force found itself stalled along the Les Minières road. That night, the temperature dropped sharply and a rising breeze cleared the clouds and mist. The Luftwaffe attempted to drop supplies to Peiper, but most fell into American hands. On the morning of the 23rd, U.S. artillery fire increased even more in ferocity, leading the Germans to dub their position der Kessel ("the Cauldron"). An earlier-requested air strike failed to materialize, however, the planes instead mistakenly hitting Malmédy, killing a number of soldiers and civilians in the U.S.-held town. When the terrific bombardment on La Gleize eased, the Americans attacked from all sides: TF McGeorge pushed west along the N.33 while the 90mm AA gun and Sherman tanks on the Roanne heights dueled with Tigers around the Wèrimont farm; the GIs in Borgoumont, supported by mortar concentrations and a few Shermans, moved southwest; and TFs Harrison and Jordan attacked eastward and toward La Venne. The latter were quickly halted at the La Venne crossroads and by accurate fire from the Dinheid and Les Montis heights while elsewhere the Americans fared not much better, as the Germans threw every last able-bodied man into the fray. The fighting was furious, but the defenders frustrated every assault. Finally the attack was called off, and in its place was substituted another intense bombardment. Though his men had fought brilliantly, supplies of every kind were now almost totally exhausted, and amidst the deluge of artillery shells Peiper knew his position was no longer tenable. Around 1700 hours he received permission from I. SS-Panzerkorps to evacuate to the main German lines, though with the stipulation to bring out his heavy equipment. With virtually no fuel left, Peiper ignored this demand, and at about 0200 on the 24th he and some 800 of his men quietly abandoned the La Gleize defenses and walked south to La Venne. Left behind was a small rearguard to delay the Americans and destroy the remaining guns and vehicles. The sun rose to the sound of demolitions, and a renewed American attack met with minimal resistance instead of the expected desperate last stand. GIs cautiously entering the smoldering ruins of La Gleize liberated about 170 Americans and captured some 300 Germans, almost all of the latter too seriously wounded to have accompanied Peiper. Just before dawn on Christmas Day, Lt-Col. Peiper and about 770 others, almost asleep on their feet, reached the main force of SS-Panzer Division 1 - a formation now effectively reduced to being armored in name only.
