Despite a spirited defence from the opening hours of the Normandy invasion in June 1944, Hitler’s forces in northern France were comprehensively defeated and forced to retreat westward. Although their position was strengthened considerably following Operation Dragoon – the landing in southern France in August 1944 – the Allies were faced with considerable logistical problems as they advanced towards Germany, spreading their lines of communications and support thinner with every mile.
Operation Market Garden, the massive airborne assault of September 1944, failed to meet its objectives and the momentum of the Allied advance was further threatened.
German forces were able to capitalize on this and with mounting pressure from the east as Soviet forces prepared for a winter offensive, Hitler decided to launch one last gamble – a massive counter offensive against the Allies in December 1944. The German assault (including 45-divisions) launched against American defenders dug in across the Ardennes region led to the largest single battle fought by the US Army in the entire twentieth century. The stakes could not have been higher for either side – for Germany, it truly was a last attempt to avoid being completely overwhelmed by the Western Allies, whilst for the American forces bearing the brunt of the assault, there was a very real threat that a German breakthrough could have undone all of the successes since D-Day.
Code named Operation Watch on the Rhine by German forces, the initial successes of the campaign led to a worrying and distinctive bulge in the Allied front line, leading to the Allied press giving the offensive an immortal moniker: The Battle of the Bulge.
Scenarios
The 12 scenarios are overflowing with detail and cover actions that were happening just prior to and after the more famous ‘Bulge’ battles:
Scenario 1: Retreat Through the Mons Pocket The Aftermath
Scenario 2: The Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Scenario 3: The Battle of St Vith
Scenario 4: The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge – featuring Grenadier Radfahrzug Squad
Scenario 5: Kampfgruppe Peiper
Scenario 6: The Siege of Bastogne
Scenario 7: Operation Greif – featuring Panzerbrigade 150 Reinforced Platoon
Scenario 8: The Battle of Foy – featuring First Lieutenant Ronald Speirs
Scenario 9: Bandit Country
Scenario 10: Fogged Out
Scenario 11: Defend The Bridge
Scenario 12: The Colmar Pocket
New Units & Theatre Selectors
The Battle Of The Bulge campaign book is divided into easy sections that take a brief look at a particular historical time frame, the combatants involved (including any special characters that made an appearance) – then moves on to introduce the special Bolt Action scenario, with any special rules or new units clearly explained, along with the recommended force selectors to use when preparing your forces.
You’ll also find a complete army list for a late-war Free French army!
New Rules
The extreme conditions of Winter 1944 in the Ardennes region had an extreme impact on the fighting efficacy of both sides. In the book, some familiar rules to emulate these conditions on tabletop battlefield are reprinted for convenience along with some brand new ones.
These primarily deal with the wintry terrain, with rules presented for snow, mud, fog and ice as well as minefields and foxholes. However, you’ll also find rules for mountaineers, fuel shortages and frostbite – which can have a seriously debilitating effect on your troops prior to even the start of battles.
Get Started
We’ve put together several themed bundles to get you battling in the Bulge as quickly as possible, whether you’re pushing the final Axis offensive of the war or trying to contain the bulge as the Allies.
US 168th Combat Engineers Company
There were many brave defensive actions across the Ardennes but the 168th Combat engineers proved to be some of the toughest obstacles to the German advance.
A complete Combat reinforced Platoon wrapped up for the winter conditions and ready, under your command, with Divisional support in this attacking force containing; 2 platoons, all the weapon options, plus 57mm AT gun, armoured cars, and your tank destroyer. Includes FREE M3A1 Half-track and Winter HQ set!
Kampfgruppe Peiper
One of the many German battle groups to fight into the heart of the allied lines was a kampfgruppe under the command of Obersturmbannführer Peiper. Within the ranks were men of the 1st Battalion, 9th Fallschirmjäger Regiment, 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division.
This Kampfgruppe is a totally legal force with the Tank War rules and the tank riders rules from Armies of the Soviet Union page 25, and is represented here with the heavy armour of a King Tiger, a Panther, and a Panzer IV, with a squad of elite Fallschirmjӓger tank riders
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon