Marnach - Ardennes 1944 - part 1

This was the first in a planned series of games set during the Ardennes campaign.  Regular readers will recall that I visited Marnach a few months ago - and having walked/driven the ground was very helpful when setting up the game.  Having set the game up, I emailed out briefings to players and they joined in by Zoom over the course of two evenings.

Marnach atop the NE the SW ridge.  The buildings are 15mm resin by Hovels.  The church bears more then a passing resemblance to the current building...

The field of battle - on my 72 by 39 inch table.  A white fleecy throw was er, thrown over a carefully laid out arrangement of boxes.  North is to the top of the map.

This being a quiet sector(!), the rear area traffic is light.  Here a US traffic controller looks hopefully for some 'trade.'

At the rear (to the west), the US HQ skulked in an eastern suburb of Clervaux.

Here come the Germans!  A full battalion - actually dismounted Panzergrenadiers - surges forward.

The US garrison consisted of a rifle company and a platoon each of MG and AT

Off to the south, US reinforcements trudged forward while artillery prepared to fire in support.

In the woods on the NE corner - another btl of Germans!  Deetail figures and veterans to a man!

From the German point of view it was a bloody long way to Marnach.

The German assault looked very impressive and their sheer numbers dented US morale.  Well, the players' morale anyway.

Would the US reserve arrive in time?

German MG plt in position to support the attack.

We leave the action there for the moment and will return as the German assault goes in.